For Bulldog Nation, 2009 promises to be a holding action
Mark Richt seeks to exhort the masses by going to Fist City. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The mood was as sedate as is possible in a ballroom containing 1,000 or so barking human beings. There was anticipation, yes, but the annual meeting of the Greater Atlanta Bulldog Club always brings anticipation. What was lacking at the Cobb Galleria this July was the sense that Georgia’s time is at hand.
Because, to be blunt, it probably isn’t. The Bulldogs will play football this fall in a division that houses the reigning national champion, which is also the prohibitive choice to retain its title. A year ago the Bulldogs sat preseason No. 1 for the first time in school history, but the 2009 team seems properly slotted somewhere in the second 10.
This won’t be a bad team. (Mark Richt has never had anything close to a bad team.) Neither does it seem a champion-in-waiting. It has a new quarterback and a new tailback and the same defensive coordinator, though Willie Martinez has gotten a co-coordinator in John Jancek. Also different is the air of expectancy. This time there isn’t one.
Most summers since 2002 have been filled with Georgia optimism, Georgia bluster (from fans if not Richt), Georgia manifest destiny. That’s what happens when a new coach arrives and wins three division titles and two SEC championships. His constituency comes to believe anything is possible, and for most of that time anything was. But 2009 has been all but conceded to the repellent reptiles.
Yes, the first question to Richt from the audience had to do with “stomping the Gators” and it drew the expected cheer, but there was no passion behind it. Even as Richt was saying, “We’ve never gone into a game thinking we’re not going to win it,” the game in Jacksonville on Halloween already seems a bridge too far. If you couldn’t beat Florida in 2008 with Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, are you apt to do with Joe Cox and Caleb King?
That said, we shouldn’t confuse this season of presumed retrenching with those two angst-ridden decades that spanned Vince Dooley’s last SEC title and Richt’s first. Bulldog backers believe in Richt in a way they never believed in Ray Goff or Jim Donnan, and for good reason: Richt has proved he can win at the highest level of the nation’s finest conference, and there’s no reason to think he won’t again soon.
Loading ...Tim Tebow has one year of eligibility remaining. Shrewd as he is, Urban Meyer will never find another Tebow. (Has Georgia found another Herschel?) To use a Meyer expression, the checkers will be equal — or at least more equal — when Georgia and Florida meet in 2010. And now for the really good news: There seems no other school in the SEC East apt to trouble the top two anytime soon.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt are just happy to have the occasional winning seasons. The threat of Spurrier in Columbia has all but subsided. And Lane Kiffin might be able to recruit players to Tennessee but will have to coach them once there, lest he become a brasher Ron Zook. We can believe the Vols are back only when they beat somebody on an autumn Saturday, not a Wednesday in February.
If this sounds like cold consolation to Georgia folks — your team is still good but not quite great — it really shouldn’t. The Bulldogs aren’t going away. Last season didn’t turn out as planned (not that 10-3 can ever be dismissed) and this one wouldn’t appear to be a great leap forward, but there’s always 2010. Tim Tebow won’t be around then. But Mark Richt will be.
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141 comments Add your comment
Wayne
July 28th, 2009
2:00 pm
Mike- You nailed it!!!!!!!!!!
UTVol
July 28th, 2009
2:03 pm
I live in knoxville and I can tell you- you would never see the pro florida articles in the Journal like you see in the AJC. It’s one thing to write about a team now and then- it is quite the other to make it seem like the University of Fla is in Atlanta. Vol fans would be up in arms big time if our paper did that.
dan
July 28th, 2009
2:09 pm
To dooley and Brett,
I agree with both of you. I think part of the hit or miss mentality that you speak of comes from the mindset of the players and coaches. I think Richt, like many coaches, relishes being the underdog. Hence the reason they come out of nowhere and blow a team out every now and then.
Unfortunately, Richt’s teams seem to shirk away from being the “Hunted”. I think that also takes a certain kind of mentality. The Miami’s, FSU’s, Nebraska’s in their heyday had the mentality that they were the “King’s of the Hill” and taunted anyone to stop them.FSU got their brains out by Miami in 1988 when they were ranked 1#. But once they learned how to handle expectations and match Miami’s intensity and talent, they were able to get a handle on the Miami rivalry in the 1990’s. In UGA’s case, Richt and company need to figure out what works for their team. If jumping in endzones is what its going to take to get his team to play to another level, then they need to do something like that every time they play the Gators.
