Grantham now providing the right highlights at Georgia
Mark Richt and Todd Grantham both earned contract extensions. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
ATHENS – Once you get past the standard, astronomic, cartoon-like expectations of spring — Will Georgia go 13-1 next season? Maybe 14-0 if the dang, cheatin’ refs ain’t from Bessemer? — it’s worth noting that Todd Grantham has accomplished something pretty significant in Athens.
Something even bigger than evolving from sideline sideshow on YouTube — and who knew that was possible?
The Bulldogs, the team headed by a former offensive coordinator (Mark Richt), the program that recently had produced the likes of A.J. Green and Matthew Stafford — only to too often get punched in the mouth by Alabama, Florida or LSU — has discovered the key to success in the SEC.
Defense.
Who knew?
It’s important to note that college football in general, and the SEC in particular, doesn’t mirror the changing NFL. The pros have become pass-happy on offense. That means nickel defenses are now the rule, not the exception (which means old-school middle linebackers such as Curtis Lofton, who neither pass rush nor drop into coverage, can’t command the lofty free-agent dollars they used to).
But defense still rules in the SEC, and this is where Georgia’s return to relevance comes in.
When Grantham — Richt’s fourth choice as defensive coordinator — was hired two years ago, the Dogs were coming off a season in which they ranked 38th in total defense and 63rd in points against. The question wasn’t whether Willie Martinez would get fired, the question was whether he would be able to make it out of the parking lot.
Oh, boy. Here we go again.
Grantham, now in his third spring with the Dogs, has brought success — the defense ranked fifth in yardage last season, 23rd in scoring and third in third-down efficiency– but more important he has changed the mentality and the focus at Georgia.
When asked what is different now from what he saw on tape from Georgia players when he arrived, Grantham said, “The biggest thing we’ve done is we’ve become more resilient. We’ve learned to play every play. Did guys learn our system better last season? Yes. Were guys more comfortable? Yes. But playing the next play, competing, playing the game the way you’re supposed to, with effort, with toughness — that’s it. We’re tougher mentally. We’re tougher physically.”
There will be no cartoon-like predictions here. But that change in philosophy, combined with the Dogs’ soft-as-nougat-schedule next season, does set up for a potentially — potentially — special season. Also, Grantham seems to have learned from his own head-exploding tendencies.
“I’m driven,” he said, in comical understatement.
Driven — sort of like how Yosemite Sam was driven to get Bugs Bunny, only to inadvertently wire his boot to the dynamite.
Grantham admits he has “lived and learned. There are cameras everywhere.”
Two years ago, one spotted him grabbing his throat and yelling, “You’re gonna [bleepin'] choke” at Florida kicker Chas Henry, as the 21-year-old was lining up for a potential game-winning field goal.
Last season came the postgame skirmish with Vanderbilt coach James Franklin, fueled in part by Grantham’s beliefs that the Commodores were playing dirty.
Days following each incident, Grantham expressed regret. “I’ll use it as a learning experience,” he said of the Franklin confrontation.
So it won’t happen again?
“We’ll see,” he said, smiling. “When you put a hundred hours a week into something, you’ve got a pretty vested interest in it.”
Two embarrassing incidents had the potential to derail things. But Grantham has managed to overcome, well, himself.
The defense succeeded last season despite having 11 different lineups in 14 games because of suspensions and injuries. Georgia has great athletes, but that always has been the case. College teams aren’t defined by the number of stars on letter-of-intent day, they’re defined by how players develop and play.
“In this profession you either get better or worse, so you can’t stop teaching,” Grantham said. “In the pros [as an assistant with Dallas] I saw that if a guy knew that you could make him better and extend his career, you never had issues with him. At this level, you’re obviously developing more. But when players know you have a genuine interest in them and they believe in you, that goes a long ways.”
Grantham spent 11 years in the NFL. When asked if he prefers coaching in college, he said, “Obviously, I wanted to come here. I was friends with Nick Saban and used to watch him when he was at LSU. Systematically, we’re pretty similar. I felt like we could have that kind of success.”
The Dogs aren’t nearly at the Saban level of success. But at least they’ve figured out which side of the ball matters most.
