Another black day in Jax reveals UGA as second-rate
One is hunting a third BCS title; the other isn't bowl-eligible. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Jacksonville — The game was a total loss, but the lesson imparted need not be. After yet another lost Saturday in Duval County, this much is beyond dispute: Georgia is no longer a major player in its division, let alone the nation.
Mark Richt began his somber media briefing by saying, “Well, here we are again.” And there they were, lopsided losers. It was 49-10 last season and 41-17 this time, and for all the good work Richt did in the early part of this decade, he and his program have been lapped by Urban Meyer. And Richt, once so clever and driven, seems to have run out of ideas.
He tried the color-scheme gimmick Saturday, presenting his players with black helmets after they’d warmed up in the usual red headgear. The upshot of this was to make Georgia look like an Arena league team and to cow the nation’s No. 1 team not one whit. After 11 1/2 minutes, the guys in the orange hats led the guys in the black hats 14-0.
“It’s not the helmet,” safety Reshad Jones said. “It’s what inside the helmet.”
Well, yes. With an extra week to prepare, Willie Martinez seemed even more witless than usual. As bad as the Gators’ first two touchdowns were, the third was an affront to everything Red and Black. Facing third-and-3 at the Georgia 23 with 1:32 left in the half, Florida ran a simple option. Tim Tebow faked a handoff and burst up the middle. He scored the touchdown that put him ahead of the hallowed Herschel Walker without being touched.
“They’re a good team,” said defensive end Justin Houston. “But it seemed like every time we made a bad play, they capitalized on it.”
In the first half Georgia had eight penalties. In the second it had four interceptions. If it was to have any chance against the Gators, it had to play a clean game. Instead it authored another in a series of messes.
If we’re to believe recruiting rankings, the gulf between Georgia and Florida shouldn’t be so pronounced. But Saturday was another installment of men against boys, and it called to mind the barb Steve Spurrier sunk into Ray Goff in this stadium 18 years ago: “Georgia gets all these players — I don’t know what happens to them.”
Players go to Florida and get, to invoke another Spurrier-ism, coached up. Players come to Georgia and are left to their own devices. Martinez is a substandard defensive coordinator, and no other position coach can be said to have done fabulous work. (Unless you count Kevin Butler, who isn’t a coach but who did sire the prodigious punter Drew Butler.)
Said Richt: “We’re 4-4 this season. I don’t think it’s an indictment of the program. I think it’s an indictment of where we are this year.”
Except Georgia has underachieved three times in the past four seasons, and as Richt himself noted Saturday: “There’s no guarantee of a bowl. The question is, will we play a game when we don’t do something that hinders us from being the best we can be?”
The Bulldogs have never lost more than four games under Richt, but they’ve never been 4-4 under this coach, either. Regarding possible changes, he said: “It’s not good to make decisions within minutes of an emotional game. You’ve got to settle your mind and settle your spirit, and then see where you are.”
As darkness fell on Halloween 2009, Georgia was again where it has been too often. The program that has all the resources was left to wonder why it has fallen so far behind Florida. And the ugly truth has never been more apparent: Florida might or might not have better players, but it absolutely has better coaches.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,165 comments Add your comment
Algonquin J. Calhoun
October 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
What a bunch of effeminate, thumb sucking maggots you are!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
I didn’t see the Spikes play. I’ve heard you folks talking about it, but one of the casualties of doing a live chat is that you don’t get to see many replays.
Matt the Brave
October 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
Here would be my coaching changes, at least titles of those who I feel need to be changed. First and foremost, defensive coordinator. Willie Martinez shows the Peter Principle once again (you are promoted to your greatest level of incompetency). The next is the offensive/defensive line coach. We are so undisciplined that it’s not even funny. Finally, we need a different secondary coach. Our play has been decent this year, but we don’t have that killer attitude that the Safeties and Corners need to have in the SEC. If Richt doesn’t watch it, it’ll be his head on the block next year. One bad season is excusable. Another one is dismissible.
J Clay
October 31st, 2009
9:16 pm
I know the D stink and agree Willie needs to go…but as bad as the D was…Joe Cox was much worse – we were in the game with 1 minute to go in the 3rd quarter seemingly headed for a score to make it 31-24 and Cox throws one of the worst picks I have ever seen (the 2nd of the 4)…Probably would not have mattered anyway….As bad as the D is – we were in the game….Florida though proved what all have said above – better coaching, more consistent players, and they want it more…
I still believe in Richt – BUT will no longer support him if he does not make wholesale changes in the off-season…By the way, if Willie is his best friend shouldn’t he resign so Richt does not have to fire him?
