Georgia’s problems on offense don’t start with quarterback
Mark Richt doesn't like what he sees on the field -- and neither does anybody else. (AP photo)
According to this week’s NCAA statistics, Georgia ranks 86th in total offense, 105th in rushing, 42nd in passing, 60th in scoring, 101st in turnovers lost, 107th in first downs, 50th in third-down conversions, 96th in time of possession and, while this is not an official statistic, about 117th in level of contentment among the masses (ahead of Rice, Ball State and FIU).
This is football. When things go wrong, we blame the quarterback. But in this case, don’t go there.
Joe Cox may not be All-American material. But he’s not the reason the Bulldogs have had five weeks of mediocrity interrupted by abbreviated periods of success. The problem is everything around him. The team lacks an edge, particularly physically. That’s on Mark Richt. The offense lacks consistency and an identity. That’s on Richt and coordinator Mike Bobo. Whether the problem is attitude or design or simply overrated recruiting doesn’t really matter. They’re all big-picture problems.
Last season, the Dogs’ offense underachieved with three future high NFL draft picks (Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Mohamed Massaquoi). This season, the problem is less about a lack of stars than it is about a clear lack of presence.
Georgia just doesn’t scare you.
The Bulldogs have failed to score a touchdown in six of the last seven quarters. That’s closer to reality than the Arkansas game.
Richt admitted disappointment this week. He addressed the injuries on the offensive line the past two seasons in his weekly news conference. Then he stopped himself and stated the obvious: “Everybody has problems. Everybody has issues. Everybody has injuries. Regardless of all those things, we need to block better. We definitely need to run block better.”
Complaints about a lack of identity sometimes are overstated. But often they illustrate whether there’s an obvious blueprint in place, or whether that blueprint is being achieved.
Richt again: “I guess no one has an identity until they are consistently doing something where you could define that team to say, ‘This is what we do well. Right now we’ve not been consistent, offensively or defensively, or in the kicking game, quite frankly. Offensively, we’ve pretty much run the gamut of emotions and productivity. Again, I guess the one word I’m looking for more than anything else is a more consistent effort all the way around.”
It’s not always about the quarterback – particularly in college. Urban Meyer has Tim Tebow now. But he won a national championship at Florida three years ago with Chris Leak as his starter and Tebow as a sideshow. Nick Saban went through last season undefeated at Alabama until the SEC title game with John Parker Wilson, a nice but certainly unspectacular college quarterback. Les Miles: a national championship at LSU with Matt Flynn (later to be NFL draft pick No. 209).
Don’t put this on Cox.
The senior quarterback said he understands that blame goes with the position. “Any time something’s not going right, [people] think you put a new quarterback in, it’s going to change the problem,” he said.
“Obviously, if we were throwing the ball every down and we had guys just running wide open, and I was missing them, well then, yeah, you could blame the quarterback all day.”
Did he expect better?
“Yeah, sure. You would like to be 5-0 and score 50 points a game. But we play in the SEC and it’s not going to be like that every game. It hasn’t been like that since I’ve been here. We haven’t had games where we just blew out everybody and our offense was hitting on all cylinders all the time.”
Nobody expects 50 points a game. People just expect a plan and a physical presence. Georgia lacks both.
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193 comments Add your comment
BigDawg
October 8th, 2009
10:48 am
Let’s plan for the future now! Logan or someone else at QB, Ealey at RB. Do we want to start all over again next year with a QB with no meaningful experience?
rvadawg
October 8th, 2009
10:48 am
first?
rvadawg
October 8th, 2009
10:49 am
ahh seconds late. saint simons must be sleeping still
DawginLex
October 8th, 2009
10:52 am
Not having a breather game to open up the year killed this team. 2008 could have opened at OSU but not 2009. We needed a WKU or something like that to get confidence.
That being said, are the SC and ARK games the offensive highlights of this season? Now we can all sit back and wonder about woulda, shoulda coulda if Stafford and Moreno had stayed. 5-0 and ranked 4th in the country? Heavily favored to maul UT this weekend????
