Rex Robinson to Richt: Stop blaming the kicker
Mark Richt. (UGA Sports Communications)
Former Georgia kicking great Rex Robinson is hot. He doesn’t like the way Mark Richt has been talking about Blair Walsh’s ball placement being the problem for Georgia on kickoffs this season. Robinson especially didn’t like a Richt comment on the Bulldogs Blog that he had “considered” handing the kickoff duties over to Brandon Bogotay because of that.
“We haven’t done it to this point,” Richt said, “but everybody’s got to perform and certainly we want Blair to do that. I definitely don’t want to throw him under the bus for all the issues on that team, but it’s been part of the issue, not getting it where we need to get it. The ball placement hasn’t been as sharp.”
Robinson, like many frustrated fans, thinks the problem is more the coverage team than where Walsh has been placing the ball.
“The kicker is a convenient target,” Robinson says on his blog, “because admitting you can’t motivate players to cover kicks and make tackles reflects poorly on you as the special teams coach and of course that kind of thing goes all the way to the top.”
Robinson is right on the mark. It’s been painfully obvious from the results on the field for a couple of seasons now that Richt doesn’t like to spend a lot of time thinking about special teams, particularly kickoff coverage, and that special teams coordinator Jon Fabris isn’t getting the job done.
The Dogs are giving up an average of 27.1 yards per kick, have been burned by a number of long returns (most recently in the LSU game) and rank 112th in the nation in kickoff coverage. And that’s down from last year, when opponents averaged 21.7 yards per kick and Georgia ranked 73rd.
Richt vowed to improve Georgia’s kickoff game after last season, and yet somehow the Dogs have gotten worse.
Richt has other excuses besides ball placement. “We are very, very immature on that team,” he said at his weekly media briefing. “We have too many young guys side-by-side on those teams, on the kickoff coverage team in particular, it’s probably the youngest bunch we’ve ever had out there.”
Of course, that’s a coaching choice. Some teams load their coverage teams up with first-teamers; Georgia likes to give walk-ons a shot there.
As for the admittedly limited time that Georgia spends working on special teams, Richt has an excuse for that, too. “It’s very, very difficult as far as time. We are crammed to the gill on this 20-hour rule. Every minute is accounted for and even if you add five minutes to that team, you are going to pull five from something else. Whoever is losing that five minutes is screaming and squawking and rightfully so because they feel like they don’t have enough time to get it just like they want it. That’s one of the challenges of college football is to whatever you do, do it in the time frame allotted.”
Still, he maintains that, “As I compare special teams field time and meeting time compared to most people in the country, I think we are probably more. I know for a fact we do more than most people I’ve talked to.”
If that’s true, then how is it that other teams get much better results?
Again, looks like it comes down to coaching.
The bottom line is that special teams play is pulling down Richt’s program and a change is needed.
Whether that means putting more experienced players into coverage or turning the special teams over to someone other than Fabris, Richt needs to stop blaming his kicker, the wind or NCAA rules and fix the problem.
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255 comments Add your comment
Burdell
October 8th, 2009
2:03 pm
Let the “in-fighting” commence! I love it!
GO JACKETS!!!
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
2:03 pm
I am really starting to cringe every time I hear Richt’s excuses.
JB
October 8th, 2009
2:04 pm
Bottom line: We are back sliding……………It’s not timing or luck or stars not lining up or plane rides or schedules or dad gum fill in your own. It’s a total break down in Management and coaching. Why. It’s not “ONE BAD GAME”. We have Dawg fans on here who get mad and defend what’s going on over there, waiting for that next game to make it ALL RIGHT. ain’t happening. We will be just like Tennessee did with Fulmer, watch ths decline over 2-3 years untill something, somebody make some changes
dobearsbare
October 8th, 2009
2:04 pm
Wow, looks like the Richt bandwagon is getting a little more roomy. What’s not shown in Richt’s comments on the kick coverage is what question was asked. If the question was specifically about Walsh and/or Bogotay, then the answer he gave was probably pretty honest. Plus, if you asked Walsh, he would probably be more critical of his own performance.
rhynster
October 8th, 2009
2:06 pm
Riiiiiiiiiight.
