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
Kerwin4two
October 31st, 2009
10:10 pm
Trust your instincts Dog fans. If you think that things are going poorly, you are right. UF was 2-1 against UGA under Zook but we didn’t settle. You are settling for mediocracy and by the way….your tears are delicious.
All Bark and No Bite
October 31st, 2009
10:10 pm
The Gators could wear pink and still crush the leghumpers. Way to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. Man, I love Richt!
jason
October 31st, 2009
10:11 pm
rabiddawg, agree with your post. CMR did a good job of getting us to where we are. We now need somone to get us past this hump and actually into playing for a MNC, and not just be on the cusp of…
Dawg Fud
October 31st, 2009
10:12 pm
Richt is 2-7 against the Gators. That says it all.
Bye Coach Richt. Thanks for the memories. It was nice knowing you.
I hate it but that beeping sound is the UHaul backing into your driveway.
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
At least the commentary on CBS was interesting: I liked it when Gary Danielson referred to Orson Charles as “Orson Wells.” He then quickly corrected himself.
Looked like UGA could have used an Orson Wells on the defensive line today.
Memo to Verne Lundquist and your AFLAC trivia: Keith Henderson, not Keith Hernandez, helped Georgia beat then-No. 1 Florida 24 to 3 in 1986.
Spizzerinctum
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
Quite obviously, this is a down year for the Georgia Bulldogs. It certainly gives a lot of you “pin heads” more to write about! Life goes on and so will the Bulldogs. A lot of you really need to get a life!!
Dawg Nation
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
I know let’s bring back Vince Dooley to turn this team around again. People get a grip, Vince was way overrated. I mean how many championships did he win. Do you really think his good old boys ways would work against the coaches in the SEC today?
Reality Check
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
@ Mark Bradley:
“Let me be clear: I believe Mark Richt is a good coach. But I think those around him are less good.”
A “good coach” does not retain “less good” coaches. Therefore your statement is a contradiction and false. Mark Richt is a bad coach, if for no other reason than that he surrounds himself with “less good” coaches.
Kerwin4two
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
Bring back Goff, Bring back Donnan. BWAHAHAHAHAHAH
All Bark and No Bite
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
Don’t feel too bag, Dawgs. Ya’ll been second rate for years, it’s just becoming more obvious with each passing season.
Shenandoah
October 31st, 2009
10:13 pm
The refs looked good.
MiamiDawg
October 31st, 2009
10:14 pm
Yet another person sees this situation for what it is.
Unfortunately, the two who need to see it, CMR and our vaunted AD, remain silent.
Where is the leadership?
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:16 pm
Is it true that CMR is adamantly opposed to playing UF in Jax each year?
Is he too bashful to speak his mind on this subject because it might irritate the high-and-mighty UGA Athletic Association?
jason
October 31st, 2009
10:16 pm
Where is the leadership?
In the tanning salon? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Ed
October 31st, 2009
10:18 pm
this just shows what you get when your loyality is to the coach and not the institution, if the coach is not winning then you owe it to the institution to make the necessary changes to become a winner…. but somehow the coaches,players,administration,student body and fans at georgia came to believe and accept the “BS” that a successful footbal season equals six wins and a bowl game apperance….. your coach became comfortable with this because this is all you expect
hollywould
October 31st, 2009
10:18 pm
Spikes needs to be suspended. I wonder what his excuse is?
Call it Like It Is
October 31st, 2009
10:19 pm
Bottom line Dawg fans, your team ain’t that good this year and choked last year with all of the hype.
Until you win a NC again, you need to keep your whinning about officals and your coaches to yourselves.
Gators rule and again will win the SEC and NC.
Enough Said!
dawgs
October 31st, 2009
10:19 pm
well uga fans..fire some coaches, put normal uniforms on and go out there and play football. richt has lost his swagger and gray is a joke. so not much to look forward to next year. willie hassssss tooooo gooooooo. bottom line.
Marietta Dawg
October 31st, 2009
10:19 pm
Plain and simple, it’s a down year. Richt is a great coach, but remember, this is his first chance as a headcoach. He’s going to have to make some tough decisions in the off-season. We have tons of young talent and more on the way. I have been very disappointed this season and I’m wondering where this program is going, but I think Richt should stay. GATA
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:20 pm
So Georgia lost to Florida for the 17th time in 20 years.
Let’s look at the positive side of things…
I’m still thinking.
ME MYSEL Fand I
October 31st, 2009
10:20 pm
WOW!!! I understand you lost the game…but reading these comments all one can say is wow! U have no faith. What do you think the players are thinking reading all of this. I can’t stand Georgia…In fact I am a Gator all day every day…And yes I am glad we won. But to hear all of the negative things that are being said…one must wonder were you ever a GA fan. Sometimes you win…other times you loose. Go Gators!
