Fan talk: Another week, another ‘must’ game
Every game this season is an important one for Coach Mark Richt. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Let’s open up by noting that, again, due to unclaimed UGA student tickets, a limited number of tickets to Saturday’s football game against Mississippi State went on sale to the general public starting at 9 a.m. today and can be purchased until 3 p.m. Friday online or by calling the Athletic Association ticket office at 1-877-542-1231. Tickets are $45 each.
Now, let’s get to some Junkyard Mail …
Gerry Archer writes: Seems like every week we hear that it’s a “must win” for the Dawgs, and they’re saying it again as the Bizarro Bulldogs come to town. What’s your take on the importance of this week’s game?
When Georgia loses the SEC opener to South Carolina, it automatically ratchets up the importance of all the rest of the games on the Dogs’ conference slate. Toss in the heat under Mark Richt’s seat caused by an 0-2 start overall, and every week becomes a referendum on his future, at least in media terms. So, yes, just about every game becomes a must win if the Dogs are to contend for the SEC East. I think this game is particularly important, though, because it’s the last home game for a while and it’s probably the toughest opponent the Dogs will face until Florida. Also, judging from what Richt has said, last year’s game against Mississippi State still really rankles with the UGA program. It was a game Georgia should have won and didn’t. I’m hoping that means we see the Dogs come out Saturday determined to wipe away those bad memories and take the next step on reclaiming a season that started out in a hole.
66DAWGnNC writes: I recently read where there has been 14 or so players from last year’s team with eligibility remaining that are no longer on the roster. I understand that some left on their own accord (e.g. AJ, Houston, etc.), but many were “encouraged” to leave. Why has there been so much attrition and how does this affect recruiting? It seems to me that if there are issues with the coaching staff (or strength and conditioning as was one reported case), then as a recruit I would look long and hard about committing to the DAWGS. If it is because of depth issues or lack of playing time, then that is on the player and not the staff. I would be interested in your take on that. Understand I am one of the few on these blogs that support Richt, Bobo, and the rest of the staff. I do not think we are that far away from returning to prominence in the SEC and the nation. We lack depth this year at key positions due to this attrition. I believe if all this “fire Mark Richt” talk dies down we will see another version of the Dream Team in next year’s recruiting class. Obviously they did quite well last year and that is why I believe they are in position to be pretty good in 2012. Just my thoughts.
Actually, I think only a handful of the departed players were actually encouraged to leave, and I believe the team is better off without them. Likewise, with those players like Derek Owens, who appears to be leaving the program mainly because he is discouraged with his playing time and lack of progress on the depth chart. (Update: Ken Malcome also fit into that category, but today he changed his mind and asked to be reinstated, and was.) As Richt said, “sometimes they see the mountain as too high to climb and they decide to go somewhere else.” But as he also said, “I think there’s value in fighting for your job.” Those who aren’t willing to stick it out and fight for the right to start don’t add much to the program. I have no idea how a 17-year-old recruit views all this, but I would hope they’d see playing at UGA or any top school as a challenge rather than looking for the easy way to a starting position.
Jax Dawg writes: Why are the special teams underachieving this year? With no Jon Fabris for some fans to blame, who needs to get the unit back on track?
I understand that Richt doesn’t believe in devoting one of his limited and valuable assistant coach positions to a full-time special teams coach like some programs do, but I differ with him there. I think the glitches in punt coverage (or, in previous seasons, kickoff coverage) that seem to crop up fairly regularly with Georgia are probably attributable to the fact that special teams coaching is an add-on that the various position coaches do in addition to their regular job. Likewise, while I admire Richt’s devotion to giving walk-ons a chance, I still think the Urban Meyer approach to special teams — making them truly special and an honor to serve on, with the emphasis on schlarship players and starters, might pay dividends in the long run.
