UGA in Shreveport: A low point, but also a needed jolt
Here's proof Willie Martinez realized pass-rushing was allowed. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Winning doesn’t educate. Winning endorses. Human nature holds that a winner doesn’t ask, “What can I do better?” but says instead, “Why change what works?”
Mark Richt is human. Even in the disappointment of 2008 — Georgia started as preseason No. 1 and landed in the Capital One Bowl — he had his talking points down. And when the Bulldogs beat Michigan State on Jan. 1, 2009, to finish 10-3, he trotted out TP No. 1: Six 10-win seasons out of the past seven was “pretty stinkin’ good.”
In his self-defense, Richt missed the obvious: That something was rotten in the House of Bulldog. All you had to do was screen a video of Richt’s 2002 team followed by one of the 2008 aggregation to see the difference. In 2008 Georgia had more talent but wasn’t as good.
The 2009 season will go down as the worst under Richt, but it many ways it was the best thing that could have happened. As the losses mounted — blown out in Knoxville by a Tennessee team working under a new coach; blown out again in Jacksonville; beaten at home by Kentucky for the first time since Herschel Walker was a sophomore at Johnson County High — it was clear the rot had spread. It took an upset of Georgia Tech for the Bulldogs just to finish above .500, and by then there could be no more pretense.
We’ve known all along Richt is smart. We weren’t sure how demanding he is. Firing three of his four defensive coaches provided the answer. As much as Mark Richt enjoys fellowship among his coaching staff, he enjoys winning more.
We don’t yet know the names of the replacements. We know the Bulldogs head into the Independence Bowl with a defense coordinated by Rodney Garner, the lone holdover, and some grad assistants. (Now watch Georgia shut down Texas A&M. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?) But no matter what happens in the game, there’s cause to believe there’ll be no more Shreveport jaunts in the Bulldogs’ immediate future.
It’s possible Richt could hire someone less adept than Willie Martinez as coordinator. It’s also possible — theoretically, anything’s possible — the sun could rise in the West tomorrow. What’s more apt to happen is an upgrade at the position that can galvanize a program more than the arrival of any five-star recruit.
Steve Spurrier had won four SEC titles and reached a national championship game, but it was only after he hired Bob Stoops to coordinate his defense — a defense that had just yielded 62 points to Nebraska in said championship game — that the Evil Genius took his national title. Mack Brown had posted five consecutive 10-win seasons at Texas, but it was only after he hired Gene Chizik from Auburn (which had just gone 13-0) that the Longhorns were able to win a BCS title. Yes, defensive coordinators matter.
Loading ...Defensive coordinators matter even more than offensive coordinators. A team that scores on every possession but can’t stop anybody feels vulnerable. (Yes, Georgia Tech, I’m thinking of you.) A team that knows it can stop somebody feels invincible. Offensive success is a function of skill and technique. Defensive success involves physical domination. Georgia used to play that brand of ball — ever heard of Erk Russell? — but had come to dominate nothing under Martinez.
That could well have changed by the time Georgia plays its first post-Shreveport game — Sept. 4, 2010, against Louisiana Lafayette. Even though Bud Foster chose to stay at Virginia Tech and Vic Koenning wound up at Illinois, there are good men out there who will see Georgia as the place to make a name by making a difference. There’s no reason to believe Richt won’t find one.
The tough part is behind him. It took some doing for this coach to convince himself that change wasn’t an option but a necessity, but finally he did it. When you’re accustomed to 10 wins and nice big bowls, nothing slaps you harder than a trip to Shreveport. This wasn’t the destination anyone associated with Georgia wanted, but it was, in the grand scheme, the destination Mark Richt’s program needed.
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526 comments Add your comment
Vince Dooley
December 24th, 2009
3:32 pm
well since I couldn’t compete for National Championships at UGA other than the one that Herschel won me (who could screw that up, oh wait i guess did the following 2 years) any ways like I was saying Kennesaw State is opening up their football program and I think I might be able to get me a National Championship there
Go Hawkeyes!
