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.
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
828 comments Add your comment
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 4th, 2012
3:40 pm
Lakedawg, it is nice to imagine WHAT IF we had a 12-2 record, but we didn’t. And why do you focus on the games we almost won and not the ones we almost lost? We easily could’ve been 8-6 with losses to Vandy and Florida, both very narrow wins.
We lost to four top 12 teams because we are not a top 12 team ourself. If you want to be a champion, you have to BEAT the good teams, not make excuses that you lost to them because they are good.
DrDawg
January 4th, 2012
3:42 pm
Richt is the head coach and has failed in that role. We only beat unranked teams, period. Make Grantham the head coach and he will bring in two tremendous Coordinators who can take advantage of UGA talent. And someone should tell Crowell this is SEC football, not Dancing with the Stars.
OkieDawg
January 4th, 2012
3:44 pm
Fixing the O-line will go a long way toward solving our problems on offense. QB, TBs and WRs are as good as any team in the SEC. The shortcomings in the QB and TB production can be fixed with a better performing O-line. IMHO, our O-line seems a little too big and slow. But the biggest problem is missed assignments. They were confused as to blocking assignments. As long as the defensive guys lined up and came right at us, we did okay along the O-line. But as soon as the defense came with some less than simlpe bitz packages our guys were confused. Safety blitzes, corner blitzes and simple interior D-line slants created unblocked defenders. Simple stunts seemed to confuse our guys. For the most part, I believe that to be coaching. If not coaching, then the guys were just not capable of picking up the variations to the norm. It was not due to a lack of talent.
bill arp
January 4th, 2012
3:46 pm
I’m going to tell it like it is..Bobo calls the plays he does because he AND Richt simply don’t trust their QB(it’s blatantly obvious if you know anything about the game of football), and like I’ve said, nor do I. He/they look at the situation, and see that just a few series ago, Murray scrambled and fumbled. They also know he just threw 2 really bad INT’s. SO, they say to themselves, “we don’t need him(Murray) to turn the ball over here”, so they run it up the middle hoping the other team actually thinks we may throw the ball. And with this, I actually don’t blame them, I would be scared to death that Murray would throw another STUPID Int. too.(or fumble like he seems to do, ALOT).
BUT, what I do blame them on is this, IF YOU DON’T TRUST YOUR QB, THEN FIND ONE YOU DO TRUST!!!!!! They’ve got a guy sitting on the bench who throws the ball where it needs to go, and more than that, he knows how to anticipate! Mason is not holding all those Ga High School records for nothing…Coaches, don’t be scared to make a change when your main guy isn’t getting it done!
@Hardydog
January 4th, 2012
3:46 pm
Wherever you “heard” mason is better Qb than Murray is wrong. Murray will be better next year, with Lemay getting some reps and Hudson transferring or redshirting.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
3:46 pm
Hearing Chucky Gruden pour Praise all over MURRAY is just making me pee my pants laughing right now knowing the game will be just like the rest of the year. 3/4 Murray comes to the Rescue of the other team.
Lakedawg
January 4th, 2012
3:46 pm
Stats are for losers, can’t argue that point. I say bring on LSU again next year in Dome. First downs 17-11 Dawgs, Time Possesion 36-24 Dawgs. Total yards 311-234 Dawgs. Dropped Passes-Dawgs
Turnovers-LSU, special teams-LSU, ball security-LSU
Game lot closer than score.
duronimo
January 4th, 2012
3:49 pm
It seems the scripted plays to start a game work well. But passed that it’s a crap shoot. I don’t think we get conservatives so much as fearful. The coaching staff at times show little confidence in their players …. afraid that a mistake will be made. The obverse side of this fear factor is the lack of aggression in a game that requires it. I invite UGA fans to go back over the odd, conservative play calling that has occurred at times this year and see if you don’t see fear as a prime factor.
Beast from the East Eaten By Dawg
January 4th, 2012
3:49 pm
“Game lot closer than score.”
What? The only thing that matters IS the final score. Better stick to youth soccer leagues that don’t keep score!
