Richt gives no reason to believe he can turn Georgia around
Mark Richt finished with his worst record at Georgia (6-7) and the Dogs had their first losing season since 1996.
MEMPHIS – Mark Richt says he is disappointed. He says he has to make changes. He says the Georgia football program is not where it needs to be, and when a once-respectable SEC program ends its season by failing to score a touchdown against a team from Conference USA, nobody is going to dispute that.
Here’s the only matter up for debate: Does anybody believe Mark Richt can still get it done?
It didn’t look like it this season, when the Bulldogs finished with a losing record (6-7) for the first time in 14 years. It didn’t look like it at Mississippi State or Colorado or in Jacksonville (again).
It didn’t look like it Friday night, because if the average Georgia fan considers it humiliating having to win in the final week of the season just to become bowl eligible — and then get stuck with the Liberty Bowl — what do you call it when the Bulldogs lose to Central Florida, 10-6?
This is what it looks like: Mark Richt has lost control of this program.
At the very least, he has lost the benefit of the doubt. The win totals in the last four seasons: 11, 10, eight, six.
Before Georgia’s game against Tech, I stated that Richt’s early success in Athens (two SEC titles in five seasons) earned him another year and the right to fix the problems. A part of me still believes that. But there’s mounting evidence that’s not going to happen.
The Dogs open next season against Boise State. Is there any part of you right now that says Georgia will win that game?
Ten days before Auburn will play in the BCS championship game, four days before Arkansas is in the Sugar Bowl and on the same afternoon a story broke that new Florida coach Will Muschamp is on the verge of hiring Charlie Weis as the Gators’ offensive coordinator, Georgia lost a bottom-tier bowl game to a team from Conference USA, which is a hiccup ahead of the Sun Belt.
If the damage from this was limited, it’s only because Uga VIII stayed home with a stomach virus.
Hopefully, the dog wasn’t watching on TV when Richt sent the worst possible message to his team on their opening possession. The offense had just driven from their own one-yard line to the UCF three. But on fourth-and-1 — and in the first quarter of the Liberty Bowl — Richt opted for the field goal. He defended the decision afterward.
Is that how Richt now defines finishing the drill?
The Dogs didn’t necessarily look emotionless. They just looked pointless.
Central Florida, coached by the familiar George O’Leary, smacked them in the mouth. Georgia didn’t look equipped to smack back. They couldn’t run the ball. They couldn’t get tough yards. They couldn’t make a big play when they needed one. They were 3 for 14 on third-down conversions.
Aaron Murray completed his first seven passes. Then he went 14 for 31 with two interceptions. A.J. Green had eight catches but they covered only 77 yards (9.6 average, well below his 15.7 season average).
Say goodbye to A.J.: He didn’t make it official afterward that his next catch will be in the NFL but logic says that Liberty Bowl humiliation won’t be enough to keep him in college.
This is worse than Starkville, even worse than Boulder. It came at the end of a season, after a month of preparation, when Georgia should have worked out some of its problems.
Also, Colorado doesn’t play in a conference made by Fisher-Price.
In his typical postgame monotone delivery, Richt said: “We’re all disappointed. We didn’t want to finish with a loss. We didn’t want to finish with a losing record. Nobody would’ve predicted that. But it is what it is. There’s reasons why we ended up the way we did. We have to make changes. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future. We have to change how we go about our business. We’re going to improve. We’re going to get Georgia where it belongs.”
Do you believe him? Because from here, it looks like Georgia just turned into Kentucky – a school looking forward to basketball season.
Georgia loses almost annually to Florida. Now it loses to Central Florida. Get ready for 2012: Florida Atlantic is on the schedule.
Don’t laugh. It’s not that big of a step down. And things are headed in that direction.
– By Jeff Schultz
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2,265 comments Add your comment
Footballrules
December 31st, 2010
11:08 pm
Maybe, if the UGA AA plays their cards right, Conference USA will invite the dogs to join their Eastern Division. It’ll be tough. A step up in competition. CUSA has already won two bowl games, which is two more than the mighty SEC, which just fell to 0-3. After all, East Carolina is stuck way out there by themselves; they need a rival that’s not more than 500 miles away. Sure would be nice to tie the Peach State into CUSA….bring some balance.
Corch Myer
December 31st, 2010
11:08 pm
5150 P.O.A.D. FSU lost to VA TECH In the ACC CG this year.
Ruprecht
December 31st, 2010
11:09 pm
Is this a nachtmare! Is this The University of Georgia?
QB is the Problem
December 31st, 2010
11:09 pm
Bench Murray now!
Joe
December 31st, 2010
11:09 pm
richt’s the #4 winningest coach.
but he needs new QB.
atltiger15
December 31st, 2010
11:10 pm
Their the best 7 loss team in the country, right? At least thats what Dawg fans claim
killerj
December 31st, 2010
11:10 pm
Expectations didn,t come to pass? If they won would you say they are on the upswing?,from a GT fan Richt is a good coach,good always comes with bad,one year and its doom and gloom?lets say O,leary has your #,Roll Wreck,THWG!
rICK
December 31st, 2010
11:10 pm
fIRE bOBO.
