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
J Dog
October 31st, 2009
11:14 pm
I never thought I’d say this, but it’s time for Richt to be replaced. This is the 4th year of steady decline, sub-par coachig being the problem. Richt has been obvlious, and only now acknowledges he has problems because of media pressure and the fact his team is 4 & 4.
As long as Richt is at Georgia, we will remain middle of the pack as it was apparently dumb luck those first few years. Don’t expect any more SEC championships by Richt. The party’s over.
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
11:14 pm
MilesShula. Meyer>Zook. Spurrier>Holtz (even though Holtz won some). Arms race.
the truth....
October 31st, 2009
11:14 pm
the truth is that Bradley is second rate….and got there before Richt’s Bulldogs….
Bradley listen up
October 31st, 2009
11:14 pm
now that it is all over but the crying do you think Mr. College Football and Mark Bradley can take a look at GT’s Johnathon Dwyer as a Heisman candidate? 180 yds rushing tonight against Vandy, but nooooooooo all Barnhart can talk about is Spiller of Clemson..how bout getting your head out of Georgia’s behind and give Dwyer some favor..The ESPN announcers of the game said they felt GT was the best one loss team in the country, funny that national media starting to see it but not Mr. College Football blind as a goat in a hailstorm..whats up with that?
B Spikes
October 31st, 2009
11:15 pm
Don’t you wish you had “Crier and Teabag” now? Easy pickens!!
Don’t you think those Halloween costumes were embarassing?
Keith Henderson
October 31st, 2009
11:15 pm
The Bulldog Nation will prevail. It was just another day guys. Tomorrow will be better…
montanadawg
October 31st, 2009
11:15 pm
Same crap, different week. Year after year we get the talent, but we very rarely can play a complete game. We’ve had the players yet only on occasion do we ever have moments – and I mean moments – of being an ‘elite’ team in any conference. Even under the Richt era – after 8-9 years and millions spent in salaries – we are at best a B program. Yes, a couple of years we were B+, but we’ve never been an A. Get some new coaches and new game plan. You get the talent but the obvious thing that is missing is discipline, motivation, teamwork, and leadership. I see ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THE ABOVE IN THIS YEAR’s TEAM.
Me Willie Martineze
October 31st, 2009
11:16 pm
The defense played well but we must learn how to tackle. We continue to miss too many tackles. We will start to work on that and make make some personnel changes. WM
joe taxpayer
October 31st, 2009
11:17 pm
Lay off of cmr HE GAVE US 2 sec TITLES IN 9 YEARS.
Pit Bull
October 31st, 2009
11:17 pm
Is that really you Keith Henderson?
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
11:17 pm
Montana, good analogy. Early CMR brought UGA to B+ (couldn’t get to the MNC game), and on a yearly decline to B, and now C.
alpharetta
October 31st, 2009
11:18 pm
Man, those Oregon players, half the size of SoCal with uniform colors twice as ugly, are beating SoCal.
Oh No!!! We Suck Again!!!
October 31st, 2009
11:19 pm
Pathetic effort from the coaches today and an even worse performance from the players. What made things so sad is to watch how the Dawgs wanted KUDOS for making tackles after a player came up a yard short after 1st down or better yet, finally tackling Tebow after the score is 31-10. Our players have been beaten so bad by Florida that they don’t know what it is like to actually have a meaningful season year after year. I actually loved the new look, well the facemask should’ve been white or black, but I loved the look. The only thing is give it to the players when they deserve to have on their “Saturday’s Best”! Honestly, I could care less about what the Dawgs do year after year now, I just wish we could stop the bleeding against Florida and now the rest of the SEC East has caught up! We played NO-Go-JOE all game seeing the way he played and then throw Gray in there expecting a difference when he has never really played…sigh! I honestly would go after Charlie Strong as I have heard many journalist say! If you can’t beat the man, might as well have him work for ya! The sorry part about this game is that it will happen again next year. We have no heart and nothing below!
