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
Demetre Baker
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
You say AJ’s jersey is up for sale???
Well, I’ll bid
- 12 hundred dollar handshakes
- 11 get out of jail cards
- 10 pre-written term papers
- 9 free lunches
- 8 pass interceptions
- 7 2010 game losses
- 6 2010 game wins
- 5 golden liberty bowl rings
- 4 game suspension
- 3 voluptuous coeds
- 2 measley field goals
- 1 timeout with the clock stopped
hotdawg
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
Clam down, folks. Get off Richt’s back; let him recruit the dream team; and if we don’t win big (8-9 wins/season) by 2012, ask for his resignation. He’s a good man and a good coach. Imagine you were Pittsburgh and had just hired an out-of-control tantrum throwing control freak. Richt is no intellectual, but he does little to detract from UGA’s reputation as a fine academic institution that produces Rhodes Scholars (about 20 of them) and other distinguished scholars (Goldwater, Fulbright, Udall, etc.) on a frequent basis.
PURPLE DRANK
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
FL STATE, SEC EAST CHAMPS
5 stars equals 7 losses ,11 arrest,
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
congrats to you dogtards for winning the Biggest Buffoons awards with a 6-7 record, it was close race with TN, Clemson and GT all vying for the award, but then you played today and hands down, you underperformed the rest…and now the nation knows you are pitiful. MUST SUX TO BE YOU
Delbert D.
December 31st, 2010
11:21 pm
UCF looked like they had a lot more than the NCAA-permitted practices. There should be an investigation.
Gdawg
December 31st, 2010
11:22 pm
Mike Bobo, can you possibly tell me why you so predictably call the draw or a screen play on 3rd and long? Every stinkin’ time we are 2nd or 3rd and long you think it will somehow surprise our opponents. You have not 1 not 2 but 3 tight ends who could start anywhere in the country and you DON’T USE THEM!!! WTF????
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:22 pm
UGA fans crack me up. You’re right. I saw several reasons why UGA will be nat champs next year.
Tnargly Doggg
December 31st, 2010
11:23 pm
So a Liberty Bowl loss and 6-7 record prompts you to say, “He’s lost control”? Didn’t he have 9 players arrested in 2010? Give me a break. Should’ve fired him & Bobo when he couldn’t win with Stafford & Curren. Your mastery of the obvious is stupifying Schultz.
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
11:23 pm
Mark Richt is the Sarah Palin of college football coaches – no brain, no heart, no guts, a quitter and cashing in on celebrity while the constituents want the real deal.
Ed
December 31st, 2010
11:23 pm
Richt was playing a lot of new guys tonight. He’s looking ahead to 2011. Cool to see so many new players out there. Nice to see Richt change his philosophy form winning 1 game ( a dumb bowl game) to winning 13 next season (playing those new guys in the bowl game to get some experience).
dawgster
December 31st, 2010
11:24 pm
@Brad..Have to agree we give on the run to early, but to be honest none of our RB’s have shown the ability to be rewarded with more carries…They are either being suspended or are fumbling the ball in crucial situations…We don’t have a RB from what i have seen that can break tackles or not go down at the first sign of contact…except maybe on a few occassions…I think our play-action pass is not fooling anyone as their appears to be no fear of our running game…It is extremely crucial that we get a RB that can give us that additional threat that we so desperately need…I’ve heard very good things about Malcome, but what do we do, we redshirt him and put up with the antics of King and Ealey all year…and one other thing, I saw Coach Richt’s answer on why not go for it on 4th and 1 as some on the team wanted him to do, but his answer was “make it on 3rd and 1…I agree but 4th and inches on the 2 yard line when your team is 6-6 for the year and instead you kick a field goal for the 3…to me it shows he has no confidence in our offense or ability to convert…It looks to me as if he is coaching “scared”…i hate to say that, cause i respect him alot, but he seems to have lost the edge for whatever reason…
Best7lostteam
December 31st, 2010
11:24 pm
How many 5 star recruits does UCF have?
Sam
December 31st, 2010
11:24 pm
Mike Bobo got 30 poimts game for 7 games in a row, finally had an off night.
Even God is in awe of his mightiest creation, the SEC
December 31st, 2010
11:24 pm
Purple Drank,
Excuses?? What are you talking about? Did you watch the games???
The refs handed the game to FSU…er, I mean, UCF..or wait a minute, was it UNC?? Yes!!
In any event, none of the SEC teams wanted to be in those bowl games, since all SEC teams are superior to every team in every other conference, and should all simultaneously be in the NC game.