Now we are 3-2 and questioning our identity……
BIGGEST GAME OF RICHT’S TENURE AT UGA IS THIS SATURDAY.
Harris
October 8th, 2009
10:53 am
Discipline, edginess, consistent execution? What are those? This team bores me and has for years. I’m beginning to wonder if they’re content with mediocrity. Right now I doubt if you’ll find a more overrated top 25 team.
Paul's Johnson
October 8th, 2009
10:54 am
Joe Cox said:
“Obviously, if we were throwing the ball every down and we had guys just running wide open, and I was missing them, well then, yeah, you could blame the quarterback all day.”
He got the “guys running wide open and I was missing them” part right.
Troubled Waters Ahead
October 8th, 2009
10:55 am
Nice article without coming right out and saying it comes down to poor coaching so I’ll say it for you. Presence and Identity boils down to molding a team to what you want them to be and accomplish and that comes from COACHING or a lack of coaching!
Saint Simons
October 8th, 2009
10:55 am
20 – 13 !!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahahaha
Oviedo Dawg
October 8th, 2009
10:56 am
Cox has earned the starting job through the Florida game. If we lose to them and basically have no shot at the East title, then give Logan a chance. However, we still have a shot at getting to Atlanta; it’s not time to prepare for 2010. It’s not Joe’s fault that the line cannot open any holes to run through.
RAMBLE ON!!!
October 8th, 2009
10:57 am
College football is a racist sport, Jeff.
You should be above covering it.
Paul's Johnson
October 8th, 2009
10:59 am
“Richt admitted disappointment this week.”
Yet he continues to not demand accountability from his coaching staff.
Win, lose or draw, his demeanor never changes. The man has an uncanny ability to remain emotionless at all times. And he wonders why his players lack fire and intensity.
D.N. Nation
October 8th, 2009
11:00 am
“It’s not always about the quarterback – particularly in college. Urban Meyer has Tim Tebow now. But he won a national championship at Florida three years ago with Chris Leak as his starter and Tebow as a sideshow. Nick Saban went through last season undefeated at Alabama until the SEC title game with John Parker Wilson, a nice but certainly unspectacular college quarterback. Les Miles: a national championship at LSU with Matt Flynn (later to be NFL draft pick No. 209).”
Don’t forget that Richt himself made David Greene- a fairly average QB, really- into the winningest QB in D-1 history. (Until Colt McCoy breaks it this year.)
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
11:03 am
Enter your comments here
Reality Check
October 8th, 2009
11:03 am
Oviedo dawg – I completely agree. Good article Jeff.
David Granger
October 8th, 2009
11:06 am
You’re right, DawginLex, it would have been nice to start this season off with a “thump-a-chump” game…but I’m glad we’re playing a tough schedule, and I hope we continue to do so.
A big part of our offensive problem is the same as it always is…sometimes Coach Richt just won’t let our quarterback BE a damn quarterback. The LSU game is a perfect example…at the end of the first half, we had the ball…third and long…and MR (or Bobo, whoever is to blame) just has Cox hand the ball off, taking no chances on a throw. Then…after we’ve punted and held to end the half…Coach Richt tells the sideline reporter that…well, we’re playing horribly, and yet we’re just one TD from taking the lead.
And BigDawg is right, it would be nice to start planning for the future…let Logan Gray run the team some. But hasn’t that always been the case with UGA in the Richt era? Wouldn’t it have been nice to just blow out a team that we’re CLEARLY more talented than, and let D.J. Schockley/Joe Tereshinski/Joe Cox play an entire fourth quarter along the way…without worrying about being jerked back out if he made a bad play or a bad decision? We’ve won some games against teams that were every bit as talented as we were…but we’ve sure had trouble putting away teams that haven’t been anywhere CLOSE to our talent level.
It may just be that Coach Richt is a poor game coach…but something there just ain’t right.
