What’s the problem Between the Hedges?
Would bigger student sections make for more of a home-field advantage? (Photo by Olivia King)
We all know that under Mark Richt UGA has been a more dangerous team on the road than at home, but when football historian Patrick Garbin heard a Georgia fan lament recently that the Dogs no longer have any home-field advantage at Sanford Stadium, he decided to see if that is really true.
With the home-field advantage defined as the difference between your winning percentage at home and on the road, Garbin crunched the numbers (you can check out the charts on his blog) and found that, indeed, for the Dogs the HFA has basically disappeared in the Richt era, particularly against ranked teams.
Why is that?
Some point to a fan base that is heavy on longtime (and aging) season ticket holders while tickets for the more vociferous students are limited, reducing the crowd noise. Garbin notes there are also physical reasons why Sanford, which is not fully enclosed, is not as loud as some other stadiums.
I think those are both factors in the lack of a home-field advantage, but that doesn’t really explain why the Dogs did better at home in years past.
What is it about the Richt era that sees the team playing better on the road? Is it because they’re more focused when kept in a more controlled pregame environment? Does the coaching staff do a better job of preparing the players for playing in a hostile environment? Whatever it is they do differently on the road, I wish they’d try it at home.
Still, the main factor in home-field advantage at other schools seems to be crowd noise, I’ve heard Sanford Stadium crowds get so loud you can barely think — the “Blackout” games against Auburn in 2007 and Alabama last year being examples — though for the latter I’m mainly talking before Bama got off to a big lead. It is, unfortunately, a fact that Sanford Stadium crowds tend to be easily knocked out of the game by an opponent and wind up sitting on their hands when things aren’t going well for the Dogs.
Faced with the historical oddity that the road team usually does better in the Georgia-Auburn series, I’m hoping that won’t come into play this week.
But I’m also wondering what changes might make playing Between the Hedges once again an advantage for the Dogs. I’ve heard suggestions over the years, from increasing the students’ ticket allotment to moving the Redcoat Band to the east end zone or enclosing the Sanford Bridge end of the stadium.
What are your thoughts? And why do you think it is that Sanford Stadium crowds aren’t more of a positive factor for their team?
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121 comments Add your comment
L-Dawg
November 12th, 2009
10:31 am
GLORY GLORY TO OLE’ GEORGIA!!!!
WHAT DO GEORGIA TECH “FANS” AND UGA FANS HAVE IN COMMON?? THEY ARE BOTH THOROUGHLY OBSESSED WITH THEM DAWGS AND COMING ONTO THIS UGA BLOG TO TALK ABOUT THEM!!!
TRUE FANS SUPPORT THEIR TEAM NO MATTER WHAT…… FAKE FANS INVEST ALL THEIR ANGER IN FOCUSING ON WHATS WRONG WITH THE PROGRAM AND FORGETTING THERE IS A SEASON GOING ON!!!
THINGS WILL BE FIXED IN ATHENS, JUST OVER THE OFFSEASON, BECAUSE WE POSESS THE CLASS TO FINSIH THE DRILL WITH WHAT WE STARTED NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULTS MAY BE.
WHAT IS MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUBURN YOU ASK?? COMING HOME FROM IT!!!
WHY DOES THE STATE OF ALABAMA STAY ON THE MAP?? BECAUSE TENNESSEE SUCKS!!! (WHEN TENNESSEE PLAYERS ARENT ROBBING FOLKS OF COURSE!!!)
UPDATE!!!…… GEORGIA TECH CAMPUS AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS REPORTED TO BE IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH 3 UNNAMED UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FRESHMAN…..HMMM??
GO DAWGS!!!!!! BEAT DOWN THOSE EAGLES..I MEAN…UM…TIGERS??
L-Dawg
November 12th, 2009
10:32 am
SECOND!!!!!!
GW
November 12th, 2009
10:45 am
Improving the defense will give UGA a better home field advantage. The crowd will feed off a good defense that has a chance to make big stops. Now when UGA scores the crowd expects an immediate answer from the visitors, and usually gets it.
SadDawg
November 12th, 2009
10:47 am
Bill, when your defense allows points at home like Willie’s the last couple of years, fans generally shut up, except to maybe ask “what the hell is going on?” Fix the team and the home field advantage will return. There is a correlation.
