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
Knockahoma
September 18th, 2010
6:47 pm
Come on. We just had a freshman qb lead us on two fourth quarter td drives to tie the game against the 12th ranked team in the country.
This team is inexperienced and it shows. Bobo may not be the best for the job, but the bottom line is the dawgs played two of the toughest teams on their schedule very tight.
Why any of you thought this year was going to be any different just reminds me that UGA and SEC fans in general are completely unrealistic. UGA is going to have a down year. Try to focus on the positives folks. Making judgements about most of this team is way premature, and considering drastic changes will only lead to more years of rebuilding.
Ronald McDonald
September 18th, 2010
6:47 pm
Russ the mascot seemed to enjoy the game. Everytime I saw him he was asleep in his doghouse with his sack and freshly painted sore a$$ resting on a bag of ice. Might as well take a good long nap, nothing to get excited about on the field or sidelines.
Red
September 18th, 2010
6:47 pm
Did everyone notice the red panties falling from the sky?
Cuz
September 18th, 2010
6:47 pm
Shreveport? You kidding me, Shreveport?
I don’t think we make it to Idaho. Our bowl game will be the game on Thanksgiving weekend.
archangeladidas
September 18th, 2010
6:48 pm
Yeah whatever you picked them to win. Own up to it.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 18th, 2010
6:48 pm
#9 OU(at Home) 27 v Air Force 24 with only 3:29 left in the game and OU has the ball.
BLUE
September 18th, 2010
6:49 pm
Knockahoma another CMR apologist put the kool aid down
Cuz
September 18th, 2010
6:49 pm
Ronald, you sure know how to play the clown. Russ is brown and white. Maybe you need glasses. Get some Joe Pa kind. They will look good with your shoes.
BLUE
September 18th, 2010
6:50 pm
Bowl game can we win 6 games
cmac
September 18th, 2010
6:50 pm
This is a bad football team that is poorly coached. At some point you Georgia fans are gonna look yourself in the mirror & tell yourself that the problem starts at the top & quickly rolls downhill from there!
Bring back Willie … he never lost in Columbia & he never lost to Arkansas (& he cost ALOT less!).
This team will lose 6-7 games this year. Overpaid coaches & bad players!
Daisy
September 18th, 2010
6:50 pm
“Everytime I saw him he was asleep in his doghouse with his sack and freshly painted sore a$$ resting on a bag of ice.”
Are you talking about the mutt or AJ Green?
jeff p
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
I grew up in ATL and southeast and now on the west coast where they don’t care much about college football out here except for maybe Oregon and USC – easy to understand when you have Pebble Beach, Tahoe, Wine Country, beaches all within a few hrs.
Let’s see – Fresh QB, starting FB injured, C King injured, AJ Green out, T Sturdivant out and maybe never coming back equals struggles in the SEC. AJ Green being out COMPLETELY changes the defensive scheme that the opponents have to install – watch how the offense looks a lot different in a few weeks if all those players return.
Let’s see – the 3/4 scheme on defense is a learning curve and if anyone here on the board played football will understand that plus this is still a pretty young defense.
What scares me is the lack of “physicality” of the OL as this denotes a lack of toughness which is either coaching or the recruiting of soft players. I also didn’t like the fact the RBs couldn’t pass block worth a you know what which is a requirement in the SEC. Finally, the fact you call a go route on 3rd and 5 at the end of the game is beyond me – you have to provide some type of check down option for the Freshman QB – I like Bobo as a person but it seems like he is underachieving as well as a Coordinator as the trend has worsened since Richt gave up the reins. All this along with the fact you let Ark go 79 yds in 3 plays at the end of the game proves again you were simply outcoached and have less talent on the field with less heart when the game is on the line.
The sky isn’t falling although I know how passionate people get about college football in the south, but UGA will have better days ahead – they now have a proven AD that obviously was successful at Fla and have all the financial backings and commitments from the top of the university downward.
Let’s see how this plays out, but I believe Alabama is by far the class of the SEC at this point.
Good luck to all the Dawg fans – hey basketball season isn’t too far off and who would think anyone would say that.
murray county mystic
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
Eric C. touched on something that is bothering the hell out of me. This team is celebrates doing their job way too much. After every play some idiot is jumping around or into another player…enough already…how about just make some plays and shut the hell up…
The Ghost of Wally Butts
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
Is it time to break out the black helmets and britches in Stark-patch next week?
Peanuts Schultz
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
There’s always next year doggies. You’re always national championships in preseason rankings, and in recruiting. Mark will take the boys swimming again, show them his high dive prowess, fake tan and other cosmetically improved pretty boy package.
Winston Churchill said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Regarding UGA, “Never on the football field was so little done by so much talent for so few wins!”
Love all those ‘dream team’ stars!
what to do
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
Just tired of the product.
