What’s the biggest concern on Mark Richt’s to-do list?
Mark Richt has some work ahead of him if he wants to have another celebration like this in 2012. (Associated Press)
Outside the Bulldog Nation, Mark Richt’s 2012 team is being viewed as a preseason Top 10 lock, thanks to returning talent (including virtually the entire defense) and a favorable schedule. But all that enthusiasm is being tempered among many Dogs fans by concerns about some of the things on Richt’s offseason to-do list.
The head coach himself has listed improvement on special teams as a top priority for the offseason, saying “there’s no doubt that we’ve got to be a whole lot better on special teams top to bottom.”
In the absence of naming a special teams coordinator (which many of us still would like to see), that’s likely to come down to a commitment to play more starters on the punt and kick teams and an overall greater emphasis on preparation in that area of the game. Of course, the Dogs also will be breaking in a new placekicker and a new punter, so those remain question marks, too.
Then there’s Georgia’s anemic running attack, which limped its way to near-irrelevance in the last couple of games of 2011. Bringing Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley into the backfield is a big step, but there’s still the shorthanded offensive line to deal with.
Not exactly a major strength this past season, it has to basically be rebuilt thanks to graduation, and there wasn’t a lot of depth to start with. Can an OL that’s likely to start a true freshman get the job done? As Richt said, “That’s going to be a big challenge for us breaking in some new linemen offensively.”
There’s no mystery who’ll be Georgia’s starter at quarterback, but as we’ve discussed here at length, Aaron Murray still needs some polishing, and with Hutson Mason planning on taking a redshirt season the backup duties most likely will fall to the promising but untried Christian LeMay, who hasn’t played football in a couple of years. So there’s work to be done developing depth there as well.
And while the Bulldogs overall looked to be in better shape in 2011 thanks to a revamped strength and conditioning program, there’s still improvement needed there, as Richt noted after the defense looked gassed late in the bowl game against Michigan State. As the coach summed up, “we’ve got to make sure we can finish games like we start them.”
So there’s still quite a bit of work for the Georgia coaching staff before the team is ready to live up to those preseason expectations.
Which aspect of the 2012 Dogs concerns you the most, and what would you like to see Richt and company do about it?
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
413 comments Add your comment
Really
January 20th, 2012
12:56 pm
The reason the Defense was gassed is because the offense can’t stay on the field more than 5 minutes….
TDF
January 20th, 2012
12:56 pm
PT
January 20th, 2012
12:54 pm
Ohio State will not win a title for many years. Urban will find another secratary to cheat on his wife with and they will pack it in and move somewhere else.
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:00 pm
“There’s no mystery who’ll be Georgia’s starter at quarterback”
Why not? Murray the Midget will continue to be coached down by the UGA staff. Or is that part of the UGA master plan?
Matt
January 20th, 2012
1:00 pm
Dr. Sugar- Aaron Murray threw a pick 6, fumbled for a returned TD, Fake punt by a DL for a TD, and Crowell fumbled and it was returned inside the 5. They would’ve scored that TD against the Ravens with 4 downs to do it.
Mich St. was lost by the coaches. LSU was lost by the coaches.
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:01 pm
TDF – Point taken, however what about the other 5 National Titles won by coaches in the SEC in less than 3 years at the helm.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:02 pm
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:00 pm
Once agin you should be worried about who will play QB for your pitiful gaytors.
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:03 pm
1. Playcalling
2. Murray giving points to other team- bad decisions
3. Playcalling
4. Running game- get with the program or leave
5. Special teams
6. Playcalling
7. Playcalling
8. Murray’s bad decisions- and coaches ability to get the message to him not to be tolerated
9. Playcalling
10. Playcalling
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:05 pm
TDF -
I am not worried about it. That is up to the coaches to decide, but if you are really concerned, you can keep up to date at GatorZone.com
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:05 pm
opps…tie with # 2…….Being outcoached on gameday
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:05 pm
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:01 pm
Look back at when richt started. We had BVG at def Co., one of the best DCs in our history and we were on the verge of making it to the top. Then BVG up and left and in marched CWM, one of the worst DCs in our history. Basically forced us to start from scratch. And now with CTG cemented as the DC and imo better than BVG. This will be his 3rd year and he should finally have some depth to keep guys fresh. Not predicting a NC, but this is where we were when BVG left and we are poised to make a great run this year.
Pago Pago Dawg
January 20th, 2012
1:06 pm
We had LSWho on the ropes in the first half, so that’s a moral victory, so we’ll take it.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:07 pm
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:05 pm
hahahah yet you come on here and bash our coaches for keeping Murray at qb????? Who had a way better year than all of your QBs combined????
