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RICHT WANTED TO RILE UP TEAM

 
Published Oct. 28, 2007|Updated Oct. 29, 2008

With Georgia having lost 15 of the past 17 games to Florida, including five during his six-year tenure, coach Mark Richt figured he would be crazy not to try something drastically different this season.

"The definition of insanity is if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting," Richt said. "And we had to do something different."

So two weeks ago Richt had a challenge for his team.

"I told them when we score our first touchdown, if we don't get a celebration penalty, I'm going to run every one of you off," Richt said.

The players spent the past two weeks - including last week's bye - trying to decide how and what they would do. Richt's only rule was that it had to be team-oriented and it had to come after Georgia's first touchdown.

"I told them if we didn't score in the first half, it was off," Richt quipped.

The players finalized the plan at the team hotel Saturday morning. When Georgia took a 7-0 lead on 1-yard run by Knowshon Moreno, the entire Georgia bench emptied onto the field and ran into the end zone for a mass celebration as Florida's defense stood stunned.

"I just feel it was big disrespect," UF sophomore linebacker Brandon Spikes said. "No class. They've probably never been in the situation they were in. Just classless and disrespectful."

Richt politely disagrees.

"We didn't stomp on anybody's logo," he said. "I don't see it as any disrespect at all, I see it as a coach trying to get his guys excited to play a big game, that's all. We weren't trying to disrespect Florida in any way. We were just trying to get the guys jacked up.

"I figured if we happened to score first or early, it would generate more excitement. And that's what happened."

UF coach Urban Meyer gathered his team in a circle on its sideline, some players gesturing at the Georgia players, others trying to fire up the Florida fans.

For the record, the Bulldogs were assessed 22-1/2 yards in unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after that touchdown, resulting in a kickoff from their 7-1/2-yard line.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said he considers Richt to be a man of "class" and doesn't believe he intentionally tried to show up the Gators.

COOPER OUT: Sophomore receiver Riley Cooper traveled to the game but did not dress after having surgery to repair his two broken small fingers. Meyer said defensive linemen Javier Estopinan and Terron Sanders also suffered injuries Saturday, but did not elaborate.

ETC: Kicker Joey Ijjas' 43-yard field goal with 7:11 remaining in the second quarter was a career long. ... The 42 points were the most given up by the Florida defense in Meyer's tenure. ... Tebow has rushed for a touchdown in nine consecutive games to extend his school record; he has 12 rushing scores this year. ... Saturday was the first time since 1992 the Gators did not have a bye week before the Georgia game.