Mike Bobo offers a positive spin … and the usual tease
Mike Bobo offered a tease about freshman Jay Rome. (Associated Press)
Most of what offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said when he met with reporters Wednesday was pretty predictable (like his playcalling, some wags would say).
He was optimistic about the thin offensive line (”We’re not very deep, but you only need five. We played in ’02 with only five linemen.”), was circumspect about prospects for highly hyped running back Isaiah Crowell (”He might be the guy that comes in and really helps.”) and put a positive spin on the offseason attrition of players: “It’s not going to be easy, and we’ve made it extremely tough around here. When you turn up the heat, sometimes you’re going to have guys that don’t want to be a part of it. That’s their choice.”
He was also slightly self-deprecating when it came to talking about what he has to do with the personnel that remains, saying, “We’ve got to play to the advantage of the guys that we have playing. We can learn from last year not having A.J. Green for the first four games. I probably didn’t play to my other guys’ strength too well because I didn’t give them enough credit.”
And, Bobo being Bobo, he couldn’t resist throwing in one tantalizing little tidbit out of the blue, floating the possibility of using true freshman Jay Rome (who has a logjam of experienced players ahead of him at tight end) as a sort of hybrid fullback-tight end, much the way TE-turned-FB Bruce Figgins is expected to line up some of the time. Said Bobo of Rome: “He’s a bigger guy. He could be that guy.”
Of course, longtime Bobo watchers will offer the caveat that he’s known for sprinkling his interviews with intriguing ideas that either never come to pass or wind up making a token appearance in his offense (as with the Wild Dawg).
A couple of players also met with reporters Wednesday, and much of that continued the theme of those Bulldogs who are still in Athens rededicating themselves to turning the program around. Orson Charles put it rather bluntly when he said, “Every team has dead weight, somebody pulling you back and I think the university and Coach Richt did a very good job of letting people go.”
Asked whether he was underutilized last season, Charles said: “I don’t think so. I think Bobo did a fairly good job of calling the plays. I felt like as a whole we could have played a little harder, played a little faster, and had fun playing the game. But I think this spring it changed a lot. We were having fun, we were competing. In the locker room we were just embracing. So I’m just looking forward to this season.”
A good positive outlook, though someone might want to mention to the youngster that saying your coach did a “fairly good job” probably isn’t the most politic characterization, even if it is pretty accurate.
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346 comments Add your comment
MarineDog
July 28th, 2011
9:51 pm
I think that things aren’t going to magically turn around if Richt is let go. I think that it will set us back a couple of years and recruiting will suffer as well. Be careful what you wish for!
Larry
July 28th, 2011
10:37 pm
Auburn magically turned around. So did Florida. So did Alabama. So did LSU. Get the right coach, things happen fast.
Dawggfan
July 28th, 2011
11:22 pm
We’ll never be rid of Bobo. Never liked him as Qback, never liked him as coach.
7576DAWG
July 28th, 2011
11:34 pm
Does anyone know what the schedule is next week?
Ace
July 29th, 2011
12:01 am
Crowell starts fumbling and then what ? The others were fumblers.
Freddie G
July 29th, 2011
12:20 am
@ Marine Dawg – Are you serious when you stated that if Richt was to go it would set us back for two years and affect recruiting. Bob Stoops won at Oklahoma in his first year,and Urban Meyer started winning in his second year at Fla. What would you prefer, to be passed by SC and be among the third tier of SEC teams, with the like of Miss State, Ole Miss, Kentucky, or get a coach who can compete for SEC Championships and NC? I would prefer the latter.
I will forever root for the Dawgs, and I hope that I am totally wrong in how I feel about this season, but I cannot be as optimistic as some others are, based on what I have seen the past five years.
I like Richt the person and hope he will turn things around and be at Georgia for many more years, my head though is saying otherwise.
MarineDog
July 29th, 2011
1:18 am
Florida turned around because of Tebow. Look at Florida without Tebow. Auburn turned around because of Newton. Let’s see what happens this year. Not to mention all the negative publicity that goes along with Newton. Alabama did however turn things around. There are more stories that involves down years following a head coaching change than there are immediate success stories. I am amazed at the number of bloggers that are crying fire Richt. What will you say when he goes to another school and win a NC before UGA does?
slydog
July 29th, 2011
6:21 am
What was Florida before Tebow? May be 2 NC, 6 conference championships, and 2 Heisman winners. Urban Meyer and Saban have proved that GREAT coaching and GREAT talent can win it all. So either UGA is lacking one or the other or simply lacking both.
slydog
July 29th, 2011
6:23 am
Here is another fact about Florida, a team UGA use to own:
Since 1990, the Gators have won more games (210) than any other college football team in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as “Division I-A”).[2]
slydog
July 29th, 2011
6:23 am
it must be at least 4 generations of Tebow’s that went to Florida
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
7:16 am
Snoop Dog,
With a name like you use on here, you have no room to critcize any other blogger or player. You have got to be one of the most idiotic people to ever post on a blog. No orginallity, just a lot of hate, that you read and repeat from other people. Very little doubt that you are a tech. fan, trying to feel important, but you are about as welcome on this blog as a boil on your lower posterior area.