UGA Fan NOT
September 18th, 2010
6:52 pm
The only way UGA runs this state is with Bobo standing on the sidelines yelling “The Cops Are Coming, The Cops are Coming”
DawgNColorado
September 18th, 2010
6:52 pm
You guys are all idiots… A play or two goes differently and everyone is praising UGA for winning a game in the SEC against a top 15 opponent. Over the past 10 years Richt has one of the best winning percentages in football. This is the first year and the 3rd game of a new defense… did you really think things would be better overnight? there are a lot of bad habits to break from the past 5 years… and for the Tech haters out there.. worry about your team.. you lost to Kansas, then barely beat a UNC team missing 12 players… get a life and pay attention to your own blog.
MCGARITY GET RID OF RICHT IF HE CANT BEAT FLORIDA THIS YEAR
September 18th, 2010
6:52 pm
THIS IS KIRBY SMART’S HOUSE! WHO IS THAT BEATING ON MY DOOR? IT’S A.D MCGARITY AND I WOULD LIKE TO HIRE YOU AT THE END OF THE SEASON,WHEN ALABAMA WINS BACK TO BACK TITLES!
P.S. MARK RICHT YOU ARE BURNT TOAST BUDDY!
Next UGA Coach?
September 18th, 2010
6:52 pm
If Richt was fired after the season, who would be the top candidates to replace him?
JimDawg
September 18th, 2010
6:53 pm
We need to blackout all of our tv games – it is killing our recruiting. BooBoo sucks. The cornerbacks suck. At least we have a nice guy for a HC. The season is over before it even began…
gadgs311
September 18th, 2010
6:53 pm
Anybody feel like going after Chris Peterson of Boise State, to be our coach?!
bigdawg
September 18th, 2010
6:53 pm
We’re offering nothing but excuses. We are a second tier program, and we better get used to it until CMR is gone. We couldn’t beat Florida with a 2 man advantage.
please
September 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
Jeff you are so off base as well as most of these fans. you praised tech after they lost last week to kansas ” nc fears grogh” if tech played sc or ark how many games would they win? not one. we should have one the game after that great comeback, but it is not the end of the world that we lost. tech just beat a nc team by 6 that has halve its starting team on suspension. arkansas was ranked 12, i am dissapointed we lost, but lets just wait till the end of the year before we call for someones job. last year everyone in this paper had tech beating us silly , how did that work out? i noticed last year you went on vacation after the game probally so you would not have to write about it. some thing must have happened between you and uga, because for the last 2,3 years the only time you write about them you spill venom. God bless everyone and Go Dawgs
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
750K?The D lost this game plain and simple.Bobo had the game tied with less than a min left on the clock and the D choked.Choked…we can’t blame it on Willie now or CMR or Bobo… no our D collapsed in the same way as they have in too many games over the last 3 seasons.Maybe we need to stop harping on coaching and look at the folks wearing the jerseys.
MCGARITY GET RID OF RICHT IF HE CANT BEAT FLORIDA THIS YEAR
September 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
KIRBY KIRBY KIRBY KIRBY KIRBY KIRBY!
NO TO MUSCHAMP!
REBUILDING YEAR AGAIN??????
September 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
Is it really another rebuilding year? Offensive line was supposed to be the best in the nation. My biggest fear is once this experience is gone in two years we have another four to go to rebuild from this bunch. We have some problems Dawg fans and this aint good…..3rd and 4 and we look to go 20 yards with the game on the line. What kind of call is that? Defense may turn around…I will say I saw something with a little heart in these guys the final two quarters…but really you should be fired up like that all four quarters I hate to say it but our fans were fired up for four quarters than the ones on the field today.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
WOW that ref didn’t want to flag hitting the QB out of bounds. I guess the SEC refs are trying to keep the GAZTORS winning and Highly ranked.
BLUE
September 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
@ DawgNColorado UGA is 9-9 in its last 18 SEC games always making excuses
Long term business decision has to be made
September 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
In the medium to long term PAST, UGA has not been very good. Stafford was a diamond in the rough and Moreno was gonna be something special and then, we got blown out with them by Bama and UT and Florida and Tech. They NEVER amounted to much beyond their hype.
Same is true of just about every kid up there. Aaron Murray is still fun to watch because you know that he cares. Beyond him and maybe Logan Gray and Chapas and the punter and the FG kicker and Kris Durden, I have no use for the bulk of the Dogs.
The excuse one yar like in 08, it was because “we lost Jeff Owens” is why we were so lousy and then in 09 “Cox had the flu”, but it was for the enitre year and Smith and Ealey fumbled in the KY game and we continued to lose with excuses.
Now? A long term business decision has to be made concerning the UGA football program. We have a new AD and the traditional lazy, good old boy connections in Athens might not be there anymore.
AD McGarity expec ts UGA to win like when he was a student here.
Time will tell. UGA is the North Carolina of the SEC. They recruit and “they are well coached and they are just fabulous and they have the fans and the alumni” but they end up always around 6-6 in the Liberty Bowl.
