Even as Richt focuses on Tech, there’s a grim big picture
Turnovers are a symptom, but they're not the problem itself. (AP photo by John Amis)
In the grand scheme, the Kentucky loss should be a blessing. It should yield the sort of clarity needed when quality control has slipped. A coach can fool himself for a while, but when he loses at home to Kentucky after leading by 14 points, he has to acknowledge the obvious. Doesn’t he?
Even as he approached a game against the best team in the state his Georgia Bulldogs long ruled, Mark Richt still wouldn’t address the greater issue, at least not on the record. “I’ve never been one to focus on several things at one time,” he said Wednesday. This week he would speak only of Georgia Tech, saying, “My feeling right now is on the next game; it’s such a crucial game for our program.”
But there he’s wrong. Beating Tech might mean the difference between a bowl in Nashville and one in Shreveport, but winning at Bobby Dodd Stadium won’t cure the systemic ill. On the contrary, it might offer Richt another reason not to change, and if that’s the case, this would be the one time when beating an in-state rival proved injurious to a program’s long-term health.
Because Georgia must change to keep pace, not just with Tech but with Tennessee and Kiffin and Auburn and Chizik. (Forget Florida and Alabama and LSU — they’ve already lapped the Bulldogs.) And it isn’t a one-year blip, as apologists insist, but a trend. In the first five seasons under Richt, Georgia played for the SEC title three times, winning twice, and had a record of 52-13. In these past four seasons, Georgia hasn’t reached the conference championship game and is 36-14, having gone 2-2 against Kentucky.
Think hard about that last part. Vince Dooley lost four times to the Wildcats in a quarter-century of coaching. Ray Goff lost once to Kentucky in six tries, Jim Donnan once in five. Richt has now done it twice. It’s one thing to lose to Florida, as Richt has managed seven times in nine tries, something else again to lose to a basketball school.
Asked about the need for change in his program on the SEC teleconference this week, Richt instead dissected the Kentucky loss. “Turnovers were the story of that game,” he said. “If it was zero-zero in turnovers or we’d have won the turnover battle, that’s a different game.” And it’s true that Georgia had four turnovers to Kentucky’s none, but ultimately Richt seemed to concede the futility of his argument: “Of course, you can’t throw out the turnovers.”
And you can’t. There’s no reason Georgia should be giving the ball to a lesser team four times without once being able to snatch it back. There’s no reason Georgia should be next-to-last in the nation in turnover margin, no reason it should rank 116th among 120 teams in penalties. Richt and his staff have stopped coaching effectively and have begun to rely on recruiting to see them through, and when you lose to Kentucky you see why recruiting is never enough. (If it were, Ron Zook would be Urban Meyer.)
No matter what happens against Tech, Richt will have to change his staff and his approach if he hopes again to play in the Georgia Dome for anything more than a Chick-fil-A Bowl trophy. Is there one Bulldog assistant who has gotten the most from his charges? Mike Bobo? Jon Fabris? John Jancek? Stacy Searels? Dave Van Halanger? Willie Martinez?
Forget this staff’s perceived February successes; even Rodney Garner, the chief recruiter, has insisted: “I’m a coach who recruits,” and not the other way around. But even with the gifted freshmen on campus — Branden Smith, Orson Charles, Washaun Ealey, Rantavious Wooten, Aaron Murray, Marlon Brown — is there any assurance they’ll flourish under these coaches?
Mark Richt is a smart man. He has to realize declining results call for an upgrade in standards. He has to know the only way back to the pinnacle of the SEC isn’t to stay the course but to change the navigators. He has to grasp this. Doesn’t he?
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425 comments Add your comment
Paddy
November 27th, 2009
8:53 am
Nick…were we not told that things are going to be different at the conclusion of Spring practice and at the start of the season? They change but in the wrong direction. CMR has not said there will be changes, he does not owe that to anyone but Adams, Evans and his staff. But we as UGA fans will be waiting to see how the CEO turns this around. It will be interesting this winter in the “hot stove league”.
Gen Neyland
November 27th, 2009
8:56 am
It wasn’t a Head Coach that said doing the same thing over and over expecting different results was still a winning philosophy after your opponents figured it out…
mcdaviddawg
November 27th, 2009
8:59 am
Richt doesn’t have a thought in his head. I truly don’t think he cares. He will totally wreck what he created if we don’t make big changes. Fire Richt now before there is nothing left.
jim
November 27th, 2009
9:01 am
mark, you’ve been writing the same blog for 2 months now. anything new?
