Georgia gets hammered and doubts about Richt grow
The looks on the faces of Georgia coach Mark Richt and defensive assistants Todd Grantham (center) and Rodney Garner (left) say it all Saturday night. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(UPDATED: 12:10 a.m.)
This is when you start struggling to remember the good times. This is when a Georgia fan thinks back to an early seven-year span under Mark Richt when Georgia went 24-11 against ranked opponents and wonders, “Wait, did that really happen? Or was it those brownies I ate?”
If it wasn’t bad enough that the Bulldogs were underdogs (get used to that) in their season opener and a relative home game Saturday to a school from Idaho — something difficult for so many to swallow — the team’s response made all past criticism seem understated. With eight months to prepare since a humiliating effort against Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl, Georgia couldn’t give Boise State any tougher of a game than it usually receives from Wyoming.
Save some trickeration — an 80-yard touchdown run by Brandon Boykin that gave the Dogs an early 7-0 lead — it was Boise State’s night. It was Boise State’s celebration. It was Boise State that played smart and physical, the kind of performance that gets teams into BCS bowls. Remember BCS bowls?
Both teams made loud statements. Georgia just made the wrong one. Following that Boykin touchdown, the Bulldogs saw their opponents real off 28 straight points. Boise State went on to win 35-21, and it didn’t even feel that close.
Georgia’s defense looked as bad in its second season under Todd Grantham as it did in the first. The Boise State offensive line dominated. Quarterback Kellen Moore at times seemed to toy with defenders.
If only the Dogs had more than eight months to prepare.
If only they had completely revamped their strength and conditioning program.
Oh, wait a minute …
Since going 24-11 against ranked teams, Richt is 2-9. That’s more than a trend. The next ranked opponent also is the first SEC opponent: South Carolina, next week in Athens. The level of desperation just went up.
Richt must realize that. He just didn’t show it after the game. In fact, what he showed was somewhat alarming. After some standard introductory comments — “They were better than we were. We’ve got a lot of work to do before next week. But we know everybody is 0-0 in league play” — Richt actually laughed. Yes, laughed. He turned to Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Chip Towers, who had been pestering Richt all week about the status of safety Bacarri Rambo, laughed and said that Rambo would not be suspended for the South Carolina game. Richt had been playing coy with the media, but Rambo was held out Saturday as expected for an unspecified violation of team rules.
Laughter may be a defensive mechanism for Richt. But his team just got whacked with a 2 x 4 in the season opener. Is laughing in the post-game new conference really a good idea?
Richt has been getting a lot of heat. He should. Fact is, Georgia’s slide hasn’t been merely about the ascension of Alabama and Florida in the SEC. In the last two years alone, the Dogs have lost games to Oklahoma State, LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Colorado, Auburn and Central Florida. How long ago was it when you could not have imagined Georgia losing to many of those teams?
The Dogs suffered borderline humiliation on their first possession. They had a false start penalty before the first snap. They had a false start three plays later. They were whistled for delay of game before punting. Before the first quarter was over, the Dogs also were called for an illegal formation for having five players in the backfield (the penalty was declined) and they burned a timeout before a Boise State punt for having only 10 players on the field.
This is why having the biggest, strongest and fastest players sometimes doesn’t matter.
Boykin’s touchdown would be the Dogs’ only score of the first half and it comprised more than half of the team’s yardage (151). The Dogs totaled 71 yards in the other 29 plays.
Georgia’s defense looked strong for the first few Boise State series. But the Broncos appeared to make some adjustments in pass protection and Moore starting find holes in the zone. He moved the offense well in three of BSU’s last four possessions in the half, two resulting in touchdowns (the other, an interception by Branden Smith).
Boise State’s offensive line took over in the second quarter. Moore wasn’t sacked all game and completed 28 of 34 passes, three for touchdowns. He could’ve had a Baracalounger in the backfield to recline before some of his throws. At the outset of the third quarter, Georgia looked lost and overmatched on defense. Moore went 7-for-7 for 69 yards on Boise State’s first possession of the half. Then on second down from the Dogs’ 7, running back Doug Martin faked Smith into oblivion and danced into the end zone for a 21-7 lead.
It wasn’t over. But it was over. Once Boise State’s offense got going, Georgia couldn’t stop it.
The slide continues. It’s uncertain if Richt can stop that, either.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,481 comments Add your comment
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:00 am
Pay Belichick 20 million a season to come coach UGA and show up his former friend Weis.
Uga = 2010
September 4th, 2011
2:00 am
wow that dream team sure was the difference. I told you gullible idiots including you schultz that it was a gimmick. Look at ugas recruiting record. LOL Keep hoping and believing. It’s a bad combo losers
UF 45 ga 27
Post of the night
September 4th, 2011
2:01 am
Richt has never won with COACHING, he has always won with TALENT. Now that the talent is EQUAL, he is getting his a$$ KICKED…
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:02 am
@Sam I gave up on CMR three years ago. The last good season we had was 9-3 and we should have been undefeated but thanks to CMR we lost games we were supposed to win.
