Georgia is showing problems are deep and widespread
There are more than a few problems with Mark Richt's football team, as evidenced by a 2-6 record in the last eight SEC games.
ATHENS – It’s not about one player not being here. It’s not about playing a freshman quarterback or having a certain soft spot on the depth chart or the big, bad NCAA being out to get Georgia.
When a program sinks to lows not seen since the Ray Goff administration, it’s not an aberration.
The head coach (Mark Richt) is 2-6 in his past eight SEC games. The vaunted offensive line coach (Stacy Searels) frankly hasn’t done bupkis since his arrival, recent evidence being that his supposed top group of linemen just allowed six sacks to a projected average defense. The new defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, isn’t looking much better than the old one (Willie Martinez).
When all of those things happen, we’ve transitioned from downward trend to potential new identity. Georgia is an average team right now.
The Bulldogs lost to Arkansas 31-24 on Saturday for the first time since 1993, dropping to 0-2 in the SEC for the first time since opening 0-4 in that same season under Goff. Richt has built far more credits than Goff ever dreamed off, including two SEC titles. But there’s as much uncertainty about direction right now as ever before.
This latest loss was not devoid of positives. The Dogs displayed the kind of resolve that seemingly was missing last season, scoring two touchdowns in a four-minute span in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 24-24. But one late-game rally can’t whitewash the flaws.
The question now is: What direction do they go? Next week’s game at Mississippi State hardly is a gimme. Then comes a non-conference game at Colorado, before the Dogs return to Sanford Stadium for an emotional meeting against Tennessee and the new coach with a familiar last name (Derek Dooley).
Is there any game one can mark down as an automatic win right now?
Richt maintained Georgia continues to “get better,” but he conceded: “When we reach that peak [later this season], hopefully the games will still be meaningful. Right now it’s hard to say if they will be.”
Aaron Murray goes down for one of Arkansas's six sacks, a poor showing by the offensive line. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
It’s easier to project success when the problems are limited. Not the case here. Consider:
♦ Last week at South Carolina, the defense got ripped by the ground game. Saturday it got ripped by the pass. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked just once (with three minutes left). Almost as disturbing: Grantham put it all on the players, seemingly accepting no blame. Quote: “Guys have to do what the calls tell them to do. If you don’t do that, that’s why there’s inconsistency. You may play for 60 plays and 54 of them you look good, but then all of a sudden you give up six explosive plays and those can override a lot of good things.”
Coach: 54 out of 60 doesn’t get it done, especially when there’s not a defender within a zip code of a receiver on touchdown plays of 57, 22 and 40 yards (the decider with 15 seconds left).
♦ The offensive line was supposed to be the strength of the team. The Dogs ran the ball better this week, but quarterback Aaron Murray was sacked six times. Some of that was Murray holding onto the ball too long, but most of it was poor protection. Searels has not lived up to his billing since leaving LSU in 2007.
Murray was knocked dizzy at times and afterward wore a bandage under his chin to cover cuts (he said from his chinstrap).
Bobo looked like a wounded soldier himself, as if he had been punched in the nose. A gash ran down the top of it, but he said he didn’t know how it got there.
“I just saw blood trickling down [in the first quarter],” he said.
Maybe it will show up on film. All of the wounds will. They’re significant, they’re widespread and there is no indication that they’re going away any time soon.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
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
981 comments Add your comment
Jason
September 19th, 2010
1:11 am
I’m not a UGA fan, but the writer of this article obviously never played competitive football in his life. The defensive coordinator is right. These players don’t seem to have the discipline or resolve to get it right. The author here just seems like he wants to stir some sh** in the pot and has never really played football past the 5th grade. If that.
GT2010
September 19th, 2010
1:11 am
When uga runs Mark Richt out of Athens, make sure you call Florida State and let them know.
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:12 am
Actually the UGA fans just arm tackled me and I eased right in.
Jim Donnan
September 19th, 2010
1:15 am
I agree with Gatorjaws.
Ed
September 19th, 2010
1:15 am
John (Bama fan), the fan base here has seen the decline since ‘06. I think even the ‘07 team was overrated. We came within a turnover in the Vandy game of being 4-3. Beat Florida and got hot, but in hindsight Florida, Auburn, Tech, Troy and Hawaii really weren’t much. Florida ended up with 4 losses and Hawaii didn’t play anybody that year. Bottom line, I don’t look back with nostalgia on a season where we lost at home to a 6-loss S. Carolina team and got punked by a 4-loss Tennessee team. We underachieved badly in ‘08 and were just plain mediocre last year. There’s a definite decline that started after the ‘05 season.
Paul Hewitt's Agent
September 19th, 2010
1:19 am
@Cuz – your post at the beginning about the world ending and being the only one left was the funniest thing I have ever read. Delusional Georgia football fans are next.
John
September 19th, 2010
1:20 am
Gatorjaws: What happened during all those years before UF won their 1st NC in 1996? From the implementation of the program in 1906? #$%& that’s a long, long wait there chump. Your storied history dates back to the 90’s. Prepare your team for Bama, it’s going to be a long night for your guys.
