5 reasons Georgia needs to demote Willie Martinez ASAP
1. Georgia is 97th among 120 Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense, 108th in scoring defense. The Bulldogs rank last among 12 SEC schools in both categories. Simple question: Do you believe Georgia — with Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Justin Houston, Kade Weston, Demarcus Dobbs, Darryl Gamble, Bryan Evans, Reshad Jones, Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith — has the worst defensive talent in the SEC?
2. Georgia has one interception, one fumble recovery and four sacks in three games. It ranks 76th (tied) in sacks, 116th in turnover margin. Simple question: Does anyone think the Bulldogs’ personnel ranks in the nation’s lower tier in terms of speed, strength and level of aggression?
3. Over the past nine games, Georgia opponents have averaged — averaged — 33 points. In 42 games under Brian VanGorder, whom Martinez succeeded as defensive coordinator, one opponent scored more than 30 points, and that was the 2003 BCS champion.
4. Georgia opponents have scored 102 points in three games this season. In 1980, the national championship team yielded 137 points in 12 games.
5. Georgia football is first-class in every way — the head coach, the personnel, the offense, the recruiting, the facilities, the fan interest — except one. Athletics director Damon Evans says he wants his coaches to win championships. Simple questions: Do you believe Georgia can win another SEC title playing this sort of defense? Is there any reason a program of such pedigree should have the worst defensive coordinator in its division?
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729 comments Add your comment
P. B. T.
September 22nd, 2009
1:54 pm
I know watching on TV isn’t the best way to evaluate a defense, but I couldn’t help but note the difference between the Bulldogs D and the Falcons D this weekend. Relatively speaking, the Falcons probably have less talent in the defensive backfield than the Bulldogs, but at least when the Falcons DBs got burned for long passes, there was a man trying to cover the receiver. Maybe he was a little out of position or the receiver made a great catch, but there was always at least one DB nearby trying to make a play.
In contrast, it appeared that receivers frequently ran through the UGA zone defense completely unnoticed. Quite a few times receivers caught long passes with no Bulldog DB in sight on the TV screen. I know UGA was using a lot of zone coverage, but that hardly explains leaving large portions of the field uncovered and not having defenders in position to make a tackle after the catch. Either play an aggressive style of defense and go for the sack, interception, pass breakup, etc., or play a conservative style and keep your players in position to make a tackle after a short gain. Playing conservative but out of position just isn’t going to work.
I think it’s in the best interest of the program to wait until the end of the season to evaluate Coach Martinez’s performance over the whole season. Richt knew there were some questions about the defense after last season, but had enough faith in Martinez to keep him in place. If the defense improves significantly over the course of the season, then maybe Richt made the right call. I hope that’s the case. If the defensive play continues as it is right now, an 8 – 4 or 7 – 5 season record will leave Richt with no choice but to make some changes or risk his own job by continuing down the same road in 2010.
jwilli120
September 22nd, 2009
1:57 pm
FIRE SOFT WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRE SOFT WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRE SOFT WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!!
URBAN CRIER, LES THAN A MILE, TRICK SABEN, BEETS CARROLL WOULD NOT STAND FOR THIS CRAP, THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE BCS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND
WE IN BULLDOG NATION DON’T CUT AND DRY, THEY DON’T STAND FOR THE
BS THAT IS GOING ON IN ATHENS, THEY STAND FOR THE BCS CRYSTAL BALL….
FIRE WILLIE’S NC (NON-COACHING & NO CLASS)A$$.. GET RID OF WILLIE AND I BET WE BECOME A BCS CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER….. THEN MAYBE WE CAN BEAT FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!GO GFATORS I HATE FLORIDA
faithfulfan
September 22nd, 2009
1:57 pm
Enter your comments hereYes, I think that we should lose him, he has had plenty of time to prove his self, and has not done it. Hate to see Richt get fired over it.
Deon Sanders
September 22nd, 2009
1:57 pm
@southgadawg88
…and your exactly what half of UGA fans are, a Middle-School dropout.
DawgDad
September 22nd, 2009
1:57 pm
You don’t fire the man in the middle of the season. IF the defense doesn’t show improvement through the course of the season, then at the end of the year you have to assess whether it’s the coordinator, positions coaches, talent, or some combination of all-of-the-above. For now, we just have to hope the defense gels and shows some improvement.
I’ll be watching to see if SC and the Hogs can pull some upsets in the conference. In retrospect, I think the loss at Okie State was much more productive for the Dawgs than some of the other teams’ cupcake walkovers.
Shankit
September 22nd, 2009
1:58 pm
Anybody read the Arkansas Gazette sports blog?
