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
NorthGaDawg
January 2nd, 2011
12:16 am
Thanks for making our point Real Phil. Lots of teams on top today were in the cellar not long ago.
How did they right the ship? Fired the coach and brought in new blood. Thanks for playing.
The real GT Baby
January 2nd, 2011
12:17 am
hahahaha
The real GT Baby
January 2nd, 2011
12:19 am
Im so glad this happened to a bunch of idiot Georgia fans! Karma is a beotch for all those dbags on the tech blogs talking trash. Forget about beating Florida, yall cant even beat central fla hahahaha. What is that? The fourth or fifth best team in Florida?
Ha ha
January 2nd, 2011
12:19 am
Phil (the real one)…
It amazes me how much you want Auburn to be guilty. Why is that?
BobbyDawg
January 2nd, 2011
12:21 am
If Richt is in fact coming back next year he’s GOT to take a look at the coaching staff that surrounds him. Even if he’s not forced to do it, he’s GOT to get rid of BoBo. Grantham may be ok he hasn’t had enough time to tell. The days of opposing teams scoring 35 plus points against us has to stop. Richt definitly needs to find a real motovator for OC. These kids WILL play if the right man gets behind them ………BoBo is not that man. The head coach is only as good as his weakest assistant. They’ve GOT to start shopping for a proven OC NOW and it wouldn’t hurt to have a replacement in mind for the DC position. Come on MR you’ve got to shake this bunch up if you’re gonna make improvements with this team. Chop some heads and add some new blood and you might pull it off!
Phil
January 2nd, 2011
12:21 am
The Real Phil,
Richt is representing UGA how? By recruiting thugs? 11 arrests this year. Allows an assistant coach to show no class at all by giving choke signs to a Florida player. Dooley would have fired that punk Grantham on the spot. Running the team out on the field against Florida a few years ago. Allowing his players to stomp on the logo at Vanderbilt. You call that representing UGA well? I don’t.
The real GT Baby
January 2nd, 2011
12:24 am
Oh yeah….and the mighty SEC is 0-2 against the ACC, losers! At least Tech had an excuse because they lost their four best players in the draft, had a back up qb in and had 5 people out because of grades. Whats Georgia’s excuse? Aaron (Jersey Shore hair cut) Murry was wearing two, not one, but two gloves. Who does he think he is? Kurt Warner. Just remember dawgies…If Nesbitt didnt get hurt this year and last year,CPJ would be 3-0 against yall.
Ha ha
January 2nd, 2011
12:25 am
Where is the outrage at Sturdivant for his dirty play? My God if that had been Fairley it would have been all over this site.
Big Dawg
January 2nd, 2011
12:25 am
Thought McGarity had more going for him than keeping this joke of a coaching staff around. What a waste keeping this charade up for another year! Does McGarity have a television? If so, he got to see today how the rest of the SEC handles business in Bama, Mississippi St., and Florida, with Auburn coming soon. Translation: these other teams are not going backwards like we are, so next year is just more of the same. Maybe he should call his boy Jeremy up for some pointers. He lost Urban and has already landed an up and coming Muschamp and offensive guru in Weiss. All these other schools have got to be loving our complete stupidity about now. All the Gator fans I’m talking to are hoping like heck we keep Richt, saying he’s the best coach on their staff they don’t even have to pay. Can you say 2 wins and 8 losses?
Big Dawg
January 2nd, 2011
12:34 am
Lame duck coaching never works out. And this isn’t just about this year. CMR has had a full decade to get his act together. Want to talk about his entire record? Alright then, he’s beaten Florida a total of 2 TIMES! Now he can’t even beat Central Florida. He should man up and turn in his resignation immediately and quit taking our money for putting that sorry a product on the field if McGarity is that clueless.
BobbyDawg
January 2nd, 2011
12:34 am
I say we get Kirby Smart while we can and send them all down the road, but you can’t convince McGarity of that. Does Mr. McGarity know that he can be replaced too? If we’re gonna turn this thing around start at the top. It doesn’t feel good to have the whole Bulldog Nation begging and pleading for a new head coach and the AD takes a deaf ear!
