Big questions temper optimism as Dogs look ahead to 2012
Georgia returns a lot of talent, including Aaron Murray, but still has some major concerns to deal with in 2012. (Associated Press)
A week ago, in the wake of the SEC’s 2012 schedule being announced, optimism was running wild in the Bulldog Nation.
This week, after watching the Dogs again collapse in the second half amid continued problems with special teams play and establishing a running game, many Georgia fans are tempering their optimism.
The Dogs still may start out next season as a Top 10 team based on a load of returning talent and an even more favorable schedule than this year’s, but there will be some big challenges, especially if the team is hit with major losses to the NFL. Orson Charles going pro would hurt, but the chance of the defense possibly losing two or three underclassmen is more worrisome.
Meanwhile, the offensive line, which was good enough against middling teams this season but gave up 33 sacks and faltered against the four best defenses Georgia faced, will lose three senior starters and will have little returning experience.
The Dogs will have to replace both their placekicker and their punter and still haven’t solved the problem of spotty special teams play overall.
Record-setting QB Aaron Murray will return but has some ball security problems to deal with (his turnovers when pressured or scrambling played a major role in three of the Dogs’ four losses), and Georgia could lose what little backup experience it has at the position if Hutson Mason decides to transfer.
And then there’s the running game, which went from inconsistent to pathetic late in the season as Isaiah Crowell found myriad ways to stay off the field. The bright spot there in 2012 is the arrival of Keith Marshall and probably at least one other freshman tailback, but we learned this season that signing a five-star recruit at that position is no guarantee of long-term success.
So, yes, Georgia reeled off 10 wins in a row this season and took the SEC East but as Mark Richt said, “our guys had a good year, not a great year,” losing to the four teams they played that ended up ranked in the Top 20 while getting their wins against teams that finished the season unranked.
All of which raises this question: Were the 2011 Dogs that much better than the 2010 team that finished 6-7, or was the SEC East title more a function of scheduling?
I think the answer is a qualified yes, the Dogs were much improved — mainly on defense. But they remained, as Richt noted, far from a great team. There’s no denying that a schedule that didn’t include the toughest teams from the SEC West probably was the biggest factor in Georgia’s 2011 turnaround.
They’ll get that break again next season. But it’s going to take more than that for Richt and company to improve on a 10-4 record.
Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
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828 comments Add your comment
LanierDawg
January 4th, 2012
11:11 am
Exactly WHY do we have ongoing execution problems? Coaches point to lack of execution for every loss (and no other reason). What are they doing to get better execution from the players? They recruited the guys of their choosing, taught them and coached them up. Yet it’s always the players’ fault for not executing. And the coaches have no responsibility?
The reason is......!
January 4th, 2012
11:11 am
The reason Richt does not correct Bobo while being on the headset, is he is rehearsing his next Ford commercial and not paying attention to what is going on.
mark
January 4th, 2012
11:11 am
What are the chances CMR will open up a QB competition between Murray, Mason and Lemay? I know Mason is an incredibly accurate passer…
SSIgator
January 4th, 2012
11:12 am
DawginLex -
Glad you are back. Thought you might have drowned in your own KoolAid on Monday. Speaking of which, the new KoolAid manufacturing plant outside of Dalton has limited edition special flavors for the 2012 season. The first two they are releasing are AltamahaDawg Apple and DawginLex Lime. You should feel very honored.
Nooga Dawg
January 4th, 2012
11:13 am
Dawgs need a coach with some fire about him, let’s move Richt to oc and hire Scott Cochran from Bama to be head coach.
The reason is......!
January 4th, 2012
11:13 am
What are the chances CMR will open up a QB competition between Murray, Mason and Lemay? I know Mason is an incredibly accurate passer…
Absolutely 0% and that is why Hutson will transfer to SC. Heck even Mettenburger far out performed Murray at G-day just weeks before he got in trouble and Richt had him listed 2nd.
bruce mac
January 4th, 2012
11:14 am
RTR22, you must be a product of the worst education system in America like your handle indicates. We did play LSU idiot and Arkansas is not a great team. Geau Tigers, that is the universal cheer in SEC country.
schmeckdawg
January 4th, 2012
11:15 am
Joey
January 4th, 2012
11:03 am
Jenkins has a sprained shoulder
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Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Bozos
January 4th, 2012
11:15 am
Keep doing the same thing, keep getting the same results.
