Alas, Georgia’s coaching is no longer championship-caliber
It was another hair-raising loss for UGA and Mark Richt. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
On Oct. 27, 2007, Knowshon Moreno scored to give Georgia a 7-0 lead against Florida, prompting the Bulldogs’ semi-planned and twice-penalized on-field celebration. What you knew: Georgia won that day 42-30, marking the only time Mark Richt’s team has beaten Urban Meyer’s.
What you didn’t know: The day of the Gator Stomp marked the first and last time — in six tries, mind you — a Richt team has taken a lead on Meyer’s.
As disheartening as Richt being 1-5 against Meyer is, the repeated failure to nose ahead even 3-0 is more alarming. It’s a direct reflection of coaching, or the lack thereof. Rule 1 in the Coaching Manual: Get your team ready to play. Sad to say, the Bulldogs under Richt are rarely ready.
Say what you will about Meyer, but the man can coach. His work against Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz., in January 2007 was the greatest coaching performance the BCS title game has ever seen, and his work against Georgia on Saturday was no less inspired. In Jacksonville he took the demonstrably lesser team — anybody see an A.J. Green or a Justin Houston or even an Aaron Murray or an Orson Charles among Gators? — and wrung 450 yards and 34 points from it. Meyer tried everything. Richt’s team tried running the ball on second-and-10 in overtime.
The best you can say about Richt’s coaching is that his players didn’t quit when they fell behind. That’s surely because they’ve had so much practice: Georgia hasn’t led in any of its four SEC losses. South Carolina and Arkansas took the ball first and drove to touchdowns. Georgia took the ball against Mississippi State and went three-and0ut; on Saturday Murray threw an interception on the first snap.
We once considered Richt a splendid gameday coach, but that time is gone. Georgia was 52-13 in Richt’s first five season, reaching the SEC title game three times and winning it twice. It’s 42-19 since. Not coincidentally, Richt’s decline dovetails with Meyer’s rise. (Although it must be noted that Richt has a losing record against three Florida coaches: He was 0-1 against Steve Spurrier, 1-2 against Ron Zook.)
There’s still great talent at Georgia — the old Spurrier knock on Ray Goff now attaches itself to this coach: “Georgia gets all these players; I don’t know what happens to them” — but the coaching has fallen below SEC standards. If we’re looking for the sea-change game, we need underscore Sept. 27, 2008, the night Nick Saban and Alabama came to Athens and not only jumped ahead but led by 31 points after 30 minutes.
Back to Saturday: The Bulldogs got the ball to start overtime, which means the worst they should have done was gain no yards and let Blair Walsh try a 42-yard field goal to put them ahead. Instead Murray threw the ball into stacked coverage and saw the Gators nearly end the game without having to play offense. Murray has had a terrific freshman season and had a fabulous second half, but in the season’s biggest moment he made the one play a quarterback cannot make.
That’s what Georgia under Richt has come to do: It makes the one play to lose a game, as opposed to David Greene throwing to Verron Haynes in Knoxville or to Michael Johnson in Auburn. (Or even Matthew Stafford throwing to Mikey Henderson in Tuscaloosa.) Georgia under Richt has become the toothless tiger — the team everyone respects but nobody fears.
Richt’s 10-year body of work stands as a mighty argument for administrative patience. More current events suggest the Richt of 2010 isn’t the Richt of yesteryear. It took four full seasons under this coach and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder for Georgia to lose 10 games. The Bulldogs lost five times last year, changed defensive coordinators and have already lost five times this.
And now Richt’s gifted Bulldogs have fallen to the worst Florida team Meyer has fielded. In a year where the SEC East was ripe for a young team to rise up and march to the Georgia Dome, that team will not be Mark Richt’s. He’s no longer a championship coach. Dating back to Nov. 29, 2008, his Bulldogs are 13-11, which means he’s barely even a winning coach.