By Jeff Schultz
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458 comments Add your comment
A Father
March 28th, 2012
1:43 pm
bhamdawg: I do not wish to drink your promoted bulldog koolaid.
Enjoy more of the same in 2012 from a underacheiving program in football as well as all sports. The leaders of GA AD and the politicians want to thank everyone for lining thier pockets.
bhamdawg: what will it take for you to want change or are you have with being last?
LakeDawg
March 28th, 2012
1:43 pm
Best DC since Erk, without a close 2nd.
With Richt’s calm game-day demeanor, we need a fireball DC. Even if he DOES go a little overboard at times, it fires up the team and there is seldom any real harm (like I could give a sheet about James Franklin’s feelings).
old time dog
March 28th, 2012
1:43 pm
5150 uoad and gt bob, Neither of you has anything to offer except little girl remarks and scoffing about UGA. Why not tell tell us all about GT’s probation and ACC forfeiture. That seems to speak for itself which is something neither one of you punks is capable of.
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
1:44 pm
The Bulldogs suck! I’d suck Coach Saban’s $%^& if you put it in front of me! ROLL TIDE! We’re the best eva!
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
1:45 pm
Can’t wait till they make that Nick Saban Elementary School! Then I can go back and get my degree! Alabama Crimson Tide forever! ROLL TIDE!
bham dawg
March 28th, 2012
1:49 pm
A Father… explain me drinking the “koolaid”. Since the 2012 football season hasn’t started yet its hard to say they are underacheiving. I will let the play on the field speak for itself when the time comes. If they under perform i will be the first person to voice my frustration, until then i will remain optimistic and back by dawgs because that’s what TRUE fans do.
I feel sorry for your kids to be raised by a man like you. Father is term of respect earn some.
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
1:51 pm
Shoot, we could lose 11 starters on offense and 22 starters on Defense and still win another NC. We’d just plug our scout team in and watch ‘em roll right through the puppies like a wet plastic bag! Shoot, we could win an outright National Championship with a 5-7 record and no Bowl Game! That’s how we got 99 National Titles in the first place!
always over rated, always over hyped
March 28th, 2012
1:51 pm
zzzzzzz…..zzzzz
Considering we signed the 2 highest ranked running backs in back to back years.
zzzzzzz……zzzzzzzzzz
greatest recruiting class EVER!!!! (1981-present)
zzzzz…….zzzzzzzz….zzzzzz
greatest recruiting class EVER!!!!(1981-present)
zzzzz….zzzzzz…..zzzzzzz
Damon Evans
March 28th, 2012
1:52 pm
HEY!!! Yall see my video?
bham dawg
March 28th, 2012
1:53 pm
now that Tide Roll went and did some research he won’t post again because everyone knows he is a moron now.
tide roll
March 28th, 2012
1:54 pm
I apologize. You’re right. Uga’s first national title came in 1942, I think. Congratulations. It’s funny. You had to wait almost another 40 years back then before your next one. What is it now? Going on 32? Damn, a couple of wars have began and ended over that span! Damn. Two questions for all you dawg fans. Were they even wearing helmets back in 1942? And if so, were they leather?
bham dawg
March 28th, 2012
1:54 pm
or just change his handle like most bammers on here
When the world gets an enema...
March 28th, 2012
1:57 pm
they’ll put the hose in Athens GA.
bham dawg
March 28th, 2012
1:57 pm
Tide Roll… why are you here? why is georgia so ingrained in your mind?
bham dawg
March 28th, 2012
2:00 pm
@always over rated always over hyped… Never said anything about greatest recruiting class ever. I simply was responding to another person that uga and richt are invested in running the ball. If they weren’t i doubt that we would have signed the best 2 running backs the last 2 years with a 3rd on the way.
LawDawg
March 28th, 2012
2:00 pm
You are absolutely effing obsessed with that nothing incident. Jesus, give it a rest.
Really?
March 28th, 2012
2:05 pm
I love to see the comments from 5150 and gt boob and idiots like a father who is so pathetic he has to pretend to be a Georgia fan to get in his sad little jabs.
