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.
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413 comments Add your comment
old timer
January 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
It all starts with the Oline.If they can’t keep the qb upright, they ain’t gonna do very well.Beats the h===– outta me why we can’t get some uglys to do the job .Do we need a replacement for CRG?
SLAWDAWG
January 20th, 2012
6:28 pm
Until CMR FIRES……….Coach BOZO……..It want matter about how many OL we have, we sign, or anything else…….All GOOD COACHES know how to get the MOST out of what they have….Utilize a players STRENGTH in all situations is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!
MackDog2424
January 20th, 2012
6:45 pm
The dogs need to dig down deep and find a killer instinct. When they gain that, the dawgs will be tough to stop
icedawg
January 20th, 2012
6:51 pm
offensive line, offensive line, offensive line, place kicker
Disgusted Dawg
January 20th, 2012
7:00 pm
Coaching
jaxdawg
January 20th, 2012
7:09 pm
Offensive play calling, special teams, O-line, running back, strength & conditioning in that order.
Birdhair
January 20th, 2012
7:36 pm
Rogaine treatments? check. Red Ford Truck? Check. Bible? Check. Get on the Church Bus. Check. Shades? Check.
BULLDAWG BILL
January 20th, 2012
8:14 pm
Offensive play calling and special teams are big areas of concern for me. Why can’t Richt admit our O.C. is over his head and get a proven coach to take over this area? It should be so clear to him that we can see great improvement in an area of the game with a quality coach after the forced change on defense. Will the AD have to do this again?
01HAWK
January 20th, 2012
8:17 pm
What’s the biggest concern on Mark Richt’s to-do list?
Learning how to coach
Beating BAMA, LSU
STOP his kids from smoking WEED
STOP his kids from turning their back on him while he is speaking to them
How will he ever win a championship
PENALTIES, PENALTIES, PENALTIES
Which color helmet to wear
Which color jersey to wear
Which F150
WhatDawg?
January 20th, 2012
8:43 pm
Enter your comments hereMidtown Dawg
January 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
Bobo, Bobo, Bobo are the top 3 concerns: We will never win a SEC Championship with his lack of designed plays and certainly with him calling plays. If you don’t believe me, join me at the games and watch. You read it here
A-Ville Ranger
January 20th, 2012
8:47 pm
Reading Rivals’ UGA home board you’d think we should be improved on the OL. Looking at it dispassionately though, we could be much worse. We’re losing players at 2 key positions who will be 1st day picks in the NFL draft. What’s more Richt used our starters virtually every snap with the short sighted goal of keeping his job. I see no reason to think our OL or STs will be improved. These early top 10 rankings are absurd.
WhatDawg?
January 20th, 2012
8:48 pm
Going to an SEC game with Bobo as your OC is like going to court with Pee Wee Herman as your attorney…….
BullDogMike
January 20th, 2012
9:17 pm
There is a big difference between talking about fixing our pitiful special teams play , and actually doing it. We will see.
Fair and Balanced
January 20th, 2012
9:18 pm
All topics are a big concern but the OL is gigantic and I for one, do not understand how this just stays broken. I would add that Murray’s mechanics in throwing need to be fixed. I simply cannot throw a spiral which may be a factor in all the dropped passes. 58 % competitions is simply not good enough. He has done well on TD to int but some of the int’s are awful! Ga needs to be able to punch in TD’s via rushing. Sure hope there is someone to kick FG’s!
7576DAWG
January 20th, 2012
9:21 pm
With CMR not changing anything with his coaching staff , it is obvious now that he feel’s our short coming’s in 2011 are 100% the player’s fault. My question is if the special team’s needed major adjusting why wasn’t those changes made after the Boise State game. I know we couldn’t get a balanced offense in 2011, so with all the great receiver’s Georgia had, why didn’t we just throw the ball 75% of the time and let Murray roll out with the option to run instead of staying in the pocket.
The frustration is CMR and Bobo did not make any adjustment’s during the season when every amateur football fan knew what CMR and Bobo are now saying needed to be done. We knew during the season why didn’t the coach do something then. We probably wouldn’t have won more than 2 more game’s but it would have been better than what we ended up doing during the season which was NOTHING.
