Beating the Gators: Fred Gibson came through in 2002

One of my favorite basketball memories from my days at Georgia was the 2002 game against the Florida Gators in Gainesville. Florida came into the game ranked #2 in the nation and was a 16.5 point favorite. Georgia was enjoying a fine season at 14-3, that included a victory over then #8 Kentucky just the week before. But coming off a loss at home to #16 Alabama, few expected the Dawgs to steal a victory from the Gators at home.


Georgia was Jarvis Hayes and Ezra Williams, who would combine to score 42 points in the game. I remember the balance of that Georgia team, with Rashad Wright running the point and the Hayes brothers up front. For Florida, I remember the combination of Matt Bonner and Udonis Haslem leading the Gators to a 39-36 lead at half. But the Dawgs were able to come back and take the lead into the waning minutes of the game. Coach Herrick sent a reserve guard who had recently joined the basketball team after the end of the football season.


That player was Georgia wide receiver Fred Gibson. Gibson had originally committed to play football for Steve Spurrier at Florida, but switched his commitment to Georgia during the week before national signing day. After having an amazing freshman season on the football field, the Florida fans were ready to taunt Gibson, a player they felt had screwed them over. Gibson got the ball on three consecutive possessions with the Gators just outside of striking distance. Each time he was fouled and sent to the line. I kept wondering why we were leaving a football player out on the court who had little experience in such a crucial situation.



Gibson answered the call. He nailed all 6 of his free throws, helping secure the 84-79 victory. Gibson returned to Athens as probably the most popular player on the team. Gibson would only play one season at Georgia, but that one day in Gainesville will forever hold his place in Georgia basketball history.

Let's go beat them Gators tonight!!! GO DAWGS!!!

The Play Action Pass

Georgia has used the play action pass a lot this year (sometimes too much). Aaron Murray has proven very capable of executing the fake and I hope that Georgia will continue to use this strategy this Saturday. While last year the Dawgs dominated on the ground, I think a big game through the air may lead the Dawgs to victory this year. Hopefully, Murray can execute the play action as well as David Greene did back in 2003:


Munson: "Great play fake by Fred Greene."

Close enough, Larry!

Go Dawgs!

The Mississippi State Factor

2004 was Coach Richt's fourth year on the sideline for the Georgia Bulldogs. After already winning an SEC Championship and playing for another, Coach Richt had one item left on his SEC checklist: beat the Florida Gators. An experienced Georgia team led by seniors David Greene and David Pollack had thumped defending national champion LSU a few weeks earlier, and despite a slip up against Tennessee, were expected to compete for the SEC Championship.

Florida, on the other hand, was struggling. Coach Ron Zook was already on the hot seat the week before the Georgia game when he took his Gators to Starkville. Mississippi State was in its first year under Sylvester Croom and not expected to hang with Florida. On that day, the western Bulldogs beat the Gators 38-31, and the term "getting Croomed" was born. The next day, Florida made Ron Zook a lame duck coach by announcing that he would not return for the 2005 season.

With the Gator's struggling, Georgia took advantage and earned their first victory over Florida in the 2000's. David Greene hooked up with Fred Gibson in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory:


Six years later, the Dawgs head to Jacksonville with Gators reeling from a defeat at the hands of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After the rough start for Georgia, the Dawgs have won three straight SEC games while scoring at least 41 points in all three contests. Florida has lost three games in a row, averaging only 14 points per game.

Will the Mississippi State factor be enough to help Georgia get back above .500? We'll find out Saturday in Jacksonville.

GO DAWGS!!!

The Countdown 2010: 91 Days to Go

91: Fred Gibson, Wide Receiver #82 (2001 – 2004)

In the spring of 2001, I was freshman at Georgia living in O-House. My roommate was from Waycross, Georgia, and one afternoon we had a message on our answering machine. It was a friend of my roommate named Fred, who had decided switch his college commitment from Florida to Georgia. At that point I had no idea who Fred was, but anyone who decided to shun the Gators in favor of the Dawgs was a good guy in my book. That player turned out to be Fred Gibson, who had a great four year career at Georgia.