Roadrunner
October 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
Not sure what Def Coordinator talent is out there on the bench right now, but if we look and there is some top tier talent I say we need to go for it now. Don’t wait for the end of the season when lot’s of teams will be looking. As far as Bobo, it’s hard to blame an offensive squad that lost Stafford & Marino for performing at a lower level this season. Richt is in charge and it’s his job to make the hard but necessary decisions and fire a coach who’s probably also his friend. If players don’t perform they don’t play, has to be the same for coaches.
Dawg
October 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
Mark is that good coaching by UF?
OPIE
October 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
Everyone should relax. These are 18-22 year old kids that are going to college to get an education. They just happen to play an extracurricular sport called football. Coach Richt is a “father” figure to most of these kids. As an excellent role model, he’s led numerous players to Christ and held them accountable for their actions off the field. Personally, Coach Richt can stay as long as he wants even if he goes .500 each year.
ChipperDoodle
October 31st, 2009
9:17 pm
Head coach? Two words: Will Muschamp
Dawg
October 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
look on youtube
You people are idiots!
October 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who saw Spike’s eye poking of Washaun. I rewound that 3 times because I couldn’t believe what I saw. Fla deserves everything bad that happens to them this year.
benadawg
October 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
Make Martenez get his own way home, Leave Joe Cox there, he might get a job at the landing serving beer to all the gator fans as they chomp his ass….
benadawg
October 31st, 2009
9:18 pm
Make Martenez get his own way home, Leave Joe Cox there, he might get a job at the landing serving beer to all the gator fans as they chomp his ass….
JP
October 31st, 2009
9:19 pm
Mark Richt,
I fully believe you are a dear, sweet and wonderful saint of a man, and I wish you nothing but the best. However, it has become painfully clear that you and your coaching staff are simply outmatched. It isn’t about this year, or last year, it’s just the cold, hard reality of what the program looks like moving forward. The uniform switches have become embarrassing. You have a sputtering offense, a porous defense and a complete lack of discipline, and it does nothing but make you look clueless and desperate when the best you have is to hope and pray that some new threads inspire your players to play to a level far beyond what you’re actually coaching them to. As each week passes we all become more and more convinced that your days in Athens are numbered, and for that, I am truly sorry.
FSUnoles
October 31st, 2009
9:19 pm
superdog!
LOL funny stuff man!!!
benadawg
October 31st, 2009
9:19 pm
ok double that
Sane Tech Fan
October 31st, 2009
9:19 pm
Seems like there are a lot of drunk and crazed UGA wannabe fans (and maybe some alumni) that post on these blogs…
UGA COACHING STAFF
October 31st, 2009
9:19 pm
THESE FANS ARE CRAZY
WILLIE TELL FABRIS TO TAKE THE KEYS TO THE BENTLEY AND GET US SOME GREY POUPON
Shawn in Clayton
October 31st, 2009
9:20 pm
Surely Richt will be canned now. Please oh please, no more of this.
CatsFly
October 31st, 2009
9:20 pm
Why would you expect UGa to have more success against UF than any other team has had?
Dawg
October 31st, 2009
9:20 pm
I Can not believe he did that
Watch the language
October 31st, 2009
9:20 pm
Mark, did the decency censors go home for the evening? No reason to allow the posts with the profane language. Kids read these blogs for crying out loud, and I was in the Marines!
That said, the Dogs have become a pathetically coached undisciplined bunch of ballplayers. Not a team, but a bunch of players. And did anyone else catch the announcers comment about Richt’s penalty comment? They led the ACC in penalties every year and it didn’t hurt them? Seriously? Fl St. was the ONLY school in the ACC then that had talent. Of course the penalties didn’t hurt back then, their opposition was horrible! Ga doesn’t have that luxury,and cannot hope to win against anyone currently in the conference outside of Vandy if we commit 10 penalties a game. We have to have a sea change in the direction of the program. Mark has got to get it under control, or we’ll be courting the coach from Cincinnati.
Troof
October 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
Ahhh, Dawg fans. Always next year, huh? When does next year arrive? Wasn’t “the year” supposed to be last year? My word, your last national title was 1980. Even Tech has one since then.
Continue to accept mediocrity. It isn’t your DC that’s the issue. It’s further up the food chain.
Sad indeed.
Andy
October 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
“Let me be clear: I believe Mark Richt is a good coach. But I think those around him are less good.”