Brett
July 28th, 2009
2:27 pm
Whatever it is they find that will work, they need to do it every play, every game. I’d love to see Georgia with a ‘King of the Mountain’ mind set…for them to say to anyone out there, ‘Come knock us off!’ But here’s the catch…they have to remember to fight to stay on top! Again, see Alabama in Athens. See Tennesee in Athens when Greene and Pollack were here.
There have been many times that they know they’re on top, but they get cocky and lose focus, thinking its a cake walk from there on in. That’s when it gets away. They can’t be on top and think everyone will cower and no one will challenge them.
Aggression, intensity and focus…every play, every game, every day.
2Cents2
July 28th, 2009
2:32 pm
I don’t see how this year is any different that any other for UGA. They’re a good team, never a great team. I don’t get why these articles have to be written – over and over again. UGA will be in the top 20 team lists for 4-5 years and then they’ll drop down a bit, or go up a bit. But Richt is never going to coach a championship team. He doesn’t have the talent – not the coaching talent or the player talent – to get to #1 at the end of the season.
Cuz
July 28th, 2009
2:39 pm
DawginLex, that would be the 1978 Georgia Bulldawg team. I still have the jersey with the slogan. Thirty-one years ago. The only reason the jersey lasted is it is a Russell. The dang things are like Erk Russell, tougher than Chinese Geometry.
K-Town Dawg
July 28th, 2009
2:42 pm
This season, like most, will depend on beating Florida.
You beat Florida and we are in the drivers seat in the East,
You lose to Florida and we’re hoping they lose 2 conference games so we can leap frog them in the standings.
L-Dawg
July 28th, 2009
2:49 pm
St. Tebow was on last week’s cover of Sports Illustrated. This means the torn ACL is coming soon. God’s gift to the Philippines will have to go upsatirs soon to begin the pep-talks for the battle of Armageddon. SO HECK YES!!!! The Dawgs should be favorites in the Halloween matchup!!!!
Courtney
July 28th, 2009
2:53 pm
Bradley is a putz: Glad he didn’t write this column in Oxford last year.
Roll Tide
July 28th, 2009
2:58 pm
UTVol – Your school sucks, your city sucks. Nick Saban can’t wait to get Lame fired after the 3rd Saturday in October.
Unless Urban gets him fired in the 3rd week. Which, you and I know, might just happen.
Good luck!
Loran, Whatayagot?
July 28th, 2009
2:59 pm
I’d say the Dawgs have the talent to win every game they play. Not that they will, but you can’t write them off in advance, even against the Gaytors. That is what makes this season exciting. The defense has to get mean again and the offense has to take full advantage of its great line and speedy, shifty backs, and glue-handed receivers. Bring ‘em all on!
Brett
July 28th, 2009
3:05 pm
The Dogs have been on top many times, but they’ve gotten cocky and lost focus. Again, see Alabama in Athens last year. See Tennessee in Athens when Greene and Pollack were still here.
I’d love for them to have a ‘King of the Mountain’ mentality, and say to everyone out there, ‘come knock us off!’ But at the same time, they have to remember that no one is going to just cower down…they will come to fight, and the Dogs will have to fight to stay on top! And they have always been capable of doing it.
Agression, intensity, focus…whatever they find that will work, they need it every play, every game, every day.
Honest Lee
July 28th, 2009
3:07 pm
All you dawg fans counting on Tebow’s graduation for UGA’s success can keep on dreaming. Tebow’s backup is John Brantley and he broke most of Tebow’s high school records before committing to Florida. He doesn’t run as well as Tebow, but he’s a much better passer and the Gators have plenty of talent at RB.
Here’s my prediction for UGA 2009: this will be the last season for DC Willie Martinez.
Cuz
July 28th, 2009
3:09 pm
If the secondary can hit hard and wrap up and Geno and Jeff play like I think they will, anything can happen.
Cuz
July 28th, 2009
3:12 pm
No Honest Lee nooooo……
I have been saying for months that John Brantley is a great QB. I think he is a more pro-style QB which should help him get in the pros after his carreer at UF.
Don’t write Willie “The Fireman” Martinez off just yet. Wait till after the Okie State game.
gdawginkalamazoo
July 28th, 2009
3:25 pm
Now that we have 2009 season settled let’s move on to 2010 with the next column Mr Bradley.
Gen Neyland
July 28th, 2009
3:29 pm
Roll Tide : Very astute and well thought out comments. BTW, didn’t Saban do 6-6 his first season in Tusk-A-Loser..? Really, don’t you expect CLK to better THAT mark his first season Atop Rocky..?