Scooter
October 8th, 2009
11:06 am
Don’t forget we have a newbie running back coach on top of it all who is young and was a wide receiver in college.. that may be having some impact on the running game as well. Being patient at the point of attack… knowing where the hole is going to be when you get there… these are intangible items that a good running backs coach can help with young inexperienced running backs. I sort of believe that while the line ain’t blocking particularly well, our running backs haven’t made them look very good either. It is interesting that a Stacey Searles offensive line is accused of (and rightfully so) being soft. Boy, at the beginning of the year, that was probably the least of our concerns. We just need 11 guys to make plays at the same time, together. We’ll see. To try to predict what Ga. team shows up on Saturday is just plain exercise in futility..
Aaron Murray
October 8th, 2009
11:08 am
Put me in coach, I don’t want to be clueless next year.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 8th, 2009
11:09 am
Harris – Georgia’s not in the top 25 anymore…but I agree with you.
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
11:10 am
Sorry for the last post y’all…
Oviedo…Cox can’t block the line but he should be able to hit a receiver in stride on a screen pass. We have had a couple drops on that play but more often than not he has just thrown a bad ball. And how about that tunnel screen we like to run too much? That play works if you hit the receiver in the numbers quickly and they take off. If you throw a floater too high and make them jump for it, the D has time to come in and blow up the play…even if the receiver does catch it. From all we heard about Cox before the season being a leader and all…I am very suprised that he hasn’t come out and taken more responsibility for the goings on. He comes off as a little sullen-you know? “Well I don’t Care what a guy who never played a down of football thinks…” Well Joe, I am no chef but I sure can tell you when my meal tastes like $hit. I guess these are just as much a reflection of the head coach as anything though-huh?
Harris…you’d be right on the money except for the fact that everyone in the top 25 is already ranked higher than us.
IOH
October 8th, 2009
11:14 am
Thanks Jeff for getting on board with what we’ve been saying at “www.firemarkricht.net” for the last year.
athensdawg
October 8th, 2009
11:14 am
jeff…….
YOU HIT THE BULLSEYE WITH THIS ARTICLE.
Georgia’s coaching staff are “system” coaches. What I mean by that is that their system superceeds everything…players, reality, level of opposition, etc. Sure, the system is altered slightly to take advantage of what they think the strenghts/ weaknesses are…but more often than not, their idea of strength and weakness does not jive with the talent level of the players they have.
The perfect example of that is Joe Tereshinski. We could have won in Jacksonville with Joe T playing quarterback the year that Shockley got hurt, had we run the ball. We were averaging close to 5 yards per carry that game, but yet the “system” prevailed. We did everything except what works…why? The system calls for “balance.”
So, we get these lame excuses about excuting the gameplan when they are pressed with questions about why the team’s performance is not up to par. It’s the system that works, the players dont.
However, in your article you pointed out that other coaches are able to innovate and make their players successful based on their abilities. Lane Kiffin has done a great job with Crompton this year. Granted, their offense is terrible, but Kiffin is only allowing Crompton to do what he knows will be successful. Will they lose some games because of it? Yes. But if he makes Crompton confident in his abilities and sets him up to succeed, there will come a time this season when he will make a big play and UT will upset someone. (possibly saturday.)
Tebow is another example….his fresman year, Urban placed him in positions where he was able to succeed. Built Tebow’s confidence and that is exactly why he became the monster that he is today.
And here is where I am going to get in trouble with a lot of people….
The coaching staff at uga is lazy. They want a system so they can work their 10-12 hours a day, go home to their families and go swimming during summer practice. Mark Richt is trying to build what Bobby Bowden built at FSU….a country club for friends and relatives. The problem with that is twofold: We are not in the 80s and 90s, where the level of talent at other schools and level of coaching talent is such that you can “clock in” and rack up 10-11 wins a year.
Unfortunately, Richt does not realize that. And why should he care….he is making millions, and in the big picture will be one of the most successful coaches at UGA. One has to wonder if that didn’t figure into his calculations when he took the job to begin with…..historically, UGA is always the 3-4th best program in the SEC…so, if I can just keep the level there, the fans will be happy and then I can be like Bobby, do my time, make my gabillions and retire.
