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?
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
425 comments Add your comment
Abilene
November 27th, 2009
9:46 am
Biggdawg33 said “I just want to see a Dawg team that is disciplined.” That’s really the heart of the matter, but you won’t see this under Richt. Only when UGA starts recruiting talented athletes who also have intelligence, character, and self-discipline will the Dawgs start winning consistently. Felons and morons don’t win championships.
UGA Grad 05
November 27th, 2009
9:46 am
11-2 or 13-1 GRIM?,
You must be kidding me. He had seasone QB DAvid Greene and #1 draft pick Matt Stafford groomed for those years. WHo does he have ready for next year????? Nobody.
If you think we are going 13-1 with Aaron Murray never taking a real snap in a game, you are delusional.
Mutley
November 27th, 2009
9:47 am
Great column Mark. The absolute worst thing that could happen to UGA’s program is to beat Tech. Richt has needed to make changes for at least four years and now hopefully will be forced to do it. I don’t know about the other coaches but Martinez has to forced out of the UGA program and as far away as possible. History is repeating itself, remember pulling against UGA just so they would finally fire Ray Goof. I can bet many UGA fans will be doing the same thing Sat night.
Dwyer gets 7 yards on 5 carries
November 27th, 2009
9:47 am
Georgia’s future Sat is looking good. This guy got 7 yards on 5 carries against Miami. 7 yards.
My dog could get 7 yards, blindfolded.
Wes
November 27th, 2009
9:47 am
Same old, same old article from an AJC writer who is mediocre at best.
“Keep up with Chizik and Auburn, and Kiffin and Tennessee” Mark beat Auburn this year (Chizik is not the answer there). I admit the game to Tennessee was awful and one of the worst games I have ever been to. However, Lane will not win more than 7 games for several years and by then, he will be out of Tennessee.
Mark Richt has seen that changes will be made and that will happen whether UGA wins or loses tomorrow at Tech.
As for Tech, you finally beat CMR and the Dawgs last year for the first time this century (century starts in 2001 FYI) and you seem like you’ve been doing it for a while when only a few years ago you were heading out to Boise, ID every year. Have fun going to a half empty conference championship game because your conference is irrelevant and everyone knows that.
Yellow Fuzz
November 27th, 2009
9:48 am
When the going gets tough, dog fans leave the stadium!
jason
November 27th, 2009
9:48 am
This is a funny post: Mr. Bradley—Your continued shots at Coach Richt and the UGA program never cease to amaze me.There is not discounting the fact that we have had a bad year this year, but trend. We did finish #2 in the nation after ‘07 and went 10-3 in ‘08. As far as Kentucky goes, Coach Brooks has that program on a much higher level than when the previous coaches you mentioned coach.I have not doubt that , if Coach Richt has the patience to put up with ignorant media and so-called fans, he will make necessary changes and get us back to the top! GO DAWGS!!
SO, what Eddie is saying is that UK has caught up to UGA and about to pass us by like UF, US, and LSU. This also means that Vandy and USCe has caught up to being on par with us. Nobody has past UGA by . UGA as slipped and fell to and below these teams.
Why Florida Stinks
November 27th, 2009
9:50 am
They schedule 3 or 4 cream puffs every year.
Who wants to play for a coach like that who’s SCARED TO LOSE?
This year’s cream puffs:
Charleston Southern
Troy
Florida Intl.
Wow, what a BRAVE COURAGEOUS COACH—–NOT!!! What A wIMP…no wonder he’s NEVER wona Champ without Tebow.
Richt did it with 2 DIFFERENT QB’s at FSU.
firemarkricht.net
November 27th, 2009
9:51 am
Hey, 11-2 or 13-1 is Grim?:
I’m wondering how 2010 is looking good? We’ll have a QB with ZERO experience and returing a bunch of players who rank at the bottom in turnover ratio AND penalties!
Please explain how we lose less than FOUR games next year. I need a good laugh after this season.
Barbara Dooly for Congress
November 27th, 2009
9:51 am
After the Tech game in Atlanta,
The next 6-6 UGA dawg walk will be at the
…….Shreveport Greyhound Bus Station.
Grim? Why all the Big Recruits?
November 27th, 2009
9:51 am
If Georgia’s future is grim, why do all the big recruits keep coming this way?