Like every team is sticking to that 20 minute rule like it’s gospel.
Can’t even spare another 5 minutes?
OK. Whatever.
rhynster
October 8th, 2009
2:06 pm
20 hours, er, not minutes
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
2:07 pm
My favorite thing about Richt’s press conferences, teleconferences, and tv shows is the blatant “the buck stops here” attitude that every comment is infused with.
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
2:08 pm
rhynster…have you seen our offense and defense? Apparently we literally can’t spare the 5 minutes!
L-Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:09 pm
GLORY GLORY TO OLE GOERGIA!!!!
COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS SO MUCH MORE FUN WHEN YOU TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR TEAM AS OPPOSED TO ENVYING/BOOING/STALKING ANOTHER!!
GO DAWGS!!!!
46 HOURS TIL WE REBOUND UP IN KNOXVILLE!!!!
Phil
October 8th, 2009
2:09 pm
Right on Rex! MR is not a HC – he is an OC who needs to go on a long mission and never return!
Burdell
October 8th, 2009
2:11 pm
Maybe CMR should take everyone back to pool. I mean, who doesn’t like to watch coach jump off the high dive? He better be careful…next summer someone might drain that water on the was down.
Football is war. You need a General…not a Minister. You need a Leader…not a Friend. You need Actions…not Excuses.
Good luck in Knoxville. Beat Lame Kitten and puts some points on daddy’s D.
Paul's Johnson
October 8th, 2009
2:13 pm
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Can’t come up with solutions to the problems, but I can come up with more excuses.
I am beginning to think that no one in this coaching staff (Richt too)has a clue as to how to run a collegiate football team.
JB
October 8th, 2009
2:15 pm
Special teams at Georgia…..We kick off to LSU last week from the 15 with about 1:09 left. You’ve got them on the sideline. This is the most IMPORTANT KICK COVERAGE PLAY OF THE YEAR. YOU GET THEM IN A HUDDLE, SCREAMING TO EACH OF THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN PRACTICE AND TO MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR ASSIGNMENT AND STAY IN YOU COVERAGE LANE. WHEW…………………………………….RESULT: a fifty yard return and a flag for not having enough men on one side, another 5 yards. great…..dad gum we’ll get’em next week !
Ginger
October 8th, 2009
2:16 pm
Think that there is plenty of blame to go around….and don’t think that CMR was saying that the kicker was the only problem in his comments…CMR is right–ball placement…the football needs to be going in the end zone on a very consistent basis….We just don’t get many kickoffs in the end zone…often the ball is fielded at the 10-15 yard line automatically making the field 85-90 yards long instead of 100. That could be difference in TD and field goal which could be huge…We want our team to be up to high standards–championship standards..Problems to address are as follows:
1. Kickoffs—put ball in end zone period and high up air (give team time to run down)
2. Coach Fabris—start taking this extremely seriously or get new coach.
3. Make it an honor to be selected for punt and kick off teams…at Fla–it is an honor that you earn through your play….Brandon Spikes etc…work hard to be on these teams….using walk-ons is not working…put your better players there…it is hurting us too much not to.
4. Make sure everyone knows how to line up….(Curran not being lined up the other night cost us 5 more yards…)…this is basic….know your responsibilities.
5. Make sure the everyone busts his butt and gets down there and tackles folks…Give special incentives for outstanding play..
6. No blocking in back on returns…every punishment for this if it happens..b in b will kill the team
7. If needed look at how the other ultra successful coaches manage this phase and do what get the results….If they are gettting results –we should be getting results.
8. Wake up and smell the coffee–CMR…FSU is working toward getting rid of C. Bowen…mediocrity will not be tolerated for long on the playing field or from the coaches.
Joey
October 8th, 2009
2:16 pm
Right JB, it’s the averages. Numbers don’t lie. We are ranked in the bottom 10% in every statistical category. History in the making….