G-Dawg
January 4th, 2012
3:50 pm
Anyone have the feelign Jenkins is headed to Bama since he’s moving up his committment date to the 9th? I know we’ve worked hard lately to pull him, but a its a year late in the game. Although he has better opportunities to play early and often next year if he hunker down in Athens.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
3:51 pm
UGA beat MSU in a bowl as the Farewell to Vince. Could this loss to MSU be the ushering out of Mark Richt or BOBO?
JB
January 4th, 2012
3:52 pm
We have the athletes to win 10 games next year. We don’t have the coaching to win 12
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
3:54 pm
Bobo not the Problemo
Good post up there, kudos
JB
January 4th, 2012
3:55 pm
And to think Ralph Friedgen is sitting 40 miles away at Lake Oconee bored.
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
3:57 pm
bill arp
That certainly act like they trust him. They won’t let anyone else play the position.
I think if the truth be known, the play calling we see IS Mark Richt. Thus the reason Bobo is still on the payroll. Richt as any head coach has the final say. Richt fancies himself an offensive genius and Bobo is the OC in pretty much name only
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 4th, 2012
3:59 pm
If Mason is so great, why was he heavily recruited by…Purdue and Tennessee Tech (or some such)? AL didn’t go after him. Neither did FL, LSU, TENN, SC, or any other significant school.
He may have set a lot of records at Lassiter, but the good college teams did not see him as a top prospect.
JB
January 4th, 2012
4:00 pm
ARdawg……………..Bobo told Mark Bradley post game that on our last possession in regulation he wanted to pass and was overruled from the sideline.
JB
January 4th, 2012
4:01 pm
From Greene to Stafford to…………………Prancer.
timbo
January 4th, 2012
4:01 pm
And now for something completely off subject……I think Michelle Obama looks like a Klingon.
UGA FRIEND
January 4th, 2012
4:01 pm
UGA fans want too much. You should be thankful for what you have and leave the coaching to Richt and Bobo. They know more about it than anyone on these blogs that continously pour out nasty comments.
P_The_Ricker
January 4th, 2012
4:02 pm
JB,
spare yourself the broken dreams. richt will not hire friedgen. richt has only made 1 out of character move during his entire tenure at UGA……fire willie martinez. and that was only b/c damon evans demanded it.
the offense will be the same next year and murray will continue to be at the helm and will likely cost the dawgs 2 more games that should have been won.
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
4:04 pm
JB
I could believe that. I don’t for a second believe Bobo has the reigns on play calling. Most likely Bobo calls the play and then Richt gives it thumbs up or down. Any other OC in the country would be fired for like performance as we have seen from ours. The reason he isn’t is because it isn’t him, he does get the blame though
JB
January 4th, 2012
4:04 pm
UGA Friend………………………3 mil a year+5th richest D1talent in the country+top 5 in profit=Outback Bowl= under performing………………..unacceptable.
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
4:05 pm
A Klingon with junk in da’trunk
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
January 4th, 2012
4:05 pm
It appears that knock on the door of greatness Richie heard was the UGA fanbase coming for his keys! If the AD signs Richt to another deal without removing his buyout then you folks have a stupid AD!!!! Richt is way too soft and the players have no fear of him. When things are going well for UGA your sideline looks like a bunch of thugs the way they conduct themselves and you should be embarrassed. It also appears the missing man formation with Columbus Crowell was a fact. You do talk a great game though even better than the bobby lowder school of banking and fraud. Rember UGA when speaking of culls that your are a cull! Check your trophy case for proof.
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
4:06 pm
P_the_Ricker
I am afraid you are correct sir
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
4:07 pm
JB nice try but when Maryland did Friedgen the way they did you saw what he said? He is Flying his GT falg. Ralph will not go to UGA. Sorry it is not even about the money. Friedgen forgot MORE football that Richt has ever learned.
