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
RT
December 31st, 2010
9:15 pm
Mark Richt needs to make one change,step down!
Alphare
December 31st, 2010
9:16 pm
But Jeff, according to one of your fellow ajc writers, AJGreen is dawg’s best wide receiver, ever lived.
How do you explain that one?
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
December 31st, 2010
9:16 pm
I have been a supporter of richts for the last two years when all my friends said he had lost it turns out they were right and I was wrong. I am sad to say it but Richt must go he has lost his mojo and I see no way he can get it back. I am not saying this because they lost to a high school team tonight I am saying it based on the last two years work as a whole. I am now afraid that richts last year which will be next year will destroy the program beyond repair.
jod
December 31st, 2010
9:16 pm
AJ IS OUT OF THAT BEAOCH LIKE A MAN ON FIRE. THAT CAT AINT COMIN BACK.. HE IS ABOUT $$$
Denver Dog
December 31st, 2010
9:16 pm
I believe him! I am a Richt loyalist. Just not sure who will fix it. Bobo left an egg on the field. There was no tackling. It looked like, for you younger guys, UGA vs Wake Forrest back in the 77 or 79 season. How can that line not block that defense. How can all of these NFL bound players not make bigger plays. Brandon Boykin can’t tackle. Sturdivant can’t block. It looks like Green can’t catch as he dropped a couple or crucial easy catches. Worst offensive game plan a UGA team has ever had as long as I remember. In all honesty, the defense looked decent again. Play calling sucked. So here again is what I state. There are three parts of this, planning, preparation, execution. Tonight we missed on all three.
Tom, Resident Georgia Fan
December 31st, 2010
9:17 pm
Oh Richt will pray to Jesus and all will be fine. Like Hell it will!!! Anyone notice how a UGA player talked smack to a UCF player RIGHT IN FRONT of CMR? Richt does not intimidate the players and he damn well should.
Letterman85
December 31st, 2010
9:17 pm
Phil, Dream on but good thought; who else?
Vili the Warrior
December 31st, 2010
9:17 pm
Almost three years to the day since dog brains proclaimed themselves a team of destiny after crushing Rainbow Warriors in Sugar Bowl. Vili place curse on doggies in New Orleans that night. Hope you enjoyed Jan. 1, 2008. It wasn’t the beginning. It was the end. Stupid dogs. Outside, go outside now!
Getting sick and sicker
December 31st, 2010
9:17 pm
As usual, after the game, Richt said “It is what it is.”
Is anyone else getting freaking sick of hearing Richt say “It is what it is” after every loss?
st. simon's enima
December 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
This is pretty funny. Go Dawgs! Sick em!
true dawg
December 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
I understand the newspaper business is going under and you have tried to come on the scene as shock jock to get ratings!! But you have zero experience in the coaching business so maybe you should let the big boys handle the big boy business and get to polishing your resume! You lack insight and knowledge of the game and make yourself look foolish trying to do so. Maybe you should do your homework and maybe you would look credible!
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans : to bad you are going to lose and will have to forfeit your season anyway! The tigers are the 1920 Chicago White Sox suck failure Classless Fairley!!
The Truth
December 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
My brother and father yelled at me a couple of weeks ago when I made the comment that Boise State wont just beat us, they will humiliate us. Now, they are changing their tune. Coaching does matter. The “Jimmies and the Joes” argument is ignorant and proven wrong.
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
Lou Holtz has more spittle than sense.
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
9:18 pm
“He still remembers when Notre Dame and Nebraska were elite teams.”
ND won a championship in the 80s. Nebraska won one in 98. Try again, moron.
Dawg Doo
December 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
Georgia – seriously? What a debacle. I’m curious to see how long y’all will put up with this garbage.
Letterman85
December 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
Let’s get Hines Ward.
Just kidding
lawdawg
December 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
I truely believe that if Ga. hired a coach like a Patterson or Mullen they would end up with a better recruiting class than they will end up with if Richt stays,no doubt in my mind.Who would want to play for a chicken Doo coach like Richt,4th and inches.
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
“to bad you are going to lose and will have to forfeit your season anyway! ”
dawg fans giving predictions is great! It means that the total opposite will happen.
WOOF WOOF 6-7er!
Larry
December 31st, 2010
9:19 pm
I admire CMR as a man but his time at UGA needs to end. Please Greg, do not extend this another year. We have second tier players and third tier coaches and first tier committmenst in facilities and salaries/budgets.
Extending this another year is just postponing the inevitable and that is not good for UGA and all the other sports programs.
It’s a hard decision but a total change is absolutely necessary. I trust you see it the same way.