But let me be clear: is Richt trying to get fired? The black helmets and black pants say to me that “I don’t care anymore, if we get the Hell beat out of us in these costumes, they’ll have to fire me!” And leaving Cox in that long, when he’s obviously struggling? It’s like leaving a pitcher on the mound when he’s getting rocked – why do it, unless you’re trying to get the boot or have the franchise relocated?
lawton
October 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
hmmm, been watching georgia football since 1976. What strikes me the most is the lack of physical play, the penalties, all the stuff that is not a hallmark of junkyard dog football. The one thing Georgia could ALWAYS hang its hat on was a strong running game and defense, no matter WHO coached them. Thats just Georgia football, anything else was a plus. I predicted 6 wins BEFORE the season started for the simple reason: weak coaching AND the lost of stafford and moreno = what you are seeing on the field. The FIRST move to correct this disaster is obvious: martinez GOT to go. A back to basics defensive coordinator who likes hard, physical play is a start. Second move, is it the playcalling or players on offense? Its both. The move here is to get this offensive line back together and recruit another runningback to replace knowshown. Move bobo away from the playcalling and let richt take it back over. The ONE thing i agree with richt about is that offensive line. You cannot run the ball with a patchwork offensive line in the SEC. Just aint happening.
The North Avenue Trade School Poet
October 31st, 2009
9:21 pm
Hey…psst….Joey Cox…
…where’yd ya get those pretty little black pants?
HEY, I’m talkin to you…where’yd ya get that pretty little black hat?
Be sure and wear your cute little black knickers to Grant Field, now.
Hee hee hee!
Super Dog
October 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
MARK BRADLEY
NEED AN OPINION
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PRISON UNIFORMS NEXT WEEK
Panty Waste
October 31st, 2009
9:22 pm
I agree, fire Mark Richt… Mark Richt should have known that we didnt have a decent qb under the wings of stafford. He shoud have know that MB and WM were not D-1 coordnators. It is time for him to go… Bring us Will Muschamp as head coach and make kirby smart the DC. then get us a OC from the west coast.. I have bee a bulldawg fan sese the age of six(1980)…And I cant remember any more disappointing time than now.. We have top notch talent with B-llsh-t coaching… Sorta like have a Bently, and let a shade tree mechanic service it. The coaches have lost this team! How can the same players continue to make the same mistakes and see playing time??? How can we continue to have stupid penatliesevery game. Did anyone else notice, when we were down 14-0 and they showed the defensive player sitting on the bench… Where were the coaches???? If this was any other top notch school the coaches would have been all of those guys!! We have become pure panty waste! because of this roup of coaches… Fire somebody!!!!!!
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
Richt needs to quietly be thinking about candidates for new defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator too.
Defense is just substandard and need someone who can really develop OBs….He needs to do this quietly and then interview when seasons are over and get us the very best. Texas has been know to hire away top talent….They hired Will Muschamp from Auburn….Open up the pocketbook and get the best to UGA. Damon Evans—open up the pocketbook
You can’t win in the SEC without a very stout defensive unit…has to be in the top 10 in the country and QB has to be a top 15 QB in the country………….Those 2 things are a must…………..Then after that you can’t beat yourself with penalties or turnovers. Coach Jimmy Johnson used to tell the Cowboys that out of the 3 phases of the game–defense, offense, and special teams that you have to win 2 out of 3 to win the game….He is right.
Roadrunner
October 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
We are all forgetting the bright side of things, our kicking game has never been better!! Don’t think we’ve ever had a better pair of kickers.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
9:23 pm
I’m working on the language in the comments. Bear with me.
Dana Dawg_89
October 31st, 2009
9:24 pm
Don’t bet on Richt being fired. It’s not going to happen, not this year at least. The administration will give him another year to turn things around no matter how much the alumni and fans scream.
Dawg
October 31st, 2009
9:24 pm
Real Dawg Fans stick with their leader! and Coach Richt has lead the Dawgs to the best 10 year period they have ever had! Vince lost alot of games and I have a question if we FIRE RICHT and next years coach loses 4 or 5 game FIRE him too?!?!
ncdawg95
October 31st, 2009
9:25 pm
The things that have made Richt successful now cut both ways. He is loyal to a fault with his assistants. This is great when your assistants include BVG and miserable when they include Bobo and Martinez. He is not going to fire them and they are not going to leave (honestly, who would want them?). The other thing Richt does is give his QB’s their senior year if they have ridden the bench the previous three. This has helped Richt keep some high quality QBs like Shockley, but has burned us with the Joe’s (III and Cox). In the final analysis, the whole conference knows Richt’s schtick and his whole bag of tricks. His program is yesterday’s news, and now we are losing the nuclear race of the SEC big time. Richt is comfortable sitting at #2 in the SEC East every year, but now those days are over. It would be best for Richt and UGA to amicably part ways. The appropriate conversation for fans now is who the next coach should be, what it would cost to buy Richt out, etc etc. It won’t happen this year, but it is a certainty – this will end badly because it will take this program 5 years at this point to even get back to being second best in the SEC. So put Richt behind us – who is looking good now (Gruden, Cowher, Cutcliffe, someone else)? What could we could get them for, what can we pay Richt to leave?