Loyal Bulldog!
November 27th, 2009
9:02 am
Mark, you make some good points; however, your attitude makes me sick. Write this down: You will see some significant changes after the season. However, it would be inappropriate for Coach Richt to review those with you at this time. Just because Coach Richt has not taken you into his confidence, does not mean changes are not already in process.
liz boy
November 27th, 2009
9:06 am
I looked at the administration in the football program—–why does Georgia have all these people from Florida running their program? Now that is something to think about. What is really going on at UGA—this could be a plot to keep Georgia as a second tier program so that Florida keeps winning and winning and……….Wake up Georgians, you are being hoodfinked.
GaGator
November 27th, 2009
9:08 am
What has Georgia’s senior class(2006 recruiting class) has produced. In these past four seasons, Georgia hasn’t reached the conference championship game and is 36-14, having gone 2-2 against Kentucky.
Now take a look a the Gators———–
Because it’s been four years since Florida put together the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation in 2006, it’s OK to judge just how good this class is. And it’s an easy call.
This is the greatest recruiting class in school history — and one of the greatest in the history of college football.
This class has won two national championships and two SEC titles, with a chance to possibly win a third in both.
It features a Heisman Trophy winner (quarterback Tim Tebow), a national defensive player of the year (middle linebacker Brandon Spikes), three All-Americans, five All-SEC performers and 12 academic All-SEC honors. And this is the winningest class in SEC history with a record of 46-6.
And this is all about coaching, Georgia class was nearly the same as Florida’s.
The Gators had the # 2 class and the dawgs had # 4, so there you have it.
Andrew
November 27th, 2009
9:08 am
Wow Mark, same article every week, just change of opposing team name. Every week you talk as if this game is important to lose because if we don’t it will justify keeping the same coaches aboard, message received, next argument.
Vincent
November 27th, 2009
9:08 am
Mark Bradley’s analysis is spot-on. The comparison between Richt’s first five years and the last four years says it all. Richt has slipped, and it’s coaching – or the lack thereof – that’s to blame.
I imagine that if Richt stays, UGA will be better than this year, maybe 8-4 or 9-3, with an occasional 10-2, which is acceptable to fans at many schools, but not at UGA, since the losses will be to Florida, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, or other SEC teams which will keep the Dawgs from playing for the SEC championship.
The continued decline, even with the recruiting successes, is pretty clear evidence that the problem is poor coaching. Fans have made it clear on the football blogs this year that they’re tired of the situation and want a coaching change, either Richt himself, or the assistants. Damon Evans, however, seems to be reluctant to change anything, so the losing will likely continue.
Many people don’t want to acknowledge this unsavory fact, but Richt’s recruits, while loaded with talent, tend to be players with little character or self-discipline, and this is why so many of them end up in jail at least once during their tenure in Athens. Insiders know that there are more problem players than the ones we read about.
So as long as Richt remains in Athens, UGA will not play for the SEC championship, will seldom if ever play in a BCS bowl, and will only occasionally finish in the rankings.
Evans and the administration will stick their heads in the sand and ignore their wake-up call for at least another year, so next year the blogosphere will be a repeat of this year’s grumblings.
World League
November 27th, 2009
9:11 am
The statement about Richt’s first five years (played for three SEC titles)……………….Vangorder was the defensive coordinator and BoBo was NOT doing the play calling. Surely Richt is not so blind to see he needs to get back to what works and a new defensive coordinator. I’m sure Willie is a great guy and a good friend to Richt, but time to move on
Herschel Talker
November 27th, 2009
9:14 am
TommyP –
Sorry, I’m not buying it. Everything Mandel said in his article is exactly what I have been saying. Losing isn’t a big deal when it’s done with discipline and good effort. These losses reek of poor coaching, and to say otherwise is just missing the big picture and just being a blind homer.
Kelly
November 27th, 2009
9:16 am
GaGator makes a good case. The problem at UGA is coaching. Things aren’t likely to change while Richt is head coach. Georgia will have better years than this (a disaster by any standards), but they will not be good enough to overtake the top teams like Florida and Alabama.
