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.
♦
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981 comments Add your comment
Common Sense
September 19th, 2010
12:03 pm
Further evidence of game/player development?
Moreno was held back a year cause the coaches didn’t want him to upstage the upperclassman.
Funny, really funny.
And sad.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 19th, 2010
12:05 pm
Greg if Jeff is so bad, then why are you reading his articles and posting on his blog?
Corninmypooh
September 19th, 2010
12:14 pm
Jeff -
Apparently you didn’t watch the Georgia vs. Arkansas game on TV, because if you had you would NOT have offered up the lame statement that Green’s absence is essentially not an execuse. It may not be an excuse, but everyone calling the game on TV yesterday clearly articulated that Green’s absence is hurting our offense. You can NOT underestimate the importance of a weapon Green brings to the table. As Bob Greise pointed out, Green can stretch the field, he demands double teams, leaving other weapons available. Green can even open the running game, just by his presence on the field.
I will however, agree with you that we’ve seen absolutely ZERO upgrade since Searels arrived in ‘07. Our OL is undersized, weak and in general not nearly as good as the media believed it to be.
There is still time to right the ship, but Richt and Bobo are going to have to STOP their current approach to play to Murray’s strengths. The play action isn’t working… put Murray in the shotgun, that will allow him to see the field better and get the ball out quicker. If I can figure this out why can’t Bobo???
sick of it
September 19th, 2010
12:16 pm
Average recruiting= Coaching
Not developing players = Coaching
Character issues with recruits= stupid kids and direction
Sugar free Vanilla Offense= Coaching
Being a die hard Georgia football religous fanatic for years, I have made a decision regarding the above factors. I am now a College football Atheist, b/c I refuse to cheer for any other team and I have lost all faith in the program at Georgia. Mark Richt is a wonderful man and a great coach, but he needs to get this program in the right direction, and in a freakin hurry.
Butterbean
September 19th, 2010
12:17 pm
Two words to turn this thing around………. Will Muschamp!!
Butterbean
September 19th, 2010
12:21 pm
Two words to straighten out this mess…….Will Muschamp!!!!!!!
chief pitchanono
September 19th, 2010
12:22 pm
I think overall they are making progress, and I think this will end up being another winning season for Ga in the end. Thanks to the early season struggles it probobably won’t end up in the Ga dome for the champioship, but you never know. The defense seems overall to be better and most importantly improving, the offense, to me is the disapointment. Took way to long to get anything going again offensivly this week, which is another reason why I like what the defense is doing, considering how much harder their having too work because of the offense. MR needs to sit down with BoBo and correct some things, I agree his play calling has been off the pass two weeks and that needs to be corrected. I still believe in this team and maybe with a little luck their will still be something to play for at the end of this season.
jellybeandawg
September 19th, 2010
12:25 pm
Lack of heart, lack of effort, lack of direction, lack of coaching, lack of any emotion whatsoever.. All signs of a typical Mark Richt coached football team. I don’t expect anything more or less and we are getting exactly what we signed up for. Why should anyone be surprised?
Devildog
September 19th, 2010
12:27 pm
Bobo blames Murray for that last sack. Well, SOMEONE taught Ealey the “lookout block.” That’s the one where you miss your assignment at scream “LOOK OUT” at the QB. Murray was well-protected until that DE got by Ealey. He can’t drive and he can’t block. What good is he?
Bobo has a couple of issues, himself.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 19th, 2010
12:36 pm
Funny Bobo blaming Murry. If Murry was quicker on throwing passes he might also have made bad passes or INTs. Yes, Murry should have thrown the ball away to save the yardage, but he still had a chance to make another play. What is the del with all the great UGA runningbacks that don’t block very well? I guess Knowshow and Ealey are great runners but they don’t like to block. If they are not getting the ball they don’t want to help the TEAM.