As for my alma mater UGA, I will not go sit in the stadium and put up with all of the stuff in Athens at my age …….I’ll sit at home and watch them fold. This season is gonna turn very, very ugly for us all.
GO Dogs.
Class of 71 & 73.
Palmetto State Dawg
September 18th, 2010
6:56 pm
I was so excited coming into this season. I thought we finally had a DC that would help our defense play better. Same old crap, receivers wide open, and soft play. Richt needs to go. He has no clue! Not watching another game this year. To lose to SC and ARK is unacceptable.
MCGARITY GET RID OF RICHT IF HE CANT BEAT FLORIDA THIS YEAR
September 18th, 2010
6:56 pm
LOOK AT ABC AND SEE ALABAMA BEATING DUKE 62-13
LOOK AT HOW STRONG KIRBY SMART’S DEFENSE LOOKS!
Cuz
September 18th, 2010
6:56 pm
gadgs311, he won’t leave Boise. At least not yet when other schools have offered.
BLUE
September 18th, 2010
6:57 pm
@ Long term business decision has to be made amen
Cuz
September 18th, 2010
6:57 pm
Duke scored 13 points? Oh my God Bama is falling apart.
Charlie
September 18th, 2010
6:57 pm
Now I know why Dallas didn’t put up a fight to keep Grantham. I, along with a lot of others, thought he would bring some intensity, toughness to the Dawgs. BS! There is probably no one on Georgia’s schedule that is the least bit afraid of his BIG, BAD, TOUGH defense! Georgia would lose to Georgia State right now. Georgia’s defense is nothing but a buch of candy asses!! Other posters are correct about Bobo. Kick his but out NOW! Richt needs to fill in as OC for the rest of the season.
Furman Bishop
September 18th, 2010
6:58 pm
Schultz: That is a very good comment about Searles. I thought he did a good job the first year he was here with what he had. Then last year the offensive line only met expectations the last three or four games. This year the offensive line has been disappointing to say the least, if you are a GA fan. After thinking about it, I have attributed it to the “Richt Malaise”, which is highly contagious. There is only one treatment that will solve the problem, and it is radical. Get rid of Richt. If not, it will spread and infect the whole team, if it has not already.
59bulldawg
September 18th, 2010
6:58 pm
Fire Bobo? I say let’s clean house and start over! Fundamentals are still not there and getting worse. Line blocking is horrible and Ealey’s half effort of a block almost got Murray killed. And the play calling is atrocious. How was Richt ever considered an offensive genius? Does no one stay home on punts to prevent a fake? No excuse for their punter getting a first down after he bobbled the snap. You can bet if we don’t get that fixed other teams will take take note. And how do receivers get that wide open. I was really expecting more out of our DC. Right now we have a promising young quarterback and a very mediocre team. And I expect things will get worse before and/or if they get better.
MCGARITY GET RID OF RICHT IF HE CANT BEAT FLORIDA THIS YEAR
September 18th, 2010
6:59 pm
KIRBY SMART WILL BRING BACK POWER FOOTBALL,BETTER GET HIM NOW!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 18th, 2010
6:59 pm
Great point CUZ. Why would he leave Boise to be at UGA and have to start over chasing so many other SEC teams that are ahead of him.
Steve Spurrier
September 18th, 2010
6:59 pm
If I had Georgia’s talent I would win the National Championship
ACC football notebook « News, Articles and Information
September 18th, 2010
7:00 pm
[...] Schultz [...]
Charlie
September 18th, 2010
7:00 pm
I meant kick his BUTT out! Sorry about that.
MCGARITY GET RID OF RICHT IF HE CANT BEAT FLORIDA THIS YEAR
September 18th, 2010
7:01 pm
I CAN NOT BELIEVE MARK RICHT IS THIS STUPID? I MEAN SUPER STUPID FOR NOT TAKING THE PLAY CALLING AWAY FROM BOZO!
Mike Bobo's wife
September 18th, 2010
7:01 pm
All of you haters out there had better stop drinking all of your haterade.
Mike! Put down that playbook. No more work today! Take the 5 kids to go get ice cream.
shift of dominance
September 18th, 2010
7:01 pm
I think Richt just called for another prayer meating. GO JACKETS!!!
BIG TECH FAN
September 18th, 2010
7:01 pm
Can one of you Puppies sing Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake NOW!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!
Eric C.
September 18th, 2010
7:02 pm
Gotta say, the Dawgs offensive downturn coincides with CMR dropping the OC duties…if not for guys like Stafford and Moreno where would the team have finished in 2007-08? Not saying CMR should resume those duties, but not sure the right personnel are in place.
Tom Petty
September 18th, 2010
7:02 pm
Yeah I’m freeeeeeeeeeee……..
A-Jax
September 18th, 2010
7:02 pm
UT will be interesting. First SEC game with AJ back, UT has inferior talent and a terrible QB but play tough, just make too many mistakes. If UT wins at Sanford, that will be the beginning of the end.