One of Georgia's greatest quarterbacks ever, Eric Zeier begins his third season as a color analyst on the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network. By the end of his senior season in 1994, he held 67 school passing records and 18 marks in the Southeastern Conference. Zeier played in the NFL from 1996 to 2001 with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Bucs, and Atlanta Falcons. Each week during the 2009 football season, Zeier will be writing about Georgia football exclusively for georgiadogs.com.

I was sitting in the press box at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium just before kickoff last weekend and I was excited. I was excited because I knew we had a chance today. This was our opportunity to dash the hopes of a team that has been our nemesis for two decades now. This was our chance to turn around a season that started to slide in the wrong direction several weeks ago against Tennessee.I knew that it would take nearly a perfect game to upset the number one team in the land, but that thought was in the back of my mind…today was our day.

The first half of the game left me exhausted. First, the quick start by Tim Tebow and the Gators as they jump out to a 14-0 lead. Then there was the gut check by the Dawgs that positioned us firmly back into a game that looked as if it may get away from us before it even started. And then the onslaught of penalties that allowed the Gators to once again open up a commanding lead as the horn sounded on the opening half. The emotions of this game can be draining, and even though we found ourselves behind, that hope and excitement we began the game with was still there. We stood toe-to-toe with the top team in the land, and we had shown glimpses of being able to play with this team.

Florida’s defense is as good as any you will see anywhere in the country and yet we were finding ways to run the football. We were finding ways to protect against their devastating pass rush. We were finding ways to get the ball out of the hands of Joe Cox and into the hands of receivers streaking down the field. If we could only eliminate the penalties that have haunted us now for two years, we could not just play with the Gators, we could beat them.

And then it happened: that one play the Gators have made time and time again in this series that changes the momentum of the game in a way that is nearly impossible to overcome. On the first series of the second half, A.J. Jones tips a Joe Cox pass, locates the ball in the air, and then somehow finds a way to make an interception deep in our own territory. The ensuing touchdown by Florida took the wind out of the entire Bulldog Nation. It took the wind out of the fans, it took the wind out of the players, and most importantly it changed the way our coaches needed to attack Florida for the rest of the game. Luck is something that you create. Great teams find ways to make these kinds of plays. We have had player after player come through Georgia over the years that have made similar plays, but in this series, it seems as if only the Gators are finding ways to make the impossible a reality. The onslaught of penalties we witnessed in the first half was replaced by an onslaught of turnovers in the second half. Combine those two statistics against the best team in the country and you get exactly what we saw Saturday afternoon, another lopsided victory by the Gators.

Football is a hard game. I lived through the frustrations of not being able to beat these very Gators. I have felt the pain of coming up just short in games where everything is left on the field. And I have been humbled by competing in games where we never really put up a fight. There are challenges that this Bulldog team faces right now as we enter the last stretch of the season and that few players on this team have ever had to face. Questions and speculation have already made their way to mainstream conversation. There is no question that we can play better football. We must find a way to eliminate the turnovers and penalties. Early in the season, we found a way to overcome many of these mistakes, but it is nearly impossible to win week after week when you give the other team chance after chance. With that said, no one should doubt the passion that these coaches and players bring to the field every day.

I have heard that we need someone on the sideline that gets emotional and gets in the face of players so all can see. To that point, allow me to share this: I have played for a number of great coaches through my playing years, but none were better than Tony Dungy. When I was in Tampa, I heard the very same thing. Tony needs to go because there is not enough fire there to win championships. And so the Bucs let him go. Yes, Tampa Bay did win a Super Bowl after he was gone, but simply compare the Indianapolis Colts to the Tampa Bay Bucs right now. Where would you rather be? Tony went on to get his Super Bowl ring with the Colts. And he has played a major role in creating the premier program in the NFL. Do not mistake calmness for lack of fire. You can have both like we have right now at Georgia. That is not our issue, and as a matter of fact, it is that calmness we need right now from our leaders to push through this period. Our issues are clearly visible. Turnovers. Penalties. Before we compete on the national stage again, those issues must get fixed. We have talented players, we have talented coaches, but the myriad of mistakes we continue to commit allows none of that to shine through.

The next 4 weeks will be the toughest period of time all of our players have seen as it concerns the game of football. The goals we had at the start of the season have now changed. What I want to see now is how this team will compete. Will they find a way to not just make improvements, but completely eliminate the turnovers and penalties? Will they turn on each other or will they come together? Will someone emerge from the pack that energizes the Bulldog Nation? Our goals have changed, but the season is not over. A lot can happen over the next four weeks and it starts now. How will we respond?

Go Dawgs!