Question: Will it ever get better for Mark Richt at UGA?
Has Mark Richt run out of steam? (AP photo)
AUBURN, Ala. — On the weekend of Cam-demonium, the Georgia Bulldogs were rendered a footnote. But one snippet of semi-news did emerge Saturday morning, courtesy of the Denver Post: Colorado is apparently interested in Mark Richt to fill its coaching vacancy.
And that might be the best for all concerned: Richt to the Rocky Mountains and a new challenge, Georgia spared a decision no program wants to make. Namely, when and how do you say goodbye to a man who lifted your program but seems incapable of further lifting?
In Year 2 under Gene Chizik, the Auburn Tigers clinched the SEC West by winning Saturday. In Year 10 under Richt, the Georgia Bulldogs fell to 5-6.
Said Bacarri Rambo, the safety: “I never thought the University of Georgia could be 5-6.”
Said Akeem Dent, the linebacker: “That would not make sense to anybody.”
It doesn’t make sense, but it’s grim reality. Georgia was 8-5 last season, its worst under Richt, and it will be worse this time — worse with 10 of 11 offensive starters returning plus a hotshot quarterback making his debut, worse with a $750,000 defensive coordinator hired as a presumed upgrade.
Georgia took a 21-7 lead on the nation’s No. 2 team Saturday, whereupon Todd Grantham’s defense yielded touchdowns on six of the next seven possessions. Yes, Auburn has a great offense, and yes, after days of uncertainty the famous Cam Newton not only played but played beautifully. Still: Had the Bulldog defenders even practiced?
Linebacker Justin Houston on Newton: “He didn’t do anything special.”
Then, asked how Auburn could score seven touchdowns and amass 463 yards: “Blown assignments — that’s what has been going on all season.”
How could a defense still be making mistakes in its 11th game? Have players not yet learned the scheme? Houston again: “I guess not. Some guys are not as focused as they need to be.”
That indictment of Grantham is a greater indictment of Richt. The failing of Georgia this season hasn’t been skill or desire but stamina. Players appear to tire, and even the coaching seems to flag.
Georgia had it going Saturday. The Bulldogs were throwing deep off play-action — Auburn doesn’t play much D, either — and running hard, and then coordinator Mike Bobo ordered a direct snap to receiver Branden Smith that gained nothing on second-and-five and blunted a second-quarter drive. Why throw a change-up when they haven’t hit your fastball?
Soon the game was tied, and Richt lost his nerve. Georgia took the ball at its 21 with 51 seconds left in the half and one timeout remaining. It ran a draw to Caleb King and let time expire, content in the belief that it would take possession to begin the second half.
“I guess we didn’t want to make a crazy mistake,” said A.J. Green, who to that point had caught five passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Ted Roof’s overmatched secondary. “We took the safe way out.”
Only it wasn’t safe. Chizik called for an onside kick. Auburn retook the lead without Georgia touching the ball. Richt said he told his kickoff-return squad to be wary of such a maneuver. He also said: “I guess you could only tell them so many times.”
Make no mistake: Auburn was the better team. But Georgia had a chance here, and its coaching failed. Same as in Jacksonville. Same as in Starkville. The same thing, again and again.
Richt on this saddening season: “A few key plays, if they went the other way, we win.” Then: “Teams that win championships win close games. We haven’t won a close game yet.”
For the record, Richt spoke in the same room that housed his triumphant press briefing Nov. 16, 2002, the day Georgia beat Auburn in an excruciatingly close game to clinch the SEC East. There was a time when Richt’s teams were the aggressor throughout, when they made the requisite plays at the end. No longer.
Asked about Colorado, Richt smiled and said: “Georgia is my home.”
Asked about Richt, the newly minted Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said: “I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
And yet you wonder if it will ever get better for Mark Richt at Georgia, if we haven’t already seen his best work. His Bulldogs had a chance to grab the nation’s attention Saturday, and they led by 14 points. They lost by 18.
They got weary. Then they got beat. The same thing, again and again.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,438 comments Add your comment
Impatient in Lowndes
November 14th, 2010
4:03 pm
Why the heck hasn’t Richt been fired by now?
Scooter
November 14th, 2010
4:07 pm
So many people are blinded by Mark Richt’s past accomplishments. If you guys are happy losing to UF every year, never even contending for a national title because we have dropped at least 2 games early in the year to inferior teams and to always be outcoached….then let CMR sign a 20 year contract extension. If you want more then it is time for change. As for me, I want more. Spot on Bradley. Great article!
the Owl of Prophecy
November 14th, 2010
4:10 pm
Scooter,
I’m with you; however, that 20 year contract should be for $100,000 p/year max, with 5% deducted for each arrest.
Once a Dawg, Always a Dawg
November 14th, 2010
4:16 pm
To be fair, Yes Georgia has had it ups and downs this year and maybe the last couple of years but we know our kids are getting kicked off the team and disciplined before the NCAA has a chance to consider other options. Consider Richt’s record, better yet consider the amount of class that has been brought to the University of Georgia with having a good christian man to teach our men right from wrong. The reality is that we might be in a different situation had AJ Green not made the mistake he did but it is more important for our kids to understand what is right versus what is wrong. I am proud of our University. Vince Dooley had a record 79-38-5 (2 SEC Championships) his first ten years and Mark Richt has a record 95-33 (3 SEC Championships) HELLO WAKE-UP PEOPLE!!!!!
