Poll time: Who deserves most blame for Georgia’s offense?
Mark Richt, Aaron Murray and Mike Bobo are wondering what happened to the offense.
Before getting to the point of this blog, let me quickly weigh in on Georgia coach Mark Richt’s decision to kick Demetre Baker off the team for a DUI and underage drinking: kudos.
This isn’t to celebrate a foolish youth’s mistakes. Baker isn’t the first college kid to be involved in underage drinking and driving. But Richt’s only hope of getting through to players in his program — which has seen 10 arrests since the spring — may be a zero tolerance stance because clearly nothing else has been working.
Loading ...Baker will be fine. Public humiliation is a shock to the system but it can be good for one’s personal growth.
Now, about the Georgia offense: No kudos.
The Bulldogs were held to two field goals at South Carolina, smothered for a good part of the Arkansas game and were limited to two field goals Saturday at Mississippi State until a meaningless touchdown with 1:27 left in the game.
Pass protection has been erratic and run blocking has been poor, surprising given that the offensive line was supposed to be the strength of the team. Quarterback Aaron Murray has made typical freshman mistakes but for the most part he has been impressive. The running game has been disappointing and Kris Durham has been the lone receiver to make big plays in the absence of the suspended A.J. Green (who returns this week).
So who should take the most blame for this? Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has been the most criticized. He deserves some credit for falling on the sword in Starkville, saying: “You can’t turn the ball over, and you can’t have penalties. That’s coaching. It’s our fault.”
But by now, you should know where I stand on this: Issues always start at the top. To me, the problem is less play-calling (albeit, that’s some of it) than it is attitude and intelligence. That’s on the head coach.
Whom do you blame for the struggles? Here are some options:
♦ Richt: The Dogs did not look prepared to play Saturday in Starkville, nor have they looked well prepared in the past several SEC games (2-7 going back to last year). They often don’t play with a sense of urgency. They’re not committing as many personal foul penalties in the past but we still see too many mental breakdowns and times when they get beat physically. The head coach sets the tone.
♦ Bobo: He has been criticized for not using more high-percentage short passes in the game plan, and for a lack of creativity in the game plan. But as we’ve previously discussed in this corner, Xs and Os don’t work if a team isn’t knocking over the opponent.
♦ Stacy Searels: Either Georgia’s linemen have been way overrated or the offensive line coach isn’t coaching them up. Searels is in his fourth season in Athens. He was highly regarded when he arrived from LSU in 2007 and was believed to have been given a raise to not go to Auburn with new head coach Gene Chizik last year.
I’ll throw two other choices into the poll: All of the above and none of the above (which is a vote to blame the players).
So who takes the hit for this?
♦
SACK SCHULTZ: Dude, this contest is like totally ruining my street cred. Went 10-5 last week. At 31-14 overall. Two guys named Ills (Georgia) and Axmann (Wisconsin) lead at 39-6. I’m pretty sure they’re cheating. If you haven’t played, it’s not too late too humiliate me! Click here for details and then here to enter.
♦
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845 comments Add your comment
Army of the GATORS
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
continued: OR…take over the playing calling yourself,Richt and see where the problem is?
George H. W. Bush
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
Mark Richt, fine man, fine Christian. Mike Bobo, good family man, excellent playcaller.
It’s Dubya’s fault.
Obama
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
Real change, change you can believe in. We will get the evil rich to do all the blocking and tackling and we will just score the TDs.
MJ
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
And I stand by the fact that if AJ Green is out there this offense looks light years better. There is no go to guy out there and when the best player on your team is not playing, you know, the guy who is going to be a top 5 pick, than the offense is going to struggle, its as simple as that. Teams do not need to respect the pass and why should they, make a FR QB beat you and most of the time they can’t. Look at N. Carolina, you think they lose to LSU if they have their full allotment of players? The answer is no and GA would not have lost to S. Carolina had Green been out there.
Athenian
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
Bring Damon and the bimbo with red panties back. At least things were never this bad under his regime. Send RIcht back to the Criminoles where he can keep the Bobby Bowden legacy going.