Screwball Willie
November 12th, 2009
10:47 am
Nothing gets the crowd fired up like a dozen personal fouls and a soft defense that routinely allows the visiting team to put up 30+ “between the hedges”.
strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard
November 12th, 2009
10:48 am
I think without a doubt one deficiency of the Home Field Advantage is the older aged season ticket holders.
Granted, I plan on keeping my season tickets until I croak, but we should require the older people to be capable of making noise.
I recently sat with a friend in the upper Southwest corner of the stadium, a few rows behind the trumpeter prior to the game. As kickoff was about to take place, and Baba O’Reilly was playing through the loudspeakers, and the jumbo-tron said “Get On You’re Feet”, I stood up to cheer, and was abruptly asked to sit back down, because I was directly in front of an older lady who obviously did not have the bone strength to stand up herself. As i looked around, most the people in this section were very very old, some extremely overweight to the point that screaming would bring them to a sweat, and one old lady even had an oxygen tank.
NO WAY can you ask the passionate lifelong older fans to give up their seats. I don’t plan to ever give mine up. Unfortunately I do not see any solution to this problem.
DBalcer
November 12th, 2009
10:49 am
I agree the crowd does seem to get knocked out of the game quickly. I don’t blame the age of the crowd I think part of it comes with fans who are only vocal when we are winning. They need to make noise any time the other team’s offense is on the field.
Paul H
November 12th, 2009
10:51 am
Agree with GW – there is nothing that takes a visiting opponent out of there game then a stifling defense aided with a roaring crowd.
Paul H
November 12th, 2009
10:52 am
Nonetheless, still better than playing at a half filled home stadium like Tech.
carolina dawg
November 12th, 2009
10:55 am
This rating system is screwy. Yes, we could win more home games to improve our home field advantage, but we can also improve it by losing more road games! So, that’s my vote, lets have them start losing more road games and then we’ll have a greater home field advantage!
A friend, a gator fan, went to the UGA-LSU game this year. His take was that the crowd was loud, but never a factor. I think that sums it up quite well. Whether it’s construction, proximity to the field, nature of the fans, or team attitude (or all it combined), Sanford is a nice place to play, can be loud, but is not and has not been considered a hostile environment to play for quite some time, well before Richt got here.
The original black out game against Auburn was the first time in a long time I recall where Georgia just wore somebody out. We had to fight and scrap early and then just whipped them. Usually, we’re either playing well and just get rolling or it’s an off day and nothing overcomes it. I think we’ve seen the ’score on the first drive and then go into a shell’ game plan too many times. And I don’t think that’s related to the crowd as opposed to the teams demeanor. Not casting stones because I don’t have any solutions and never played sports on that level, just an observation.
JB
November 12th, 2009
10:56 am
” we’re going to review this program from top to bottom. We’re going to go back to the basic’s and work harder than we ever have. We’re going to improve our off season conditioning work outs. We’re going to have physical practices and leave no stone unturned to win the SEC next year”
Mark Richt, December 2008.
Free Willie
November 12th, 2009
10:59 am
Free me back to the depths of the unknown and give the UGA fans a reason to cheer and make some noise. Please let me take my pal Bobo and my arch enemy Fabris with me. Please Free Willie!!!!
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:02 am
It’s simple–
When the Dawgs play at home–they have a tendancy to underprepare. You ASSUME you have an advantage instead of playing like the underdog.
It’s a motivation thing. Richt has NOT been good in that area. He doesn’t know how to keep his team from being overconfident. He wants them to have the swagger. He doesn’t know how to make a compelling case for his team that they DO NOT have ANY advantage at a home game.
When they’re home, they have a lot of DISTRATIONS–girlfriends, friends, family, etc. And the coaches are out recruiting heavy. It’s a FOCUS thing. Again, Richt’s challenge with motivating his team.
bart
November 12th, 2009
11:04 am
Enclose the Sanford Bridge end of the stadium, and increase the number of student tickets. In the meantime, get a defensive coordinator who will bring back the Junkyard Dawg Defense. If you give the fans something to cheer about, they will.
Gator Fan
November 12th, 2009
11:04 am
If the dogs want a bowl game, they are going to have to get a win, their best shot is Kentucky. If they don’t make a bowl, Willie is definitely gone, and possibly more. How bad would it suck if they winning their games means that Willie gets to stay.
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:07 am
You also need to get off to good start to get the crowd into it.
The team who scores first in the SEC usually wins.
Bobo should have some big plays dialed up for the 1st quarter.
We havn’t been rushing the ball well.
