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
wxwax
September 18th, 2010
8:05 pm
With a freshman QB, they need to be able to run the ball.
They couldn’t. It hurt.
The 3-4 is a defensive scheme built to stop the pass. They couldn’t. It hurt.
Grantham rightly should take the heat for his defense’s lapses.
Tell you what else. All those people who rate recruiting classes? They’re full of horseshot. They have no idea how good the high school kids are. They rate the players by the reputation of the college that signs them. How else to explain why Georgia’s recruiting always ranks highly, but its players stink on the field?
Those kids don’t just break the law. They’re also not any good. At least Florida’s criminals can play a bit.
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:05 pm
Hey this is brilliant – - – - lets go it on 4th down on our own 30 IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
We’re down by 7 and cant given them the ball back with a short field – except, of course, if we dont make it.
Man am I smart
rcgator
September 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Stick with Richt for two or three more years. As long as the coaching staff continues to ignore fundamentals you will continue to lose. As Gators we can enjoy the slide just as we did during the Ray Goof years. Looking forward to the weak attempt to hire Dooley away from Tennessee in hopes of recapturing the past. Gooooo Daaawwwgggsss.
Truthiness
September 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Hang down your head, Vince Dooley
Hang down your head and cry,
Hang down your head, Vince Dooley,
Poor boy, your program’s died.
Old Dawg Fan
September 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
I will continue to say this until someone listens!!!! When is Adams going to “FIRE Richt and rest of them???” He (Adams) is already hated for firing Dooley years ago-go ahead and relieve Richt of his duties and get it over with!!!!! Our new “defense” is no better than the “old defense”. We did make some what of a run today but just don’t have it. Blowing coverage against a good QB from Arkansas will get you a loss every time. We certainly do not have any real connection with Grantham-lets send him on his way quickly!!!! Where to start with Bobo-he is not qualified to be an offensive coach. “Pitiful” is one “word” for his abilities!! Shame Ga. Bulldog Football is where it is. The only bright spot today was Murray!!!! however how long does a good prospect stay with a football team that continues to spiral downward??? It use to be being a “Bulldog” meant something, especially in the SEC-Now the name is becoming a “joke”, I don’t think we will even win half of our games this year. Shame!!!!
Mike Bobo
September 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
It’s time to call Kirby Smart
Jeff Lofton
September 18th, 2010
8:07 pm
As a Razorback fan, it’s hard to gauge how good we are because I’m not sure how weak Georgia actually is. I kept thinking “there’s no way a top tier SEC defense is going leave our guys this wide open for touchdowns”. But I’ve always thought of UGA as being a top tier defensive team. Guess I’ll have to wait for the Bama game to see how good we are.
Baldemar Huerta
September 18th, 2010
8:07 pm
Kirby, Smart.
82Dawg
September 18th, 2010
8:07 pm
P.S. No one is talking about the special teams — they haven’t showed up this year. We could have blocked punts last week and this week if we would just call the block once in awhile.
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:07 pm
Enter your comments Hey this is brilliant – – – – lets go it on 4th down on our own 30 IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
We’re down by 7 and cant given them the ball back with a short field – except, of course, if we dont make it.
Man am I smart
Charlie
September 18th, 2010
8:08 pm
Goodbye Isaiah Crowell. After this pathetic showing he’s Alabama bound! Can’t blame him. He’s smart enough to know the difference between a first class powerhouse and a pitifull, terribly coached program! Georgia loses and Alabama wins. Again.
dawgster
September 18th, 2010
8:08 pm
82dawg..agree the backs have got to pick up the blocks, but i think if we are honest in our accessment we can see that the O-line has not been very consistant especially in some crucial downs…Alos, Murray will get better, i hope, in not holding on to the ball so long, but then that also goes to our receivers having to get separation…I now in the case of Ark their receiveres did get alot of separation…
wxwax
September 18th, 2010
8:08 pm
With a freshman QB, they need to be able to run the ball.
They couldn’t. It hurt.
The 3-4 is a defensive scheme built to stop the pass. They couldn’t. It hurt.
Grantham rightly should take the heat for his defense’s lapses.
Tell you what else. All those people who rate recruiting classes? They’re full of horseshot. They have no idea how good the high school kids are. They rate the players by the reputation of the college that signs them. How else to explain why Georgia’s recruiting always ranks highly, but its players stink on the field?
