OK, so what happens with Richt if UGA loses in Starkville?
Quality-of-life-wise, it would behoove this man to win next week. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Not to say I’m smart or anything, but the Georgia season has played out the way I figured: Win, loss, loss. (No, I wasn’t so all-seeing as to know A.J. Green wouldn’t have played a down.) I also had the Bulldogs winning eight of the next nine games and finishing 9-3, which I do believe will occur. That said …
The Mississippi State game has long seemed to me the pivot point of Georgia’s season. It’s a game UGA should win, but it’s on the road in a different time zone, and strange things can happen in the realm of the cowbell. And today I pose the musical question: What happens if Georgia doesn’t win in Starkville?
Nothing much, I submit, but I’m willing to concede I might be in the distinct minority. Opening the SEC season 0-3 hasn’t happened under Mark Richt — to be accurate, the Bulldogs have never before been 0-2 in league play under Richt — and would loose all manner of outcry from the masses. Greg McGarity, the new AD, wouldn’t join the chorus, but even a new AD couldn’t help but note the furor.
I say again: I think Georgia is going to be fine. This is a young team with a new quarterback and a new defense that faced two very difficult early games without its best player. I find no dishonor in either defeat. And I expect these Bulldogs will tame the maroon Bulldogs on Saturday in Starkville. But I’m pragmatist enough to grant that this could get ugly if UGA doesn’t.
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992 comments Add your comment
mcdaviddawg
September 19th, 2010
9:23 am
It’s just nice to see how many fans? are happy with paying 3 mil for a nice Christian man. Gee, I rather be paying for a coach. We could likely get one for less money.
reality bites
September 19th, 2010
9:24 am
Bull puppies you woke up this morning and guess what the best you are going to do is 6-6 or 7-5. However you will have another over hype top 10 recurting class. Then next year you will go 8-4. Then the smack talk will began. Then in 2012 you will sink back in despair as you go 7-5 again. The best part is CMR has 2 more full seasons before he is fired. Then it will take at least 3 years to rebuild the program. So, enjoy some other team Ala. or Aub. or Fla. until 2015 or 2016 because thats how long it will be before it great to be a Ga. bulldog again.
Mike
September 19th, 2010
9:24 am
The defense looked some better at times but the offense continues to suck. Maybe it’s time for Bobo to go.
Dave
September 19th, 2010
9:24 am
I kind of hope the get rid of Mark Richt part of GA’s fan base gets their wish. Rarely has it worked well. Go for it GA get rid of Mark Richt take a chance. Who do you want Leach we all know he is no softy when it comes to players you guys might like him.
McHale's Navy
September 19th, 2010
9:25 am
Maybe the players are depressed because AJ got suspended 4 games for selling a jersey, the police won’t give them a break, and the blogs fill up as if they are the only ones that do wrong. Athens police arrests half a dozen students per day for underage drinking, DUI, driving on a suspended, but they are not held up for ridicule and attack. THAT’s what will kill recruiting. If you want Richt to control his team you boosters need to step up and pay off the police chiefs.
gomdawg
September 19th, 2010
9:25 am
SIMPLE NO DAMN PRIDE AT ALL,THIS TEAM HAS NO PRIDE,UNTIL THEY GET THEIR PRIDE BACK DONT SEE A WIN 20 YARDS AND WE KICK A FIELD GOAL AND WIN GAME. NO PRIDE.
ncaa sucks!
September 19th, 2010
9:26 am
The ncaa caused these 2 losses—with AJ Green, the Dawgs win both games easy. When Green comes back–UGA will roll—bank on it.
Larry
September 19th, 2010
9:27 am
Sad fact is that Georgia has only won 2 SEC titles in the last 28 years so it shouldn’t be any shock they won’t win it again this year. Another sad fact is Georgia showed no enthusiam against SC and none against AR until the 4th quarter. If a coach can’t get his team fired up to play 12 games a year then there is a serious problem. They continue to underachieve year after year.
Buck Belue wears a toupee
September 19th, 2010
9:27 am
Quit blaming the assistant coaches and put the blame on Saint Richt.
bubba dog
September 19th, 2010
9:27 am
Republican Dogs want accountability and want CMR gone. Democrat Dogs will settle for excuses and talk about what a wondeful person CMR is.
dawgfan
September 19th, 2010
9:28 am
Tough loss yesterday. A couple of observations:
1. Arkansas is waaaaay overrated. We aren’t that good. They will get curbstomped by Bama.
2. I never thought I’d play the AJ Green card, but he very well could have made the difference yesterday. Its sad that we are so heavily reliant on one player.