Fred Gibson was a member of Mark Richt’s first recruiting class and had originally committed to play for Steve Spurrier at Florida. He was a two sport star at Ware County High School, where he caught 50 passes for over 1,000 yards as a senior. Gibson saw the field early during his freshman season, but had his breakout game in October of 2001 against the Kentucky Wildcats. Georgia had fallen behind Kentucky early in the game, but a couple of long touchdown catches by Gibson would help the Bulldogs rally to victory. In the game, Gibson caught 9 passes for a Georgia record 201 yards, including touchdown catches of 68 and 56 yards. For the season, he caught 33 passes for 772 yards and six touchdowns. This included a Georgia record 5 games of 100 plus yards receiving.

Gibson got off to a fast start in the 2002 season opener against Clemson, returning a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown in the 31 – 28 Georgia victory. Gibson would have another solid season both catching passes and returning kicks. He totaled 43 receptions for 758 yards and 4 touchdowns receiving and added 460 yards returning kickoffs (despite missing a few games due to injury). In 2003, Gibson would be hampered by injuries and would finish with his worst statistical season at Georgia (36 catches for 553 yards (15.4 average) and three scores). Despite the disappointment, he did combine with David Greene on one of the best play action plays I have ever seen:

Fred returned for a strong senior year that would see him earn All-SEC honors. He caught 49 passes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished his career third all-time in receptions at Georgia with 161 catches for 2,884 yards. He is currently second all-time in receiving touchdowns with 20. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and bounced around the NFL before finally giving up his football career. He eventually would land in the NBA Development League, picking back up the basketball career he gave up following his sophomore year at Georgia. (On a side note, watching Fred hit 6 straight free-throws down the stretch to beat the Gators in Gainesville is still one of my favorite memories of Georgia basketball.)

LSU: 2004 Edition

I know that we posted this clip prior to the LSU game last year, but it's too good not to post it again. And we won last year after we posted it. Good vibes.

Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.

With 3 games remaining in the 2008 campaign, the Dawgs will need to regroup this week against Kentucky to get back on track for a 10 win season. There is no better way to find that confidence than putting up a lopsided victory over a conference opponent. Georgia has posted a 7-1 record against the Wildcats since the year 2000, including games in which the Dawgs put up 62, 52, 45, and 43 points. A break out day from one of UGA's star players would also help heal the wounds left by the Gators last week. Here's a look back at the 2001 UGA - Kentucky game when a freshman wide receiver from Waycross put his name in the Georgia record books.

Fred Gibson came out of Ware County High School as a highly scouted two-sport star. Gibson had originally committed to Coach Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators, however he changed his committment to the Dawgs just days before Signing Day in 2001. Gibson had seen the field some during Georgia's first five games of the season, but Saturday, October 20, 2001 was a game he would never forget.

UGA and Kentucky fought a back and forth battle that Saturday. Georgia relied on the tandem of Jasper Sanks and Verron Haynes to lead the rushing attack as TB Musa Smith was nursing a groin injury. Even quarterback David Greene had 41 rushing yards as the Dawgs racked up 197 on the ground.

Up to the task however was Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen. The "Pillsbury Throw Boy" gave the Georgia defense fits all day and Lorenzen finished with 377 passing yards and 2 touchdowns (he also added 61 yards on the ground). Here are the highlights of Lorenzen's day:



As good as Lorenzen was, this game belonged to Fred Gibson. Number 82 set a Georgia single game record for receiving yards with 201. Among his 9 catches were two long throws from David Greene of 68 and 56 yards. Gibson's efforts helped propel passer David Greene to a 397 yard performance as the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 43-29.

What Georgia needs right now is a hero, someone UGA fans can rally around to bring some confidence back to the team. Fred Gibson was a little known freshman on that day, who knows who it could be this year.

GO DAWGS!!!