PHIL(the real one)
January 2nd, 2011
12:43 am
Phil (the idiot) “You call that representing UGA well? I don’t.”
That’s because you’re a moron.
And as far as the arrests go it’s about time for you people who continue to use that incredibly weak argument to put it to rest. Only two of those arrest were ANYTHING at all and those two players are no longer on the team. As opposed to the arrests at TN where little Dooley allows players who put off duty police officers in the hospital like Da’Thug. Or the death threat at UF that was changed to a misdemeanor. He should have been locked up for being so stupid as to put it in writing. Rogers did never even to be suspended for a game. Another thing about the UT incident is that when the officer found out that it was a UT player that put him out, he wouldn’t press charges. However in ATHENS, GA, the police, especially the campus police think it’s their duty to harass athletes on a continual basis, constantly throwing things against the wall just to see if it will stick. Of course since you have never set foot there,much less been an athlete there, you wouldn’t know that would you? The “arrests” are for riding a scooter the wrong way, or not having a scooter license or not having a middle name or not having the money to pay a speeding ticket or heaven forbid drinking a beer before being 21. Makes me want to puke every time I here one of you imbeciles go on and on about all the “arrests” of players at UGA when everyone of you have done the same things or worse.
Running the team out on the field? REALLY? Do you live under a wash pot or are you just that stupid?
Grantham? You are the same person that complains about no fire from the head coach and you see a little fire and you call it classless? Which do you want?
It’s a little late isn’t it past your bed time? I’m done with you and the morons like you. Shouldn’t have wasted the time and energy it took to type this in the first place.
Ha ha
January 2nd, 2011
12:49 am
Phil (The Real One),
Calling someone a moron because they disagree with you makes it sound like it’s a little late past your bedtime.
You need to get your facts straight on the TN incident, especially with regard to Rogers. It was later determined that he was the peace-maker in the incident.
Also, for you to defend Grantham by saying his classless act was showing a little fire has got to be the most pathetic attempt at sweeping an embarrassment under the rug that I have ever heard.
PS…The mere fact that you write a novel on your posts doesn’t make you smarter than everybody else. Stop thinking that you are.
NORCROSS DAWG
January 2nd, 2011
12:55 am
Enter your comments here
chazzo
January 2nd, 2011
12:58 am
I had a feeling UGA was going down when I read that Richt spent valuable prep time having the players play field basketball (or some game like ultimate frisbee). These guys weren’t ready to play mentally or emotionally. No excuses! How does that happen? Another one of several games this season in which the UGA players just didn’t look like they cared if they one or loss.
Beyond that: players not making grades is just sad. Find some kids that want to play. Find some kids that will have some pride in that G on their helmet. Screw how many stars these high school kids have. Get some kids with some desire and some self-respect. Find some of them that want to suit up and play. Murray is the only thing like any kind of leader on that team, and he is a freshman.
Is it all agents and gambling? I really wonder.
chazzo
January 2nd, 2011
12:59 am
won or loss
NORCROSS DAWG
January 2nd, 2011
1:07 am
WHAT A PITIFUL PERFORMANCE BY A COMPLETE TEAM AND COACHING STAFF,,,DIDNT REALLY MIND CR GETTING THE POINTS EARLY,,BUT THEN SIT BACK AND DO WHAT HAPPENS THE NEXT 3 1/2 QUARTERS..WOW…AND WHY DOESNT HE CALL A TIMEOUT B4 C.FL PUNTS THE BALL ON THEIR LAST 4TH DOWN AND SAVE 50 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK?? HE HASNT THE HEART TO PUNISH THE OPPONENT,BAD CLOCK MANAGEMENT THROUGHTOUT HIS CAREER AT UGA. BOBO NEEDS TO GO NOW. DC NEEDS TO RISE TO THE OCCASION AND GET THE PLAYERS HE WANTS OR GET RID OF HIM ALSO,,,,BUT CR NEEDS TO GO NOW! I WILL TAKE ANYBODY. JUST LETS MOVE FORWARD WITH A DIFFERENT LEADER, CR WAS GOING TO MAKE SCAM NEWTON A TE FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE. I WOULDN’T OF TOLD ANYBODY THAT,WOULD OF YOU ?