3. Bobo is clueless and should be fired.
4. I’m tired of Richt hyping players in the press only to see them do jack diddly squat in the games. Just shut up and let them play. Example: He was hyping Jakari Hamilton all week and all the dude did was get some stupid face mask penalties.
4. We suck.
Thanks.
Scott "Phillip" Wallace
September 19th, 2010
9:28 am
“The ncaa caused these 2 losses—with AJ Green, the Dawgs win both games easy. When Green comes back–UGA will roll—bank on it.”
I hope this was a joke. Wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t.
fair and Balanced
September 19th, 2010
9:30 am
All teams on GA’s schedule gotta be thinking, “We can beat them.” 6 – 6 is very realistic.
King of the Bammer Nation
September 19th, 2010
9:31 am
Karma is something… ain’t it ???
I must admit I am enjoying this debacle with a huge smile on my face.
McHale's Navy
September 19th, 2010
9:33 am
What? Are the teenagers in the red uniforms just not getting it done for ya?
B-rad
September 19th, 2010
9:34 am
When you do a comparison of the Bama program with ours, where we want to be with where we are now, the differences are staggering. Saban is intense, focused, and demanding, while Richt is laid back and seems satisfied with mediocrity. The strength and conditioning of Bama vs. Georgia is night and day. Trent Richardson is Bama’s #2 back and benches 460! #2 back! The Bama OL will knock you into next week, the Dawgs OL will roll over, play dead, and knock you into Murray. The assistant coaches for Bama are top notch and in demand around the country, the Georgia assistants such as Bobo would be much better suited for much smaller schools. High schools that is. In summary, there are far too many areas in which the Dawgs are coming up short vs. the elite programs, and the gulf between them seems to be only getting bigger.
JD
September 19th, 2010
9:37 am
I wonder if spending so much time at practice so the QB can throw the ball 65 yards or specialty blocking for reverses has taken away time for the OL to spend on simple run blocking and becoming successful at running the ball on short yardage. Doesn’t Alabama’s OL do an acceptable job for their two star running backs..I know Ealy and King are not the two UA backs.
tide roll
September 19th, 2010
9:39 am
Sturdivant, Glenn, Burnette, Anderson, Davis. It’s frustrating. Richt refuses to play his best atletes on the Offensive line. Moving Tripp and Bean from potential starters on the offensive line to back up defensive lineman is certifiable. Tripp started out on defense and moved to offense with Richt predicting he would be a first round draft pick. The next thing you know , he’s back on defense and lost. How can Richt project the kid as a future NFL player and then basically desert the kid. He’s from the same high school as Cam Newton by the way.
gt
September 19th, 2010
9:44 am
40 years of marching in the desert. Mark you really put it on the line with Miss. State who now has lost two in a row. That LSU loss puts Miss. State on the weak sisters for the poor side, so now Ga. is taking these kinds of wins as a sign they are one of the big boys. Has Ga. ever lost to Miss. State? Ever is a long time but I cannot remember them losing and they played ever year. Dooley was at his best scheduling around playing Alabama while coaching Georgia. His political skills even overshadowed his coaching. Now Mark is building up Georgia’s next opponent, “everything will be just fine”. Miss.State could take a piece of Georgia, but they are not a better football team, just like Arkansas was not. You have a slow leak at Georgia getting bigger. The atmosphere is not friendly to football players, minorities and the players are being under coached and under disciplined. You know one thing I would do if I was Richt today or tonight is make every player on his team show a valid drivers license, non expired. I would take one of those overpaid assistants and make him keep up with that linking into the various state government websites.
Big Red Machine
September 19th, 2010
9:44 am
Mark Richt has never finished outside the top 10, 2 years in a row, since 1986. That’s 24 years. But the AJC journalists and cynics keep hoping against history. Not gonna happen. Look at the history books.
