Mixed signals from Athens oddly reassuring
Mark Richt and his quarterback, seen here on the first day of camp, didn't seem to be on the same page about this week's scrimmage. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
There’s been an interesting contrast in statements coming out of preseason practice in Athens this week.
On the one hand you get the usual player happy talk, which we’ve had all summer (like usual). That relentlessly positive spin from players about this year’s team and how much better it is than last year’s team generally is good for getting the Bulldog Nation revved up but has proved in past seasons to be not a very good indicator of how things actually are going to go.
Sure, I always hope they’re right when they’re gushing about the up-and-coming talent, but they do tend to go a bit overboard.
Take this week, for instance. While the coaches are trying to keep the tone very even when it comes to the tailbacks, particularly Todd Gurley, star of the first two scrimmages, the players aren’t holding back.
Shawn Williams, in particular, was effusive on the subject of Gurley: “When I’m standing on the sideline and watching, all I can say is, ‘Wow!’ I don’t want to say too much, but when I saw that [No.] 3 running down through there today, I was like, ‘that’s going to be a Trent Richardson right there.’ That’s what I can say. Big and fast, that’s all I can see.”
And Chris Conley chimed in: “I’m seeing a lot of great things out of Todd. … It gets me very excited whenever you see a running back who can create plays like that when there’s really nothing there.”
Head coach Mark Richt tried to keep things in perspective. “Well, he had one big run,” Richt said. “I forget the situation but the one that broke out I think was a short-yardage run. A lot of times that happens. . . . But, yes, he’s done well and I’m impressed with him. I was impressed with the running backs today. They all ran well.”
But that was one of the few semi-positive things Richt had to say after this week’s scrimmage. Mostly he was complaining about mistakes and lack of effort, particularly singling out the quarterbacks for an excessive number of turnovers.
“I saw a lot of bad things,” Richt said. “I saw three bad interceptions, just bad throws. Every time a quarterback got touched, they fumbled the ball.”
I thought for a moment there that maybe Richt had been possessed by Steve Spurrier.
Richt also wasn’t pleased that “our No. 2 offense drove the field on our No. 1 defense and scored. Brandon Harton broke a tackle in the backfield for a first down that got them going. The No. 1 offense started out great, but after the No. 2 offense scored it must’ve inspired the No. 2 defense because they stoned the No. 1 offense on the next three drives and during a one-minute drive. The No. 1 defense got scored on on the goal line, and I didn’t like that. The No. 1 offense scored on one of two tries from the 2-yard line and the 1-yard line, which is not too impressive.”
On the other hand, Aaron Murray said he “thought we had a great day offensively. We scored, I think, 50 percent of the time. We scored six touchdowns. I think we took a step forward. Were we perfect? No, but we have 16 days to continue working and continue working better. And I think if we continue on this pace, we’ll be good.”
And Mike Bobo, after watching video of the scrimmage, said he thought Murray played pretty well. “The one interception he had was a protection blow down,” Bobo said Thursday. “He had to run up in the pocket and the defense made a great play. I think he was 9-for-13 for 69 percent and the one interception was really not his fault. So I thought he had an outstanding scrimmage.”
As for the fumble Murray had, Bobo said: “We’ve got to protect the ball at all times, but that was more of a situation where he said, ‘Well, OK, I’m sacked’ and just kind of sat there and somebody ran in and knocked the ball out.”
Maybe there was an element of good cop/bad cop there with Bobo providing the counterpoint to Richt’s grousing, but frankly I’d rather have the offensive coordinator coming off as demanding as his boss rather than making excuses for turnovers. Especially considering turnovers by Murray were a key factor in at least two of Georgia’s losses last year.
Now, having the head coach and his quarterback and playcaller not on the same page might concern some fans. But I find Richt’s peevish tone oddly reassuring. The knock in many quarters on Georgia’s head coach has been that after his second SEC championship he got a bit complacent, and as a result the program lost its edge. I’d much rather have Richt demanding more of his players, particularly his starting quarterback, than making nice all the time.
I liked it that Richt even got a bit sarcastic in summing up the scrimmage. “I thought we looked like a pretty good team,” he said. “But pretty good is about 8-4, maybe 9-3 if you’re lucky. We’d like to be better than 8-4, but that’s about how we played today. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great. Did we have great effort on every play? No. Was every guy busting his tail on every play? No. Was there great effort on some of the plays? Yes. I didn’t see a team that was ready to be great. I saw a team that was still pretty good, and I’m not that thrilled about it.”
In general, there’s been a noticeable edge to Richt this preseason. There was even some bite in his address to the Rotary Club in Athens this week, as reported in the Athens Banner-Herald. Asked if some games mean more to him than others, Richt noted, “Over the years, it has become more personal. I was at FSU for 15 years and … I wasn’t mad at anybody. We were winning. Now that I’ve been in this league for 11 seasons of football, it gets personal.”