Dawg_Fan
January 4th, 2012
11:15 am
I find it very wrong that the other teams seem to make make positive adjustments at half time whereas anything we either don’t make proper adjustments or make none at all. During MSU game we seemed to switch to run oriented for the second half and that didn’t work worth a hoot.
Still, I love my Dawgs!
darkdawg
January 4th, 2012
11:16 am
Bill King you are a broken record. Bad coaching, a bad quarterback, bad special teams. We know how bad they played, even with your angry rants nothing is going to change. Everybody on the blog thinks they are the AD at Georgia. And seriously if your tired of watching Georgia go become a alabama or lsu fan. Get ready for next years season. GO DAWGS!!!
Bean Counter
January 4th, 2012
11:19 am
We have solved our defensive problems with the hiring of Grantham. Now we need to do the same thing with the offense. Bobo is not the answer. All he knows is run up the middle on first down and LONG passes on second and third down. We have quit using the screen pass to slow down the rush, we don’t throw to the tight ends or fullback any more. They are kept in to block for the second and third down long developing pass plays. Get rid of Bobo and find a real OC that can get the job done.
Joey
January 4th, 2012
11:19 am
If ya really wana read some funny stuff,sign up for twitter and follow the players. Past and present. Been ALOT of rumblings about BooBoo.
bill
January 4th, 2012
11:19 am
Nothing changes in Athens…hope that the Richt gravy train riders are happy with mediocrity, because that is the status of the Bulldog football program. A Outback win would have regained some of the National luster that the team has lost since 2008…not now. The Kool-aid drinkers can trash the ESPN talking heads all they want, but we are what we are. It’s enough to make me miss the Donnan days — at least we could block and tackle then while losing 4 games every year.
schmeckdawg
January 4th, 2012
11:20 am
bruce mac
January 4th, 2012
11:09 am
Why does everyone put Arkansas on a pedestal. They didn’t beat anybody except South Carolina and that was because SC lost their quarterback and running back by that game. Bama and LSU are superior to everyone in the country but Arkansas is just good, not great.
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Thank you bruce mac! I have been saying this all year. They played two good teams, Bama & LSU and got killed by both of them!!!!!!!!
Herschel Talker
January 4th, 2012
11:20 am
Richt threw away a chance at a bowl win and at a potential preseason Top 10 ranking so that he could give Blair Walsh “a moment” (as many of you may have heard Matt Chernoff surmising yesterday).
Does anyone still think that Mark Richt deserves to be the head coach when he puts the feelings of one player ahead of the feelings of the rest of the team and the good of the program? Like he did when he put the feelings of his friend Willie Martinez ahead of the good of the program.
What a disgrace.
gofortwo
January 4th, 2012
11:20 am
If Coach Richt would have had Bobo as Offensive Cordinator at Florida State, he would not be the head coach at Georgia.
Vinny Ocean
January 4th, 2012
11:21 am
SEC east title was without a doubt a function of scheduling. Lost to the best team you played in the east South Carolina. Beat a bad tennessee team. Were lucky to beat a bad florida team. If that florida team had been anything like ones from the past we would have lost considering how we started that game. Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State, and Ole Miss are all terrible, and we were lucky to beat Vanderbilt. If Miss State had any kind of offense we would have lost to them too b/c we let them hang around in that game and didn’t go for the kill.
There were two games all season that i remember the offense looking like it had some sort of rhythm to it. South Carolina and Auburn. Other than that it has been a really hard season to watch. Richt isn’t the answer but I’ll settle for hiring a new offensive coordinator and moving bobo to only qb coach.
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:22 am
I’m going for sales not gimmicks SSI
That’s why Coke just announced
SSIGator Get a Life and Quit Obsessing about UGA Cola
Sales will sky rocket at Georgia games
Joey
January 4th, 2012
11:23 am
Chris Conley is also haveing surgery tomorrow. Dont know what for tho
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:25 am
gofortwo
Coach Richt WAS the OC at FSU. That is how he got the UGA job. He either needs to go back to calling plays or hire a NFL caliber OC and let him coach.
Macclenny_dawg
January 4th, 2012
11:25 am
Bill,
I think its time you break out your article before the season. What if Richt wins 10 games but no signature win!!! I think our worst case scenario has come true. Mcgarity please no extension for Richt he just doesn’t have the heart to do what he knows needs to be done like demote Bobo!!! With Richt we will never have a scandle but will never be nothing but a middle SEC team!!!
ozzfest
January 4th, 2012
11:25 am
I WILL BE IN COLUMBIA, MO….BUT OTHERWISE WILL BE LISTING MY HOME GAME TICKETS ON EBAY.