The problem with that was last year. The expectations and spotlite was shined on St. Mark and the boys and they failed to meet expectations. The fans are in an uproar because deep down, we all know that had Vince and company been ranked preseason #1 we would have put up a hell of a fight to stay there all season long…..instead of folding our tents and quitting…and blaming it on executing the gameplan. That’s why georgia fans are so mad right now….we have become, as you say, the trembling chiuhahas.
winners find a way to win no matter what. losers seek to stay in a comfort zone.
the bigger problem behind this is that if richt has reached the end of his tenure…who will we hire? Do you people seriously think that Smiling Mike Adams is going to want to share the stage with a true fire-breathing, dominant football coach? The answer to that is not just no but , Hell, no.
it’s an interesting time to be a georgia fan. i feel that if things don’t change, this era is going to be labeled “the second coming of Jim Donnan.”
swimdawg68
October 8th, 2009
11:15 am
The principal problems on offense seem to be the OL, the running backs and terrible play calling by Bobo. Cox has done a fairly good job, Green is all-world as a college receiver. The problem with Cox is he seems to lock on to one receiver, does not look for secendory receivers when the primary receiver is well covered. He also seems to not have the ability to see the entire field. Several times against LSU he failed to identify open receivers.
We still have major issues on defense. The DL finally showed up against LSU (6 sacks), the breakdowns on defense are still schemes and not players and that is coach Willie M. who needs to go. Soft zone defense, and failure to mix in more blitz packages will get you beat, it did against LSU and Okla. St. Kick-off coverage is just awful, and it has been so for a long time. Does anybody know why Fabris is still a part of this coaching staff? A mystery to me.
AceDawg
October 8th, 2009
11:16 am
Good bye Bobo and Martinez. That would be my first statement as head coach of UGA.
Otto
October 8th, 2009
11:16 am
David, I agree CMR gets up and only the RBs get any playing time. Let the backup QB toss it around running the same game plan.
Scooter, I am not sure if Searles, the new RB coach or the RBs are to blame but someone or all 3 are not getting it done. When Samuel did have a hole against Okie St he would go down at first contact against Arkansas he showed he could make a cut. Hopefully Ealey is an allstar, UGA needs it to make up for the play calling.
Overall play calling on offense has been stale the past 3 years and is even more stale. CMR needs to take play calling back over. Play calling on offense and new kick coverage would be the 2 greatest improvements the team could make at this point.
Best article I’ve read in a while from Schultz
Daniel
October 8th, 2009
11:16 am
Nobody is going to say it,but I will. Coach Richt is probably at best the 5th best coach in the SEC, where as 3 to 4 years ago,he was first or second. His assistants rank in the lower half. His dedication to his assistants is admiral, but on the field it yields stupid penalties, players out of position, poor execution. What I have seen of georgia football this season and how the players play, Urban Meyers if he was coaching this bunch of players would have been in cardiac arrest and probably gotten rid of Willie martenez by now.When you have a bunch of mediocre players sprinkled with a few talented players, you cannot give up over a 100 yards a game in penalties. The running game usually a highlite film over the years at georgia has become a no fear factor for opposing teams. Joe Cox gives you 100 percent in his play, but lets be honest he is limited in his arm and his over all talent in this position. Coaches from what i have seen never get into the faces of players that dont play up to their potental, play poorly, stupid penalties, the coaches just stand there and the game goes on. What we are seeing at georgia this season is what you will be seeing for a very long time as long as Coach richt is running this program. I know what all of you are going to say, 2 sec championships, SEC east champs,10 win seasons, but look at the present. The sec is loaded with the best college coaches in the game, Coach Richt is not in the top 5, recruiting will hurt with this, Georgis won its last championship in the 80 season, Gators and LSU have won 4 between them in the last 4 years. With the state of football in the tough SEC and recruiting at its highest level ever,I see with what Ive seen of Georgia football from last years disapointing team to this years very average team,alot more 7 to 8 win teams and alot of trips to the peach bowl and carquest bowls under this regime
Jimv
October 8th, 2009
11:17 am
When Richt quit calling plays because he was “too busy” he quit control of his offense. He was hired, in part, for his play-calling at FSU. Until he rejoins the team during a game things will continue to get worse.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
October 8th, 2009
11:17 am
”Well Joe, I am no chef but I sure can tell you when my meal tastes like $hit.”