DawginDC
October 31st, 2009
11:19 pm
Pete Carroll? You are comparing apples and oranges. When Pete Carrol takes a shot at the NC, he runs up the score on the doormats he plays as he should. On the other hand, Richt puts in the scrubs in the third quarter so as not to embarrass his opponent. A significant subtlety but the difference between being able to bring home a NC or not.
dawgfan
October 31st, 2009
11:19 pm
Yeah we suck, but at least we don’t have a smack jiving punk like Brandon Spikes on our team. I have ZERO respect for that thug.
Jim Donnan
October 31st, 2009
11:19 pm
A Coach in control of his team: 41 Thug-U: 17
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
Hey JoTax, used to agree with you, however… how many SEC titles (and BCS titles) have Saban and Meyer won in the same time period?
jacketnation
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
I think it’s funny. But you are idiots for wanting to get rid of CMR. He is a great football coach and a great person.
Jackets roll again.
GT For You And Me
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI9i4IqeOcY For all GA fans. You will love this!
Sonny Clusters
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
We was thinking Mark may be out trick or treating or maybe hanging out in Jacksonville. They is no posts from Mark right about now. Since the Dawgs is into deception with those black helmets maybe they can dress Cox up like Tebow next week and see what happens.
Knowshon Moreno
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
I am NOT cross-eyed!
uga89
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
I’d rather have black helmets than beat Florida!
Which is good because we have black helmets and it doesn’t look like we’ll ever beat Florida.
Look, Mark Richt is a players coach. He treats every player like Urban treats his ward Tim Teboe. He probably tucks each of them in every night (before they sneak out and get in fights or drive without a license. He bowls with them and tells them “it’s a gosh darned pain in the rear” when they get into trouble. Penalties? Well, if he says something to them, they might not be his pal anymore.
4-4 would not be the end of the world if the losses were competitive. Where’s the fight? Why doesn’t anybody talk about how our team gives up when the going gets rough? Think of the biggest games of the last two seasons. Alabama: blowout. Florida: blowout. Tech: blowout (once they started rolling). Tennessee: blowout. Florida: blowout. (Hey, you forgot LSU. Yeah, I left them out, and that would have changed a lot. But we still lost).
I don’t know if Richt has to go or not, but I know this: Urban Meyer, for example, could take over this program and we would stop losing to Florida.
mansup01
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
Wow – I’m a Tech alum, and even I will have to say that game was sad to watch. Last week, I was thinking that the UGA “crazies” were going off the deap end about Richt. Now, I’m not so sure. The dawgs were shown up in an embarassing way. The worst part was that they seemed to have no idea of what they were doing. The uniforms just made the whole thing more pathetic to me. That’s a first and it takes a lot to make me feel sorry for dawg fans.
Ed
October 31st, 2009
11:20 pm
Sorry, but when you have to start changing the uniform to get your team motivated for the Cocktail Party, you are DONE.
You don’t need to alter the sharpest uniforms in the conference; you need to change the culture of this team. A good place to start is to fire the assistants and get a fresh start. Teach some basic fundamentals, like blocking and tackling. And for God’s sake, find some players who can play the pass. We made Riley Cooper, whoever the hell he is, look like Chris Collinsworth today.
This team stinks. And what’s really galling, most Georgia fans knew this was coming. The handwriting was on the wall last year after the meltdowns against Alabama, Florida and Tech. Rich reacted by making ZERO changes, unless you count the purely cosmetic Jansen promotion. Not a good sign. Is anyone really surprised.
This is a team that lacks fire, character, heart and guts.
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
11:21 pm
Watched the Youtube tape of Spikes…..Intentionally gouging Ealey’s eyes should not…should not be tolerated in college….He must be suspended.
Doubledawg
October 31st, 2009
11:21 pm
It’s one thing to be mad, but I’m done. somebody suspend brat spikes for that eye gouge,what a jerk
GatorGuy
October 31st, 2009
11:21 pm
Dear Comrade Yuck,
I bring tidings of great joy. On this day, a savior is not born in Jax. We hold these truths to be self evident, not all Dawg teams are created equal. I have a dream that one day the dawgs will be judged by the content of the scoreboard and not the color of their helmets. Ask not what UGA can do for you, ask what you can do to get CMR a U-Haul
On a final note, Mr Gorbachev did tear down that wall 20 yrs ago (sort of) but it took someone like R. Reagan to say “Why can’t UGA play penalty free ball”
Happy Freaknik.
