Bulldogs’ ‘NFL talent’ have their heads somewhere else
South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore is among those who've dented Georgia's defense. (The State photo)
ATHENS – Ten months ago, Mark Richt stood in front of a room in Butts-Mehre Hall and pronounced, “Today is a great day for Georgia.”
Notwithstanding that those words came at an orchestrated media event — two weeks after a bowl loss to Michigan State (please forget) and two weeks before national signing day (please come) – nobody could dispute the sentiment. In the room with Richt were 15 players who announced they were bypassing the NFL draft to return for another season. Nine played on defense. Another returnee was Jarvis Jones, who was attending a football camp that day.
Expectations were high for Georgia this season primarily for one reason: defense. There were nine returning starters. There were nine upperclassmen. There were four players projected to go as high as the first round in the next draft. There was a defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, lauded to such a great degree after the last season that he was given a contract extension, a raise and the title of associate head coach.
So how many games has the Georgia defense shown up for this season?
One: Vanderbilt.
Cornerback Sanders Commings said when he looked around the room at that January photo, “I was thinking national championship.”
Now the Dogs need help just to get out of their division. They’ll beat Kentucky Saturday. This game is more about trying to show that preseason expectations won’t amount to more empty Georgia promises — because otherwise, forget about the Florida game in two weeks.
The defensive rankings scream mediocrity. Expected to be among the top five units nationally, they’re not even top five in the SEC. They’re giving up more yards per games than Ole Miss and Missouri. They have fewer sacks than Kentucky.
With so much projected NFL talent on the roster, it’s not unfair to pose the question: Are players thinking more about the next level than the next game?
It’s not uncommon for agents — excuse me: “family advisers” — to get inside players’ heads about what pro scouts might be looking for, clouding more pressing matters like that week’s game plan.
“Not at all,” Richt said when asked if players might have lost focus because of their pro prospects. “Everybody wants to win. A lot of guys have an NFL future, but they know the better we play as a team, the better everybody looks. Even when we had that press conference in this room, I didn’t tell them what to say. As a matter of fact, I was trying to find out why they wanted to stay, and a big part was because they wanted to have a great season.”
He has alluded to “communication problems.” That seems unusual for a defense with so many returning starters and seniors.
“I don’t want to get into making excuses about anything,” Richt said. “The bottom line is we should be doing better.”
Better than this: eighth in scoring defense in the SEC, ninth in total defense, 10th against the run, ninth against the pass, 10th in interceptions, ninth in takeaways, ninth in third-down defense, 11th in sacks.
Jarvis Jones (ankle, groin) hasn’t been healthy. Suspensions to four starters (Commings, Bacarri Rambo, Alec Ogletree, Chase Vasser) prevented the starting unit from being together until the fifth game.
But that doesn’t explain allowing 199 rushing yards to Buffalo. Or seeing Missouri connect for early touchdown passes of 41 and 69 yards. Or Florida Atlantic driving to two TDs on its first four possessions, with a likely third scoring drive ending with a fumble. Or Tennessee totaling 478 yards and 44 points (even if half that was set up by Georgia turnovers). Or South Carolina driving for touchdowns on its first two possessions and rushing for 230 yards.
Ask what the problem is, you’ll hear general vague responses: mental mistakes, missed assignments, overaggressiveness.
“Sometimes when you have a lot of veteran guys back, you’re all hungry and anxious to make plays,” Commings said. “Sometimes you just have to let plays come to you. I think we realize that.”
Defense was supposed to carry them. Somebody didn’t get the memo.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Some recent ramblings
• Falcons are NFL’s last unbeaten team: Here’s fate of others (with video)
• Falcons 6-0 but Turner is frustrated with running game
• Fan revolts out of control, one even wanted to fight UGA player
• Weekend Predictions: No sacrifices, but Falcons, LSU win
• Radakovich says Johnson is ‘right person for job’
• Al Groh’s problems at Georgia Tech weren’t pure ‘fantasy’
• Falcons are easy highlight in Atlanta’s dark sports weekend
• Braves’ Frank Wren needs to fix good, but not great, team
• Chipper Jones on loss in his finale: ‘Ultimately, I’m to blame’
• Spurrier should take a lesson from Richt on handling criticism
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367 comments Add your comment
GoDawgs
October 16th, 2012
6:09 pm
Hey Schultz,
The reason there not playing as well because last years ranking was a sham they played 8 horrible teams to get them back into first in the sec east and over inflated there defensive numbers to get them a top 5 ranking. When they played good teams that were ranked they were blasted. Some of the bad teams from last year have improved like UT and they blasted the defense this year. The point to your question on why the defense isn’t playing as well is they were never really that good they just played some horrible teams that gave them a false ranking last year. This year it’s showing up now that some of the teams have improved while our defense has not.
joe jenkins
October 16th, 2012
6:16 pm
Less sacks than kentucky….damn i thought we fired willie years in 09…this just a terrible defense we are not that good at all…….here is what our coaching staff looks like
hbc-ray goff
ass coach-johnny griffen
oc-jim donnan
dc- willie martinez
co-dc-marion camphell
secondary- kevin ramsey
o-line- joker phillips
bart
October 16th, 2012
6:16 pm
In order to reach NC caliber performance a change at the top is required. That is why I am going to pull for the dawgs to lose a few games so there can be no more “moral” victories which will lead to Richt being retained.