JDW
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
I think the blame falls on Bobo and that it is Richt’s problem to fix. Just like being a CEO, if the guy running a division is not getting it done you have to fix the problem before it fixes you.
Alan
September 27th, 2010
3:48 pm
Jeff, gotta disagree with this statement:
The running game has been disappointing and Kris Durham has been the lone receiver to make big plays …
Consider these stats:
Kris Durham
LL 5 rec, 83 yards, 16.6 avg, 1 TD
SC 3 rec, 76 yards, 25.3 avg, 0 TD
Ark 5 rec, 101 yards, 20.2 avg, 0 TD
MS 4 rec, 64 yards, 16.0 avg, 0 TD
Tavarres King
LL Did not play
SC 3 rec, 28 yards, 9.3 avg, 0 TD
Ark 4 rec, 91 yards, 22.8 avg, 1 TD
MS 2 rec, 79 yards, 39.5 avg, 1 TD
Hmmm,
Durham 17 catches in 4 games, avg 19, 1 TD
King 9 catches in 3 games, avg 22, 2 TD
I love the way Durham plays and he’s got great hands. However with King’s stats I think perhaps I’d be trying to get him the ball a bit more. I mean two catches in the Miss. State game. And if I recall he was only thrown to twice, maybe three times.
Top Dog
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
Yep. Richt has to stop being the Chief Executive on the Sideline and start being Chief Executive in Charge. Right now everybody on this staff and team seam to be in charge instead of CMR.
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
I emailed McGarity today. His email is on the UGA Athletic site……I was respectful, but concerned………………..I’m sure he is to……………. Firing and hiring a question Mark would not be fun………….The Guy Hamilton can’t even show his face.
Heath
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
It all goes back to canceling two-a-days. All of the other schools were using it and their kids were getting toughened up. Our kids were in the dorm playing X-Box.
rincon dawg
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
i remember
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
Hamilton at Tennessee
McGarity
September 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
Hello coach. Come on in and close the door.
Rush Limbaugh
September 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
Don’t drag me into this mess Dawg fans. My team plays on Sunday and is three and oh. Oops, that just happens to be the mirror image of your SEC record.
Hamad Meander
September 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
JB – “What’s Al Groh doing ?” I have an answer to that question: A whole lot of nothin’. Georgia Tech’s defense made the NC State QB a Heisman contender.
Top Dog
September 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
Heath, you may be on to something there.
Army of the GATORS
September 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
Trey Burton…SEC Freshman of the week GO GATORS!
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:50 pm
We’re swimming and Bama sewing up bodies and cleaning up blood………… Who knows.
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2010
3:51 pm
Reality Check — Tim Tucker sent that news out about the Oregon series via Twitter a couple of hours ago. It’s not earth-shaking. Not sure if he’s written the blog yet or not. Have a nice day.
Richard Braswell
September 27th, 2010
3:51 pm
Apparently, some of the players think they deserve more than room, board, free medical and a first class opportunity at a college education. Boyz are boyz….
Bo
September 27th, 2010
3:51 pm
WonderDawg – Telegraphing plays? Tell me, are we gonna run or throw on 3 & 2? We may do either one…or at least we might do either one when we had a running game that worked. I’m not saying that you have to line up and run every down. You just have to be able to run the ball consistently to be able to have a productive offense. At least you do when you’re running a pro-style offense.
I get it that you want a spread formation, that doesn’t mean that a pro style doesn’t work in college. In fact, UGA will continue to get good recruits because we run a pro-style offense. A pro-style QB wants to go to UGA over UF because of that (see Aaron Murray). Ryan Mallet is at AR because UM went to the option.
Look, you have to be able to run the ball for play action to work. We can’t run the ball to save our life. That isn’t all the RB fault. You also have to be able to pass protect for play action to work. We’ve been pretty bad at that the last 3 years too. This year has been better for pass blocking but Murray’s legs have made them look good on several plays.
whyvoteinpoll
September 27th, 2010
3:51 pm
Probably need a bigger poll for a better result. I thought the long TD pass at the end was not totally meaningless…if Colorado’s coaches were not preping for a 3 receiver set and the deep ball they are now. The bufs will have a bigger pasture to cover now.