I only have one request : McGarity do your job and DEMAND that CMR and his can’t do anything wrong staff prove they have learned from how NOT to coach a college football team. I love CMR but nobody can tell me that if Saban, Miles or Spurrier had coached our team last year that we wouldn’t have ended up with a better record. NO COACHING CHANGES ARE BULL.
Dawg89
January 20th, 2012
9:43 pm
Bobo should be Richt’s biggest concern.
No one
January 20th, 2012
9:57 pm
With kids and teens, uneducated and out of work, due to Obama’s economy, the so called “you have not won the MNC and therefore UGA and CMR are jokes” is a joke.
No one decides to attend a unviersity on the MNC alone. I retired at 56 about 6 years ago and whether UGA ever won a MN C title had nothing to do with my education and resulting career. Only kids interested in the old “yo momma” style of noise make this DUMB case.
Go Dogs.
Two styles of O line play are why it is this way
January 20th, 2012
10:01 pm
Pass protection requires one style of O line play and run blocking requires another.
Any one out there that actually played college O line? Am I wrong?
Richt likes the style of play from FSU that worked so well, 20 years ago and in the SEC, we cannot compete in big boy physical games because our O line guys have not learned that physical style of SEC rugged play. We are not Pat Dye tough enough, as he once said and I for about 6 or 7 years do agree.
This is a HUGE reason why we have become what we are.
UGA class of 71 & 73
Return to Glory
January 20th, 2012
10:15 pm
O-line: control the line of scrimmage and good things happen, lose control and you lose the game, bottom line until we do this we will watch the crystal ball go to other schools trophey cases.
WhatDawg?
January 20th, 2012
10:21 pm
Going to an SEC game with Bobo as your OC is like going to court with Pee Wee Herman as your
Dawg4
January 20th, 2012
10:41 pm
For once just write about the positive things that are going on in the program. You beat a “dead Horse”….
Nahila
January 20th, 2012
10:48 pm
I still say that UGA will not have a good run game until the following action is undertaken:
A legimate big blocking fullback to lead the way, less shotgun formations where the back is not able to build up speed before the handoff and more quarterback under the center snaps in a multiple back formation to take advantage of all the quality running backs we now have that should be able to hit the blocking hole faster, a bad ass offensive line that loves to bulldoze their opponents and knock them off the line of scrimmage. Then and only then us UGA going to reach the championship and leave a winner. The UGA shotgun reminds me of the FSU quarterbacks after Charlie Ward, most plays were run from the shotgun both by Richt and his successor at OC. If you have a dominating line that can hold their blocks it works but with a young inexperienced OL, it becomes extremely difficult.
UGADawg83
January 20th, 2012
11:17 pm
Bill please quit giving the haters, bashers and trolls opportunities.
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
GA Power sucks!!!SC game…Lattimore rushed for over 100 yds in the 4th quarter alone.100 yds in the 4th quarter.That is not on the offense fellas.SC scored 21 pts without the D on the field how could they have been tired?
MSU got the ball on their 15 yd line with 1 minute and 42 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.and scored a TD.That is not a great defense.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it
January 20th, 2012
11:36 pm
How about fan expectations, especially defensive expectations.
A-Ville Ranger
January 20th, 2012
11:46 pm
Our ‘’style of blocking” on the OL isn’t the problem. The fact we suck at both pass protection AND run blocking is a result of really poor preparation. Richt hired his ”Friend” to do a job that should have gone to the very best OLC we could bring to Athens.
Dawg77
January 21st, 2012
12:37 am
Do Not Run Repeatedly From The Shotgun. There is no different from let speedsers (smith, boykins) fair-catching everytime. //Albert Einstein.
32 Years and Counting
January 21st, 2012
1:08 am
“Also, the D looked gassed in the MSU game because or O was flat. Not sure that was a conditioning issue or an OC/OL issue.”
BMDPD said it perfectly. I don’t care how good your defense is playing if your offense is as terrible as ours. They need to have some rest. We simply don’t have the running game to give our defense a breather. That is why they are GASSED, from the constant conservative play calling and punting that we are always doing, no wonder Butler is a world class punter LOOK at how many chances a game he gets to flex his footwork.
