Georgia Bulldogs thriving on recent doubters

photo "It's kind of us against the world," Bulldogs senior quarterback Hutson Mason told reporters Saturday night, on how the team has responded to the absence of tailback and Heisman Trophy contender Todd Gurley. The team has responded with impressive wins at Missouri and Arkansas.

The Georgia Bulldogs seem to have this chip-on-the-shoulder thing all figured out.

After losing junior tailback and Heisman Trophy favorite Todd Gurley to an indefinite suspension on Oct. 9, the Bulldogs embarked on an unexpected 72-6 scoring surge over the next six quarters. They went to Missouri nine days ago and cruised 34-0, and they went to Arkansas this past weekend and built a 38-6 halftime lead before prevailing 45-32.

"It's kind of us against the world," Bulldogs senior quarterback Hutson Mason told reporters Saturday night. "When Todd got hurt, all those professionals didn't really give us a chance, and it kind of built us together and made us rely and depend on each other. I think that's really what speaks dividends about this team that's been different from the past.

"We've got a friendship and a relationship and a brotherhood that is just different from the past, and I think it shows on the field."

Georgia's two road victories resulted in the Bulldogs moving up to No. 9 Sunday in the Associated Press and USA Today polls. The Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) are off this week before their annual showdown in Jacksonville against Florida (3-3, 2-3), which imploded Saturday night in a 42-13 home loss to Missouri.

Embattled Gators coach Will Muschamp said he would focus on improving the team when asked questions Saturday night about his job security, and Florida announced Sunday that there would be no news in these next two weeks regarding his status. Muschamp has never been part of the winning team in the Georgia-Florida game, not as a Bulldogs safety or in his current role.

Georgia counterpart Mark Richt said he has not used Gurley's absence and some accompanying gloom-and-doom viewpoints as motivation. The Bulldogs were actually slight favorites in each of their last two games, but every analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay" telecast this past Saturday morning predicted an Arkansas victory.

"I never mentioned it," Richt said Sunday. "The only time I mentioned anything about Todd was right before that Thursday practice when I announced to them that he wasn't going to be able to play. I really haven't said a word about it since. I've just been talking about focusing on the opponent and taking care of business in practices and those kind of things."

So the past two weeks have not compared to Georgia's 2002 trip to Alabama, when former Auburn coach Pat Dye told a Birmingham radio station the the Bulldogs were not "man enough" to defeat the Crimson Tide. Georgia wound up prevailing 27-25 on a 32-yard Billy Bennett field goal with 38 seconds remaining.

"That one motivated us for sure," Richt said. "We used that one without question."

The Bulldogs have ascended to the top of the SEC in scoring offense with 43.4 points a game, and they lead the nation with a plus-13 turnover margin. Georgia has been plus-9 since Gurley's suspension.

Whatever has motivated Georgia the past two weeks certainly is working.

"You know, it's more something we say to ourselves," senior receiver Chris Conley said Saturday. "We say to ourselves that we've got to earn that respect. We've got to earn the respect of the media, earn the respect of the fans and earn the respect of other teams, because right now, they don't think we can win these games.

"We're going to look internally at ourselves and continue to prepare, and we're going to continue to play ball."

The Bulldogs are scheduled to practice Tuesday through Thursday this week.

Odds and ends

The Bulldogs are bowl-eligible for the 14th consecutive year under Richt and for the 18th straight time as a program, which is the longest bowl streak in the SEC. ... Richt said Sunday that freshman tailback Sony Michel is not likely to practice this week and that redshirt freshman tailback A.J. Turman (foot) is nowhere near being ready to play.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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