GREAT SCHEDULE…AND ALL IN THE SAME YEAR AS VANDERBILT & KENTUCKY.
THANK YOU McGARRITY.
BUFFALO?
FLORIDA ATLANTIC?
GA SOUTHERN?
schmeckdawg
January 4th, 2012
11:26 am
Oh by the way, regarding Aaron Murray, he’s got Champagne stats and beer wins!
Fred Sanford Stadium
January 4th, 2012
11:26 am
If stupid were a form of martial arts, then the UGA camo cap would be that activities equivalent of the black belt.
ozzfest
January 4th, 2012
11:26 am
FIRE BOBO!
rioj
January 4th, 2012
11:26 am
Wow so some of you think Murray is the problem. A guy has a bad game and we forget about the 50+ touchdowns in 2 years huh?
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:27 am
in order to improve, changes must be made. No changes, no big wins
1.) Hire an NFL caliber offensive coordinator and give him full control of the offense just like Grantham does with the D
2.) Keep Mike Bobo on staff as QB coach and recruiter
3.) fire our running backs coach and replace him with a coach who understands and teaches the importance of securing the football and running downhill
4.) Place Richt in charge of special teams and play scholarship players and go back to making this unit a difference maker
5.) Throw all the money you can get to secure Todd Grantham
6.) Give Richt a 2 year extension ONLY if he agrees with all of the above
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Anybody got better ideas?
KOOL
January 4th, 2012
11:28 am
Although I am no fan of Bobo, I’d like to see UGA get a real strength & conditioning coach. Tereshinski is not going to cut it. In each of the 4 losses, UGA’s collapses can be mostly attributed to inferior conditioning. I’d argue that substandard coaching & execution are also to blame, but secondary to weak 2nd half conditioning.
AltamahaDawg
January 4th, 2012
11:29 am
There is not a single concern today that wasn’t very obvious in the few seconds before that FG attempt sailed right. We did not discover one thing new in that game.
Yes, every possible demon we have had all year all roared up in the final game, but not one of them are a surprise.
Anybody changing their tune now simple was overly hyped before or overly emotional charged now.
And don’t even try to say that 54 pages of Fire Richt would have been on here had the FG gone 3 feet to the left.
Bowl games are also about the worse predictor of the next year as the 15 day Southern Us weather forecast.
gofortwo
January 4th, 2012
11:29 am
Murray looks like Joe Cox when he plays any team with a winning record and decent to good defense. The front office needs to have the transfer papers ready for Manson. After CR said Murray would be a great quarterback, he knows he won’t see any playing time.
Bremen Dawg
January 4th, 2012
11:29 am
Better but only on defense. I think we still have major problems and Grantham leaves after next season. I still think we should have overhauled the offense staff before this season.
UGA Insider
January 4th, 2012
11:30 am
I hate to tell all of the Bobo bashers but CMR took over playcalling duties at the end of the game. This one is all on him.
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:31 am
KOOL
They actually have a nutrition program like Florida and other schools already had now. We have only had 1 year of the new program and I said 2012 would be the year to see real results.
The players are in better shape but it needs more than 1 year
schmeckdawg
January 4th, 2012
11:32 am
Joey
January 4th, 2012
11:23 am
Chris Conley is also haveing surgery tomorrow. Dont know what for tho
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Damn, I hope it’s not serious, don’t want to lose that kid!
Joey
January 4th, 2012
11:33 am
Danny Verdun Wheeler: ” UGA done fell of a cliff. We beat any body with any credit in the last 2 years? i think its time for a change if we ever gunna win a championship” via twitter
bitter dawgs fan
January 4th, 2012
11:33 am
richt is not a good man—-he lied to hudson mason—-with turnover murray playing horrible,
he leaves mason on the bench————-richt hates georgia fans and is determined to
destroy dawg football before he is forced out, then leaving with a huge buyout.
——————-uga money folks need to force DR. PEPPER ADAMS to fire richt now
dawgcrusher's paradise
January 4th, 2012
11:33 am
what makes you dummies think anything will change in athens. best recruiting classes for 12 years. assistant coaches who are on the friends and family plan. grantham is gone; he’s probably seen enough of this circus.