Kirby will take a head coach job somewhere after this year so this may be our last chance to get him.
Big UGA fan
October 16th, 2012
6:18 pm
The season will eventually be over and recruiting season will be here and then, by god, it will be our time to crow.
Delbert D.
October 16th, 2012
6:22 pm
@5:59 “What was the title of the Charles Dickens novel – “Great Expectations”?”
This one is more along the lines of “Bleak House.”
ZinoDawg
October 16th, 2012
6:24 pm
Richt is great at making up catchy slogans and staying calm. That’s not what we need.
Do you think Nick Saban would spout that crap about “it doesn’t matter how bad you get beat, a loss is a loss”? Bama can be up 45-0 and if somebody makes a mistake he goes ballistic. His players live in fear of his wrath.
CMR = Mediocrity
And the Defense is soft. They should wear the solid red practice helmets in the game – they don’t deserve to wear that G on their helmets.
GB's Hamburgers
October 16th, 2012
6:27 pm
Mike S is an “excuse machine” … An obvious lover of mediocrity. Under Dooley and Russell you either played your ass off or you would be running the stadium steps until your ass fell off anyway. A tough bastard of a coach could get every ounce of talent out of these guys.
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:37 pm
As a Tech supporter I hope you have a coaching change also You wont get the recruits you are getting now for several years amid coaching chaos. Remember Saban lost to La Monroe? How do you know if any of these players will play NFL? The two freshman rbs could play NFL if they dont get hurt the next 2 years after that I really dont know
Steve Spurrier
October 16th, 2012
6:38 pm
Which one is the real Death Valley? Oh, yeah… the one that pancaked us on Saturday.
bamaguy
October 16th, 2012
6:39 pm
Saban’s players don’t really fear him, as much as they respect him and know that if they mess up they will hear about it. It’s the same kind of relationship most of us had with our fathers growing up. I can recall several instances of getting “lit up” by my father when I did something stupid.
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:41 pm
And as an athlete I never played better because I feared the coaching staff I respected them but I played better when I gained my own self confidence Les myles is well respected never berates his players and when he played Spurrier who embodies these antics, well look who won
old dawg
October 16th, 2012
6:42 pm
i have thought about this a great deal and watched other programs and coaches around the country and have come to this point of view:
top programs and programs on the rise have coaches who are hypercompetitive, intense, demanding, creative, motivating, knowledgeable, and flexible. they are never satisfied and always looking to get better.
CMR is competitive, knowledgable, thoughtful, philosophical, and has other things which take up his time and interest. His “it’s only a game” comment spoke volumes to me. the head dawg is buddah.
Coach Buddah is satisfied with ten wins a year, if the schedule will allow it. if that means you win the sec east or the whole sec, so be it. if you don’t, life goes on and be better for the experience.
CMR has transformed from the hungary offensive coordinator to new hungary head coach to buddah. he has evolved.
the sooner the bulldawg nation evolves with him or comes to accept this level of outcome, the better off they will be. life will become happy again and frustration will melt away.
or mcgarity and the powers that be can invoke change in the bulldawg universe. i see no indication of any unrest at that level, so the only question left unanswered is “when will CMR retire officially?”
Beast from the East
October 16th, 2012
6:44 pm
Spurrier’s players have never feared him. Not at UF and not at SC. They respect him because they know that he knows what he’s talking about. The only players that ever really have to deal with his wrath are his QB’s, but he is their position coach. The days of players fearing coaches died with Woody Hayes.
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:45 pm
Phil Jackson was Buddah I mean Zen he won 9 championships with his mellow practical approach
John Wooden was quiet on the sidelines also So much for hyperactivity being the key to success
Destin Dawg
October 16th, 2012
6:46 pm
its time now for Grantham to live up to his hype… Murray and Bo Bo… too.. I’ve been a Mark Richt supporter because he’s a good man.. BUT now is the Time.. our team.. own the future.. or be a preacher… …
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:46 pm
mybe they will bring in an African American coach? Oh I forgot this is the U of Georgia
tyo44
October 16th, 2012
6:48 pm
Im plain ole tired of this type football…UGA should be a REAL top 10 team every season. However, with all the highly rated recruiting classes, something is a miss…I say stop going for all the “diva runing backs, recievers etc..” go find the toughest, biggest O linemen and D linemen…then we can beat somebody ranked…burnt out on having to hope someone helps us limp into the SEC title game…disgusted..but, go DAWGS!
