Don’t look for the combination of black pants and black helmets for the Georgia football team again anytime in the near future.

Looking for any added incentive to provide an emotional lift, Georgia coach Mark Richt surprised his team with the black ensemble after they returned to the locker room following pregame warm-ups.

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The Bulldogs had gone with black jerseys in the past with some success, but the black helmets were a first.

“We had those helmets from a year ago, and we didn’t feel there was a good time to use them,” Richt said. “After the Alabama blackout [a decisive loss last year], we decided to shelve them for awhile. We felt this might be a good time to pull them out.

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“We didn’t let the players know about them. We wanted to spring it on them and the fans, too, for a lift, although emotionally I think our guys would have been ready regardless. But when you come out and go down 14-0, you feel like maybe not a whole lot came of it. I think it was just a situation of trying to find a little more juice.”

Florida’s two touchdowns in the first quarter took away some of the emotional lift that Richt was looking for. Tight end Aron White, who caught a 26-yard pass from Joe Cox for Georgia’ first touchdown, said the pants and helmets provided the desired lift.

“We came inside and saw those uniforms, and we were pretty excited by them,” White said. “But as they say, the uniforms, they don’t score points. We still have to go out and play. We’ve just got to get it where the offense and defense is clicking on the same day.”

It might have happened had the Bulldogs not been whistled for eight penalties for 84 yards in the first half. One was a personal foul on Darryl Gamble on Florida’s opening drive.

Two plays later, the Gators scored on a Tim Tebow to Riley Cooper 22-yard pass play.

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“The story for us in the first half were the penalties that shot us in the foot pretty good,” Richt said. “I’m not saying Florida wasn’t playing good. They were, but we certainly hurt our chances for more points and more time of possession [with the penalties].”

For Georgia quarterback Joe Cox, who threw three of the Bulldogs’ four interceptions, it was another case of too many mistakes. Georgia has yet to win the turnover battle in any game this year, and it proved costly once again.

“Penalties and turnovers have been the story of our season,” Cox said. “We got by with it a couple of times early and said it was going to catch up with us, and it has a few times. Good teams are going to capitalize on it when you have those penalties and you turn it over like we did.”

Added Richt, “We have never won the turnover ratio this season, and that’s pretty bad. That’s very frustrating. Will we play a game where we don’t do things that hinder us from being the very best we can be? I’m responsible for all of that. I’m responsible for keeping the turnovers and penalties down.”

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