By: Charlie Moon

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Every time she sees Mark Richt on TV, my mom says, “Ain’t he so cute.” My dad would have no choice but to just laugh it off.

One of the greatest shots of Richt’s famous dimpled smile, was in 2007 against Florida. Knowshon Moreno had just opened the scoring in the 1st quarter. Then, came one of the most iconic rivalry moments.

CBS’s Verne Lundquist: “Moreno. Did he break the plane? Yes…Touchdown! The entire team is coming out! We may have 15 yellow hankies!”

Then, a perfect example of why I always say TV production crews for college football run circles around NFL.

Perfection. Video went to a high overhead shot, a perfect storm of red, white and silver, storming the end zone.

Some demean color analyst Gary Danielson. I say they’re crazy. Perfect example? Danielson follows during this overhead shot; “This was all absolutely planned. Mark Richt has decided he is tired of the Florida Gators having the psychological advantage over UGA.”

As Danielson was saying that, video went to UGA senior defensive end Marcus Howard. He was banging his chest with both fists. His 27 2-foot-long dreads were bouncing. Dude looked like a crazed madman! The Dawgs had psychologically released.

Then, the video got Tim Tebow and two teammates on the Gator sideline. Everybody remembers how animated Tebow was.

Not this time. You’d think Tebow would be gathering his guys in their own sideline huddled mass and doing that thing where he looked in their eyes and pointed to the heavens.

But this time, he just stood there, with his eyes and mouth wide open. Kind of like Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning looked like against Georgia.

Tebow was stunned. The Gators were stunned. This was the moment the rivalry turned.

That’s right. The majority of the Dawgs team had stormed the end zone and was dancing like it was 1999. At first, I was like “What in the world are we doing!”

Then my brother Chad started getting jacked up! “This is a message! We’re not taking it anymore! Let’s go. Go Dawgs!”

The cameras panned to the normally reverent and serene Mark Richt on the sideline. He was clapping and had this sly grin on his face.

There wasn’t a single UGA coach scurrying out to pull players back. Normally, you’d see that in a situation like this, right? Not this time!

Danielson was right. It was planned. UGA initially denied it, but everyone knew. And I don’t care what Richt said after the game, we all knew.

In the following off-season, Richt pretty much admitted, players pitched it during the annual pre-Florida game off week. Richt initially said no way. But he eventually ruled in favor of the players, with a few restrictions.

It had to be with the Dawgs in an early lead or tying situation. No celebrations, down 21 in the 4th quarter. No direct taunting of Florida players in the end zone, or toward their sidelines.

To their credit, players did follow these guidelines. But the funniest shot was of 320-pound OL Trinton Sturdivant breaking out in what can only be described as his own “Big Boy” version of River Dance.

The Dawgs went on to win 42-30, but it really wasn’t that close.

Under Spurrier and Meyer, the Gators dominated the series, 15-2. So often, though, it wasn’t because of dominating rosters. The Gators simply were in the Dawgs’ head.

Annually, tight games would turn on a dime with one UGA mistake. Then the wheels would come off.

But the Dawgs have gone 10-6 against the Gators since then. This was the day the series turned.