Lindsey Portmann writes: My family and I just returned from a great trip to Oxford, MS. So happy the Dawgs got a SEC win, I hope they keep getting them! I have grown up going to UGA games every Saturday in Athens and I love it, we have always tailgated around North Campus. Athens is a beautiful place but over the past years I feel the school is making it harder and harder to tailgate. I really saw the difference between Oxford and Athens. I know there is a much bigger Athens crowd but walking through the beautiful Ole Miss campus I noticed there were trash cans everywhere as well as bathrooms, and it was an 11:30 a.m. game. When I got to the stadium we were allowed to get pictures on the field before kickoff and they came around offering sweet tea and lemonade to drink. Plus I got to keep the top to my water bottle! From a fan who sits on the end seat by the aisle, my water bottle always gets kicked over and spills on my purse during the UGA game. Friday night the tailgaters were allowed to start setting up their tents and Saturday at The Grove police officers were walking around, kind of patrolling the area. I think it kept people from doing what happened to North Campus a few years ago. My question is, do you think UGA will relax a little more on tailgating any time soon? It feels like they always want more money in donations but they don’t encourage the Saturday experience by locking building doors for rest rooms, not having enough trash cans for later games, etc. Any thoughts and GO DAWGS!!
As you noted, UGA deals with much bigger crowds than Ole Miss, so I don’t think you’re going to see fans allowed on the field before the game or have anyone passing out sweet tea! But I do believe that there’s a happy medium between the out-of-control tailgating that used to take place on North Campus and last year’s harsh crackdown that basically killed tailgating there. We’ve already seen UGA relax the rules for North Campus this year and tailgating pick up a bit there. UGA also has increased the number of trash and recycling receptacles. Upping the number of portable toilets would also be a big help, and I think having police officers routinely patrol the area would be a great idea. I don’t believe the UGA administration is really anti-tailgating; I think they just overreacted to a bad situation.
Mike in Senoia writes: With the way Georgia has been playing what is the likelihood of going 9-3 and how does a 13-team conference next year affect our schedule?
I think 9-3 is a reachable goal for the Dogs, considering the remaining schedule. As for next season, until the SEC hashes out how it’s going to handle a 13-team league and unbalanced divisions, we can’t say for sure how it will affect the Georgia schedule, but chances are at least one of the games against an SEC West oppoent will be changed. I think Georgia-Auburn is safe, so the games in question next year are the trip to Alabama on Oct. 6 and playing host to Ole Miss on Nov. 3. I know which one I’d rather see swapped out from the viewpoint of making the schedule as winnable as possible!
Robert Law writes: Bill, I am sure you were watching the SEC networks telecast of the Ole Miss game on Saturday. I am also sure you were as upset and horrified as me when they did the “spotlight” on Herschel Walker and his amazing 3 seasons at UGA. You see they correctly spoke about his fantastic career, all of his record breaking performances, and his continued stewardship of the game. However, when talking about his Heisman season in ’82, the announcing team stated “in 1982 when he won the school’s first and only Heisman.” Even though I am of the younger generation (26), I was shocked and amazed that they would forget about Frank Sinkwich. An NFL MVP and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. I know that It was all the way back in 1942, but how can you forget about Frank!
Yes, that was a pretty egregious oversight on the part of announcer Dave Neal, but give him credit for coming back a few minutes later and correcting his error. Still, I think if was unfortunately indicative of the second-rate efforts we all too often get from the SEC Network.
Cleveland Williams III writes: The Dawgs’ passing reminds me of Florida State, Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. They all run long deep routes that take a long time to develop (hence sacks and hits on the quarterback). Any chance Georgia goes to more crossing patterns, more screens and more routes to the backs out of the backfield?
I agree that Mike Bobo too often has had Aaron Murray waiting in a collapsing pocket for longer pass routes to develop rather than dinking and dunking. It cost the Dogs big-time several games last year, including Arkansas. But I was encouraged by the second-half drive against South Carolina when Georgia did indeed move down the field using the short passing game. I’m hopeful we see more of that.
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195 comments Add your comment
2009, 2010 it was not the case but now .........
September 29th, 2011
3:06 pm
UGA has the tools, the SEC talent level in Georgia and the facilities, the sports media coverages, the fan base and the brand awareness. UGA has not produced of late, so YES, the MSU game is do or die. What is unclear??
