Georgia’s problem is direction, and that falls on Richt
Here's a common sight: A Tennessee receiver (Gerald Jones) making a catch in front of a Georgia defender (Bryan Evans) Saturday. (AP photo)
KNOXVILLE — The problems just became big picture.
This isn’t just about the quarterback looking overmatched or the coordinators looking lost. It’s not about the schedule or the injuries or maybe some conspiracy theories about SEC referees having an agenda because the team got too excited with an end-zone celebration in Jacksonville two years ago.
Plug in, folks. Georgia just lost to Tennessee like no team should lose to Tennessee (45-19). The offense didn’t score a touchdown. The defense just made Jonathan Crompton look like Jonathan Unitas. Lane Kiffin just schooled Mark Richt.
Six games and they’re going backward. Six games and they’re 3-3, their worst start in 13 years. And you begin to realize: If not for those late wins over South Carolina and Arizona State and surviving mayhem against Arkansas, we could be talking scorched earth at midseason.
This is when you wonder about direction. The same coach who two years ago we were toasting for finishing the season with a No. 2 ranking is now walking off the field and into news conferences looking like toast.
On Saturday, Richt was asked a question one never could have imagined two Januarys ago: “Are you worried about the state of the program?”
His answer: “We didn’t play very good today. We haven’t had a game this season where we played a really solid football game. So I’m concerned about that.”
Is it just me, or did he not completely shoot down the premise of the question?
Let’s make this clear. This is not a “Fire Mark Richt” column. His body of work speaks for itself. But Florida and LSU and Alabama have boat-raced Georgia in the SEC, and of maybe even greater concern is the lack of separation between the Bulldogs and everybody else.
This isn’t a former No. 2-ranked team that has maintained its level of excellence. It’s a program that has regressed. Significantly. Whatever Richt was doing before is not working now. Either the wrong players are being recruited, or the right players are being coached the wrong way.
Blame Mike Bobo for the offense. Blame Willie Martinez for the defense. Blame Stacy Searels, the vaunted offensive line coach, who, by the way, hasn’t done bupkis. Blame anybody you want.
But it starts with Richt. It’s his program. He sets the tone and establishes direction. He is the one coaching at a school that hadn’t started a season so poorly since Jim Donnan’s first year in 1996 (3-5 on the way to 5-6). Richt is the one whose team committed three more turnovers against Tennessee and ranks as the worst in the conference and among the dregs nationally with 16 giveaways and a minus-11 turnover ratio.
Volunteers quarterback Jonathan Crompton threw touchdown passes on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter and finished with four. He had been largely lampooned in Knoxville and had never thrown more than two in his career. Well, with one exception. He threw five against Western Kentucky.
So that’s where Georgia’s defense belongs: in the Sun Belt.
Asked what he would think if he was a Georgia fan watching this game on television, Martinez said: “Well, I am a Georgia fan. I’m not happy. We just got whipped.”
Things are no better on offense. The Bulldogs have failed to score an offensive touchdown in 10 of the past 11 quarters. Against Tennessee, the offense (field goal) was outscored by special teams (nine points, off a kickoff return and a blocked punt for a safety) and the defense (interception return).
Didn’t Richt make his bones in offense at Florida State?
He somewhat came to Bobo’s defense: “I like his play calling.”
When asked if he felt quarterback Joe Cox was regressing, he said: “I’ve got to look at the film before I start making comments like that.”
Just as well. This isn’t the time to be throwing anybody else under the bus.
“We’ve got a long way to go before we become a good football team,” Richt said.
And he should know. He’s the one driving the bus.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,679 comments Add your comment
Bewildered Dawg
October 11th, 2009
1:02 pm
I have supported CMR from the beginning, but I am really embarrassed after yesterday. I never thought I would here myself say this but HE needs to take the reigns of this runaway coach or get out of the way. Great guy, better guy than Saban, Meyer, or Petrino, and that is a great bonus until it hurts the program. His loyalty to individuals over his program will lose him his program.
Glenn
October 11th, 2009
1:03 pm
Wow do you realize how close we are to being 0-6, well at least MR would surely make some coaching changes then. We are looking at best 2-4 in our next six games. No bowling this year.
Dr.Wally Butts
October 11th, 2009
1:04 pm
Hire somebody, fire somebody, lower the ticket prices, Willie is in over his head.
