Richt’s aggressive stance against Vols likely to pay dividends later
Aaron Murray was pleased the Dogs had earned their head coach's trust. (Associated Press)
A few more thoughts about Georgia’s win over Tennessee in Knoxville …
There was a lot of talk after the game about Mark Richt’s more aggressive approach in the first half, when Georgia went for it three times on fourth-and-short yardage. That ran counter to the coach’s stance several times earlier in the season when he had declined to go for it on fourth (including twice against Mississippi State), peevishly answering his players’ complaints about it by saying that if you want to make a first down, you do it in the first three tries.
Richt obviously rethought that view this past week. “I wasn’t in the mood to go for it on fourth down last week,” he said, because he “didn’t like what we had prepared.” But in the week before playing the Vols, he said, “we did a good job of putting a plan together. I had more confidence in what the offensive staff put together, so I was more decisive with what to do because I had more faith in what we were doing and how we were going about it.”
You get the idea that maybe the head coach was a bit more involved in the offensive game planning last week.
The results weren’t so much evident on the scoreboard, as the Dogs didn’t manage to score touchdowns on the drives kept alive by Richt going for it on fourth down. But it probably paid off big-time with his players. As Aaron Murray put it: “It showed that he trusted us.”
That could pay dividends down the road. …
Mike Bobo deserves both bouquets and brickbats, as my junior high school newspaper used to say, for his playcalling Saturday night. He had Murray mix up short passes and the long ball, and that call to have it thrown to Malcolm Mitchell downfield when the Dogs were backed up on their own 7 was masterful and resulted in the game’s biggest play. But Bobo going all ultra-conservative again in the fourth quarter frustrated even his boss, who said he wished they’d handled it differently after Georgia got the ball back with just over 8 minutes and only burned a couple of minutes, going three-and-out playing it safe on the ground. That “pretty much put more pressure on the defense there,” Richt said. “If we’re in that situation again, we’d better be able to put it away.”
No arguments there, coach. …
Despite several holding calls, the Dogs’ reshuffled offensive line did a better job Saturday and the result was no sacks and no interceptions thrown by Murray. Let’s hope that progression continues. …
The showdown between what was then the nation’s No. 1 team at converting third downs (Tennessee) and the No. 2 team at defending them (Georgia) definitely went to the Dogs. The Vols had been converting 62.1 percent of the time, but against UGA they were only four-for-13 (30.8 percent). …
Speaking of tough defense, the third quarter was a jewel, with the Vols limited to 11 yards of offense. …
The Bulldogs radio network guys had a tough time picking a player of the game until they took a look at the stats, where Mike Gilliard again had a standout performance. He led the team with 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a broken up pass. Hard to do any better than that. …
Finally, amid all the talk about the schedule having Georgia in the “driver’s seat” in the SEC East, it’s good to hear Murray keeping things in perspective. “We’ve got to keep chugging,” he said. With South Carolina owning the tie-breaker against the Dogs, “We’re still not in control right now of our own destiny. We can’t worry about that. We have to worry about Vanderbilt next week and continue to get wins.”
Well said.
I’ll be off for the next couple of days but the Junkyard Blawg will return Thursday. In the meantime, if there’s an issue you’d like to raise or you have a question for the Blawg, send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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665 comments Add your comment
BobDawg
October 10th, 2011
9:06 pm
It’s also interesting how injuries could be a blessing in Disguise for the Dawgs… We are building depth on the fly like Gilliard, Herrera etc. Also, having a stout D is now changing the game for CMR on offense…The 4th down calls on that first drive caught me totally by surprise and I noticed he had a play sheet with him during the game… He is not worried about leaving the D in an occasional bind as they can stop a team now and that has been missing since the Van Gorder D Days…. We get by Vandy, get everyone back and this end of the year run could be interesting…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 10th, 2011
9:12 pm
AltamahaDawg
Stop pounding your chest and take those beer goggles you have off
Take a look at the defense since KY game last year until now. You can see there has been improvement
The offense has not. Lack of using players like figgens and charles for example once again showing booboo has no game plan and fails to use the talent he has
The fans have to raise the roof booing because this bunch cannot even go for it on 4th an inches against Miss St but now we do
This offense couldnt score a TD until the 3rd qtr against a lousy Tenn team nor could it score against Miss and MissSt in the 2nd half but hey lets run the clock out mentality continues to rain supreme here
If you think this team is going somewhere with our play calling on offense your sadly mistaken
Now kudos to Gratham he has shown drastic improvement and I will be glad to give him credit.
