Dogs need to erase memory of a woeful effort
Aaron Murray and Mike Bobo had one of their poorer games the last time Georgia took the field against an opponent. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
If you’re running down the checklist of things Mark Richt’s football team needed to improve from last year, many of the personnel needs seem to have been addressed and a new approach to strength and conditioning looks promising.
But what we won’t know until Georgia is facing adversity on the field is whether they’ll consistently play as hard as they can, something last year’s Dogs didn’t always do.
Richt talked during the offseason about how distressing it was to sometimes see his team outplayed and Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald recently followed up with the coach for specifics. “When you watch the film and you see another team played harder than we did, that’s sad, that’s my fault,” Richt said. “We had some games like that in my opinion. I can name one for sure and that’s the bowl game. It was most evident that game, maybe that’s the one in my craw and is the one I’m talking about the most.”
No argument there. But what I found really interesting was the response Weiszer got from Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who flatly said the lack of effort didn’t come from his unit. “It ain’t happened on defense. When you look at the Central Florida game, I thought the guys on defense were busting their tail. Now we didn’t finish the game the way that we wanted to, but to say that those guys outworked us, that ain’t right. That didn’t happen.”
Sounds like Grantham was calling out Mike Bobo’s offense as the laggards against Central Florida, which pretty much jibes with the way I remember that particular game, a low point for the program during the Richt era.
But that isn’t entirely a fair assessment of the 2010 Dogs. I can recall some times last season when the defense was guilty of arm tackling and diving at running backs’ feet, so you can’t pin the lack of effort completely on Bobo’s troops. In general, the 2010 team just didn’t seem to be the hardest working bunch ever to play Between the Hedges.
Richt’s right about one thing; ultimately, he’s the one who shoulders the blame. His teams have had a tendency in recent years to come out flat at times and to just plain not want it as badly as the opponents.
If the Dogs are going to turn things around — and turn down the heat under the head coach’s seat — that’s definitely going to have to change.
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291 comments Add your comment
Newnan
August 24th, 2011
3:12 pm
i just want to see my ogletree boys play
Dome to Done.
August 24th, 2011
3:12 pm
Ooooh the fangs are out now and the team hasn’t even lost yet!
While the vampires are sniping and playing dress-up, the rest of the SEC teams are working on their fundamentals and timing.
I see another trip the pool in the near future!
USC fan
August 24th, 2011
3:12 pm
the dawgs aint back!!! Those mutts are dead—they died in 1982
USC fan
August 24th, 2011
3:15 pm
If we beat you by 30 points or more—can we have your “MUTT”? lol
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 24th, 2011
3:17 pm
Dome to Done
LOL
JB
August 24th, 2011
3:18 pm
USC FAN……………..come on here slinging mud, you;ll get some on you. We are not worried one bit about you guys having a good year or two. Certainly two out of 100 does not make a trend. I think if you look we have won an outright SEC title recently, but you would have to Google that to look at one.
See you in Athens….
LHarding Dawg
August 24th, 2011
3:18 pm
War Dang Dawg – I was at that GA/FL game on the utube vidio. My friend and I bought 50 yard line tickets in a bar at the Heart of Jax motel. Great game, on ABC television, with the score at halftime 27-13 Florida. A truly great second half for Georgia football. That is the Ray Golf I like to remember, a winner.
WDE
August 24th, 2011
3:19 pm
@USC fan we are going to beat you and the Visor, your drunken QB and his drunken QB coach like rented mules. And when we are done we are frying that war chicken a delightful crispy golden…..see cretin anyone can play this game now finish your snack you have home work to do.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 24th, 2011
3:24 pm
Will Samuels play in the “Boise Dress Rehearsal” tonight?
bucket
August 24th, 2011
3:24 pm
Last year, blah, blah, blah. It’s a new season and there are signs for optimism. We shall see on Sept. 3rd.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 24th, 2011
3:27 pm
It’s a new season and there are signs for optimism.
————————-
True.
That kicker yall have is pretty good.
He might win a game or two for the dogs.
USC fan
August 24th, 2011
3:28 pm
hey JB—I’ll be there in Athens but you will probably be gone at the half!!! Maybe we could meet up b4 kickoff…. Let me guess–you will be in the red truck with mudders? Let me know how all those past stats are working out for you when Spurrier is sticking it in you again this year…UGA fans only talk about the past bc that’s all you have—let me tell you—you will be a long way away from 1980 when Lattimore is running over you homeboy!!!
