Is Georgia’s problem coaching or inferior talent?
Did Brian Van Gorder benefit from better defensive talent? (Georgia Sports Blog)
Is the relative decline of Mark Richt’s program in the past couple of seasons a matter of bad coaching or is it more a case of the talent not being up to the level it was during his first few years in Athens?
Quarterback-turned-broadcaster Buck Belue has been making the case for the latter scenario this week. Summing up the loss to Tennessee earlier this week, he said: “They recruited the wrong guys 4 years ago and they are paying for it right now.”
And talking about embattled defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, Belue says: “Again, to me it’s more about personnel than about his coaching. …I keep going back to this: In 2007, the Dogs’ defense was at the top of the SEC. Georgia was #3 in scoring defense: 20.2 per game. Dogs were #3 in rush defense. They forced 26 turnovers and sacked the QB 42 times … tops in the SEC. Did he forget how to coach? Think not. It’s the personnel.”
Another former UGA player, Rex Robinson, is having similar thoughts, inspired in part by hearing Paul Johnson say that the difficulty in stopping Georgia “depends on what Indians are flinging the arrows.”
Robinson goes back and looks at the roster of the 2002 team, which went 13-1 and finished No. 3 in the nation, and highlights some of the more notable players, especially on defense. Then-coordinator Brian Van Gorder “had more bullets in his gun” than Martinez does now, he concludes.
What do you think, is Georgia’s talent level down, or are the current coaches just not getting as much out of those highly touted recruiting classes?
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368 comments Add your comment
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
October 15th, 2009
4:14 pm
asst. coaching
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
October 15th, 2009
4:15 pm
how about that never thought it was a big deal to be first but now i feel like we just beat vandy regardless of the coaching
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
harleydawg
October 15th, 2009
4:21 pm
i am one who thinks the talent level is better on this years team and i have been out there, they are bigger faster and stronger
joe
October 15th, 2009
4:22 pm
If you overlook Vandy and go in there and throw your helmet on the field and expect to win, you will get beat. I, for one, would love to see that.
L-Dawg
October 15th, 2009
4:23 pm
GLORY GLORY TO OLE’ GEORGIA!!!!
WHAT DO GEORGIA TECH FANS AND UGA FANS HAVE IN COMMON?? THEY ARE BOTH OBSESSED WITH THE DAWGS!!!
GO DAWGS!!!!
LOOKING FORWARD TO CHEERING IN PERSON ON SATURDAY IN NASHVILLE!!!
Dawgs73
October 15th, 2009
4:24 pm
Are you FREAKIN kidding me! It’s the players and not the coach? Ok genius (Buck Belue), who was the FREAKIN rocket scientist that recruited these “sub par” players…uh, the coach! Unbelievable, it’s almost like saying I can’t afford to pay for my mortgage after I signed all my disclosures, read them thoroughly, and now it’s “I didn’t know I was supposed to pay that”….REALLYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great coaches can turn average players into exceptional ones. Bad coaches just make excuses (or have someone else excuse for them).
Buddman
October 15th, 2009
4:26 pm
Its a known fact.. You can not make chicken salad out of chicken Sh^*..Thats what the CMR is trying to do.
Hushull
October 15th, 2009
4:29 pm
Shucks, now I’m confused. It was season before last that Buck proclaimed (after the dags rise to #2 in the nation) that it would be the following 2 or 3 seasons when UGA would contend for the NC. Of course he was prophetic in that the Dawgs were in position with the pre season #1 rank. They dropped like a rock pretty quick, but then this year has been ever worse.I’m confused!!!! Is their talent or not?
Alabamadawg
October 15th, 2009
4:31 pm
I think its a little of column A and a little of column B…
superDawg
October 15th, 2009
4:31 pm
I believe there is talent on this team but there is no fire in their heart.This may be due to the fact that GA.laid some hard wood on OK.state recievers and had the flags thrown on them for it.Well it is time to start swinging the big stick and let the world know that the secondary means to make you earn every yard.
PUP FAN
October 15th, 2009
4:32 pm
Maybe, just maybe, the talent was better BECAUSE of VanGorder! But who knows? I’m tired of all the rhetoric and coach/player bashing. I’m ready to see the Dawgs stand up and fight! As long as they fight then I don’t care about the record. (That probably isn’t true…but it sounded good!) GO DAWGS!!!!
WildBill
October 15th, 2009
4:33 pm
I believe the UGA status quo is very simple. The coaches got complacent over the years and this condition kept getting worse. The coaches indulged the players excesses and things got even worse. The players aren’t in top shape and several some are seemingly oblivious to their position responsibilities. The qb has gotten out of his comfort zone. Combine all that with lackadaisical coaching and the horse has gotten out of the barn. The theme now, is “where do we go from here?” No one seems ready to take drastic action. Personally, I don’t look forward to the rest of the season.
gadawgs
October 15th, 2009
4:34 pm
Coaching…… Does TN have superior talent than GA? No, they have a better DC. Does SC have better talent than GA? No, they have a better DC. Does AL have better talent (according the scouting services that rank the talent)? No, they have a better DC. FL and LSU in my opinion have better talent and thus a more bullets but they still have better DC’s than GA. Not to mention we are softer than all of those teams as well. Look at all the teams ranked ahead of GA in every defensive catagory in D1A and tell me that GA’s talent is inferior. No way.
Vol Man
October 15th, 2009
4:35 pm
Buck Belue has been hanging around Kincade too long!! Why would you recruit the “wrong” players?? Should you not be a great judge of talent as the head coach of a major program. Maybe Buck is to blame, he recruits shamelessly for the Bulldogs 3 hours a day on local radio.