Hatfieldgeoff
September 19th, 2010
12:39 pm
I can’t believe Bobo is putting the blame for the last sack on Murray. Bobl calls a play that sends all receivers 20 yards down the field (even though we only need 5) no safety valve option. And he complains he holds on two the ball too long. Also this is after he has been pressured and sacked all day. And the pressure and sacks were often due to Bobo predictable play-calling. Make no mistake this loss was due to Bobo. The worst case scenario for the end of this game should have been a missed UGA field goal. Instead it gives a Heisman candidate at QB the ball with 50 seconds left. Searls is another coach who should have coached his way out of town. And Frankly, Mark Richt shouldn’t make any long term plans for Athens. I am afraid we had seen the best we are going to get from him. He can’t coach with Saban and Meyer and every day we seem to fall farther behind. Another season has been shot and all we can hope for is to see young players improving. But when this does happed it seems to be inspite of the coaching not because of it.
harold
September 19th, 2010
12:40 pm
THIS IS A VERY WEAK TEAM!
Hatfieldgeoff
September 19th, 2010
12:41 pm
Somebody get Kirby Smart on the line. Help!!!!!!!!
SSIgator
September 19th, 2010
12:57 pm
My favorite posts prior to the Arkansas game:
Dawg > Hogs –
“Ga beats arkansas easy—book it. Ark will not be able to handle the crowd noise and Mallet will be shut down by Grantham’s 3-4 with all kinds of pressure. Ga 30 Ark 16”
Answer: You need to tell Grantham that instead of just a 3-4 defense he needs to bring along the other four guys in the secondary..
Ted –
“Dogs blast the Hogs this weekend and Ga gets back on track.”
Answer: Yeah. They are on track, but it is the Southbound train.
JB –
“And we all know to turn this blog into crickets is to beat Arkansas 35 to 17 on Saturday…..Go Dawgs !”
Answer: Chirp, Chirp.
Dawgs Blowout Hawgs –
“Take it to the bank—the dawgs will beat arkansas like a rented mule.”
Answer: The UGA bank was taken over by the FDIC. Also, the SPCA is going to file suit against UGA for cruelty to animals.
Chase –
“Dogs lost to SC in 07′ in 2nd game, finished #2 in the country. Team has a very 07′ feel to it.”
Answer: Wishin’ & Hopin’ don’t make it so.
Dawgs Roll –
“Relax—the Dawgs win this game easy. Ark’s D is terrible and UGA’s RBs should run through that D like a hot knife through butter.”
Answer: True. Arkansas defense was bad, but UGA’s was worse.
South Ga Dawg –
“THE BULLDOG NATION RISES AND BEATS ARKANSAS BY TEN”
Answer: And the South will rise again.
Dawg House –
“Looking forward to watching you cry as you leave Sanford Stadium.”
Answer: Those were tears of joy.
Jack bull –
“Dawgs-38, Hawgs-31…nuff said, on our way to the Ga Dome in December”
Answer: Why? To watch Alabama in the dome against another SEC East team?
Ardawg –
“Georgia will win this one and it won’t be close but, it’s no easy win or a blowout. Arkansas simply does not have the depth to go 4 quarters with Georgia.”
Answer: If you think UGA has depth you are correct. People will need SONAR to find the puppies by the end of the year.
DAWG on a Stick –
“We’re going to destroy ARk tomorrow. They can’t hang with our defense and running game!!! Tomorrow will be a cake walk!!!!!!”
Answer: I think someone stepped on the cake.
catlady
September 19th, 2010
1:02 pm
CHARACTER. You have to recruit character. Character isn’t just about not getting arrested or jumped by the NCAA. Character means never letting up. Never quitting.
Especially when you are getting paid $30,000 per year (my estimate) for your “on campus job–some traveling required.” (room, board, tuition–first pick of classes–fees, travel expenses; it all adds up to a lot of money)
catlady
September 19th, 2010
1:06 pm
dale morphy–it isn’t about the playing that is why the fans came/left early. The game is a place to show up at after you have been drinking for hours. You stay awhile, then leave to drink some more. Apparently you have never been a student at UGa?
Herschel Walker
September 19th, 2010
1:13 pm
Miss State will beat Thuga on Saturday. Thuga won’t be able to handle the cowbells. Saint Mark better update his resume.
GT Alum
September 19th, 2010
1:38 pm
No love for Petrino, Jeff?