Another Dawg
July 28th, 2009
3:40 pm
The difference in 2007 and 2008 wasn’t the skill players, schemes, or team chemistry. It was that we won the battles in the trenches. We didn’t win them last year.
Win the battles up front, win the game. The story hasn’t changed, and for all the buzz around Cox/running backs/etc, as long as they aren’t committing stupid turnover (Fortunately, Cox hasn’t shown any penchant for that), the line play will bring them to the endzone.
Honest Lee
July 28th, 2009
3:40 pm
OK, Cuz. I’ll hang with you for game #1. If the Dawgs’ defense shows up and stops the Cowboys’ offense, Willie will still be in Athens this time next year. If not, I’m sticking with my original prediction.
Another Dawg
July 28th, 2009
3:41 pm
Do offensive and defensive lines win games? I dunno, ask John Parker Wilson. Less talent than Kodi Burns.
jessica
July 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
GO DAWGS!!! LETS WORRY ABOUT OK STATE BEFORE FLORIDA!! I THINK WE CAN STILL GET 10 WINS THIS YEAR
Long Dawg
July 28th, 2009
3:48 pm
The games are won on the field, not on sports blogs. They are won one at a time beginning with the first one. So all that counts right now, no matter what anybody says or thinks, is getting ready for Oklahoma State.
Regardless of how OK State is rated we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic:
1. Owens and Sturdivant and Battle are back
2. We’ll probably have the best offensive line we’ve had in 10 years
3. We’ll have the best interior defensive line we’ve had since Semour and Stroud
4. We have at least 5 four and five star freshmen that can contribute
5. We have one of the best wide receivers in the country in AJ Green
6. We will have a better on field leader in Joe Cox.
7. Special teams play will be better… lots better
8. When you wind up with a co defensive coach you know your job is in jepordy. The defense will be better…. lots better
9. The players are more focused… see off field incidents 2009 vs 2008.
10. We can play the spoiler. We can play lose and take some chances.
I don’t care about Florida or Georgia Tech. All I care about is Oklahoma State.
Lying Leo
July 28th, 2009
3:50 pm
Enough of the Brantley kool aid. Murray broke all of the H.S. records in Florida and is a much better pro prospect than Brantley. GUARANTEED!! I’m not saying UGA will win vs. the Gators but I am saying that Murray will be a better QB than Brantley.
Roll Tide
July 28th, 2009
3:51 pm
Gen Neyland: No. You might win 5.
Right On !!!!
July 28th, 2009
3:54 pm
Amen, Long Dawg.
I agree 100%. We have some OUTSTANDING freshman (Smith, Charles, Brown, Ealey, etc) that will contribute big time. Also, the lines could/should be the most dominate on both sides in the SEC. All we need is cool leadership from Joe C. I hear you Long Dawg!!!
Huh?
July 28th, 2009
4:10 pm
Nobody is counting on Tebow’s graduation for UGA’s success. I have never once heard a single UGA fan say as much. Not once. This has been created in the imaginations of bandwagon columnists like Mark Bradley and haters. If you have the mental capacity to remember as far back as October, 2007 (big IF), you would know that UGA has already beaten a team quarterbacked by Tim Tebow. I swear on the Holy Bible haters. I’m not making it up. We did it with a powerful running game and some defensive packages that the Gators had not seen on film. Now, I know that Tebow was playing with his arm in a sling and that Florida was starting 8 high school juniors on defense and blah, blah, blah. I’ve heard all the excuses. The fact remains though that the Georgia Bulldogs have beaten the Florida Gators with Tim Tebow as their quarterback. What some seem to think is impossible has actually happened. So you see, Georgia does not live and die by the presence or absence of Tim Tebow. Florida is more than Tim Tebow right now. I am more concerned about their defense that only gave up 12 ppg last year than I am Tim Tebow. Please get a clue.
Mark Bradley
July 28th, 2009
4:17 pm
Actually, I think Florida will lose a game — to Texas in the BCS title game.
Gen Neyland
July 28th, 2009
4:41 pm
MB : If’n you’re for real about Texas and Florida, we’re on the same page.
Roll Tide : Who will CLK get his first signature win against..? Remember, the Wise Ones said Saban’s was Tennessee. Favor returned..? Please don’t tell me Western kentucky.
L-Dawg
July 28th, 2009
4:48 pm
Bradley I’ve always liked you buddy, but I think its time you start looking for a job in Gainsville FL. Start drinking a lot of Natty-Light to prepare for the culture shock. I know you have opionions and are paid to give them, but the AJC should hire personalities that can relate to it’s readers, not just piss them off.