With all of this so obvious, why are fans who are demanding a coaching change being criticized so loudly?
jeffrey d
November 27th, 2009
9:18 am
Take away Greene, Shockley, Pollack, and Van Gorder, and you have nothing
Oh was that it? Take away Tebow, Harvin, and the Gator Chomp and Meyer has nothing.
Paddy
November 27th, 2009
9:18 am
Loyal Bulldog….How do you know that CMR has not had a sit down with Mark? And CMR told him to keep it under wraps until an appropriate announcement is made, true journalist would honor that request. Relationships between newspaper writers and head coaches are not something that are made public. Neither party would admit to that prior to a press release or press announcement. Forging those types of relationships take a long time to cultivate and are based on the trust of both parties. CMR and the AJC reporters are good professionals. Both know what they are doing and how to do it. If you read between the lines you can sometimes tell what the gist of the next article on the subject will be. Covering a national team like UGA is a practiced science and relationships are the linchpin of that relationship.
mike addington
November 27th, 2009
9:19 am
I agree with the above that Van Gorder must have been the reason for our early success. Does anyone remember in Richt’s first year how he fumbled the time management during the Auburn game (Tech game too if I remember correctly). How does one do that after being an offensive coordinator for 10 years at FSU? I was a big fan of Richts until recently but as Bradley says, the program has been going steadily downhill for several years, except for a couple of 3 or 4 game spurts. This years team is the worst GA team I’ve seen since I’ve been watching, which is from the early 70s. There are a few instances of indivual good play but not as a team. I’m not a coach, but anyone who follows football closely is qualified to know a quality team and program. We ain’t it.
Kelly
November 27th, 2009
9:23 am
About Richt changing some of his assistant coaches, particularly Martinez and Bobo: The assistants are not the real problem. The head coach is the problem. Firing Martinez and Bobo is like putting a bandaid on a bleeding artery. Georgia needs major surgery, and that means removing Richt.
Sautee Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:25 am
Tech hasn’t been to a major bowl since 1966. So if the Tech fans act kinda strange after winning a few games, it’s simply the fact most of them weren’t even around in 1966 to witness a winning team.
Meat Cleaver
November 27th, 2009
9:25 am
This debacle of a season comes down to four major issues:
1) Turnovers. A good team can lose to anybody when they turn the ball over 4 or 5 times in a game. An average team will lose almost everytime when the turnover ratio is where Georgia’s is this season. Playing in the SEC doesn’t allow you those type of mistakes.
2) Penalties: Mark Richt has to get serious here. ANY player who makes a careless stupid penalty needs to be jerked from the game immediately. I don’t care if your name is AJ Green, Rennie Curran, or Drew Butler. This will solve the problem.
3) Defensive Philosophy: Willie’s bend and break has to go. No further explanation required.
4) Blocking: Our offensive line got pushed around this year. We should have been racking up big yards on the ground. Our offensive scheme relies on play action(David Greene was the master of play action). Without the fear of a strong running attack, our offense is crippled. You don’t need a Knowshon if a hole is there. Any decent back should be able to get 5-6 yds if the line does its job.
OK, one more for good measure.. once again, no pressure on the QB.
If any one of the four major issues was not present this year, we would have at least 2-3 more wins. In a year where we had to replace 90% of our offensive firepower and play one of the toughest schedules in country. That would be about right.
Macclenny_man
November 27th, 2009
9:26 am
Richt better change alot of his staff and beat Florida next year or he is gone!!! I think coach Richt is a great guy and good offensive coordinator!! But his record against teams ranked higher than us is not even 300. He was brought in here because he used to beat Florida at FSU but he hasn’t got it done!!! I hope Richt is praying he can turn this program around but out of the good years we have had we always fail to win them all because we always seem to not show up in a half of football!! With the talent this team has we should not never lose more than 2 games!!! How are we ever gonna get a NC if we can’t even win the SEC East!!! We always seem to lose to Florida and when we do beat them we lost to Tennessee!!! We need a coach that can get us to beat Tennessee and Florida!!! Georgia Tech is a rivalry but they are not in our division!!!! To be champions of anything you have to first win your Division!!!!
Stoops is 6-5, Paterono 3-9, 4-7
November 27th, 2009
9:27 am
One year does snot define a coach. Meyer had a 4 loss season, so did Miles. Carrol had a 6 loss season. Patterson has 2 bad years win/loss wise recently.