Steve
October 16th, 2012
6:49 pm
Tman = MORON.
Destin Dawg
October 16th, 2012
6:49 pm
Tman.. what about Bobby Knight ???
Delbert D.
October 16th, 2012
6:55 pm
“CMR has transformed from the hungary offensive coordinator to new hungary head coach to buddah. he has evolved.”
I haven’t heard about the problems in Hungary. Sounds bad, though.
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:57 pm
I would have never played for Bobby Knight and what is with the name calling State a point in this discussion but name calling means you ran out of material for the discussion
Tman
October 16th, 2012
6:57 pm
Steve=good guy
satch
October 16th, 2012
7:05 pm
lots of SEC guys believe the hype then disappear in NFL after getting head knocked by so-called bad PAC-12 guy.hey where is nick fairley ,oh getting handled every time i see him play.remember jackie dorsey and rolando mcclain where are they now? =at bottom of pile after getting pancaked by some guy from montana state.
whatfor
October 16th, 2012
7:12 pm
Can we say “OVERRATED” for UGA and the defense???
Just like a few of the SEC teams – come-on Florida ranked #2 (overrated) . LSU – Overrated. The ONLY SEC team that deserves their ranking is Alabama – and unfortunately – UGA got to by-pass this year.
Silverdogg
October 16th, 2012
7:16 pm
The D didn’t show up for Vandy either, They gave up over 350 yards in that game too.
Whopper Dawg
October 16th, 2012
7:26 pm
Wow, ninth in total defense. Amazing. is 1/4 Willie still around?
icedawg
October 16th, 2012
7:33 pm
DAWGS are my team win, lose, draw. They have played their best football consistently during the Dooley era. He and his staff seemed to get the best out of the players. He had some ho hum years but more often than not they played well. They owned Florida, Spurrier would attest to that. It has not been the same since. Mark Richt’s character is impeccable. He has had a few real good years. But overall the DAWGS under his tenure have been so so, especially to supposedly have the kind of recruiting classes they’ve had. This year schedule-wise was very weak. We’re not playing any titans. The performance has been simply embarrassing. Do I want Richt gone. (Who cares what I want.) Not really. I guess I’ve come to expect that we’ll beat a few and lose a few but never really win big or the big ones.
USMC
October 16th, 2012
7:34 pm
It all comes down to one word….
COACHING
The Last Real Analyst
October 16th, 2012
7:46 pm
Enter your comments here
Red Stick
October 16th, 2012
7:47 pm
I can see why so many Dog fans are upset. There is just no excuse for getting blown out by SC. This is not taking anything away from the Gamecocks as they are an outstanding team.
Bad Dawg
October 16th, 2012
7:51 pm
I liked out player’s motto:
Our Team, Our Time, No Regrets!
Unfortunately, talk is cheap.
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 16th, 2012
7:55 pm
Padding their stats for 2 years against crappy teams does not a Great Defense make.
LakeDawg
October 16th, 2012
8:00 pm
ZinoDawg
I was thinking the same thing last week when I was pondering what I would do to light a fire under the team’s a$$ if I were coach. I would TAKE THE “G” OFF OF THEIR HELMETS until they earn them back. Instead we get “we’re going to compete” this week. Wha? What have they been doing until now?
BTW The last complete game by UGA against an elite team was the 2005 SEC CG against LSU.
Dawgdad (The Original)
October 16th, 2012
8:02 pm
The week before the SC game, just after Tenn ran a track meet through Sanford Stadium, Richt said he wasn’t worried about his defense. Huh?
For like the sixth year in a row, our Special Teams suck. Richt, said he was going to put extra emphasis on ST this year, so we didn’t need no special teams coach.
Richt and his staff need to go, they are just treading water.
The Last Real Analyst
October 16th, 2012
8:10 pm
First off Jeff you get comments from of all people, Sanders Cummings? Not gonna comment on his private affairs because every man knows the reality of the wrong woman in your life, but please if you must interview someone, don’t let it be a player that was part of the problem! Now the real real problem is this weak azz cmpetition like Buffalo, Florida Atlantic and Vandy while USC plays Us, LSU, Florida, and Bama plus in State rival Clemson on a regular basis. In the words of the Immortal Rick Flair, “To be the Best you got to beat the best”. Lok at ULM(Louisiana Monroe) and realize they came up and punched Arkansas in the mouth, Auburn too(although they won) and have stepped up to the competition plate. Ohio State, Va Tech, Cincinnati Pitt, or South Florida would be good outta conference games. Get it together and be Men. Oh and to all yu Fake Bulldawg fans who get pizzzzed when the dawgs lose one game. Go get in touch with yourself’s. Didn’t the National Champions lose one last year? It happens!!!!