5150 P.O.A.D.
January 2nd, 2011
1:08 am
try WON or LOST
chazzo
January 2nd, 2011
1:13 am
PS. Does UGA practice a 2 minute drill? Do they have a game plan for that? It certainly didn’t look like it.
POAD, yeah thanks for the proofread. It’s early in the morn after a wedding. What can I say.
NORCROSS DAWG
January 2nd, 2011
1:14 am
WHAT/WHEN WAS THE LAST REAL/BIG GAME A CR TEAM WON? IF HE WASNT SUCH A GREAT PERSON, HIS TAIL WOULD NOT STILL BE IN CHARGE!
K-Town Dawg
January 2nd, 2011
1:21 am
CMR will get next year to right the ship and if it doesn’t happen he will be gone.
The first call I would make is to Tubberville at Texas Tech. He wants to move up (given his interest in the Miami opening) and he can recruit the Southeast. The big bonuses are that he has SEC head coaching experience and experience beating Florida. It would also allow him to stick it to Auburn yearly.
K-Town Dawg
January 2nd, 2011
1:31 am
*Tuberville*
stevo775
January 2nd, 2011
1:42 am
Hey “PHIL(the real one)”. Wow! Great comment! I couldn’t have possibly said that any better myself! That was dead on! Hats off to you my friend! Happy New Year and GO DAWGS!!
AFDawg
January 2nd, 2011
2:24 am
Did you hear the babble coming from McGarrity about flushing this season and moving forward? What a bunch of crap. I certainly hope the Dawg fans will speak up, demand action, and withhold any financial support until a new coach is announced. The Georgia football program has hit rock bottom. Boise State is going to embarass UGA in the opener next year. There is not one ounce of passion coming from CMR and his staff. I thought everyone said last year that Richt had this year to turn things around. Are we going to wait until we don’t win a single game in a season before anyone takes action? McGarrity should be on the phone with Patterson from TCU right now.
SGT. PRESTON
January 2nd, 2011
3:50 am
McGarity is a doofus. Just one more bad hire by UGA. He doesn’t have a clue as to how the football program can be rebuilt. Somebody should tell him that you start by cleaning out the dead wood i.e. the entire coaching staff and building solid from there. For god’s sake man show some passion, some fire, some balls! If you “give it just one more year – just one more” you will have presided over the killing of the golden goose that was Georgia Football.
chaos theory
January 2nd, 2011
7:13 am
richt’s better than muschamp—that’s all that matters. tennessee will have nothing and alabama and florida will be down for awhile. It’s Ga chance to win the SEC east and SEC. Mark this down: UGA wins the SEC in 2011!!
Gatormeat
January 2nd, 2011
7:41 am
It is good to see there is still karma. The dogs are getting what they deserve for being such a dirty program. It goes back for decades, from Jan Kemps’ noble bravery for exposing the dirty tactics of dooley and the staff to the sordid incident in New Orleans between dooley and that lady cop, to the current problems like double digit arrests every year, coaches trying to choke opposing players, and dirty plays against Auburn. It is shameful the lack of character the dogs have, their players can not even dream of having the character of a Tebow, Spikes, or Fairley. If I were the parent of a recruit I would not let my son anywhere near the campus in athens, it just is not a good place to develop young men, unless you want them to learn a career of crime and poor character.
Give It Up!
