There’s no other way to say it: Mark Richt is in trouble at UGA
This was Mississippi State's first touchdown Saturday. It would add two more. (AP photo)
I wouldn’t have thought such a thing possible a month ago or a week ago or even 24 hours ago, but here it is:
Mark Richt is in trouble.
It was possible to write off Georgia’s first two losses as having come against superior opposition. It is not possible to write off losing in Starkville. It is not possible to square all those ballyhooed recruiting classes with being 0-3 in the conference. It is not possible to look on the Bulldogs as anything more than a middling SEC team.
Five years ago, how many other league schools would have gladly traded their coach for Richt? Nine? Ten? How many would today? Maybe three, and that’s depending on how Ole Miss feels about Houston Nutt this week. Too many SEC programs have caught and passed Georgia, and this has nothing to do with the superpowers in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville. Consider:
Last year Georgia lost to Tennessee in Year 1 of Lane Kiffin. Last week Georgia lost to Arkansas in Sanford Stadium in Year 3 of Bobby Petrino. Last night Georgia lost to Mississippi State in Year 2 under Dan Mullen.
No longer does an opponent tremble at the sight of Georgia approaching. On the contrary, this has become — three weeks running! — the team you want to play if you’re looking to establish your program.
The old Steve Spurrier critique of Ray Goff — “Georgia gets all these players … I don’t know what happens to them” — again applies. Georgia doesn’t lack talent. It simply cannot bring its talent to bear. Its new 3-4 defense mustered one sack against Arkansas and Ryan Mallett. Its touted offensive line was able to carve out 113 yards rushing against Manny Diaz’s Mississippi State defense. Its offense could not score a touchdown against South Carolina and needed 58-plus minutes to manage one in Starkville.
There has been no improvement week over week. There is only a weird stasis. The weeks and the opponents change, but Georgia looks no different. How does that happen?
Loading ...Granted, the season might look different had A.J. Green played these four games. But he didn’t because he broke a rule, and that’s the other reason Richt is in trouble. A coach can get away with having his players mess up off the field if the coach keeps winning big on it. But Richt is 10-9 dating back to Nov. 29, 2008, and guess what cheery news awaited him on his return from Mississippi?
You got it. Another player has been arrested.
When I say, “Richt is in trouble,” I don’t mean I expect him to be fired this week or even after this season. I think Greg McGarity, the new athletic director, will err on the side of patience with a coach of such distinguished pedigree. (And a strong finish to this season — winning the next eight and beating Auburn and Florida en route — would effectively get Richt out of trouble.) But the loss at State seems a tipping point. It seems the game in which the majority of Georgia fans stopped seeing Mark Richt as the answer and came to regard him as the problem.
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1,529 comments Add your comment
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 26th, 2010
8:57 pm
Man we don’t have all this talent people say we have.We is it?It’s not all on this coaching staff.I say the whole “coaching” thing is a little overblown.Bama and FLA win because the have TALENT.No hell no our talent is not similar to theirs.Bama lost to Louisiana Monroe under Saban a couple of years ago so it aint all about “coaching”.Dismissing Baker was an overreaction we are PLAYING guys who have gotten a DUI.Mark should have waited a few days on this one.
I have a novel idea…let’s start holding these asst coaches responsible for their charges behavior.I bet if their pay was docked or they could be fired for their kids getting out of control this stuff would stop!
Ed
September 26th, 2010
8:58 pm
Easy, RememberWhen. The Gators do things in their own sweet time. It took them 59 years to get that first SEC title, and they’ve added quite a few since then. That perfect season is bound to come someday, probably in this century.
On a different subject – all of these people who extol Mark Richt’s virtue and character (probably two dozen posts on this thread start with “he’s a good man…”), I have a question: do you know him, or are you going just by his public persona? For a man of such outstanding character, he sure seems tolerant of bad boy behavior. Not sure I’d put him in John Wooden’s class any time soon.
GT BABY
September 26th, 2010
9:00 pm
.