Big Red Machine
September 19th, 2010
9:46 am
Mark Richt has finished in the top 10, 19 times, in 24 years, has the #3 best win % in the nation, is 1 of 7 coaches in the hisotry of college football to win 90 game sin his 1st 9 season. Yes, he’s amazing. Yes, the AJC writers are dead wrong about Mark Richt, as usual.
eastofA1A
September 19th, 2010
9:47 am
The talent is just dripping off this uga team. I agree, Mark, that that amount of talent could certainly win most, if not all, of their remaining games. But damn, they sure do look stupid at times.
General Neyland
September 19th, 2010
9:49 am
You non-alumni, non-contributing sidewalk fans complaining about Richt are dumb waste of timers. The only people that can be heard by the administration are quietly making phone calls, if they are doing anything. You jokes can accomplish nothing. No wonder declaring yourself a Georgia fan boosts your self-image.
gomdawg
September 19th, 2010
9:49 am
Wallace, what the hell are you drinking this early , the offensive line can not block simple these BOYS PLAY WITH NO PRIDE.MY BEAGLE COULD HAVE PLAYED BTTER THAN THAT. ITS GOT TO BE COACHING .
dawggirl
September 19th, 2010
9:49 am
I love Richt as a man and have enormous respect for him, but he wan’t brought to UGA just for his strength of character…he was brought here to bring home wins and championships. I’m okay living without NCAA championships (although I’d never object to one!), at the very least I want more SEC championships and more opportunities to be at the top. UGA isn’t getting that. I don’t know if it’s Richt who needs to be changed or if it’s his assistants, something has to change. The Dawgs didn’t get beat the last 2 weeks by drastically superior teams, they got beat because they weren’t doing basic things like catching balls and tackling.
Dog worries
September 19th, 2010
9:53 am
I enjoy reading about how difficult these last two games have been. It is the hill in the schedule. I understand these teams are better, but they are South Carolina and Arkansas. Give me a break. This team has seen its better days, and rightfully so.
gomdawg
September 19th, 2010
9:54 am
MARK, how can a man stand there play after play and NOT SHOW ANY EMOTION GET IN THE GAME OR TAKE UP PREACHING. I LOVE YOU AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR BUT FOOTBALL IS FOOTBALL . I KNOW GOD LOVES FOOTBALL , SO GET YOUR AZZ OUT THERE AND COACH LIKE A WINNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tide roll
September 19th, 2010
9:54 am
Another source of frustration is that Searles evaluation of offensive lineman in the state of Georgia basically results in you stockpiling your competition with athletes better than your own who end up kicking butt. Look at Bama with James Carpenter, and Chance Warmack, Florida with Maurice Hurt, UT with Jujuan James, Auburn with Byron Isom, Arkansas with Ray Dominguez, South Carolina with Terence Campbell and Roke Watkins, Ole Miss with A. J. Hawkins, and I’ll bet you Bama lands the stud from Moultrie, Xzavier Ward. It’s crazy up there, but when you have a couple of Georgia “good Ole Boys” like Bobo and Searles evaluating talent, you end up with Cam Newton at Auburn, and an offensive line that ie the most over-rated in America ! It’s got to be tough being a DAWG. Roll Tide!
Mike
September 19th, 2010
9:55 am
Richt’s finished rankings, since 2001:
01- #22
02- #3
03- #6
04- #7
05- #10
06- #23
07- #2
08- #10
You people don’t know what you have.
bamaguy
September 19th, 2010
9:55 am
I don’t see why there is all this panic over losses to ranked SEC teams. It’s not like UGA lost to Jacksonville State. I think you beat State easily next week and would have won yesterday if AJ had been on the field.
Paul Has A Small Johnson
September 19th, 2010
9:55 am
Big Red Machine
Mark Richt is
10-11 in the SEC east in recent years
9-9 against ranked teams at Sanford Stadium in his career
2-4 against Kentucky since 2006
Enjoys the every year beat down against FL
Comands the 6th highest paid salary in college football
Never went to an SEC championship by beating FL in the same year and my personal favorite
Leads the nation in player arrests year after year
Boy I tell you, Im for making him the highest paid coach in college football
Red Panties
September 19th, 2010
9:56 am
bubba dog
September 19th, 2010
9:27 am
Republican Dogs want accountability and want CMR gone. Democrat Dogs will settle for excuses and talk about what a wondeful person CMR is.