CMR must win out and win the SEC East and he can still lose to LSU or Alabama in the Dome and end up in a very nice, NY Day Bowl like the Capitol One Bowl …………….it is what it is, after 2.3 years of lousy, lousy football.
MSU is his next chance to prove us all wrong about him. This is so simple fans. WIN and it all goes away. His Alumni tolerance level for losing has been used up in the last 2.3 years of football. UGA is no different than any other program.
Go Dogs
UGa class of 71 & 73
R U kidding?
September 29th, 2011
3:09 pm
Fred. I was responding to UGA Insider’s earlier comment:
“UGA could have beaten Ole Miss by 50 but CMR didn’t want to embarrass his friend Nutt on his home turf.”
Delbert D.
September 29th, 2011
3:10 pm
This might be an idea on how to use a couple of those extra tight ends:
“Wagner, a 6′6″, 320-pound junior, is a former walk-on tight end from West Allis. He’s gained 70 pounds since arriving on campus in 2008 and is the most athletic of the group.”
That’s from the Wisconsin article.
SSIgator
September 29th, 2011
3:16 pm
“the toughest opponent the Dogs will face until Florida”
Tennessee, Auburn and GT might be a little offended by that statement.
Mayo
September 29th, 2011
3:17 pm
Let’s face it: in this day and age, the “must-wins” are pretty much every game. I’ll bet Dooley (the senior one), Dye, and many others are glad they coached in their own eras instead of today. Oh and ‘Tech isn’t a must-win: it’s a shall win.
P_The_Ricker
September 29th, 2011
3:17 pm
UGA Insider……you’re soooooo crazy.
Boo Malcome is back!
funny...
September 29th, 2011
3:19 pm
Dig at the students again Bill.
God you’re a joke.
Mayo
September 29th, 2011
3:19 pm
@ SSIgator: why? Only one of those 3 precedes FL.
chuck
September 29th, 2011
3:39 pm
As a UGA alumnus, we owe our players the best opportunity to win. We aren’t giving them that with CMR mismanaging the program. The lack of a specific coach being assigned to special teams is the latest example of a head coach who just doesn’t get it. UGA can expect to see a steady diet of trick plays on special teams because we don’t have a coach looking at OUR tendencies and fixing our issues. Our opponents then plan plays to exploit these tendencies. The result is fake punts for touchdowns, reverses on punt returns for touchdowns, successful onside kicks and who knows what other things the dedicated special team coaches will exploit.
There was a note in the recruiting section stating that “football players at South Carolina were rock stars”. That is also part of the problem at UGA. CMR could have any resources that he requested so money isn’t the issue. CMR doesn’t know what he needs to be competitive in the SEC. UGA still doesn’t have a specific dining room for their football players. The NCAA allows one “athlete specific” meal per day. The rest of the SEC treats their players special and 17-19 year old recruits notice things like how the players are treated. UGA was the last team in the SEC to hire a nutritionist and staff. UGAs strength and conditioning program is vastly improved but still way behind the rest of the SEC. Do we really have to wait for another high draft choice like AJ Green to go train for a few months with a state of the art strength and conditioning guru and then tell the AJC how much he improved his body mass (lost fat, increased muscle) and increased his speed after a few months? Why didn’t that happen in 4 years in Athens?
I’ll leave the horrendous mismanagement of the 85 man roster for another day.
AltamahaDawg
September 29th, 2011
3:40 pm
SO, we can assume we are not going to have to endure the annual whinefest about how the students are being denied thier rights to free tickets?