Priceless…..
What about Richt’s decision to even kick the ball to the return man at the end of the game? He’s becoming famous for his brain farts….
Otto
October 8th, 2009
11:17 am
AceDawg don’t leave out Coach Fab.
observor
October 8th, 2009
11:17 am
I guess Schultz must of hit his quota now since he isn’t lazily posting some contrived and polarizing politically charged column….
Va Dawg
October 8th, 2009
11:20 am
As much as I hate to say this a team takes on the demeanor of it’s head coach and unfortunately CMR;s demeanor is very laid back and calm. That is fine but unless we are going to see more passion out of him then he needs to hire passionate assistant coaches (who can actually coach as well). I can remember seeing Trooper Taylor at Tennesse (now at Auburn) with his cap turned backwards jumping up and down and high fiving with his players as they come off the field. Will Muschamp is the same way. If the head coach can’t inspire his players then get assistants that can. There is nothing wrong with this team either offensively or defensively that a good face-mask grabbing in your face coach can’t cure. CMR needs to make some changes to his assistant coach ranks in the off season or this time next year we will be asking if he has taken this program as far as he can.
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
11:21 am
Quick Question…Now that Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible for working out with Neo Dieon and the SEC has said the Celebration call was wrong, are we 3-0 headed to the UT game?
tdawgg37
October 8th, 2009
11:26 am
I agree with you 100% Jeff. We all love Mark Rihct but at some point you have to question if he really is the man for this job. He’s a nice guy…a great guy, but is he a great coach? He’s a great recruiter because parent love him…but is he a great coach? He has no fire. Our fire and passion is the Defensive Coordinator for the Falcons now. When he left so did our spark! Georgia has to much talent, past and present to keep putting an average, mediocre team on on the field. The players and coaches look lost! They don’t seem to have a game plan on game day!No idenity what-so-ever! I have been a fan for 40 years…I don’t even recogize this team now!
tdawgg37
October 8th, 2009
11:28 am
You hit the nail on the head VA Dawg! Van Gorder!!!
Otto
October 8th, 2009
11:32 am
Va Dawg, This is why if for no other reason I would like to see Pollack coach DEs. UGA could use the energy on the side line.
You should have seen Trooper jumping around in front of the band after the Tenn. game last week.
bart
October 8th, 2009
11:37 am
As much as I hate to say it, I wonder if Richt is the coach to take us all the way. Look what Meyer and Saban have done with their programs in less time. Maybe Richt needs to get rid of Bobo, Martinez, and Fabris. Might be worth a try.
Todd
October 8th, 2009
11:39 am
Man, Athens Dawg, identify yourself. Dude you’re right on. Who doesn’t like MR, however it’s about w’s and championships at GA and the resources back that up.
The only real problem I have with MR is his inability to say or make changes and keep up what I call his public demeanor. This has led to blown opportunities in the past 8 seasons and now TEnn. has given the Kitty what he needs and the Kitty will quit in 5 if he doesn’t get it done. What I defined getting it done “minimum” and it’s not asking too much by any means, is just sweep the EAst one time Ga and get to the championship game w/o help. Ga hasn’t done that yet.
Man, if the KItty pulls it off Sat. wow. I do think A. Murray &co with Charles, Ealy, Smith, M. Brown Burnette… boads well for Richt and the staff, but then again MR started JOe T. and you wonder if he gets all these people on the field right about the time AJ Green declares.
There’s just not the Edge that you sense at UF and Alabama, it’s like there “you better get it done”
Rush Limbaugh
October 8th, 2009
11:45 am
Jeff Schultz: another left wing talking head. Go back to Cali and never return.
matt r
October 8th, 2009
11:46 am
I wouldn’t look at another QB until they lose to Florida which will end the division hunt. UGA still wins the division if they win out in the SEC.