Jim
October 15th, 2009
4:35 pm
I think it’s both…successful coaches are good evaluators of talent. They are able to adjust the defense based upon the strengths of their players. Also, good coaches are able to “coach up” players by helping them learn the system and understand their role. We have, particularly in the secondary, players who are consistently unable to perform their roles, plus a coach who seems unable to coach up players and unable to teach the system as well. More than anything though, a coach controls the quality of the defense by benching underperforming players, which does not seem to be important to our coaches. Surely we have someone who can play safety better than Evans…they would only have to be out of position or miss tackles 50% of the time to constitute an improvement.
SuperSize those Fries Mutt
October 15th, 2009
4:39 pm
How about BOTH: When Dumb meets Dumber. Five stars just means nothing these days, its just PR, for both the coaches and the players. If hype alone could win National Championships, the mutts would not have but one to their worthless name. Tech has FOUR National Championships in football, yet UGAY has been hyped by the worthless Urinal as National Championship material every year for the last decade. We all know now that that hype was false, UGAY has not won a National Championship in the last decade, and they are highly unlikely to ever win a second title. Tech on the other hand is well on the way toward their FIFTH National title, maybe not this year, but soon.
Top Dawg
October 15th, 2009
4:40 pm
Either way, it’s the coaching. If these players are not that good, which is essentially what these guys are saying, then why did the COACHES sign them to scholarships?
I think it’s the coaching, or lack thereof.
PhilDawg
October 15th, 2009
4:41 pm
The decline in the Dogs is a tough combination of recruiting, coaching, scheduling and winning.
This year’s situation reminds me of the decline at UT several years ago when they recruited top athletes, but the athletes were more concerned about themselves than the team. We have too many undiciplined players who are athletes but maybe not “football players” and maybe not TEAM players. You can recruit athletes, but you can’t quantify their heart until it’s too late. The coaches seemed to address this a little from the mid 3rd quarter on in the UT game – Woods and Tyson had more reps than any other game. They youngsters were in the secondary. Playing time is the one weapon these coached have. Maybe they sent a message there.
In the coaching staff we have a mix of older coaches, younger coaches and recruiting expert coaches. The continuity should work in our favor. However, I believe that the combination has grown a little stale. The titles on these guys could choke a horse. We a few young, hungry “Indians” and fewer “Chiefs”. You think in times of stress Garner defers to Martinez? There may be a lack of commitment and dedication and respect amoung these guys who have grown a bit too comfortable and complacent in their positions.
The schedule this year has worn these guys out. If you combine the two points above with the grueling schedule, the bubble was bound to burst at some point. We must rebound at Vandy, hit the off weak and recover mentally and physically and commit to winning these last 6. Tough, but it is where the Dawgs are now.
Finally, we have to commit to winning. Winning it all, not just the SEC. The bar has to be set at the highest level. 1980 was a long d— time ago!
sharecropper
October 15th, 2009
4:42 pm
I would not know Rex Robinson from Jackie, but to interpret Paul Johnson’s “flinging the arrows” comment as being directed at Georgia’s defense is stupid. He says specifically to “stop Georgia” — meaning the defense — depends on who is flinging arrows. Or, Mr. Robinson, playing quarterback and passing the football. Geez. The proverbial playing football too long without a helmet.
bugsquacher
October 15th, 2009
4:42 pm
Put this one in the bank…no doubt, its the coaching! Its is their responsibility to bring out the best in the players. You can either coach a person “up” or “down”. You cant tell me that this bunch of players cannot learn basic fundamentals like tackling…. the coaches hold 90% of the bag on this one!
barneyb
October 15th, 2009
4:42 pm
Just like the syncophants to throw the players under the bus and absolve the coaching staff of their failures. Eveyrone is to blame here.
David
October 15th, 2009
4:44 pm
I’m NO fan of Tech, but look what Johnson did with Chan Gailey’s men. Took the same bunch that went 7-6 in 2007 and last year went 9-4. He had 400 yards rushing in 2007, last year nearly 1,400. I know the triple option accounts for a lot, but the same back rushes for nearly 3x as many yards under a different coach and scheme. So maybe coaching is Georgia’s problem? Buck Belue says recruiting in 2005 was our problem? Weren’t we a top 10 class?
Sav'h Dawg
October 15th, 2009
4:47 pm
Problem is a soft team playing in a smash mouth conference. Dawgs are not physical enough to hang with the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.
David G.
October 15th, 2009
4:48 pm
coaching,coaching, and more coaching
shards1967
October 15th, 2009
4:48 pm
If UGA signs or any school signs tons and tons and tons of top 4 or 5 all world h.s. players and they are strictly offensive players, we would be that year ranked in the top 5 or top 10 in recruiting. That is what has happened on OFFENSE but not on DEFENSE> see our stats.
Here is the point:
UGA has always gotten top 5 picks on O but NOT ON D and the SEC IS A D LEAGUE> look at Bama. I rest my case. We do get decent skill talent BUT NOT the quality linebackers and the d ends and the corners and safeties. THIS AREA is where UGA is deficient.
Great state of Georgia O linemen should always be recruited. U of Tenn. Has Chris Scott at tackle and he is from Lovejoy. TX Tech has HIGHLY REGARDED Brandon Seasay and he is from West Atlanta ( could not get into UGA ) and Oklahoma last year for 3 or 4 years had Duke Robinson of Atlanta and an All American and SC has that linebacker Norwood that is an All American, fron cobb county.