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1,352 comments Add your comment
picassokat
October 31st, 2010
9:29 pm
Its a good article I’ll give you that BUT………………. maybe there is simply a lot being read into a game that had a first year quarterback, on the biggest stage of his life, accounting for four turnovers. Maybe that’s all this was. Take back any two of those TOs we win, this whole discussion is moot, and we’d be discussing the brightness of Aaron Murray’s future. Aaron Murray’s future is still just as bright. Aaron Murray is three parts David Greene and one part D J Shockley. Whine all you want but Mark Richt’s job is not in jeopardy nor is Bobo’s.
He Hate Gator
October 31st, 2010
9:30 pm
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/Playoffs Coaches# AP
1997 Georgia 10-2 6-2 T2 W Outback Bowl 10 10
1998 Georgia 9-3 6-2 3 W Peach Bowl 14 14
1999 Georgia 8-4 5-3 3 W Outback Bowl 16 16
2000 Georgia 8-4 5-3 T2 W Oahu Bowl 17 20
Jim Donnan…national ranking each year, bowl each year but was fired…not in top 10, losing to Fla and Tech…
A humble middle school assistant football coach
October 31st, 2010
9:30 pm
You, Mr. Bradley, are an idiot. I didn’t even waste my time getting past the title of this horrible thing you call an article. You clearly know nothing about football and I have no idea how you still have a job. Coaching does not cause 4 turnovers. Because of those turnovers, we gave their offense a short field to work with and they capitalized with 14 points. Coaching did not cause a freshman QB to be slightly rattled playing his first game in his home state. Coaches did however make second-half adjustments and other in-game adjustments that helped the Dawgs rally back from a 21-7 first-half deficit. Coaching helped hold their offense to 10 second-half points in regulation and helped us score 24 points in the second half. With budget cuts and everything considered, I am shocked that you and Bill King weren’t the first ones to go. I graduate from UGA in December with a sport management degree. Maybe I should attach a resume with this comment. I might not know as much about journalism as you, but I promise, it isn’t hard to know a hell of a lot more about football. You might be better suited for the Tech blogs.
GDawg
October 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
Jacket Fan,
Don’t open your mouth kid! UGA has CRUSHED your little bugs for the vast majority of the past decade. When UGA takes on the North Ave. Gnats you’ll get your annual butt-kicking and know why the ACC stands for “another candy conference”! We OWN you and Manboobs Johnson….BWAAAHHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Let's Talk About UGA!
October 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
DawgNation,
Mama just got back from Wal-Mart.
She bought one of those big pool-float gators.
Mama says she feels like those gAytors own us so she’s gonna start sleeping with this one.
Go Dawgs!
Sic ‘em!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
Whatever…Jesus could coach UGA and our players would still choke…
Dawg Realist
October 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Richt’s got a young team. Next year, they should be a lot better and win the SEC east. Florida will have nothing next year and UGA can finally beat them.
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Yeah, we should fire Richt…so we can hurry up and get someone else in that can lose to UF…UGA will never beat UF because UGA players are vajay-jays and never man up.
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:44 pm
UGA loses to Florida because they play stupid every year….that’s never going to change…UGA should just quit playing this game…a forfeit would be less painful…and would allow the team an extra week of practice…seriously, do any UGA fans even think we have a shot to beat UF in 2011, 2012, 2013, etc?
Move the Game
October 31st, 2010
9:44 pm
Georgia needs to move the game back to Athens every other year! Florida has way too many advantages playing an hour away from their university. Georgia players are worn out from the long trip to Jacksonville from Athens and don’t play as well. McGarity needs to tell florida they are moving the game to Athens or Atlanta in the years they are home team. If florida doesn’t like it, too bad!