Toddy Grantham
September 4th, 2011
2:02 am
Leave me alone. They are tough taters. And that darn offense cant do a darn thing. Oh that’s right. We all knew that after losing AJ And Kris and booting out King and Ealey. DUH
Grahamcracker
September 4th, 2011
2:03 am
That richt didn’t do what i expected SUE HIM
believe it
September 4th, 2011
2:03 am
SEC dominance? your defending SEC champs/ national champs were a onside kick away from losing to the 2nd worst WAC team, Kentucky almost lost to Div 2 powerhouse(sarcasm) W. Kentucky, UGA lost to what SEC fans consider a div 2 school, SC was losing to Conf USA ECU, and the rest of the schools plaid mediocre against Div 2 schools,Exceptions; Alabama did its job against its D2 school and LSU had a great game and played strong Defense against Oregon (credit due, credit given)
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:04 am
Ealey was over rated. He wasn’t nothing special.
Post of the night
September 4th, 2011
2:06 am
@Fire Richt NOW!
I also gave up on Richt 3 years ago for the same reasons….
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:06 am
The last back we had with any real fire to him was Moreno. He wasn’t the biggest or the fastest but he played hard even though CMR never asked him too.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:08 am
@ Post of the night
I really lost it when they left the redhsirt on Murray two years ago. He could have gotten in some good game experiance and then last season may have been a lot better but that was another bonehead CMR move. Let Cox play out the season. Wow Richt is an idiot.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:10 am
I believe I posted on this same site that they should remove the redshirt from Murray so he could get the experiance and we would have a better chance to win the next season and if not CMR wouldn’t have a job long enough to see Murray Graduate.
dbc
September 4th, 2011
2:10 am
Maybe we should give the players a snow cone and a kiss on the head. Actually, the players at UGA in the last 3 or so years have used the university as much as the university used them. That’s the game, in case you haven’t noticed. Are they hurting? Sure. Are the fans? Yes. Is Mark Richt trending as a lousy coach? Yes! Is Bobo predictable? If you have kids, I hope you teach them to be people who compete to be the best, rather than, “yeah whatever.” Please contact me and I’ll see that you get a trophy for participating in this Blog…
Gt Man
September 4th, 2011
2:10 am
BoBo can coach….give em a shot, so you can lose more….
believe it
September 4th, 2011
2:10 am
@ fire richt now, think of it this way, he gave murray two years under a different coach(hopefully better) if you get your way, so it was a great move
gadawg30
September 4th, 2011
2:11 am
@Sam. Even if we run the table and win the east, it’d be a hollow victory. As you suggest, USC is hardly a powerhouse and no one else on our schedule comes close to the quality team we lost to tonight. We’d be the whipping boys of the east, lined up for sure defeat at the hands of our far superior western foes. Moreover, Richt would likely survive another year. Which is worst: losing to USC now and losing Richt, or losing the SEC championship game and keeping him?
Post of the night
September 4th, 2011
2:11 am
@Fire Richt NOW!
He let Cox play because he had NO FEAR of losing his Job.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:11 am
Murray’s arm strength looks a little questionable at best. That one 5 yard out he threw from the opposite hash mark need a tailwind to get there before the quarter ended….
dbc
September 4th, 2011
2:12 am
Sorry. That was for “Jim.”
Garcia
September 4th, 2011
2:12 am
I am licking my chops now mutt fans, as is your favorite coach, Spurrier. Hey Boykin, send Spurrier a tweet… that seemed to work out well for ya!
Allen
September 4th, 2011
2:13 am
Another disappointing showing . . . another loss . . . UGA football should not be mediocre . . . our football team is no longer a source of pride, but rather embarrassment. And who is responsible for this? Man at the top. Three penalties on the very first possession . . . haven’t we been down this road before. Calling timeouts to get organized . . . haven’t we been down this road before, too? Sadly, I have lost confidence in Richt to right this ship. He is a good, Christian man who does a nice job spearheading missionary trips . . . but we need a top notch football coach . . . sooner the better. Kudos to Boise . . . they have a great team, a great coach, a great record, and a great program. Color us, the SEC ‘has beens’ green with envy.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:14 am
@ Post of the night
I know. So you agree with me on that too? Murray should have played his true freshman season. Then his timing with AJ Green would have been a lot better and Richt is a good recruiter but he is a dumbass coach and half his players leave early or go and get arrested just to get away from him.
New Mexico & Coastal Carolina
September 4th, 2011
2:14 am
Heck, these might be the only games that Georgia wins, but hey, next year is the year….yeah….2012
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:15 am
Hell his boss got caught with a prostitute just to get away from Richt!