PURPLE DRANK
December 31st, 2010
11:11 pm
LOL ATLTIGER15, THE BEST 6-7 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY!!!
SANDERS
December 31st, 2010
11:11 pm
I HOPE AARON MURRAY TRANSFERS.
Jared
December 31st, 2010
11:12 pm
UGA will rock it in 2011.
Ealey for Heisman.
Lemay or Mason at QB.
Snoop Dawg
December 31st, 2010
11:12 pm
Brad, you are eloquent and you answer your own questions. Richt has pulled off one of the largest heists in modern football. The Bulldog Nation has been raped. He should have been fired two years ago. The fact that he was not, and that another six million dollars have been squandered, should be enough for the Board of Regents to terminate Michael Adams. If McCavity doesn’t get a grip and get one quickly, we need to send him back to Florida where he can pose for Mad Magazine.
bart
December 31st, 2010
11:12 pm
And for God’s sake, we were 6 and 6, we had absolutely nothing to lose by going for it on 4th and 1 inside the 5 yard line. What a weak, weak leader we have on the sidelines. He has been given the benefit of the doubt because he is a “good Christian.” I don’t doubt he is, but he is earning nearly 3 million $ a year. Good Christian or not, he has to earn his salary, and he is not doing that. He has to go.
Even God in in awe of his mightiest creation, the SEC
December 31st, 2010
11:12 pm
Mttpf,
you obviously don’t know football.
Tennesee lost because the refs handed the game to UNC.The UNC football team had nothing to do with their loss.
UGA didn’t show up, anybody could see that. The UCF football team had nothing to do with their loss.
USC had to play without Lattimore, and really didn’t even want to play this game after that heartbreaking loss to Auburn. How could they get up to play such an inferior ACC opponent? The FSU football team had nothing to do with their loss.
gEORGIE
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
Mason would have gone 10-3 this seaons, no way he loses all 4 of those close games.
ABoyd
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
Get a real coach! Please
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
CORCH MYER
You are right and I realized it as soon as I his Submit.
Delbert D.
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
Why the gloves?
Ruprecht
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
It couldnt be worse.
Losing to the University of McDonalds. From the Big Mac Conference
Losing to Oleary
Scoring 6 big ones
Knowing the recruits are wanting to sign on for this experience.
Snoop Dawg
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
Don’t get down on the players who carry themselves with dignity and respect. They have not received professional coaching.
Harry
December 31st, 2010
11:13 pm
Richt has won 9.6 games a year.
No worries.
wesley
December 31st, 2010
11:14 pm
Hire Chuck Norris as HC before Muschamp gets em……………Hurry!!!
Bobby
December 31st, 2010
11:14 pm
Can we please raise money on this site to build an offer Chip Kelly cannot refuse! Please come to Georgia Chip Kelly. Please go back to Florida State as an offensive coordinator Mark Richt! I cannot stand watching this talent keep filtering in and out of Sanford Stadium without wins to back it up. That is definitely a coaching problem. Enough said.
FLA DAWG
December 31st, 2010
11:14 pm
I watched every miserable minute of The Dawgs Game today.
I’ve already got a hangover and I haven’t even begun to drink yet.
Dave
December 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
Can’t wait to see Ealey become the 1 back and run for 1500 yards. And teamed up with Christian Lemay or Hutson Mason, that’s a winning combo.
Gdawg
December 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
Wow, Same old crap out of this worthless rag of a newspaper! Jeff, I agree that this is a sorry excuse of a UGA performance. I agree that it appears to be the same tired excuse from Richt. This was a pathetic bowl for a team I watched in New Orleans in 2007 but give it a rest. I think Richt has until game 1 next year and that goes for the entire staff. Just be a reporter and tell us the facts about the game. These posters from UCF act like they beat the MIGHTY UGA… enjoy your day in the sun. Your team got a win…they didn’t BEAT UGA. They did win, though. Get back to flippin’ burgers once you graduate.
PURPLE DRANK
December 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
LOL AT THE EXCUSES FOR THE SEC LOSES. TOO FUNNY
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
Enter your comments here
Snoop Dawg
December 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
Harry, you are a loser and an idiot. Get off this blog…
Kovyoverrated
December 31st, 2010
11:16 pm
That picture is awesome. Drunk George looking at Reverend Richt with a smirk on his face. He beat the Dawggies again!
I’ll say it again. If Herschel had gone somewhere else, UGA would have the same “tradition” as Ole Miss. I did’nt hear,did Scott Howard and Zier Make it out of Memphis or did they cry?
Dave
December 31st, 2010
11:16 pm
The Florida fans are funny, coming on our site, acting like UGA fans.
Look, Meyer had a bad yeat too, ok?
Richt’s 1st losing season in 25 years.