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:45 pm
2011 UGA-UF final score = who really cares…it will just be another loss to UF.
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:45 pm
2012 UGA-UF final score = who really cares…it will just be another loss to UF.
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:46 pm
2013 UGA-UF final score = who really cares…it will just be another loss to UF.
Nashville engineer
October 31st, 2010
9:46 pm
Hey middle school coach: Thanks but no thanks for your attempt to push Mark Bradley on us at Tech. We are used to UGA playing dirty, but that’s going too far.
Mike Smith
October 31st, 2010
9:52 pm
Ive said it once, I’ll say it again…ASSISTANT COACHING!!!!
Richt ran his own offense in his first 5 years. That unit was directly coached by Richt and prepared by Richt. Since he turned it over to Bobo, that unit has been hit or miss as far as being prepared to play. Saturday was a disastrous start for an offensive unit that is far better than this.
Turning the defense over to Martinez was even worse. That unit completely disappeared and is still trying to get its legs back.
Why is Auburn on track for a BCS title? Gus Maltzahn running the offense. Why is Urban’s UF team looking pedestrian? No Dan Mullen running the offense or Charlie Strong running the defense. Why is LSU’s defense so good? John Chavis. South Carolina? Spurrier runs the offense and Ellis Johnson the defense.
You CANNOT just put anyone in at the OC or DC positions and win in this league. Firing Richt will not make a difference if the next coach doesnt bring in better assistants either.
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:53 pm
F*#& UGA…I used to hate losing to UF…now I just hate UGA for putting me through the same old s4it year after year…if it’s not a blow-out loss with 4 or 5 turnovers, it’s an OT loss with 4 or 5 turnovers. It’s the same game every f7cking year…and every f*&king year, I think they have a shot to win…I guess I should be mad at myself, for having faith in my team, when they don’t deserve any….the teams of the last 21 years have DESTROYED anything positive associated with UGA football with this losing streak to UF. Any faith I ever had in anything involved with this program is gone….F7CK UGA, their coaches, their players, and anyone associated with that program.
picassokat
October 31st, 2010
9:55 pm
He Hate Gator , Jim Donnan was not let go because of his record in Athens. There was much more to it than that.
GatorBait
October 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
3 things in life we know are a give: 1) death, 2) taxes, and 3) fl beating ga
Yuck
October 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
Awesome…the “next year” fans are already spouting their garbage….NEWS FLASH…we lose every year to UF…”next year” will be another loss…and so will the next…and the next…and the next…forever and ever….because UGA SUCKS A$$…the players are weak, the coaching is weak…and I’m already hearing excuses from McGarrity…that didn’t take long…he should get used to it..
Let's Talk About UGA!
October 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
DawgNation,
There is a huge pumpkin patch next to our trailer park.
Maybe we could hold the game there.
I’m tired of seeing our puppies exhausted after such a long trip to JAX.
Plus, it’s close to Wal-Mart so we could buy our red panties there.
Anybody want a beer?
Go Dawgs!
Sic ‘em!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Wallydawg
October 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
Let’s see; SC, Fla, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Miss St. are all better than UGA. So out of the 12 teams in the SEC, we’re around 8th. We should be thankful that Lane Kiffen left Tennessee or we would be 9th. Nice going Richt, you turned us into Iowa State.
crap sandwich
October 31st, 2010
9:57 pm
Mark B, you are such a drama queen. Trying to stoke the fire so someone might buy a newspaper. Mark, our Mark is not going anywhere. We’ve lost some very close games with a young team. Period. Mark Richt will turn this around and make the changes necessary to win again. So please Mark B, let us remember this point, with this article, and we can all see where we are in 2 seasons. Look none of this is the end of the world and all is good.
Fire CMR
October 31st, 2010
10:00 pm
Firing CMR would be a huge mistake. UGA would become Tennessee.
Was firing Tuberville a mistake for Auburn? Gene Chizik seems to be working out pretty good.
How about Alabama firing Mike Shula,Saban’s got a NC or Florida firing Ron Zook, I think Urban Meyer has done pretty well with two.