LagDawg
August 24th, 2011
3:30 pm
Grantham told the truth and if the offense sputters in the first two games, I think it is time to erase the thought of Bobo as the OC and Richt has to assume the duties and began to look for a top tier OC. Brad Scott would be an big upgrade and probably someone from the peewee league.
Mobile Dawg
August 24th, 2011
3:31 pm
Short and sweet Bill King, you hit the nail on the head. Dawgs lacked effort and intensity, read a comment way back that you can’t coach effort. Those kind of statements make me boiling mad and that’s where CMR has failed miserably as of late. As the head coach, of a bunch of kids, you demand it. You don’t ask people to follow you, you lead by example, and hold those accountable around you, coaches and players. I liked CTG’s input. Things are looking better from the outside in, let’s hope the results show it.
Douglas
August 24th, 2011
3:31 pm
lowcountry bulldawg…have to disagree with you a little…Erk’s defense always played with fire and emotion and he did motivate them!
Beast from the East
August 24th, 2011
3:36 pm
Bill,
I gotta say, you sure have a totally different tone this year from years past. I’m sure everyone can undertsand your concerns, but now that the season is just days away how about start getting your fellow fans fired up? The entire SEC is behind you guys and hope you represent us all well in the Dome. At this point in time, negativity helps no one. Save it for AFTER the season if the results warrant it. Just my 2 cents.
PMC
August 24th, 2011
3:37 pm
If they didn’t get outworked, it certainly says a lot about how much the level of talent has eroded.
Grantham should be careful talking like that, he’s new, but everyone on that staff is in danger of losing thier jobs in about 2 weeks. Because they haven’t done a very good job over the last 5 years in virtually any capacity.
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2011
3:39 pm
Friends, the day I become a troll convinced that my cornball humor isn’t all that embarrassing……….please, shoot and put me out of my misery.
Druid City
August 24th, 2011
3:41 pm
If I can speak for most Alabama fans I know…
We are pulling for Boise.
Hankie Aron
August 24th, 2011
3:42 pm
Will do Altamaha
tide roll
August 24th, 2011
3:44 pm
Richt take over play calling ? Are you crazy? Bobo’s smarter than Richt and he can’t get it done. How’s Richt suppose to ? Hell, that’s your problem
moonbeam
August 24th, 2011
3:47 pm
if Dooley has a big season, do you hire him in Athens?
Beat Boise St.
August 24th, 2011
3:48 pm
As a UGA fan I am deeply embarrassed by the actions and the words used by SOME members of our fan base. Some have become so delusional that I can completely understand why the constantly insult us. While I didn’t expect 8-5 & 6-7 the past years, I also didn’t expect them to have the best success. Joe Cox was exactly what I thought he was and , Aaron Murray was a freshman. I think that the recent success of the SEC in the title game has went to your heads. I love UGA and, am ready for the team to achieve some of these lofty expectations but I will not turn on CMR or any coach for that matter if they don’t. As long as they are coaches at UGA I will give my support to them. GO DAWGS!!!
Coach Grohbo
August 24th, 2011
3:49 pm
Looks like the energy bus just had a flat.
jerry
August 24th, 2011
3:53 pm
Why Richt let Bobo call plays:
“I get up and I pray every morning and I try to listen to what God has to say to me, and it just kind of hit me in my heart that it was something that I needed to do and something I should do,” he said. “I didn’t want to argue with Him.”
It is God’s will. Richt will never, never, never, fire Bobo.
@If Grantham really had a pair instead of choking again
August 24th, 2011
3:54 pm
“@If Grantham really had a pair instead of choking again,
August 24th, 2011
1:44 pm
He would have called out Richt for kicking it on 4th and inches inside the 5 on the first drive of the game against UCF. That is where the team quit and it was not Bobo’s decision it was the Preacher Man!!!”
****************************
Heard the same thing from members on the team…everyone was trying to talk CMR into going for it, and he just snapped at them and said that they couldn’t get it in the first time and to go sit down; everyone was shocked at the outburst and just looked at each other…
xroyalx
August 24th, 2011
3:57 pm
a football team takes on the personality of its coach—we’ll see…
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2011
4:03 pm
Did the members of the team tell you that they quit?
Bodda Getta
August 24th, 2011
4:04 pm
“The entire SEC is behind you guys and hope you represent us all well in the Dome.”
The entire SEC will be watching the LSU game.
bobby
August 24th, 2011
4:04 pm
for uga to turn around their fortunes it has to be a team thing it ain’t about one person or player.
xroyalx
August 24th, 2011
4:10 pm
it is about one person— mark richt— watch his news conferences— he seems bored…..
tony
August 24th, 2011
4:10 pm
Todd Grantham is right, the defense did well enough to have won at least 11 games if the offense did it’s part. Remember, South Carolina didn’t score but 3 points in the second half against a new install defense.