The more hate and vitrol these sad little nothings hurl indicates they know the Bulldogs are on the right path.
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
2:05 pm
Because my sister lives in Georgia and absense from incest makes the heart grow fonder! Nick Saban used a port-o-john that I sat on in in 2006. I vowed that day to never wash or wipe my a$$ again! (of course I never did before so it wasn’t like it was a vow of celibacy or sumthin’). But man that was the greatest day of my life! I could smell the fumes of excellence from his freshly laid eggs! ROOOLLLL TIIDDDEE!!!
Really?
March 28th, 2012
2:16 pm
tide roll is hilarious. The team that provides the small bit of meaning in his otherwise spirit crushing pointless existance just bought their second “championship” in 3 years and the despondant little sack of crap still broadcasts his severe insecurity and desperate need for attention on an hourly basis in fron of strangers. Strangers who laugh at him as much as they do gt boob and the king of self loathing 5150.
If only these jobless, friendless losers would put half the effort into finding a job as they do pleading for some tiny bit of contact from posters on a msg board they might actually crawl all the way up to the level of a teenager with a part time job.
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
2:23 pm
Shoot, Really? Way I see it, we sunk half the disaster relief funds and FEMA money from that ol’ tornado fiasco directly into the football program, recruiting, and Nick Saban’s raise! It’s not like it was gonna cost that much to replace our trailers anyway…Best money ever spent in Alabama history!
ROLLLLLL TIIIIDDDDEEEE
March 28th, 2012
2:32 pm
I can’t wait until Spring Practice is over. I feel bad for all of them poor Georgia boys we recruited sweatin’ out there in that Stinky Alabama practice field. At least the extra money we gave ‘em and the jobs and apartments that we provided to their girlfriends should give them some consolation. Better not take a hard fall at practice though, or you can be sure that Nick’s got the eviction notice handy…he put your Scholly on the backside! Whooo…make room for the new talent, Gimps! ROOLLLL TTIIIDDDEEEE!
bill mann
March 28th, 2012
2:43 pm
thanks to this chickensh!t schedule cooked up by greg mcgarity find myself not feeling any buzz for this upcoming season
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
2:45 pm
UGA needs to stop renting their G logo from the Packers and design their own logo.
dennis montecalo
March 28th, 2012
2:47 pm
UGA had the G logo first dumb dawgs,get your facts straight you tech fan WOOF WOOF WOOF!
DawginLex
March 28th, 2012
2:52 pm
Grantham will be fine. He will continue to make our defense better.
If we get another type of improvement like 2010 to 2011, we will be among the nation’s best and at the top of the SEC.
Hopefully our offense will learn to respect the ball and as my coaches used to tell me(they stole the line)
“Better that you died a young boy than to fumble my football”
Gorilla Biscuit
March 28th, 2012
3:03 pm
I see Dumb dawgs woke up from his nap.
GTBob
March 28th, 2012
3:14 pm
The more hate and vitrol these sad little nothings hurl indicates they know the Bulldogs are on the right path.
I have been hating on the Bulldogs for years now. Have they always been on the right path?
Whats that comin down the track?
March 28th, 2012
3:15 pm
Nevermind 5150…he is harmless….he is a youngster…kind of feel sorry for him… Gt bob…is a much more interesting creature…older and has endured years and decades of disappointment..failure and being totally dominated it has undoubtedly consumed his life. He is bitter but gave up on tech long ago. 5150…take heed to this advice…you dont want to wind up like Bob in 20 or 30 yrs.
GTBob
March 28th, 2012
3:19 pm
UGA had the G logo first dumb dawgs,get your facts straight you tech fan WOOF WOOF WOOF!
You should get your facts straight.
http://blogs.ajc.com/junkyard-blawg/2010/07/29/untold-bulldogs-history-the-uga-helmet-that-almost-was/
“The “new look” helmets were red with the new black “G” logo in a white oval on each side. The “G,” which Dooley liked because it was forward-looking, was inspired by the helmet design worn by the Green Bay Packers, who gave their blessing to Georgia’s design.”
too tough
March 28th, 2012
3:20 pm
Ha a new meaning for GATA….Granthams Aggresive Tackling Association! Go Dawgs!