Richt:
60 wins in 6 years
70 in 7
80 in 8
To defend Mark Bradley’s argument, you’d have to conclude that Stoops, Carrol, Meyer, Paterno, Mies, Patterson should all have shook up their staffs or been fired.
Typical journalists inability to accurately predict the future.
Interesting though, bradley now thinks Georgia MIGHT win, whihc is why he wrote this. What does THAT say about this staff?
dawgma
November 27th, 2009
9:27 am
With all these GT geeks going to recharge their girl dolls it’s made for a moment edgewise to simply state … dawgs may be down this year but it beats the hell out of playing before half filled stands all over the ACC and winning once every 8 years against your in state rival.
DAWGS can win this game if Willie is kidnapped b4 the game.
Biggdawg33
November 27th, 2009
9:29 am
Okay, I want to throw this in before the rest of the idiots keep spewing…
Does anyone notice the similarities between UGA and FSU? FSU had some great seasons but they have dropped from the national championship talk to mid-tier bowl projection. UGA had some good seasons and now has dropped to mid-tier bowl projection. FSU does not want to see change. UGA…
I am a big Mark Richt supporter (heck I’m one of the bandwagon drivers). But change is needed in Athens from the way things are being done. I’m married to a Clemson fan for the past nine years and saw some of the same things in Tigertown, but there is a new attitude in Clemson. Yeah, they are playing in a VERY bad ACC division, but they did not do some of the same mistakes found during another Bowden led team. I just want to see a Dawg team that is disciplined.
Finally, a decent football team with a great and talented QB can do something. A great and talented team with a decent QB finishes 6-6. We had better hope that Aaron Murray is a great and talented QB as we have been told or next year is 6-6 again.
Myers without Tebow= 0 Natl Champs
November 27th, 2009
9:29 am
Meyers CANNOT coach Florida to antoher Championship. He never has coached anyone to one with Tebow and he never will. That’s why he’s leaving for Notre Dame, resolved to be a rich loser.
Ludicrous
November 27th, 2009
9:31 am
Sorry, Mark, but Kentucky was not the lesser team. Brooks has built a successful program by recruiting sound players and maintaining high academic and behavior standards. Last year, Brooks dismissed his number one quarterback prospect for an ofense that Richt would have winked at. I attended the Georgia/UK game last year and counted 13 Georgia players on the field with arrest records, including the felon, Ellerbe. I think that the decline in Georgia began with Adams when he brought his friend, Harrick, to Georgia and enrolled Tony Coles, who is presently in prison in Illinois. The housecleaning must start at the top.
Happydawg
November 27th, 2009
9:33 am
Thank Goodness we have Richt. He will KEEP MARTINEZ as DC because MARTINEZ is the BEST DC in the COUNTRY. MARTINEZ has a GREAT SCHEME, just lacks the PLAYERS to execute it properly. I am GLAD that RICHT will keep BOBO. BOBO is the BEST young OC in the NATION. BOBO is very IMAGINATIVE with this OFFENSIVE attack. KEEP MARK RICHT and these GREAT COACHES
TommyP
November 27th, 2009
9:34 am
Herschel Talker: LOL….maybe you need to re-read my posts. Pretty sure I mentioned some new assistants for next year.
If you’re one of the ones that feels Richt should be gone, well, I think you don’t have a clue.
He will make some big changes in the program for next year. I guarantee it.
Papa John's Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:35 am
Beat Tech!
Baker
November 27th, 2009
9:35 am
If Richt stays, it will be great for sports bars, since UGA fans will flock to these places every year to watch the SEC championship game on bigscreen TV. Unfortunately we’ll be watching other teams playing for the title.
Ask yourself the question: Will UGA ever beat Florida again and win the division? And even if the Dawgs beat the Gators in an upset, there would still be those absurd inexcusable losses to teams like Kentucky that would keep us out of the championship game.
I’ve already sent my letter requesting Damon Evans to fire Richt and hire another head coach. I;m not expecting an answer, but at least I tried. Maybe if he got several thousand letters, they would have some impact.
Music City Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:36 am
Go Dawgs!
Exley DAWG
November 27th, 2009
9:36 am
Most of you “coach coaches” are frigin’ idiots!!! Richt struggled this year, get over it. Bob Stoops lost some key starters and has struggled (we lost them to the draft), Pete Carrol’s team is struggling (is he a dumbass too?), Ohio State has dropped 2 games with an experienced QB. My point is we won 10 games 7 of 8 years with a #2 final ranking in 2007.