GradyGrad96
October 8th, 2009
2:17 pm
I really am starting to lose respect for Richt. This is at least the 2nd time I have heard him call out Walsh. Why not let Walsh kick the ball into the end zone? He can do it. Did it in high school and we have seen him do it a few times in college. Sounds like a coaching issue to me. And this whining about not enough time to practice. As head coach is it not Richt’s job to manage a practice schedule, lead the coaches and set the schedule? It is beginning to sound more and more everyday that Richt is starting to sound like he is in over his head. I don’t want to hear a coach whining and complaining about this. I don’t want to hear a coach throwing players under the bus when bad coaching is the culprit. I want to hear a coach tell me how it will get better and what steps are being taken to correct the problems. but that’s just me.
GNAT
October 8th, 2009
2:21 pm
CPJ >>>>>> CMR
The man with a plan (and prior head coaching experience, lots of it) vs. The man with an excuse
RJS
October 8th, 2009
2:21 pm
Amen to that brother.
Rex Robinson hit the nail on head.
German Shepherd Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:22 pm
Phil,
Is your last name Fulmer? I know it’s a tough economy, but I don’t think you’re a potential UGA hire!
Pass the bong!
JB
October 8th, 2009
2:22 pm
Has anyone ever heard Saban say, ” boy, we flew 21/2 hours home Saturday night and got in about 1:30. I hope i can get these boys ready for next Saturday” ?
Joey
October 8th, 2009
2:25 pm
GradyGrad96, After last season when Richt first began feeling the heat about Fabris and Martinez, he said over and over in an interview that the staff and players would work harder than ever to correct the problems from the season: penalties, defense, and special teams. After that hard work(with the same coaches), each category is worse than last year.
McDawg
October 8th, 2009
2:25 pm
just kick the d#$m ball out of the endzone
Joey
October 8th, 2009
2:28 pm
JB, how about Saban looking at rankings of 96th, 108th, 116th in any aspect of the team without lighting a fire under someone’s butt or making coaching changes?
Burdell
October 8th, 2009
2:30 pm
L-DAWG– Who says you can’t do both?
I have as much, if not more, pride for and commitment to the Jackets as anyone. I have multiple degrees from Tech and I am now a research faculty member. But I also love yanking on that Dawg chain. I have plenty of friends that went to UGA and I’ve spent a lot of time in Athens.
What’s wrong with Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate?
keith
October 8th, 2009
2:31 pm
I sgree with JB our program is slipping. After last year I thought Richt would “fix” special teams particulaly kickoff coverage. It didn’t happen. Other teams don’t kick it the end zone every time, and they seem to be able cover and tackle. We have other problems also, inconsistant play calling and defense that doesn’t seem to get corrected. You have to lay it at Richt’s feet.
mikie g.
October 8th, 2009
2:34 pm
when Richt goes to FSU , then Coach Jim Harbaugh will be a great choice to return our UGA to its proper attitude.
zino
October 8th, 2009
2:35 pm
Our special teams are pathetic. Our penalties are pathetic. Our turnover ratio is pathetic. We are lucky to be 3-2.
Top ten recruiting classes for years, but we are out of the Top 25?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what the problem is.
COACHING.
Frank Wren
October 8th, 2009
2:37 pm
How many games has Rex Robinson won as HC?
If you guessed zero youd be right.
German Shepherd Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:39 pm
What happened to Rex? I never read what he said…
For all you fair weather fans out there. Post all you want about firing Richt, your opinions will gratefully be lapped up by the other FWFs. If Urban Meyer wasn’t at UF and didn’t have Tim Tebow, we’d already have an NC under the belt. Tebow is a once in a generation freak of a college football player that rises above the rest like Herschel did when I was in school. He was a man among boys, and Tebow strikes me the same. You love him when he’s your guy, you hate it when he’s on the other guy’s team, and everybody appreciates him for what he’s done after they’re gone. You say which one do I mean? Exactly.
And I liked Stafford. But he was no Tebow. That guy just hates to lose.
It’s only a matter of time before we put it all together. Be patient.