When Richt has a 100 yard rusher, he’s 38-3. We are last in the SEC in rushing.
THAT’S the problem.
mcdaviddawg
November 12th, 2009
11:07 am
What changes? All new coaching staff.
exNFLplayer
November 12th, 2009
11:08 am
Bart that’s about to happen.
Bill King
November 12th, 2009
11:08 am
“Strangers”:
Now that’s a unique perspective. I’ve heard folks argue that senior citizens should have to prove they’re physically capable of driving a car, but passing a physical to get into a football game? I guess we should measure the decibel level of one of their typical shouts, too!
Burdell
November 12th, 2009
11:09 am
L-DAWG–
You’re back to your old ways…your paranoia must be intoxicating.
SEC
November 12th, 2009
11:09 am
the players and coaches no longer try and get the crowd up. Remember when pollack would be so pumped and he would wave his hands for the crowd to get up and make some noise….that would fire me up. Now we just laugh as we watch them dance
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:10 am
Bobo and Richt, both ex-Quarterbacks, love to throw the ball.
But the way to win in the SEC is RUNNING THE BALL.
Richt is 38-3 when he has a 100 yard rusher.
What’s more likely, Ealey for a 100 yards (he’s averaging 5.1 a carry), or 300 yards passing from Joe Cox?
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:12 am
O thing Georgia’s so obssessed with the PENALTY thing, they fear showing EMOTION!!!!
They don’t realize Richt is 25-2 when Georgia gets 10+ penalities…..hmmmm
Michael Guest
November 12th, 2009
11:13 am
Regardless if it helps or not, every student at the school should have the ability to purchase season tickets and sit in that stadium for every home game. If for no other reason, it should be more important for the students to be able to watch their peers play than for some alumni whose college days are long since past.
runtt
November 12th, 2009
11:13 am
home field advantage? Two words: Erk Russell
SEC
November 12th, 2009
11:15 am
Those are stong words runtt
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:18 am
SCORE 1ST & HAVE A 100 YARD RUSHER
When Richt scores 1st, he’s 65-9, when the othet guy scores 1st, Richt is 21-17.
When we have a 100 yard rusher, Richt is 38-3.
Dave
November 12th, 2009
11:22 am
I agree with Michael Guest. Every student should have the opportunity to attend ALL games every year.
Would it be louder if all of the students sat together instead of splitting them into different sections? It seems to me if all of the students sat on the open end of the stadium, the noise they create might have more of an effect if directed towards the enclosed stadium.
One other comment. I remember being at the SEC championship game in ‘05 and being amazed at how loud the LSU fans were compared to the UGA fans. We probably had them outnumbered 2 to 1, but they were easily as loud, if not louder, than us.
DawgGirl32
November 12th, 2009
11:24 am
I think the proximity of the students to the field plays a factor. I love the stadiums that have the student sections right down on the field where the players can jump up in the stands after a big play. In Sanford, the players on the field probably feel a bit disconnected from the fans being so far away. The shape pf the stadium certainly has something to do with it too. Why do you think Death Valley is so loud? I’m not buying the Georgia fans tend to be easily knocked out of the game when an opponent is winning, though. That’s every school. Death Valley got super quiet last year after Darryl Gamble’s first interception on the first play of the drive. I think the bigger question here might be: why is Georgia so good on the road? Mark Richt’s home record isn’t bad, but his road record is pretty amazing. I’m not sure why that is.
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:31 am
DUDE, it’s what you do ON THE FIELD that gives you HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.
All the SMOKE AND MIRRORS CRAP, Like PROXIMITY TO FANS, DECIBELS, COLOR JERSEYS, AGE, IS GARBAGE.
On the field performance will eventually turn the stats around.
Run the ball. Richt is 38-3 when we have a 100 yard rusher. That will change the w/l record at home pretty wuick.
Rick S
November 12th, 2009
11:32 am
I agree that Georgia seems to have lost that “unbeatable” attitude at games played in Sanford Stadium and it is hard to pinpoint why the home record under Richt has declined, but the dawgs need to regain that advantage once held under Dooley. Opposing teams use to hate playing in Sanford but it’s not as intimidating as it use to be.
I agree with one other comment stating the end zone next to the bridge needs to be enclosed to not only increase the seating capacity but for a more itimidating enviornment which is also needed to stay-up with Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee who’s stadiums have either increased seating capacity and/or undergone major rennovations.
another ptc dawg
November 12th, 2009
11:33 am
Bill,
I have had season tix since 1973 and this is what I remember about the crowd being loud.