GT BABY
September 26th, 2010
9:00 pm
i know what happened to all the players….they all went to jail!
ugaalumn81
September 26th, 2010
9:01 pm
Peter North above also hit it on the head. Richt had a good run the first 5 years, then backslid into where we are today. Many of those good years, I hate to admit it, were with Donnan’s recruits.
VanGorder leaving hurt UGA more than anyone would like to admit. Bobby Bowden predicted this.
Richt could look pretty when competition within the SEC wasn’t what it is today. He can’t compete with his counterparts today, plain and simple.
Now let’s see if he truly is a man of character and either leaves on his own volition, or extorts his buyout clause. Absolutely obscene what he is paid and what he stands to make if UGA kicks him to the curb. Between Damon Evans, the off-field incidents, performance of the team and the abismal coaching staff, this it truly the beginning of the end of UGA football for some years to come. The damage will take at least 5 years to repair. Mark my words.
athdog
September 26th, 2010
9:01 pm
three short years ago, we lost to S.C. and all was lost, the season was over, Richt needed to be fired, then we got on a roll and finished #2 in the country. Obviously that’s not happening this year, but all of you take a deep breath, and let’s see what happens. The O line is the only real disappointment thus far. All of us had to know the freshman q.b. would be a work in progress, and the new defense is not only a totally different scheme, but is being run with players recruited to run the old scheme. It was a safe bet that it would take 4-6 games to figure it out.
Finally, several posters have mentioned firing Garner, before you do that, consider this: the best our defense looked last year, but a long shot, was the bowl game in which Garner was the coordinator and his only assistants were two grad assist coaches, basically interns. Maybe we all had better slow down and breathe.
crap sandwich
September 26th, 2010
9:05 pm
Relevance is important to hosMr. North. Hence his name Peter. Since he likes brothers and his UT connections now explained in his inferior way, it is time to discuss what angers Peter. Do you only identify with those of the lower classes? You know, like poor brothers? Do you dismiss your actions to belie those that can help you? Are your glasses broken or misaligned? Maybe licking feet is getting old and other ways of pleasure. Are you ready to come out of your closet and play with engorged objects, or is that to much to admit? Sad you are here, but we are all willing to help you overcome your inferiority and fear.
Hirsute Canine
September 26th, 2010
9:07 pm
The arrests and other DQs seem to be the biggest problem. Every time you sign a 4 or 5 star, another 4/5 star goes somewhere else so he can play. Then UGa’s 4/5 star is ineligible.
hunker down
September 26th, 2010
9:08 pm
CMR needs to either find a new OC or take over the headsets again. When UGA was winning SEC championships its was because CMR was involved in the offense. Bobo is not getting the job done. Nor is Stacy Searles with the talent.
Richt's titles
September 26th, 2010
9:08 pm
Richt’s only 2 titles–when UF and bama were down. Now, uga is light years behind UF and Alabama and will not be getting close anytime soon. UGA should go after the coach at boise state or oregon, not some unproven assistant like smart or muschamp.
Rocky Top
September 26th, 2010
9:10 pm
Tennessee beats georgia—take it to the bank! UGA needs to stay away from Derek Dooley!
GOP Cannon
September 26th, 2010
9:10 pm
With this loss, Georgia’s collapse is complete… if they can loose, and loose this badly to Mississippi State, then they can be beaten by any team in the SEC. What is so troubling is the fact that they have not improved AT ALL since the loss to South Carolina.
If you guys where disappointed with last year’s 8-5 season, get ready for your minds to be blown this time around… 5-7 or best case 6-6 is what we have to look forward to.