Thats 2 years ago IDIOTS!
The cupboards are full with young talent IDIOTS!
Our non-conference schedule will lighten up next year IDIOTS!
Our 2010 incoming class is very strong IDIOTS!
Its obvious Richt will shuffle the coaching staff, obvious unless your an IDIOT!
Anybody calling for Richt to get fired is an IDIOT!
Shreveport Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:36 am
Give em heck dogs
Boise Bowl Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:36 am
Stop the option!
BugKiller
November 27th, 2009
9:38 am
Who is the man who retained the worst DC in this program’s history AND gave him an indefensible raise?
Who is the man who refused to bench the Red-Headed Turnover Menace after the Florida game in order to do what’s right for the FUTURE of this program, something the Red-Headed Turnover Menace has no place?
Who is the man who continues to back his two coordinators, who’s defense is 11th in the SEC and something like 80th nationally, and who’s offense is 10th in the SEC and something like 90th nationally?
Who is the man who kept Knowshon on the bench for a year, and then when he was “ready” in 2007, kept him evenly splitting carries with a far-less talented and explosive player because of his loyalty to that player, a choice which cost his team the South Carolina game that year, a game if won, hands Georgia the National Championship?
Who is the man who continually refuses to do EVERYTHING he can to compete and win against guys like Saban, Meyer, Miles, and now KIFFIN?
Does ANY of you blind gomers and Richt apologists believe for ONE MINUTE that someone like Nick Saban or Urban Meyer would:
1) have kept Willie Martinez, who has now overseen a defense which has gotten worse EVERY year he’s been the coordinator? True story. Look up the yeard allowed per game and points allowed per game yourself. They’ve gone up, EVERY YEAR under Martinez. And turnovers and sacks have gone down.
2) have stuck with the Red-Headed Turnover Menace past the Tennessee game, let alone the Florida game? No… those guys are BIG PICTURE guys. They would see that the season was lost and Joe Cox isn’t back next year, so it’s time to PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. Because they’re smart guys who want to win, not stupidly loyal guys like a Mark Richt.
3) would be sticking by the idiotic Jon Fabris and his idiotic special teams “strategies” which are so horrendous you can’t even call them a strategy?
4) would have players that would make the kind of stupid mistakes on the field that lead to these kind of penalties and turnovers the last two year???
Here are the answers:
1) No.
2) NO.
3) Hell NO!
4) FRAK NO!
You blind gomers need to open up your frakkin’ eyes and see Mark Richt for who he is!
He’s a man who can beat the Phil Fulmers and the Tommy Tubbervilles and the Mike Shula’s of the world.
But he is not a man who can even compete with the Nick Sabans, the Urban Meyers, or hell, even the Lane Kiffins of the world.
HE COULDN’T EVEN BEAT RON ZOOK!!!
Mark Richt must go. He must be held ACCOUNTABLE for the steep decline that Georgia is in thanks to all of the horrible decisions he’s made.
It’s ALL on him.
I’M SICK OF RICHT!
FIRE MARK RICHT!!!
jeffrey d
November 27th, 2009
9:38 am
He never has coached anyone to one with Tebow and he never will
Well, despite the fact that you spelled Meyer’s name wrong TWICE, Florida’s a solid team all-around. Why are college football fans (at least the stupid ones) so afraid to admit that a rival is legit or supperior or give them any credit?
I wish UGA fans would recognize that Tech and Florida are good and legit. I wish Tech fans would admit that Georgia has OWNED them the past couple decades (seriously…they win once and they own the world). And Florida, well…they pretty much don’t have to own up to anybody.
firemarkricht.net
November 27th, 2009
9:38 am
For everyone complaining that Bradley is writing the same article over and over, stop and think about what this means: it is a testament to the fact that Richt and his staff haven’t been able to make any adjustments (or coach for that matter) and turn this team around. Richt and his boys can’t even change their tune in post-game interviews. It’s the same old crap. I understand about ’staying on message’, but not to the point where it reveals that you have no idea how to fix things.
But hey, what does Richt care? He banked over $7,000 TODAY, $53,000 THIS WEEK. Is that worth losing to KY and being blown out (AGAIN) by TN and FLA?