13-1
January 21st, 2012
3:04 am
Bill King, sir, that is a good article. Thank you. I am going to go back now and read every post on your blog about Aaron Murray the other day. Yeah, he is the Starter. Christian LeMay better play in the 2nd series against Buffalo Bills.
Stephen A.DAWG: The best defense is a well coached, balanced offense.
January 21st, 2012
7:03 am
There is nothing on Richts’ to do list, because in his mind nothings wrong. Murray is a fine qb that has the statistics to back it up. Mike Bobo is a fine OC that follows Richt’s every command in playcalling. Special teams will improve on its own so there is no need for a special teams coach. Besides its been said there’s no money in the budget anyway for a extra coach. After going 10-4 everything is just fine and UGA is knocking on the door to greatness according to Richt. UGA was beaten by every respectable opponent and went 0-4 on the season. Yet everything is on course with Richt. He has very little, if anything on the to do list but continue cashing in on $ 3 million yearly for continued mediocrity of Georgia football. Get ready for a 9 win 4 loss 2012 season.
Tennessee, in 1998 under Fulmer, won the first BCS title. Since then LSU, Florida, and ‘Bama have won 2 BCS titles apiece. Even Auburn,( who was jobbed in 2004), has won a BCS title and would have won two if not for BCS politics. And then there’s Georgia leading the pack of SEC wannbes with nothing but excuses and moral victories every year. The Bulldogs under Richt haven’t even made it to the BCS game title yet in eleven years of futility. Without real change UGA will never win another SEC title much less a BCS title. Since Richt is so change resistant to scrap his 90s FSU offense and hire a real OC that can install a balance attack, then UGA within the next 2-3 years will have to relieve him of his duties or continue to sink in mediocrity. Grantham can’t continue save his job year in and year out from this point. So Richt must change or leave before he is fired, just as he left FSU twelve years ago as an OC under intense scrutiny after heavily favored FSU lost the BCS title game to Oklahoma by the disappointing score of 13-2. Seminole fans were screaming for Richt’s head when his pass first, second, third, and punt offense was completely shut down by Stoops Sooners. The problem then with Richt’s FSU offense, as it is now with UGA is an offfense line that couldn’t run block when the pass game fails along with a non-existent, pathetic, running attack. The defense can carry a team only so far and without a balanced offense it will wear down and break, but “the man that knows what the hell he is doing”, still hasn’t figured it out yet. Some things never change especially Mark Richt.
cmdawg99
January 21st, 2012
8:04 am
Fix the OC. “Since the defense was playing so well we decided to go conservative”.—-this is our OC mind set. Gimmie a break Richt. Read the writin on the wall. Please get more involved with the play calling. You don’t have to tell the public you that will get involved,……………………… just do it.
RangerDawg
January 21st, 2012
8:09 am
His biggest item on the to do list? 1. is to do nothing, like last year so UGA can get embarrassed again in the season opener. 2. Do not make any adjustments on special teams. 3. Do not teach his players how to remember the snap count so the first play of the year is another penalty. 4. Continue to praise Murray, and convince him that his needless pick 6’s and fumbles that lead to opponents scoring is not his fault. 5. Make sure that the players are in charge and not him so they can take themselves out of the game when they want to and turn their back to him when he attempts to counsel them. Continue to let Bobo take the heat for the game plan and plays you approve that still do not work. And last but not least, CMR must remember that no matter what the other team does, he will NOT make adjustments after half time. Yes, you might say I am disillusioned and not buying into the off season crap any longer!
Dawg
January 21st, 2012
8:13 am
Richt is fine, Bobo is the problem. Need to
bring an OC who runs the Pro Style Offense
similar to what we do now, but has the connection
to the Pros, call plays at the right time, and
develops our talent. Similar to a Grantham
but on offense.
The Alpha & Omega Dawg
January 21st, 2012
8:45 am
Bobo is a DGD but he must fix is play calling . I could be wrong but I really do feel that we wold have won more games and would have played for a NC by now if it was not for the play calling of Bobo and CMR playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
tony
January 21st, 2012
8:49 am
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
GA Power sucks!!!SC game…Lattimore rushed for over 100 yds in the 4th quarter alone.100 yds in the 4th quarter.That is not on the offense fellas.SC scored 21 pts without the D on the field how could they have been tired?