Long term fan, not week to week
September 19th, 2010
1:48 pm
Seriously guys. I do vote for Bobo to get demoted to QB coach and go hire the ole Red Raider himself, Leach as the OC. But, when your punt returner/nickel CB, starting backfield, and WR are out against the #12 in the country, expect a tough game. We aren’t deep and have little talent. Not Richt at fault here this year.
Pitbull
September 19th, 2010
1:58 pm
Instead of “finishing the drill” our team gets “drilled to the finish.”
Do we actually practice during the week? Most of those kids don’t look like they know what to do when the ball is snapped.
Why can’t Jones lift the ball up when the other teams’ players jump offsides?
Either we have really sorry players on the team or we have really sorry coaches getting them ready.
I try to tell myself that SC may be the best team in the East this year and Arkansas may be the best team in the West this year too – and we may be OK against the rest of the conference schedule now that we have the 2 hardest conference games behind us, but only time will prove that out.
If it is true and we lost to each by 1 touchdown then maybe we are better than we have looked.
I guess we will find out when Arkansas plays Alabama this coming weekend. But I can’t help but notice that Furman scored 3 times the number of points on SC that we did.
We certainly do not play with the fight that Auburn and Clemson played with last night. Man, they were carrying bodies off the field. Either one of those teams would have cleaned our clock.
Doesn’t look like the players or the coaches have any fire in their belly anymore and don’t have what it takes to “man up.”
Did I miss something or did we rehire Jim Donnan? The Dawgs look like the soft teams he put on the field for 5 years. Remember that if those teams couldn’t beat you with finasse they would get their butts kicked. Same thing now.
We Drink This State
September 19th, 2010
1:59 pm
I raise my glass to Willie Martinez. Our fans thought that frog-marching you out of town would get us back to the glory days. Time for a reboot. And another cocktail.
kickin asphalt
September 19th, 2010
2:00 pm
Does Bobby Gran Patrino drive a Gran Torino to practice everyday? Just wondering, cause he kicked y’alls ass like Clint Eastwood!
kickin asphalt
September 19th, 2010
2:02 pm
Bobby Gran Patrino calls plays almost as good as that guy who used to be in Florida that y’all hate so much…you know who I’m talking about – he REALLY favors that guy at South Carolina!
homer.ga
September 19th, 2010
2:20 pm
I thought Willie Martinez left town. Nothing has changed. Guys from the other team running wide open!!
Keith
September 19th, 2010
2:24 pm
Getting tougher to be a Dawgs fan.
9 arrests. AJ Green suspended 4 games for virtual stupidity. Ealy suspended a game after an arrest , fumbles during a critical moment in his first game back and then celebrates like he’s 6 years old when he finally scores (he needs to watch films of Herschel); misses blocks, etc.
Bobo calls a bonehead play on 3rd and 4, the blames the QB for holding the ball?
Bobo should have left with Martinez!
Richt is a class act but I can no longer support him as coach as he obviously refuses to take control.
Dawgs: in all honesty, many of you thugs just suck. Bobo: give ur QB a chance to win. Bobo, you suck the most! Pathetic!
Keith
September 19th, 2010
2:30 pm
SSIgator. You must be really bored to write a dissertation addressing all those comments. Get a life MF.
$750,000
September 19th, 2010
2:30 pm
Grantham–highest paid SEC D-coordinator, for this????????????
5150 P.O.A.D
September 19th, 2010
2:30 pm
Richt’s record against the SEC east 29-7 last 4yrs 10-11.
SEC west 23-8 last 4yrs 10-3.
Total 52-15 last 4yrs 20-14
Richt’s teams are not getting better on the field or off the field. In the last 5 yrs Richt’s teams have been in the TOP 10 in the Fulmer Cup 4 times and winning the Fulmer Cup this year.
Home Town Paper
September 19th, 2010
2:33 pm
When the AJC, filled with a bunch of UgA homers, is writing a negative article about the great mark richt, someone needs to go!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 19th, 2010
2:35 pm
What will Tony Barnhart have to say about how Great Richt is but the Dawgs will be fine.