But do me a favor dont come on here at the end of the year acting like we on our way to great things next year if we win out because we are not with our inept offense. Against 5 lousy teams up and coming
The schedule we have will allow that as I said earlier this year that this team should go 11-1 with this schedule and it looks like Im not far off.
If we get better play calling ASAP then I will change my mind but Im not impressed against the sorry defenses we have played and we still look bad on offense
BobDawg
October 10th, 2011
9:20 pm
@Altamaugh Dawg… sorry if misspelled and it’s a boatload…. I really think Richt is back involved and has that aggression that has been missing with our traditional lousy D that can’t hold a lead or get us on a short field… We are very young on O Side with all the Frosh playing and there are going to be good drives and “oh my .(*&978%*) what was that drives”… Let’s just get past Vandy, please????”
Uh oh!
October 10th, 2011
9:27 pm
It has now been learned that 87% of the Atlanta “occupiers” are UGA alumni.
AltamahaDawg
October 10th, 2011
9:29 pm
my goodness brother. pounding my chest? you need some new material. And you might try something that makes sense. No idea how any of that has the least thing to do with what I posted. You might try actually connecting your reply to my posts.
I’ll offer for the what….9th time, Either disagree with what I ACTUALLY say, or don’t waste the space.
And despite your efforts to completely exagerate (as always) my opinion on Georgia football, I have never said anything that hasn’t been completely level headed, fairly low key, and generally pretty accurate (including my specualation about this year). Feel free to quote me on anything different.
dawg holler
October 10th, 2011
9:32 pm
versus 3 high school teams bray heisman numbers. versus 2 real teams no better than the clausen brothers. uga loves the clausen family
BobDawg
October 10th, 2011
9:36 pm
Who on this blog is going to Nashville this weekend??? We have to get up there in numbers like we do at Grant Field….
HopSINGwasBONANZA
October 10th, 2011
10:13 pm
The Dawgs look like they are on a roll now. I guess the “nation” will start talking SEC title. That is till they loose again.
BobDawg
October 10th, 2011
10:25 pm
…easy on the Bourbon – Hop SING or you may “loose” it!!!!! Too funny.,,,
BobDawg
October 10th, 2011
10:26 pm
We aren’t looking past Vandy, as Mr. Murray has stated very well ” we are just going to keep chuggun along….”
Thomas Brown
October 10th, 2011
11:19 pm
AltamahaDawg October 10th, 2011 9:29 pm
“my specualation about this year”
Pardon me, at no time did I see any post from you that speculated about this year, compared to my 11-3 speculation.
DAWGMAN
October 10th, 2011
11:28 pm
Indecisiveness and Kool Aid. A not-so- winning tradition. Wake up folks! $3,000,000.00+ a year for a slow starter who seems confused about things each year for a while now. 2d tier again.
Have you forgotten what having your team being a real contender feels like.
Birmingham Jacket
October 10th, 2011
11:29 pm
If that’s not the stupidest picture I’ve ever seen… I don’t know what is…
Ole Peanut farmer that fell off a mule, bonked his head….
And was granted blog rights on AJC.
dawgs beat vandy
October 10th, 2011
11:42 pm
vandy can be tough so we have to be ready/play your tails off dawgs and beat the dores/sink there ship! FINISH THE DRILL !