Dawg
October 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
Brandon Spikes is a Thug and I ask Mark Bradley what he thought of it and I have not see his reply?!?! Wow you can talk about a UGA player getting a traffic voliation and make a big deal out of that
Jay
October 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
NO MORE BLACKOUTS!!!! PLEASE!!!!
Stop the gimmicks and start coaching our players up.
RedcoatDawg
October 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
This tells the story: The commentators today were talking about an interview with CWM. They asked him about what it was like calling defensive plays against Percy Harvin in years past. He went on about having to know where he was at all times and calling plays accordingly. But the difference this year is that he could “CALL DEFENSIVE PLAYS BLIND”
Good lord, he even admits that he doesn’t have a clue!
Willie must be fired. Fabris must be fired. Bobo must be demoted. CMR waited a year too long – - we could have maybe had a shot at John Chavis, (formally DC for UT now for LSU)
I was there when Coach Dooley had his only losing season in 1979. That team did not look this bad.
It is just not that we are losing, but HOW we are losing – undisciplined, mistake prone, soft, bad tackling, poor blocking……….I fully expected today’s results.
Sad.
Sane Tech Fan
October 31st, 2009
10:21 pm
Can’t wait to hear all about your Top 5 recruiting class for 2010
savanadawg
October 31st, 2009
10:24 pm
Ohh wow what a game. I told my cousine we were getting our a##@@ handed too us on Tuesday of this week after I saw one of Richts mid-week conference calls. He looked utterly whipped with no emotion and no positivity in his words. UGLY. JUST PLAIN UGLY. He does not have what it takes to get us over the hump. I sure hope the University gets a new president and we start completely over from the Athletic director all the way down to the water boy. The first two guys I would contact in a coaching search TCU and CINNCY coaches. Then John Gruden and Bill Cowher. But of coarse that s##t won’t happen. Will it???????????
Dawggy Style
October 31st, 2009
10:24 pm
The sad reality is that Georgia continues to bring in highly-rated recruits and they never seem to get any better. They don’t look like they’ve ever been in a weight room, they can’t tackle the goal post, they play without any positive emotion, they are constantly out of position and commit stupid penalties and mental mistakes on both sides of the ball over and over again. Either this coaching staff can’t coach (probably true) or the coaches are recruiting the wrong athletes (somewhat true) and wasting the program’s resources (no doubt) – either way the coaches (from Richt to Martinez to Bobo to Garner and right on down the line) are all to blame! We need Will Muschamp and Kirby Smart fast so let’s starting passing the hat!
jason
October 31st, 2009
10:24 pm
RedcoatDawg, How can you say what you just said in that post and not mention CMR as one who needs to go. He has no responsibility in this mess, huh?
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
10:25 pm
The first or second play the Dawgs have the ball, the play is whistled dead when the ball is snapped. Spikes comes through an empty line and hits Waushan helmet to helmet. Waushan is knocked back and reacts by going back at Spikes. His OL follows him and more flags are thrown. None on the Gators or Spikes. Brillant move by Spikes or Meyers because the refs watch and throw flags constantly the rest of the half and a good bit of the second half. I would like to think Meyer had nothing to do with it.
Frogger
October 31st, 2009
10:25 pm
Hey Gator fans, you guys said the same stuff about Zook when he was at Florida so don’t give the Dog fans crap about saying things about Richt.
Michael McClure
October 31st, 2009
10:25 pm
I started going to UGA games in 1955 as a kid. Today I’ve seen the best and worst of UGA football. But today and against Tennessee Georgia football sucks. Plain and simple. Coaching…planyers…and Joe Cox needs to be gone. Are you kidding me this team is a joke!!!!!!! Get rid of the Richt…and the AD.Please. Where is the direction…not from the President Adams…what a joke…Come on you guys…stand up. No more money until we see changes…I for one will no longer donate until I see changes with the Administation.
Michael McClure
Real Dumb Dawg
October 31st, 2009
10:25 pm
It was the SEC refs again! We were robbed. Georgia was the better team.
Wesley Stanard
October 31st, 2009
10:27 pm
Sad but true
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:27 pm
So I’m assuming Aaron Murray will be redshirted during this lost season.
That means he’ll only play two years in Athens before heading to the NFL.
Brilliant!
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
10:27 pm
Personally, I was very disappointed when I saw the black helmets today. When CMR came to UGA, he kept saying it was all about embracing and teaching the UGA traditions. Since CBVG left, I haven’t seen much of the UGA tradition. I like CMR as a person, not so sure as a HC. His decisions are what brought UGA to this place. BTW, I did NOT think that we would win today against the #1 team & #1 defense. However, I did expect more and I did NOT expect another “Oregon switch of uniforms”. I am ok with a loss to a better team. I am not ok with the state of the UGA program in 2009.