46 NFL Drafts.
$50 million for Stafford.
$0 for Tebow
Herschel Talker
November 27th, 2009
9:52 am
YOU ARE ALL BLIND HOMERS AND MARK RICHT APOLOGISTS. HE IS A GOOFBALL WHO CARES MORE ABOUT JESUS THAN ABOUT WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES. THAT IS GREAT FOR SUNDAYS, NOT FOR SATURDAYS. HE IS MOST DEFINITELY FIT TO TEACH MEN HOW TO LEAD RIGHTEOUS LIVES, BUT HE IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT FIT TO COACH A FOOTBALL TEAM. ALL OF YOU WHO CAN’T SEE IT ARE STUPID IDIOTS.
FIRE MARK RICHT!!!
Missy in Bainbridge
November 27th, 2009
9:52 am
RealOldDawg is living in some fantasy world several light-years away from reality. Richt has to go. Period. End of story. Selah.
Slim Pickens
November 27th, 2009
9:53 am
…………..Nesbitt for Heisman…………….
SadDawg
November 27th, 2009
9:53 am
Great read, Mark. I hope the answer to your last question is yes, but I have my doubts. He should have realized at the end of last season that he had huge problems, but chose to give his staff huge raises. For what? For reaching that magical 10-win threshhold that the Koolaid drinkers harp on, despite having three NFL stars on offense alone! Fact is, 10 wins was a feat in the Dooley era of 10 and 11 game seasons. In the 13 game (including bowl) era, that’s just winning 76.9% of your games. UGA does need Richt as its head coach because: mommas and daddies love to send their boy to play for him; he’ll never cheat; he won’t embarrass the school (a la Kiffin) other than a few ghastly losses in ‘08 and ‘09. But Lord, I just hope he is as smart as we think he is and will make upgrades in his staff. If he does, with the talent on hand, UGA can zip right back to competativeness (is that a word?) in the SEC. Go Dawgs. Shock the world (or at least the state) Saturday!!
Turnovers can be fixed
November 27th, 2009
9:53 am
Even this year, Georgia has fixed the TO problem in certain games. The formula is there. Georgia just has to repeat the formula of what they did in those 15 games where they had 0 turnovers.
You can coach, do drills, exercises, on CAUSING TO’s, Willie will. You can coach, do drills, exercises, on PREVENTING TO’s. Bobo will finsd better ones.
exNFLplayer
November 27th, 2009
9:54 am
Mike Addington, you don’t remember the 5-6 Dooley team that lost to Richmond? Were you out of the country in 1990, 93, 94, 95, and 96? Those were pretty damn bad years. 90- 4-7 (2-5 SEC), 93- 5-6 (2-6 SEC), 94- 6-4-1 (3-4-1 SEC), 95- 6-6 (3-5 SEC) 96- 5-6. Wasn’t there a 20 year drought where we won no SEC titles? Haven’t we won 2 SEC titles under Richt and played for 3? If memory serves have we not finished in the top 10 six times under Coach Richt? Fortunately bloggers with short selective memories don’t get to hire and fire football coaches. If that were the case Frank Beamer would have been fired at VT after 3 seasons. And the list goes on and on. Yes changes need to be made and they will be made. But firing Coach Richt at this juncture would be absolute lunacy. How many flavor of the month coaches has there been? RIch Rodriguez. Charlie Weiss. Jeff Tedford just to name a few. How many championships have they won? Brian Kelly seems to be the latest “savior” touted as the latest and the greatest. Maybe he goes to Notre Dame. Will he be the “savior” after a few years there? I bet Michigan would love to have Lloyd Carr back. Be careful what you ask for.
jeffrey d
November 27th, 2009
9:54 am
They schedule 3 or 4 cream puffs every year.
Who wants to play for a coach like that who’s SCARED TO LOSE? Why Florida Stinks
I’m pretty sure the coach doesn’t schedule games. And thanks for helping me prove my 9:38 point.
Stoopid is as stoopid does
November 27th, 2009
9:54 am
“YOU ARE ALL BLIND HOMERS AND MARK RICHT APOLOGISTS. HE IS A GOOFBALL WHO CARES MORE ABOUT JESUS THAN ABOUT WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES.”
Stoopid comment.
DAWG Trapped in BAMA!