Blanton Lingold
September 29th, 2011
3:41 pm
They say confession is good for the soul, so here goes. I used to be on the “Fire Mark Richt” Bandwagon. Due to the very good counsel I received from my friend and colleague Donald Oulsnam of the Law Firm of Frier & Oulsnam, P.C. in Milledgeville, Georgia, 110 S Jefferson St SE
Milledgeville, GA 31061-3420 (478) 454-5444, I have been converted. I admit that I was aware of the Goff/Donnan days, but they did not register with me all that clearly. Coach Richt spoiled me coming in with as much success as had early on, and I took the easy way out by starting to rag on him when things started going south. Coach Richt represents the University of Georgia with class and honor. I applaud him for this, and I want him to continue to represent the University in the capacity of head football coach. I admit I have been blinded by my lust for power, wins and a national championship. But we should not stoop to the level of buying a national championship or resorting to a coach that doesn’t uphold his obligations. I am sorry for my presence on the bandwagon before, and I wholeheartedly renounce that position. God Save Coach Richt.—Blanton Lingold, UGA Class of 2001.
GT Joe
September 29th, 2011
3:50 pm
Blanton Lingold after MSU pounds UGA 34-6: “Fire Mark Richt! He’s an embarrassment!”
Book it.
38 Yardline Dawg
September 29th, 2011
3:54 pm
No one would be saying that Miss. St. a ‘Must Win’ game if Richt and his coaching staff had not let the program slide into the middle of the SEC pack during the last 3 seasons. No coach gets ‘hot seat’ associated with his name unless something has gone wrong enough to warrant it.
Does anyone think Saban, Dooley, Muschamp or Miles have any ‘Must Wins’ like Richt has this year? Nope.
Archdawg
September 29th, 2011
3:55 pm
“Middle of the SEC pack” that’s a wee bit presumptious isn’t it? Lower third is more like it.
djdawg
September 29th, 2011
4:00 pm
GT Joe-
I will take a large frosted orange with that also!!
38 Yardline Dawg
September 29th, 2011
4:03 pm
Oh, and I totally agree that Special Teams needs more focus, if not a dedicated coaching assistant. There’s a reason that any educated football fan knows there are 3 phases to a game to win: Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Urban Meyer got this, but Richt doesn’t.
It was only after a walk-on kicker, Billy Bennett (who went on to be the all time scoring leader for UGA football), saved Richt’s butt on the field countless times that Richt offered a scholarship to recruit a kicker. I happen to know this fact because I went to school with Billy’s older brother and have known him since he was 10 years old.
Dawg48
September 29th, 2011
4:10 pm
Isn’t every game in college football a “must win” cause if you lose your prob out of any nationals title hopes any way
Stress Management
September 29th, 2011
4:12 pm
SEC East Standings after Saturday’s games:
2-1 South Carolina upset by Auburn
2-1 Georgia beats Mississippi State
2-1 Florida loses to Alabama
*Gamecocks still have tie-breaker, but UGA in the hunt.
Skokie Dog
September 29th, 2011
4:14 pm
Yeah, this weekend’s game is a “must win” just like last night’s Braves’ game was. I hope we don’t “tip our caps to the guys on that other sideline” after the dust settles on Saturday afternoon, but Coach Richt’s attitude looks a lot like Fredi Gonzalez’s to me.
harold
September 29th, 2011
4:15 pm
THANK GOD UGA GOT THREE CUPCAKES IN A ROW. OLE MISS, MSU ( WHO SHOULD HAVE LOST TO LA. TECH) AND TENNESSEE.
ALL THREE GAMES ARE A CAKEWALK FOR UGA!
Boo is back
September 29th, 2011
4:15 pm
Enter your comments here
Richt`s Hammer
September 29th, 2011
4:18 pm
Oh lord we are going to lose by 50. Now that has been said, who really cares. Pass the biscuits.
38 Yardline Dawg
September 29th, 2011
4:18 pm
Dawg48, you’re correct if your team aspires to win a national championship. Richt’s stated goal is to just win the SEC east…which means praying that SC and everyone else loose enough games for the Dawgs to win by default.
gbal
September 29th, 2011
4:20 pm
The atrition doesnt bother me. I know it is hard for a guy to be the BMOC, multi star kid in highschool and the dropped into the middle of the pool of similar athelets at the college lever and they are now usually just average. It has to be a struggle for these guys and some handle it better than others. There is NO WAY for a coach to determine if this is going to be the case when going thru the recruiting process…. Anyone who says we recruit the wrong kids is a joke.