The really good kids got away. See? We take left overs apparently. Richt and CO must go. 9 years is too long w.o. a NC.
Chris
October 15th, 2009
4:50 pm
No offense, but this team has no Pollack, Blue, Davis, Battle, Taylor, Moses, etc. That being said, there is still plenty of talent that is NOT being “coached up”. This years D has enough ability to stop naked boot-legs and play-action passes; therefore, I will side with the coaching being the bigger issue. Is there anyway to transfer some of that emotion seen above on BVG to the current coaching staff (CMR)?
GO DAWGS!!!
Indydawg
October 15th, 2009
4:50 pm
Coaching, coaching, coaching. This is what they get paid to do.
It’s the talent that’s been bailing the coaching out….
Herschel Talker
October 15th, 2009
4:51 pm
IT IS ALL COACHING. PERIOD.
ANYONE WHO SAYS THAT THE TALENT LEVEL AT UGA IS WORTHY OF A 45-19 BEATDOWN BY UT HAS HIS HEAD UP HIS A$$.
GET REAL PEOPLE!
WildBill
October 15th, 2009
4:51 pm
Lots of good, well thought our comments here, and they are much apprciated. I hope the minions at UGA take notice.
Raleigh Dog
October 15th, 2009
4:52 pm
Top Dawg got it just right. The coaches recruited them. Richt has admitted many times to underestimating talent. Maybe they weren’t paying as close attention to the recruiting as they should have. They’ve got only one great player and a few who could be great but aren’t now. 8 losses here we come. Richt has lost his edge.
Benny
October 15th, 2009
4:52 pm
I see that there are a lot of posters that think they know how to coach. Hah! I have personally coached 5 players that currently play for UGA. I would never have recommended them due to attitude. They were not team players – only for their own stats. They did not care in high school about winning or losing – only about getting laid. At one time or another all were benched during their high school football days for a variety of offenses yet UGA still wanted them. I remember after one game where we lost a heartbreaker – one of these clowns was bragging to the opposing team cheerleaders about how great he was. Did not join his team in the locker room and an assistant coach had to corral him. He did not play the last 3 games but is now at UGA. You can have all the talent in the world but with this attitude you won’t go far. UGA did not want to listen. Now they are paying for it. FSU players on the 2nd grade reading level? One of these players can’t do 2nd grade math or spelling and is playing for UGA. Makes me wonder.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
October 15th, 2009
4:52 pm
Remember how much fun is was in 2007 to see the defense swarm and hit? How did the players and coaches forget all that? Were those players that much better? Don’t know. Maybe.
Macclenny_man
October 15th, 2009
4:54 pm
Georgia has talent but it is not used properly!!! The rankings on high school players is always in the top 10!!!! Georgia has just become to predicable on offense and defense!!!! We seem to be scared to try anything different!!! Coach Richt said in the summer he would run an offense that fit our qb!!! Well I can’t tell!!! Though I think Cox can read a defense better than any other qb we have, does he have more talent than the guys behind him!!!! I think not!!! He as a average arm!!! Apparently we can’t run a quick slant!!! I think we would be better served to have Gray play because defenses would have 2 account for him running!!! So that would open up more holes to pass or run!!! Although I think this year on defense their is No hope!!! As long as we have Martinez there will be none!!! It is 2 late to change our defense this year so unfortunately we have 2 live with it!!! But offense there should be some different plays for Gray since he is alot more mobile!!! If there isn’t then it has 2 be coaching period!!!!!!! All good defenses try move around the dl or lb’s to try to confuse the offense line!!! That is not Willie’s defense!!! The only time the are moving is when they are trying to get set in the defense that is called!!! There is know way Smith or Boykin can’t line up and play man sometimes!!! This would allow us 2 do more with the lb’s instead of just reacting 2 the play!!!! That is what our lb’s do and that is why Curran and the lb’s are the leading tacklers on this team!!!! THERE IS NO DOUBT IT IS COACHING!!!!!!!!!
zino
October 15th, 2009
4:55 pm
Well, the coaches make the offers to the recruits, so if the talent is inferior then it still goes back to the coaches.
cajdawg
October 15th, 2009
4:56 pm
Buck Belue “has the coaching staff’s back”. While I like him, his opinions don’t necessarily match reality. Their is overwhelming statistical evidence that the defense has been in a steady decline. To argue otherwise makes Belue look like a fool. Just recently, he has begrudingly acknowledged the incompetence of the defense, but now “it is the players”.
Hopefully, Damon Evans can see through the “bull___t” the apologists and “insider-got-your-back-crowd” keep throwing out there, if not, we are about to re-live the late 80s and 90s.
DaveDawg
October 15th, 2009
4:56 pm
We’re getting the talent out of high school, but it’s not being coached-up upon arriving on campus. Who know how many “bullets” Willie would have in his gun if he were coaching them correctly.
Discipline is lacking
October 15th, 2009
4:57 pm
Turnovers
Penalties
rinse. lather. repeat. the coaching staff has not instilled discipline in this team. it showed last year. and repeating itself this year.
yuck
October 15th, 2009
4:57 pm
negative sportswriters and unrealistic fan base
Mikey
October 15th, 2009
4:59 pm
I do not have the answer but I betcha if Saban and his staff had our team and we had theirs, Alabama would still be undefeated and we would still be 3-3…maybe worse.
If Meyer and his staff had our team and we had theirs, they would be undefeated and we would have Tebow throwing every down and running for his life. We would be lucky to be 1 -5.