Mike
September 26th, 2010
9:11 pm
Get rid of BooBoo first.
dog daze
September 26th, 2010
9:11 pm
Dontya just love that 3-4…
mandingo white
September 26th, 2010
9:12 pm
Enter your comments here
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
For the record ALL new coaches win with somebody else’s players.The problem was the previous coach couldn’t win with them.That is one of the most over used statements ever.Kind of like saying every team that loses a game was “out coached”.
mandingo white
September 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
fire mark richt and give me boise states coach.atleast he gets fired up.go back to florida coach richt.i will pay for the moving truck
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
We have gone preseason number one a few years back to where we are now. Coach Richt will right the ship. It is easy to beat a man when he is down. I wonder how long Saban and Meyer will be at their respective schools. Both are no doubt outstanding coaches, but let’ s see if Saban stays at Bama as long as Richt has been at Ga. The same with Meyer. One of Richt’s problems was he won too early. In sports nowadays everybody wants to fire the coach. I still say it is tough nowadays to stay at a program for any length of time. One thing about UGA, with Richt we have always felt we had a chance when the season started. So he is doing something right. The program is still respected by the people that no college football or they wouldn’t be picking the Dawgs to do pretty well each year.
Yellow Fuzz
September 26th, 2010
9:14 pm
AthDog:
“Maybe we all had better slow down and breathe”.
That 0-3 start really does have the dog nation hyperventilating doesn’t it?
Life long Dawg
September 26th, 2010
9:18 pm
When I was a little girl I began to love the Georgia Bulldogs, and 67 years later I sill do. I’ve lived through the drought when Georgia lost to Tech for 8 years in a row before beating the Jackets in 1957. I remember in the early 1960s when we tied game after game. Then Vince Dooley rescued us. I’ll never get over that fantastic national championship in 1980. Our SEC championships took a break and it was 20 years between them (1982-2002). And so it goes – good times and not so good times. We’re in a not so good time right now. Lets look at the big picture and be patient. We have a wonderful head coach who has proven himself. Mark Richt is not a quitter. Things will get better.
College Football expert
September 26th, 2010
9:18 pm
change needs to happen and change is good. otherwise, more scandal and losses await. in other words, more of the same without change
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
Life Long Dawg – Great posts! All these bashers have never played a down or coached a down. The great thing about athletics is that it teaches you to get up when you get knocked down. We will see the Dawgs get up and turn this thing around.
Chris
September 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Gatorbait 17-3
September 26th, 2010
7:17 pm
Chris
You miss the point, prior to 1950 your grandfather enjoyed watching the dawgs dominate the Gators but not by much, but since 1950 which is before most on this blog were born the Gators have dominated the dawgs, but not by much. The point is take your 47-37-2 record, your only point of pride in 60 years and stick it up where the sun doesn’t shine.
No Gatorbait, sadly you are still missing the point. My grandather actually enjoyed watching the dawgs dominate the gators by VERY much during the 70’s and 80’s. This would be two decades during the glorious 60 years you claim the gators dominated the dawgs…but not by much of course. Domination is one thing, winning a few more games than another team is totally different.
Let’s see if I can explain this to you using 1st grade math since it seems like that is what it’s going to take for you to understand that Florida has not dominated Georgia since 1950. You have only dominated us since 1990 my friend.
Below is a decade by decade breakdown of Georgia’s win loss record against Florida from 1950-1989. I thought I would be like you and most other gator fans and only use the years that make my team look good. However, I am also posting Georgia’s record against Florida during these years since it makes up 40 of the supposed 60 years of dominance you seem to think Florida has over Georgia. This time period makes up 66.6% of your so called dominance by the way. I know that’s above of a 1st grade education, but hopefully you will understand.
Here you go:
1950’s 4-6
1960’s 3-6-1
1970’s 7-3
1980’s 8-2
Total: 22-16-1
As you can see, during the 70’s and 80’s my grandather and I did endeed enjoy Georgia’s dominance over Florida. Our record over Florida during those two decades was 15-5. That looks to be pretty freaking dominating to me.
If you add in the past 20 years, then yes, you do hold a 25-34-1 advantage. Fortunately, football started before 1950. Our overall record against Florida is actually 46-39-2. Notice that you just gained two more wins and we lost a game over the record you posted. However, we still hold the lead, so I guess that means Georgia has an all time dominance over Florida since college football was invented.
So, my point is this. It’s kind of hard to believe that you have dominated us since 1950 when we beat you more times than you beat us during the first 40 years of your self proclaimed 60 year dominance.
If it makes you happy to think that, then by all means keep living that pipe dream.
Do you understand now? I hope so because my 7 yeard old niece can even figure this one out.