My Dawg Has Fleas
September 19th, 2010
1:21 am
A.J. Green should hope the NCAA extends his suspension ,he gets more publicity from those dummies from the mother ship (ES#N) by not playing . To hear these experts tell it ,the Dawgs would be 3-0 and ranked in the top 5 in the nation if he was playing. What a joke,if CMR had a pair he would suspend the jersey seller for the rest of the season. CMR could then show some compasion and get A.J. a job in the bookstore selling UGA jerseys.
Ace Frehley's Bald Dad
September 19th, 2010
1:23 am
I’m a Dawgs fan.
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:27 am
We were banging chicks back then on the beach. When we decided to get serious about football we showed out. Did Vince Dooley’s nose grow so long because of all the lies he told UGA fans in the offseasons over the years ? Go Gators !
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:31 am
Did you know that in convenience stores in Florida that we have a jar on the counters to donate to the UGA university in hopes that you can get enough money to recruit a team worthy for us to play ?
Another bama fan
September 19th, 2010
1:31 am
My 2 cents is that the season is still very young, there is a lot of football to be played, and the dogs have the softer part of their sec schedule coming up before it gets tough again with the year end stretch of florida, Auburn which is looking really tough and determined, and Tech. Those middle games can allow Murray time to season, the defense time to continue growing into the 3-4, basically just time to get better. Florida is the only game that I would say is a probable loss and even then ya never really know till you play the game.
Losing two competitive games against ranked opponents with one of them slipping away in the last minute is really not that bad. I’ve seen other teams start out 0-2 or 1-2 and then make a great run and end up 9-2. Michigan comes to mind a few years back. And as a few of the dawg fans have noticed the schedule sets up nicely for the dogs to get back on track.
You guys look kinda demoralized right now as the other Bama fan pointed out but I wouldn’t just write off the whole season and start talking about firing Richt. That’s a little premature. There’s still heckuva lot of football to be played and a lot of things can happen between now and bowl season. Roll tide roll.
John
September 19th, 2010
1:32 am
Ed, I understand as we had to wait 17 long years to be relevant on the national stage again. UGA fans don’t need to give up, your program will bounce back. It may be longer than you want it to be, but it will happen. The team this year really doesn’t look bad. Now granted while I watched the 1st half of today’s game, I thought that the team looked lackluster and uninspired. In the 2nd half I saw flashes of a good team that can stay on the field with the better teams in the nation. I was impressed with the way that they contained Arky’s offense. They are not giving up a lot of points thus far in the season which is key. They should have been in OT rather than giving up that TD, but those type of mistakes can be fixed. The offense came to life late in the game and if they can build on that then I say that 8-4 is possible. I think that they will be much better next year given Murray matures and AJ stays. Good luck and I will be pulling for you guys.
Buck Bellue
September 19th, 2010
1:32 am
We were good in 1980. Not so good now.
uuugh....
September 19th, 2010
1:33 am
You know what was great about FSU in the mid 90’s? They had good rythm and fooled defenses. Well that same offense today fools nobody and has no rythm either! WTF are we doing!? Bobo is literally standing around taking money from UGA. He earns nothing. If he was truly a DGD, he would step down. Instead he has fathered 37 children and Richt won’t get rid of him. We might be in a situation wher everyone wants to squeeze as much as they can out of the ripe fruit before the go. The Defense is better. The Offense is getting worse. The players stay the same. Coaches it is all on you.
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:34 am
Sure is a LOT of Alabama fans keeping up with Georgia football. I’ve never met a fan from Alabama that wasn’t a Tiger or Crimson Tide fan. There’s five on this blog.
My Dawg Has Fleas
September 19th, 2010
1:36 am
Hey Gayturdjawls guess what you get when you cross a Gayturd and a Hog ,nothing. There are some things that even a hog won’t do.Bet you crapped your pants when Lil Dooley’s Vols hung that last TD on your defense.
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:36 am
I’m out of here. Good luck in the NIT Bowl pecker lickers.
Howdy42
September 19th, 2010
1:36 am
Jeff, I agree. It’s painful, but go back two years to the Alabama game in Athens. Alabama took a 31-0 halftime lead and won handily. Florida has embarrassed Georgia in both 2008 and 2009. Then there was the embarrassing loss to Tennessee last year in Lane Kiffin’s first and only year. A true freshman at South Carolina ran all over Georgia and Georgia lost today’s game more than Arkansas won it. The trend beginning two seasons ago has been clearly downward. Today, Georgia is in last place in the SEC-East – even trailing Vanderbilt which won today against Mississippi. I remember when the proud Yankees hit last place in the 1970s – the headlines were “KER-PLUNK”.
Gatorjaws
September 19th, 2010
1:38 am
We play for SEC championships and you play to try to get a early December bowl game. Adios.
Jack Offsky
September 19th, 2010
1:40 am
I’m a Dawgs fan.
Another bama fan
September 19th, 2010
1:40 am
I’m out. keep the faith dawg fans. Its a long season and a lot of football to be played.