MSU got the ball on their 15 yd line with 1 minute and 42 seconds on the clock and no timeouts.and scored a TD.That is not a great defense.
____________________________________________________
You’re not related to Mark Richt or Aaron Murray or Mike Bobo are you? According to your standards they remain flawless, Let’s talk about the last 3 opponents we lost to.
1) SC – half time score was 13-14 : 3rd quarter we scored first (20-14) defense is playing good: then hell broke loose when Crowell fumbled @sc 38, Stephon Gilmore recover and ran 57 yards to our 5. Stephen Garcia score td. That was the turning point in the game and playing in a hostile environment didn’t help. Let’s not stop there. We got the ball back then Aaron Murray threw a int and Antonio Allen returned it for 25 yards for a td. That play just killed the defense momentum and their team spirit.
2) LSU – Grantham’s defense held LSU’s offense to zero 1st down in the 1st half but Mark Richt allow his punter to kick the ball to Mr Honey Badger. LSU goes into half time with a little momentum. Starting the 2nd half Aaron Murray fumble the ball deep in our territory giving LSU an easy score: that crush our will and gave LSU the momentum and motivation to annihilate the dawgs.
3) MSU – Ga was up 14 to nothing at half time. Ga stop MSU on the 1st drive in the 3 quarter. Ga gets the ball and then Aaron Murray throws an int to Darqueze Dennard on our 48. MSU got momentum and scored a td. Two possessions later in the same quarter Arron Murray throws another int to Darqueze Dennard but this time he returned it 38 yards for a td. That play was the turning point in the game.
You can blame Todd Grantham all you want but most of the fans knows where the problems are with this team. Todd Grantham is in his 2nd season and already has our defense rank in the top five in the nation. Mark Richt has been @uga 11 seasons but his offense has never been rank in the top 20. Open your eyes man!
chazzo
January 21st, 2012
8:54 am
I am one of those kool-aid drinking Richt supporters, but it was Richt/Bobo’s playcalling that cost UGA the victory in the Outback Bowl, not the condition of the Defense. The Defense never should have had to come back on the field.
#1- Replace your kicker and punter. This is obvious. Can’t play the game without them. We all got to see what went down with a underperforming kicker last season (although I feel for the guy, it is true).
DunwoodyDawg
January 21st, 2012
9:12 am
I have noticed that the O-line seems to have been a concern more often than not throughout Richt’s tenure. I understand the situation in 2003, because Richt inherited that from Donnan, but what bothers me is that it keeps coming up. I know he doesn’t like to bring in JUCO guys especially on offense, but I just kills me how we have appeared to miss on so many OL recruits.
Don’t get me wrong I like Richt. The OL issue is going to be our and potentially is ultimate undoing if we don’t get some consistency there.
A wise coach once told me all great football teams begin with both sides of the line. Great lines can make up for a lot. Sorry lines can make 5 star skills guys look like under achievers.
I hope Friend can work some magic with this years squad. Let’s face it sooner or later we’ve got to face a really good defense, and have to be able to move the ball at least enough to keep our defense from getting “gassed”.
Cullowheedawg
January 21st, 2012
9:28 am
You talk about the defense looking gasses in both the SEC Championship and the bowl game. I think that was largely due to the offenses lack of ability to move the ball — 3 and outs – and I blame most of that on play calling and decisions to “run out the game and time.” While some of the regular play calling may be at Bobo’s feet, the larger decisions belong to Richt. In todays football world you cannot take your foot off the gas, especially when you are playing a good team as they will continue to be agressive. Cullowheedawg
vadawg
January 21st, 2012
9:38 am
unbelievible after thoughts??????
Mobile Dawg
January 21st, 2012
9:45 am
I’ve lost faith in the belief that Richt is capable of fixing the problems. Every year a new set of problems arises that should have been a strength.
THE DUDE
January 21st, 2012
10:23 am
bobo has to go for us to do anything.
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 21st, 2012
10:27 am
Tony … UGA Defense ranked 12 in the SEC in Redzone defense.
UGA ranked 11th in the SEC in Defensive scoring avg against ranked teams.There was only 1 team in the SEC who played fewer ranked teams the UGA.