No one’s concerned in Athens.
jeff
December 31st, 2010
11:17 pm
I think we have to look at the actions of the players as well. NCAA violations, arrests, not eligible to play because of grades. Not all players fall in this category. However the key ones that did do not have their heart in this season from the start. I think I cared more about this team than they did. Good luck in the NFL guys. You’ll need it with that attitude.
please
December 31st, 2010
11:17 pm
If I am Not mistaken CF was ranked 25, I don’t know why we were favored, Jeff Gt lost to Air force but you didnt post a thing. You posted his record 11, 10, 8, 6, that is why you give him another year, Ga. wasn’t a national power before he got there, He just spoiled some with early success
atltiger15
December 31st, 2010
11:17 pm
What comes to mind first when you hear the names Saban, Meyer, Patterson, and Peterson? Great Coachor a**hole whichever you prefer depending on who you pull for, what comes to mind for Richt, good guy. Good guy just doesnt cut it
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
I heart men.
Corch Myer
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
Let’s see UCF finished 11-3 and was the winner of their conference- and was ranked 25th before the bowl game which means they will go higher in the final poll. Ga finishes 6-7 . BUT you dawg fans still expected your team to beat the crap out of UCF- which is obviously a better team than your team. Now why would that be?? Are you DE-ranged??? You seriously believe that you are better than UCF??? JUst because you are in the SEC??? JUst because they are in conference USA??? Seriously??? Forget the points- they are just better than you are. Would beat you 8 out of 10 times.
Cardelli
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
Georgia did not beat any team this year that closed with a winning record. To lose to UCF is beyond embarrassing.
I like CMR but it is obvious even to me that the program is going nowhere. I would go ahead and cut him loose now. I just don’t think keeping him another season will do anything for the program because I cannot for the life of me believe that UGA will improve very much next season under Richt.
PURPLE DRANK
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
UGA’S TRADITIONS ONLY SPANS THE YEARS HERSCHEL WAS THERE… OTHER THAN THAT… WELL, THATS TO THE GOATS.
James
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
Defense played AWESOME BAY, AWESOME.
SOOOO IMPROVED OVER 2009.
#1 REASON TO BELIEVE RICHT WILL TURN IT AROUND AGAIN.
EALEY IS ALSO THE MAN, #2 REASON.
TAVARRES KING LOOKED GREAT, #3 REASON.
AlliedVanLines
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
Mark:
We called just after UCF scored the go-ahead (and winning) TD tonite. You remember we spoke a while back about arrangements to hustle you down to the Sunshine State again and talk to the folks over at U of Miami about a minor role in coaching in 2011. They are thinking about adding a “Centers” coach and we have taken the liberty (no pun intended) of placing your name in line with others for that job. Pay isn’t exceptional but, hey, living in Florida has its own benefits.
Please check our voice mails and get back with us quickly as we have heard from several folks in the University of Georgia area who are also looking to make a quick move.
We’re ready when you are and have two 58 footers on hold for you. We won’t be working Saturday the first, or Sunday the second, but we are anxious to hear from you asap.
Your friends at Allied
Ruprecht
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
We really have lost it all when we dont what a loss to UCF really means to one of the iconic football programs of the SEC.
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:18 pm
Since Fl State is now champion of the SEC east and since UGa lost to
who? ( another George O’Leary team) will UGA continue to play football ?
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
11:19 pm
Even GOD
you are full o crap. UNC v UT the refs did everything they could do to get the game over and have UNC lose. please watch the replay with an open mind.
Lattimore didn’t have a damn thing to dso with GARCIA getting hit, sacked, throwing INTS, or FSU stripping the ball from the USC players.
Keep smoking that good stuff into the New Year.
Footballrules
December 31st, 2010
11:19 pm
Dawg fans act like their program is historically up there with Alabama, LSU, USC, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Neb., Oklahoma (might even add Florida, FSU and Miami, given the number of titles they have over the past 25 years). You are a fine regional program, but you are not NOR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN considered a National Power like the aforementioned. Just be proud when you win 9 or 10 games, and let it go at that.
Red Panties
December 31st, 2010
11:19 pm
Let’s see, we have Bobo, the gators are about to hire Charlie Weis—————I don’t like the looks of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
trey
December 31st, 2010
11:19 pm
This is the reason Richt won’t be fired this season:
42-34
Best7lostteam
December 31st, 2010
11:20 pm
I’m confused, I thought the SEC was the was the world’s greatest conference, but a loss to a Conference USA team and two losses to the “lowly” ACC today? What about that “S-E-C speed”.
James
December 31st, 2010
11:20 pm
never felt better about Richt than this year.
started out 1-4, no one gave him a chance to get to a bowl game.
but he somehow, even with a freshman qb, went on a 5-3 run to get to a bowl, and went up against a top 25 ranked team, top 10 ranked defense, and only lost by 4 points.
what a coach.
russell yow
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
out, out, run him out of town now along with the rest of them. today was just plain sad.
Ha Ha He He
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
SEC! SEC! SEC! SEC! Clearly the dominant conference in the land … clearly. *<8-0