I mean what we gotta do? Give Richt the same deal, Ray Goff got from Dooley, One more year and either show signicant improvment or else.
46-40
October 31st, 2010
10:01 pm
Wonder what the score would have been it FL would have had AJ Green & Two good running backs…
Big Dawg
October 31st, 2010
10:04 pm
Like I said………… It was the Dumb and Dumber Bowl . We cannot even beat the worst Fla team in 20 yrs…I hmmmm…..I am at a loss for words…Not sure where this program is really headed. Good luck Richt.
Fire CMR
October 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
Awesome…the “next year” fans are already spouting their garbage….NEWS FLASH…we lose every year to UF…”next year” will be another loss…and so will the next…and the next…and the next…forever and ever….because UGA SUCKS A$
Florida was saying the same thing back in 1983.If our team would have a little guidance we may have won this year. Uh how? teach defenders how to fall on the football and not try to pick it up and run for starters,
Just Got Back
October 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
Dawgs with ball in a tie game with a minute left. Play for overtime. Meyer won’t let them. He wants the ball back and even calls timeouts to get it back with 25 seconds left so he can try to win the game.
This fact in spite of the fact that we had momentum (just stopped UF), and we had the much better FG kicker. Speaks volumes to me about what is wrong with our program.
Should have easily won both the Ark and CO games; both there for the taking and games other staffs win. SC and Miss St should also have been wins but Lattimore too much for UGA before we got personnel straight.
Speaking of defensive personnel. We gave CWM hell for giving up 30+ points in games. We’ve done that a few times this year including yesterday against the worst UF team in >20 years. They scored 7 against Miss St. When we had all the momentum yesterday in the fourth quarter, we again let UF go down the field like Sherman through Georgia.
Dennis
October 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
aarh- okay, the 2009 team won several shootouts last year. This year in the tough games with SC, Miss State the defense kept within striking distance if there had been any offense at all. If the offense was performing at least as good as last year they would be in a lead in the division. Defense is a little better and improved but not great. Offense is lacking except for Vandy, Kentucky, and Tenn who are the lower teams in the conference. But yet, all I hear is how great Murray is. Murray is not the answer. He may be a starter for Vandy, or Miss State but otherwise he would be second string to all other teams. He is not a pocket QB. He is steady but not a championship QB in this leage unless they put something together to use his legs. You can look it up in three more years if you like.
Fire CMR
October 31st, 2010
10:06 pm
46-40
wrong 47-40-2
Just Got Back
October 31st, 2010
10:07 pm
When I was in school at UGA I thought the series record with UF was so far out of sight that they would never catch us in a thousand years. That has really changed.
Larry Munson
October 31st, 2010
10:07 pm
All right, get the picture. Dawgs all in jail, Florida scoring touchdown after touchdown. Loren, whatta ya got? Larry, the SID told me that CMR just went for a haircut and won’t be back until the fourth quarter.
He Hate Gator
October 31st, 2010
10:09 pm
From the UGA blog: http://georgiabulldogfootball.blogspot.com/2006/02/fall-of-jim-donnan.html
Had Donnan compiled a record like Goff’s, he probably would not have even lasted as long as he did. However, Goff lasted two more years than Donnan despite having a much worse record because he was so well-liked by the Georgia fans. This is one area where Mark Richt has certainly done an outstanding job.
Jim Donnan’s record through 5 years was 40-19, which was the second-best winning percentage of any Georgia coach since the 1920s. This is doubly impressive considering that the Florida and Tennessee programs were at their peak during this time. However, the problem really seemed to be the direction that the program was headed. Since going 10-2 in 1997, Georgia had been taking steps backwards and went 7-4 in 2000 with a team absolutely stacked with NFL talent. Perhaps Donnan’s worst sin, from a record standpoint, was that he had dropped 3 in a row to Georgia Tech. If he wins one or two of those games, he most likely would not have been fired.