Dawgs73
October 15th, 2009
5:01 pm
shards1967 – Are you out of your freakin mind. Dude, to say that UGA has not recruited 4 to 5 star talent is just ignorant. Here’s a link to an article written just yesterday about UGA and defesive recruites.
http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/2009/10/14/talent-should-be-least-of-problems-on-georgia-defense/
Please do me a favor a think before you blog.
Dawgs73
October 15th, 2009
5:01 pm
shards1967 – Are you out of your freakin mind. Dude, to say that UGA has not recruited 4 to 5 star talent is just ignorant. Here’s a link to an article written just yesterday about UGA and defesive recruites.
http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/2009/10/14/talent-should-be-least-of-problems-on-georgia-defense/
Please do me a favor and think before you blog.
Larry
October 15th, 2009
5:01 pm
Coaches actually coach games for about 3 months of the year. The rest of the time their job is to recruit talent. If Ga has inferior talent, its because the coaches suck at recruiting. Either way its the coaches’ fault. Your headline basically says “Is Georgia’s problem coaching or coaching?”
Macclenny_man
October 15th, 2009
5:02 pm
U R SO RIGHT ZINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeeMack
October 15th, 2009
5:02 pm
Buddman, you are funny. Is that what UGA is trying to do? I thought they recruited some good players. Is is the caliber of the player that is now coming, or the caliber of the coach. Remember, most sh** runs down from the top. Now this one stumps me.
jacket3
October 15th, 2009
5:04 pm
Really funny what losing a few games do to the Dog Nation. I can remember way back when I was undergrad in Dogland – Price Dooley had a few bad years – quite a few actually. No one ever called for his head. So DogNation – get over it. Win a few, lose a few. This is not your year to beat the war drum. Coach Richt will get it right, Martinez will get it right and the sun will shine once again in Athens after the storm.
Better play Vandy like it is a National Championship game or you’ll get drilled. It happened to Dooley way back when too but I’ll save that for another day!
Seaon is not over
October 15th, 2009
5:05 pm
This might not be a huge aberration from previous years when all’s said and done. If we DO wind up losing 5 or 6 games, though, I’d tend to think it’s the players we’ve got right now. We don’t have the backfield talent we had last year, the OL isn’t what we thought it’d be, and the defensive talent just isn’t there. There’s no Champ Bailey and there’s no David Pollack. Pretty much the same coaches, though. Do the math.
Dawgs-n-SC
October 15th, 2009
5:07 pm
Coaching or Players? We have had top 10 recruiting classes in all but 2 of Richt’s years at UGA. Coaching or Players?
Well, let’s take a look at this situation. Tennessee game, for example…coaching or players?
Offensively, a little bit of both. As far as the players are concerned, we can’t blame Richt or Bobo because Joe Cox can’t hit a receiver in stride or under-throws the receiver or over-throws the receiver or, just plain, throws into triple coverage to the wrong team. It’s not Richt or Bobo’s fault that Cox can’t throw accurately over 10 yards (which takes away a constant deep threat known as the best receiver in the nation). But Richt and/or Bobo are to blame for not playing Logan Gray (better arm & mobility) or Aaron Murray. We will finish the year out with Cox playing sub-parly and then have to start the next year with yet another quarterback which causes inconsistency in team chemistry. That’s COACHING.
The running game suffers from not have a true consistent threat. We have one in Washan Ealey but he only gets about 4 or 5 carries/gm. There’s no chance to get in a groove. That’s COACHING.
Defensively: As far as J. Crompton looking like Montana vs our defense…if defensive ends dont stay at home on a roll out, then I guess that’s the players fault. But, then again, they have to be taught and molded to do so. Not making an adjustment in the defense coverage/scheme is all the coaches. I mean if a quarterback is rolling out of the pocket and his receivers along with him, a zone coverage is going to be out-numbered on the side that they roll to. It’s call overloading to one side…that has to be COACHING.
I’m still a DAWG fan to the end. GO DAWGS!
A CHANGE HAS TO BE MADE!
Ted Striker
October 15th, 2009
5:09 pm
I say get someone else to come up with topics for discussion because Bill King ain’t shown me anything worth reading this season. I keep giving him a chance but he keeps his kick-the-kids, kick the coaches mentality, day-in-day out.
Bill King, I hope to god you’re retired because I would hate to think someone pays you to produce a product based on what you show me here.
Chris
October 15th, 2009
5:09 pm
Let me first start by saying Amen (no pun intended) to CMR and the fine job he’s done over the 9 years at UGA. However, what’s eating away at me is the continuous lack of emotion week-to-week, year-to-year that is seen within our head coach. Do you all remember “finish the drill” and “knocking the lid off the can…”? For the first time in years, UGA players, coaches, alum and fans all had something in common. A call for a rally to restore what each thought was rightfully theirs, a position a top of the SEC and a premier program in the country.Where has that been the last two years? I for one can not find it anywhere. It’s not to be found in the color of jersey’s the team wears, I know this much. It’s a thought, an idea to be the best and settle for nothing less. Unfortunately, that train of thinking in Athens seems to have abruptly disappeared. I can’t believe I am going to say this, but who has more emotionally in common with Meyer, Saban, Miles or Kiffin? CMR or John Gruden? I am not jumping on any “Gruden for coach” bandwagon, but that emotion (which is GONE) sure would be nice, IMO.
GO DAWGS!!!