Those kids aren’t just criminals. They’re also lousy football players. At least Florida’s criminals can play a bit.
Mike Bobo
September 18th, 2010
8:08 pm
Also please fire me I’m just here for the check
Been There
September 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
These are not very good athletes, and they’re not well coached. Give them a break. This is what happens until someone decides it doesn’t.
GR82BAG8R
September 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
OldFan, with perennial top-10 recruiting classes, how can Georgia not be ranked? That is the real question. How can Arkansas be better than Georgia if the recruiting classes that make up its team are worse than Georgia’s? The expectation should be for the performance on the field to be equal to the talent.
4 ncs are better than 1
September 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
82Dawg, IT’S LOSING, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF SPIN YOU TRY TO PUT ON IT!!!!
Sportsrealist
September 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
3 games into the year and I’m already relegated to the hope that we beat GT and Florida. This is gonna be a loooooong year. Time for a new direction at Georgia.
LakeDawg
September 18th, 2010
8:10 pm
You’ve got to run the ball to win SEC championships. CMR doesn’t understand that and never will. I like CMR and always will. I’ve never called for his ouster. His record has been too good and he deserves the benefit of the doubt, which I’m willing to give him, but sometimes you just know how its going to end up. If CMR still thinks after 10 years that UGA can win SEC championships in the style of FSU in the ACC in the 90’s then he will never learn.
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:11 pm
This guy makes George Bush sound like an intellect:
http://www.georgiadogs.com/allaccess/index.html?media=195765
TheAntiMe
September 18th, 2010
8:11 pm
The question left from today is: Is #12 Arkansas that good on the road or is unranked Georgia that bad at home?
The best we can hope for as an answer is maybe a little of both but I’m not so sure that Arkansas isn’t currently overrated in the polls which is not good for Georgia’s prospects this season.
Mike Bobo
September 18th, 2010
8:11 pm
Nah Charlie that will be my last act here I’m going to get Isaiah Crowell for the dawg nation
icedawg
September 18th, 2010
8:13 pm
Lose to TN, lose to UF, lose to AU are three very probably losses to go with these two. This could be one of the worst teams UGA has fielded in some time.
Jeff Dorsey
September 18th, 2010
8:14 pm
I have never been embarrassed to be a UGA alum. Not even in the Goof & Donnan years. But this has gotten out of hand. Richt has no clue & is in way over his head. We got a coordinator in a head coach job. I can’t believe that we are actually in the battle for last place in the SEC east. Please get rid of Adams, the alcohol & beer can abolitionist, first & then Pope Richt & the rest of his cheerleading, I mean coaching staff.
Dogs Smell
September 18th, 2010
8:15 pm
DawgNColorado , do you Not read the post? Yes these Homers think Ga is going to go undefeated after losing to SC. Not my words these are post you can see on here everyday. If a play goes here or there is a fantasy. A play here or there and you lose by 21. You guys only see things if everything fell your way. That game was not even as close as the 7 points. Mallet threw at will against Ga’s defense.
Good teams win with who they put on the field and dont cower with excuses. All these fans do is throw excuses. How Ga fans. What is your record against the SEC EAST over the past 5 years?
4 ncs are better than 1
September 18th, 2010
8:16 pm
To all the top recruits: Are you guys watching this circus????
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:16 pm
Hey this is brilliant – – – – lets go it on 4th down on our own 30 IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
We’re down by 7 and cant given them the ball back with a short field – except, of course, if we dont make it.
Man am I smart
takedowndawg
September 18th, 2010
8:16 pm
Dawgs, our “experienced” offensive line is either weak or hurt. They are getting little if surge from the snap. The two SEC opponents we have faced so far performed at least are” half as good again” as our lineman. Searles, is in a lot of us fans “eyesight” right now. We look lower average in our conference. If we are hurt, I hope they heal up again in a hurry, Little, if any true holes opened up for Ealey or Thomas this year. IF, our offensive linemen are weak or lack desire we are in for another tough year.. Murray, in my opinion.looks fine for the amount of starting playing he has had. Bobo, needs to be mentored/monitored strongly by Richt himself. Bobo, is not OC top flight caliber in our conference from what I have witnessed this year.. Hope the DAWG “tide” changes, In a HURRY!