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
11:21 pm
Keith Henderson is in Cartersville. Working like the rest of us.
still a dawg fan
October 31st, 2009
11:21 pm
After today’s performance it would be hard not to put us in the Miss St/Vandy catagory.How did we fall so far,so fast? Lack of talent,overhyped recruits or just plain old bad coaching. This team had 2 weeks to get ready but yet they looked totally unprepared.You know you do not have a very good defense when your best player is RC & he would be a backup at FL,AL,TN,SC,LSU,MISS,AUBURN,etc.
I’m afraid that GT will put up over 500yds rushing & over 50pt on us in a few weeks.
But the only good thing that will come out of it is that CMR will be forced to do something about Willie
One last comment — How do spell relief for an ailing offense
U-G-A D-E-F-E-N-S-E
joe taxpayer
October 31st, 2009
11:22 pm
wHY did CMR keep CWM. WHy? we saw this last year.
Jeremy
October 31st, 2009
11:22 pm
Im a Dawgs fan but i agree with everything that Sane Tech Fan said.
We get the best recruits in the state and top 5-10 in the nation however we dont have the coaching to do anything with the talent. We need a new DC and a new OC and just a new way of thinking.
I dont see why everyother dawg fan is hating on Tech, they have a good team and i root for them whenever they dont play UGA.
Go Dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MB
October 31st, 2009
11:23 pm
Willie do us all a favor and resign first thing tomorrow morning. If CMR does not shake up his coaching staff then CMR needs to go. For the last several years Georgia’s football program has been a mess. There is NO leadership on the field and that starts with the coach.
Enough with the gimmicks, it is time to get back to the basics and play football!!!
dandydawg
October 31st, 2009
11:23 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta0garYRQ_0 this is grounds for a permanent suspension from ncaa football
Ed
October 31st, 2009
11:23 pm
Hey Gator Guy, your team went 59 years without a conference championship. Georgia may now master sucking, but Florida invented it.
nate
October 31st, 2009
11:23 pm
Our defense is not good enough to give our offense a chance to win. With the loss of Moreno and Stafford, we are an average offense that stalls at times, leaving our defense on the field more often. Thus, these problems are more noticeable this season. Our defense displays poor tackling, often out of position to make plays, and is often fooled by misdirection plays as well as spread offenses. This most likely has nothing to do with talent but much more due to poor coaching which lies at the fault of Willie Martinez, not Richt or Bobo. As active member of the Dallas Alumni Chapter, I know many members feel the same way about this. We need a solid DC with proven track record against spread offenses along the lines of Bud Foster or Dick Bumpas. I would prefer Dick Bumpas given his track record with high powered offenses of the Mtn West and Big 12. Plus, there is greater likely chance he would consider UGA. Imagine what he could do with the resources at UGA compared to TCU.
Why did Urban Meyer make that statement about how tough the UGA defense was at halftime? Was this a plug for his coaching buddy…..maybe Urban might want to add him to his staff?
Once again, the UGA family of students, players, and alumni should call upon the athletic director and coaching staff to release Willie Martinez of his services so he can seek employment elsewhere where his talents would be more effective.
Mark, can help lead the media charge?
Bill
October 31st, 2009
11:23 pm
What Georgia has is a head coach more concerned about how his team looks in their uniforms rather than how good they look on defense.
Bradley listen up
October 31st, 2009
11:24 pm
now that it is all over but the crying do you think Mr. College Football and Mark Bradleycan take a look at GT’s Johnathon Dwyer as a Heisman candidate? 180 yds rushing tonight against Vandy, but nooooooooo all Barnhart can talk about is Spiller of Clemson..how bout getting your head out of Georgia’s behind and give Dwyer some favor..The ESPN announcers of the game said they felt GT was the best one loss team in the country, funny that natinal media starting to see it but not Mr. College Football blind as a goat in a hailstorm
Wil Walton
October 31st, 2009
11:24 pm
Just saw the ESPN “highlights”. Who was Florida playing today? Becuase that did not look like UGA. The uniforms (and plays) made ‘em look like som FCS school.