UGAg Farmer
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
UGA sucks. The coaches the program the dog. It all sucks. Why would anyone want to play for these clowns? You have a bunch of thugs and drug dealers partying through school with no discipline, no coaching them up to a higher level, and no talent (unless drinking, driving or knowcking your girlfriend around is talent)
This program is in decline, if I were a recruit, I would head for the hills. I see dem Dawgs in the cellar for a while…
Top Dog
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
JB- is it McGarity’s direct email or just general?
mdawg
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
How has Richt earned another year? He hasn’t won a national title. Tubberville got one at AU(they were undefeated in the SEC, they won the national championship) and he still got canned when it went south. He’s had his chance. He has peaked. He should have spent more time watching film instead of teaching Sunday school. The goal should be to beat the big boys in the SEC. Meeting this goal will make you a national contender. Richt has not beaten any of the big boys with any consistency. To the people saying give him another year: Do you just think that UGA deserves to be a middle of the road program? Is it silly for us to want to have what AL and FL have? Because Richt will never get us there. He got us within couple hundred miles, but now we’re turned the other way, heading thousands of miles away with no hope of return. It’s over. We need to hire someone that has won a national championship at another school.
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
It’s ALL DR. Adams………….Ya’ll do remember the Dooley exit ?
Army of the GATORS
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
JWD said it best….
Tampa Dawg
September 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
we suck. nuff said.
Jessie Jackson
September 27th, 2010
3:53 pm
The Man, that’s who.
rincon dawg
September 27th, 2010
3:53 pm
CMR has now taken Rich Rods place on the hot seat, hope Michigan keeps winning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Grinch
September 27th, 2010
3:53 pm
Personally, I blame Obama. The dogs have stunk since 2008. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:54 pm
Must be General, because it started with AD, which tells me he has an Assit. looking at those and canning all but Offical Bizzness. I’m sure he’s got better sense that to display direst access to his desk or crackberry
Michelle Obama
September 27th, 2010
3:54 pm
When the going gets tough… the tought go on vacation in Spain. I’ll book CMR’s tickets at the tax payers expense.
Washed-Up Ealey
September 27th, 2010
3:54 pm
Awwwwww man…..I just fumbled the soap while in the shower with Murray. He sho have a big smile on his face.
The Grinch
September 27th, 2010
3:55 pm
Personally, I blame Obama. The dog have stunk since 2008. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Heath
September 27th, 2010
3:55 pm
AJ is back so UGA can stretch the field. They probably win 6 more (losing to Florida and Auburn) and all we’ll hear is that they were 6-2 to finish the year, so Richt will get another year. After THAT 7-5 year maybe we can get someone into Athens with a little fire in the belly.
BostonDawg
September 27th, 2010
3:55 pm
OK. This might not be a politically correct thing to post, but it is just reality. Let’s face it, Mike Bobo has five kids at home under the age of five, and he actually seems like the kind of guy that wants to be at least a decent dad/husband. How can a guy like that put in the time required to win at this level? Did you see the intensity of the MSU coach in the post game interview (on the field)? The guy is a fricken heart attack waiting to happen, but that is pretty much the way you have to be to win in the SEC. I don’t mean you need to be that demonstrative in your approach; you can mask it if you wish, but you better have nothing else going on in your life to win in this league.
I am sorry to say, as much as I like CMR as a man, I agree with an earlier post that I read which said he has lost his edge. He just seems like he has gotten to the point in his life where he realizes football is not the only thing that matters, and though I applaud that from a philosophical perspective, it seems to be a deadly place to be if you are trying to beat someone that puts every living second into proving they have the better football team on Saturday.
There is a part of me that wishes it was not as cut throat as it is. As much as I love athletics, I do think we tend to take it a bit too far at times. Nevertheless, it is the way it is. As such, if you want to win in this league, you better have nothing else going on in your life but football. My suggestions for CMR and Mike Bobo would be to hang it up at this level. Mike Bobo would be a great high school coach and still be able to be a good father (though GA high school football seems to be getting nearly as cutthroat). CMR could go to Furman or some such place and spend a little more time doing the things he probably likes to do (i.e. developing kids, being a father, too, etc.). Just my two cents.