Maybe it’s something another team’s coaches did or said. Or perhaps Richt’s time on the hot seat made him less inclined to turn the other cheek.
Either way, I’m hoping Richt stays in this we-can-do-better mode throughout the season. The team needs it.
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167 comments Add your comment
LHarding Dawg
August 17th, 2012
1:55 pm
I was reading the Gainesville Sun and the top story was the number of turnovers the Florida offense was having in scrimmage. Sound familiar to me. Maybe all SEC programs are experiencing some offensive problems in camp. Now is the time to iron these turnovers out and not after the season starts.
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
1:55 pm
Let’s see. When I looked, I am pretty sure that this was an article about UGA football and open to comments, but I could have been mistaken:
“Mixed signals from Athens oddly reassuring”
No, I was correct. It is an article about UGA football and is open to comments. The UGA cheerleader blogs are down the hall next to the ladies room. One door has Twit Towers name on it (although sometimes Mark Bradley fills in) and the other door has Mickey Mouse Carvell’s name. Rumor has it that they will even open up the Kool-Aid bar for all visitors – provided you do not say anything negative about their writing skills (or lack thereof) or UGA football.
chazzo
August 17th, 2012
1:57 pm
Georgia Dawgs will be serving up some crow this season. Trolls get your bibs on.
7576DAWG
August 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
Tev
But, last year we had two Tailback that were 5′6″ tall , one who was too slow , one who couldn’t play more than half a game at full speed and one with an attitude problem. This year we we have three Tailbacks who are fast, bigger and can play for four quarters. The Offensive line will not have to open a hole for very long, unlike last year.
The key to our season will be if Murray can keep his turnovers to a minimum.
Columbia Dawg
August 17th, 2012
2:05 pm
You can post whatever you want. Just curious why a program that has not won a championship since 2008 is bragging about anything?
PerroGrande
August 17th, 2012
2:08 pm
SSIGator=one pathetically bitter person! (StSimons perhaps?–another Bee posing as anything to spew hate!
PerroGrande
August 17th, 2012
2:10 pm
The staff is just trying to reverse the slow starts of the last few years by being more demanding and harder to please. The Dawgs are stronger than ever; don’t worry!
OkieDawg
August 17th, 2012
2:17 pm
SSIgator..Whoa there big fellow. Relax and take a couple of breaths. Now go take 2 Xanax and chase them down with a couple of beers…It’s gonna be okay, I promise. Those meds should clear up your social disorder…at least for little bit.
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
2:22 pm
Columbia Dawg -
Ding Ding Ding – Winner of funniest post of the day.
“Just curious why a program that has not won a championship since 2008 is bragging about anything?
___________________
As opposed to 1980?
7576DAWG
August 17th, 2012
2:22 pm
UGA Insider
I totally agree about Josh Harvey Clemons. If he can have the play book down by the Missouri game then that would free up Malcolm Mitchell to play some offense. Anybody who saw Mitchell play in High School knows that he is as good a Defensive Back or better than a receiver so I wouldn’t want to lose him on Defense permanently unless Georgia doesn’t need him on Defense. He is so good on Defense I think he will play there at the next level before he will become a receiver. The Missouri game will tell us a lot because their QB is a very good passer.
Spanky
August 17th, 2012
2:24 pm
SSIGaytor, awfully mouthy for a guy who’s team’s QB is all banged up!!
Spanky
August 17th, 2012
2:26 pm
7576DAWG – that’s actually not that correct, Mizzy’s QB is kinda like a Mike Vick. With 2 starting OLinemen out, he’ll need to be!!
7576DAWG
August 17th, 2012
2:50 pm
Spanky
Thanks for the information on the Missouri QB and setting me straight. I am trying to get the correct information and catch up on the play makers for both Texas A and M and Missouri to see what level of competition they will bring into the SEC.
real dawg
August 17th, 2012
2:59 pm
some people will not be happy unless we get all new coaches. just stop hating.
Joey
August 17th, 2012
3:18 pm
“The key to our season will be if Murray can keep his turnovers to a minimum.”
******************************************
Exactly, 7576DAWG.
The $99 question is, after yesterday, do you think he can do that? How can he keep getting stripped and throwing pics, after so much has been said about ball protection?
I love Murray, and think he is as talented as any college QB, but until he stops the turnovers, our Richt / Bobo offense again this season will be, “get a 10 point lead, and go vanilla – so Murray’s turnovers-for-TDs don’t cost us the game.”
Yet again....