Uncle Jessie
October 15th, 2009
5:10 pm
What are we going to blame today? Let the blamestorming continue!!! I see you’ve still hung on to those darn Sally Jesse Raphael glasses, Bill King. Nice.
Mikey
October 15th, 2009
5:10 pm
I promise you Greg Blue is not gonna walk thru that door. Neither is Thomas Davis, David Pollack, Demario Minter, Tra Battle, Tim Jennings, Jermaine Phillips, Odell Thurman, Tony Gilbert, Thomas Flowers, Marcus Howard, Quentin Moses, Charles Johnson, or even CJ Byrd ..
That’s just on one side of the ball !
We have what we have-so we need to coach them properly.
SCJack
October 15th, 2009
5:11 pm
The Holy Bible proclaimed that ‘a house divided cannot stand’; this phrase has since been used most notably by Abraham Lincoln as well as many others to describe any sort of internal strife that has or will bring a group or its objective(s) to ultimate failure. It has been my contention for a few years now that Coach Richt, for whatever the reason, has dealt with his staff’s internal pettiness and ambitions by creating ‘one-ups-man’ job titles, increasing their pay, and hoping that this move would be transparent to his recruits and the public. It’s never worked in the business world and it will never work at UGA. Just as workers reflect their leadership’s priorities and actions, the UGA players, no matter the number of stars or statue, will reflect their coach’s priorities and actions. A change of attitude and priority at the top will most definitely bring about a change of attitude, priority and performance at the bottom.
chiefdawg
October 15th, 2009
5:11 pm
If UGA’s talent level is down who’s fault is that? Cam you say COACHES.
Voice of Reason
October 15th, 2009
5:11 pm
There is a very clear example of what has changed in a few years. Consider Thomas Davis: textbook tackler (always moving forward, shoulders over hips over toes), playing assignment football and taking good angles. Now, compare Reshad Jones: athletically gifted, but for every big hit we see him at least twice as many times from behind as he chases an opposing ball-carrier. Talent differential or technique/coaching differential? You be the judge.
Ed
October 15th, 2009
5:14 pm
If talent, not coaching was the issue, then you could excuse getting blown off the field by someone like USC, Texas, or Florida, because those teams clearly have more talent than just about everyone else these days. But how does a talent gap explain getting beaten by 26 at Tennessee? Or dominated in the second half against Oklahoma State? Anyone out there that thinks the current version of the Vols has more talent than Georgia or that Oklahoma State has more talent than Georgia?
Georgia is a poorly coached team as evidenced by poor fundamentals, especially tackling and blocking, and stupid penalties that incur year after year, game after game. To seriously question whether Georgia is a well-coached team at this point is to be in denial.
If there is a talent gap at Georgia, I’d say it’s on the offensive line. Our guys don’t seem particularly athletic or physically imposing. None of them will make us forget the Stinchcomb brothers, with the possible exception of Sturdivant, who is injured. Other than that, we seem to have more than our share of talent. The blue-chip pedigree of our linebackers, d-ends, and def. lineman is so well established that to question them as athletes, or potential D-1 atheletes, is ludicrous. Likewise, our defensive backfield is full of athletes that could have had their pick of top schools to attend. Reshad Jones was a can’t miss 5-star. Somehow after several years in the Georgia system they can’t stop the run or put consistent pressure on the quarterback or defend a pass play. Rennie Curran is our best defender, but in my opinion he’s regressed some since his freshman year in ‘07. If that’s not coaching…
TechPhi97
October 15th, 2009
5:14 pm
Scout.com rankings of last 4 recruiting classes: 4, 5, 17, 4. Sounds like terrible talent to me.
dap01
October 15th, 2009
5:15 pm
Even average coaches can get average players to be competitive and fight. Even average coaches can get average defensive backs to be within 10 yards of a receiver. Even average coaches can get average players to run plays on offense that is not soooo predictable. Even average players and average coaches can have a defensive scheme that allows the team to be competitive.
The problem with UGA’s football team is the offensive, defensive and special teams coaching
DaddyDawg
October 15th, 2009
5:16 pm
Coaching is to blame! Don’t coaches recruit the talent? How many teams had the offensive talent UGA had last year (three NFL starters);pre-season #1;only to lose to average teams. I saw a massive change when Van Gorder left…..it’s been downhill every year.
Are you telling me UT has far better talent than UGA? They spanked our butts……wait…..they ripped us a new one.
Coaching to blame!!!
Wally Butts
October 15th, 2009
5:17 pm
Obviously, nobody writing in here ever played the game at a high level. There’s only one reason why things would get so bad so fast for the Dawgs. Voracious brain maggots. Not much you can do about it once they get in your head.
J Dog
October 15th, 2009
5:18 pm
Why is VanGorder the DC for the Falcons now?? You think it’s because he got real lucky and had better players while at Georgia, or do you think it’s because he knows something about playing defense??
Take your blinders off!
See the truth!
BS Patrol
October 15th, 2009
5:18 pm
PhilDawg got it right. You can squat 700, bench550 & look like Arnold, but that won’t make you a great football player.
joe
October 15th, 2009
5:19 pm
why is it DOWN?? If it is, then all the classes we recruit are NOT top 10 as reported. What’s the truth?? are they or are they not?
UGA is in trouble–big trouble. Like him or not, Kiffin will bring the Vols back. Like it or not Auburn is back.
So, where are we?? Fla/Ala 1 & 1 A. “bama will be #1 after this year if not right now–once Tebow goes so does Fla go down. The the Vols, then Auburn. Makes us 5th best–MAYBE. Then there is that slug @ Arkansas. And, w/o miracles every year SC could should have beaten us.
