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Football > NCAA > DVD > 2002 > Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators
2002 Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators DVD
2002 NCAA college football regular season DVD
recap / box score

Steve Spurrier is gone, but Georgia's frustration against Florida endures.

Rex Grossman tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ben Troupe with 11:32 left in the fourth quarter as the 22nd-ranked Gators ended No. 5 Georgia's hopes for an unbeaten season with a 20-13 Southeastern Conference victory.

"Our defense won the game for us tonight," Grossman said. "We were out in a bad situation because we didn't score the touchdowns in the first quarter. Our defense came up big and we had a big drive from that."

Needing a win to clinch the SEC East title, the Bulldogs (7-0, 4-1) instead were one of four major Division I-A teams to suffer their first loss Saturday. Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and North Carolina State also tasted defeat for the first time in 2002.

Georgia has lost 12 of its last 13 meetings with Florida. The Bulldogs were 1-11 against Spurrier, now the coach of the Washington Redskins.

"We had our share of mistakes and we were undisciplined," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "We did things we have not done all year. We're still in control (of the SEC East race). We need to regroup and make sure we don't give up a game down the stretch."

Beleaguered Florida coach Ron Zook should get some Gators' fans off his back, as he did with a victory at Tennessee in September. The win enabled Florida (6-3, 4-2) to stay in the SEC race.

"This is one of those games you can throw records out," Zook said. "It's a rivalry in the true sense of a rivalry. We are a good football team."

It could have been a costly win as wide receiver Taylor Jacobs did not return after suffering an apparent MCL injury in the first quarter. Zook did not elaborate, but said Jacobs will be sidelined next week and possibly longer.

"It's going to be evaluated when we get back but there's not a need for an operation," Zook said. "Taylor's a guy that will do what he has to do get back."

Jacobs was held without a reception. Kelvin Knight picked up the slack for the Gators with nine grabs for 115 yards. He became the first Florida receiver other than Jacobs to have a 100-yard game this season.

Grossman, who has had an inconsistent season, performed like the player that was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last year, going 8-for-8 on the winning drive that covered 89 yards.

"We got tired of driving the whole field and not finishing," Florida running back Earnest Graham said. "We have been working so hard and we just neeed to go down there and put some points on the board. The defense held for the win."

On third-and-2 from the 10, Grossman lofted a high pass over the middle. Troupe had to turn around, but easily reached over the 6-1 Thomas Davis to make the grab, putting the Gators ahead, 18-13.

Grossman scored on the conversion run to give Florida a seven-point lead.

Grossman completed a career-high 36-of-46 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns. It was his 15th career 300-yard game, tying Shane Matthews' school record.

Billy Bennett kicked a pair of 25-yard field goals in the final 71 seconds of the second quarter to give Georgia a 13-12 lead at the intermission.

But the Bulldogs were held scoreless in the second half and failed to convert a third down the entire game, going 0-for-13 Georgia failed to take advantage of the opportunities it did have as Bennett also missed a pair of field goals.

The Bulldogs came in leading the SEC in third-down conversions at 46 percent.

"We shot ourselves in the foot," Georgia quarterback David Greene said. "We did not make the plays. It is very frustrating to lose like this."

Georgia reached the Florida 47 with just over five minutes left, but was forced to punt after Greene could not complete a third-and-6 pass.

On Georgia's next possession, a wide-open Terrance Edwards dropped a pass inside the Gators 25. Georgia turned the ball over on downs when Tony Milton could not hang on to a 4th-and-1 pass at the Bulldogs 41 with 1:41 remaining.

Georgia got a final possession at its 24 with 36 seconds left, but time ran out on the Bulldogs after they picked up one first down. Greene was just 11-of-29 for 141 yards.

"We came into this game and we felt like we could win," Graham said. "We had some terrible games there in the middle of the season that we lost, but we wanted to come out here and put ourselves in contention for the SEC championship."

Georgia's receiving corps was depleted due to injuries to Fred Gibson and Damien Gary.

"They did a great job of defending us," Richt said. "We did not get it done. It's the usual little bit of breakdowns."

After The Bulldogs grabbed a 7-0 lead on Greene's 10-yard TD pass to T.J. Wall with 6:59 left in the first quarter, the Gators answered on Grossman's five-yard TD toss to Aaron Walker with 9:39 left in the first half.

Brent Talcott missed the extra point, but safety Gus Scott returned an interception 47 yards to give the Gators a 12-7 lead with 3:56 left in the half. The conversion pass failed.

Georgia answered with an eight-play, 48-yard drive, closing to 12-10 on Bennett's field goal with 1:20 left.

Two play later, Florida's Ran Carthon coughed up the ball, with Georgia's Bruce Thornton returning the fumble 11 yards to the Gators 5.

Musa Smith, who rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries, appeared to score on a one-yard run, but a motion penalty negated the touchdown. Georgia had to settle for Bennett's second 25-yard field three seconds before the intermission.


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