Go dawgs
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
Pray to Jesus in one hand and dump a load in the other and see where the action is.
Richt can’t see that.
Sickdawg
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
Lou Holtz sealed the deal He never knows what he is talking about
USMC dawg
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
We need to simply clean house. Mark Richt’s time has passed. (and he was a great coach for us)
There is no perfect time to do these things, but I have faith in our new AD, Mcgarity, from Florida who has been apart of a winning program.
And, NO, I don’t think we are the top program in the country. But we have the school, money and fans to be MUCH better year in and year out.
Listen Up
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
You Rednecks have been told all of your lives that Ugay is an elite program. Well the TRUTH is,,,you’ve been LIED TO all of your lives.
LMAO!!!!
Rodney Dangerfield
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
Note to Todd Grantham: Less eating and more coaching!
Build Ford Tough?
December 31st, 2010
9:20 pm
Please keep Richt!
Phil
December 31st, 2010
9:21 pm
Lou Holtz is an idiot, we knew that already. He proved it once again a few minutes ago saying Richt will turn it around.
O L E A R Y
December 31st, 2010
9:21 pm
did the smaller stadium deceive you all? well then how do you expect to beat Charleston Southern when you have to play on their field? It seats about 8500.
Nick Fairley scares dawg fans
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Well, I’m off to a New Year’s Eve party, losers!
Chad
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Georgia = Tennesee
Rails to Trails
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Time to run Richt out of Athens on a rail.
Seriously, we have to stop the bleeding, and that’s the only way.
JB
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Next year will be nothing but a death watch if he is retained.Anyone see 9 to 11 wins out of this group?
How bout 6?
RT
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
Please fire Richt
Skitty Fritty
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
How bad are the 6 teams UGA actually beat this year?
TroupDawg
December 31st, 2010
9:22 pm
What!? Some of you guys really believe in 1 more year? What makes you think he’s capable of such a turn around? It was his leadership that got the program to where it is now! If he could do all that you believe he can do, logic says that we would have seen signs of a new beginning today! He had a month to prepare for 1 team and what happens? A big fat flop!!
He can’t change it because he can’t see it!!
Chad
December 31st, 2010
9:23 pm
Richt = Fullmer
FL Gators
December 31st, 2010
9:23 pm
Come on, Leghumpers. You’re taking all of the fun out of beating you each year. Get your sh*t together.
Bjohndawg
December 31st, 2010
9:23 pm
Pathetic!
If uga posted on facebook it’s status
that’s what we would see
I am a dawg fan and this is worse than the times with goff and donnan at their worse
because their is talent here that is not coached
Rodney Dangerfield
December 31st, 2010
9:23 pm
LOL Nick Fairley called me a moron. I guess GA Tech is an elite team too. They won the MNC in 1990. Hate to tell you that the 80’s were 20 years ago and 1998 was 12 years ago. I may be a moron but you are just an idiot.
true dawg
December 31st, 2010
9:23 pm
See how much you like Fairley when we put him in a room with your mom!!!! Prediction is reality brotha!
enjoy epic failure!!!
Freddy
December 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
Mr. Conservative. Why kick a FG on 4th and 2 in the first qtr? It’s all for nothing. Bobo is a joke and so is the whole staff. This Dream Team will not work, and I won’t be surprised if some others bale on you.
Gotsta Go
December 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
I used to love Mark Richt the coach and Mark Richt the man…………now I just respect the man but want the coach to leave. Honestly, its simply time for Mark Richt to go…..Its time.
Wright
December 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
Richt is now playing not to lose rather than playing to win. When he did not go for the TD he sent a message to the team and they responded with their usual half-ass effort.
Florida fan
December 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
Please stay Mark, we love you!
sec coaches
December 31st, 2010
9:24 pm
Please keep richt
Denver Dog
December 31st, 2010
9:25 pm
We suck, period, end of discussion.
Skitty Fritty
December 31st, 2010
9:25 pm
Richt better hire the ex-Maryland coach to run his offense asap.
Memphis Mike
December 31st, 2010
9:25 pm
If anyone believes Mark Richt can bring Georgia back to life, then I have some top secret pictures of Elvis to sell y’all taken on Beale Street just last week – Elvis and Mark Richt live!
To be or not to be
December 31st, 2010
9:25 pm
“Irrelevant” is such a painful word.
Loyal Dawg Fan Forever
December 31st, 2010
9:25 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.
Letterman85
December 31st, 2010
9:25 pm
The forth and one field goal truly set the tone and is a perfect statement to summarize the season. Hard to steer the vehicle straight when your scared of what’s chasing you.