MattDawg
July 28th, 2009
4:51 pm
A FINESSE TEAM?!?!?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MARK!! THE PROSTYLE OFFENSE ISNT FINESSE! MARK YOU ARE CRAZY. SEE EXAMPLE TEE MARTIN AND UT 1998 NATIONAL TITLE AFTER LOSING PEYTON MANNING #1 OVERALL.
Cuz
July 28th, 2009
4:52 pm
General, just beat UCLA and the whole South, what’s left outside of Atlanta, will cheer.
Cuz
July 28th, 2009
4:56 pm
Tee Martin was a bit more mobile than Joe Cox. Bradley, now that Terrence Moore is unavailable, the hate is directed at you and Schultz.
Huh?, you’re kidding me right. UGA has never beat Tim Tebow. The Pope invalidated Florida’s 2007 season after a commitment by Urban Meyer to join the Cardinals in 2010. No not the NFL Cardinals, the College of Cardinals. I hear they have a mean futbol team.
Ed
July 28th, 2009
5:10 pm
Check out Georgia and Florida’s schedule, then look at the recent history when one of the teams has an off-week before the game. Florida will be playing its 4th consecutive game, Georgia will be rested. There’s also the unknown injury factor – Florida might be riddled with serious injuries, and Georgia might have a relative injury-free year (we are way overdue for one of those).
I’m not sure replacing Stafford with Cox is a downgrade performance wise, at least not at this level. If someone steps up at tailback or an ensemble crew steps up, the loss of Moreno might not be as bad as we think. An upgrade to the o-line might more than compensate for any drop-off at tailback.
Of course, if the defense still plays like crap, the offense will be the least of our worries. If Jancek or someone else can fix those problems, Georgia can compete with anyone.
Florida’s like Georgia in ‘05 – they rely a little too much on one player. Which means they are one sprained ankle away from serious problems on offense.
Florida has never in its long history had a perfect season. That means someone knocks them off every year. Might as well be Georgia this year.
I concede nothing to the Gators, and neither should anyone else. Funny, they don’t seem to bother Ole Miss or Auburn too much. I’m not sure they were the best team in the country last year, and would have given Utah and Texas at least an even chance of beating them.
Let’s GATA.
Mark Bradley
July 28th, 2009
5:17 pm
That’s me – famous Gator-lover.
VanDSIRROM
July 28th, 2009
5:22 pm
Sir,
Inane comments like this one–”Kentucky and Vanderbilt are just happy to have the occasional winning seasons.”–show just how little you know about SEC football.
UTVol
July 28th, 2009
5:28 pm
Hey Roll Tide…..talk about UT all you want….but nothing can make up for the embarrassment of what UTAH did to you…hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha what a joke and way to embarras the conference you buch of losers
Joe
July 28th, 2009
5:31 pm
Yeah Mark- Gator lover you are….how about a comment on what Mike had to say above?????? he really did hit the nail on the head didnt he?
and the love affair with UF continues. Maybe the AJC would be considered a good paper if they really had sportswriters instead of the crap we get day after day…week after week. Really a sorry state when the Atlanta paper continually bashes the home team. Do you think the Knoxville paper, Birmingham paper, Baton Rouge paper, Columbia paper or any other kisses FLorida’s backside like the AJC does??? Cant imagine articles like the ones we see on a daily basis would even appear in those other papers once a month, let alone daily. How about a comment on that Mark???
Mike
July 28th, 2009
5:36 pm
The only thing I want to see from Mark Bradley- is when UF gets beat (and not by Texas) and doesnt win the SEC or make it to the NC game, he keeps writing all about how great Urban and Tebow are and what a great team they still are no matter what. But, like the rest- he will jump off the bandwagon and back whoever from the SEC wins the Championship and will try to convince all of us he really wasnt picking FLA and he knew there was a chance that…….. would win. blah…blah….blah. AJC at its best!
Action Games | All Days Long
July 28th, 2009
5:41 pm
[...] For Bulldog Nation, 2009 promises to be a holding action Atlanta Journal Constitution That wins a lot of games in any league. Where is my paycheck for consistently saving the GT topic blogs from imploding after 20 minutes with only comments … See all stories on this topic [...]