Doesn’t anybody else here remember how brutal the 5-6 seasons were? Am I the only person who sees Willie’s defense has actually been hamstrung by special teams and offense woes and actually has played really well at times. Other times they were still better than last year.
Is Richt perfect? No, but none of you numskulls are, either. Do penalties bother me? Can we play better? Yes and yes. But the last time I thought we would suck, DJ Shockley took us to win the SEC.
Unfortunately, I was foolish enough to go to the Sugar Bowl and watch West Virginia run wild. That was $250 I wish I had back…
And never forget, this year’s schedule is brutal. I half expected to lose a 3rd game already. I figured between Arkansas and South Carolina, one of them might get us.
We sucked last Saturday, and still could have/should have won the game. Hopefully we learn from the experience.
Like MacArthur, we shall return.
German Shepherd Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:39 pm
Sorry, I forgot Rex Robinson was quoted in the article. Cease the flogging..
NC Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:41 pm
It’s simple…let Walsh put every kickoff into the end zone.
MyView
October 8th, 2009
2:42 pm
Wow. Our fan base is starting to get more vocal about their displeasures. This is going to be an interesting off-season, especially if little or no change is made.
Ross
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
IF Richt would tell Bobo to stop working on the stupid screen pass to AJ that does not ever work, we could probably practice kick coverage for about 3 hours. Given that the swing pass is Bobo’s brilliant play call 74% of the time.
Steve McGarrett as Chin Ho's Leader
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
I’ve got it. Let’s hire Bill King as coach and he will make it work. He will hire Saint Simons as his assistant coach and the world will be right again.
Denver Dog
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
I sure din’t read into that comment that he was blaming Walsh for the issues. He says that the kicker needs to do better placing the ball, as part of the team. He says everybody. That is a team, the whole team. How do we make it into totally Blair Walsh’s problem
We haven’t done it to this point,” Richt said, “but everybody’s got to perform and certainly we want Blair to do that. I definitely don’t want to throw him under the bus for all the issues on that team, but it’s been part of the issue, not getting it where we need to get it. The ball placement hasn’t been as sharp
Come up with something else.
SouthGaDawg
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
I think it’s pretty damn simple. IF Richt thinks we have a problem with kick placement and what is painfully obvious to EVERYONE in the country is that the problem is coverage and tackling the return guy! Fakea$$ Fabris is a dope. Walsh can kick it through the endzone everytime. If we can’t tackle, isn’t it obvious to just give it to them on the 20 everytime. It may seem like giving up and admitting we can’t cover kicks. But isn’t that exactly what the truth is, if the coaches aren’t going to man up and do their job, then let’s just make the other team have to go 80 yards everytime. That’s a hell of a lot better than the other team starting close to the 50 almost everytime.
kauai dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:43 pm
Calm down young puppies. The sky is not falling. Yes we are not where we would like to be but please… not all the over correcting.
We are simply a play or two away from being undefeated and yet a play or two away from being 0-5. That is the fine margin of error in college football today.
Prince Vince wouldn’t have made it this long with some of his early teams. As much as I would like…. we can’t go 12-0 each year. Let calmer heads prevail and we will fix the issues.
A few years back at Tennesse we looked horrible and a few weeks later almost lost to Vandy. Yet we turned the year around and all was fine. Go DAWGS!
Kart
October 8th, 2009
2:44 pm
It seems the Richt era has been built upon “well, we’ll get em’ next year” And frankly its getting old…
We have the athletes to make a championship team, we just need some descent coaching leadership.
DawgGirl32
October 8th, 2009
2:46 pm
Wow, I didn’t realize how many football experts there were on this blog. Well at least when Richt gets fired, which apparently is what’s going to solve all our problems, there will be plenty of experts to take his place and run our football program better than he does.