David Granger
October 11th, 2009
1:06 pm
I think that Coach Richt does two things very well:
(1.) He is a good recruiter, which is (I suppose) the best talent a head coach can have. Georgia produces an awful lot of talent every year, and if you can just land, say, 20% of the 4 & 5-star players in the state each year, along with the occasional top player from elsewhere (Stafford from Texas, for example) you’ll have a strong nucleus. Fill out the roster with an occasional jr-college player to fill a specific need, and a few three-star recruits who look like they might develop (or who have a chip on their shoulder from not being rated higher), and you’ll have good talent, year-in and year-out. Richt has done this.
(2.) He also represents the university well. He is clean-cut and comports himself well…says the right things. He talks a little too much about religion, in my opinion, and that can seem insincere. But he is a good “front man” for UGA.
After that, his positive contributions are over. He is NOT a good game coach, and doesn’t seem to get the team ready very well. We CONSISTENTLY make the same mistakes, and have throughout his tenure. I don’t remember the last game when we didn’t have a couple of long kickoff returns against us, and we make some of the dumbest penalties at the most critical times. And I also don’t remember the last time we just HAMMERED a team when we were clearly more talented and shouldn’t have had any trouble beating them easily. No way in the world we should have needed a last second field goal to beat Vandy two years ago, and we shouldn’t have had to swap touchdowns throughout the last quarter to beat Kentucky last year.
Coach Richt is a good administrator, but I don’t think he has ever gotten everything out of our team that its had…even a couple of years ago. Something ain’t right, and I’m losing confidence in Coach Richt to fix it.
Banner Herald
October 11th, 2009
1:08 pm
Circle the wagons, Vandy is next.
rainmaker
October 11th, 2009
1:09 pm
UGA fans…gotta love ‘em. Clearly Alabama, Florida, probably Auburn, and apparently Tennessee are headed in a different direction than you. Ole Miss is the UGA of last year. The differences in all the other programs are that they don’t settle for mediocrity and make excuses about their coaches. Mark Richt is the problem. It’s the head coaches responsibility when you have dumb penalties on both sides of the ball. What are you averaging? 15 penalties a game? Other teams don’t even need to cover kicks with you. All they need to do is sit still and wait for a clip or wait for an offensive facemask. Don’t forget the 15 yard personal foul penalty that comes out every time you have a play over 10 yards. CMR can talk all day about values, but it’s his responsibility to make sure his players have discipline. That’s not happening right now. The coordinators are his responsibilities. As head coach, you are responsible for your game plan and putting it together. If he’s leaving it in the “capable” hands of WM or Coach Bobo the Clown, he’s not doing his job. Let’s not cloud the big picture. At the end of the day, the HC takes responsibility for all facets of the game. Time after time, it’s more of a letdown being a UGA fan than having pride in winning. So enjoy your once every ten years victory against the bogeyman, Florida, and you keep breathing on those two SEC titles. I guarantee you this–Alabama–will have ANOTHER National Title (that would be the second since UGA last won one) before UGA sniffs one. Keep winning those SEC Titles, that ultimately mean nothing if you’re not winning NC’s, and keep enjoying the views from the same seats as Ole Miss and Arky. You’re second rate. RTR!!!!!
RAMBLINWRECK.COM
October 11th, 2009
1:09 pm
Nesbitt for Heisman
Wreckmaniac
October 11th, 2009
1:11 pm
If I were Joe Cox I would say to hell with this pack of ingrates.
The magnificent Logan Grey played the last 8 minutes and didn’t score,
correct ? You can’t expect to replace Stafford with another Stafford.
Cox sat around, dutifully, for 4 years waiting for a chance and he got
it, finally, and damn sure deserves it. Personally,I think he’s crazy to spend 5 years just to play one year for this pack of crybabies.
What it really shows is that he is one hell of a man.
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:12 pm
PS. Despite what I said about the two QB system, elsewhere, I don’t think the mass rotation, everything by committee plan is working. Tell a guy he is the starting left guard or the weak corner or tailback, and stick with him. Let him get some experience and confidence. Sometimes I do think the coaches give up to quick. A tailback gets stuffed, and then there are 3 passes and a punt.