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
10:28 pm
NASCAR, I don’t think that Murray will be an NFL QB (IMO).
Stretch
October 31st, 2009
10:28 pm
Super Dawg,
I like all of your ideas, however I think that they should go ahead and wear pink and black the rest of the season, so that they coordinate with Bobo and Martinez, and to support breast cancer awareness.
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:29 pm
Tennessee Tech at Georgia next Saturday on Pay Per View?
Who would actually pay to see this mess of a team?
savanadawg
October 31st, 2009
10:29 pm
To Me Myself and I, do all us dawg fans a favor and go waller with your other lizzy brothers in the Okeefanokee, Please.
FWIW
October 31st, 2009
10:29 pm
Frogger….Gator fans were always realistic about Zook. We knew we’d never win an SEC or NC with him. Richt had a shot with a set of incredible players, but I don’t know if he’ll have that chance again.
BULLGAWD
October 31st, 2009
10:30 pm
Attention A.D. Evans and Pres. M. Adams:
Please tell M. Richt “thank you” from all of the Bulldog Nation. He did after all lead us from the Donnan era. But Donnan, lest we forget, had rescued us from the Goff era (yikes)! Donnan did manage to sour the nation faster than Richt though by whining and complaining. Richt has done so by remaining loyal to a hopelessly overmatched DC. I for one am not calling for Bobo’s job yet because i think the #1 problem is a grossfully overmatched QB that our fearless leader is loyal to as well. Donnan was ran for being a “Millymouth”. Richt needs to go for a much more heinous crime. His “loyalty” to his inept assistant coaches (Fabris and Martinez) AND HIS AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL ARMED QB, is nothing less than TREASON to the entire Bulldog Nation.
Hire K. Ferentz!! He’ll come because I’m sure he’d love to see what he could really do with talent.
defactodawg
October 31st, 2009
10:30 pm
Hey Sane Tech Fan,
we’re all adults here. It’s amazing to me how all of you invisible fans have come out of the woodwork after 1 decent season. You all wonder why you’re so hated, it’s because of your transparency. Come back and dog us out in 7-8 years when you’ve won 2 ACC championships, played in and won 2 BCS bowls and dominated the series with 6 or 7 straight wins.
Until then, mingle with your own and enjoy your small measure of success.
jhol
October 31st, 2009
10:30 pm
Evans, you cheerleader, grow a pair, or leave… not only is football in a mess, but you are a disgrace in other sports now,,,,,take some of the money you are raking in to build the indoor facility for all sports instead of more f…king museums for the teams you had nothing to do with….let’s move forward…..even South Carolina has an indoor facility that is so old it needs upgrading, but it is still ahead of the almighty UGA program….everyone has them, why don’t we
bart
October 31st, 2009
10:30 pm
I have supported Richt until the bitter end, but I’m ashamed and embarassed at this lost. It’s time to fire Richt and get a coaching staff who can take UGA to the top.
Dawggone
October 31st, 2009
10:31 pm
Way to go, Georgia. You just put Tebow back into the Heisman race.
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday
October 31st, 2009
10:31 pm
I say let these guys continue wearing the black helmets until they show they deserve to strap on the red ones.
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
10:32 pm
Real Dumb, you are real dumb if you think my post was saying the refs robbed us. My post was about Spikes. He can get away with whatever he wants. I saw defensive holding calls against the Dawgs that were very justified. When we grabbed the facemask, we should have been penalized. Spikes has a “get out of jail free” card. I want to buy one for my team.
Eddie Robinson's ghost
October 31st, 2009
10:33 pm
Can I sue Georgia for stealing our sacred helmets? Vince Dooley is rolling over in his grave. Oh, wait…
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
10:33 pm
bart, did you put that on a blog in 79 after Dooley lost the homecoming game 31-0?
ladawg100
October 31st, 2009
10:34 pm
CMR has never been a great game coach. He is a recruiter. He is able to get talent like his mentor Bowden. Unfortunately, like Bowden he takes the marginal characters thinking he can change them if they have athletic talent.
He gets a big pay check to coach a big program. He is paid for the risk of getting fired after bad season and he should expect to be fired. He should resign.
I do not like the attitude I see on the field–the personal fouls, the lack of enthusiasm, the confusion, the turnovers. Of late I watch the games and never feel like the team is fired up. I would prefer a team of boys who grew up wanting to play at UGA that played hard and played without mental mistakes and went 0-11 than a bunch of top 5 rated recruits playing to go to the NFL without regard for the team or our traditions.
These attitudes and mistakes are coachable and we are paying very good money to make sure we don’t have such problems.
Hire Tubberville!!!