L-Dawg
October 8th, 2009
2:47 pm
Burdell,
There is no such thing as a Tech “fan”. Your stadium sits half empty during a game while Tech “fans” are in a bar a few blocks away strictly to cheer against UGA. The entire basis of your “rally cry” (for lack of better term) is “To Hell With Georgia”. I cannot walk anywhere near the Tech campus with my Dawgs hat on without some moron yelling “Whats the good word…yadda yadda yadda”. That ugly car you guys drive around your field before every game has a flag on the front that says “To Hell With Georgia”, if UGA is present or not. Do you know how “classless” Tech “fans” would cosider us if we put a “To Hell With Georgia Tech” bandana around Uga, or on his dog house??
Tech fans need to worry about Tech’s program. In the eyes of a true UGA fan, Tech is truly irrelevant until the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year. We root for the Dawgs through thick and thin. You Tech “fans” expect us to lose our passion when we have a little slide now and then. It shows what kind of fans you are, basically admitting you only like your team through the good times.
The only reason you are seeing more hatred this season toward Tech “fans” from UGA this season is because of the absolute childish way you guys have handled your win againt us last year, which was the first in 8 years, and the 12th since 1965. Your seniors from that team made rings for the win for crying out loud. Do you think it’s ok for your players to rip up our hedges to take pictures with pieces in their mouth? I would have arrested any of those players for vandalism. You have truly shown your lack of class this past year, and it saddens me for your program that your “fans” are so worried about whats going on in Athens that you forget to buy tickets to your Thursday night games, and the occasional Saturday.
So yes, you can dislike a program. Hell, I hate you guys. But I cheer for my team on Saturday as opposed to skipping my game to watch another and root against somebody else. Tech has taken hatred and envy of another program to the extreme. It’s classless, pointless and downright childish. And you Burdell, are no better than any of them. Move along to your Blog, and let us worry about ours.
Love, L-Dawg
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
2:48 pm
Why would we make a change? All the coaches got raises after last year…even the bad ones!
Bob Horner had a sweet compact swing
October 8th, 2009
2:49 pm
I’ll say this…I’m 41yrs old and the times in my life where I’ve had co-wokers get fired, the morale in the office goes way up…everyone all of a sudden likes their job better and they perform better….I know Richt considers his coaches “family”….but maybe if someone gets fired the remaining coaches will take notice that their liviehood is on the line……
Freddy
October 8th, 2009
2:49 pm
Put Bogetay in for kickoffs and Walsh for field goals. This was the SAME issue as last year. Not getting the ball in the endzone. The reason they got Bogetay was for his leg. Now use him. Time to start using alot of other players. They will lose to Tennessee this Saturday. The ole rookie coach will show CMR up.
Rich Rodriguez
October 8th, 2009
2:52 pm
I love the Georgia fans on this blog.
I think I would fit in greatly with your program.
SimpleDawg
October 8th, 2009
2:52 pm
There’s something rotten in Athens…..and the fish rots from the head down.
Even if we hadn’t received that bogus celebration penalty and had to kick from the 15, and even if we had placed the kick perfectly, and even if we had covered the kick well….we still had an illegal formation.
If you can’t get 11 guys to line up properly for a kickoff….
We have more problems than we can enumerate here. WTF !?
Saint Simons
October 8th, 2009
2:52 pm
20 – 13 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahhahahaha
uuughh...
October 8th, 2009
2:52 pm
SouthGaDawg…Why don’t we give up on kick offs? We have certainly given up on returning or blocking punts!
How do I become a DawgGirl32 expert?
Burdell
October 8th, 2009
2:54 pm
What’s the Good Word? To Hell with L-Dawg!
rabiddawg
October 8th, 2009
2:55 pm
Play the freshman. Imagine how good that QB at Michigan is going to be the next 2 to 3 years. Imagine how good that QB at USC will be the next 2 or 3 years. Whats the use of having talent stockpiled if you are not going to use it. We are 3-2, we can’t be worse than we already are. stop relying on seniority and loyalty and play the talent. You can’t tell me there is nobody on that team better than some of these starters.
Munson #1
October 8th, 2009
2:56 pm
I joked on earlier blogs that the program was circling the drain. Maybe it’s not a joke.
Let’s make sure when we put knives in each other’s backs that we twist them in real good, get them nice and deep so there’s plenty of bleeding.