Another problem was that there was a perception that Donnan didn’t quite have the control over the team’s off the field activities that he should have. And when he was fired, the University suggested that there were some behind-the-scenes happenings that they were not pleased with.
When will Georgia get serious?
October 31st, 2010
10:09 pm
We’ve done that a few times this year including yesterday against the worst UF team in >20 years
CMR is this years CWM
46-40
October 31st, 2010
10:10 pm
Having said that… I can tell you one BIG thing that bothers me… GA isn’t approching this game serious enough. I know some of you would argue that GA takes this game TOO serious, and that in itself is the downfall of being 2-8 this decade, but I would argue that when when GA dashed Spurriers undefeated season & chances of a NC in 1966, he took it SERIOUS when he was hired in 1990 as FL’s coach. He took it serious enough that he wanted to turn the momentum –much llike FL has now– to beat GA every year. That’s what’s lacking from GA’s coaching staff. They need to take it serious..I mean SERIOUS.. To the point where if nothing else, we beat FL. Let’s stop trying to figure out how to get to Atlanta without winning this game.
Barbara Dooley
October 31st, 2010
10:11 pm
Herschel, honey, the dawgs lost again. You remember our bet don’t you? O.K. you get to wear the pink tu tu this time. I will wear the black latex.
Vince Dooley
October 31st, 2010
10:12 pm
Barb, honey, have you seen my pink tutu?
James
October 31st, 2010
10:13 pm
AJC Sports Columnist Mark Bradley no longer award winning caliber.
When will Georgia get serious?
October 31st, 2010
10:13 pm
Just Got Back
When I was in school at UGA I thought the series record with UF was so far out of sight that they would never catch us in a thousand years. That has really changed
We got seven years to fix it.
Ray Goff
October 31st, 2010
10:13 pm
President Adams …… call me…… BR549
Err-Bane Cryer
October 31st, 2010
10:14 pm
Did you flea bags enjoy your annual loss? Good. Come on back next year and we will do it again
Jerome
October 31st, 2010
10:14 pm
When do the 2011 preseason rankings come out? That’s about all we have to look forward to.
Choo Choo Charlie
October 31st, 2010
10:15 pm
Wow, Bradley’s so right.
Mark Richt’s record is just shockingly horrible!!!
Richt’s finished rankings:
01- #22
02- #3
03- #6
04- #7
05- #10
06- #23
07- #2
08- #10
This is just not good coaching!!! Horrible!!!
Wallydawg
October 31st, 2010
10:16 pm
It’s been a successful week. We haven’t kicked anyone off the team.
CLEVON LITTLE
October 31st, 2010
10:16 pm
gt2010 , Do they teach punctuation at GT??
ps-You’re a loser for being on the GA blog..
Yo Bradley
October 31st, 2010
10:16 pm
How bout them Kain-Tuckee Wildcats?
Mama is Tricker Treating
October 31st, 2010
10:19 pm
To the poster who keeps wanting to bring up 10 year old records of CMR, Lets look at the past 5 years as it is more pertinent to the conversation.
S.Carolina 3-2
Ole Miss 2-0
Tenn- 3-2
Vandy 4-1
Miss St. 1-1
Florida 1-4
Kentucky 3-2
Auburn 4-0
GT 3-1
Arkansas- 1-1
LSU 1-1
Alabama 1-1
A little more realistic without the DONNON Players….
get off Richt
October 31st, 2010
10:19 pm
Everyone needs to get off richt, it took Dooley more than ten years to win a title and he had more losing seasons in his first ten years…So everyone needs to get off Richt
What??
October 31st, 2010
10:20 pm
SO yea, he’s 2-8 against Florida. What about 8-1 against GT? 7-3 against auburn? If richt is ever fired, he will have another job within a week.
46-40
October 31st, 2010
10:20 pm
Fire CMR … Who’s counting???
saban
October 31st, 2010
10:24 pm
let the big dawg eat. UH