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
AngryDawg
December 24th, 2009
9:57 pm
Richt better hire the right d coordinator and get it together in 2010, or he can hit the road. Florida should be way down and UT will not have any talent coming back, so UGA should win the SEC east pretty easily with any coaching at all. If not, Damon Evans needs to send Richt and his staff packing and bring in championship quality coaches. I’m tired of annual blowout losses in big SEC games.
haywood...
December 24th, 2009
10:16 pm
has anyone had a BRADLEY sighting? or maybe, unlike us,
he has a life. we are pathetic.
Independence Bowl: UGA’s wakeup call
December 24th, 2009
10:18 pm
[...] the story on Topix Posted in [...]
Mark Bradley
December 24th, 2009
10:27 pm
I’m right here, folks. Been to Mass once. About to attend another.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
haywood...
December 24th, 2009
10:35 pm
went to 5pm mass myself. same to ya. time to eat a couple
cookies and dump the milk down the drain. ho, ho, ho.
ps. get a life, mark.
Can you dig it?
December 24th, 2009
10:36 pm
Hey GT4EVER…You forgot about the Papa Johns Bowl…South Carolina is gonna be mad at you…kinda makes you look like a real dumb a$$ with you post about average payouts doesn’t it….don’t they teach math at that north ave. trade school? …..what a tool you are. Please remember..Georgia Runs This State!…always have…always will. Merry Christmas….Can You Dig It!
thomas
December 24th, 2009
10:39 pm
WE LOVE COACH RICHT!.. http://www.wedgeorgia.com
Crimedog
December 24th, 2009
10:47 pm
We will see how many Bulldogs get arrested on the drive to Shreveport. We know that the Dogs don’t believe in drivers’ licenses and car insurance.
RED DOG 77
December 24th, 2009
10:48 pm
You would heve thought beating GT. this year might have shut these people for a while.Absolutely no real logic to most of what they write………As a boy I do remember one yeller jacket nest that was particularly difficult to exterminate………..We poured 8 of our nine coke bottles of gas down their little hole, unfortunately for us, we dropped the ninth one ond it broke !! so we filled one more, yes ,I said one more, poured it down that little hole ,and WALA, it finally did the trick. If you are counting with me ……Bee People…….Nine out of ten was the charm…..GO DOGS !!!!!
Pit bull
December 24th, 2009
10:56 pm
Is it Xmas yet?
willie martinez
December 24th, 2009
11:03 pm
Mark, I thought Communion was just once a day.
willie martinez
December 24th, 2009
11:07 pm
I saw a report that some idiot had knocked over the Pope at Mass tonight. a strange and sometimes awful world we live in.
willie martinez
December 24th, 2009
11:10 pm
the others are gone to Mass now
willie martinez
December 24th, 2009
11:13 pm
close to Christmas. only 45 minutes
ugagrad05
December 24th, 2009
11:15 pm
Willie Martinez,
After making my life miserable the last two years, what are your plans? I hear FLorida is looking for a defensive coordinator. I would support you 100% in your quest to attain that job. You deserve it!
willie martinez
December 24th, 2009
11:19 pm
uga, i appreciate your endorsement. best, willie
The $250 Million Dolllar Man
December 24th, 2009
11:23 pm
Cool guys, did ya’ll here about the Georgia football college ranking by Forbes? Looks like Richt’s the $250 million dollar man. Thanks for all your support. We couldn’t have become one of the top 5 most valued college football teams without your suppoort. Merry Christmas to all.
Georgia Bulldog Football $80-$90 mill a Year
December 24th, 2009
11:26 pm
Wow, Forbes says the Georgia Football Dogs do about $80-$90 mill a year, about 50% profit. Forbes says the Dogs are a top 5 most valuable college football team. Merry Christmas Georgia football fans. Thanks Coach Richt for making this happen. What a run. Better things to come. Here’s to the next Billion.