UGA Grad '08
July 28th, 2009
6:07 pm
As a UGA grad and diehard fan this season has me worried more than most. I don’t see the defense improving to the point that it will make a noticeable difference from last year. In SEC play our Defense averaged about a sack a game. The leader was Justin Houston with 2.5 for the season and he sits out the first two games. So in short there is not a single DE going to Stillwater with more than a sack to himself last year. (all info taken from Rivals). I don’t really buy into the fact that Jeff Owens is coming back. Our DTs were pretty good last year and we still couldn’t pressure the QB or stop the run. I also don’t expect the safeties to just morph into Thomas Davis and Greg Blue since they’re the same guys we saw get burned time after time last year. Prince Miller is our BEST Cornerback, enough said. I’m sorry but I just don’t see this being a dominating defense necessary to win the East. On top of that no receiver has stepped up to take pressure off of AJ and we don’t have an established running back. In my book we’re the 2007 Gators at best.
UGA Grad '08
July 28th, 2009
6:34 pm
I think it’s also worth mentioning that preseason predictions are largely worthless. Where were these teams ranked in the preseason: Auburn 2004, USC (west) 2002 (BTW it’s #18), UGA 2002, Bama just last year, Clemson just last year, UF 2006, UGA 2007 and 2005, LSU 2004. I could go on and on
As a persoanl opinion the only tema that looks like a lock is Florida. As a UGA grad I hate Florida but I have to say Meyer has built a juggernaut in Gainesville. I think they have a chance to be as good as the 2001 Hurricanes and Nebraska teams of the 90’s. Tebow is a very talented palyer but as we saw in07 he can’t do it all by himself. The reason they WILL be great is because they retuurn 21 of 22 on a depth chart that averaged less than 2 TDs a game last year. they will be SCARY this year.
trey
July 28th, 2009
6:36 pm
>> Really a sorry state when the Atlanta paper continually bashes the home team.>>
This has been going on for years. You should’ve been around when Carter Strickland was writing. The venom from his pen was so strong it was impossible to read his blogs. But don’t look for changes while the current staff is employeed here.
AltamahaDawg
July 28th, 2009
6:41 pm
Honest Lee, I dont think anyone ever said that Tebow graduating will all of a sudden casue UGA to improve in football. But you obviously missed MB point. We just signed the guy who broke the high Schools records of the guy who broke Walkers highschool records. Do you think he will have as big of an inpact on the program?
The guy in the middle was a wash out BTW at ND best I could tell.
AltamahaDawg
July 28th, 2009
6:43 pm
Our DT were pretty good last year but we still couldnt stop the run or rush the pass. Interesting version. Who was that exactly?
Nate
July 28th, 2009
6:55 pm
September 5th is the game…I cannot believe we are worried about Florida. OK State has the best football team they have had in 10 years…3 Heisman mentions on Offense.
Keep their Offense off the field…we win, we roll on for a hell of a season.
We cannot lose the time of possession game in this one! We want the OSU Defense on the field as much as possible!
Mark Bradley
July 28th, 2009
6:56 pm
Rennie Curran isn’t a finesse player. Greg Blue wasn’t a finesse player. The Bulldogs of 2002-2004 weren’t finesse defenders. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen across-the-board defending like that. (Rennie can’t make every tackle. Or can he?)
Mark Bradley
July 28th, 2009
6:59 pm
And for those who deemed this a “bashing” … did I not just say that Richt is a fine coach who has built a fine program that is at worst the second-best in the SEC East?
UGA Grad '08
July 28th, 2009
7:07 pm
Altamaha Dog, Geno Atkins, returning starter, that guy is a beast, I don’t think Kade Weston or DeAngelo Tyson was too bad either.
UGA Grad '08
July 28th, 2009
7:09 pm
As fara s rushing the passer I believe we were tenth last year in sacks as opposed to first in 2007. (not that that is perfect indicator of pass rush)
Roll Tide
July 28th, 2009
7:44 pm
UTVol – Learn to spell. It never fails – Tennessee fans always make their state look as backwater as possible. And go ahead, nail Alabama for the same thing – but at least I can string a rebuttal together without resorting to “hahahahahahahahahah” and by calling you a “buch” of losers. I know you’d like to read the rest of this, but your cousin’s probably waiting for you.
If you decided to hold of on her and continue reading, yes, Utah beat us. Good job, you remember that happened. One thing, though – refresh my memory – which bowl did you play in last year? Did you beat any of your rivals, or was it the kind of year in which all the orange disappeared in Tennessee around, say, September?
You know, if you HAD made the postseason, Utah would have eaten you alive, along with everybody else in the conference but Florida. Instead, all the Vols and their backwater Knoxville fans enjoyed watching from home.
Get used to it because it’s all happening again this year. Your quarterback situation is hilarious, and the only thing about your team that doesn’t make you cry is Eric Berry. One player can’t change it all. Watching your team fail never, ever gets old.