1.We used to have a great defense to cheer for. I thought the crowd was very loud at the end of the USC game.
2.The games started at 1pm or 2pm, NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!! Some of my friends leave at the end of the 3rd qtr in order to beat the traffic and get home before 2am. I live in Peachtree City and didn’t get home until 2:30am after the USC game.
3. TV and Steve Shaw make the games last 3 1/2 to 4 hours. It is just too exhausting to be rabid on every play. TV,money and poor officiating make the game a marathon. A decent runner can start a marathon at the beginning of the game and finish 26 miles before the game ends.
4.Tell all the whiny little nouveau fans that being down 31-0 to Bama and giving up 26 points in the third qtr to GT is nothing to cheer about. Give us a quality product and a chance to win and we will make some noise.
By the way, how do 45,000 GT fans make enough noise to make their team 9-1?
David Granger
November 12th, 2009
11:34 am
Georgia has ALWAYS had the same problem regarding the percentage of older fans versus younger fans, and has always maintained a good home-field winning percentage until recently.
I think one problem is that Coach Richt loves finesse football, and gimmicky tricks…different color uniforms, blacking out the stadium, jumping up and down after a TD…and I’m not sure that really works well in the SEC.
I also think it hurts that he is not a real strict “authoritarian” coach. The team does have “swagger”, but a lot of it is fake-swagger that we have for no real, justifiable reason. (And look at how much damage that fake “self esteem” crap does for the education system…kids make A’s and can’t even read.)
Coach Dooley used to openly criticize his team whenever he could. (He’d praise the individual players when they deserved it, of course…but a player KNEW he had earned it.) When Dooley would start to po’ mouth his team, and brag on the other team’s players, by game day you would think it would be a miracle that the Dawgs hadn’t starved to death by game time. And then they’d go out kick ass up and down the field. (And just as an FYI: The two strictest coaches in the SEC are Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.)
Coach Richt is a fine recruiter, and I guess that’s the most important ability for a coach to have. But even in our best years under him, we have had more trouble than we should have. Should the 2007 team (which finished 2nd in the nation) have lost to South Carolina, or needed overtime to beat an Alabama team that finished 6-6, or needed a last-second field goal to beat Vanderbilt?
And a big part of the problem is that we continue to make the same mistakes, game-in and game-out, year-in and year-out. We allow long kickoff returns often enough that I think the problem is NOT execution, but a bad defensive scheme. And how many times do we have to see the Dawgs blitz on third down and long, only to have the opposing QB either hit the safety-valve receiver or tuck the ball and run…to get a key first down because there are no defenders left in short-middle? (Tebow burned us for a first down and a touchdown on 3rd and long blitzes a couple of weeks ago.)
I honestly think there is MORE there to our teams than Coach Richt has been able to get out of ‘em. He’s better at building the team than he is at using to full potential.
CMR Wins the 2009 George Hamilton Cocoa Butter Open
November 12th, 2009
11:41 am
If the AU game gets ugly this weekend, please……
NO cursing at players.
NO throwing cups/ice at players.
NO spitting at players.
This isn’t 1999.
Bawney Fwank
November 12th, 2009
11:41 am
That’s the solution…give the students loans that they can’t pay back so the can be season ticket owners and then raise the taxes on the AARP members and rich folk so the government can pay the students loans.
It worked well in the Fannie-Mae and Freddie-Mac programs to increase home ownership!
HH
November 12th, 2009
11:42 am
That, King, is an easy one. The problem is Richt and his tolerance for incompetent staff, particularly coordinators, if one wishes to call them that. If Richt were to get a couple of testosterone injections, develope some backbone, among other things, fire the nitwits he has come to love, hire a few SEC-caliber assistants, I bet “crowd noise” would not be a subject of discussion.
Cuz
November 12th, 2009
11:46 am
Keep hope alive. Just win baby.
John
November 12th, 2009
11:47 am
If they’re going to cater to the wine & cheese senior citizens, they need to schedule only early games when they’re alert, the evening games are too close to bedtime.
Cuz
November 12th, 2009
11:49 am
In the late seventies and early eighties, us students used to complain that the alumni would sit and not get into the game. The more things change the more they remain the same.
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
11:49 am
WIN EVERY QUARTER.
College Football is about EMOTION!!!
If Richt scores 1st, Georgia is 65-9. Richt is 21-17 when he doesn’t.