Georgia top 10 team of the Decade
December 24th, 2009
11:33 pm
Thanks Coach Richt for making Georgia a top 10 team of the decade out fo 120 teams.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12007461
TJ Vol
December 24th, 2009
11:37 pm
45-19..Enjoy that garbage bowl while the Vols are ^%$*ing in your back yard in the ATL….45-19…The Vols love Bobo..and your new DC John Chavis……LOL….
TJ Vol
December 24th, 2009
11:38 pm
45-19
TJ Vol
December 24th, 2009
11:39 pm
45-19, 35-14, and my favorite in A-town…51-33…..
Georgia top 10 team of the Decade
December 24th, 2009
11:40 pm
playing in the tiolet bowl…good job “top 10 team of the Decade”……
ugagrad05
December 24th, 2009
11:48 pm
Hey TJ, dont you have a game at home to lose to Wyoming? Or will you be on sanctions immediatly thanks to your new coach. But his wife is hot.
bill gates
December 24th, 2009
11:52 pm
i think i will give the university of georga a billion
GT4EVER
December 24th, 2009
11:55 pm
“Hey GT4EVER…You forgot about the Papa Johns Bowl…South Carolina is gonna be mad at you…kinda makes you look like a real dumb a$$ with you post about average payouts doesn’t it….”
OK, so I missed the Papa John’s Bowl with South Carolina playing.
But if you READ my post, you’ll see that I’M ACTUALLY BASHING ANOTHER TECH FAN who keeps using the ‘$14M to $1.4M’ tag line. He keeps using this tag line but fails to realize the logistics of how bowl $$ gets paid out.
So with the Papa John’s Bowl added in, that makes 10 SEC teams in bowls and upwards of $20M MORE in payouts for the SEC than the ACC (with 7 teams playing in bowls).
So clearly you’re the TOOL … Can you dig it? Pay attention and learn how to take a compliment.
Mass confusion
December 25th, 2009
12:13 am
I didn’t think Mass for a Kentuckian involved actually going anywhere. I thought Mass for a Kentuckian was staying home and watching Adolph Rupp game tape.
The Ole Ball Coach
December 25th, 2009
12:16 am
I think CMR has made a Smart decison for DC
BuLLdawg
December 25th, 2009
1:25 am
30-24, and it was by clear measure, no fluke.
Ed
December 25th, 2009
1:51 am
30-24, and Georgia really dominated the line of scrimmage. The wonder of that game was how did Tech manage to get the ball back with a chance to win after being pushed around for most of the game.
1.4 mill, could you be more of a sore loser? I mean you lost (nothing new) and your talking major trash as if you had won.
And here’s a newsflash: Tech’s defense is worse than Georgia’s. You guys better make a major coaching or talent upgrade on that side of the ball if you want the success to continue. You can’t outgun everyone.
T . Boone Pickens
December 25th, 2009
2:25 am
UGA Blows just like my Windmills ! CMR needs to clean more house because he has wasted so much talent the last 3 years. Martinez was a joke since the West Virginia game and everyone in the College football world knew this except Richt. Boo Boo is a joke too. Merry Christmas you urchins !
BuLLdawg
December 25th, 2009
2:38 am
“What the hell is so great about beating 6 teams who are NOT even in a bowl game ?
That is not a great year.
Neither too, is LOSING 24-30 for the 8th time in 9 years against Coach Richt.
The recruiting details prove beyond all doubt that UGA will continue to be MUCH BETTER than Tech.
And, would you lame butt Tech fans (both of you) please post some more about DEFENSE, which Tech has NOT had ANY of since Paul Johnson FIRED JON TENUTA and replaced him with the linebackers’ coach at So Miss as your “Defensive Coordinator.”
I did NOT say Tech has TOO MANY ASIAN MEN, what I said is the fact is that Tech has MORE ASIAN MEN than Tech has ALL WOMEN on campus.
FACT.