We are stale–stale–stale. Fire Richt. And I will be shewered for this. Hire Spurrier. Or the guy @ Cincy if he can be had.
Dawg Whisperer
October 15th, 2009
5:21 pm
I guess VanGorder happened to be at UGA at just the right time while Willie Martinez caught an unlucky break all these years except for one. Look at what VanGorder has done for the Falcons the short time he has been there. He makes the most out of the talent available, that’s good coaching. Where I see the biggest dip in talent is on the offensive side of the ball except receiver. P.S. – I hate blaming anyone, I’m just looking at the obvious. Unfortunately, college football is a business and is treated like one or the revenue takes a downturn. Personally, if I was Willie, I’d be happy to move on if afforded the opportunity. Its unfortunate that he is under such scrutiny.
Mitch
October 15th, 2009
5:22 pm
How bought Willie being the promblem.
D-banks that are not even in the screen of my 56inch t.v.I can handle buy geting beat my a great Q.B. But please everyone throws big on us.
Van Gorder wound not allow this.For that matter name just 1 head coach in the s.e.c. that wounld allow the d-crd. to still be employed at their school.
Talent is not the promblem!! Coaching is from soft zone Willie “I can’t make a half time adjustment “M. To CMR “That I have no stones between my legs to fix the coaching problem.”
Dameon Evans needs to run CMR out of town if he does not fix the coaching promblem during the offseason.CMR needs to start out with Willie.The only qestion that remains is what poor excuse CMR will give to keep everyone on board. That even a 5 year woulnd never belive!!
tchance
October 15th, 2009
5:26 pm
Good point in the article….this is the same coach who had dominating defenses just a couple of years ago. Ironically while watching Bama I made a mental note their players were bigger and more intense than ours and wondered how our coaches would do with their players. It does make one think with respect to the Dawg players. Regardless, I am a Richt supporter, but if it is truly the personel, that still comes down to coaches and who they recruit
SuperSize those Fries Mutt
October 15th, 2009
5:26 pm
Hang your head in SHAME, mutts.
DDDAWG
October 15th, 2009
5:28 pm
i cant believe you had greg blue in bold. he was terrible. just b/c he was big and could hit doesnt mean he was worth a dam.
DDDAWG
October 15th, 2009
5:29 pm
that being said i dont think it is inferior talent, its the coaching. the players on defense are not in the right positions to make plays. the blitz’s are boring and easy to spot, and we all know how predictable we are on offense. its coaching.
Dawg Dude
October 15th, 2009
5:29 pm
When receivers are catching balls with noone within 10 yards of them week after week after week it has to be coaching. We are rushing 4, not getting any sacks mind you and the secondary still has holes all over it. Enough so that Jonathon “worst QB in the SEC” Crompton looked like the second coming of Peyton Manning. I agree we may not have the NFL level talent we used to have but we should be better than this. If we had been a little better defensively last year who knows what would have happened. Being near the bottom in penalties for 2 staright years also points to coaching/lack of discipline.
kauai dawg
October 15th, 2009
5:30 pm
It’s has to be Jim Donnans fault. If he would have coached better we wouldn’t have fired him and searched for Richt.
Turnovers and Penalties kill teams, as do injuries. We have had 2 bad years of bad combinations.
Let’s support our guys and help them right the ship and not sink it!
Go DAWGS!
mutley
October 15th, 2009
5:31 pm
Even if talent is subpar that’s a coaching error for recuiting the wrong players. You never see Meyer or Saban recuiting the wrong players what is wrong with this picture.
Archie
October 15th, 2009
5:33 pm
Either the Georgia coaches forgot how to coach or their forgot how to recruit, either way the coaches are no longer doing something they were doing well a few years ago. Talent is not the problem though, if talent were the problem then only about about a dozen teams or so would ever win games since it’s always the same teams atop the recruiting rankings. Yet there’s more than a dozen teams in college football that are contenders. It’s all about getting the most out of your talent. This team has been mediocre since 2006, even with Stafford and Moreno they weren’t getting the most out of those players. Now we’re just seeing the same mediocrity without two #1 draft picks. Georgia’s problem has been in place for years, it was hear when they had great playmakers and it’s still here when they don’t have great playmakers.
dawgster
October 15th, 2009
5:35 pm
It may be a little of both, but alot of these gifted athletes have not had the success up to this point that we expected, but i can promise you if we had not signed them then i am quite sure another school would have and everyone would have said why didn’t we get sign them. Maybe we haven’t coached them up as people like to say, but the player has to have the will and desire to succeed, thats hard to coach, a player who has been a superstar his entire career in high school all of a sudden he is at program where everyone has been a star, sure coaching comes into play here, but the will and desire to get better has to come from the player….And for Benny, i seriously doubt the fact that you coached 5 current players on the dawgs roster, why is so easy for you to throw these young men under the bus, and if they had that kind of attitude why did you allow them to stay on their high school team, and why did you not talk with the georgia coaches about these young men, i find it hard to believe that they were as bad as you say, but ir what you said is true, were we the only program that wanted these young men..
lanerlaw
October 15th, 2009
5:37 pm
Bottom line on the staff is that coaching staff are like middle management at a company. If you can’t perform you have to go. If the CEO can’t recognize and then fire under-performing managers, then he gets fired. CMR take note!
Metal Jacket
October 15th, 2009
5:37 pm
The “WHINING” in Athens keep getting louder and louder. Good talent has covered for bad coaching.