DawgNole
October 16th, 2012
8:15 pm
Ask the Question
October 16th, 2012
5:11 pm
Worth asking: What has McGarity done as our AD, apart from firing coaches in our women’s programs?
_____________________
What has McGarity done? He’s shamelessly watered down the Dawgs’ OOC schedule so badly that the team isn’t adequately prepared when it means “real” opposition.
MrDan
October 16th, 2012
8:16 pm
CMR. Good man, good leader. Somehow lost the ability to get players up to compete in the big game. Sad, very sad,
The Last Real Analyst
October 16th, 2012
8:20 pm
Oh and one last piece of reality, When you got the #1 Tight End in 2009(Lynch) #1 in 2011, and you got like the #5 this year, can we throw to them and challenge LB’S Across the Middle? I mean with maybe 8 catches between them, that speaks volumes about your OC. Ask Dirk (the Falcons OC) how good it feels to have a great TE In the mix.
The Last Real Analyst
October 16th, 2012
8:24 pm
Say what yu want about ur last AD, but he didn’t line up a CUPCAKE SCHEDULE. We played “Real” outtta conference teams. He just had the “Petrino” syndrome.!
LakeDawg
October 16th, 2012
8:27 pm
McGarrity’s acid test comes at the end of the season. He either steps up or he is just a do nothing windbag.
DOGGIE IN NC
October 16th, 2012
8:31 pm
Flat Tire on I95 in Jacksonville – English is definitely not your major:
here instead of hear
won’t instead of want
Stupidity reigns supreme!
GO DOGGIES!
DawgNole
October 16th, 2012
8:32 pm
when it “meets” real opposition
Herschel Talker
October 16th, 2012
8:33 pm
Schultzie:
SAME STORY, DIFFERENT YEAR. IT AIN’T CHANGING UNDER RICHT! IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!
FIRE MARK RICHT!!!
HT
OkieDawg
October 16th, 2012
8:33 pm
Well, Jeff Schultz…You are fortunate you do not cover Alabama, South Carolina or many other schools. If you did, you would be black balled for such an honest assessement of our vaunted defense. They deserve to be called out. Thanks for your call-it-as-you-see-it reporting.
Our guys need to play disciplined football. Shawn Williams, Smith, Swann, Commings and Goo need to stop jumping up and down with their “in-your-face-attitude” when they make a play against a lesser opponent like Kentucky and get down to business against Florida. I’m really fed up with seeing these guys get beat and then start looking around and shrugging their shoulders while playing the obvious blame game. C’mon men, get your head in the game. You need to live up to expectations. Future NFLers…not so fast my friend.
Todd A.
October 16th, 2012
8:35 pm
Jeff, good to see someone in the Atlanta media that isn’t afraid to ask some tough questions of our local sports teams. Don’t let Richt and ADGM slide on these issues.
DawgNole
October 16th, 2012
8:35 pm
The Last Real Analyst
October 16th, 2012
8:24 pm
Say what yu want about ur last AD, but he didn’t line up a CUPCAKE SCHEDULE. We played “Real” outtta conference teams.
_________________
Exactly! And he worked to “spread the brand” by playing home-and-home series. Unlike the coward McGarity.
avalanche in Aruba
October 16th, 2012
8:46 pm
LakeDawg, McGarrity is in an unusual situation. He didn’t hire Richt, which for him is a good thing. Firing Richt would draw a ton of outside criticism considering his overall record. Hamilton at UT ran off Fulmer, brought in Kiffin, got shafted by Kiffin, hired Dooley. He’s gone, now Hart has Dooley, so he’s safe from criticism from that hire. But like Hart, McGarrity will own the next hire. Or he, like Hart, will own their current coach if he keeps him. Guess thats why they make the big bucks.
Unforgiven
October 16th, 2012
8:51 pm
You fat man speak up————————-it is so tired———————a broken record. I really enjoyed watching LSU come together in that last game———————-now that is football!!!
evil empire
October 16th, 2012
8:52 pm
Evans did have uga going in the right direction, brand-wise…Bama steps up OOC as does LSu…next year Bama opens against VA Tech…LSu opens in the Cowboys Classic vs. TCU…you have to play in those games…problem was Evans would schedule them and Richt would lose them…
Unforgiven
October 16th, 2012
8:52 pm
Sorry, almost forgot—-thanks Jeff for the article of clarity!!