DAWGS BEAT VOLS
October 10th, 2011
11:46 pm
HEY VOL NATION/ WE KNOCKED YOU OFF THE SMOKIES /,FLOPPY TOP/,GEORGIA WHIPPED YOU GET OVER IT BECAUSE YOUR NEXT GAME YOU ARE GOING TO GET DESTROYED ,GET READY FOR SOME LOSSES.THE DAWGS WON AND YOU LOST GET OVER IT!TELL DARICK HE LOST TO UGA ,LOVE BABY!
MAD DAWG : GET REAL !!!! KOOL AID IS FOOL AID !!!
October 10th, 2011
11:53 pm
The DAWGS ARE BACK !!! WE ARE GONNA WIN THE SEC NOW THAT THE DAWGS HAVE BEATEN FOUR BELOW AVERAGE OPPONENTS !!! THE SEC EAST IS DOWN AND UGA WILL WIN THE SEC EAST WHILE ITS DOWN !!! FREE KOOL-AID FOR EVERYBODY !!!
BAH !! HUMBUG !! When or if UGA meets Alabama or LSU the fantasies and lies will come to a crushing end. UGA STILL HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS ON OFFENSE, BUT AN IMPROVING DEFENSE AT LEAST GIVES THEM SOME HOPE !! BUT GEORGIA IS CLOSER TO BEING SEMINOLES THAN BULLDOGS UNDER RICHT !! THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE.
AltamahaDawg
October 11th, 2011
12:05 am
Sorry BuLLdawg. I don’t blog for your purposes. Anybody that I care about knows exactly what I expected. Suits me fine if you don’t. Why not just invent something and try to disguise it as a post by me, as you tend to do.
Thomas Brown
October 11th, 2011
12:57 am
AltamahaDawg
September 6th, 2011
12:47 pm
for those wondering where I am, I could not take it anymore, so I went off a boat ramp
Thomas Brown
October 11th, 2011
1:03 am
QUOTE
by
AltamahaDawg
June 24th, 2010 4:51 pm
“The attitude was bad, and the execution was worse.”
Pretty much 2009 in a nutshell.
2009 just seemed like the shadow of 2008 to me. Bad vibes all around.
And if you think about it, why should we have been excited coming into the season last year? Lost your big star players, the talent level not where it should have been, an unpopular staff, and a Head Coach having to spend his energy defending everybody from top to bottom, and some serious legitamate [SIC] problem areas on the field that would have been a drag despite none of the above.
2010 … this season … even if the record isn’t much different.
END Miss-debbie-downer-AltamahaDawg
Stephen A. Smith DAWG : Keep it on th' REAL y'all.
October 11th, 2011
1:13 am
If UGA was back it would have shown a killer instinct and made short work of a middling reconstruction project like Tennessee. You don’t outlast mediocre teams if your team isn’t mediocre you knock em’ out the box. Bama and LSU both destroyed a rebuilding Florida team that recently beat the Vol 33-23. UGA has not dominated any of the three mediocre SEC opponents they have played and it also must be said the UGA has the softest SEC schedule of any team in the league. Seems like everybody else in the league has faced Bama, LSU, or Arkansas, but the finesse, soft scheduled Georgia Bulldogs. Even SEC member to be, Texas A&M, played Arkansas, and they aren’t officially in the league yet.
So let’s keep it real reprobates and delusionalists UGA has not won anything yet. It’s sad to watch and listen to mediocre and ignorant UGA fans thump their chest about outlasting mediocre opponents. UGA still has not gotten any national respect for closely winning out over sub-par teams. Vanderbilt is annually sub-par, was beaten 34-0 by Bama. I’d like to see Richt dominate a annually sub-par, mediocre opponent for once. UGA 63 Vandy 3 would certainly raise a few eyebrows nationally, but its not gonna happen because its not in Richt’s DNA to blow a hapless or decent SEC team away. Florida is rebuilding and is a MUST win for 2-8 Richt. I know asking Richt to blow out UF is impossible for him and Bobo so a one point win over UF will have the insane, delusional kool-aid base demanding to be included in the BCS with two losses and demanding for UGA to offer Richt a long-term, multi-year extension with a lifetime seven figure buyout. These are what kind of FOOLS pose as UGA fans these days y’all !! LOL !!