TommyP
November 27th, 2009
9:38 am
Ludicrous: What did Ellerbe do that was a felony?
SEC is Irrelavant
November 27th, 2009
9:39 am
Thump your chest here
UGA Grad 05
November 27th, 2009
9:39 am
I hope you folks who are asking for Mark Richt to resume playcalling duties are delirious on turkey and pumpkin pie. How quickly you all forget how asinine Mark Richt’s playcalling was when he did it. We won on defense plain and simple in the early part of RIcht’s reign. His play calling was maddening and pretty ridiculous at times. I agree that Bobo needs to be replaced, but please OH PLEASE do not ask for Richt to play call. We will get enough 3rd and 14 fullback screen passes to stuff our faces with.
Happydawg
November 27th, 2009
9:40 am
Bug Killer, read my post, you got it all wrong.
CatsFly
November 27th, 2009
9:40 am
If I were Coach Richt, I’d throw my hat into the ring for the UVa job if it comes open. Far superior school with equal facilities (stadium looks out onto Shennadoah Mts.) and excellent recruiting opportunities. Richt would get the respect from a classy fan base that he deserves.
Foaming at the mouth Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:40 am
If Tech beats us again Saturday I will donate my 6 season tickets to charity
Herschel Talker
November 27th, 2009
9:41 am
TommyP:
I saw you said it’s about jettisoning assistants, but it’s more than that. It is you who don’t have a clue. You and all the other Richt supporters. Here is the truth, you buffoon. People are finally waking up to the truth. How can you continue to excuse Mark Richt’s loyalty to Willie Martinez Saban and Meyer would have jettisoned Martinez years ago (truthfully they would have never hired his inept a$$ in the first place, but that’s another topic). Last year, after the season, Richt said that reviewing Martinez’s performance was not even on the table for discussion. Are you kidding me? He should have been canned years ago. At the very least, Richt could have said something to the effect of the program always striving to be the best and that all facets should be currently under review. Yet Martinez, who gave up 31 to Bama at the half, 49 to Florida (a little less, I guess, since there were defensive scores, but the point is the same), and 45 to Tech (including 26 in one quarter!) didn’t even merit a review! Forgetting the fact that Martinez is a bum, what does that say about Richt, the fact that he won’t review him and the fact that he lets his personal feelings get in the way?
It is obvious that the Emperor has no clothes. Mark Richt was successful early in his tenure because:
1. Ron Zook was at Florida (and even then, Richt went 1-2 against that moron). The fact that we lost to Florida in 2002 and 2003 was a complete disgrace.
2. Tennessee was in decline
3. Saban had just gotten the LSU juggernaut going, but it wasn’t yet in full steam (it would be starting in 2003)
4. Most importantly, he had natural born leaders on the field (i.e., Greene and Pollack) and a fiery animal and defensive genius in Brian Van Gorder, whose fire picked up the slack for what Richt lacked. BVG, DG, and DP made sure that the team had discipline and fire. Mark Richt accomplishes no such thing. How many years running have we been hearing about cleaning up the penalties? How many games do we have to watch our defenders look absolutely clueless out there? How many more games do we have to lose in such ugly fashion? What happened to the days of losing in Death Valley to LSU on a late TD in a very well played game (2003)? Now, when we lose, all hell breaks loose, and it’s a complete disaster.
WVU in 2006 Sugar Bowl
UT in 2006
UT in 2007
Bama in 2008
UF in 2008
GT in 2008
UT in 2009
UF in 2009
UK in 2009
These losses were complete and utter disasters. And that’s ignoring the defensive meltdowns in games we actually won (e.g., LSU in 2008). Those of you who don’t see these things just aren’t paying attention, plain and simple.
Now that Richt has no leaders on the team and has surrounded himself with absolute boobs as assistants, the Emperor has been exposed.
Mark Richt is a good man. He represents the university well. But being a good man is different than being a good coach. But you and the other blind homers who overlook his blind loyalty to Willie Martinez and overlook the complete and utter lack of discipline on this team and just say something moronic like “we’re just having a down year,” you just aren’t looking at the entire picture. He is not fit to be a head coach. Period. End of story.