Gene
September 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Coach, Doing back flips,does not make a good head coach, leading the whole NCAA in penalties
and really from your facial expressions does not make a good head coach either. You need to grab this team and “LEAD THEM” not be one of them. There is ONLY one HEAD COACH either
STEP UP or MOVE OVER. You have a good team that really needs a LEADER, either step up
or Div III is where you’ll end up>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Yellow Fuzz – I believe you are on the wrong site!
Red Panties
September 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
Agree, this entire blog needs to take a deep breath and raise the level of dialog on the blog from the gutter. There is no place for nasty, snide comments when discussing football. Talk about football or go to some pevert blog.
Gene
September 26th, 2010
9:23 pm
I have played many downs, and alot of these posts are on target……
ivebeenworkingontheRR
September 26th, 2010
9:24 pm
People get ready….., there is a train a coming……….
0 and 3, leader of the SEC bottom feeding schools….., that’s what we have become. This is our reality.
We are Georgia, with all the greatness that our name presents.
If we are lucky, we will lose the rest so we can begin anew……
TotalDawg
September 26th, 2010
9:27 pm
Sorry to say but CMR needs to go. He won’t be here in 3 yrs so why not now. Top coaches in the country are not interested in coming to this program. Other schools are not coming after our coaches. Top 5, top 10 recruiting classes year after year and there are no Bulldog players of any relevance in the NFL with MAYBE the exception of Stafford and Moreno. And what do those two really do when they were in Athens. Our talent does not, does not get coached up. Richt’s real success came with Van Gorder here and very little since then. Only getting worse. One out of every 7-8 players every year getting in trouble, getting suspended, getting kicked off the team. Pathetic. Overall breakdown starting from the top. No good coaches want to come here.
mdr
September 26th, 2010
9:30 pm
Too many comments to read them all, so I apologize if this has been said.
I think he gets one more year to fix it. I don’t think he’s capable of fixing it, I just think he gets one more year to try.
The only way I see that changing, is if the bottom completely falls out. If UGA finishes 6-6 or worse, he may be gone by December.
I will say this, other than homecoming against Idaho St, there is not one guaranteed “W” for the rest of the year.
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:31 pm
Gene – That is true. But it is easy to be critical. But many have not looked at the whole picture. Mistakes have been made and I am sure Coach Richt has admitted that. Like I said it is easy beat someone when they are down. Oh by the way how many College games have you or these other posters coached? I have always said there are two things that everybody thinks they can do and that is teach school and coach. I am glad you played. I bet you were pretty good. Big Gene the Tackling Machine.
GatorGuy
September 26th, 2010
9:33 pm
Dawg Fan
CMR is like Ray Goff with less talent. Wait a second. I just created a rip in the time/space continuum with that statement. Uh oh!! As soon as order is restored to the universe I will follow up with another post. On another note, how much does Tech have to suck to make Dawg fan feel better about life. My guess is they would need either a 2-10 effort or NCAA death penalty. Given that no investigation in currently underway, the 2-10 is a better bet. Until next time.
Nick
September 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
Hope you enjoyed that endzone dance, Dawgs. Since then, your football program has fallen off a cliff. You’re Kentucky, but trending down rather then up.
I love me some karma.
Yellow Fuzz
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:22 pm
Yellow Fuzz – I believe you are on the wrong site!
It’ll take more to get me to leave than posting garbage like that under my screen name little man. The truth hurts and I’m here to deliver it to you and the rest of the once mighty dog nation 24-7-365. Sorry.
Trey Burton
September 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
Hey Dawgs–I could have given you two of my touchdowns if you just would have asked. I had plenty to spare.
GatorGuy
September 26th, 2010
9:37 pm
If Goff got a Zaxby’s, shouldn’t CMR at least get a Church’s fried chicken for his retirement gift. I know Chick-Fil_A would be more honoring, but lets save that nugget (ha ha, get it, nugget….) for the next UGA coach to take early retirement. If you play the Chick – Fil- A card too soon, you may be looking at a McDonalds franchise, and right now, only Ms. Kemp warranted one of those. Ideas anyone?
