Dogs’ first two games could make or break Mark Richt
Dogs face a big challenge with their opening game.
“None, I don’t feel any pressure. None at all.”
That’s Mark Richt’s not entirely convincing answer to the question of whether he’s feeling pressure coming off a losing season. Richt made the comment when his spring speaking tour stopped at the Savannah Golf Club on Wednesday, as reported by the Savannah Morning News.
I know the guy is supposed to have ice water in his veins, but with most of the football world figuring his job is probably on the line in the coming season, you’d have to figure that maybe, deep down inside, Richt is feeling the pressure. Just a little.
Something Richt also said Wednesday night does a nice job of summing up the enormity of his situation.
“I think the biggest challenge is to be at midseason form for our first two games,” Richt said. “They’re big games for us. [The Boise State game] will help set the tone for our season. The very next week, South Carolina will be big. Since they’re one and two, we have to be ready.”
Beating South Carolina would make Georgia the SEC East favorite.
Rarely has a team coming off a losing season and with a coach considered to be on the hot seat entered a season with two bigger, more important opening games.
One way of looking at it is that Greg McGarity has stacked the deck against Richt by putting Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against a high-powered offensive juggernaut the week before the Dogs open their SEC season against Steve Spurrier’s defending SEC East champion Gamecocks. But conversely, McGarity also has given Richt (who agreed to the scheduling of Boise State) a chance to completely turn things around for his program in just two games.
As Richt said in Savannah, the nationally televised game against the Broncos gives the Dogs a chance “to show the college football world we’re still a pretty good football team.”
Win both of those first two games and the Dogs, whom Chick-fil-A’s Gary Stokan seems sure will be ranked in the pre-season Top 25, likely will vault themselves into the Top 10 and put themselves in the driver’s seat in the SEC East in a rebuilding year for the Florida program.
Lose both of them, and even Richt is going to be sweating bullets.
Split the games and the Dogs will have either a quality nonconference win but start out in a hole in conference play, or have a nonconference loss against a well-regarded team and still be favored to take the SEC East.
No pressure? Yeah, right.
So what are your expectations for Georgia’s first two games? Are you dreading them? Do you expect Georgia to take both? Or, if you’d be satisfied to come out of those games 1-1, which game would you rather have as a win? Does a conference game always trump a nonconference one, or is defending the SEC’s honor against Boise State more important this time?
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317 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
April 21st, 2011
11:22 am
Rumbo, Kellen Moore is back for Boise.
Otto
April 21st, 2011
11:22 am
Boise is 0-4 against which is all the more pressure on Ruicht not to be the team that gives Boise credit.
Boise is the most important game of the season.
Otto
April 21st, 2011
11:23 am
Boise is 0-4 against the SEC which is all the more pressure on Richt not to be the team that gives Boise credit.
Boise is the most important game of the season.
dawgballs00
April 21st, 2011
11:25 am
I think McDawg hit the nail on the head
chazzo
April 21st, 2011
11:25 am
PS What I meant to say is, leave that “our house” swagger crap in the locker room because BSU will be motivated, in fact, overjoyed, to whip your tails in “your house.” Talk is cheap. Do it with action. GO DAWGS!
1eyedJack
April 21st, 2011
11:25 am
Dawgs stomp Boise into mashed taters. Thousands of Smurfs left homeless as they bet the mushroom on it.
Dawgs dine on chickens….roasted and fried.
Revenge between the Hedges for SC, Missy St., and Awbun.
Coach Fishfry forfeits.
Bobby Jacktard
April 21st, 2011
11:29 am
Win or lose, Mark Richt will be the UGA coach until the end of time – the end of time which is sometime in 2012 according to the ancient Mayan calendar. I can’t wait! Goooooo Bulldawgs. And Goooooo CMR!!!!
Spike
April 21st, 2011
11:29 am
Just beat the damn Gators!