If a kid cant overcome and focus on earning play time and getting better…. Best for him to leave and recruit someone else who can handle it and move on. Attrition can be good. Addition by subtraction.
Glad BOO changed his mind though. Hopefully this gives him a new outlook… If not move on.
Archdawg
September 29th, 2011
4:21 pm
Yeah UCF and Colorado were cupcakes too? That’s the problem with UGA their O-Line and D-line sit around eating cupcakes all day. All you have to do is run around them. Fat, slow, and stupid won’t cut it in the SEC. I know y’all are riding high after finally getting a win against the mighty Chanticleers and the Reb-er-black-bear whatevers but next week it’ll be back to “Fire Mark Richt” all day every day.
Richt`s Hammer
September 29th, 2011
4:21 pm
Can we reschedule the game and play the braves instead?
DawgfromLEXington
September 29th, 2011
4:23 pm
The Dogs hope not crumble under the weight on HEAVy fAN ExpecTations. The SEC is tough,Richt will get this ship upright soon.
Same old same old
September 29th, 2011
4:28 pm
All games are a must win if your team goals are to get to Atlanta. If I were coach Richt this
http://www.visualfxpaint.com/imagegallery/main.php?g2_itemId=364
would go on the UGA helments and stay until The players and coaches earned the right for it to come off.
If last week was the Hot Seat Bowl is this week the Coaches Bowl were the winner gets to coach UGA next year?
As to all the guys leaving I think some of them are caught up in the Cam Newton route to the NFL not realizing they don’t have the horsepower Cam has to travel that route.
About special teamsyou would think that after Bosie State made use look like the Bad New’s Bears of football when they punted that four weeks later Ole Miss would not do the same, Not!!!!
Sure would like to see the dawgs put it all together this week.
kybodawg
September 29th, 2011
4:33 pm
after the next 2 games fla will be changing their colors to black and blue
GT Joe
September 29th, 2011
4:35 pm
Rumor has it, Richt wants a “black out” for the MSU game…
Instant Dawgma
September 29th, 2011
4:40 pm
I, as everyone else, noticed the mistake of the sec network forgetting to mention Frank Sinkwich’s Heisman year. And immediately shook my head and wondered what moronic researchers did they hire. That’s about as easy as it gets for a researcher. How many and who were each schools Heisman winners? And for the announcer that has been doing SEC games a while to go with it…dumb.
Leads me back to who are they hiring these days…..Anybody with a background in SEC football?…The typical generational kid today that is a total narcissist, into instant gratification, unwilling to put in the entire work ethic it may take to do a job better than half-assed? The kid that believes everything on the internet as fact? The same kid that can’t do anything in life without a computer? Just asking, hehehehe
Half Century Dawg
September 29th, 2011
4:41 pm
GT Joe, I think we will save the next black out for GT since that is a sure win for us.
JaxDawg05
September 29th, 2011
4:53 pm
Joey
September 29th, 2011
11:28 am
Sorry JaxDawg05, but a coach making $3M+ a year needs to be on a “hot seat” when he loses 14 games in 2+ seasons, don’t you think?
The special teams improved dramatically last season, but has regressed this season, so far. It’s tough enough to beat inferior teams when your STs are giving up points and field position, but when you do that with equally talented teams (Boise, SC), you lose.
I think I’ll let the season play out, Joey. You want me to send down a rope to get back on board if Richt rights the ship? Nah, never mind keep reading the AJC and duck because the sky is falling in SEPTEMBER.
Instant Dawgma
September 29th, 2011
4:53 pm
Forgot to mention the kid that’s given everything and complains about everything in life?!
Tyonia
September 29th, 2011
5:15 pm
Miss State 37, UGA 24
Bye bye to Mark Wretched.