UGA has a mediocre divided fanbase and you have no one to blame but Richt for that. Auburn is rebuilding and Tech will lose to Clemson, but will have a deceptive winning record over weak ACC teams. UGA didn’t win the only two games against ranked teams on their schedule and like Tech is feasting on cupcakes and conference frogs.
So please get real and accept the fact that UGA’s offense is poorly coached and very thin in depth at RB and O-line. There’s only one player that is a true running back but he’s starting to get beatup because he lacks stamina and the build to be a 25-30 carry SEC back. His primary backup is 5′-6″, 160 lbs, hardly SEC backup RB material, backed up by a plodding LB twice converted to RB. That situation alone is unacceptable for any title contending SEC team. I don’t have time to address the problems at QB, Offensive Line, and Offensive Coaching. At least it appears to be some progress on defense, but it’s deceptive when you play offensively challenged teams as UGA has played the last month. So before you pathetic delusionalists out there (and you know who you are) crown this team SEC champs try to refrain from continuing to look and sound like fools. Put down the kool-aid for once and keep it real. In the kindest of realities this team is still 2 to 3 years away from shedding its mediocre label. Even though you may be delusional, I still love y’all. Go Dawgs. Peace Out !!
sara carpenter
October 11th, 2011
2:58 am
im been waitin for the junkyard D to come back and were back defence wins chapionships all hail grantham richt needs give him more credit than he does after all he is richt best asset and he is keepin richt job so throw grantham some credit iv never heard richt praise grantham 1 time it seems its all bout him richt wants take credit thats not rite
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 11th, 2011
3:12 am
Seems like everybody else in the league has faced Bama, LSU, or Arkansas, but the finesse, soft scheduled Georgia Bulldogs. Even SEC member to be, Texas A&M, played Arkansas, and they aren’t officially in the league yet.
TOTAL GARBAGE.Maybe you missed the fact that ARK is 1-4 against UGA since 2002.LSU is 3-3 and good old mighty Bama is 1-3 AUB is 3-6.Yeah those SEC WEST juggernauts have really owned Mark Richt!
joe suggs
October 11th, 2011
6:17 am
To Vol Nation : I guess Bray tore his dress !!
OK, I'll Tell Ya
October 11th, 2011
6:45 am
SOUTHGADAWG88: I’ve still got my memories. Nobody can take that away. Not even Mark Richt.
AltamahaDawg
October 11th, 2011
6:49 am
Guess what BuLLdawg, …doesn’t matter if anyone else believes your lies. (although they are free to actually go look it up) You know, and I know.
Mr. SEC
October 11th, 2011
8:32 am
To: Vol Nation
You got beat, get over it. No, I do not agree with the stalled offenseive play calling in the 4th quarter with 9:50 to go, way to soon! But, I don’t agree with much Bobo does anyway. How can you say, “if we play that game 10 times, Vols win 9?” That’s stupid! If that is the case, I expect the Vols to run the table the rest of the season! That ain’t going to happen either, go cry to Mama Barbara Dooley, maybe ya’ll can get the SEC to sechedule Tenn. vs UGA 10 times for the next couple of years!
Mr. SEC
October 11th, 2011
8:38 am
To: Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
Finally. we agree on something!
1969 Graduate
October 11th, 2011
8:49 am
Thanks, Stephen A. Smith, for your analysis.
Delusional is an apt word for many of our fans. Until reality is accepted, it’s going to be impossible to change our football program into what some of us would like it to be. We’re barely mediocre now, and have been for some years.