UGA CPA
October 31st, 2009
9:25 pm
A Return to Tradition?
Dear Coach Richt:
When you took over our beloved UGA football program in 2001, you told us at the Bulldog Club meeting in Augusta that summer that Georgia would be returning to tradition. For example, you removed the black stripe from our helmets…a return to tradition. Our defense under Brian Van Gorder became hard hitting and fearsome again…like Junkyard Dawgs…a return to tradition. We beat Tennessee in Knoxville for the first time in ages…a return to tradition.
Move forward to the following season, 2002. We finished 13-1, won the SEC Championship and who will ever forget the 51-7 thrashing of Georgia Tech? We were man enough to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa…a return to tradition. It was a memorable season, because for all of us diehard, long-term Georgia fans, it was a Championship…a return to tradition.
2003 and 2004 were somewhat disappointing, but we won 10 games each of those years and played in New Year’s Day bowl games…a return to tradition. We won again in Knoxville in 2003 and finally beat Florida in 2004…seemed like a return to tradition.
Enter 2005, a year of not much from expectations with a new quarterback. However, the team surprised, played well and we won another SEC Championship with a return trip to the Sugar Bowl. It was yet again a return to tradition. However, something happened in the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta. The Junkyard Dawg defense disappeared. Relatively unknown West Virginia humbled our defense, made them look silly, and we saw an unfortunate forbearing of the future, lack of heart, lack of adjustments and a lack of discipline.
The year 2006 was known to be a rebuilding year, new quarterback, a lot of questions. While disappointing, we as fans were understanding, despite the 51 points scored by Tennessee in our own house. Every team has an occasional down year, but we knew we’d be back. The new quarterback showed flashes of hope and promise of what was to come in the near future.
Enter 2007. A seasoned quarterback and a new star at running back. Who knew Knowshon was that good? Then came the inexplicable loss to South Carolina, to our dreaded nemesis Spurrier, and we wondered what went wrong. Then came the nightmare in Knoxville, and for the first time, we saw a Georgia team quit. But they rebounded. Another win vs. Florida, the celebration that ensued. It was a return to tradition. Then came the blackout against Auburn, which was a departure from tradition with the new jerseys, but the huge win was all that mattered. The program had energy, and we finished that year with a strong showing in the Sugar Bowl, a final ranking of #2, and the experts were talking national championships for Georgia in the near future. It was the return to tradition that we were all hoping for.
Then there was the season of expectations. We entered #1 in the country, the return to tradition complete. NFL prospects on offense, defense, and a return to tradition. This was our year, our time. But we bucked tradition once again in black jerseys against Alabama, and our disrespect of Georgia tradition cost us, big time. Once again, a Georgia team quit in the first half, although they made the second half respectable. Hopes dashed, dreams of national titles gone. We go to Jacksonville where the Gators destroyed the Championship hopes once and for all. And finally, Georgia Tech, our arch nemesis, exposes the defense that has no Junkyard Dawg tenacity. Beating Tech is a Georgia tradition, yet that was now gone as well.
Enter 2009, a rare opening season game on the road. We lose, first time in 13 years on opening day, where’s the tradition? A defense that gives up points in the 40s and 50s, where’s the Junkyard Dawg tradition? A loss in Knoxville where our team quit, where’s the tradition? Another quitting in Jacksonville, with black helmets and pants?? Where’s the tradition?
You promised us a return to tradition, yet have so departed from our traditions it isn’t funny. Georgia is about the RED and the black, not gimmick jerseys and helmets. Georgia tradition is a strong defense with a team that will fight you for all 60 minutes, even if overmatched, you still know you’re in for a fight as an opponent. Tradition is expecting to beat Tech at the end of the year, not wondering how many points they’ll score in whipping us in Atlanta.
It’s time for a return to tradition, and if you won’t do it Coach Richt, then traditionally, we as fans and alumni, will make sure it happens through withdrawing our contributions!!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
9:25 pm
There is no chance Richt will be fired. None.
Lighten up
October 31st, 2009
9:26 pm
Lighten up people!
UGA is only second-rate in the SEC. They still have to be -let me see- in the top 50 programs in the country.
How dare Mark Bradley fan the flames! There are no flames left! I think Saint Mark may be gone before his sanctimonious, fellow-bible-thumping hypocrite mentor Booby.