Thanks for showing your stupidity so easily today!
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:07 pm
Pago….please refer to number 2 in list above as to the second half of the Who game
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:10 pm
TDF…….LMAO at your post……what team with more than 8 wins has murray managed to beat?????????? How many games did he hand to the other team this year???????? what other QB has done that…….the four best teams on our schedule were Losses- in large part by murrays decisions and turnovers (not all- but enough).
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:12 pm
TDF -
I am not the Lone Ranger with a negative opinion @ Murray. Plenty of UGA fans question his abilities as well. But you can only be so critical since he is a product of the Mark “I can win games – just not big games” Richt and his sidekick Booboo brain trust.
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:13 pm
TDF – That is a good point. You see things the way I do. It is not Mark Richt who is making a difference at UGA. Grantham took the same players at Georgia and in two years had them ranked at no. 5 defensively. How many O-linemen has Georgia put in the Pros lately? They are pathetic at recruiting and or developing an offensive line.
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:13 pm
As long as Murray stays as he is…..we will get by the teams we are generally supposed to and may get surprised by some that manage to stay within striking range of a miscue on special teams (another VANDY is waiting to happen). We will not beat teams like Carolina, Bama, Who, and Pigs…….
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:14 pm
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:10 pm
Another case of coming into a convo without knowing what is being disccussed. I was simply stating that Murray had a better year than all of the QBs at florida combined.
I have always been one to open up the competition for Lemay to see some playing time. Many a loss can be blamed on Murray but they are team losses. In SC game if the special teams doesnt allow the fake punt to score or even get a first down the game is over and his fumble means nothing. LSU game yes crucial mistakes, but he didnt make king and mitchell drop those perfect passes. MSU is more on Bob hiding in his shell than Murrays turnovers. Boise game we just werent ready for.
I will say this about Murray, King is spot on saying he eyes his receivers down to much and seriously needs to learn to find the check downs instead of forcing it.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:15 pm
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:12 pm
No its called they are team losses and no one game is lost by one player or coach.
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:16 pm
TDF..Count me as a long time UGA fan that does not see us at the next level with the current QB and coaching decisions. We can and should win 9-10 with our schedule next year. Add a Bama, LSU, Arkansas and forget it
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:20 pm
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:13 pm
In the past yes but Friend is turning that around quickly. The old Head recruiter Sayler or Sellars (Cant remember) was the cause of the OL problems. He was awful about getting player evaluations for OL to the coaches quick enough which caused us to be late offering people (We dont offer wo a thorough evaluation) and missing out on top OL. We landed some big time OL this year with Theus and company and Avery Young will pick UGA at 2pm on NSD to round out a great OL class. Also dont be surprised if we flip an OL or add one more to this years class.
Most of our problems are being addressed, S&C still needs work and they are progressing nicely there. Special teams is all that is really left that needs major fixes, but easy solutions.
Come join us at: Leatherhelmetblog.com best recruiting and UGA info you can get. The writers there will answer any question about UGA and recruiting. Guys used to be scouts for UGA and now help place coaches in HS positions across the SE (Best inside info you can get, and its free)
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:20 pm
TDF -
“No its called they are team losses and no one game is lost by one player or coach”
Well then, I see you agree with me. It truly is a combination of Richt, Booboo and Murray that somehow always seem to manage to muck up a big game and lose it.
Danny
January 20th, 2012
1:23 pm
Let’s get Bobo back in these conversations. We need a new Offensive Coordinator who can also handle the special teams duties.
crdawg2
January 20th, 2012
1:24 pm
Rivals and Scout are definitely in the top 3 recruiting services. They rank the best talent in the nation pretty effectively on a regular basis. However, they do tend to manipulate the star ratings by dropping committed athletes and raising the uncommitted prospects so they can gain more subscribers. The flaw is they do not consider the most important variable in recruiting which is, what does the team need. In theory, UGA needs O-line to compliment the RB stars we have. I’d love another three or four 3 star O-line commits even if it lowered our national recruiting ranking. I think O-line is our biggest flaw right now. If it was a strength, our special teams would be a moot point because we wouldn’t have to worry about punting or kicking field goals.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:29 pm
Kyle
January 20th, 2012
1:16 pm
TDF..Count me as a long time UGA fan that does not see us at the next level with the current QB and coaching decisions. We can and should win 9-10 with our schedule next year. Add a Bama, LSU, Arkansas and forget it
I think Murray needs to feel the heat from the back up more this year. Lemay is suppose to be amazing, and I would love to see him get a shockley roll in the offense this year and Murray play the part of Greene.