I think the Hawg’s defensive coordinator will be available soon.
You think this Blog is bad, you ought read the Hawg’s blog.
Four turnovers, Petrino puts all those points on the board, and
the Hawgs still lose.
john
September 22nd, 2009
2:01 pm
Ole Dawg………you just keep reading each day Bud…………Do me a favor…care a little more about YOUR University! I remember you…..You’re the guy that always ate at the Yellow Jacket! Yup…..that’s you…..the brother-in-law of Saint Simon
UGA 84 alum
September 22nd, 2009
2:02 pm
CWM will be gone as soon as the athletic endowment’s revenue stream is affected. I’m doing my part; please do your part. I can find an infinite number of better ways to spend my money than donating to CWM’s annual bonus!
Bankingguy
September 22nd, 2009
2:04 pm
I graduated from UGA in 1993. I don’t go to many games but always watch the games with friends. I’m not a passionate fan – if we lose it might ruin the rest of the day but I forget about it by Sunday morning. However, the last couple of games have been troubling. I just couldn’t watch the last quarter of the ARK game – didn’t care if we won or lost. I’m simply tired of investing my time in their games. Anyway, I agree that a change is in order.
CaliDogg
September 22nd, 2009
2:05 pm
Came up with something ref: Martinez yesterday that I think, for me, sums it up without having to dissect every play or debate this, that and the rest.
If Willie Martinez was all that, we wouldn’t be talking about whether or not he should be replaced.
We’d be talking about whether or not to match his latest offer. We’d be talking about how to keep him, not how to let him go.
How many DC job offers is he turning down these days?
Are we (that is, Mark Richt) just smarter than every other U in the nation? Or, are we (that is, Mark Richt) merely the parent who refuses to believe that their offspring is a little slower than the other kids?
southgadawg88
September 22nd, 2009
2:05 pm
Childish comments revels youth and immaturity.
Larry freakin Munson
September 22nd, 2009
2:08 pm
If I would have told you USC & Arkansas would together AVERAGE 39 points against us, you would have bet the house that the Dawgs would lose those games, we could easily be 0-3 if not for the unexpected output of the offense, if we give up 40 to LSU we WILL lose, something needs to change thats for dam sure! WOOF WOOF GO DAWGS!
WildBill
September 22nd, 2009
2:09 pm
BugKiller is right on the mark, well said!!!! Now if someone in the athletic dept. reads your remarks, things just might get done.
Paul
September 22nd, 2009
2:10 pm
Fire Martinez or demote him and get a better DC. As a life long UGA fan, I don’t think I’ll be able to stomach the 60+ that Florida is going to drop on us this year.
UGASlobberknocker
September 22nd, 2009
2:10 pm
If Bugkiller is a Dawg fan, we need a lot less fans lioke that. Im no blind homer, but I dont start throwing people under the bus and calling them pathetic losers if i disagree with their analysis. I also think Willie needs to go, but I dont have to be an a$$hole to express my opinion. Hey Bug Killer, take a big old snort of that DCon and go spank yourself.
ugadawg30
September 22nd, 2009
2:14 pm
Georgia Fans deserve better…and it is a joke that we people who are paying donations annually have to put up with a less than average defense…We got a taste of what a real defense is like under Coach Brian Van Gorder….It’s time to go find another D.C. who can adjust the defense on the fly…one thing I noticed about Coach BVG teams was that the opponent might score easily on the first drive…but after that…Coach BVG adjusted….and getting points against his defenses was really hard to do…
I’m just glad he is a Falcon and not a Cock now….
Go Dawgs!!!!
Bo in North Carolina
September 22nd, 2009
2:15 pm
As others have already pointed out, when the influential alums begin to put pressure on the AD it will not matter whether or not CMR wants Willie to stay, and when a certain beer, wine, and liquor distributor down in Columbus, Ga. says it time for Willie to go he will be gone.
ApopkaDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:16 pm
Finally Willie is getting the type of heat that may actually result in a change. I have been calling for Willie to go for the past two years. The man may be a wonderful church-going heck of a guy, but he is woefully out of his depth as a DC in the SEC. Willie’s horrible defense is a pattern dating back to his days at Grand Valley State. He has gotten progessively worse EVERYWHERE he has coached. He does not come up with solid game plans, he makes no adjustments, and we are led to believe that he is calling a great game, but our players are out of position. That dawg won’t hunt any longer. What was Willie’s reported sideline comment last week when addressing the defense? “They’re throwing hand grenades out there, we’ve just got to jump on them.” WHAT? Is that making adjustments? Is that your idea of coaching fundamentals? It is time for a change. Fire Willie now, we can’t get any worse on Defense.
dap01
September 22nd, 2009
2:17 pm
I don’t care how fired up WM can act. Look at our stats the last 2 years. They are bad and getting worse.