HitaSingle
September 26th, 2010
9:38 pm
Yellow Fuzz – I haven’t posted anything under your name. Get your facts and the truth straight before you get on here talking and calling somebody a little man.
Gatorbait 17-3
September 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
Chris
Your math is correct, that not the arguement.
This is a cup half empty/ cup half full discussion. Georgia glory days were 1904-1949 and the Gator glory days began in 1950.
Actually if you go back to 1934 the Gators lead the series by 1 game. But you insist on going back to 1904 to get a 7 game advantage——-geeeeeeeeeeezzzzz. That’s less than one game per decade. If you need that comfort be my guest
GatorGuy
September 26th, 2010
9:44 pm
Question
Does the Federal Govt have a college football bowl game? Perhaps they should. The Prez wants to spread the wealth, what better way than to host a bowl game and provide a little public assistance. UGA can kick off at mid field. Opposing team only gets 4 for a touchdown, PAT worth only half a point, you get it. Then we could all be lectured at half time by how racist and ignorant we are because we think you should play by the same rules. We could call it the ACORN bowl. Sponsored by the IRS, and the rest of the halftime “show” would be Joe Biden informing us that he just “saved” our jobs.
Gatorbait 17-3
September 26th, 2010
9:44 pm
Chris
Another way to look at it is, I’m giving you dominance for 45 years 1904-1949, the Gators lead since 1950 and you and your niece aren’t going to change that.
Gatorbait 17-3
September 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
Nick
Kentucky is much too much credit for them this year.
Leviahtan
September 26th, 2010
9:46 pm
I’m from Kentucky but went to school at UGA, so I have dual affiliations with UK and UGA. What is happening at UGA with Richt is very similar to what happened with UK basketball and Tubby Smith. Smith was a great guy and a very good coach, but after about ten years things started slipping. No one wanted to fire him (ok plenty of people wanted to fire him, but reasonable people recognized his accomplishments). However, no one was really excited to see him stay. Tubby Smith did the best things and left, and UK’s basketball program and Tubby Smith are better off for having parted ways. I am hoping Richt takes the graceful way out as well.
crabapplejoe
September 26th, 2010
9:46 pm
I don’t understand why folks are so excited about Kirby Smart coming to UGA……under the current conditions at UGA Kirby Smart, an All-American, would not have been recruited……same with Scott Woerner and Jake Scott….think about it.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
September 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
All these gators come on here talking like big men knowing that UGA is having a down year. Let us know how you’re doing after ALA beats you into the ground.
Not sure why GT is on here – they just got demolished by an inferior NCSU team.
Dean
September 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
I love how everyone knew Richt was a bad coach from the beginning. Really, I guess you weren’t the ones that were cheering those SEC titles.
Krogunner
September 26th, 2010
9:47 pm
Richt has lost control of this program. It is time for a change. It’s not even a matter of trying to catch Florida and Bama, it’s just to keep up with UK, UT, and S. Carolina. I’d be making calls to Chris Peterson, Dan Mullin, and John Gruden in that order. Don’t even know if any of those 3 would be interested.
GatorGuy
September 26th, 2010
9:48 pm
If I post something to this blog and no one cares to respond should I take that as a ringing endorsement? Silence is approval right? Anyone keeping an eye on the Venezuelan elections? I hear Chavez is an UGA fan. He sez only capitalists go to Tech, but UGA is for the people. I guess put another way, Tech is USA, UGA is ………….Cuba?
Yellow Fuzz
September 26th, 2010
9:48 pm
HitaSingle
Hahahahaha. You guys!
Warhorse
September 26th, 2010
9:48 pm
That any Tech fan would surface on here after losing to two patsy teams is shocking. I have pulled for the Jackets for several decades as a backup team, but this version is embarrassing. They have no heart and cannot win in a conference that is roughly equal to the Big East in football.
Auburn President Jay Gogue
September 26th, 2010
9:49 pm
Just how the heck have we lost to this guy FOUR YEARS in a row?
Cam Newton for Heisman!