Florida's collapse was caused by many bad plays, not just the obvious one | Whitley

JACKSONVILLE — Inquiring minds had one burning question after Georgia’s 43-20 win over Florida. Had Doug Dickey somehow inhabited Billy Napier’s brain?

They were having flashbacks to 1976, when the Gators led 29-27 and went for it on fourth-and-1 at UF’s 29-yard-line. Georgia’s Johnny Henderson tackled Earl Carr for no gain, the momentum shifted, Georgia scored 21 straight points and “Fourth-and-Dumb” was forever etched into Gator infamy.

A similar scenario unfolded Saturday, though there was a big difference. Dickey’s call probably cost Florida the win in 1976. He admitted as much.

“We were not outplayed,” he said. “We were outcoached. I made some dumb calls.”

We can debate the dumbness of Napier’s call on Saturday. It will be the play UF fans will look back on in dismay 47 years from now.

But you know what? It didn’t matter.

The Gators could have made the first down, marched in for a touchdown and had the Georgia half of EverBank Stadium squirming. All that would have just delayed the inevitable.

The Bulldogs would have played the bully, kicking all sorts of sand in Florida’s face. The Gators would have played the role of 98-pound weakling, helpless to stop Kirby Smart’s football machine.

Saturday’s win was the 25^th straight for the Bulldogs and should ease some of the angst Georgia fans have been feeling. This team hasn’t looked quite as good as the past two national championship editions.

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That’s why Florida fans showed up in Jacksonville with newfound hope. The Gators were coming off a clutch road win at South Carolina.

Napier’s offense was showing real signs of life. Brock Bowers was injured.

Splat!

Actually, it was a delayed splat. Florida’s first drive was the best three minutes and 36 seconds of the Napier Era. The Gators romped down the field and took a 7-0 lead on the nation’s No. 1 team

Georgia romped right back and made it to Florida’s 5-yard line. But the Gators held the Bulldogs to a field goal, and you started to wonder that maybe, just maybe, the Gators belonged on the same field.

They got the ball back and were moving it on the ground, then they tried a double-reverse running play that lost two yards. That was Questionable Call No. 1.

Georgia scored a quick TD, but the Gators got the ball back and appeared to get a first down at its 34-yard line. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it fourth-and-1.

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Make it, and UF keeps the momentum and maybe keeps driving for a 14-10 lead.

Don’t make it, and Georgia has a short field and a huge shot of mojo.

Napier went for it with more trickery. It was a direct snap to Trevor Etienne, who ran left and was quickly trapped by linebacker Smael Mondon. Georgia scored three plays later, the rout was on.

So was the debate over Napier’s play-calling. You could make a case that it was foolish. You could make a case that it was bold.

I figure he had to take risky chances against a team like Georgia. The bottom line is if the play had worked, Napier would have looked like a genius. Now he looks like a dope.

Check that. The real bottom line is that play wasn’t why Florida lost the game. The Gators lost it because they couldn’t protect Graham Mertz.

After that opening score, Florida had one total yard of offense in its next 18 plays. Mertz was sacked four times and the Gators got manhandled up front.

The defense was slashed and burned for 486 yards. So much for the Bulldogs needing Bowers to succeed.

All that points to another sobering realization for UF fans. Napier’s rebuilding project is making progress, but the Gators are still nowhere near Georgia’s class.

All Fourth-and-Dumb II did was trigger the avalanche. But even if it had been Fourth-and-Smart, the boulders were going to come tumbling down.

David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: One bad call didn't cost Florida a win over mighty Georgia