UGA is playing a poor brand of football. Even if you have inferior talent, a fan can recognize what brand of football is being played. A fan can recognize that players are doing things the right way. We don’t have that with the Dawgs at this point.
BadgerDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:17 pm
Whoever said to get Croom needs to realize he was a RB coach in the NFL for the Packers. He was not a DC. It seems kind of silly to do it now only because it should have been done last year or even the year before. There is too much talent here to be getting shelled like this and our D has been underperforming to its talent ever since he got here.
unbiased vol fan
September 22nd, 2009
2:19 pm
the true test will come in 3 weeks when you all play the Vols….if the Vols can move the ball and score, then YES, you all need to get rid of Willie. You should be able to pad some defensive stats that week (definitely a couple of INTs)
Josh
September 22nd, 2009
2:21 pm
PECAN…. Hugh Durham? Wake up. A flash in the pan final four when “Streaky” is important. We got hot, but had no business there. Basketball is in the pits because A) it has never been a truly competitive sport at UGA, and B) Jim H.’s outstanding recruiting class where NOT ONE qualified to play. It’s like we skipped a year! We are still recovering from that.
As for Willie, Bobo, and Fabris…. If 2 of the 3 don’t go by year end, then CMR needs to look for new housing.
ApopkaDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:21 pm
As I have posted before, Willie has a pattern of giving up a LOT OF POINTS. This is nothing new for the man. Check out his prior coaching experience:
1992-93, Grand Valley State (Def. Coord. / Def. Backs);
Year Record Defensive Break downs (pts allowed / Team)
1992 8-3 45, Indian (PA);
1993 6-3-2 34, Indian (PA); 38 Hillsdale
After Willie
1994 8-4
1995 8-3
1994, Central Michigan (Def. Backs); 1995-96, Central Florida (Def. Coord. / Def. Backs);
Year Record Defensive Break downs (pts allowed / Team)
1994 9-3 52, Iowa; 52 Las Vegas, NV
1995 4-7 34, E Michigan; 48 W Michigan
1996 5-6 55, Virgina; 46, Miami (OH); 51, Kent St.
After Willie
1997 2-9 Willie left for 1 year (abandon ship)
1997, Eastern Michigan (Def. Backs)
Year Record Defensive Break downs (pts allowed / Team)
1997 4-7 44, Missouri (opening game); 38, Toledo; 41, Kent St.; 47, Ohio; 48, Marshall; 41, W Michigan;
After Willie
1998 3-8
1999 4-7
1998-99, Central Michigan (Def. Backs); 2000, Central Michigan (Asst. Head Coach / Def.);
Year Record Defensive Break downs (pts allowed / Team)
1998 6-5 38, Iowa (opening game); 38, Michigan St.
1999 4-7 47, Syracuse; 58 Purdue; 38 W Michigan; 31 Bowling Green; 32 Toledo
2000 2-9 48, Purdue (opening game); 31 Wyoming; 47, Boise St; 41, Toledo; 52, Ohio; 38, Ball St; 31 E Michigan; 40 N Illinois
LEFT TO BECOME A COACH AT UGA
After Willie
2001 3-8
2002 4-8
Notes:
Defensive break downs are considered games in which 30 or more points were scored on the defense in a losing effort.
Willie had a least 2 blow up games each year he coached (except for his first year when he only had one).
The year before coming to UGA, Willie was Asst Head Coach / Def Coordinator and went 2-9 with 8 blow up games (by far his worst coaching performance).
Grand Valley State is by far the most telling: Willie comes into an 8-3 program, turnes it into a 6-3-2 program, leaves, and the program goes back to 8-4.
Central Michigan was a 9-3 program when Willie arrived. When he left is was a 2-9 program.
georgiadawgg
September 22nd, 2009
2:22 pm
the wat to get rid of willie if cmr want do it is to get rid of Mark Richt
georgiadawgg
September 22nd, 2009
2:22 pm
the way to get rid of willie if cmr want do it is to get rid of Mark Richt
ATL Dawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:24 pm
MB – You are right on the mark. It is pathetic, and yet CMR choices to look the other way. We have the talent, and yet the are constantly in the wrong position and not ready for the play. This is the coaches fault and soon to be CMR’s fault. If he waits until the end of the season to make a change, I and we should loose a lot of respect fo CMR. He should think of the players who have chosen to play for him, not his old college room mate. I am sorry to say it that way, but we need a real DC, not just one of his buddies. I could do a better job. Thanks for your article, keep up the pressure.
