Georgia Football: Defense Provides Optimism Ahead of Florida Game
With the help of Thomas Rhett and the Florida-Georgia Line, I kept the Missouri – Georgia Football game in perspective and found hope for a Dawg Halloween.
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I have to admit that I did not watch the UGA-Missouri game live on Saturday night. Other obligations took me away from my TV and to an amphitheater where I was charmed with the country sounds of Thomas Rhett and Florida-Georgia Line. So, since I had to bust out my cowboys boots instead of my Georgia-red polo I recorded the game to be watched on Sunday. Boy, did I make a great decision!
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When you watch a recorded game and you already know the outcome, you save yourself from all of the near heart attacks that would have taken place in real time, especially if your team wins.
Watching the UGA-Missouri game I found myself not as bitter that Greyson Lambert found the hands of the Missouri defenders more than his own receivers. I also was not spooked when Marshall Morgan missed an easy field goal try, something that usually spells a loss for the Dawgs.
I may have found a new calling. You see as a Georgia fan the continued pain and anguish the team puts you through takes a toll on you. But, you won’t have the mindset of waiting for something bad to happen if you know in the end the team is going to win.
That is why had I watched the game live I would feel less optimistic than I do right now. I could look at our defensive performance and say that Missouri’s offense had everything to do with it because they have not scored an offensive touchdown in two games. I could also say that their freshman quarterback Drew Lock was not ready for a big SEC stage on the road.
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But, I am not going to say any of that. My takeaway from Saturday night is that Georgia’s defense needed to play an opponent like this to get their confidence back, and they did. You cannot tell me that holding any team to 164 yards of total offense, especially the reigning two-time SEC East champions, is easy to do.
So to say I am feeling optimistic after Georgia’s defensive performance against Missouri is simply because they showed what they are capable of. It was a glimpse into the potential of this defense.
What Georgia did was get their defensive swagger back perhaps ahead of their most important game of the season: Florida.
How many times in the Georgia-Florida rivalry have we seen this narrative: one team is in the national title conversation and heavily favored in the game, while the other is trying to salvage a disappointing season?
This story was exactly what happened a year ago. Georgia came in just outside of the top ten with everything to gain. They were a better team, were playing better at the time, and had better players.
Florida was 3-3 and on the verge of firing their head coach. They snuck in and played their only complete game of the season routing the Dawgs by 18 to save their season for the time being and ruining Georgia’ title hopes.
This season Florida is the team in the title hunt. Despite their loss to LSU over the weekend, they are very much in contention to win the SEC. Georgia on the other hand is searching for something positive to get them through the season. They once again have fallen on bad luck, injuries, and underachievement in the biggest games.
The Dawgs have the opportunity to save their season and ruin Florida’s on Halloween night in two weeks. If for just one night the Dawgs can put it all together and play a complete game, we could flip the script against the Gators.
And how sweet would it be to do that to those guys!