The one area that I was really proud of was that the guys were resilient. But, Saturday the D flat gave up in the 3rd. The team unanimously tucked their tails in the fourth. You could see it on their faces, they just wanted to get out of there. They also gave up in the LSU game. They thought they had it won, and that is just the other side of the coin for giving up. Those things concerned me more than any of the others. That is also a problem that has carried over from last year.
DAWGVET83
October 11th, 2009
1:14 pm
Maybe UGA is suffering from post-stardom depression. I think(hope) that these are fixable problems but I don’t know. It seems the whole culture needs to be changed. Man, I never saw this coming.
Wreckmaniac
October 11th, 2009
1:15 pm
GT93: Out of the 14,543,814 posts on this blog, your 11:32am today post is the best.
Lawrence "Larry" Munson
October 11th, 2009
1:16 pm
I’m glad I retired, this bunch needs coaching up with a hobnail boot..
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:16 pm
WHY DO MUTTS BARK? CAUSE BEES STING,
You are simply a frickin’ moron.
John Arenberg
October 11th, 2009
1:18 pm
“Blame Stacy Searels, …, who, by the way, hasn’t done bupkis.”
The classic double negative. So Schultz ends up saying the opposite of what he probably meant.
I’m commenting on the writing not the opinion.
Wreckmaniac
October 11th, 2009
1:19 pm
We have a radio station in Charlotte that every day has a sports talk show with a 10 minute slot known as the WHINER LINE. Some Athens station needs to pick up on this. This could lead to WHINE OF THE DAY and perhaps a WHINE-IN at Kudzu Hedge Stadium. Various cheeses could be served and the screen could replay various items such as Top 10
Poorest Ref Calls which Caused A UGA Loss (like the LSU game). A lot can be done here.
jason
October 11th, 2009
1:21 pm
rainmaker, From a UGA fan, you could not have stated that better.
richard cranium
October 11th, 2009
1:23 pm
Time for Chip Towers to write another article on how losing is not affecting the recruits…….
sure.
jason
October 11th, 2009
1:24 pm
I said the same thing yesterday. This team QUIT on CMR and they QUIT on UGA. That was plain to see in the 3 QT. I honestly feel that the players have no confidence in the schemes they are running. Not on offense, defense, even STs. I think they know the play is a bust when it is called in the huddle.
Uncle Johnny
October 11th, 2009
1:29 pm
Hee hee hee. Finally, the rooster’s head is lopped off. Georgia brags about their recruiting classes, yet the thugs cannot pass entry exams. Those that do pass hold drinking classes in local watering holes and then get into fights that CMR gets them out of. To penalize a player for misconduct by holding him out of a layup game is not disipline. The spectacle of the whole team going on the field should have been penalized by Adams instead of Mr. Nice Guy saying, “Well, boys will be boys.”
Big Earl
October 11th, 2009
1:31 pm
NCAA football is just one big cycle. What goes around comes around. From the penthouse to the outhouse , from the outhouse back to the penthouse, again , again, and again. GO Dawgs !!!
Dawg_On_It
October 11th, 2009
1:32 pm
The world isn’t ending. Life goes on. It jst sucks a little more today than it has in the past but………..
Big Earl
October 11th, 2009
1:36 pm
….. and this cycle also will never change. Ever. Check out Florida next year.
DR
October 11th, 2009
1:37 pm
Excellent column Jeff! Georgia is going backwards, and I think big changes are needed with this program.
Tech Buzz
October 11th, 2009
1:41 pm
Ga Tech is going to beat georgia like a cheap drum–mark it down! Dawgs get blown out by the ACC champion!!!!
Roadrunner
October 11th, 2009
1:42 pm
I just hope Coach Martinez has figured out by the last regular season game that to stop the triple option you first have to CONTAIN!!!!
Eric C.
October 11th, 2009
1:43 pm
The recruting is the main problem
Eric
October 11th, 2009
1:45 pm
Well that’s certainly insulting – “No one should lose to Tennessee the way UGA lost to Tennessee”. Let me refresh all your Georgia brains; Tennessee has won an NCAA National Championship and several SEC Championships since the wannabe’s from Athens have. UGA is consistantly the bridesmaid of this conference and has rarely beaten UT in recruiting wars, much less done anything with the recruits they’ve gotten.