Defense Rank under Grantham: Rush 56th, Pass 17th, Total 23rd
Offense Rank under Mark Richt: Rush 73rd, Pass 40th, Total 56(Same offense under Richt)
Richt’s offense hasn’t been ranked in the top 20 in total offense and rush offense since he became the hc but yet he gets a pass.
Beast from the East
August 24th, 2011
4:11 pm
Bodda Getta,
I think the vast majority will be watching BOTH games. I still don’t get why one of those was not the 3:30pm game.
King Gator
August 24th, 2011
4:13 pm
Central Florida?? Univ of Florida?? .. I’m surprised the team bus doesn’t break down at the “Florida State Line” on thier way to Jacksonville… did they really lose to UCF, what a nightmare for the Pups. Go Gators!!
Bo in NorthCarolina
August 24th, 2011
4:14 pm
Altamaha Dawg I think ND has a weird agreement with the Big 10 or whatever they are called. I think they are independent in football but are members of the Big 10 in all other sports including basketball. Maybe others on this blog know what is right.
Enjoy your comments
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 24th, 2011
4:16 pm
Remember, South Carolina didn’t score but 3 points in the second half against a new install defense.
———————————–
They didn’t need to. It was all about ball control with Lattimore.
Remember?
LOL
LakeDawg
August 24th, 2011
4:19 pm
Sometimes the truth hurts. If others want to call it being an energy vampire, so be it. I call it facing facts. The lack of fight in these Dawgs is my #1 concern. It seems that conditioning has been addressed, which should help with the late game wilts. However, it remains to be seen if CMR can get these Dawgs to consistently play with a purpose . His job depends on it.
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
except……That’s not what Grantham said. He said they gave full effort. He never said they played well enough to have won those game. He saw the games.
And doesn’t everybody think that was as much of a blanket statement of expectation, as it was an evaluation of last year?
Although I am all for him calling out the offense.
Nothing Could Be Finer
August 24th, 2011
4:23 pm
a football team takes on the personality of its coach
—————————————————
Better hope they don’t “choke” like Grantham in the Florida game.
AltamahaDawg
August 24th, 2011
4:23 pm
Was that funny? LOL’ing yourself? Come on man, how old are you?
moonbeam
August 24th, 2011
4:31 pm
what is this, a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode?? LOL!!! Larry David is a genius..
adam
August 24th, 2011
4:34 pm
Dear Bill,
This is why i think your a complete idiot; Coach Grantham did not throw the Offense under bus, he defended his guys. There is a big difference between blaming and defending. Plus you can’t possibly know if holes have been filled or if the weight training program has improved the teams physicality. You are going off of hear-say. This is why I rarely read your article and its really unfortunate that a writer that jumps to conclusion as quickly as you do has the platform that you have.
Richt`s Hammer
August 24th, 2011
4:35 pm
Boise State 66 Dawgs 3
ga gator
August 24th, 2011
4:36 pm
Beast from the East I agree with you; The entire SEC needs to be pulling for the Dawgs against the Blue Rug Salesmen. If the Dawgs go down it will make us all look bad. Go Dawgs!! I will be sitting behind the bench on the 5th row with my beautiful DAWG wife!!!
RamboDog
August 24th, 2011
4:43 pm
Stevo
August 24th, 2011
11:33 am
Stevo, the music with your you tube tells me you are either a Thug in prison, or a Thug on the way to prison in next few months. “Yo moma be proud a u , man”
autotrader
August 24th, 2011
4:45 pm
I’m still betting on used cars and trucks. No way that I will bet on the dawgs as long as CMR and Bobo are around.
DIT
August 24th, 2011
4:46 pm
Boise will not be a roll over as some think. They have a ton of Seniors at key positions. This will be a tough game. For me, until this team can show me a COMPLETE game of football I will be nervous about every game. They have not been consistent for some time.
Dawgs SHOULD pull it out in the 4th quarter. We will see what happens.
harold
August 24th, 2011
4:46 pm
DREAM ON!
moonbeam
August 24th, 2011
4:48 pm
ga gator
that loss to UCF left the SEC feeling good about UGA? A loss to Boise isn’t that big of a deal. That performance against UCF..that’s another story.
Vince Dooley
August 24th, 2011
4:48 pm
@ Beat Boise St.: The disappointment stems from the solid recruiting with mediocre results. CMR has lost control of his players and needs to go.