slydog
July 29th, 2011
7:24 am
RedandBlackDAWG
lmao… you are not right man!!!
jesus gave it all but mark richt cant give 4 quarters
July 29th, 2011
7:29 am
same ole stuff. and, I’m afraid, it’s gonna be the same ole result.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
7:46 am
Slydog,
You know my commander said the same thing about me in Viet Nam. I guess I just never outgrew it, LMAO.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
8:00 am
Concerning the field goal against UCF last year, form what CMR said after the interview, it was his decision. If UGA had really wanted to be there as a team, it would have been the right decision as well. There is no reason, other than UGA had quit the season before that game, that UGA would not have hung some points on that team. They beat UGA because it was a big game for them, and UGA players had already written off the season. Plenty of player interviews seem to express that idea. There was at that point, a lot of disappointment about the whole season, a few bad apples, not even playing like they were suppose to, and most just wanting to get the game over. I think with the addition by subtraction of some former members of that team, this will not happen again. They let themselves down as well as the school, they represent.
Bobo = Bozo
July 29th, 2011
8:32 am
Why is this clown still in Athens?
Buh Bye to the saint
July 29th, 2011
8:37 am
Get the right coach, things happen fast.
So when does McGarity sack Richt? It’s the right thing to do.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
8:43 am
Now, back to sanity. CMR is not the only coach at UGA on the hot seat and it is no secret for sure. I do believe that CMR will be more involved in the game plan and calling this year. I think his philosophy and Bobo’s have been to be a little too conservative, and they have been trying more to not lose the game at times more than win one.
I think UGA will open it up a lot more this year, and if not, somebody needs to stick to recruiting and QB coach. He had better learn to trust his players more, because he did not utilize them correctly or as much as he should have by his own admission. That is when CMR has to step in and set him straight. This year there are a lot of new players but a wealth of talent on the offensive side of the ball. I look for the game to be more wide open, since the coaches really have nothing to lose by doing so. If UGA has a fairly good year, their contracts are renewed, and if not, we start all over again, and lose some of this years recruits and maybe a couple of players already on the team.
Where I differ with a lot of people on these blogs, is that I believe the coaches are capable of doing a better job. I am not just going to give up on UGA, the coaches or the players based on a couple of down years. The ingredients are there to be very respectable on the field, and if they are coached properly, and I believe they can be by present staff, I believe that any team that takes them likely will get their hineys handed to them. We have solid athletes on UGA, but a little low in experience. If they grow into the job a little faster than would normally be required most times, they are going to be very good. I like the players attitudes, and I think there is, a good chance that they will play better than most folks think so on here. If nothing else, they will be there in the fourth quarter, and probably in pretty good shape. I don’t think you will see too many players leaning over with their hands on their waist.
Just for the recrod; I am not concerned with the defense this year at all. I thijnk this bunch can play and having two giants up front at NG and some big ole boys at DE, will make a world of difference this year. It always helps to have had a year under a new system as well.
GO DAWGS
We shall see, we shall see
July 29th, 2011
9:38 am
We have what? 12 games? If we win 9 min. and tie SC for the SEC East, then fine. If not, then we make changes. This is as it should be. Chic Fil A or the So and So Bowl will not get it done. MInimally, UGA ties for the East and goes to the Dome for the SEC and or we end up in the Sugar or Capitol One Bowl. Enough of all of this. What have they done in 5 years???
They all know what is at stake. The pre season talking and schemes and strategies …………… need to kick in asap.
UGA man here.
Class of 71 & 73
Loyal Dawg
July 29th, 2011
10:01 am
It’s almost August. Recruiting is over- can’t sign anymore players. Shouldn’t fire the HC at this point. CMR is a very competitive person, despite what some may think. He doesn’t like losing anymore than the rest of us. He recognized he needed to make some changes in staff and day to day operations. If you remember, he will be more involved in the offensive game planning and play calling- like he was eary in his tenure. Let’s let the man coach and see how the season develops. I will say one think, CMR (if it’s not too late) needs to rethink his stance on oversigning. I think his is trying to make a moral stand when he doesn’t have to. Judging from the attrition this summer, now we understand why Saban and others oversign. Who cares if you run a player out of your program that doesn’t want to work (like a few unnamed players at UGA)? You’ve got plenty of players waiting in the wings. It’s like free agency.
slydog
July 29th, 2011
10:26 am
My bottom line is this: This program SHOULD have at least PLAYED for the NC once. My expectations if I was Mcgarity: 10-2 with the only acceptable losses being Tennessee (Neyland Stadium) and one other slip up. I do not believe we can bare another loss to Florida, however a loss in J-ville and no other is acceptable IF it is not dependent upon whether we go to the Dome or not. This season is Dome or Die. 9 and 10 win seasons are ok when you can acquire a minimum .500 record against your biggest rival and a .500 record against ranked teams. Remember, even the great Bobby Bowden, even in his last years, has had more athleticism and speed than even UGA, couldn’t win the ACC unless VA Tech and Miami slipped up. Once he lost control, he lost control for good. Bowden was no dummy and neither is Richt. The chemistry and trust between the players and the coaches has eroded. That’s why you get 39 arrests and selfish play. Saban and Meyer would have scared the bejesus out of those punks. Why? they see CMR as a friend and mentor, not a father figure anymore. This has to stop. I talk a lot of smack about this staff, but you bet your bottom dollar, I will be hanging on every play, pulling for these players. The staff has to earn my trust and respect back. Success starts at the top.
dave
July 29th, 2011
11:44 am
ugabugkiller
Nobody needs you as a fan. You have never played a down. Yet, you run your mouth. Pathetic.