SC-How could the team have lost it’s spirit when we had the lead with 5 mins to play in the 4th quarter?
LSU-Better team all around
MSU-UGA had a 7pt lead with less then 2 mins to play with MSU on their 15 yd line and no timeouts.We gave up a TD.The turning point in that game came when they crossed the goaline with 12 secs left.
You can try to twist it all you want but the fact remains that our D was not clutch.Have not been clutch under Grantham to date.Blaming the offense for the defense choking seems to be the new UGA way.We are the only fanbase that come up with silly logic like this.Anywhere else that’s the Defenses choking.The UGA offense was 4th in the SEC in scoring against ranked teams too BTW.
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 21st, 2012
10:40 am
Folks talk about Bobo on and on yet have little to say about Grantham’s performance against ranked teams this year.The only game we lost that I would say we didn’t score enough points was against LSU.This is without as most of you say 1.a good OL 2.A good running game 3.Good playcalling.Yet we were 4th in the SEC in scoring avg against ranked teams?That’s silly.The Defense was ranked 11th in scoring avg against ranked teams yet they were stellar?Also silly.
The Bear
January 21st, 2012
10:46 am
Who is Jaw Jaw
Nick Saban
January 21st, 2012
10:47 am
We don’t worry about 2nd teir teams like Jaw Jaw
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 21st, 2012
10:49 am
I could care less about total defensive rankings.The only rankings that matter is what you do against ranked teams.This applies to both the Offense and Defense.We have suddenly become a fanbase that considers choking and quitting as acceptable on Defense…Friggin amazing….2ND year you say?Well Richt won the SEC in his 2nd year didn’t he?So did Saban(who runs a 3-4 too)Miles,Chyzick,Meyer….get my point?That “only his 2nd year” crap is just another excuse.
Nub
January 21st, 2012
10:52 am
The o play and play calling overall has been awful … Yr after yr the o line has not lived up to expectations … We should NEVER be as thin as we were at tailback and fullback positions … Very little creativity to figure out how to put the ball in the hands of the best players game after game … Inabilty to make in game changes to overcome how the d is playing us… If you have to play tight end at full back you MUST throw him the ball at least ONCE during the game…. Why can’t we ever run a screen pass ….
For some reason Richt has never really committed to the O line
January 21st, 2012
10:53 am
The UGA passing game is a timing thing with the QB and the requisite blocking style thusly, is that “pat a cake” thing. Hold em off for 2, maybe three, four seconds, fling the ball and move down field. That is the theory. If our men are covered, Murray has big probs. Errors result. Look at the record, even in this so called “good year.” We lacked O line physicality and it was obvious even to my wife.
That worked very, very well in the ACC of 20 yrs. ago and today, even still in the ACC. The ACC then and now simply does not have that very, brutal, physcial style of play like the SEC does. RICHT has never really understood the physicality of the LINE PLAY play in the SEC; hence Pat Dye’s comments of a few years ago …………….”UGA may not be man enough to play Alabama”, and of course,we did man up and we whupped them for that game.
So, Coach Friend will have to recruit guys that can play patty cake O line and the guys that desire the NFL will continue to sign with AU and Alabama and SC and LSU, UT and such. Yes, UGA will land one or two per year ……………..like this pending 2012 class ……we have what? 3 O line kids committed? Four??
This is CORE to UGA being only at best a Cap One team on good years and worse bowls in others.
UGA has about 8 or 10 EXTRA schollys to award this specific year due to high attrition and they had better give em to about 6 or 8 MORE O line guys that might even be able to practice on the UGA Scout Team …………….we are so woefully thin on the O line. This has to end and do it this year ,……………… that is …………no depth on the UGA O line.
UGA man
class of 71 & 73
SOUTHGADAWG88
January 21st, 2012
10:56 am
UGA would have went undefeated with a LSU or BAMA’s caliber defense.
Nub
January 21st, 2012
11:21 am
The o cost us 28 points againest SC and Sparty however they did score 10 againest LSU while playing in their territory most of the half… While d did not allow them a first down
… How many games did the o and special teams cost us last yr .. I count 3 .. The
Only game that our d was whipped was
BSU