JaxDawg05
April 21st, 2011
11:30 am
What will your name be next year under this blog for Dawg Fans, Beast?
Colonel Reb
April 21st, 2011
11:31 am
South Carolina is your most important game.
Lose that one and the rest of us will run over you, like last year.
shankit
April 21st, 2011
11:32 am
Apparently a lot of “Dawg” fans are not concerned with creditibility.
Who had you rather have representing your school, Chizik?, Saban?,
Petrino?, Tressel?, Miles?. All but one of the forementioned are previous
SEC and NC winners?
I think I had rather have Richt, than have to cheat to get a title.
GinB
April 21st, 2011
11:34 am
Bsu?? Bsu?? Don’t forget these guys lost to Nevada last year. A look at bozo Sts opponents w/l records shows the “mighty” pack to be one of only a few bsu opponents w a winning record. We all know bsu schedule is soft.
If u don’t think Uga can beat a bsu team that got outmatched by Nevada you are eating some bad potatoes. Give the smurfs credit for trying to rectify this soft schedule, but the mt west w the departure of tcu, byu and Utah make it the WAC all over again in a different zip code.
As my good friend likes to say. “don’t serve me a white wine with a lime and tell me it’s a margarita”
Bsu’s one game per year does not a program make.
DawginLex
April 21st, 2011
11:34 am
Colonel Reb, you trying out for QB in Oxford since Nathan Stanley fled???
UGA 35
Ole Missy 13
SSIgator
April 21st, 2011
11:36 am
shankit -
Have another glass of KoolAid. You are exactly the kind of supporter that Richt is counting on to continue the illusion.
PDX Dawg
April 21st, 2011
11:36 am
two things and Dawgs beat Boise.
1) The Defense must be much better than last year with the secondary being in good shape by fall.
2) UGA must be able to run the ball with success.
do both of those and we’ve got a great shot IMO.
Beast from the East
April 21st, 2011
11:37 am
@JaxDawg05,
Not sure. I even started to change ot this year beacuse UF was certainly no “beast” in football last year. We’re both fans of opposing schools living in hostile territory so how about a wager? If UGA beats us this year, I’ll change my blod handle to Dawgs Rule! (formerly known as Beast from the East). If UF wins, you have to change your name to Gators Rule! (formerly known as Jax Dawgo5). Whaddya think?
Keith
April 21st, 2011
11:38 am
Georgia schedules Boise State, and UGA Fan JB delivers this very intelligent quote…
“Boise plays a crap schedule.”
Couldn’t agree with you more!
DawginLex
April 21st, 2011
11:38 am
2011 Boise State Broncos Football
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Probably what will happen is they will lose to us and to TCU and maybe one other game and the “experts” will say the only reason we beat them was because they were having a dwon year. Just like 2005. Funny thing how the down years happen when they actually play somebody……..
UGASlobberknocker
April 21st, 2011
11:42 am
needs to be 2-0 but if I had to pick one to win, it would be SC
even better idea
April 21st, 2011
11:44 am
@ Beast of the East..keep your name and just change blog boards and go over to the Gator site. Theyll lovya there.
Kirby Smart
April 21st, 2011
11:44 am
I got my bags packed already Dawg fans. I’ll be waiting on your call.
Colonel Reb
April 21st, 2011
11:45 am
Despite the players we’ve lost, our running game and defense are physical enough to bury your team in Oxford.
You have a physically and mentally weak team. Your road record and third down performance confirms it. Five fumbles in your spring game tells me nothing has changed.
We may not win many, but I am confident we will handle Georgia in Oxford.
Beast from the East
April 21st, 2011
11:46 am
@even better idea,
No nads?
Carew Rowell
April 21st, 2011
11:46 am
Amen…DawginLex
DawginLex
April 21st, 2011
11:48 am
Ole Miss 2011 5-7 Nutt moves on to full time ministry
SOUTHGADAWG88
April 21st, 2011
11:50 am
The defense was the problem with UGA last year…plain and simple….been the problem going on 4 years now.Richt will produce enough offense to win games(he’s an offensive coach)you can gripe about Bobo’s play calls or the usuall suspect OL play but …..give Richt a good defense and he will win 10 plus games every year.