ARdawg
January 4th, 2012
4:07 pm
Wet Willie
1-11
EX-Contributor
January 4th, 2012
4:08 pm
The biggest concern is Richt as the head coach. Not up to SEC standards of today. Maybe he could make it in the ACC. I could have said Richt and Bobo, but Bobo is entirely on Richt so why flog a dead horse…or in this case a dead dawg. UGA will not improve in 2012 because Richt is still going to be hanging around. I still can’t believe that McGarity would be so stupid as to extend Richt’s contract more then two years. That’s long enough for Richt to finally prove he doesn’t have what it takes. My early prediction for 2012: Missouri will upset UGA up there and Spurrier will beat Richt in Columbia. No SEC East next year. What else happens remains to be seen.
monty
January 4th, 2012
4:12 pm
Our big experienced O-Line got whipped on Monday. How many tackles for loss did MSU have? Murray pressured, eventually went to a roll put passing attack. MSU had a number of times d-linemen who went totally unblocked. On one play 2 of our O-linmen blocked the inside rusher and the outside end came unblocked. Amazing that a group of guys that experienced and that big play so soft. Can’t get a 4th and 1. Can’t grind out one 1st down down to ice the game. Sad thing is everyone knew we wouldn’t be able to, but they tried anyway. I would have rather let Murray throw short for a 1st down. It all got put on the defense and our erratic kicker. Murray not even allowed to try to score in overtime. Zero confidence in him. Poor coaching.
Ga/Fl.Stillman dog
January 4th, 2012
4:15 pm
Plain and simple if we do not get rid of CMR, Running Back Coach and BOOBOO, Ga will never be good again. Richt is a coaching joke.
aaron in arizona
January 4th, 2012
4:16 pm
Last nite i saw on cbs college sports the last seconds of the Marines high school all star game. i saw a kicker make a 47 yard field goal to win the game. kick was very pretty and down the middle. the commentater did mention the name, did not hear it, but kid was from fla and stated the kid is going to UGA. Sooooo, hope that’s true cause we need a kicker in the worst way. walsh is a sr., and bogotay is gone, too, right?
hopefully a site of things to come. go dawgs.
JB
January 4th, 2012
4:16 pm
monty….all true…..The OL is a big concern. We had trouble moving Tech’s under sized and very average talented defensive front out of the way. 3 new starters next year, which you usually dread, but we are excited about it. Maybe they will bring what coaching in HS with them
P_The_Ricker
January 4th, 2012
4:16 pm
anyone notice how many of us fans are questioning richt and his coaching philosphy???
ask yourself this question: would richt be able to walk into your living room tonight and sell you (you and your hs son) on him and the univ of ga?
something is really wrong here if an extension is about to be awarded to a coach that a bunch of fans are seriously doubting.
Destin Dawg
January 4th, 2012
4:17 pm
if Richt sticks with Murray and loses to S.C. and/or Mizzou.. he gets fired !! Q.B. position should be up for Grabs with Lemay, Mason and Murray for next year.. I mean wide open no front runner in spring camp.. playing time for a 3 in the fall.. maybe Mason will stay ??
True Dawg Fan
January 4th, 2012
4:18 pm
this dawg want hunt!!
January 4th, 2012
2:45 pm
Tallydawg, hate to break the news to you but Richt and Bobo are getting there asses handed to them in recruiting as well by Saban and Smart. There are 6 players from the state of Ga. in the Army-AA game, and none of them have committed to UGA. 3 have committed to Bama. Also, of the top 11 players in state of Ga. only 1 has commited to your wonderful recruiter Bobo and Richt. 3 to bama, 2 to auburn, and to leaning to bama. That is the most pathetic job of recruiting in state of any head coach that has ever coached at UGA. So keep dreaming about your boys Richt and Bobo, they are total jokes on game day, and now it is spreading to recruiting. Richt,Bobo,McGarity= total joke.
Wow you are dumber than previously thought. We arent getting whipped by Bama are you kidding me??? The thing that hurt us was idiots on places like this calling for Richts head and further spreading what ESPN started. That started the kick to negative recruiting by Satan and his side kick Kirby. Thats how they have been winning in recruiting. Straight lying to these kids faces. And to top it off when he barely has room for 20 recruits to sign what does he do??????? He states publicly that he is going to sign 30!!! This will cost him JJ bc his family knows of that crap. (Why do you ppl think we gained so much ground on him????? We over came the negative recruiting done by Bama and then did a little of our own with the oversigning. Mark my words if by the 9th Alabama has 2-3 more commits JJ picks UGA due to oversigning by Bama.