tj
September 18th, 2010
8:16 pm
Keep fighting dogs, were much better than what we’ve showed so far. Its time to hunker down and finish strong. Let’s get better every week and and show everyone what were made of. 11and2 is still a possibility or even 10 and 3 still can be done. Let’s go dawg nation and support these guys the seasons not over yet. From the coaches to the players its time to wake the F up and start playing like bulldogs. Let’s go Dawg!!
dbc
September 18th, 2010
8:17 pm
If I was McGarity, I’d try a simple experiment. I’d bench all the coaches for a game against somebody decent. Say Kentucky because by then we’ll have 4 losses. I’d then let Murray call his own plays on offense and let the graduate assistants call the defense. Then see how it goes. These players are so used to having someone do their thinking for them, they fail to execute. If it’s anywhere close to as good (or in this case, as bad) as when the coaches are making the calls, then you instantly know where the problem lies. I can’t imagine it would be a bad thing. We might then learn something about our players. Pie in the sky I know, but you gotta try something.
DawgMike
September 18th, 2010
8:18 pm
Poor Aaron Murray is going to get splattered – Now I see what CMR said Washaun wasnt a good pass blocker.
Baldemar Huerta
September 18th, 2010
8:18 pm
‘the seasons not over yet”
I understand Shreveport’s lovely in early December.
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
Richt and Bozo
Dumb & Dumba
Kerryb
September 18th, 2010
8:20 pm
Never thought I’d see the day when Clemson is playing harder and looking better than UGA.
Slim
September 18th, 2010
8:21 pm
I said it all week….Georgia won’t win more than 4 games this year.
Wallace cox
September 18th, 2010
8:22 pm
It hurts to be the laughing stock of the SEC, not only in football, but also in basketball and baseball.Maybe the SEc ought to put in a coloring book contest UGA may have a chance but I seriously doubt it. They hacve recruting parties when a great player is signed maybe they ought to have a firing party and let all the bulldog fans watch as they fire CMR and Bobo. When you make the kind of money they make expect to be treated like a red headed step child.
4 ncs are better than 1
September 18th, 2010
8:22 pm
Ugay was only good for a couple years early this decade, but these fans talk like they have always been a good program. YOU ARE BACK WHERE YOU BELONG!!! TALENT WASTERS!
Ellen
September 18th, 2010
8:23 pm
Way to throw your players under the bus there Grantham and Bobo. Put all the blame on them because it obviously had nothing to do with poor coaching. You two are perfect coaches and called every play brilliantly.
Sad.
Goff's Ghost
September 18th, 2010
8:23 pm
I’ve been pretty patient, but even with 2 first round draft choices (Stafford and Moreno) a couple of years ago, we STILL couldn’t win the SEC East. If our coaches can’t figure out how to win with that type of talent, then what chance do we with lesser talent? We need to find coaches who can win. Other than Mallet, we have more talent at EVERY position. Yet we didn’t look like we belonged on the same field. If the coaches can rally this team to go 4-4 in the SEC, they’ve done a good job.
dawgit
September 18th, 2010
8:23 pm
Yeah, but UGA will still beat Tech.
BC
September 18th, 2010
8:24 pm
Every week it’s Bobo calling run on 1st, throw on 2nd, run on 3rd. This week, knowing that all of UGA fans were watching, he decided to go more pass happy, but his calls still didn’t make sense. I remember one series where we threw on 1st and 2nd, then ran on 3rd. WTF? And let’s not even mention the 3rd and 4 at the end of the game where he calls a run..WHO THE HELL CALLS A RUN ON 3rd AND 4 WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE? You have a beast in Orson Charles (no receptions today) and the sure-handed Aaron White to throw to over the middle, and you run it? This conservative, I-Formation offense doesn’t work in 2010 in college football. if no one else has noticed, EVERY team has gone to some sort of spread. And just throwing the “Wild Dawg” in doesn’t change anything. Way to get caught up UGA and Bobo–5 years after West Virginia originally brought the wild cat in. Bobo needs to go after this year, Richt next if things don’t change. And don’t expect Isiah Crowell to be coming here. No one wants to play for UGA because the coaches, D and O are way to predictable and anemic to do anything.