Dan
April 21st, 2011
11:51 am
Yes, Richt’s a really, really hot seat, no bones about it. http://cfn.scout.com/2/1065899.html I can’t believe McGarity scheduled Boise St with Moore at QB. That was not smart. But it’s not an important game, since it’s non conference. Lose the South Carolina game, and considering that Richt loses to Florida 80% of the time, it’s all over for Richt. There are only 2 games you must win–South Carolina & Florida. Lose either won, and you lose the SEC, and Richt’s got to go. I doubt Richt will make the right adjustments, after all, his teams lose more games every year, except 1 over last 8 seaons that the year before. Richt’s changes don’t work 9 out of 10 times. So, lose to South Carolina or Florida, and you got to get a coach that can compete in the SEC East.
I’d hire the old Texas Tech coach, Mike Leach, at the top of the list. I’d fire Richt immediately if he loses to South Carolina and get Leach before he signs elsewhere. I’d make an early season move.
Vance
April 21st, 2011
11:52 am
If we start 0-2, I think Richt will be under enormous pressure to leave. He is brave to take this own all things considered. If our offensive line does not develop and produce in these opening games, we’re in trouble. I hope for Richt’s sake things go well.
Dan
April 21st, 2011
11:52 am
The offense only averaged 18 poiants a game against ranekd teams last year, offense was 100% the issue.
Ben
April 21st, 2011
11:53 am
Bottom line, it’s put up or shut up time. I’ve heard every excuse in the book for the decline of the program over the last 3 years. The D has a full year under their belt with Grantham’s defense, they’re bringing arguably the best QB in the league back, and he got one of his best recruiting classes yet as head coach.
If it STILL doesn’t add up to wins, then a culture change is the only option left.
Colonel Reb
April 21st, 2011
11:54 am
William “Mack” Brown will be your next head coach.
You heard it here first.
Dan
April 21st, 2011
11:57 am
Scoring offense was ranked 8th in SEC against ranked teams. Scoring defense UGA was ranked 4th in SEC against ranked teams.
Matt
April 21st, 2011
11:58 am
I would hope that his attitude for the Boise game is to “leave it all out on the field”. Go for it on 4th and short. Take some chances down field. Rip out the “vanilla” pages. Let Grantham go wild on the sidelines. Try and block a punt. Try and return a punt. Light a fire up under his team. With all the build up of this game he can’t afford to come out on a nationally televised game like this and lay an egg.
aint conVinceD
April 21st, 2011
12:03 pm
Why should Rick be worried? UGA has paid him nicely through the years and he continues to lose to the gators or slip up against teams like Vandy,Kentucky and SC. Richt has a nice treasure chest for being a Choke Artist.
Dan
April 21st, 2011
12:06 pm
With South Carolina’s balance on offense with Jeffries & Lattimore, and then the best D-Line in college football, Clowney & the gang, I don’t think it will be pretty for Richt. Richt tout’s the 10th rush offense in the SEC and Lattimore ran for over 200 against Richt last year.
jWall
April 21st, 2011
12:06 pm
Dan, if the offense avg 18 then how much did the D give up?
Georgia | MrSEC.com
April 21st, 2011
12:07 pm
[...] any pressure at all,” The Junkyard Blawger knows that — as he puts it — Georgia’s first two games this fall could “make or break” the Dawgs’ veteran…Win both of those first two games (versus Boise State and then South Caroilna) and the Dogs, whom [...]
sammiamm
April 21st, 2011
12:07 pm
TallyDawg –
How many practices is a D1 team allowed this summer.
All season?
Ryan
April 21st, 2011
12:08 pm
Matt, I totally agree with you.