Ghost of Johnny Griffith
September 29th, 2011
6:46 pm
a new, yet old era has begun
duronimo
September 29th, 2011
7:13 pm
I agree with you bill about special teams. You and the fan base see the problem but Richt is intransigent. It’s the lack of flexibility that I think is a problem. For example they were running the ball at will against Ole Miss. Suddenly that stopped? Why? Because there is a philosophy of balance that must be adhered to at all costs….never-mind the game. Stubborn is a good word to describe a person who won’t change when the facts say otherwise. Bobo committed to going deep even at times when it gets the quarterback assaulted. Can we change that a bit? Well, No!
Still@theBAR
September 29th, 2011
7:34 pm
I guess BOO pulled an early Halloween Trick or Treat.
IRty
September 29th, 2011
8:06 pm
Who cares? UGA are bigger losers than Braves. Screw those heartless thugs. Let’s see what garbage excuse we hear now for a loss.
not yet
September 29th, 2011
8:25 pm
I don’t think any game gets “must win” status for Richt…until we have 3 losses. He will not survive a 4 loss season.
finesse man, aka field goal jesus
September 29th, 2011
8:28 pm
Pass first, finesse offense b/c we had success at Florida State in the 90s.
Road Runner
September 29th, 2011
8:41 pm
This is the difference in the dogs and the elite teams in college football.
At Alabama, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, EVERY GAME IS A MUST WIN! COME ON!
Hairy Perry
September 29th, 2011
8:44 pm
Isn’t every game important to win?
Hairy Perry
September 29th, 2011
8:47 pm
We just don’t have a tough group of smash mouth, go all out players at UGA anymore. This is a very soft, easily intimidated football program. They play like they don’t care that much and it shows up in the win-loss column.
Fred
September 29th, 2011
8:51 pm
R U kidding?@ 3:09: My bad. Sorry.
class of 86
September 29th, 2011
8:54 pm
Keep talking GT Joe. We may not win out this year, but we will squish the bugs. I know you are all excited about 4-0, but wait until you play some real football teams before you get the idea that Tech can beat Georgia. Not gonna happen, even when we are at our worst we beat Tech. This week UGA wins 31-17.
CHUCK UGA
September 29th, 2011
9:37 pm
No fan here of Bob Neal or Dave Neal. Sure they can announce, but their constant mistakes due to lack of knowledge is pitiful. Somewhat lazy as well. Just my opinion (plus I KNOW that they are no fans of Georgia, so there).
How anyone cannot see the equal importance of the next three games is beyond me. One is NOT more importan than the other. Apparently we have some people in the fanbase AND the media that have not figured out yet that Tennessee is in the same division as Georgia, and we have to play in Knoxville where we have been slaughtered the last two trips. Neither game was even close. Lose there and the season is over. I see nothing yet that convinces me we have a chance to turn the tables up there next week. Now, back to this week. Sure, Mississippi State hasn’t won in Athens since 1956 (a fact Bill King is probably not aware of, not to mention the Neals). However, Mark Richt will probably see a team on a mission that in all liklihood will jump into the lead and force UGA to come from behind to win just like last season. The emotionless team that played in Oxford last week is going to get smacked in the mouth tomorrow and better be prepared to counter. Let’s see what happens, but UGA MUST be 5-2 entering Jacksonville.
FLA DAWG
September 29th, 2011
9:49 pm
Yo Bill,
Not ONE OF YOU are writing about it but IT IS CLEAR that RICHT IS GONE at the end of this season…………………………………………AMEN
Classy
September 29th, 2011
10:04 pm
Hey Bill…
Of course you want the Alabama game removed from UGA’s next year schedule. For the same reason that a lot of UGA fans always want the best players from their next opponent either hurt or otherwise not allowed to play….
UGA has a rich and storied tradition in football, and it is shameful to have the attitude of not wanting to play and beat the best teams in the SEC.
Wow
Still@theBAR
September 29th, 2011
10:20 pm
8-4 UGA that still makes the SEC CG would be GREAT. Add loses to BSU, USC, UF, and Techbut UGA still gets a shot and getting KILLED by BAMA or LSU. man that will be fun to watch.