Just keep things in perspective. UGA wasn’t able to manhandle UT during a rebuilding year. Nor wre you able to capitalize when you had a decent QB and RB in the stable.
UGA = SEC’s Eternal Bridesmaid
Nate
October 11th, 2009
1:46 pm
Free Willie!!!! Email Comments to Mr Evans:
devans@sports.uga.edu
Hire Dick Bumpas or Bud Foster
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:48 pm
The only thing worse than stupid racially oriented posts are the grammar Nazi’s. BTW, it wasn’t a double negative.
Professor Frink
October 11th, 2009
1:48 pm
The university president is a self-promoting golem who isn’t interested in football. The AD is an empty suit with a nice smile. Even he was surprised when he got the job, no help there. The entire staff of UGA is populated with hacks, naboobs and and clueless seat warmers. That’s why real coaches don’t even give us a second look. No one practices strategic thinking. It’s easier to blame the referees than open up the Pandora’s box of a dysfunctional athletic program.
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:50 pm
Big Earl makes a valid point. UGA has a bunch of youngins right now going up against seniors. In a couple of years UGA will have the seniors and an easier schedule. It will come around.
KNelson
October 11th, 2009
1:51 pm
I find humor in anyone who would say we as Georgia should never lose to the lowly like of Tennessee. Look at the overall record. Tradition shows that YES , you do ! In addition, its not unusual for Tennessee to toss up half a Hundred on you. You got beat by a better coached team. Lane Kiffin gets his first SEC win in a blow out against U !!!!!!!
Keep telling yourself wait until next year, Next year Tennessee will not be starting 8 freshmen either and they will be getting better. Keep on telling yourself just what world beaters you are while the rest of the SEC passes you by.By the way when was the last time UGA won a National Championship and when did you last even play for one. Now look at Tennessee, Florida, LSU , Alabama and ask the same question. They are all ahead of your program!
Fire Michael Adams!
October 11th, 2009
1:51 pm
Michael Adams must go! He’s the problem that Georgia can’t attract top coaches–get rid of him and bring back a real georgia fan as president and hire back Dooley in the athletic dept! I’ve had enough of this and may cut back my contributions!
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:52 pm
Frankly Frink,
You may be on to something. I am willing to bet that any coach worth his salt is willing to come to Athens.
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:53 pm
Please, everyone. Cut back on your contributions. Quit buying season tickets. Maybe I will finally get to see a game at Sanford Stadium again.
PappyHappy
October 11th, 2009
1:54 pm
WOW! By the end of the half, was wondering if they had just stayed up too long on Friday night. By the end of the third quarter, was wondering who they left back in Athens. At games end, was wondering if anyone really cared. The coaching staff needs to realize that Stafford and Moreno are GONE, and they are going to have to coach different players. The coaches are going to have to get it in gear — quickly — or this is going to be a VERY EMBARRASSING YEAR FOR THE …. puppies!
chazzo
October 11th, 2009
1:55 pm
Some of you make valid comments about UT, but last week you wanted Kiffin and Compton’s heads, and you just fired the Great Pumpkin. Congrats on your first SEC win. You deserved it. I hardly think that based on that one win, however, you should assume that you are passing anyone by.
I give up
October 11th, 2009
1:56 pm
Bring Ray Goff back. He can better for about $500,000 & a few perks. Plus, he would fire WM & the rest of the coaching staff. We are lower tier SEC.
JBarton
October 11th, 2009
1:58 pm
Ok, Richt is not cut out to be like a Saban or Miles or Meyer. But THANK GOD. Richt has some class, and I personally wouldn’t trade that for a guy who refers to himself in 3rd person and thinks he is the 2nd coming like Meyer, even if it did win me a national championship. That guy is a tool.
It has been tough to not see Richt get excited for a game since Florida in 2007. Someone needs to dump some Red Bull in his Wheaties perhaps. But Richt is not the problem; a sportsfan’s memory is very, very short.
However, WILLIE (that loser!) has constructed quite a record for himself of being TERRIBLE. In 6 of the last 12 games, our D has given up 35 points or more. How many times did that happen under Van Gorder? (not many to say the least) Yeah Yeah Yeah, spread has evolved the game and there are more points now than 5 years ago……BULL! This guy is a chump always looking for the next excuse.