Achieving elite status on the national level is a tall order. The state of Georgia certainly furnishes the players to make it a realistic possibility. The University has the status to attract players from elsewhere, too.
Many of the problems within the football program, at all levels, have been exposed on the various AJC blogs, by literate, informed fans. It would be silly to conclude that everyone in a decision making position at UGA could be unaware of what is so obvious. The question is whether there is the will to change our football program into a true SEC and national title contender.
There are ample models to copy. As has been mentioned elsewhere, the Alabama program begins enforcing discipline before recruits are signed. This would be an example of something worth copying at UGA, and there are many more examples of how to do it right.
Our program has a long way to go, but we’ll never get there if we continue heading in the wrong direction. What wrong direction? What problems need to be fixed? Lack of depth, narcissistic players seeking NFL riches, poor discipline, unconditioned athletes – these problems and many more. Fixing these won’t give us a national title, but not fixing them will certainly keep the UGA football program in the 3rd tier of the SEC.
Here we are though, lumped with Vandy, Kentucky, and the current version of Tennessee. Seeing if we can back into a SEC East title is far from top drawer. We’d all love to run the table, but, other than Kentucky, how sure are we of another win, even against the 2nd and 3rd tier opponents remaining.
Vandy has a chance against our team. Auburn has a good chance. We’re prone to lose to Florida. And, a bad Tech team has been known to beat a good Georgia team (and vice versa). Our season is far from over.
The problem, however, is not getting through this season.
The problem is converting our barely mediocre football program into something similar to the true powerhouse programs, which will require an end to the delusion that UGA football is anything other than what it is. Barely beating the little sisters of the SEC is bad enough, but thinking it means anything is nuts.
Thomas Brown
October 11th, 2011
8:53 am
“That “pretty much put more pressure on the defense there,” Richt said. “If we’re in that situation again, we’d better be able to put it away.”
Dawgs > Fla
October 11th, 2011
9:00 am
Ga will get a big lead early against Vandy and rest all the starters in the second half to get ready for the fla game. Mark this down: Ga runs the table and plays Lsu for the SEC title!!!
Thomas Brown
October 11th, 2011
9:01 am
1969 Graduate,
That is a wonderful post, sir.
Or, to quote Greg McGarity last night : “those teams have really struggled. I don’t know if there’s a (conference) win among them. You’ve got to keep things in perspective”
And, here we are with all these other programs doing far better than we. And, fans saying you sir are not a 1969 graduate but a Georgia tek fan. Wait for it.
Reality Check
October 11th, 2011
9:11 am
Thanks South Ga Dawg 88. Why are you using facts when you could just say LSU, Alabama, and Auburn traditionally have owned UGA over the last ten years. Everyone knows that CMR loss to Alabama, LSU, Arkansas count as two losses while the wins only count as one. UGA has recovered and beaten teams that everyone said we would lose to. If I had a nickle for every one who came on here and said we would lose to Miss. State and Tennessee I would be rich right now. If UGA finishes 10-2 or 9-3 it will be a good season regardless.
UGA Insider
October 11th, 2011
9:44 am
Grantham won another game for the dawgs. Another job well done.
R.D.T.
October 11th, 2011
10:09 am
Jordan Rodger; Aaron Rodgers…doesn’t really matter. dawgs will easily win another cup cake.
Still@theBAR
October 11th, 2011
10:29 am
What did Bobo study in college? Mortuary Sciences? Go to UGA an watch Bobo Kill your talent as a QB with his offensive play calling.
the truth will set you free
October 11th, 2011
10:31 am
college football news pulls back the curtain on uga…
http://cfn.scout.com/2/1115664.html
double up on the kool-ade boys…
the truth will set you free
October 11th, 2011
11:06 am
just like 1980 dawg fans…it’s easy to win when you don’t play quality opponents…gotta suck knowing that the only success your program has ever had is because of scheduling quirks…
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 11th, 2011
11:54 am
Dividends are unlikely, because cold water is going to be thrown on this parade. As usual, there is some degree of optimism for this average program. UGA has won against some of the worst and weakest teams in college football, nonetheless, the SEC.