So they lost to teams that everybody knows they would have beaten by 50 if the games meant something.
Burdell90
December 31st, 2010
11:25 pm
Where are all of the Thuga’s that gloated over Tech…Sanford Drive???? So sorry that y’all lost to our old coach, but it is pretty awesome to watch that!! You can count on it, we will let you hear about this all year. Should have kept your mouth shut before you opened…dumba@@ rednecks!!
I’ll try to keep from laughing at you when I go through the drive thru and order fries from your alumni!! Also, make sure they are hot, I don’t like cold fries!
Paul
December 31st, 2010
11:25 pm
richt we love you, thans for 10 reat seaons and 96 wins, here’s to the next 10 years.
Gators for Richt
December 31st, 2010
11:25 pm
I join with all true UGA fans in predicting the dawgs will be undefeated in 2011.
UCF Knights #1
December 31st, 2010
11:25 pm
UCF defeats the Mighty SEC Georgia!
UCF will win accept an invite to the SEC now!
Georgia can’t even score a touchdown against UCF!!!!!
U-C-F KNIGHTS! UCF Let’s Goooo Knights!!
ThunderKnight
December 31st, 2010
11:25 pm
This game should be a lesson to arrogant SEC fans that you should never take any opponent lightly, no matter what conference they come from.
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
11:26 pm
Almost HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It is 1 year closer to OBAMA being out of the WH (White House) and to running a WH (Waffle House).
Ruprecht
December 31st, 2010
11:26 pm
Did anyone notice the cheerleaders even stopped cheering in the 4th.
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
December 31st, 2010
11:27 pm
Im damm sur goinna beet my wife toniggt!!!!!! I live and dye forr thiss rootin tootin teem.
-GO UGA! (foootbball only, noot the reest of the Unamrican sports!)
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:27 pm
George O’Leary has served a sufficient sentence in hell. He will be an NFL coach or coach of a top 20 NCAA team ( which eliminates UGA) next year and damn well deserves it.
Matt
December 31st, 2010
11:28 pm
Where were these articles when your tech team lost Jeff?
Corch Myer
December 31st, 2010
11:28 pm
Gdawg Ga has 3 tight ends who could start for any team in the country??? You see that is a huge part of your problem. You guys think that you have the best players in the country-right??? BUT YOU DON’T!!!!! That is the stupidest comment I have heard on this blog tonight.
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:29 pm
Why isn’t FL State playing Auburn for the nat champ ?
bucket
December 31st, 2010
11:29 pm
Way to go Schultz! You get to try and even the score with Richt and stick the knife in a little further. You love to sanctimoniously say that you haven’t called for Richt to be fired only to eagerly write about every defeat as if it is proof that Richt has lost control of the program. Grow up dude!
Vol Fan
December 31st, 2010
11:29 pm
Great post Demetre.
Weren’t you one of the 11 arrested?
Even God is in awe of his mightiest creation, the SEC
December 31st, 2010
11:29 pm
5150 P.O.A.D,
By now, you probably realize that you owe me an apology. =)
Footballrules
December 31st, 2010
11:30 pm
Well, it’s already started. Someone just posted that UGA will win 13 games next year. Mmmm….., no. UGA will repeat as Fulmer Cup Champs (mark it down), but they will struggle to win 8 games next year.
Ruprecht
December 31st, 2010
11:30 pm
I knew we had problems when UGA came out in drag at the game.
DOUG
December 31st, 2010
11:30 pm
I hate it but its time to find another head coach. He gets one more year of course. That will pretty much do the trick. Dont think it can get any worse. The talent simply is not there and coaching is even worse. I think Richt will step down after next year. He is just not capable of doing the job.
wreckmaniac
December 31st, 2010
11:30 pm
Lord, please keep CMR at UGA and sign all 5 stars to play at UGA.
Delbert D.
December 31st, 2010
11:31 pm
“Ga has 3 tight ends who could start for any team in the country”
Not many teams run that offense.
no respect
December 31st, 2010
11:31 pm
Jeff Schultz your journalism is similar to and just as bad as any UGA athletic fan. You completely trashed the Liberty Bowl who didnt have to invite that trash from Athens to Memphis. You also completely discredited UCF who to my knowledge beat your garbage of a program heads up. I want to know why after every play that didnt go uga’s way were they getting off the ground looking for a flag instead of trying harder? All this program does is complain and expect greatness out of a sub par team every year. CMR lost control of his program when he lost respect for the game, which came in the endzone dance against Fla. that he called for.
stendek
December 31st, 2010
11:34 pm
More salt for those wounds…
http://stendek77.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/dawgs-clueless-under-mark-richt-in-bowl-collapse-to-end-6-7/
Happy New Year. STENDEK
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 31st, 2010
11:34 pm
MARK RICHT is the Dale Earnhart jr of College football.
