Georgia Football Rallying Behind Todd Gurley
Denny Medley – USA TODAY Sports
The Georgia Bulldogs football team was an afterthought on Oct. 11. All focus was on the suspension of Todd Gurley and the amount of losses that would pile up in his absence. Pundits and Vegas odds makers scrambled to change their stances after the news came down. Grown men cried as the season circled the drain.
On Oct. 15, the outlook is much different. Why? Rather than wallowing in despair, the Bulldogs have used this situation as a rallying cry for the rest of the season. One of their own, a leader of the team, was struck down by an archaic rule and an unscrupulous memorabilia dealer who has probably moved to Idaho by now. While Gurley’s skills are undeniable, the resolve of these Bulldogs in his absence was nothing short of transcendent.
Missouri may have relaxed and figured the Dawgs would play dead on Saturday. If so, that assumption was more wrong than some of Oregon‘s uniforms. From the opening kickoff, there was an energy on all sides of the ball that has not been seen from Mark Richt‘s squad in quite some time. The offensive game plan was simple — hand the ball to Nick Chubb and pound Missouri into dust. The freshman sensation more than lived up to his hype with almost 40 carries against a very tough front seven. Defensively, what can you say? It was a shutout of a team averaging 400 yards of offense. Jeremy Pruitt will probably watch this game film with popcorn and a smile.
After several big plays, players were noticeably flashing three fingers in the air as a tribute to their fallen star. Meanwhile, Gurley was texting encouragement to the team during the game and letting them know that he was with them in spirit. Rather than use this as an excuse, Georgia took the reigns and control of the SEC East. Facing a deflated Arkansas team next week will be another road test in a string of away games that will decide the course of the season.
Whether that course will be run with Gurley or not, Richt is not allowing any letdown. This team had its sights set on Atlanta in August, and clearly those sights are still alive and well in October. If this attitude permeates the team through December, those three finger tributes could be reduced by two in January when the playoff takes place.
Brad Stephens is an SEC Football writer for www.Rantsports.com. Feel free to follow on Twitter @bradstephens320 or add to your Google network.
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