BiggE
October 8th, 2009
11:49 am
I’m afraid to say this and it looks like it may be coming down the road, but Is Mark Richt starting to become like that former Ga. Tech guy, ala Chan Gailey? Hmmmmm! I’m just wondering. I just dont see the bulldawgs MEAN ENOUGH!!! Are the players’s soft, which I think not or The Whole Coaching Staff are just turning SOFT!!!!
JohnG
October 8th, 2009
11:53 am
Enter your comments here
Jeff, did you watch the first half of the LSU game? Cox couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. UGA should have been up 14-6 at half. Let’s play Ealy and Murray!
Fulmer
October 8th, 2009
11:55 am
The Vols are pitiful.
Windale
October 8th, 2009
11:59 am
The problem is simple….coaching. I don’t consider myself a football genuis and I can predict what UGA is going to run. I can only imagine how simple it is for opposing DC’s to figure it out. Also, who ever heard of not rushing the punter and not attempting to return the punt. I understand fair catching when you have no return set up, but putting Grey in to fair catch and not rushing the punt makes no sense. The O-lines problem is no continuity. It’s musical chairs there every week. Our coaches must step it up!
Todd
October 8th, 2009
12:04 pm
forgot to chime in earlier on Coxy specifically, dude what a time to have a quote about not being able to hit a wide open reciever. Stevie Wonder could have hit AJ Green on the post in the first against LSU this past Sat.
Coxy is a guy who’s going to have problems against the LSU’s, Fl, Ala where he has to make a throw vs. an Arky scenario where Ray Charles would’ve gone minimum 10 of 20, 200 yrds 2 TD’s
What would help Coxy out tremendously would be a running game and play action. Don’t put Coxy in an NFL situation where it’s down to the QB making an athletic throw. IT aint happenin, but I’m pulling for the Rooster, he’s got alot of character
tdawgg37
October 8th, 2009
12:04 pm
Can anyone remmeber what MR said when questioned about Willie M and the defense last year? His answer was, “We are using the same scheme o defense that we have used for the past few years and it has worked. It has worked in the past so there is no reason it should not work now!” In short…he will continue to run the same plays or system on offense and defense with little if any concern for players or talent level! He really is clueless!
reebok
October 8th, 2009
12:06 pm
Fulmer – the Vols are not very good. But UGA is not a lock to beat them. If Georgia gets to 3-3, w/ 2 SEC losses, then this season’s aspirations are effectively over and it’s time put in Logan and start the development process for 2010.
IMHO, of course and as always. Happy Thursday to all…
Toad
October 8th, 2009
12:10 pm
Anybody know Saint Simons address?
John
October 8th, 2009
12:10 pm
The problem is not the OL, if Cox could hit the short & long passes teams wouldn’t crowd the line with 8 players in the box. How can you expect 1 OL to block 2 guys a piece?
The talent is there, the coaches and the system is lacking….
What is MR excuse next year…we have a inexperienced quarterback? Put Murray in, at least the other teams will respect the deep pass and not crowd the line, it would open up the run game. Don’t you assume by now the other teams know Cox has a noodle for a arm, and that he can’t complete the long pass and he’s only average on short passes?
Yellow Fuzz
October 8th, 2009
12:13 pm
Sounds like georgia has the “gimick”, “high school” offense, not Tech. But, hey if I drink enough AJC Koolaid I can believe any thing
stoopid
October 8th, 2009
12:14 pm
The problem is not at all with Cox. And we have NO clue what Logan can offer as of now. I read David Hale’s blog yesterday and he had a quote from Bobo on the back up QB issue:
“Bobo was a bit more emphatic in his pronouncement this week — quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will both redshirt, barring an injury to one of Georgia’s top two quarterbacks.”
So all the people screamin for Murray better hold it in till next year cause it looks like we wont be seeing #11 on the field anytime soon! And lets not be quick to yell for a new QB. Unless we lose to a team in the East we need to stick with the ginger asassin till the end!
Yellow Fuzz
October 8th, 2009
12:14 pm
Hey DawginLace,
Are you OK? Your knees still raw?