ResacaDawg
October 15th, 2009
5:40 pm
It’s time for Richt and cronies to go, past time actually. It would be a blessing if Vandy beats UGA, since that would force the AD to sack Richt immediately.
So… Go Commodores!
CaliDogg
October 15th, 2009
5:40 pm
Okay, I missed something, between the pre-season #1 ranking (I know rankings – especially pre-season rankings – don’t guarantee anything but they certainly tell you something about how people view your team/program) and getting puppy slapped by the faded Orange in Knoxville.
I knew that Stafford and Moreno graduated.
But, did the whole team graduate? Did they all leave? Did we not sign any players at all in the last couple of years? Are these frat-league guys out there filling in?
I thought I saw posts about how thrilled the coaches (including Martinez) were with their recruiting classes last year, and the year before that. Were we the only one’s who didn’t know that the players we were bringing in were actually duds? Nobody else wanted them? Then why were we in the intense recruiting battles I thought I remembered reading about?
I’m glad I got straight on all this. We just haven’t gotten any good football players in a few years and that’s all it is. Thanks. For a minute there, I was worried.
I do have one suggestion though, for the future. If we insist on continuing to recruit lousy players, could we at least try not to recruit blind defensive backs? I mean, they must be blind, I figure, since they can’t see a member of the other team running around in the secondary. I’m all for opportunities but maybe a job in Coach Richt’s office or AD Evans’ office would be better than letting them play in the games.
[Yes, sarcasm intentional.]
icedawg
October 15th, 2009
5:40 pm
The talent has obviously been lacking along the defensive line and defensive secondary. If you cannot stop your opponent then you will not win the game. Belue makes a good observation about the variables that have changed. I am not convinced that the so-called recruiting experts have or can accurately assess high school players. If they were that accurate then UGA should be within the top 5 or at least the top 10 clubs in the nation. And now we know that that is not true. Just look at the size in the defensive backfield. UGA is undersized against most of their foes receivers. There is no match between a 5′9-10″ defensive back and a 6′4″ receiver. You can coach, coach, coach but if there is that big of a discrepancy, you are going to lose more often than not. We’ve been outsized in this are for the past couple of years. Our “star” high school running backs have turned out to be mediocre running backs in college because they, too, were overrated. We are suffering from inferior talent. Maybe we are depending too much on recruiting in the state of Georgia. Maybe the state of Georgia does not have the corner on all of the football talent that is available.
Scoob
October 15th, 2009
5:45 pm
The defense has steadily decline since 2007…No Martinez didn’t forget how to coach, Buck. He just hasn’t evolved, and OC’s have figured out how to attack his schemes. It doesn’t take a football guru to figure out that it is a combination of coaching and talent. Lean more towards the coaching though…
:)
October 15th, 2009
5:45 pm
Let’s buy Floridas’ and Bamas’ coaches and players.
Wally Butts
October 15th, 2009
5:47 pm
I’m telling you it’s the brain maggots. Belue’s got ‘em too, I’m afraid.
GR82BAG8R
October 15th, 2009
5:49 pm
Georgia’s biggest problem is impatient and unrealistic fans. College football is not like the pro’s where you can make a championship team just buy acquiring highly rated (in NFL high priced) talent. Just ask the owner of the Redskins, Dan Snyder. On second though, never mind…
Calm down and give Richt a chance to fix the teams problems.
Otto
October 15th, 2009
5:50 pm
Lets assume Buck is correct. The coaches still picked these players. It is not HS where your district does not have the kids to play. UGA put an offer on the table to get them in Athens.
I believe it is all of the above. It is the coaches job to pick the players, sign the players, and coach the players up. You will miss one here or there but UGA is beyond a few players not panning out. The Coach’s ability to adapt to the talent you ready to is not there anymore and coaches do not seem to be putting the fire and fundamentals into the players.
Cox was hitting WRs in stride at SCar and Ark. 5TD passes in one game, Staff did not do that. What happened at UT? Did Cox somehow forget how to throw? The running game was 100% gone and he was forced into bad throws. Monte outcoached Bobo.
BullDawg Rick
October 15th, 2009
5:51 pm
COACHING..
Ya gotta coach up the players YOU (the coaching staff) bring in…
CMR & Co have not done so…
ngapeach
October 15th, 2009
5:51 pm
Blocking & tacking will help
Tech Buzz
October 15th, 2009
5:53 pm
It’s like Spurrier used to say: Georgia gets all these top recruits, but what happens when they go there?? Richt’s had a bunch of top 10 classes, but only won big when florida had zook and bama had shula. Now, Ga can’t even beat Tennessee with the moron lane kiffin as coach! Hopefully, UGA gives richt a big raise and keeps him for 10 more years!!! Tech will dominate that series with Paul Johnson on the sideline–bank on it! Tech 39 Ga 17–place your bets and bet the house!
Otto
October 15th, 2009
5:53 pm
G8R maybe Zook should be back in the swamp. It was just a few years.
Otto
October 15th, 2009
5:58 pm
IceDawg, UGA is pulling players from Florida and the State of Georgia is putting more players in the SEC than any other state from the article AJC published earlier. I doubt UGA has less talent than UT. Monte being a better Coach than Bobo yes. Lane equal to CWM yes.
Supes
October 15th, 2009
6:01 pm
Of course it’s the COACHING.
The Coaches are responsible for the recruiting process, then for coaching/maturing the players from the raw talent (HS level) to the SEC (college level). It’s possible for a player to be lower ranked (David Pollack) and with good coaching (and self player motivation/discipline/practice) to make yourself into an SEC 1st teamer.