AtlJacket
September 27th, 2010
3:55 pm
Poor pups!!! Stuck with a crap QB while we have a future Heisman winner!!!
JB
September 27th, 2010
3:56 pm
JEFF, did MSU tear down the goal post ?
Ford Truck
September 27th, 2010
3:57 pm
The only fire in the belly is to make money on Ford Truck commercials and make sure the headset doen’t mess up his coifure on the sidelines….
rincon dawg
September 27th, 2010
3:57 pm
Last I checked AJ doesnt play on the O line. I bet the first play of the game they throw him a short pass screen. Gauranteed!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2010
3:57 pm
Chris — You’re hardly first to mention problems with strength and conditioning coach (Dave Van Halanger) but Richt hasn’t made a move there. He came here in 2001 w/Richt.
Barry Saggitarius
September 27th, 2010
3:57 pm
Oh well, looks like we may lose Lemay, seeing as this staff won’t make another two years. Probably can’t play anyway if he was willing to come to Georgia…
Bo
September 27th, 2010
3:58 pm
Kerryb – Richt went away from the no-huddle before Bobo was given play calling duties. He said that the refs didn’t get a chance to review a play that would’ve (should’ve) gone UGA’s way and he felt that the cost outweighed the benefits. I’ve always disagreed with that assesment. If nothing else, Richt/Bobo can develop a QB. Having a cool and intelligent QB run a no-huddle can really hurt a defense…and also cause the opposing team burn time outs to substitute players.
@BostonDawg
September 27th, 2010
3:58 pm
Most of these coaches have young families. While I get your reasoning, I just think that’s an easy copout. Bobo’s problem isn’t his family, it’s his predictability and mediocre approach to play calling.
Jeff Schultz
September 27th, 2010
3:58 pm
P.Bull Terrier — As most will tell you, I’m the least obsessed guy when it comes to recruiting. But most of those 4-5 star ratings don’t come from “media.” They come from recruiting services and websites.
Tide Rising
September 27th, 2010
3:58 pm
Jeff,
A guy who said he was a speaking consultant posted on one of the AJC blogs a few weeks ago after the Carolina loss that judging from the way Richt carries himself- everything from his body language to the way he is speaking to how he speaks that he felt that Richt was depressed or just lacking enthusiasm for the job. I’m certainly not a doc but it just really does seem that the way he now carries himself and just his everyday mannerisms he looks like he’s just going through the motions- no fire, no real joy or enthusiasm in what he’s doing, etc. If he’s burnt out then it is what it is. I dunno. I just know that I like him and I think he’s one of the genuinely good guys in college football. But if he is burnt out or just lost the passion for coaching the dogs then it is what it is and its pretty much over for him if that’s the case.
Realistic Dawg
September 27th, 2010
3:58 pm
Lets be realistic here fans and foes. I am a hugh supporter of the dawgs during the good and bad times. And the facts are this. Our first choice at starting QB is not on the team. (Murry was second string all the way) Our best player sold his soul, er, shirt and our season down the tubes for $1000, that he had to return. When your best receiving option is Kris Durham, an QB a second stringer, i am stacking the line!! There are 7 or 8 in the box all day, and with no running game and a questionable passing game, what are you going to do? We were in the SC game up until the end, and in the Arkansas game until the end and well they just flat quit for Mississippi. (everyones fault for showing no pride!!) But be warned here, with the return of AJ Green and double teams on him the passing game will open up and the running game too. Dawgs will win some big ones from here out with Florida being the only tough win left.
Ford Truck
September 27th, 2010
3:59 pm
The fire in his belly is to make commercials to sell Ford trucks and too make sure the headset does not mess up his coifure while on TV.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2010
3:59 pm
About Oregon State…Richt said 2 weeks ago that Georgia would not be scheduling any more OOC home-and-homes.