November 27th, 2009
9:55 am
I heard an interesting rumor while I was in Atlanta yesterday and wanted to see if anyone else has heard the same………..”Willie Martinez is set to hand in his resignation on Sunday morning” regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, any validity to this?
TommyP
November 27th, 2009
9:55 am
Herschel Talker: Your posts sound eerily similar to someone else on here somewhere. Posting under two names?
“He is not fit to be a head coach. Period. End of story.”
Priceless. Hard to even comprehend someone can think like you. That’s probably the most idiotic statement ever made on this blog and there’s a long list of ‘em.
Calm down, lil Talker.
You and all the others that keep saying Richt must go….who we gonna hire that’s better? Can you answer that? Urban Meyer? Nick Saban?
To totally disregard the turnaround Richt had done at Georgia when he got here is ridiculous. We never sniffed an SEC Championship Game without him.
You also bash him for the job he did in 2007. Real nice. We got trampled by Tennessee that year and many were calling for his head then, like you are now. He finished #2 in the nation that year and arguably should have had a chance to play in the national championship.
But Richt did nothing that year, right, Talker?
Tell me who would be a better fit here at Georgia? If you fire Richt, whom do you hire?
You are the definition of the “lunatic fringe.”
Barbara Dooly for Congress
November 27th, 2009
9:56 am
How much is a bus ticket to Shereveport?
Are the Dawgs staying at the Red Roof or the Days Inn?
Missy in Bainbridge
November 27th, 2009
9:56 am
Wes needs to get away from his comic books, move out from his mama’s house, and get a job, methinks!
2010 Geogia Offense Line Up--Grim
November 27th, 2009
9:56 am
Wyy such black clouds?
Murray, Ealey, Brown, Green, Charles. 5 Heisman candidates.
Georgia will go on a USC like run of Heisman’s and Natl Champ’s.
80 wins in 8 years. 4th winningest coach out of 120 programs.
What’s grim about that?
chazzo
November 27th, 2009
9:57 am
The way some people are talking you would think that this was the fifth losing season in a row. Last year was a ten win season. The year before a #2 1/2 finish. UGA has lost to Tech once. They may very well lose on Saturday. I get that everyone wants the NC every year. We all want to beat Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Tech and everyone else every season. I understand that people are concerned that there is some kind of writing on the wall. I get it!
What I don’t get is that this one season has been a grinder, the poorest in Richt’s stellar career in which he took a crappy quagmire of a program and elevated to a solid program, this one rebuilding season somehow warrants the discussions about the program going down in flames and UGA suddenly being a second tier team. Now, everyone wants to kick ‘em when they are down and rub salt in the wounds.
If there is firing to be done, I trust Richt to do it. I have no say or control over it anyway. And, I think there are a lot of rich boy boosters and sports writers who quite frankly need to go soak their heads. This team is poised for great things to come. If you can’t see it, you aint lookin’.
are you Buck Belue?
November 27th, 2009
9:57 am
Tu Turnovers can be fixed,
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That is all.
Meyers is Catholic, Named after Pope
November 27th, 2009
9:58 am
Name the top 5 atheist Coaches of all-time, loser!
Jack Lambert dawg
November 27th, 2009
9:58 am
Mark,
One bad year and you are going to pile on this man (or as I should really say.. this entire university). You writers amaze me with these obscure stats you use to determine the direction a program is heading.. Now it’s the 2 and 2 record against Kentucky. Why don’t you mention Floridas record against Mississippi the last few years and make some sort of determination.
How bout these stats.
One of only seven coaches to reach 80 wins in 8 seasons. (others include Woodruff, Carrol, Stoops , Stag, Switzer, Meyer)
2 SEC Titles Played for 3
SEC Coach of the Year twice 2002, 2005
FACT – UGA finished in the AP top ten 6 of the past 8 years..are you kidding…and you are going to pile on this man..I liken what you are doing to the eye jab of spikes only you are using a poison pen.
This man is proven…end of story.. He could retire today and go down as one the great all time coaches in UGA and SEC history.
Mark Richt knows more about his coaching staff, his team and oh yes, FOOTBALL than you or any of these other peanut galley bloggers who post on this site.
As a Georgia fan I feel proud and blessed have Mark Richt as our coach. I will go to war with him any day and something tells me his team plans to do that Saturday night.