I’m with you Bubba
Larry
September 19th, 2010
9:56 am
It’s a true indication of the state of the program when reading Richt’s quote from yesterday “our goal is to try and win a conference game”.
red panties
September 19th, 2010
9:57 am
may be time for richt to put his lucky red panties back on or maybe he needs to doulbe up on the tanning booth
Dawgs Suck
September 19th, 2010
9:58 am
I’ve given up on the Dawgs. I won’t travel to see them lose anymore. Until they beat a ranked opponent I won’t watch them on TV.
Bottom Line
September 19th, 2010
9:59 am
Bottom line, this is a character issue. For all of talk of great recruiting classes, I think it’s time we evaluate what kind of character some of thes 3,4,and 5 ” star” players possess. If you are undisciplined off the field, you will be on the field.
I did not like the call on third and four either, but the same staff that called the two tying drives called that play too, so they are not completely inept. At some points it falls back on the players to execute.
Our best player is waving a towell on the sideline because he knowingly broke a rule. Our tailback who got in trouble missed three key pass blocks and almost got Murray killed. The corner who misplayed the winning score for Arkansas got away with throwing a punch earlier in the game but still cost us 15 yards when we were struggling for 1. Our safety makes a big hit and then stands and poses over the runner causing a shoving match on our sideline, but in the Carolina game he takes plays off at the goalline.
Our coach talks about “Finishing the drill” Well, we didn’t start the drill until the last quarter and then did not have the players with the character to finish it. What kind of team lollygags thru 3 quarters then plays hard for 1, has a chance to pull the game out in the final minutes but can’t execute under pressure to get the job done? The kind that lines up 4 and 5 “star” thugs who break rules and laws, get arrested, talk trash, primp and pose, and are an embarrassment to the university.
Coach Richt needs to play the kids who are disciplined and talented enough to finish the drill.
Bottom line, we need better character kids on the field at UGA
dawg-gone
September 19th, 2010
10:01 am
Richt is not the problem its his DA staff starting with Bobo and them there con-”vick”-like players. get it?
Will
September 19th, 2010
10:01 am
Mark:
Two sources close to the situation have reported to me that UGA is already drawing up a list of potential candidates to replace Mark Richt but not for the reason you may suspect.
According to these sources, Richt remains highly frustrated over getting UGA back to a nationally competitive level plus Richt, a highly principaled Christian, is equally embarassed and frustrated over the continued misbheavior of his members of his team and the constant whinning of UGA fans.
If UGA loses to someone in addition to Auburn and Flordia, look for Richt to resign with UGA’s blessing BEFORE their bowl game.
hey red panties
September 19th, 2010
10:04 am
yeah we definantly want accountability all right. lets start by putting larry curly an mo from the previous administration in prison along with thier buddy abramoff.
in case you tooo obtuse to figure out who they are….. here is a hint.
george w bush, dick cheney, carl rove
of course we all know how intelligence and republicans are related. book anybody? or maybe you need to get tea bagged. lmao
Steve
September 19th, 2010
10:04 am
The O-line is WAY overrated. I like the QB but he is young and still learning. We have no go to running back. Our D-line is very average at best and look a bit weak compared to other SEC linemen. We have a lot of fast and athletic players but they don’t play smart sound FOOTBALL!
The NFL takes 5-6 UGA players every year. Got to be a coaching problem.
Richt = Shula
September 19th, 2010
10:04 am
shula let the Bama program go downhill…..
players getting into trouble…
discipline nowhere to be found…
a real player’s coach…
he is now grilling steaks…
maybe missionary work is in someone’s future
CrackDaddy
September 19th, 2010
10:05 am
Would love to see CMR go somewhere like Ky or Ole’ Miss, then come back and beat brains outta the would -be big boys. FL and Bama are the big boys in the SEC, and in college football for that matter.
David Granger
September 19th, 2010
10:06 am
It really depends, Mark. If Georgia plays hard and smart for the entire game and gets beaten by a team that outplays us, then so be it. We just tip our hat to ‘em, say “we’ll be back next year…be ready”, and we start preparing for the NEXT game. (Of course…with the difference in the talent level, that should NOT happen.)
But if we play carelessly, seeming unenthusiastic football for half the game…let the other team push us around…make mistakes, make a LOT of stupid calls, and get caught napping on defense…then we’re seriously pissed.