The UGA stress test begins the second half of the season, and if UGA fails to beat Florida who is down to their 4th and 5th strings, then it just affirms this program has tanked. The Philly newspapers are all over the Eagles and Andy Reid calling for him to be fired, even though he his record with the Eagles is strong.
Compared to this the Atlanta media market, and everyone upbeat about a 4-2 program, that is unranked and was drilled by 2 ranked teams.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 11th, 2011
11:57 am
AltamahaDawg
There are programs out there that can help you with your anger management and blind loyalty issues. Just curious, have you ever said your program sucks? Na, didn’t think so. You are like a direct report who has absolute faith in their leader, even though your leader is taking yoiu straight off a cliff.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 11th, 2011
12:01 pm
This will cut like a knife and all the chatter…..how many titles has UGA won since 1980? Yep, none, so all the statistics, chatter, upbeat talk, and anything positive from the past few weeks, just goes straight out the window when you consider a program with only 1 national title in 118 years.
Alabama, LSU, and OU are all in the running to at least play in a title game….what’s UGA doing? Yep, trying to win an SEC east, then get drilled by Alabama, UGA football is like ALTA, they are all about the bag tags (SEC East titles) and small salad plates (SEC Titles), but not the big plates (national championships)>
Go Dawgs!!!
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 11th, 2011
12:15 pm
So is this “dream team” able to beat a ranked team? Just wondering because UGA hasn’t beaten a ranked team in 2 years.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 11th, 2011
12:16 pm
“You got beat, get over it.”
This is what Auburn fans told UGA fans last year when Fairley beat up their man-child qb and Newton ran roughshod all over that poor little team.
Still@theBAR
October 11th, 2011
12:23 pm
UGA will have their last chance to beat a ranked team when they play a school from the ACC. I guess…2010 BCS CHAMPS….you know what that can be like this year.
Still@theBAR
October 11th, 2011
12:25 pm
2010 BCS CHAMPS……………what will you guys be ranked when you play UGA? 35 maybe or just Others Receiving votes? Just poking fun don’t get mad. LOL
the truth will set you free
October 11th, 2011
12:25 pm
did ya’ll read that article @ 10:31 today like i told yall to do???
DTC
October 11th, 2011
12:28 pm
For one thing, Vol Nation is an idiot. Irrelevant of that fact, the play where a flag was thrown on the TN player for defensive interference against Orson Charles in the end zone, the announcer, Ed Cunningham said the flag was not a good call. The other announcer even questioned Cunningham about his opinion about the flag. The TN player was mugging Charles on that play, continuously, including up to the moment that the ball landed. Cunningham was much more pro TN than pro UGA. The other announcer was more neutral.
Mango Paradise
October 11th, 2011
12:32 pm
The biggest change that CMR needs to make is to stop recruiting the low-class illiterates and thugs who he seems to think will win for him and keep his oversized paychecks coming in. People like Marcus Dowtin, A.J. Green, Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, Cornelius Washington, Israel Troupe, and others too numerous to mention are not team players, they’re “me first” jerks who don’t give a rip about anyone else.
It’s sickening to see goons like these representing the state’s flagship university.
2010 BCS CHAMPS
October 11th, 2011
2:33 pm
Still@theBAR
I knew this year was going to be a down year considering we lost 33 players from last season. We’re locked and loaded for the future.
Still@theBAR
October 11th, 2011
4:26 pm
2010 BCS………………like I said I was just poking fun and not being mean.
tndawg
October 11th, 2011
6:33 pm
I`m a Dawg fan that lives in TN. So, the Ga. vs TN game is a really big thing for me. I have one neighbor that is a Vol fan and he bleeds orange. He is in withdrawals this week. I`m afraid he may be in for a worst season than the Bulldogs.
GO DAWGS!