WAR DAMN EAGLE
September 19th, 2010
1:42 am
Hey goobers, coach Cheezedick here. I hope ya’ll got a chance to watch us finish the drill and whup Clemson tonight. If you didn’t catch the game on ESPN you should try to see the play back or, hell just wait till November and we will SHOW you mutts how to finish the drill. Guar-un-damn-teed! Go War Eagles!!!
Bill King
September 19th, 2010
1:43 am
Come over to my blog Dawgs fans ! I tell the truth unlike Schultz does.
I’m a homer.
Lame
September 19th, 2010
1:43 am
I thought I took football too serious, but you guys are pathetic…seriously.
Go Dawgs!
Altamaha Dawg
September 19th, 2010
1:44 am
Really ?
Another bama fan
September 19th, 2010
1:45 am
gatorjaws,
the bama fans on here probably are bama fans that live in georgia or atl and keep up with georgia. We generally pull for Georgia in the east for 2 reasons- one being we hate Tennessee and no. 2 being that we’ld rather see UGA win the east than UF. Nothing against Uf but you guys were so dominant in the 90s and in the 2000s that its just natural for us to rather see UGA win the east if we had a choice in the matter. i also think a few of us understand what the dawg fans are going through right now since we had to go through some tough shula years only a few years ago. now as for you gator fans of course I expect you guys to give no quarter to the dawg fans given the historical rivalry between you 2. good luck to you guys and good luck to the dawgs the rest of the way.
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
1:48 am
Are you a female by chance Bama fan ?
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
1:50 am
I’m from Alabama too.
james
September 19th, 2010
1:54 am
So, how is it that on 3rd and 1 we throw deep with three vertical outlets and not just run up the middle? Oh, I know, because we want to get sacked and have to punt on fourth and 5. Great idea, That way, we never have to worry about a fourth and one.
Dawgzilla
September 19th, 2010
1:54 am
Entertaining tonight indeed ! You are sick Harry. You need help.
Jacket
September 19th, 2010
1:55 am
I agree with “Paul Hewitt’s Agent”, Cuz’s post at the beginning was classic. i just woke up the wife laughing so hard.
Insomniac
September 19th, 2010
1:56 am
Iowa & Arizona in a barnburner 27 up 4th quarter.
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
1:57 am
I just woke my wife up with little Harry.
Jacket
September 19th, 2010
1:58 am
Operative word – “Little”
Eric
September 19th, 2010
1:58 am
Thanks to the classy Bama fans on here wishing us well and same to you guys (as of you need it but still…). The Dawgs are struggling but haven’t been defeated by a wide margin in either loss. If other teams hung 30+ on us then I would have no hope whatsoever and call it a season. The team will get better as the season rolls along. Of course we won’t be in the SECCG, but we can make a strong finish to the season. Murray is going to be good once he matures, it’s a growing process since he is only in his 3rd game. Once the injured players and AJ returns, then I think we will know what we have at that point. I am going to support this team and hope for the best.
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
2:02 am
Its not the size of the dog in the fight its the fight in the dog that counts.
BOBBY JACKTARD
September 19th, 2010
2:02 am
Did I mention already about the BLACKOUT for the Tennessee game? Oh. I did? Soooooo. If anyone wants to come over for coco and sugar cookies really it’s no trouble. Not at all. Anyone? Oh well, I love you. GOOOOO DAWGS!!!!
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
2:02 am
Your welcome,Eric.
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
2:03 am
What’s your address ?
Dangerous
September 19th, 2010
2:03 am
Schultz, you blame the wrong people! Bozo is the lone culprit! He is a GD IDIOT! A f’n loser to the f’n core, blaming the O line and Murray for holding on to the ball too long…………………..you are the f’n QB coach…. you are the O coordinator……you call the F’n plays………you leave him in the pocket too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d like to beat some sense into you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FOOOOOL!!!!!!
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
2:04 am
I’ll come watch the Dogs lose with you.
Hoochie Grandma
September 19th, 2010
2:06 am
Hello Harry.
Horney Harry
September 19th, 2010
2:07 am
Hello baby. Are you from Alabama ?
Jim
September 19th, 2010
2:08 am
As a Gator fan, I am not here to rub salt in your wounds. I am not pleased with our team so far as we should have blown out TN today but that’s another story. It’s funny b/c I don’t know if we are really that bad or if TN is that good. With that said, UGA fans shouldn’t be so devastated by today’s game. They kept it close and stopped Mallett’s drives on many occasions. The season is not over and you guys can still make it a decent year. I know how bad a loss feels for a fan, so I feel for you guys. Keep your heads up and don’t be so quick to give up on your team.
Hoochie Grandma
September 19th, 2010
2:08 am
No,Georgia.
Timmy Dog
September 19th, 2010
2:09 am
Come on guys. We can overcome this. I still love my dogs.
Dangerous
September 19th, 2010
2:11 am
Jim………Our O sucks and that is not going to change with out change!
DR. JOHNSON
September 19th, 2010
2:12 am
Yes, Timmy, perhaps a little too much. Know what I mean?
DR. JOHNSON
September 19th, 2010
2:14 am
Dangerous, are you related to G.W. Bush by any chance?