January 2nd, 2011
8:09 am
Phil (The Real One) Are you really on here spreading BS about Auburn again? “It was the rigged slot machines and the anonymous bank cards that Trooper promised that got the kids to Auburn.”?? Talk about wild conspiracy theories with no basis in fact whatsoever! If you think Coach Richt represents your alma matter well, you officially have your head stuck in the sand. Which team tried to leave the bench to fight like it was a street brawl at the end of the AU game? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t Chizik’s team. Then you claim that Athens police are “harassing football players? Give me a break, they often look the other way when it comes to the football team! A drunken philandering AD who gets arrested….Great Image!!
Give It Up!
January 2nd, 2011
8:14 am
Your saint of a coach tried to recruit Cam Newton as a tight end!! As for what Grantham did, not only was it classless and unethical, it was also in violation of SEC rules. You are not supposed to razz opposing players in any way, shape, or form. That’s not “showing some fire” it’s called “Breaking the rules”! Something you ironically accuse Auburn of doing with no evidence, yet in the next breath you defend Grantham for doing LoL
Give It Up!
January 2nd, 2011
8:17 am
You guys were on here ranting and raving about owning GT yet now you just lost to a C-USA team and couldn’t score a TD!! Payback is a b!tch that’s for sure, maybe you guys should shut your barking yaps or risk further humiliation and embarassment!!
Cul
January 2nd, 2011
8:18 am
I see that many are concerned about 2-8 against gators. Then some say 96-34, like it is good My math says that is 65% and that includes all of the weak sisters we have played (like CF). If McGarity insist on giveng Richt another year to hang himself, I hope he also already starting the search.
I do agree Kirby is a good choice, we need some hunger, not another retread. Maybe a really good coach from another school, but not Tuberville.
I wonder if Richt might have the courage to say goodbye, but then I guess that is dreaming. Of course he says they need to make changes, but not in personnel.
Cullowheedawg
BJ
January 2nd, 2011
8:21 am
Just look at the difference between Saban at Alabama and Richt at Georgia…how the two teams handled their bowl ‘destiny’ and took care of business. That’s what GA needs.
NorthGaDawg
January 2nd, 2011
8:29 am
Chaos Theory
I’m as big a UGA a fan as they come. Grew up a Bulldawg. Earned a degree from UGA. I tried to walk on the football team in the mid-80’s and have had season tickets for over 20 years. But even I can’t see a CMR led team winning the SEC in 2011. I can’t see this coaching staff rising up to match the sorry record of 2010.
Mark This Down!
January 2nd, 2011
8:31 am
UGA fans will predict another undefeated season for this year. Refer to the post at 7:13. Predicting an SEC title, yet you are losing your only TRUE star player! Show me how a team that just finished 6-7 will win the SEC east next year? What a truly delusional fan base, never ceases to amaze me!!
Big East = SEC East
January 2nd, 2011
8:33 am
I think the mistake UGA and its fans made was assuming since Richt had been a coordinator on a proven NC caliber team, he could suddenly become a HC and turn UGA into a NC team again. CMR would probably make a good coordinator again, but he doesn’t have enough discipline to be a HC.
???????
January 2nd, 2011
8:37 am
“Alabama and Florida will be down for a while”?? Man did you even watch the Capital One Bowl? Alabama has the #2 recruiting class coming in, they are on the way up not down. Florida has a ton of talent and a new energetic coach who will have them back on top soon. What a clueless post at 7:13.
NorthGaDawg
January 2nd, 2011
8:52 am
Auburn, Bama & LSU are up. Miss State, Ark & UF are on the rise. The Old Ball Coach has USC loaded with good players and Vandy has finally put some money on the table to get a coach. The Dawgs are being left behind. WE CAN NOT WASTE ANOTHER YEAR!!!!!!!!
BobbyDawg
January 2nd, 2011
8:56 am
Other than pulling for Oregon to win the National Championship, I’m saying farewell to college football untill this fall. We’re stuck with MR and crew for at least one more season and all the grumbling in the world isn’t going to change that. Hopefully MR will at least get rid of BoBo and get an OC that can motovate these players. Maybe we can get Ray Goff back. LOL There’s still a lot of good football left with the Falcons being in the playoffs and hopefully the Superbowl. They are the real deal! We’ve also got some great college hoops going on, and March Madness is right around the corner.
kingtoenail
January 2nd, 2011
9:01 am
It will only change when the head coaching position gets changed. Richt is NOT the man to turn this program around. UCF? C’mon!