December 24th, 2009
3:33 pm
It is asinine to think that Paul Johnson did’not know the importance of the UGA-GT game. They did after all get rings made after last years win, and he also traveled to all three Tech booster clubs and crow about how great both he and Tech’s program was. Tech fans pay close attention to the way that he behaves after you lose the Bowl game this year and next year when you no longer have Dwyer, Bey-Be or Morgan and you lose 3-4 more games then this year. The simple fact is that in the state of Georgia, UGA is the more relevant program by a long way. I look forward to seeing y’all in Athens next year. It will be alot of fun.
P.S. Get some money up to take your beatdown car down to Miami.
30-24
how2fish
December 24th, 2009
3:34 pm
Chris Chase…its X-Mass eve so the least said about Vick the better. have a Merry X-mas and to all of you football fans..from the hollers of Tenn to the backwoods of Miss and the swamps of Fla to the fleshpots of LA and the rustbelt of Ohio..Merry X-mass Ya’ll !
Vince Dooley
December 24th, 2009
3:35 pm
has anybody found out what country this Shreveport city is in……….I got my jet fueled up and I ready for my 2 day flight to get there
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:36 pm
I did get a degree from the University of Alabama. Momma was so proud.
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:37 pm
Me and Bubba were gonna cruise for hoes in Shreveport, but bubba died.
DawgGirl32
December 24th, 2009
3:37 pm
Enter your comments here
snapshot
December 24th, 2009
3:38 pm
ugag football. Blind hog theory. LOL
Lower La bowl=7-5 season going no where.
Dale
December 24th, 2009
3:38 pm
Didn’t Mack Brown and Texas win the BCS title the same year Auburn finished 13-0?
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:39 pm
Vince, you can take the bus to Shreveport, I think there was this woman who would not get outta her seat or something.
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:40 pm
I thought Hines Ward would been a heck of a QB.
Vince Dooley
December 24th, 2009
3:40 pm
Breaking News:
Free Funnel cakes with purchase of Shreveport Advocate Inventory V100 Independence Bowl tickets!
Vince Dooley
December 24th, 2009
3:41 pm
Don’t worry bout that women, I got my own Jet I’ll be flyin there Gumpy
GT4EVER
December 24th, 2009
3:41 pm
“$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl” … dude (or dudette), do you understand that $14 million is shared by all teams in the ACC??
After deducting the expenses each bowl-bound school incurs for the trip to the bowl, the remaining $$ is divided among all school’s in the conference. So if you consider that the SEC is sending 9 teams to bowls, including the Nat’l Championship … The avg payout for each SEC school will be significantly more. Here’s a summary::
ACC Bowls::
Emerald Bowl = Boston College vs. USC = $750,000
Meineke Bowl = North Carolina vs. Pitt = $1,000,000
Music City Bowl = Clemson vs. Kentucky = $1,650,000
Champs Sports Bowl = Miami vs. Wisconsin = $2,130,000
Gator Bowl = FL State vs. West VA = $2,250,000
Chick-fil-A Bowl = VA Tech vs. Tennessee = $5,830,000
Orange Bowl = GA Tech vs. Iowa = $17,000,000
Total ACC = $30,610,000
SEC Bowls::
Independence Bowl = Georgia vs. Texas A&M = $1,100,000
Liberty Bowl = Arkansas vs. E Carolina = $1,350,000
Music City Bowl = Kentucky vs. Clemson = $1,650,000
Cotton Bowl = Ole Miss vs. OK State = $3,000,000
Outback Bowl = Auburn vs. Northwestern = $3,100,000
Capital One Bowl = LSU vs. Penn State = $4,250,000
Chick-fil-A Bowl = Tennessee vs. VA Tech = $5,830,000
Sugar Bowl = Florida vs. Cincinnati = $17,000,000
Nat’l Champ. = Alabama vs. Texas = $17,000,000
Total SEC = $54,280,000
So the bottom line is, change your screen name and quit making GT fans sound like idiots.
Tech Hags
December 24th, 2009
3:43 pm
The ACC would mean something if we could be the Dawgs, and if Clemson did not blow it against the game cocks.