If Ga leads at halftime, Richt is 67-6. Richt is 16-19 when he trails at halftime.
If Richt leads after the 3rd quarter, he’s 74-4, if he trails after 3 quarters he’s 8-22.
It’s about EMOTION. If you have a bad play, make up for it by the end of quarter. If you trail after the 1st Quarter, be leading going into halftime. If you trail at halftime, be leading after the 3rd.
Gerogia’s missing this BIGGER PCITURE mentality. It’s not about 1 play, or 1 penalty.
If you’re winning at the end of each quarter, the crowd will be into it.
Chris
November 12th, 2009
11:57 am
Looks like someone got the 2010 ESPN Almanac for their birthday.
Willie Martinez
November 12th, 2009
11:58 am
I like to give up 31 points by the half at least so I can hear myself think.
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
12:01 pm
Georegia has the wrong Mindset at home!
Georgia hasn’t really been RESILIENT under Richt.
If we commit a penalty, drop a ball, turnover, get a bad call, we tend to MAGNIFY it and then interpret that as some kind of pre-ordained outcome like “Here we go again, we are powerless, nothing we can do, we are going to lose”.
The thing Ga must figure out, ESPECIALLY AT HOME, is how to bounce back from adversity and figure out A WAY to be winning by halftime AND going into the 3rd Quarter.
It’s not about 1 play, or 10 plays, it’s about how you respond to adversity and where you are at halftime and the start of the 3rd quarter.
If we are winning at halftime, and going into the 3rd, Richt is almost UNSTOPPABLE.
Just a thought
November 12th, 2009
12:05 pm
Are we the only SEC stadium to not play music during timeout breaks. I just went to Tuscaloosa and the place was bonkers and they play music throughout. I understand many(all) of the older(stuck in their ways) UGA fans will tell me that we shouldnt listen to that racket, but it does get the fans and players alike pumped up, and we want the players pumped up. Our music consists of “run this town tonight” and the band playing alma mater. I graduated in 05′ and I knew not a soul who knew the words of alma mater.
godawgs
November 12th, 2009
12:06 pm
If Georgia Gets 10+ Penalities against Aubrun and Georgia will win
Georgia is 25-2 when Richt commits 10+ penalities.
When we playing with a swagger, we play with emotion. Sometimes the refs don’t like emotion.
If we commit a penalty, the team tends to OVER COMPENSATE for the mistake.
PLAY WITH EMOTION–ESPECIALLY AT HOME–DON’T WORRY ABOUT PENALITIES–WORRY ABOUT PASSION!!!!!!
uuugh...
November 12th, 2009
12:18 pm
Richt’s road record is only good because we play Florida at a “Nuetral” site. You factor that annual beat down in and the road record is not exactly stellar.
Our team is totally undisciplined and always underachieves. Fans are always expecting something bad to happen and most times the team delivers. Almost every big hit is followed by a penalty…turnovers negated…big returns ruined by blocks in the back. The fans know that Richt’s brand of finesse football looks great the 1% of the time it is clicking. The other 99% of the the time it looks awful. Our Bend and then break defense is also not much to cheer about. Plus, we all know that once our dawgs lose the momentum, it is gone forever.
The fans aren’t louder because Richt’s teams have conditioned us to be apprehensive.
The home record is bad because we play too many ranked teams. We don’t beat many ranked teams, so we shouldn’t play them at home…or away for that matter. Since we don’t beat ranked teams we should just stop playing them. Our record improves and we win on talent alone…never needing any coaching of any kind. Perfect. Problem solved.
Otto
November 12th, 2009
12:22 pm
Why is LSU louder? Many things the stadium has a steeper angle keeping fans closer. The student section is closer to the field taking up section not a wedge in the corner. They chant “Go Tigers!” together after big plays. UGA does not have a chant then yell “Go Dogs!!!” together. Another thing I have noticed is at Auburn, Tenn. and LSU the bands play more music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Ted Striker
November 12th, 2009
12:29 pm
UGA has a mediocre home field “advantage” because a disproportionately large percentage of UGA fans suck.
Hate that it’s true, but it is.
elviskl
November 12th, 2009
12:31 pm
TO ALL YOU GA BULLPUP SONS A BITCHS COME ON DOWN TO NORTH AVE ON THE 28TH AND GET YOU SOME
uuugh...
November 12th, 2009
12:34 pm
Hey Ted…maybe the fans are a reflection of the team.