Why Wait?
January 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
Make the changes needed now. Fire Mark Richt. UGA will be fine in two years if they do it now but if we wait, then, this time next year will be tumultuous. Why wait?/ For what reason/ 2010 WAS the year to turn it around and it got worse.
Mark Richt cannot get it done and UGA needs a fresh, new direction.
UGA man, class of 71 & 73
PS If I see Aaron Murray try to FORCE a ball with two defenders all around Orson Charles again, my head will explode. That makes Aaron look really dumb. It did that all year long.
Big East = SEC East
January 2nd, 2011
9:09 am
What would AU, AL, FL, ARK or LSU do with their coach had they went 6-6 this season only to lose to Central Florida Auto Body and Diesel Tech in their bowl game? I’m beginning to think Richt has tenure and can’t be fired.
Paul
January 2nd, 2011
9:20 am
The way Richt’s doing it right now, Murray is rewarded for close games wiht more playing time. If Murray has a blowout win, he might get benched and give Hutson Mason playing time. So Murray developed a bad habit of keeping each game close, so Mason stays off the field.
Paul
January 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
Richt heard the same things from the armchair bloggers back in 2006. Were they right about his demise? No. He responded with 2007.
Paul
January 2nd, 2011
9:23 am
Anyone who does NOT believe richt can get it done, is in denial of actual results from the past 10 seasons.
10 Bowls?
Only 1 losing season?
#4 winningest coach?
turnaround seasons in 2002 & 2007?
Anyone doubting Richt simply is an irrational person.
Big East = SEC East
January 2nd, 2011
9:27 am
Going to a bowl game anymore isn’t much of an accomplishment particularly if that game is in Shreveport or Memphis.
trey
January 2nd, 2011
9:31 am
Your saint of a coach tried to recruit Cam Newton as a tight end!!
Actually genius (lol) they did not try to recruit him. They said he looked like he’d be a good TE and they didn’t need a TE so they didn’t recruit him.
Dawgs lost to a cupcake in their bowl. But they beat the biggest cupcake in the country: 42-34 hahahahahahaha
So if the Yellow Maggots lost to UGA who they think sucks so bad what does that say about the maggot program? LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
42-34 so glad it still hurts so bad
first tier program
January 2nd, 2011
9:31 am
UGA has first tier facailities but a third tier football team. Therein lies the problem. Great stadiumn and such does not equal great program. We are building a great program at Auburn, Next year will be a down year but CGC is building a foundition. This year is gravy for us. Our future is bright and hopeful.
first tier program
January 2nd, 2011
9:34 am
Between Auburn, Alabama, and Flordia, the best recuirts will be leaving Ga. Then we will take your women.
Paul
January 2nd, 2011
9:39 am
Murray should not have started the next game after the Florida game. 4 to’s, and Richt starts you in the next game?
Suprrier would have benched Garcia. Spurrier holds his QB accountable. Richt doesn’t.
That’s the difference betweening winning the SEC East and losing it again.
"Looked Like A Good TE" LoL
January 2nd, 2011
9:41 am
trey
January 2nd, 2011
9:31 am
Your saint of a coach tried to recruit Cam Newton as a tight end!!
Actually genius (lol) they did not try to recruit him. They said he looked like he’d be a good TE and they didn’t need a TE so they didn’t recruit him.
You don’t see the irony in that statement? The best player in College Football “looked like a good TE”? That was the funniest comment I’ve heard in a long time. Doesn’t that Make Richt look even worse when the best player in the land is from College Park, went to school at Westlake, yet he wasn’t even recruited by UGA at all? To think that you are actually BRAGGING after the debacle in Memphis? This little puppy Trey needs to be put down immediately!! LoL!!!