My only hope is that win or lose Saturday night, Mark makes the decision to stay at Georgia at the end of the season and not go to Florida State or some other program. I can promise you if he leaves UGA he will be the hottest commodity on the coaching market and when he begins winning at whatever school he’s coaching you will be the first to remind us of how stupid we were to not appreciate him when he was at UGA.
Mark – Young recruits a very impressionable and for you to continue writing this crap in my opinion undermines the UGA program.
So Mark, to all you sports talk radio host and newspaper writers.. THIS BUD’s FOR YOU!!! You know everything there is to know about college football except how to PLAY it or COACH it!!!!
Christian Champions
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
Tressel, Tungy, Wooden.
jason
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
The sad thing is I could care less about the out come of the Tech game. While I want UGA to win, because a UGA makes the weekend. Doesn’t matter if Tech is a rival game or not. To hear alot of UGA fans. Tech is not our rival, UF is. Tech was not a rival until last year when they won, and this year because of the lackluster season UGA is having. The simple truth is as much as I want UGA to win; just to say that we beat a good quality team, UGA has no chance in this game. Whether a so called rivalry or not, noone can expect UGA to win this game with the undisciplined play by our defense, a STs unit last in the nation and giving opponets a starting field of the 40 yard line or better, and certainly not with Joe Cox at QB. As much as I want to say UGA has a chance, I don’t see it.
Papadawg.
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
Lets not place all the blame on the defense for the Kentucky loss, I remember two of the scores come after a fumble by the kickoff team and interception both deep in Dawg territory which happened to many times all season. YELLOW FUZZ crawl back in the Atlanta sewers near Techwood where you belong
firemarkricht.net
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
Why do people hold up last year’s 10-3 record as a positive?
We started out pre-season #1, had two NFL first rounders on offense and UNDERPERFORMED!
WE BLEW IT! Or, more accurately, RICHT AND THE COACHING STAFF BLEW IT!
Frankly, 10 wins seasons aren’t enough for a lot of Bulldog fans. And after this season, Richt won’t be 90 wins in 9 seasons, so even this statistic, that people continue to trumpet, will be gone.
jeffrey d
November 27th, 2009
9:59 am
80 wins in 8 years. 4th winningest coach out of 120 programs.
What’s grim about that?
Because college football is “what have you done for me lately?”
chazzo
November 27th, 2009
10:00 am
PS. the bunch of whiners who are going on now are the same bunch that booed David Greene and Terrence Edwards. I trust Mark Richt.
biddawg
November 27th, 2009
10:00 am
Well – put – a wise man once said – you cannot keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results – I think that is what this coaching staff is doing –
The pro I is ok but it is time to add a new look on offense – this handing the ball off 8 yards deep and expecting your “subpar” line to block is old – the sport has changed and Ga needs to change if they want to keep up – throw in some option and wildcat – not on a Tech scale but more on a FL scale – you cannot be predictable on every play and expect to win them all.
yes, turnovers are a problem – but sometimes your defense has to “man up” and stuff the other team – something our defense has failed to do this year
Take the LSU game when they let them run for a touchdown at the end – yes the penalty and k/o where bad – but the defense has to put in some effort
Same with the fumble on the kickoff in the KY game – the defense seemed to just go out there and say oh well lets just let them score and our offense will catch up
When it comes down to the whole season you can point your finger at the Defense – yes we turn the ball over and we have penalties but the defense has to have some pride to not letting the other team score and GA has lacked that this year – -
that is just my opinion
boog
November 27th, 2009
10:00 am
We need a DC Mark…period. The only difference in UGA past and present is Brian Van Gorder. The rest of the coaches have put more players in the NFL during Richt’s reign than any team in the SEC. I am for change at this point. But I think you are over stating it a bit. At least you are not as moronic as your colleague Schultz….
Kyle
November 27th, 2009
10:01 am
KennesawDawg: You’re a sage — well put.
Meyers is SCARED to lose
November 27th, 2009
10:01 am
Why schedule games against teams like Florida Intl?
He’s an absolute WIMP of a coach, which is why he will NEVER, and HAS NEVER won a Natl’ Champ without Tebow.
No High School Hero weants to play for a SCARED COACH like Meyers.