I don’t want to go to a school like that. Excuse me, going to college includes being with women, except at Georgia Tech.
Class ?
Now we are talking about Class in a Tech blog ?
Good Lord Above. Tech is renowned for the POOR LOSERS you are.
Tech students are not suffering from posts on their blogs giving it BACK to them, that which they sowed themselves pre-game.
Tech students are suffering all over campus, while your coach tells you to hit us in the face, instead it is the crime-ridden drug infested borders of your campus that causes Tech students so much suffering.
And your suffering continues as, your damn precious IMAGE, that somehow being Number 38 in the US News and World Report is something to BRAG about – while the fact is that Tech is WAY WORSE ACADEMICALLY in your student-athletes than at UGA according to the NCAA APR Academic Progress Rate. You recruit poor athletes mostly because you have NO WOMEN just Asian Men which you have MORE OF than WOMEN, so you have relaxed the enrollment and ACCEPT EVERYONE NOW.
ACC in bowl games ?
83-84-2.
And, if North Carolina doesn’t beat Pitt tomorrow, ACC will be 83-85-2 in bowl games.
If Boston College, does not beat Southern Cal tomorrow, the ACC will be 83-86-2.
And, if Clemson doesn’t beat Kentucky Sunday, the ACC will be 83-87-2 in bowl games. And, that then would make The SEC 191-149-9 in bowl games.
That’s laughable that you think we can NOT come back here and REPLY to this B.S.
The biggest culprit in the ACC of LOSING BOWL GAMES has been in fact, Georgia Tech who has LOST 7 OF THE LAST 10 TECH BOWL GAMES.
You are quoting the combined bowl records of ACC teams, in bowl games. Excuse me, the ACC gets NO DAMN CREDIT for winning a bowl game if the team in question was NOT IN THE STINKING ACC with a LOSING BOWL RECORD.
Paul Hewitt has a LOSING RECORD to UGA in men’s basketball. Paul Hewitt is on NCAA PROBATION with an Academic Progress Rate of 914. The NCAA has limited Paul Hewitt to only 11 scholarships in men’s basketball. The APR of Tech in men’s basketball is WAY WORSE than the APR of UGA in men’s basketball. Paul Hewitt is 4-5 vs. UGA in men’s basketball.
60-39-5 in Football is UGA’s record, with Coach Richt now 8-1 vs. Tech. including 30-24. Tech’s APR is WAY WORSE THAN UGA in football.
27-3 Women’s Basketball is UGA’s record against Georgia Tech including beating Tech “women” last week, as reported by me in here. Tech’s women’s basketball team has a WAY WORSE APR than UGA Academic Progress Rate.
21-10 Women’s Volleyball is UGA’s record against Tech in volleyball.
15-7 Softball is UGA’s record against Tech in Softball.
195-148-2 in Baseball is UGA’s record against Georgia Tech all-time in baseball, and this fact is listed at Georgia Tech’s own WebPages, why you don’t know that, is beyond me. And, NO, you LOST the last baseball game against UGA 5-7 at Turner Field.
25 NFL Georgia Tech yellowjackets 45 NFL UGA Bulldogs. So, NO, you are wrong about that too AMG. You just sit there and type whatever you want. Make it up, type away :
AMG
December 24th, 2009 8:05 am
“BULLdawg – This year Tech will put more of there HORRIBLE , no good rotten recruits in the pros than UGA will. This is actually the norm.”
JPaul
December 25th, 2009
2:40 am
2010 will come back in line for UGA. Willie is gone and CMR will lead UGA to the promise land. UF and UT will not live up to the hype. UGA will take out UA in the SEC Championship and go on to the SEC’s fourth straight BCS National Championship.
Meatlake
December 25th, 2009
4:26 am
The word is spelled discreetly you ignorant dumbass. Sorry to curse on you’re blog Mark but it’s exactly what the new/old St. Simons is…anyway, Merry Christmas and nice article. Oh yeah, Go Dawgs. Why so many GT fans here???