August 17th, 2012
3:20 pm
Mark Richt and his quarterback, seen here on the first day of camp, didn’t seem to be on the same page about this week’s scrimmage
and are we surprised???????????????????????????????????? Murray tossing interceptions…fumbles in scrimages………like we said…same story different year……9-4 if we are lucky
Yet again....
August 17th, 2012
3:22 pm
I remember all the players being giddy about Crowell last year…even in spring practice……HA! Maybe if our players would worry more about playing than about telling everyone how great they are things could be different in the season.
Could this be Aaron??????
August 17th, 2012
3:24 pm
Mostly he was complaining about mistakes and lack of effort, particularly singling out the quarterbacks for an excessive number of turnovers.
“I saw a lot of bad things,” Richt said. “I saw three bad interceptions, just bad throws. Every time a quarterback got touched, they fumbled the ball.”
and this WASN'T Aaron
August 17th, 2012
3:26 pm
Richt also wasn’t pleased that “our No. 2 offense drove the field on our No. 1 defense and scored.
Joey
August 17th, 2012
3:27 pm
When Mark Richt says, “pretty good,” my expectations don’t go very high. Seems he used that description of last year’s team after the bowl game.
Hello 10-4.
This equals 8 maybe 9 wins......
August 17th, 2012
3:28 pm
after the No. 2 offense scored it must’ve inspired the No. 2 defense because they stoned the No. 1 offense on the next three drives and during a one-minute drive. The No. 1 offense scored on one of two tries from the 2-yard line and the 1-yard line, which is not too impressive.”
Total disconnect....and again, why 8-4 is about it
August 17th, 2012
3:29 pm
Aaron Murray said he “thought we had a great day offensively
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
3:30 pm
Joey -
“The $99 question”
It used to be the $64.00 question, but that’s inflation for you.
ARdawg
August 17th, 2012
3:32 pm
Joey
It can get mighty difficult to protect the ball when one is running for his life on just about every play. Murray didn’t have those turnovers by himself. It’s a team sport
REALLY????
August 17th, 2012
3:33 pm
Aaron Murray said. I think we took a step forward………..and this with 2 weeks to go before Buffalo……….and we wonder why????????? Nuff said
ARdawg
August 17th, 2012
3:33 pm
SSI actually it was the $64K question, so that would be hypre-deflation, wouldn’t it?
8-4..and no Bama, LSU, Pigs....thankfully!
August 17th, 2012
3:36 pm
It seems like there is always an excuse for Murray……he is running for his life…….the receiver ran the wrong route…….the running backs got busted for drugs……..special teams stumped their toe on the previous play…….the defense did something…….the fans did something…….blah blah blah blah …..
BiggDawgK
August 17th, 2012
3:39 pm
I have been asking friends what they think about the new “evil Richt” since the first scrimmage. The consensus seems to be we like him. Too bad he didn’t keep the facial hair so he could be a true Star Trek evil twin Mark Richt.
I can’t figure out why the sad little haters say the impressive running back stats are meaningless since it’s just a scrimmage but the turnover stats are proof we are in serious trouble. It’s almost like the despondant losers have some weird agenda.
History repeats itself........
August 17th, 2012
3:39 pm
And Mike Bobo, after watching video of the scrimmage, said he thought Murray played pretty well. “The one interception he had was a protection blow down,” Bobo said Thursday. “He had to run up in the pocket and the defense made a great play. …..and the one interception was really not his fault. So I thought he had an outstanding scrimmage
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2012
3:40 pm
Bryan I think you might be overlooking the obvious.
The events that bring about “aw shucks we won” are a lot better than the events that anger coaches.
This from our OC........
August 17th, 2012
3:42 pm
As for the fumble Murray had, Bobo said: “We’ve got to protect the ball at all times, but that was more of a situation where he said, ‘Well, OK, I’m sacked’ and just kind of sat there and somebody ran in and knocked the ball out.”
bring back memories of Carolina folks??????????????????????????? WOW! and we honestly think we are going to win the east??????????
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2012
3:47 pm
Insider, we are narrowing it down now. So you have us losing 5 of our last 7 games? Or 4 of 7, and the bowl game?
LogicalUS
August 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
“three Tailbacks who are fast, bigger and can play for four quarters”
Who would this possibly be since UGA has ZERO running backs returning who have played 4 quarters of COLLEGE football much less 4 straight quarters.
This is why football fans laugh at UGA….unknowable assurrances are given that have no basis in reality as if they are pronouncements in the Bible.
Like the one that the OL is much better and ALL problems are resolved…why?????….because upperclass experienced players have graduated and are replaced by 3rd teamers who couldn’t beat out those players, of course…problem solved.
Chris
August 17th, 2012
3:49 pm
Richt has always been a good coach……..Did we have a couple down years? Yes but when you have been somewhere over a decade that can happen. I wouldn’t trade the success he has brought to go back to Goff or Donnan for anything.