GratefulDawghead
September 22nd, 2009
2:25 pm
How come EVERYONE BUT RICHT can see this?????
ROLL TIDE
September 22nd, 2009
2:26 pm
Georgia’s defense is terrible. They better do something before the tough part of their SEC schedule starts or they will be in big trouble.
Big Harry Dawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:26 pm
Hey, maybe CMR gets a bonus for controlling payroll (hence the double duty coaches are doing).
Seriously, I have long said Little Willie needs to go; I don’t believe CMR will do his job and put the program ahead of his man-crush. Willie may be a fine DB coach but we need a serious DC. Maybe BVG would like to coach the dawgs….
JohnnyT
September 22nd, 2009
2:26 pm
Players win games. Coaches put players in position to make plays, but the players have to make them. The DB’s have (generally) had good coverage and not made plays on the ball. See the Arkansas game for countless examples. Branden Smith is not an SEC corner YET, and Boykin is a much better returner than cover corner. And the safeties are not good, SEC safeties. They try to get the big hit rather than wrap up, and they certainly cannot defend the pass.
The bottom line…the man can coach. Like every coach, he needs talent too. Can Pete Carroll and his offensive staff suddenly not coach offense b/c they lost to Washington? No. Likewise here.
TheItalianDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:29 pm
I do agree on everything that mentioned by BugKiller. amen brother
WM is a disaster from hell, he should have submitted his resignation after the Arkansas game. he is a BIG TIME FAILIURE
SagaciousSamDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:31 pm
Mr. Bradley,
Now, now! Not so fast! Why in the world would you or anyone wish to confine the game of football to the banal experience of watching two snails race across an acre lot? Forget about the defense! The offense is explosive enough to outscore its opponents and it’s far more intelligent to play a defense that acts like a sieve and encourages the opponent to think he can score as often as your offense only to reduce the size of the holes in the sieve just enough to slow the opponents scoring to a lesser rate than your own. Defense is enormously over-rated. If the defense is too efficient,
it causes the offense to have to return to the field far too soon and before long is too tired to perform well enough to even score at all. If the defense behaves like a good sieve, it permits the other team’s offense to remain on the field so that your own offense can rest. The best defense allows the other team to march up and down the field and permits them to score just a few less times than your own offense. This is the strategy that is the most reasonable. Play defense just well enough to win; forget about low scoring games. Football games are meant to be entertaining, not boring. If you and all the others on this blog wish to be bored with low scoring games, perhaps all of you can get together and form a snail racing league. It is far better if UGA plays poor defense, but not as poor as their opponent. The scoring makes the game exciting, It would be best if you and others did not encourage our defense to improve. Personally, I don’t care for snail racing or great defensive struggles in football games. The only stat that matters is the Win-Loss stat and thus far 2-1 is not too bad. So please……if you have any other silly ideas about making UGA football more boring, please keep them quiet and don’t feel like you need to advertise them; you don’t.
chazzo
September 22nd, 2009
2:31 pm
The fact that all of you doomsayers are siding with Mark Bradley speaks volumes.
AceDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:33 pm
Martinez is defiant, but unfortunately he is defiant when he needs to change. Getting worse on defense each year for more than four years makes no sense. Our defense does not outwit opposing offenses ever. Only good athleticism ever gets us anywhere. Great coaching along with it would return us to the Van Gorder era, which may be hard to beat, but is certainly worthy of dreaming about! In watching college football very closely over the years, I am confident that UGA’s defense under Van Gorder is as good as it gets this whole decade. Nobody hit harder and brought more havoc. They stood out even in the SEC!
DawginLex
September 22nd, 2009
2:33 pm
Bugkiller are you a drama major?
Your posts remind me of a script from a soap opera.
Nothing is going to be done until the end of the year. Herschel Talker, I’ll bet you $1,000 in monopoly money that if UGA’s defense is not any better by the end of the year, Richt won’t have to make a change. WM will resign.