Racine Dawg
December 25th, 2009
6:10 am
Relax Dawg fans—with the sweet 30-24 win in 2009 (which wasn’t that close), Ga starts a long streak of victories over ga tech, which had a fluke win last year with a mickey mouse offense. They will not be able to recruit the stars to keep that going. Ga wins big again in 2010 and wins the SEC east—bank on it!
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:26 am
11/04/1893
THE ORIGINAL BITCH SLAPPING
Herty Field, Athens Georgia
Georgia Tech 28 georgia 6
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:28 am
Hey dog nation,
If you will look far enough up your corporate ladder at work, you will find a Tech grad.
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:30 am
What’s your record against
Paul Johnson (Tech)
Nick Saban (Alabama)
Lane Kiffen (Tennessee)
Urban Myer (Florida)
heeldawg
December 25th, 2009
6:32 am
Mark, one of your best articles. Right on the money.
Tech fans, Merry Christmas. Give your inferiority complexes a nice big holiday kiss for me. Collectively, you’re pathetic.
Mark my words: enjoy your excursion to Miami. Be safe, travel well, and revel whatever entertainment you can find in South Florida. Your one-year reprieve from the annual beat-down by the Dawgs has ended. This time next year, Georgia will have a new DC, the next Georgia win streak against Tech will be well under way, and the Dawgs will have returned to their traditional place among college football’s ranked elite. Meanwhile, despite Paul Johnson, Tech will still be Tech–and will be Tech minus Dwywer, Morgan, and Thomas. Good luck with that. Let’s see how well your defenseless team does when it loses its stars.
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:33 am
The big question is exactly how many traffic violations will the infamous dog nation incur on their trek to Shreveport and back.
Florida, Alabama and Tennessee
December 25th, 2009
6:36 am
heeldawg,
Hahaha. We say the exact same thing about you.
Charlie
December 25th, 2009
6:42 am
LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:48 am
45-42 > 30-24
Orange > Weed eater
Miami > Shreveport
1990 > 1980
engineers > journalist
Atlanta > Athens
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:49 am
Charlie,
YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!
BuLLdawg
December 25th, 2009
6:50 am
Why are there Tech fans in here ?
Uh, 24-30 did that to them.
Shreveport Shorty
December 25th, 2009
6:55 am
UGA fans–over here in Shreveport, we’re getting that PBR good and cold—it goes great with crawfish!! Those tractor pull tickets are going fast and the motel 6 is filling up, so hurry on and book your reservations—if you bring your trailer, you can park it in the old walmart parking lot!
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:56 am
What’s the dogs record against these rivals?
Nick Saban (0-1)
Urban Myer (1-4)
Lane Kiffen (0-1)
Paul Johnson (1-1)
Total (2-7)
THAT’S WHY YOU ARE HEADED TO SHREVEPORT AND THAT’S WHY YOU ARE NO WHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE AP TOP 25.
Put that in your corn cob pipe and smoke it!
Hahahahahahaha!
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
6:59 am
buLLdawg
You might want to talk smack with Tennessee Tech or Kennesaw State.
Nick Saban (0-1)
Urban Myer (1-4)
Lane Kiffen (0-1)
Paul Johnson (1-1)
Bitch Slapping (2-7)
BuLLdawg
December 25th, 2009
7:03 am
I got a better idea.
Why don’t the tek fans talk smack to the UGA fans after
60 LOSSES to us
1-8 against Coach Richt
24-30.
$1.4 million Shreveport vs. our $14 million BCS Orange bowl
December 25th, 2009
7:08 am
I’ve got an even better idea. Whay don’t YOU re-read this Mr. Shreveport.
Nick Saban (0-1)
Urban Myer (1-4)
Lane Kiffen (0-1)
Paul Johnson (1-1)
Bitch Slapping (2-7)