I hope we get to the Big game this year so everyone will finally get off his back and realize we have a good coach running the show.
Consider this...
August 17th, 2012
3:55 pm
Seriously…it’s preseason…it’s practice. The stats do not matter until September 1, positive or negative. These posts about where the Dawgs are as a team and who is a better player at this or that position based on the numbers in preseason practice is pretty comical.
Here’s a thought: Richt’s staff, over 11 years, has led UGA to 106 wins, 2 SEC championships and 5 SEC East championships. Contrary to some of the posters’ opinions, I think he has quite a bit more knowledge with regard to who should be playing where and what makes a great team than the armchair head coaches that come on here.
This team seems to be one of the more complete teams he has had…SEEMS to be. It is evident from Richt’s comments that this team is not great yet but that he knows they can be and expects them to be. Every player seems to be dedicated to being GREAT…not just good. That is, after all, why the majority of the defense passed up the NFL draft. They weren’t satisfied with “good.”
So, with all that being said, who knows what the scrimmage stats mean? After all, it is a scrimmage. People look really smart acting like they know how this team is going to do this season based on how they are doing in preseason practice.
BiggDawgK
August 17th, 2012
3:56 pm
sslgaytor is obviously a depressed hate filled loner living is a trash filled besement that some relative provides rent free but at least he claims his team. Of course he is more concerned with any and everything concerning Georgia than the truly pathetic mess that the gaytors have become. Since the consensus is that florida will get much worse before they even begin the slow crawl back up to mediocrity, we have years of moronic rants from sslgaytor to look forward to.
G-Dawg
August 17th, 2012
4:01 pm
Unless the QB got hit while throwing the ball…or the receiver or a defender tipped the ball…then the INT is on the QB. If you’re saying the pocket collapsed and the QB is forced to throw, then he should just throw it away or take off and run for a few yards. Dont force something thats not there.
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2012
4:02 pm
So Mr. Tibbs is not going to to be the team’s second leading receiver?
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
4:06 pm
ARdawg -
You are showing your age, but in fact you are correct. I just did not want to get in to a inflation vs. deflation exercise.
A little trivia:
a) What year did the show first air?
b) On what television station?
c) Who was the first sponsor?
Impressive if you get all three correct. No cheating.
AltamahaDawg
August 17th, 2012
4:06 pm
I agree with you G-Dawg that it counts. And as we know it does. It always does. But I have seen our defense pick off a ball, and not think it was their QB’s fault, but rather a great play on our guys part. I think the point that Bobo was making was that it’s not that he threw up a duck.
RIffRaff
August 17th, 2012
4:14 pm
There was a lot of running for Georgia players after practice for the lack of ball security in the scrimmage.
Spanky
August 17th, 2012
4:16 pm
LogicalUS – “UGA has ZERO running backs returning who have played 4 quarters of COLLEGE football”…wrongo!! both Richard Samuels and Brandon Harton have played full games….and back to clown school you go!!
Consider this...
August 17th, 2012
4:21 pm
Logical doesn’t seem to be very logical at all. Well, unless 2 = 0 and upperclassmen automatically = better.
Joey
August 17th, 2012
4:21 pm
Haha, I don’t know where I got the “$99″ number . . .
Thanks for the correction, SSIgator.
ARdawg, either way, it’s not good news at this point, is it? Either Murray is STILL not protecting the ball, or the O-line is not ready (or good).
Man I’m as hopeful as any Bulldog fan could be. I just keep hearing and reading things that make me negative.
I just don’t have the mindset of AltamahaDawg, who can find a positive somewhere, anytime.
And that’s a good thing, AD.
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
4:25 pm
BiggDawgK -
Obviously you have never been to SSI. The houses here do not have basements, but if you buy one here you can try to dig one of your own.
Consider this...
August 17th, 2012
4:26 pm
Joey, it’s preseason practice. Step down from the ledge. It’s never as good or as bad as the media folks report. That schedule has me feeling pretty good about things, especially since our Dawgs seem to get better as the season continues. Let’s see how these boys look once they get on the field in a REAL game 15 days from now.
Consider this...
August 17th, 2012
4:28 pm
Actually, the first REAL game is 22 days away…
SSIgator
August 17th, 2012
4:30 pm
Joey -
“Man I’m as hopeful as any Bulldog fan could be. I just keep hearing and reading things that make me negative.”
____________________
Old habits are hard to break. Just wait until the season starts and take it game by game. It will be easier on your nerves.
Consider this...
August 17th, 2012
4:33 pm
BiggDawgK, way to be THAT guy.
Joey
August 17th, 2012
4:37 pm
“You play like you practice.”
Y’all ever heard that saying?