WE RUIN THIS STATE
September 19th, 2010
2:59 pm
Remember the great names of the past ? Fordham, Syracuse, Michigan, Notre Dame, Navy ? Now add UGA.
gtechcdv
September 19th, 2010
3:15 pm
I think the Dawgs will be fine come the year’s end and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them put the yearly dagger in my jackets. The wife’s huge UGA fan, so I actually root for you guys when you’re not playing GT. From what I’ve seen the past couple of years, there’s really one obvious change that needs to made coaching-wise; Bobo’s gotta go. The Dawgs haven’t been a huge offensive threat for quite some time, which really makes no sense considering the level of talent on the field. The players simply aren’t put in the right position and the schemes are as vanilla as it gets. There’s no reason why this team, even in it’s current state, didn’t hang at least 40 on Arkansas. At home no less. That being said, once again, I think you guys will get things straightened out soon.
sunny purdue
September 19th, 2010
3:53 pm
b
sunny purdue
September 19th, 2010
3:53 pm
bw
sunny purdue
September 19th, 2010
3:54 pm
bwa
sunny purdue
September 19th, 2010
3:54 pm
bwah
sunny purdue
September 19th, 2010
3:55 pm
bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
crack for lindsey
September 19th, 2010
4:12 pm
Speaking of widespread, isn’t Widespread Panic from Athens? Or, are we talking about Jawja’s buttcheeks?
GuvHog
September 19th, 2010
4:12 pm
Did it ever occur to any of you that Arkansas is really that good and Georgia is not a bad team??
crack for lindsey
September 19th, 2010
4:13 pm
Pitbull, the puppies got drilled to the finish.
Tech Stand
September 19th, 2010
4:13 pm
Ga beats Idaho State! The Dawg 3-4D from granham will send those potato peelers back home in shame! Give grantham a bonus and huge raise—he’s the master. Remember, he used to coach in the NFL–so he knows his stuff!
jerry
September 19th, 2010
4:23 pm
how bout them piggies schultz?!?!
bobo sucks
September 19th, 2010
4:32 pm
how can u place all the blame on murray when our oc is calling crappy plays. i blame bobo for his poor performance once again. he should be fired and grow some damn balls and admit that he tried to get his qb killed with his play calling.
wildbill
September 19th, 2010
4:44 pm
My daughter, also a UGA grad, went to the game yesterday. I asked her what stood out. Here is what she said, in this order:
1. The band looked and played great.
2. Russ stayed in his air conditioned doghouse, what a sorry dog he is.
3. It was really hot in the stadium.
4. I got a sunburn.
So, I asked her about the game, the game………. She said it was too bad we lost.
Thats it!!!!!!
Lou
September 19th, 2010
4:45 pm
Bobo should man up and take responsibily for his poor coaching. It is very low class to blame players when he should coach them better. His play calling really sucks as well.
The Alpha Male
September 19th, 2010
4:59 pm
Why is telling the truth disturbing, Schultz? Coaches teach, players execute (or not)…. if a kid blows a coverage, why is that Grantham’s fault. The loss yesterday was not about Grantham, it was about an OC that fails to use the talent on the roster and has no plan or logic in his approach.
Even you have to admit that a program with UGA’s talent, resources, prestige can do a whole lot better than Mike Bobo.
FLA DAWG
September 19th, 2010
5:04 pm
Some of us have been trying to alert Dawg Nation to this downspiral for three years. This nothing new Jeff. Why has it taken you and other staffers to finally print it?
astrouga
September 19th, 2010
5:09 pm
This loss was all coaching. Last week we got run out of SC. No one would have expected that, but this one was bad. We looked horrible for 75% of the game. The score doesn’t tell the tale…the coaches stink. Toss Bobo and the offensive line coach. If that doesn’t fix it, let’s start over. There is too much talent coming in to UGA, but it is not showing up at game time. That is a coaching issue. Sorry dogs, expect losses at Tenn, Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech and maybe Kentucky. The coaches just aren’t up for it. Maybe we need to start paying the coaches on performance.
Mountain Dawg
September 19th, 2010
5:24 pm
Not so “Great To Be A Dawg on Sat. Night” anymore. Erk is spinning in his grave.
Buzz
September 19th, 2010
5:48 pm
CMR is aggod coach – wouldn’t be having these negative comments if Green had played in the last two games. Ga. will get better – wish you luck except in the last game! Go TECH