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:33 am
Insider
Still doesn’t change my suggestion of hiring a NFL caliber OC and let Richt run special teams and let the OC have full control of the offense. It wouldn’t hurt for it to be someone Grantham knows because there were several games where it was OBVIOUS that our OC and DC were not on the same page
Bluesdog
January 4th, 2012
11:33 am
1. Special teams will not be corrected. Richt is too stubborn to hire a Special Teams coach.
2. Running game went downhill after Ealey transferred, might have gone 12-2 with Ealey, he wasn’t injury prone like Crowell, and didn’t run out of gas in the 4th quarter like all the other backs do. Ealey scored 11 td’s in 2010, the entire line up opf RB’s couldn’t replace that total, no surprise, Richt made a big mistake running off Ealey.
3. Mettenberger would have performed much better than Murray has. So would Mason or Lemay. Murray is too turnover oriented, really just chucks the gameplan and starts making wild runs which result in fumbles in last 2 games (really going to convert a 3rd and 17 on a QB run) and terrible decision making when he gets tired, like 2nd half of SC, LSU and Mich St games where he threw multiple interceptions.
4. Team lacks mental toughness. Mich’s coach brought in Navy Seals to train leaders, Richt brings in an older trainer grandfather figure named Joe T? Too many missed field goals (14), too many turnovers under pressure, team just doesn’t handle pressure well. And Richt has no plan to change that.
swimdawg68
January 4th, 2012
11:34 am
You are correct with the problems identified. The way we used Orson Charles in the Outback Bowl insures he will turn pro. Murray needs to work on looking for secondary receivers when the primary is covered. He “stares down” the primary receiver and db’s watsh his eyes. As far as Crowell goes he has demonstrated that he is soft. He needs to transfer to a D-2 program where the defenses don’t hit as hard, what a great disappointment he has become. Our OL once again proved up against a good DL they are not capable of run blocking. I know you need good backs to have a running game but you first must have an OL that opens holes, we need big improvement in the OL play.
What can you say about Bobo that has not already been said. He is not an SEC OC. I lay the blame on CMR, I am completely convienced that we will never get to the level of Ala. and LSU until CMR makes a change at OC. Bobo coaches and calls plays not to lose instead of coaching and calling plays to win. It is sad to see the blinders that apparently are on CMR when it comes to Bobo. Look how long it took him to dump Martinez.
sogadog
January 4th, 2012
11:34 am
CMR has to establish a running game to succeed next year and I am not sure he can with Bobo and McLendon coaching the offense. Coach Dooley said it best, when you throw the ball three things can happen and two of them are bad.
SSIgator
January 4th, 2012
11:34 am
Bean Counter -
“We have solved our defensive problems with the hiring of Grantham”
Really? Yeah, they were good against the easier teams, but Boise sliced them up as did LSU and then MSU moved down the field like the defense wasn’t even there. Even Brantley carved them up in Jax until he got hurt and left he game.
John Galt
January 4th, 2012
11:34 am
Bobo must go- he lost the bowl game in the last 4 minutes with his frightened play calling.
dawgcrusher's paradise
January 4th, 2012
11:37 am
richt is the problem d/a’s, not bobo. its richt. why on earth can’t you people see it. the sec has passed richt by. he’s an acc coach in a sec world. and thats being kind.
Bremen Dawg
January 4th, 2012
11:37 am
Dont think everyone understands why Bobo will not be removed from OC, Richt likes having his hands in the offense, if he hires a top OC then they will won’t complete control of the offense.
dawgcrusher's paradise
January 4th, 2012
11:38 am
@john galt
bobo is following richt’s lead. come on man.
DawginLex
January 4th, 2012
11:39 am
Even Brantley carved them up in Jax until he got hurt and left he game.
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Couldn’t have been all the sacks that got him hurt????
Florida does not score more than 7 without the KO returns. Florida had the ball 6 times on our side of the 50 in the 2nd half-3 points.
Oh, I forgot, all this choking and underachieving stuff does not apply to florida. Only to Georgia.
dawgcrusher's paradise
January 4th, 2012
11:39 am
richt won’t replace the oc because he IS the oc. wake up dawg fans.
Vinny Ocean
January 4th, 2012
11:39 am
Since Mark Richt has been the HC at Georgia six times an SEC team has won the National Championship (Auburn was robbed in ‘04). There have been three undefeated seasons, potentially a fourth. Multiple teams with only one loss records. Mark Richt has not accomplished either of those once. It’s not for a lack of talent. I don’t remember the last quality win a Mark Richt coached team has had. When was the last time his team beat a team they weren’t supposed to, or nobody predicted they would beat?