AJ Green for QB!!!!
October 31st, 2009
9:26 pm
The Bees tied with Vandy at 28 makes the day a little better
UGA COACHING STAFF
October 31st, 2009
9:26 pm
HEY WILLIE
READ THESE POSTS FROM OUR STUPID FANS
THEY ARE MAD BA HA HA HA HA HA
WE LOST TO FL WHO CARES
STUPID SAPS THEY KEEP PAYING ALL THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY AND WE CONTINUE SPENDING IT
THIS IS FUN
WE COACH A MEDIOCRE TEAM AND GET PAID BIG TIME MONEY
LIFE IS GREAT
Let Damon Know that enough is enough
October 31st, 2009
9:27 pm
devans@sports.uga.edu
Sam
October 31st, 2009
9:27 pm
If the Bulldogs are going to play Fantasy Football lets’ get Jerry Glanville or Jim Mora. Hey, I know. John Rocker! That would make a great coachng staff. The Bulldogs would be losers but we would have lots of laffs!
Sonny Clusters
October 31st, 2009
9:28 pm
Halloween football is pretty strange. Georgia comes out in costumes like they is somebody else. Florida could tell who it was, though.
ncdawg95
October 31st, 2009
9:28 pm
Mark, I disagree about him getting fired. It won’t be this year, but how long? If you can’t win the East with Stafford, Moreno, and Green, who is he going to do it with?
Bob Horner stayed hurt
October 31st, 2009
9:28 pm
BugKiller….can I have seat on your bandwagon..?????
Bat Masterson
October 31st, 2009
9:28 pm
Mark, maybe you can clean up the language, probably not much you can do about the lack of intelligence.
California Kid
October 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
What happened? We used to block punts (SEC Championship game vs. Arkansas), We used to sack QBs (Sugar Bowl vs, Hawaii)… We used to stun teams and put them back on their heals (SEC championship vs. LSU) This team looks uninspired, listless, and the penalties – unreal I can’t believe its the same program…
jack
October 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
I just looked on YouTube at the Gayturds “magnificent” linebacker Brandon Spikes trying to gouge out Easley’s eyes. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE SEC DOESN’T REVIEW THE FOOTAGE AND SUSPEND THAT PIECE OF KAYRAP FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS COLLEGE CAREER ??????????????????? Not only was that unsportsmanlike,, it should be considered Criminal !!!! Not saying anything about the game,,they kicked the Dawg’s butt every way they could, but that was flukin ridiculous !!!!!!! What a lame arse puck criminal that guy is. If Urban had even ONE OUNCE of class and respectability in his body, he would kick that punk off the team.
You people are idiots!
October 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
Richt is UGA’s head coach. He is doing the right thing for the student-athletes. Our redneck, non-graduate, drunk fanbase should not have a say in any changes.
I agree you people are Idiots!
October 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
Mistakes were made and some of the Juniors and Seniors need to be riding the pine, but CMR is running the show and he’s not the arm chair quarterback that you yahoos are. Get a life and let CMR take care of business. It’s a lot easier to fix problems when you’re on the outside looking in. I for one will put this in perspective and keep rooting for the team I’ve chosen to support no matter what! So chill out and quit believing everything you read from all the so called experts. I don’t like losing ether but life goes on !
Spikes, the thug,
October 31st, 2009
9:29 pm
Yeah, Spikes did that and most people missed it, including the announcers and refs. Good catch. I agree with J Clay that Willie should resign so his friend is not conflicted about firing him. Don’t know if Willie is wired that way, though. The D line is coached by Fabris (ends) and Garner (tackles). Tackles have played pretty well, ends have played better since Houston’s arrival. Bobo needs to be the O coordinator, not as it is now with Bobo the ‘passing coordinator’ and Searles the ‘run coordinator’. One guy, one decision.
StL Dawg
October 31st, 2009
9:30 pm
I’d like to think that BooBoo and Richt would wise up next week and hand Joe the clip board, but it want happen. We will beat TN Tech by 28 and everyone will say Joe played okay, he’s not the problem. Joe C is not an SEC caliber QB as he has shown against our biggest rivals. What was with Samuels jumping up and yelling in the 4th quarter when we are down by 17? This team is clue less and I expected more emotion against our biggest SEC rival. The team has become so much a reflection of CMR’s ……no emotion and flat every week. MAN UP CMR and sit Cox’s butt on the bench the rest of the season. Logan Gray is not the answer either. Why redshirt Murray? I see more recruits walking away after our perfromance today. This class will not sign everyone who verballed to UGA, bank on it.