He looks good. He can sell Sh.t and have Dawg fans think it is rose food. He can win, but never anything that really matters in the bifg scheme of things.
Palin has 2 of those and 1 of them. Guys will always buy that sales pitch even if THOSE & THEN are on an UGLY chick. Richt got the BEST and BRIGHTEST to think he could coach and the players would get an education. AHHAH. I said the BEST and BRIGHTEST when talking about UGA recruits and fans. Well call that my first complement to the Nation of the new year. Hahahahahahah. DAWG NATION I did it again. Maybe I will become a Dawg fan now too.
I do respect RUSS A LOT. Now that is a DAMN GOOD DAWG. HE is a gamer for damn sure.
dale in newnan
December 31st, 2010
11:35 pm
We lack fundamentals, discipline and toughness. While Bobo is an excellent QB coach, I have severe reservations about his Ability as the Offensive Coordinator. I believe CMR should stay, yet with the talent level at UGA, 6-7 is unacceptable. I rather have some players with a little less talent, but with a more leadership attributes along with a determination and fire to win. We should redefine what we are looking for in recruiting: too many 5-star recruits crash and burn here. Following that tangent, maybe it is high time we critically access our coaching staff. Personally I believe it is an equal measure of both. GO DAWGS!!!
Footballrules
December 31st, 2010
11:35 pm
Why couldn’t the Liberty Bowl have invited a better team to play against UCF? That has to go down as the most BORING bowl game so far this year. Anybody would have been better…I bet DELAWARE or EASTERN WASHINGTON would have given UCF a better game. Too bad they are 1-AA.
LakeDawg
December 31st, 2010
11:35 pm
I predict that UGA will go undefeated next year and win the MNC, but then again, I predict that every year whether I believe it or not.
Ed (The Original)
December 31st, 2010
11:38 pm
Georgia should fire Richt tomorrow. And South Carolina just suffered yet another 5-loss season under Spurrier. If they had any guts, they’d cut him and his enormous salary loose.
Gdawg
December 31st, 2010
11:38 pm
Delbert,
I normally don’t respond to people who don’t post their preferred team but FL, AL, LSU, AU, TN, SC, USC, etc., etc., etc. have all used a tight-end effectively over the past 15 years. What have you been watching?
We Hit and Run This State
December 31st, 2010
11:39 pm
Gotta love that rock solid super SEC…0-2 vs; the ACC in the bowls.
Y’all all suck! Just shut up and take your lumps, t-bagers.
cj
December 31st, 2010
11:39 pm
I see absolutely no reason Mark should come back….longest tenure in the SEC with the most disappointing season since Fulmers’ collapse a couple years back. It is painful to quote the notorious Steve Spurrier, but when he says “after 10 yrs it’s time to move on”, someone should listen. Love, peace and chicken grease Richt!
Paul
December 31st, 2010
11:39 pm
Richt already turned around bad seaons twice, in 2002 & 2007, let’s see him do what he’s already proven he can do, one more time.
Burdell90
December 31st, 2010
11:40 pm
Footballrules…you are wrong, that was one of the best games so far this year!! The Thugs let a 1AA team beat them, well they are just a few years removed, but if Tech was playing them and lost, you can bet that would be the only thing we would hear about.
Happy New Year rednecks!!!
Valtool
December 31st, 2010
11:42 pm
Gdawg in his/her attack on UCF saying they did not “beat” UGA sounds like the same UGA fans who cried that UGA deserved a shot at the national title the year they did not even make it to their conference championship game. As UCF is the major research and development school for military simulators an laser technology with NASA, I believe you are getting your attempted insults mixed with the same old ones you use on GT, which is also a much superior academic school to UGA.
Corch Myer
December 31st, 2010
11:42 pm
And you think the 3 tight ends on Ga could start for any team in the country??? Seriously??
pete
December 31st, 2010
11:42 pm
UGA scored 7 points or fewer in the 4th quarter in 10 of 13 games. Bobo and RIcht need to be fired
We Hit and Run This State
December 31st, 2010
11:42 pm
Oh yea, O’Leary own you squares!
Great showing in the tobacco spitting, nose pickin, pig pullin, tractor ridin, trailor shopin, grit eatin, BS bowl.