After the meltdown Les Miles and LSU had in the locker room before the NCG I dont think they will be the same this year. If you havent heard he fired the OC before the game and called the plays himself. Benched all the players that said they wanted Lee to play and not jefferson. And then the oline gave a half hearted effort to show they were angry.
Ark has no defense and I think we can shut down that offense with our stellar Def.
Bama is an unknown wo TR, who was their only real offense this year. So if the RB behind him doesnt step up I see them fighting for 3rd or fourth place in the west htis year.
I would 100% say we would beat them all but we wouldnt getting destroyed either. Be very good games in all 3.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:31 pm
crdawg2
January 20th, 2012
1:24 pm
Rivals and scout are horrible. They cater to the high subscription areas that is no secret. So that completely flaws their rankings and to me makes them virtually unusuable in evaluating talent.
Leatherhelmetblog.com gives the best evaluations for players. They were former scouts and have HS coaching contact throughout the SE.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
January 20th, 2012
1:31 pm
You are kidding right?
OC……….OC……….OC
BoZo……..BoZo………BoZo
BIGBOY
January 20th, 2012
1:31 pm
The OL is going to be what they always are…good enough to get the job done.Richt has never had a dominant OL.It’s not a must have anyway…the LSU OL didn’t look that great but they had a hell of a defense.The elite defensive unit carries more wieght than the OL imo.As for the offensive play calling…IDK looking at our team last year….we didn’t have all these weapons some of you guys seem to think we had….Two true freshmen were critical to our succes(Crowell and Mitchell)without them where do you think we would have been?I thought Bobo did a good job considering the fact that we had a weak OL and no running game.What was he supposed to do?uga scored enough to win every game except LSU.I would stop blaming Bobo/fatigue whatever for the defense fading also…i say it had more to do with that silly ass prevent D we go to late in games
Dapperdanman
January 20th, 2012
1:32 pm
The OL always takes the blame when a offense is not perfect. I will admit that last year we were way to thin (but don’t forget the attrition we had there losing top rated guys like Benedict and Harmon). I like Coach Friend and his drive blocking philosophy and like in any other area of change, year 2 always start to show improvement.
Yes, we are replacing a few guys, but they were all from the old zone blocking coaching. Bean, God love him, did not need to be playing OT. Nobody ever bad mouths Ben Jones (and I think he was a good “leader”) but being able to run up the middle starts with him.
We recruited some good OL prospects the last 2 years. This year’s class looks very good. I think we will have a solid OL by the time they face a tough DL. Last year we faced 2 great experienced DLs right off the bat.
The running game also made the OL look worse at times. If you don’t have a healthy RB that belongs on the field in the SEC, you can’t run the ball. We should see a huge difference this year in that dept.
TDF
January 20th, 2012
1:32 pm
SSIgator
January 20th, 2012
1:20 pm
TDF -
“No its called they are team losses and no one game is lost by one player or coach”
Well then, I see you agree with me. It truly is a combination of Richt, Booboo and Murray that somehow always seem to manage to muck up a big game and lose it.
Thats usually what a team loss means isnt it????? Conservative play calling in the second half coupled with Murray locking onto receivers is our downfall.
gbal
January 20th, 2012
1:33 pm
I tend to agree that a problem with the D late is theat the offense lets them down. There is no reason for the D to be gasses!
Look at the LSU game. The offense held the ball for the better part of the first half TOP. The D was stopping LSU…12 yards total offense I think. The spent the better part of th half resting up on the bench. I will note that the offense did not come away with the points that they should have which had to be a letdown for the D as well.
Then the Sepecial teams letdown on the punt return for 7….
Then the fumble to open the second halfm deep in our territory….
Then the punt return to set up another short field and quick score…
Then the INT return….
No reason for the D to be gassed!!! Just let down due to SP teams and Offense.
MS…. Pick 6.
keith
January 20th, 2012
1:37 pm
I think CMR should be his own special teams coordinator
Contractor
January 20th, 2012
1:40 pm
Our schedule is pathetic. I just wish they would be more battle tested before going to a POTENTIAL SEC Championship game against a Top 5 team. Potential in all caps just so you know I’m not saying for 100% certain we’ll be there, just that we have a good chance. Missouri away and Carolina away will be good games, but they aren’t even close to playing an Arkansas, LSU, or Alabama at home or away, so hopefully these boys will demolish the competition they should, unlike every other year, and will actually be ready for a solid team if we make it to the SEC Championship. Go Dawgs, and looking forward to my first season with season tickets!
Dawg Tired
January 20th, 2012
1:42 pm
Am I limited to ne area of concern? If forced to pick one, I’ll go with the OL. H/e, I believe we will actually be better starting over with new faces in the OL. The last group just was not very effective.