4 ncs are better than 1
September 18th, 2010
8:25 pm
Cheer up dawgs, SIGNING DAY IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!!!! AHAHAHAHA!!!!
bjohndawg
September 18th, 2010
8:26 pm
I did not watch the whole game. Took my family to see ELMO live. Caught part of the second half and third and fourth quarter to the 8 minute mark, then went to get a haircut.
Ealey.,…for the love of God son, please learn to block. It’s your second year in the program, man up!
My problem is not with the defense. We expected the defense to be rough. New DC, new scheme.
But the offense had 11-of 12 starters back. 10 of them were on the field. The offense line was suppose to be one of the best in the country. They played like they were a bunch of freshman in high school. Six Sacks. That is obscene.
Bobo and Richt seem to want to “feel” the game offensively in the beginning. While the opponents are GATA from the first whistle. Play calling is a joke. Why if you line cannot block anyone for three seconds, do you have receivers running 30 and 40 yard routes. The QB does not have time for them to complete that long a route.
We have sucked for so long, I am not sure what it would feel like to actually have a team in the hunt for an SEC title let alone a national championship.
I was never on the Fire Richt bandwagon, but if they continue to play offensively…while offensively when they have 10 starters back and Murray is clearly up to the task, then its clearly a coaching problem. There is no other way to explain it.
Georgia has become a lifestyle program for the coaches…do just enought to keep your job. BFFs are more important than winning.And FYI….Bobo should not be allowed to talk to the media for his own sake. He is terrible.
Saint Mark
September 18th, 2010
8:26 pm
I wonder if any of the books about UGA football include the perspective of someone speaking for the late Jan Kemp? The perspective that “student” athletes like Lindsay Scott were playing years without taking college level courses? That the proudest moment of the football program was earned by players who never earned a single college credit?
Dawgtards love to return to 1980, but their memories are really short when it comes to remembering an earthshaking event that happened a few years later that showed the world what a joke UGA athletes were and what a scam artist their beloved Vince Dooley was (and is). So for all those dawgtards with short memories or who think their athletes are actually taking real courses and trying to graduate, here’s the quote that broke the trial wide open and showed what a slimeball Dooley is:
O. Hale Almand Jr., a lawyer for the defense, offered a justification for the favorable treatment accorded the athletes, citing a hypothetical player. “We may not make a university student out of him,” he told the jury, “but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbageman when he gets through with his athletic career.”
Nothing has changed at UGA, they just do a slightly better job of keeping things quiet, but that’s hard to do when 44 of your player-thugs have been arrested, isn’t it?
UGA: WINNER OF THE FULMER CUP AND THE CESSPOOL OF THE SOUTH.
TheAntiMe
September 18th, 2010
8:26 pm
Upon further review, Jeff, it appears that you may be on to something. After reading the comments from both Mike Bobo and Todd Grantham both coaches are calling out their players and totally throwing them under the bus.
Obviously, it comes down to individual players making the plays on the field, however, as a fan for many years I cannot recall a time in the past when either the OC or DC placed the total blame on the players without at least deflecting some of the blame to themselves.
Accountability starts from the top down and if neither Co-ordinator is willing to accept accountability then something is very broken and is highly flawed from a fundamental level of foundation. Very disturbing, to me at least.
skeptic
September 18th, 2010
8:27 pm
Recruiting the old time way, thugs and not yet caught criminals, is not working. If you are going to lose do it with regular qualified students.
4 ncs are better than 1
September 18th, 2010
8:27 pm
GT’s offense will run all over that defense!!!!
Rosezeee
September 18th, 2010
8:27 pm
Hey I have a brilliant idea!!!!! – – – – lets go it on 4th down on our own 30 IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
We’re down by 7 and cant given them the ball back with a short field – except, of course, if we dont make it.
Man am I smart
Goff's Ghost
September 18th, 2010
8:28 pm
Murray played a decent game. He was put into very tough positions and got hammered a couple of times. The coaches need to put the offense in positions in which they can be successful. They didn’t do this much of the game. He also needs more velocity on his passes to the flats. They’ll be pick-sixes against better corners in this league.
icedawg
September 18th, 2010
8:28 pm
Yeah, we’ll probably sign another bunch of mediocre players who will run afoul of the law.