SagaciousSamDawg
September 22nd, 2009
2:34 pm
Mr. Bradley,
Now, now! Not so fast! Why in the world would you or anyone wish to confine the game of football to the banal experience of watching two snails race across an acre lot? Forget about the defense! The offense is explosive enough to outscore its opponents and it’s far more intelligent to play a defense that acts like a sieve and encourages the opponent to think he can score as often as your offense only to reduce the size of the holes in the sieve just enough to slow the opponents scoring to a lesser rate than your own. Defense is enormously over-rated. If the defense is too efficient,
it causes the offense to have to return to the field far too soon and before long is too tired to perform well enough to even score at all. If the defense behaves like a good sieve, it permits the other team’s offense to remain on the field so that your own offense can rest. The best defense allows the other team to march up and down the field and permits them to score just a few less times than your own offense. This is the strategy that is the most reasonable. Play defense just well enough to win; forget about low scoring games. Football games are meant to be entertaining, not boring. If you and all the others on this blog wish to be bored with low scoring games, perhaps all of you can get together and form a snail racing league. It is far better if UGA plays poor defense, but not as poor as their opponent. The scoring makes the game exciting, It would be best if you and others did not encourage our defense to improve. Personally, I don’t care for snail racing or great defensive struggles in football games. The only stat that matters is the Win-Loss stat and thus far 2-1 is not too bad. So please……if you have any other silly ideas about making UGA football more boring, please keep them quiet and don’t feel like you need to advertise them; you don’t!
Fiddycent's twin white brother
September 22nd, 2009
2:34 pm
It won’t matter after Tennessee crushes the PunneyPups in 2 weeks. It will all take care of itself. Trust me, I’m a doctor.
Realist
September 22nd, 2009
2:37 pm
Mark don’t you think that those decisions should be made in the off-season. You can just fire a coach 3rd game of the year. Yes, Georgia Defense is struggling, but could you remind me how games have you coached again? Just wondering since you are an expert.
AtlantaAllen
September 22nd, 2009
2:38 pm
He should go now, but if GA doesn’t beat TN who has NO offense, he should be fired immediately after the game.
Larry Munson For President
September 22nd, 2009
2:38 pm
Geez, just LOOK at these blogs. Can YOU imagine what woulda happened if we had LOST th’ game?
Will
September 22nd, 2009
2:39 pm
Bug Killer is right on the money
CaliDogg
September 22nd, 2009
2:39 pm
Is there some rule out there that Mark Bradley can never be right? Is that the same rule that says WM and Mark Richt can never be wrong? If so, we should just shut this down now. What’s to talk about if everything’s groovy and MB’s just a numbskull who, somehow, always gets it backwards from the way and the light that is so obvious to some of you omniscient folks on here?
In my opinion, Chicken Little had his problems but, if the sky is actually falling, saying “The sky is falling” might be a good idea.
Good job, Mark (Bradley, not Richt).
chazzo
September 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
Some of you imagine that we can lure an assistant away from a major program three games into the season. Some of you think that Tuberville would come be an assistant under Richt. Some of you think Fulmer is a good choice for something. LMFAO. Where do you come up with this stuff. Hey, George Bush has some free time on his hands. Maybe he would consider.
Richt gets coach of the year. the dawgs will finish in top ten and contend for NC in the next two or three years. Leave it alone, folks.
SEC1
September 22nd, 2009
2:45 pm
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE.
As of the last game, I’m officially on the FIRE MARTINEZ bandwagon.
(as much as I hate to say it)
So for now….let’s keep improving. I’ll keep the Xanax, a bottle of whiskey and the defibrillator at the chairside while we are on “D”.
GO DAWGS!
UGA 84 alum
September 22nd, 2009
2:55 pm
From David Hale’s blog (looks like CMR is pretty satisfied because they all work hard! Jackpot!):
– Willie Martinez and the other coaches haven’t been paying much attention to the extensive criticism this week, Richt said. “I think people don’t understand how busy we are,” Richt said. “We’re working our tails off — somewhere around 80 hours a week. We’re going, looking at the next opponent, looking at the next game and trying to correct mistakes. We’re moving forward constantly, and we don’t get too caught up in those kinds of things.”
– As expected, Richt mostly dodged questions about the defensive problems, mentioning a.) turnovers hurt, b.) penalties hurt, c.) both of the poor defensive games ended with wins, while the poor offensive game ended with a loss
jeffrey d
September 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
Willie wore a red shirt to a Black Out? He can’t even get that right.
jeffrey d
September 22nd, 2009
2:59 pm
…and your exactly what half of UGA fans are, a Middle-School dropout.
I love it when posts that criticize others’ intelligence contain a glaring error.
shenandoah
September 22nd, 2009
3:03 pm
Hey Willie (and his supporters) – “bend don’t break” means five field goals, not five touchdowns. We have come within a knat’s ass of being 0 – 3!
SEC1
September 22nd, 2009
3:07 pm
Any takers on how many points Arkansas will put up against Alabama???
Captain
September 22nd, 2009
3:08 pm
Martinez isn’t the DC, he is the CO-DC with John Jancek.