God love Richt, and his very young, very talented players. But if he doesn’t get rid of Willie, it will be his undoing. He doesn’t have a 15+ year tenure and national title like Fulmer had.
The New Reality
October 11th, 2009
2:01 pm
((((( 3-3 ))))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
tankandtank
October 11th, 2009
2:02 pm
If Martinez was as loyal as Richt is to him he would resign and make it easier on the both of them.
Lou Vales
October 11th, 2009
2:03 pm
Dear Dawg On It, I don’t hate your program. I think the Reverand Mark Richt is taking you right into the TOILET. You keep thinking people are jealous and envious of you and that will translate into keeping the Sunday School Marm there forever.
You want a neighbor and a missionairy, Marky Mark is your man.
You want a guy who has won more National Championships in last 3 years than Georgia has won in the last 30, take the bad A$$ who coaches at Florida.
ALWAYS remember Marky is a disciple of the Reverand Robert from Birmingham. You know the Reverand Robert who “produced” Terry–ask Auburn about Terry, Tommy–ask Clemson about Tommy, Jeff–ask Tallahassee about Jeff, Steve–ask Bobby about Steve and also complicit is Ann who will launch an attack on FSU like nothing ever seen the day the Meal Ticket gets shown the door.
Lou Vales
October 11th, 2009
2:05 pm
JBarton, Florida alums will take our tool over your instrument. Hope he has a nice summer in a “missionairy position” in Uzbekistan.
Dawg'em out!
October 11th, 2009
2:05 pm
looks like the coaching staff on the hot seat this yr is at UGA, cant believe this program has peaked. already. looks like CMR needs to really makes some serious changes within his staff. starting with what is usually the backbone of a georgia coached team…. junkyard dawg defense, adn being able to smash the run down any teams throat. its a very unprepared team week in week out these days for CMR and his dawgs, hope he can make the necessary chages? or he could be the one that gets fired?
Dawg'em out!
October 11th, 2009
2:07 pm
btw, its not about the players, uga has loads of talent. its a coaching and preparation issue IMO.
GO DAWGS
Lou Vales
October 11th, 2009
2:07 pm
PLEASE!!! Stop with the “CMR” crap. The initials assigned to a coach should only apply to a guy who has a big crystal trophy in the foyer.
Lou Vales
October 11th, 2009
2:09 pm
“CRG” won as many Nartional championships as “CMR”. Has it been SO LONG that you have forgotten that ELITE programs play for National Championships and that SEC Titles are just part of the journey.
“CMR” MY A$$!!!
Dawgs73
October 11th, 2009
2:10 pm
I hate to say I told you so, but I did…
Dawgs73
October 7th, 2009
11:53 am
I hate to say this, but UGA will lose to UT on Saturday. They will not be able to generate any offense against Monty Kiffin’s defense and the absolutely HORRIBLE Crompton will have his only good game of the year. The heat will finally become a rage and maybe some coaching changes will take place
jason
October 11th, 2009
2:11 pm
It is all CMR’s fault. He appointed the inexperienced DC bit245ng . He also appointed the inexperienced OC. He is the leader of this team so the responsibilty falls at his feet. He shows a lack of judgement when it comes to evaluating talent of a coordinator. He also shows it in his recruits. Half of the players he recruits either don’t make it to UGA or they end up leaving the program. He is not a great recruiter as everyone is to believe. He is not even a good HC. He employs no discipline to the team, he shows no time management skills, and he holds noone accountable for poor showings. Not the OC, the DC, The STs Coach, not the players. What he does, I don’t have a clue, but it sure as hell not sustaining a winning program. It is the same as with Cox and JOE T III. Being a “Nice Guy” ain’t worth a crap if you are not winning games. You don’t lose like you did yesterday to a Truly rebuilding TENN team and proclaim yourself as a MNC competitor. Whether we have young players or not. UT had alot more young guys playing than we did. Hell, they had 2 OL in the 270 lb. range that were dominating our 300+ lb SR DL. That is coaching, right there.
NCDawg
October 11th, 2009
2:12 pm
As much or more talent than any team in the SEC. Fire the coaching staff. WE should not have to put up with this. Christians or Molesters, it doesn’t matter. CMR, CWM, & CMB can’t coach. Period.