Oh I see
September 4th, 2011
2:15 am
SO now it’s cause richt didn’t play murray the second half of 09. So all that talk about 2010 last year and the ENTIRE offseason and how MURRAY would be the DIFFerence…well that’s not enough now. Gag me. You ugag losers are pathetic. Yesterday it was how AM was SOOOO much better than that Boise qb even though he has SAT in NYC for a HEISMAN!! See what people mean about the word DELUSION!!! Mandel and plenty others call you that. LOSERS.
LOL
September 4th, 2011
2:15 am
Hey Allen,
It’s UGA, so it’s expected. The 80’s are over…..
You better not kick to MEEEEE
September 4th, 2011
2:17 am
Or else I will PEEEEEEE
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:17 am
@ Oh I see
I was naming reasons for Rich to be fired. I am not doubting your Bronco’s are better but they would have lost to LSU by 30 so why don’t you suck on that fag boy.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:20 am
IF you are a GT fan then figure out how to pass for more than 200 yds in a season and then come back and talk to me.
RTW
September 4th, 2011
2:20 am
RTW @ 1:36:. Dude, you stole my identity…attributed your comments for mine. Most unsatisfactory and unrighteous. Bums me out. A little……..What were we talking about again?
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:20 am
GT’s offensive playbook came off the Mayflower with the pilgrims….
I really feel sorry for uag fans
September 4th, 2011
2:21 am
They are the dumbest fan base on the planet. I posted on here several times how you CANT replace AJ and KRIS. And I was called by many dumb. And I said you WILL NOT win with a freshman carrying the load and you kick out the top 1 and 2 runners from last year. And you also lose your best defensive player in huston. And I was called an idiot for questionion this ALL season. WHo;s the idiot now? Feck you uga losers. All of you. You’re all epic losers. Go COX…funny I can say that since they OWN YOU!! LMAO
Post of the night
September 4th, 2011
2:22 am
@Oh I see
Good coaches don’t save players, they coach to win. Richt rewarded Cox for his loyalty, instead of playing the better option for the future. He sacrificed 2 years of UGA football, instead of one.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:22 am
I love Tech fans they are too smart for their own good just like their graduates.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:23 am
@Post of the night
Thank you for explaining to the idiot what we were talking about. He jumped in on the backside of our conversation.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:24 am
If Tech is such a school of higher learning how come they run an offense that was copied down from the inside of a cave somewhere 2000 years ago? Their athletes are so smart they should be able to run the most complex schemes in the world right or maybe even engineer their own offense…LOL
John
September 4th, 2011
2:26 am
I love how Tech has been part of a National Championship since UGA has but the UGA fans never remember that.
go dawgs
September 4th, 2011
2:26 am
Tech fans can only relish in this because they’re never in a game that draws national attention. Must suck to date ugly girls.
go dawgs
September 4th, 2011
2:28 am
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA….tech cheats and still can’t beat UGA
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:29 am
@John
I know they have it was a split national championship they really didnt win right. And it was on two decades ago. They regressed too right into a 1940’s style offense they might as well be wearing leather helmets. GA has gotten beaten out of chances for playi ng for a NC simply by having to play in the SEC and play real teams week in and out all these years.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:30 am
Tech would lose to Kentucky, Vandy, and Ole Miss every year if they were in the SEC.
A She She
September 4th, 2011
2:31 am
Good to see the nerds (believe it) up late popping off…….keep living vicarously through others. Nice job on other teams in SEC “almost” losing games…..you know the SEC will win the National Championship again this year and it burns your little backside………
John
September 4th, 2011
2:31 am
Yea, UGA better look out for Coastal Carolina this year, they are a powerhouse.
Your Face
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
@John, wtf does “part of a national championship” mean? Like the time you shared one back in 1990. You’re not relevant. You’re conference isn’t relevant. Boise is more important than you. Understand that.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
When I brought up doubts about this program, I was made fun of, and banned from Chip Tower’s blog.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
When I brought up doubts about this program, I was made fun of, and banned from Chip Tower’s blog.
Lee
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
Honestly I think that the real problem is Bobo more-so than Richt. When Richt did the play calling we were on a winning track. Since Bobo has been OC that’s when the real issues have emerged. I only blame Richt for not recognizing that & not firing him. Bobo needs to go, period. I can’t see how Richt could suddenly lose his edge over the last few seasons after the success that he has had at UGA. That is why I think that the issue lies elsewhere & it needs to be remedied. UGA is losing respectability and, as a fan, it is embarrassing. Richt needs to toughen up & let Bobo go go.
william
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
its true its only 1 game but we aint beating south carolina,period.
Fire Richt NOW!
September 4th, 2011
2:32 am
@John
When Tech throws for more than 300 yards in a season then they will be a little more equipped to play with the big boys. Most teams surpass their season passing total in one or two games.
AW
September 4th, 2011
2:34 am
To: Say Whaaaa:
My apologies. I should not have mentioned my degrees. I meant it as a response to 5150 UOAD-a response that stands. Your ‘ajc sources’…well, we both know the truth about them, don’t we? Last posting to Tech trolls on this UGA story. Best of luck to you this season, and see you in Nov.