GTBob
March 28th, 2012
3:21 pm
older and has endured years and decades of disappointment
I wish you guys would decide whether I am an old bitter man or an immature youngster. I get called both frequently.
grantham is a blowhard
March 28th, 2012
3:26 pm
he’s never won anything at any level. sure to choke this year, even with the cupcake schedule
A Father
March 28th, 2012
3:38 pm
If we would fined a quality QB to start, I would be all aboard, until then expect more of the same.
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:46 pm
“UGA had the G logo first dumb dawgs”
“G” helmet logo was first used by the Packers in 1961 (designed by equipment manager Dad Braiser).
The University of Georgia began using the “G” helmet logo in 1964.
Sucks to be you.
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 28th, 2012
3:46 pm
@A Father its tough to “fined” a good QB these days…
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:47 pm
“we will be among the nation’s best and at the top of the SEC.”
Until you meet a top ranked opponent. Oh wait, UGA ran from the best opponents in the SEC.
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 28th, 2012
3:48 pm
@grantham is a blowhard tell you what you keep your DC we will keep ours and then lets compare notes at the end of the season…shall we?
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:49 pm
“keep your DC we will keep ours and then lets compare notes at the end of the season…shall we?”
Kirby Smart > Todd Grantham
Looking good
March 28th, 2012
3:51 pm
yes sir!
Bama=home of the T-bag special
March 28th, 2012
3:52 pm
@Dumb dawgs lets review shall we moron the man that has the “juice” to talk his team into the MNC game to play a team that had beaten his team a few weeks earlier, certainly could have talked the SEC into scheduling UGA…if he had wanted to…now please clean up on aisle 4 …
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:52 pm
“lets review shall we moron the man that has the “juice” to talk his team into the MNC game to play a team that had beaten his team a few weeks earlier
That makes absolutely no sense, retard.
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:53 pm
“now please clean up on aisle 4″
I’m not going to do your job for you, cupcake.
5150 UOAD
March 28th, 2012
3:53 pm
32.0″THIS WILL BE THE YEAR !!!”
slydog
March 28th, 2012
3:55 pm
@Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:49 pm
“keep your DC we will keep ours and then lets compare notes at the end of the season…shall we?”
Kirby Smart > Todd Grantham”
How can you really tell? Everybody knows Richt doesn’t touch the defense. Everybody knows Saban oversees the defense. Kirby has more visible value as a recruiter. Everybody knows that. You have a great program and some outstanding coaches. But Kirby Smart and whether he is in complete control of that defense, well, let’s just say, again, for the record, Everybody knows Saban has input about the defense. No need to engage in hyperbole.
slydog
March 28th, 2012
3:56 pm
For fake Bama fans who are really Techies
Grantham > Groh
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
3:59 pm
“How can you really tell?”
2 national titles say so, that’s why.
“Everybody knows Richt doesn’t touch the defense.”
Yeah, and his offense couldn’t beat LSU, MSU, Boise or USC.
“Everybody knows Saban oversees the defense.”
Saban oversees the entire team. Stop making excuses for how bad UGA is.
Dumb dawgs
March 28th, 2012
4:00 pm
“For fake Bama fans who are really Techies”
I love how UGA fans somehow think that everyone who is against UGA is a Tech fan. Makes me laugh every time.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
March 28th, 2012
4:10 pm
Talk is cheap, so put some crystal trophies in Butts-Mehre hall, then you can talk smack.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
March 28th, 2012
4:11 pm
Just viewed the trophy room, no crystal trophies in there……
http://www.georgiadogs.com/facilities/larry-munson-trophy-room.html
Mike Bobo 17 INT
March 28th, 2012
4:13 pm
Dumb dawgs
Dead on with your GT comment, they think anyone who attacks their program is a Tech fan. They are so clueless it is laughable. They have nothing to brag about, but dominating some nerd school on North Ave., which is a sad statement and shows how inferior their program is.
Alabama has to deal with Auburn every year, Texas has to deal with Oklahoma, but UGA gets a bye with GT, and they think that is “huge.”