Offense was so-so yesterday. I think Murray’s a good QB, though it did seem that he likes to run a little too much. (Did make some good gains, but still…) He does need to check through his options a little quicker, and maybe hit the short receiver a little earlier than he does…but that’ll come with experience. And at least we were throwing the ball on the obvious throwing situations, and not just running off-tackle and playing that “let’s not do anything risky” sissy football.
Our defense is still weak and undependable. Two Arkansas touchdown passes and one key first down reception (on third and long) came when we were blitzing…and that’s been going on for years now. I don’t know what’s wrong with our blitz scheme, but it sure costs us dear in some critical situations. Maybe we telegraph it, or maybe or DB’s don’t react quickly enough…but something there ain’t right. Maybe we need to leave one LB right in the middle instead of sending everybody but the CB’s and safeties. But the occasional sack or pass “hurry” we get with it is NOT worth the critical yardage we allow.
And we still allow too many return yards against us, though a couple got called back yesterday.
Our Defense still needs work. Shades of Willie Martinez!
Chris
September 19th, 2010
10:07 am
Mark…….I like Richt and I thought we would win a National Title with him. However, after yesterday’s game I told a friend of mine that this might be the team the knocks Richt out. Richt didn’t pull a full Donnan (Remember the words ” I’ve waited my whole life to coach a team this good) and we ended up in Hawaii in the Honolulu bowl. Richt told booster club, after booster club that “He was really excited about this team and thought we would have a turnaround season”. It’s been far from a turnaround. We didn’t tackle in Columbia (Coaching), we had missed assignments and at times Arkansas made it look like there was no defense on the field (Coaching), we are suppose to have the best offensive line in the country yet we cannot open a hole for a running back (Coaching). Georgia fans are tired of hearing about the future and how we are just a year or two away. We already have to “Wait til next year” in 2010 and we aren’t even out of September.
chazzo
September 19th, 2010
10:07 am
I’m kind of pissed about yesterday. It is sad to see players playing hard and losing because of coaching decisions.
I agree with everyone here defending this team. This team will finish strong. Mark my words. The thing that I don’t understand is how come we can’t seem to field a team that is ready to play at the beginning of the season. Yes freshman QB and new D, but UGA was the better team yesterday, and the coaches blew it. they should really take full responsibility.
Richt had an easy three and went for it on fourth and four. that would have completely changed the dynamics of the final minutes of the game. Bobo’s play calling was juvenile. What does Searles do again? I don’t really have many complaints about the D. In both games they have come up with big stops. The O has not responded, and they are supposed to be the heavyweights.
David
September 19th, 2010
10:08 am
C’mon puppies, repeat after me (it gets easier to accept the more you say it): “Since we’re not going to a bowl game, this game against Tech has become our bowl game. Beating them will make our season.”
By the time Thanksgiving comes around you’ll be able to say it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Bud
September 19th, 2010
10:09 am
Should have run the ball and let the clock run down and let the best player on the team kick a winning field goal. “Ifs & buts were cherries & nuts everyday would be Christmas”.
Brad
September 19th, 2010
10:11 am
Let’s take a quick look at Bama, the measuring stick for successful programs vs ours, the Dawgs. Nick Saban is intense, focused, and demands excellence. Mark Richt is laid back, not too outwardly concerned, and hopes to win a conference game as his current goal. Alabama’s strength and conditioning is light years ahead of ours, just watch the Tide’s line knock opposing teams into next week. The Dawgs just knock the opposing teams into Murray. Bama has top notch assistants such as Smart, who are courted and coveted by many other programs around the country. Which other teams would like to have Bobo on their staff as a must have addition? Georgia has sadly fallen behind in too many areas and it’s time to make a big change.
BeerDawg
September 19th, 2010
10:12 am
As someone in the other blog said yesterday, any hopes for McGarrity and Adams firing Richt is fantasy. He has 2 more years left on his contract, and the school had financial issues.
Demoting or firing Bobo is a strong possibility, but I fear that will not solve the problem. Richt is a good man, if not a great man. But he’s lost his fire to win. It starts at the top.
McGarrity’s assignment is to find the next Saban. Unfortunately, we won’t be sniffing a conference title for 4-5 more years. Very depressing.. ..
Paddy
September 19th, 2010
10:13 am
This team is not going 9-3!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For there are many reasons; but a below avg O-line is not a plus in SEC football.