We didn’t hear anything about “inferior” players from 2001 to 2007.
It all falls on the UGA coaching staff at the end. It’s their job to find the “right players” for their system and then to “coach them up” and maximize their talent.
Bama Man
October 15th, 2009
6:02 pm
Maybe Georgia needs to recruit more in the prisons like they did before.
When they had good teams they players were in and out of jail. Seriously georgia fans you have a good coach. Face it, all teams can’t be at the top every year. Your time will come around again someday.
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 15th, 2009
6:05 pm
My favorite topic!! I have been posting various comments about recruiting lately …well usually I take the recruitment angle when I look at the team…this years bunch shows a continuation of a trend in recruiting that I feel has affected the program. .Lack of homegrown kids in starring roles.Richt lived on a steady diet of GA talent for his 1st 5 years.I posted this on Bradley’s blog earlier and is more of an issue to me than the lack of 5 star players…….DJ was the last GA kid we’ve had as a star on the team.Remember the 1st 5 years?Our stars were mostly instate kids…Green,Pollack,Davis,R.Brown,Stinchcomb,Sullivan,Boss Bailey,C Grant,Sean Jones,Blue,Golston,Pope,Thurman,Wansley,T.Edwards,Lumpkin,Ware,Brown,C.Johnson and more than a few other good ones…all GA kids…to me that’s when we were at our best..now our best kids are from out of state and it’s been that way since DJ left.It is time for our GA kids to step up and play to their potential it’s not all on the coaches because these out of state kids are coming here and out playing them point blank.Maybe it’s just a natural cycle of talent in GA…there was a high number of pro caliber players for a while and it tapered off some..or perhaps we let some good ones get away…whatever the cause it is becoming more pronounced now.It’s not all gloom and doom though..Curran,Boykin,Smith,Rambo,Tyson and eventually ONE of these RB’s are ball players but we need more kids to step up to the plate and start delivering.The 10 class has some instate studs ..Olgletree,Garrison Smith,Rogers and Stripling could all end up as 5 stars before signing day.. so I see it getting back to what we had become accustomed to.I just don’t see an entire staff forgetting how to coach all a sudden.That’s pretty much how I see it..I don’t discount coaching all together by any means.The track record of Mark Richt throughout his career as a coach and a leader to me.. trumps any thoughts of him having somehow “lost it”.One thing though I wonder about is ..do we have too many chiefs running around on the team this year?What I mean is Willie is now co-coordinator on D with Jancek(what exactly is his new role I’m not sure). Searles is OL coach and new Running game CO (again what exactly is his role..not sure)to help Bobo.Then we have Fabris who has his own little fiefdom with special teams.It looks at first glance like the staff is not experiencing the effects Richt expected when he made the first two moves.We have 6 games left. how both players and coaches respond will be revealing.
SEC1
October 15th, 2009
6:07 pm
Think about this for comparison:
Florida’s defense last year was top-notch and was LOADED with underclassmen. Are their recruits THAT much better than ours? Seriously, look at the defense at Bama and Florida and tell me there is not a HUGE difference in results. I simply don’t see that much disparity in the recruits however.
Translation: I think it is predominately the coaching…
jerry
October 15th, 2009
6:08 pm
It’s the coach’s job to make sure they don’t have inferior talent. So he doesn’t get off the hook either way.
Disgusted Dawg
October 15th, 2009
6:09 pm
There are 3 problems that I see and I am no football coach, just a fan who has watched many UGA teams to know when I see problems!
1)No one in the college football universe is scared of what Willie Martinez is going to throw at them on any Saturday. Everyone keeps talking about 2002…we had Van Gorder and opposing coaches lost sleep thinking about him!
2)Talent – we have kids that are not disciplined. When you are in a tight game and you are standing on the field dancing during a tv timeout…there is a problem to be addressed! They look good based on Recruiting websites, but they do not have the talent that we have come to expect and demand. Talent comes in many forms…not just physical talent!
3)Special Teams….AWFUL! I pray each and every time for a fair catch or to down it in the end zone. I have seen too many balls fumbled or run out of the end zone without a prayer of getting to the 20….THAT IS COACHING or lack there of it!!!
Bulldawg
October 15th, 2009
6:09 pm
Prime Example…BRYAN EVANS! Remember how powerful the Ellerbe Curran tandem were? Let’s not forget Marcus Howard…sack king of the 2007 Sugar Bowl!
cmac
October 15th, 2009
6:10 pm
the coaches chose the players they want to recruit. If they choose the wrong one, which uga has done, it is the coaches fault! In this case, it is alot of wrong players in the wrong system & coaches who can’t prepare them to win. WHOLESALE CHANGES ARE A COMMIN’!
Todd
October 15th, 2009
6:11 pm
If I watch Prince Miller get burned for another play over 25 yards or a touchdown and then turn around and blame someone else I am going to start pulling for Kentucky, at least there fans expect that kind of play.
Herschel
October 15th, 2009
6:11 pm
Need to recruit some 10 star guys, like me.
ICMIII
October 15th, 2009
6:12 pm
Two words: Ba loney. Next thing you know Belue will be blaming it on the wind.
Crawford
October 15th, 2009
6:15 pm
UGA’s biggest problem is an impatient fan base, which panics at the first sign of trouble. Two years ago the best coaches in the land where Richt, Pete Carrol and Jim Tressell. Now all three are being criticized. Everybody loses games occasionally. I have no doubt Richt will right the ship.