If I get more than one concern, I go with QB next. AM just has not performed well in the pressure situations. This problem is exacerbated by CMR’s absolute refusal to play a back-up QB even when it is obvious that AM has gone into the tank.
gbal
January 20th, 2012
1:44 pm
Mich State —
UGA wins the time of possession. D not gassed in my opinion. Did give up the one drive late but made key stops.
Again, Pic 6 and fumble let the D down early in second half.
D makes a big stop late with the Int…. and the offense cant call plays and execute for 1 first down. D back on the field less than 2 minutes later.
D creates 3 turnovers and O cant convert into points.
O commmits 3 TO’s that do result in points.
I dont think its a problem being physically gassed!!!!
Mentally Gasses ….to that could be it.
The offense is the reason for the D’s mental exhaustion in these and giving up points as well.
OPEN QB competition….
Major adjustments in playcalling….
gbal
January 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
And I am not saying bench Murray…. Just open the competition to make all better… play the best man… and be ready and quick with a change at the QB once we sense another of these breakdowns….
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
It’s funny how much Murray gets blamed for the SC and MSU losses.Last I checked we had at leat a td lead in both games with only a little time left on the clock.Both times the D allowed the other team to drive the length of the field and score a td to boot.That is not on Murray/Bobo or Richt that’s on the defense.They didn’t finish the job.If you asked any of the defensive players they would tell you the same thing.That was on them
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:49 pm
BIGBOY – If you can play great defense and run the football ( good offensive line), then a team can be very successful. Saban has been doing that for the last four years at Alabama, but the O-line is vital in thier philosophy
Dogz
January 20th, 2012
1:49 pm
SSIgator , lol you better worry about your own team another player arrested toady for drugs,,,what a joke in the swamp!
DogFace Blues
January 20th, 2012
1:51 pm
ESPN insider has Murray as #2 early heisman candidate.
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
1:54 pm
At Bama/LSU their D goes out every series with the intent to shut the other team down period.They are not concerned with what their offense is doing.They are there to play D…defensive players make a ton of money in the NFL too you know.At UGA we look to the O for an excuse for our defense falling short..,That’s why we are not an elite team yet.
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:55 pm
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
1:48 pm
At some point I would hope the offense would stop turning the ball over and prevent the defense from having to save their bacon. Georgia needs to put some teams away and stop letting off the gas when they have a lead.
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
1:56 pm
Every good team we played put up over 30 points on our D.Yet we still somehow think they were “great” and it was all Murray/Bobo/Richt’s fault
PT
January 20th, 2012
1:59 pm
How many turnovers did you have in those games your are questioning?
TDF
January 20th, 2012
2:00 pm
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
1:56 pm
Every good team we played put up over 30 points on our D.Yet we still somehow think they were “great” and it was all Murray/Bobo/Richt’s fault
Take away the TDS scored off the offense and special teams and you arent anywhere near 30 points. Cant count those on the D. SC only scored I think 17 points on our Def. LSU scored 7-14 points on our D (Dont count TO in our redzone against the def or punt returns into our redzone)
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
2:01 pm
PT that is the defenses job…that’s why they were recruited to UGA…it’s the reason Todd Grantham makes almost a mil a year.They are EXPECTED to produce…especially with a lead and field position in their favor.There is no excuse for that…if Murray threw a pick 6 or fumbled and it was returned for a td to end the game you would have a point.That however was not the case.The defense gave up the winning or tying scores down the stretch…that is not a “great” defense.Better than recent history perhaps but no where near “great”.
Dogz
January 20th, 2012
2:01 pm
Southgadawg88, some of those 30 points put on us the defense wasn’t even on the field, cant blame defense on pick sixs, fumble returns, fake punts for TD etc!
PT
January 20th, 2012
2:02 pm
Murry is very talented. He just cannot manage a game, at least not yet.
Integrity
January 20th, 2012
2:07 pm
With an inexperienced offensive line, I really think we need to employ a short passing game at UGA. I feel opposing teams too often felt we were going long (if we were passing at all) this past season. In addition, we seldom used a screen or shuttle pass to free up our speed. With an accurate passer, a short passing game can be almost impossible to stop. We really only have to look back as far as the Boise State game to realize that it required very few “bombs” to put us away. I agree with so many of the other comments pertaining to the fact that we waste far too many plays running small backs up the middle. We need to utilize strategies to get those small, speedy backs to the outside. We could also do a better job of using misdirection type plays to offset the rush when encountering defensive lines that are difficult to block.
PT
January 20th, 2012
2:07 pm
It is very frustrating and demoralizing for a defense to have to overcome pick six’s, fumbles and interceptions in hard fought games, especially when you have held them without an offensive TD.