Roy Mullins
October 31st, 2009
11:25 pm
Huh, hey Gator Guy, do you really think that crappy team can beat SC, or Ala. We played you on your second home field, and you whipped us good. SC will beat you and I hate that more than you losing to Ala. Make now mistake about it Me and my cousin Lee Roy Mercer will help the Dark Visor guy whip you. Will he have a Dooley moment? I don’t think so he will beat you guys by 3 TD’s. GO DOGS we may not win, jerkoff, but we are never losers.
GTman
October 31st, 2009
11:25 pm
Must suck to be a Dawg fan. I told you guys before the season started you’d be lucky to finish second in the SEC east. With Tennessee coming on, UGA will be relegated to the bottom half of the SEC East as long as Meyer is at UF and the Kiffin clan is at UT. You will also be 2nd best in the state of Georgia as long as CPJ is at GT.
Just put 56 on Vandy after putting 42 on Miss St. Can’t wait to play another SEC team so we can roll up big numbers. I thought they supposedly played defense in the SEC???!
November 28th is going to be a blast as we blow you guys out of the stadium.
THWG! and quit your da** whining.
B Spikes
October 31st, 2009
11:27 pm
Don’t forget about Major Wright blowing up the best receiver in the country…. AJ Green has some sore ribs…ask him who’s his daddy!! By the way, he had an all-american type game.
Hate to brag… I returned one for a td. I bet that stung!!
96FS
October 31st, 2009
11:28 pm
Spikes must be a dentistry major. His hand looked like it was doing some major dental work on that dude.
bulldawg4life
October 31st, 2009
11:29 pm
after a hour goes by, i see my comment hasn’t posted. but my ideas are being mention. richt needs 2crack the whip, on every player who wanna just wrestle w/other team players and not make plays. BUT I STILL LOVE HIS LOYALTY, like me when georgia got screw by the BCS. we should’ve played ohio state not LSU for the national championship. but right now, WE NEED DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS lets put out an ad for him. no matter the color or age, searching for a
1. BLOCK-SHEDDING, FAST TO THE BALL, HARD-HITTING LINEMAN
2. BIG, FAST & STRONG MIDDLE LINEBACKERS((who will jump n2 teammate faces 4dogging it))
3. MORE DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS
until we get back to physical play & tackling, no matter who the coach/we’ll still be not respected like today vs. florida
GatorGuy
October 31st, 2009
11:29 pm
Ed
Things that have taken place since 1980,
1. Internet invented.
2. Reality set in.
3. CMR hired
4. CMR fired?
5. Ray Goff became Santa Claus to UF fans.
Please add a few others to the list for me.
dandydawg
October 31st, 2009
11:29 pm
Mark, Do you think that a coach can keep their intensity up for ten plus years anymore? CMR is a great great coach but obviously he doesn’t care as much as he used to. Has the college game turned into a pro coaching situation where you need to change coaches to keep players motivated? Also why don’t we run the hurry-up offense anymore?
California Kid
October 31st, 2009
11:29 pm
Headed to Talladega for NASCAR on Sunday:
“I say let these guys continue wearing the black helmets until they show they deserve to strap on the red ones.”
BRILLIANT!
Denver Dog
October 31st, 2009
11:30 pm
Here is the deal, no more Bobo, no more Willie, 3rd and 11 and we run off tackle, and 3rd and 21 and we let Fla get a first down, twice! NO MORE EXCUSES, Get rid of Bobo, and get rid of WILLE. So it shall be written, so it shall be done! At this stage, let’s just put Bacarri Rambo at QB and let him run like a wild man. To heck with this Joe Cox stuff, It is obvious that he has a hurt arm, and someone else needs to play. Free Willie, Free Bobo, Free Fabris, that is what you call a good start.
GatorGuy
October 31st, 2009
11:30 pm
Roy,
the word is Don’t not May
Georgia Tech Fan
October 31st, 2009
11:30 pm
Please, please, please fire Mark Richt, you dumb Georgia fans!
And watch your program spiral south of Vanderbilt.
We will love every second of it!
SuperB
October 31st, 2009
11:31 pm
The only color scheme uglier than those black helmets and pants would be: white jerseys, gold helmets and gold pants.