Charlie Weis
July 29th, 2011
12:42 pm
Bobo,
Just quit running the smallest UGA running back up the middle on 3rd down,
or I will sit on you.
O'reilly
July 29th, 2011
2:16 pm
If things were going well, spin would not be needed.
Burma Shave
July 29th, 2011
2:27 pm
Violets are blue
Roses are red
Bobo’s a clown
When all is said
BURMA SHAVE
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
3:03 pm
Burma Shave,
violets are blue,
roses are dead,
We all know,
That you are brain dead.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
3:04 pm
Make that roses are red, unless of course they are around burma shave, then they die.
Gillislee
July 29th, 2011
3:08 pm
Bobo the clown. 31 years and counting……………….
Wired Tight
July 29th, 2011
3:13 pm
Hopefully BOZO can Finish The Drill……….
I want my Ovaltine please
July 29th, 2011
4:19 pm
Thanks for a tremendous non-insight with this article…time to get the season going!
Leave Bobo alone
July 29th, 2011
4:20 pm
He’s a good boy.
Heyyyy Abbbotttt
July 29th, 2011
4:21 pm
Who’s on first?
terminator
July 29th, 2011
4:45 pm
Only one question to answer: If UGA had the #2 overall recruiting class for the last decade, why did they not play for an NC?
ga gator
July 29th, 2011
4:58 pm
An OC is only as good as his HC allows him to be.
7576DAWG
July 29th, 2011
5:55 pm
terminator
The answer to you’re question is very poor coaching. I think CMR is great coach but he has a big problem firing underachieving under qualified coaches. How many times in the last few years, after a lost have we said ,to be honest and impartial we just got out coached.
Wired Tight
July 29th, 2011
6:18 pm
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRING ON BOYSE ST
4WhatIt'sWorth
July 29th, 2011
6:55 pm
Isn’t Ed the name of that talking horse on TV?
Mean Machine
July 29th, 2011
6:58 pm
As the OL goes, so goes the offense, as well as Bobo’s play calling.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 29th, 2011
7:41 pm
Mean Machine,
Dang, I thought he died a long time ago. But, then again, you do have a point.
Mike
July 29th, 2011
8:26 pm
To all the Bobo detractors: Everything he learned came from Richt. Richt goes over everything with him and would veto things quickly if Bobo got off track. Richt was a great OC at Fla. State – we just need the athletes.
Troll Power Ratings
July 29th, 2011
9:47 pm
@terminator: Statistician that you are, how have the #1 and 3-10 teams over the past decade with the best recruiting classes fared? How much difference in talent is there between the #1 vs. the #10 recruiting class?
This little statistical factoid means little. Except, of course, to you and other TROLLS.
RED DOG 77
July 30th, 2011
12:40 am
@Bill King……….No sir, I don’t agree with your half empty attitude about “my” BULLDOGS………………But to delete my posts is pitiful!………..I don’t curse, call names, or otherwise diparage you or anyone on this blog……….But I darn sure do disagree with you, Oh, lets say, about 97% of the time………..It’s your blog, but as a so-called writer, let me ask you a question………..Ever heard of the first amendment to the United States Constitution?……………….Regards to a writer who can’t write a lick, RED
Peachtree Street
July 30th, 2011
1:28 pm
… gotta beat boise state in the GEORGIA dome …
RedandBlackDAWG
July 30th, 2011
2:46 pm
Boise’s offense will have it’s hands full controlling the line of scrimmage against a bigger, stronger UGA defensive line and strong linebacking corp. If you can move Boises’s QB out of his comfort zone, and make him scramble, you can win the game.
The only thing that worries me some, is though their defense is smaller, they are quick on the front line. UGA will have to control them there and allow Murray and the RB’s time to execute their plays. If the OL can do that for UGA, they will win the game, I think.
Bill King
July 30th, 2011
7:44 pm
Red Dog 77:
I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re ranting about. But as long as you follow the rules you can rant all you want.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 30th, 2011
11:59 pm
Bill, just what exactly are the rules on your blog. Just curious since there do not seem to be a lot of them, just looking at the comments you allow to be posted on here that are just plain, nasty in a lot of cases. I don’t really think the AJC has a lot of rules or restrictions concerning what can be said on these blogs. I would be interested to see what they are, and I am serious. The insults and disparging remarks about the DAWGS violate even the standards of a tabloid paper in a lot of cases.