So youre an idiot for thinking that there is anything wrong there any more (If you need another example check out Reuben Foster who was told everything negative under the sun about UGA but now that those lies have been corrected by Richt and Co. we are back in the race and could easily steal him back with Trey Matthews, his HS teammate, helping in recruiting.)
this dawg want hunt!! = Clown
JB
January 4th, 2012
4:18 pm
aaron. Dawgs have a kicker from Florida coming in this year. The best one in that state.
Destin Dawg
January 4th, 2012
4:19 pm
yes POOR coching.. I am no longer a Richt supporter !
True Dawg Fan
January 4th, 2012
4:20 pm
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
3:46 pm
Hearing Chucky Gruden pour Praise all over MURRAY is just making me pee my pants laughing right now knowing the game will be just like the rest of the year. 3/4 Murray comes to the Rescue of the other team.
how was that Utes game???? ahahhahaha run along little boy
Dawg48
January 4th, 2012
4:22 pm
Richt and Bobo are conservative when having the lead.
And that’s fine. But you can’t be conservative if you do not have a running game to run the clock.
UGA does not have the O line or the running backs to run a conservative offense when they have a lead.
That’s how the last game was lost.
excessive celebration
January 4th, 2012
4:23 pm
Same ole broke down dawgs. Back to their loosing streak ways. I got used to it then finally threw in the towel. ‘89-’09 record against the gators did it for me. The gators will win several championships within the next 10 years. GO GATORS. GO ALABAMA. premier athletes and programs. I would have fired the reverend 5 years ago. CTG is the only football mind on the team! Richt will find some reason to fire him soon.. you will loose out on the best lineman prospects as usual, you’ll get a few skill players but no bruising backs…finish just ahead of average as usual…..wake up…..national championships are over in athens….FACTS!
evil empire
January 4th, 2012
4:23 pm
true dawg fan is back in form!!!!!…love it….nobody can call posters idiots quite like you do…it’s like an art form…beautiful to watch…glad you came out of the bunker…
UGA FRIEND
January 4th, 2012
4:24 pm
Ricker–Yes Yes and Yes. If CMR offered my son a scholarship and he wanted it without hesitation he could sell us.
Desitin Dawg: Do you really believe CMR will get fired because of his decision as to who the QB will be. Be a fan and leave the coaching to CMR and staff.
Stephen A.DAWG: UGA is NOT top 10 material !
January 4th, 2012
4:25 pm
Despite the easy 2012 schedule, UGA is NOT a preseason top ten program. Richt and Bobo are not capable making the changes needed to attain top ten status. Richt has told Bobo that Tampa,Florida product Aaron Murray is the permanent starter at QB for as long as he remains at UGA. So no matter how poorly he performs in big games, Richt will not stop Murray’s entitlement to be the starter.
Bobo’s hands are tied by Richt. Nobody, including Bobo really trusts Murray at QB for UGA but Richt and what Richt says goes. (Has Murray been nominated for any post-season awards y’all ?) All Bobo can do is try to “protect” the UGA offense from Murray by limiting his knack for turnovers. This is why he sends tiny RB Carlton Thomas up the middle so much. Then punt and put the game in Grantham’s defensive hands. Conservative. This kind of offensive “coaching” and playcalling may work against mediocre teams, but most certainly is losing strategy versus top twenty competition. Good team will force UGA to trust Murray to make good decisions and he can’t because of all his limitations. All Murray the starting UGA QB has done is compiled meaningless statistics, just like Joe Cox and David Greene. He is 16-11, with NO wins versus a highly ranked team. Murray is NOT starting QB material in the SEC. Maybe in the Sunbelt conference, not the SEC. He is Richt’s personal favorite and he is Richt’s man at QB, who has UGA knocking on the door of greatness. Really ?! Honestly, it’s the door of mediocrity they have been beating on. The offense, head coaching, and special teams are Georgia’s chronic problem, not the defense. CTG has done an admirable job considering the dysfunctionality of the head coaching, offense and special teams. Under Richt good players are dumbed down then seem to go bad or vanish in his offense and special teams.