See ya’ in Notre Dame Meyers. Your dream job.
Paddy
November 27th, 2009
10:03 am
Dwyer gets 7 yrds in 5 carries….you keep repeating that. It does not make any sense. Is not Tech and its running game 10-1? 2nd in the nation in rushing? Tech went on a great run of victories. Miami went on to blow their chance at the Coastal Div title. If you don’t like Dwyer and Tech, just say so! We all are allowed an opinion. But your comparison is timid and sophmoric. Get some new and better material. You are ruining the curve!
Barbara Dooly for Congress
November 27th, 2009
10:03 am
The dawgs need a rabie shot.
GO JACKETS
SadDawg
November 27th, 2009
10:07 am
GaGator, most of your points are correct. But surely losing our best 2 offensive players and best DB changes things a little with those classes. What if UF had lost Tebow, Spikes and another player early to the NFL after last season. Would UF still be undefeated and #1?
jason
November 27th, 2009
10:07 am
Paddy, As a UGA fan I am proud of the job Tech has done this year. As one Tech fan said earlier. Nesbit for Heisman. That kid was not an option QB. Said he never would have went to Tech if CPJ recruited him instead of Gailey. That kid has turned out to be one hell of an option QB. And now he has more than just Thomas to throw the ball to. Congragulations on a fine season.
jason
November 27th, 2009
10:08 am
SadDawg, maybe not. But one thing is for sure. They would be better and ranked higher than UGA. Also they would still be kicking UGA’s A$$ anyway. This from a UGA fan.
jason
November 27th, 2009
10:09 am
SadDawg, to further state, UF would be still a top 5 team. Cannot say that about UGA as we have seen.
Meyers idea of challenge= fla Intl
November 27th, 2009
10:10 am
What kind od wimp schedule Fla Intl, Charlsston South, and Troy in the SAME year? That’s pathetic. Get some courage Meyers. Florida Intl?
Ga’s non-conference game was Ok St.? Get some courage Meyers. No wonder the big guys are heading to Georgia.
Dwyer gets 7 yards on 5 carries
November 27th, 2009
10:11 am
I agree, 7 yards do not make sense IF the triple Option is SO good, why did he only get 7 yards, makes no sense, I agree with you.
chazzo
November 27th, 2009
10:11 am
FMR,
Last year the dawgs were over-rated. they didn’t underperform. 10 wins is 10 wins my friend. that is all. It was one season ago, and that team (for the most part) went bye bye. You want to know what 10 win seasons mean, talk to the 116 teams that didn’t get 80 wins in 8 years.
I have had a great time watching Rich’t teams. Great moments. Great games. Then there were a couple of real disappointing losses last season. And, Kentucky and Tennessee pissed me off just as bad as anyone. So, don’t assume that I am a softy who wants to coddle losers.
The point is this is one season, and you down-in-the-mouth jerks are suicidal over it. It is Richt’s first true rebuilding year, and he has a lot of young players poised for greatness. All you jaggoffs want to do is dismantle the program and doom us to five to ten years of folly while you gradually get it through your short term little brains that as you build new websites to fire the new coaches that Mark Richt was a great coach and you guys are a__holes.
Floater
November 27th, 2009
10:13 am
Amazing that UGA’s staff could miss out on recruiting the top talent in our state. Recruiting stars or no we just don’t have the talent we need to be a dominant program. Looks like it will happen again this year Mack Brown to UF,etc.
Urban Meyers to Notre Dame!
November 27th, 2009
10:13 am
USA Today thinks hiring Meyers is right for Notre Daem–here’s why:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/kerasotis/2009-11-17-meyer-weis-notre-dame_N.htm
Man up DAWG
November 27th, 2009
10:14 am
Sorry Fellow dawg fans but CMR will need to go if this program is to compete for championships. the problem will really rear its ugly head Saturday when CMR gets out coached again. Last year Tech tried and completed ONE damn pass and spanked UGA in the second half to win the ball game which should tell any die hard fan something is definitely wrong. This team has NOT improved in one area this year and yes that goes for the Running game as well. Its the coaching pure and simple which includes The defense,The offense,Special teams,Strength and conditioning,schemes and play calling and also recruiting. Wake up Faint hearted Dawg fans its as Bradley says, Its a trend!