The only way to view it as a player is ..........
April 21st, 2011
12:09 pm
The kids must grasp the importance of the first two games. Now, if they stumble into the summer with car wrecks, stealing helmets, slapping their gals around and driving w.o. a license, speeding skooters in alleys, or DUIs ………….. then, they have exhibited a ” I could care less” attitude and must be terminated on the spot. If that happens, UGA could be a fractured squad by kick off in The Dome and with SC. It will be a repeat of 2010. Divided team of DUI thugs vs clean living kids.
On the other hand, if they are honed and focused ON WINNING and IN SHAPE, both games should be fun to watch. UGA should prevail. I see UGA in the Boise game trying to run and run some more, and then, quick dump off passes to our speedy go to men; as Boise is a quick score team. We will try to run the clock like vs GT two years ago, although GT then as now, was no good.
SC game will be a carbon copy of 2010 but we will stuff their running back and they will throw the ball much, much more vs UGA in 2011 for that one reason. We too will run the ball and then hit quick ones. This game will come down to the kicking game, period. Punting, FGs and special teams will win this game.
Go Dogs.
DS
April 21st, 2011
12:10 pm
NONE.. No pressure at all.. Thats what Coach Said… but the LIFE LONG FAN, just blatantly calls him a LIAR… wow.
What did you want him to say Bill?? “Im scared for my life”
Let him Coach!! and see what happens…. dont put the WHOLE SEASON on just 2 games… If he were to lose to SC AND BOISE but run the table the rest of the way and beat florida and win the east, i think i could somehow forgive him for starting 0-2… dont you???
Too Easy
April 21st, 2011
12:14 pm
DS
that sounds similar to what CFP did with VT last year….but a loss to BSU after all of the “SEC SEC SEC” talk and how BSU doesn’t play any competition (it will be game one for UGA and BSU, no excuse for being beat up for either team) how is the dawg nation/team going to recover from that and then go play the defending SEC East champs that beat you last year?
aint conVinceD
April 21st, 2011
12:15 pm
As Richt said in Savannah, the nationally televised game against the Broncos gives the Dogs a chance “to show the college football world we’re still a pretty good football team.” I remember Richt saying this after Alabama crushed Clemson as a reporter wonder how the dawgs would fare against the Crimson tide. Richt said UGA is not Clemson. Wow then UGA got blacked out too.
Honky Talkin'
April 21st, 2011
12:19 pm
I hope UGA enjoys the Boise State game because that will be the only time they see the inside of the Georgia Dome.
Twitter thug
April 21st, 2011
12:20 pm
yawls nid to lays off corch Richt cuz he is up wid da socials netwerks.
SOUTHGADAWG88
April 21st, 2011
12:20 pm
UGA set team records on offense last year in spite of being without Green in the 1st 4 games.That was a big deal with Murray starting as a rs freshman.Defensively?We finished last in opp 3rd conv pct and gave up more touchdowns in the redzone than all but 2 other SEC teams
1eyedJack
April 21st, 2011
12:22 pm
Colonel Reb, you sissies can’t even defend your own mascot.
JB
April 21st, 2011
12:24 pm
Relax everyone and don’t blog all your thoughts today. Between now and say mid November, there will be 250 -300 blogs about Mark Richt’s Job status on the AJC site alone. Plenty of time to lather it up…..And it’s all been said already. Just let them play the games and blog on facts rather than BS.
JB
April 21st, 2011
12:27 pm
And he’s right, he has no pressure. He has the Lord and 10 million bucks in the Bank and 5 or 6 mil more coming to him if he’s fired. And probably 2 or 3 ACC job offers the next year. Pressure. Nope.
funny...
April 21st, 2011
12:29 pm
0-2 in the first two still wouldn’t be as damning as a loss to Florida.
Mark Richt’s job hinges on Florida, I doubt this year will be like 2002 (which I think is the only way Richt can keep his job with a loss to UF)