Even Tennessee Tech beat Kentucky
November 27th, 2009
9:41 am
Didn’t they?
jason
November 27th, 2009
9:42 am
Funny how Mark Bradley writes an article that myself and a dozen or so others have been saying since the TENN game. The only arguement I have with this poece is that CMR is not such a smart guy if he lets this type of coaching (or lack of) and this type of preperation go on for 4 years by himself and his staff. It is no secret what has happened over the the past 4 years. You have CWM as DC minus BVG, and you have 100% of CMR’s recruits minus HC Donnan’s. What this tells me is that CMR is not near as good as a recruiter as Jim Donnan. Also, when you are lucky enough to get a talent of a AJ Green, you don’t know how to deploy that weapon and do serious danger. You have to know that you need a QB to go along with the AA WR.
11-2 or 13-1 is Grim?
November 27th, 2009
9:44 am
Last 2 times Richt had a bad season, BOTH times, he rebounded and had a GREAT season, either 11-2 or 13-1.
With Georgia’s talent so loaded, as even Bradley had to admit, 2010 is Looking Good.
UGA Grad 05
November 27th, 2009
9:44 am
mark Richt take over playcalling. You guys who want that are clearly the heaviest of drinkers since you cant remember his atrocious playcalling when he was O coordinator as well as head coach. Van Gorder’s D won us games, not RIcht’s offense.
Florida Dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:44 am
I don’t like Steve Spurrier but let’s get real…if he has the resources that Georgia has, he would beat Florida every year.
Bama2010
November 27th, 2009
9:45 am
It doesn’t matter what Richt does, uga will be an average team with Richt and then without out Richt when they fire him.
Grim Picture is gor Florida without Tebow
November 27th, 2009
9:46 am
Florida without Tebow is a future picture that looks grim for Florida. Meyers has NEVER won a Natl’ Camp without Tebow. And he never will. He’s not a REAL coach.
That’s why he’s leaving for Notre Dame. Talk about GRIM future.
RealOldDawg
November 27th, 2009
9:46 am
Been a season ticket and avid supporter of all things UGA and more specifically…UGA football for longer mthan I want to admit! I put my money where my mouth is and I give! They say if you don’t give till it hurts, then you are not really giving….trust me…I GIVE!
Bradley I understand exactly where you are coming from and your motivation…and while I agree with some of what you say re: the state of UGA’s current football team….exactly what is your point? Should the Dawgs throw in the towel? Should they lose the GT game on purpose (they will probably do say regardless) just to put an explanation point on the fact that there are problems with the program? What are you trying to say?
I wish we could take a year off from the realities of UGA and REAL college football and turn the UGA program to some of these genuises on here.like Hershel Talker and give them the opportunity to show the world just how little they actually know about coaching a football team…hiring assistanta, game planing, play calling, half time adjustments etc.! Monday morning quarter backing and recognizing that there is a problem….well my 6th grade grand son can do that! But some of you idiots come on here and talk like you know exactly what the specific problems and solutions are…and not only that, but seem to think you could resolve said problems in a week or a day! BS!
Bradley and the idiots….dont identify the problem….state your logical and sane solutions! Do you honestly expect CMR to go public and tell the world, his team, and coaching staff something like this…recruits also by the way…..We suck! My coaches suck! As soon as the season is over coachy x, y, and z are outta here! I made a mistake and thought Joe Cox would be at least an adequate qb this year…but as you all know…he sucks! Reshard Jones was rated as one of the three top HS safties in the country and we were proud that he picked UGA..BUT he sucks…cant play a lick! And if we were as good of a coaching staff as we should be..and IF we were as SMART as some of you expersts out there…certainly we should have known NOT to recruit Zeb McKenzie..the all american hihg school OL from
Parkview and the other HS all american OL..the Watts kid from sandersville who would be starting now if not for having to give up football from injuries….I mean we should have known they would be injured right? I could go on and on…but I think even the “idiott” so called experst here who shopuld in reality be running the UGA football program get the point!
CMR, in my humble waited one year too long to honestly evaluate his staffs shortcomings….and it has biten him in the butt…BIGTIME! Why dont ya’ll take a zanex..calm down…hope like hell WE can beat the hated yeller jackets Sat!
In the mean time WHEN the time is right…AFTER the season is over give the man a chance to do whatever the hell he needs to do to right the ship!
How soon we forget…2 short years ago we were ranked number 2 in the nation and came within a Gawhs hair of playing for the national championship!
GO DAWGS and now and always….TO HELL WITH GIT!!!!!!!!!!