Vince Dooley
December 24th, 2009
3:44 pm
I tried to hire some of those Tech graduates when I was coachin, seeing if they could engineer me a team that wins 4 National Championships like them…………..dad gum it we’re never gonna catch up to our big brother Tech
how2fish
December 24th, 2009
3:44 pm
snapshot funny you won the ACC and as far as the state of Georgia you went no where either…I hope you can beat Iowa..I really do, but the Bugs haven’t seem to get the concept yet that getting TO a bowl and then WINNING it should matter…not even here have any Bugs predicted a win…just we are going to the Orange Bowl..really..try this Bugs repeat after me..We are going to the Orange Bowl and we are going to Win! Come you bugs try it..you’ll feel better afterwards.
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:45 pm
Coach D, you should never hire GT grads, they are losers.
Athens Dog
December 24th, 2009
3:46 pm
Nice article, Mark. Well said and right on taget. I wish Coach Martinez the very best this season. He’s a great man, and has a great family.
Merry Christmas to yours, too, Mark. 1.4 Million: blow me
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:47 pm
Too bad we are playing in Shreveport, I wish would could played somewhere nice, like the Jersey Shore Bowl.
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:48 pm
Maybe we can play the Toilet Bowl, it will be in Flushing next year. We can stay at Seaside Heights.
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:49 pm
Mark, the article is utter genuis, it reminds me of when I put Hines at Qb.
Chris
December 24th, 2009
3:49 pm
It’s amazing when you get a sincere response on these blogs such as the one from GT93 which was acknowledged for respect and insightful discussions and yet the 1.4 million guy goes to the gutter. It’s a sad observation…but an excellent article Mark.
Your one comment regarding looking at the tape from the less talented ‘02 team compared to the more talented ‘08 team was spot on as well as the fact that Spurrier and Mack Brown didn’t reach the top until they brought the right guy in for DC. You called it pre or mid season I think about this program becoming a middling SEC team. This is the first year under Richt I was afraid of losing most every game and it was baffling. Other than Curran, I missed the playmakers of the past like Pollack, Davis and Jones. I have confidence Richt will right the ship and while there are a lot of problems, Aaron Murray had moments in the spring game that were bright. When asked why he had such a successful record in away games (discount Jax), Richt said the most important component was a quarterback who could focus and keep his cool, i.e., David Greene.
Happy Holidays to you and yours and thanks as always
Pi$$onaDawg
December 24th, 2009
3:50 pm
If UGA lost to TECH and played in the SEC Championship game what a DAWG say?
Ray Gump
December 24th, 2009
3:50 pm
The ACC became devalued right after Clemson Blew the Gamecock game.
Pi$$onaDawg
December 24th, 2009
3:52 pm
Hi I am back.
Biggest Dawg
December 24th, 2009
3:56 pm
B
Tuck Fech
December 24th, 2009
4:03 pm
Chris great write up….Tech go to Your Blog!
Merry Christmas
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:06 pm
Mr.Bradley, sure enjoyed the coverage of the basketball dawgs win last night.
corkylikesbeer
December 24th, 2009
4:09 pm
Mark, I don’t usually agree with most of your articles but good job on this one. I also enjoyed reading your article about the Braves the past few days. Merry Christmas.
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:14 pm
Mr. Bradley, enjoyed the coverage of the basketball dawgs win last night.
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:17 pm
Oh yes I forgot Trey Thompkins had 35 points and 15 rebounds and 4 blocks(my count, may not be correct)
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:18 pm
Enjoyed the AJC coverage of the basketball dawgs win last night.
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:20 pm
Could you explain why my post about the AJC not covering the GA dawgs bb win last night. Did I dream that they played?
BuckheadBill
December 24th, 2009
4:21 pm
Mr. Bradley, do you wish to retain me as a long time reader?
UGA Russ Rules
December 24th, 2009
4:26 pm
We are booked at the Shreveport ElDorado The Best hotel i have ever being too recently.
UGA Russ Rules
December 24th, 2009
4:31 pm
The ElDorado will cash your checks and they have ATMS in the lobby. It is The Best hotel i have ever being to recently.
WonderingWHy
December 24th, 2009
4:32 pm
I believe Ga. Tech has over 7K tickets still remaining for the Orange Bowl out of their 17,500 allotment. How could this be?
Top Dawg
December 24th, 2009
4:36 pm
Mark: I agree 100%.