I hate to say this but the only way we will see real change at UGA is to get rid of Richt (retain Coach Grantham or consider him for head coach). Or bring in a proven head coach who can do things the true Georgia way. UGA under Richt has tried to do things the ACC andFSU way and it just won’t work in today’s SEC. Richt can’t change what has worked for him for over 25 years, so UGA must have the courage to make the changes without him in order to get to the next level. Georgia can’t have a 90s ACC offensive mindset to win big in the SEC. Georgia won’t be able to keep dodging ‘Bama, LSU, and Arkansas. Georgia can’t keep losing to South Carolina or UF, and keep beat its chest over beating Tech.
Richt needs to wake up and admit to himself Georgia is beating on doors of mediocrity, not greatness, and make the changes before it costs him his job.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
4:28 pm
True dawg fan but UGA blew a 16-0 lead. Tech came back to take a 14 point lead. UGA blew a bigger lead with all those 4*-5* players against the Big Fat Slow Big 10. HAHAHAHA go play with OTHER PEOPLES Money.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
4:29 pm
48 are you watching the replay?
P_The_Ricker
January 4th, 2012
4:30 pm
Destin,
i wish the qb competition would be open heading into spring, but deep down you and i both know that neither mason or lemay will TRULY get a fair shake at beating out murray.
richt is enamored w/ murray’s stats, which are impressive; HOWEVER, anyone who watch the dawgs play this season know that murray was the CAUSE uga lost 3 of the 4 games.
stats mean nothing when you cost your team games.
Dawg48
January 4th, 2012
4:30 pm
Of which game?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 4th, 2012
4:31 pm
UGA is missing out but I love it.
UGA could get Jon “Chucky” Gruden if they would just FIRE RICHT.
True Dawg Fan
January 4th, 2012
4:31 pm
P_The_Ricker
January 4th, 2012
4:16 pm
anyone notice how many of us fans are questioning richt and his coaching philosphy???
ask yourself this question: would richt be able to walk into your living room tonight and sell you (you and your hs son) on him and the univ of ga?
something is really wrong here if an extension is about to be awarded to a coach that a bunch of fans are seriously doubting.
You cant take what the ppl say on here as reality of what the majority of us UGA fans feel. Bc I guarantee you that I along with 90% of bulldog nation call the ppl who want Richt fired Fricken Idiots. They have no clue what they are talking about and just spew hatred for the guy.
Bobo runs Richts plays, but he picks which ones to run and when. Bobo is the one with the predictable offense. When half the country can call the play from their couch before it happens then there is a problem. What I did like though was seeing him air it out on 3rd and long a few times instead of the normal draw up the middle with Carlton.
We have an amazing athlete in Nick Marshall (Former QB) and what does Bobo do??? leave him on the sidelines. Bring that kid into the game and run the Wild Dawg for a couple plays and see what happens. We have had this drawn up since before the season started and it never happened. we even had a version with Rambo at QB that never happened.
We have so much speed but Bobo never uses it. If you go back to the Mich St game. the run plays that work minus maybe 1-2 are sweeps to the outside, why???? bc we are faster than them!!! and you know those short passes that were working to start, where did they go???? I know they made some good adjusments at half, but they couldnt cover a fricken buble screen against us and we stopped using it after the first quarter.
Its pretty easy to see folks that its Bobo that is the problem and not Richt. Move bobo to head recruiter and QB coach, fire Bmac (Love the idea of seeing what Herschel is doing!), and force Richt to take over special teams (Dont agree with everyone saying play scholly players, only bc we couldnt afford to this year with so little depth. However he better next year bc we will be full up and there is no reason not to anymore)
Its not that hard. Bobo has had too many chances and if they stick with him for next year he better actually use some of these awesome formations he has drawn up.