UGA Russ Rules
December 24th, 2009
4:39 pm
The ELDorado pampers us end to end and will do free shoe shinning in the lobby for registered guests. The cacino is open all the time they have the best pillow and sheets.
Ramsey
December 24th, 2009
4:42 pm
Say what Richt will, his team did not improve one whit this year in terms of penalties or number of arrests. The undisciplined, unprincipled and not very intelligent players he recruits are – quite simply – uncoachable. The W-L record may improve slightly next year, but UGA will not be competitive against the top teams in the SEC. Richt has had his highwater mark, and he’s now on the long slide to irrelevancy.
Texas A&M 45, UGA 24. Have fun in Shreveport, folks.
Elmo
December 24th, 2009
4:43 pm
Casinos are very nice. Bring your Pennies.
Ramsey
December 24th, 2009
4:45 pm
Dear WonderingWHy: UGA has several times as many alumni as Georgia Tech. Figure it out for yourself why Tech doesn’t sell as many tickets.
And, I shouldn’t have to point out the obvious fact that Tech grads have real jobs that keep them a bit busier than fry cooks and dishwashers.
UGA Russ Rules
December 24th, 2009
4:45 pm
Do the cacinos stay open late?
UGA Russ Rules
December 24th, 2009
4:47 pm
ElDorado stays open but some of the other ones may close ea
GT4EVER
December 24th, 2009
4:51 pm
“WonderingWHy” – December 24th, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
“I believe Ga. Tech has over 7K tickets still remaining for the Orange Bowl out of their 17,500 allotment. How could this be?”
I wish I knew. In my own case, its lack of $$ with this great economy. That’s not an excuse, just a fact. I might also ponder that Tuesday Jan. 6th is a tough day for many to get away from work (especially being after the holidays and most companies wanting to get back to business as usual). And there’s also the unfortunate reality that GT’s fan base is just not that big in comparison to the typical state school (Iowa for example).
I really miss the days when you could sit on your A$$ on New Year’s day and watch the “Big 4″ bowl games all in one day.
Dawg76
December 24th, 2009
4:54 pm
We have no real chance in this game, IMOH. A&M is amped up and ready (read some stories in the Texas newspapers) while the Dawg players are bored and low on being in Shreveport for Christmas, our defense is being coached by grad students, and the offense only has a running game to work with. 7-6 “yay.” This team is going nowhere.
Bamaboss
December 24th, 2009
4:56 pm
Richt has reached his high water mark at Georgia. Unfortunately the tide has turned, and the Dawgs will slump back to the mid tier of the SEC. The Tide will beat down Georgia for years to come, and it looks like Tenn will take GA’s place in finishing second to the Gators in the East. Heck it even looks like SC will give GA a run for its money in the East. Y’all should have enjoyed it while it lasted.
Also, the Georiga win over Tech was a fluke. It looked to me like Tech wasn’t even up for the game, which was a head scratcher. I doubt that happens again any time soon. Enjoy that one too while you can, cause Johnson might put up 50 in Athens next year.
Shreveport sux compared to Pasadena now doesn’t it. Can’t wait until the Tide gets another shot to slap the hapless bulldogs around again.
thunderbull56
December 24th, 2009
4:58 pm
Merry Christmas Mark.I know I dog,”no pun intended”,on you and JS and DOB,But I wouldn’t trade you guys for any other pack of sports scribes in America.Whether I agree with you all,I can tell you’re not just pecking the keys for a paycheck, you’re also fans of our homestate and hometowns.Yeah,in a perfect world,I’d love for UGA to win the national championship every year and Tech every other year.I’ve been reading the AJC for nearly fifty years;since I learned to read.Sadly the print version that Skip Caray affectionately called a “FISH WRAPPER”,is no longer available in the Georgia bush communities.So,UGA dummies,get over it.Tech should never beat you, never.But,ever now and then David whips Goliath.There is a God and he don’t wear a flea collar.
Dawg76
December 24th, 2009
5:08 pm
WonderingWhy – last time I checked, we haven’t sold our tickets to the Ind. Bowl. Tech fans already traveled to Florida for the ACCCG … what’s our excuse?