AU Tiger 2
November 14th, 2010
4:20 pm
Need I say anything else? 11-0 A U B U R N T I G E R S
5- 6 G A . P U P P I E S
Thank you and your quitter bunch of a team for your blessing us Mark Richt.
We expected a little more out of you guys!
Cornelius Washington
November 14th, 2010
4:25 pm
Our problem has been recruiting…..CRG gets a pass…..
we have missed on a lot of guys the last couple of years.
Puzzled????
November 14th, 2010
4:26 pm
Mr. Black Football Players Don’t Go 2 UGA…please tell me what color 83% of our starters are.
johnny reb
November 14th, 2010
4:28 pm
Nick Fairley of Auburn is a thug! He needs to be suspended or I hope Bama chop blocks him all day. And Cameron nice punch at the defender. Cheater and a thug. Way to represent War Eagle?
Eaassyy
November 14th, 2010
4:31 pm
Monotonous Languor, Harry the Hat, Mirk Racht, etc-
Congrats on posting the same dumb a$$ post on every Georgia blog. “Tech fans are smarter, make more money, have totally awesome lives” blah blah blah. For someone who supposedly doesn’t care about football and seeing results on saturdays, you sure do spend A LOT of time on Georgia Football Blogs. Did you ever stop and think that you are the one that needs to get a life?
chuck
November 14th, 2010
4:34 pm
why fire CMR?? Its a crap shoot to get anyone better!!
Paul N Destin
November 14th, 2010
4:35 pm
Saturday was a big day for the NCAA because a major school told them to STFU because they intended to play their thug Newton. If one school doesn’t have to play by the rules then none should. For this reason the NCAA is being called out at high noon by Auburn and they’re boosters. The Admin at Auburn does what the money folks say and have always played by those rules. For the good of all the rest of the colleges that try to play by the rules it will be a good thing if the NCAA makes an example of Auburn otherwise there will be no rules than the rest should follow. #90 for Auburn is without a doubt the best example of what is wrong in college football today. Kids in HS see this and they think it’s cool to act like a fool. Auburn …you stand for nothing and the entire nation now knows. Pitiful.
Chillahill43
November 14th, 2010
4:35 pm
And it continues MB gets the leg humpers fired up. With his typical back stabbing reporting. Ypu continue to write the crap as intrrview articles fir your chance to go work for a major magazine. Tmz is hiring. Typical Hack job from Mr Bradley. He77 why not
kick a man when he’s down. Accuse a kid of knowing everything his dad is doing 365/24/7. Oh and theres no way the phillies will catch the braves in the east .., Just like Ripple and MD 2020 age doesnt help, your articles have gotten nastier and more impalatable as you get older. Peeyou mr bradley. Peeeeyou!!
dawginduluth
November 14th, 2010
4:37 pm
Here’s what I am hearing from the Richt suck-ups:
1. Don’t we remember what he did in his first two years?
Yes, he took Donnan coached recruits with van Gorder and won an SEC championship.
2. He is a classy guy.
Yes, he is a calm, soft spoken guy. Just like his teams.
3. He is a great role model: “better yet consider the amount of class that has been brought to the University of Georgia with having a good christian man to teach our men right from wrong.”
Hmmm. 11 run-ins with the law this year alone. I’m throwing the BS flag.
4. He had a better record than Dooley in his first ten years.
Dooley was a very good coach and only when he got Herschel did he achieve greatness. Herschel would have won a NC for my grandmother. Being better than Dooley ain’t much to brag about.
5. Who are we going to get to replace him?
I am betting that $2.8 million would get us a better head coach and some stong coaches and coordinators. I am willing to keep trying until we do – better than listening to Richt for the next three years explaining why we lost another close one.
6. Give him another year. He will have us back on top.
What is he going to do differently? He’s been here 10 years and tried everything under the sun. It’s been going the wrong way for a while – not just this year as some are saying. 13-12 in the last 25 games.
Nuff said.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!!
November 14th, 2010
4:39 pm
YES MARK IT WILL GET BETTER!!! UGA WILL BE GAURANTEED A VICTORY ON THIS WEEK FOR YEAR’S TO COME WHEN THE NCAA GET’S DONE WITH ALLBARN FOR THE $CAM NEWTON “PAY FOR PLAY” FIASCO!!! MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR TUESDAY NOV.16TH 2010 THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR “THE BARN”!!! ALL WILL SEE WHAT HAPPEN’S WHEN YOU SALE YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL & GIVE “THE NCAA” THE FINGER!!!
59bulldawg
November 14th, 2010
4:41 pm
All good points dawginduluth!
Chillahill43
November 14th, 2010
4:45 pm
Paul in Destin- those two that jumped and punched number 90 are excellent role models as is the WR thats in the Jersey selling business as are those 110 kids (or are the thugs) that have had trouble with the law in the last 10 GA seasons. Must get warm in that glass house… Yea i want my kids to immulate GA FOOTBALL program… Thanks for the parenting advise.., when’s the new
self help book come out…. You dont know if what you speak, or has the NCCA already interviewed you since you and all the rear sniffing nation have figured out… Typical hypocrites. Why dont we just say their all guilty and make em prove innocence. Didnt work in Nazi Germany aint working in Iran but hey lets see if that system will work in America?
TechEagle
November 14th, 2010
4:46 pm
Go Tech! Beat chop block U! Some sample questions on an exam at UGA. How many halves in a college basketball game? How many pts does a 3 pt field goal account for in a basketball game? The class was called coaching strategies and principles of basketball. What a joke of a school!
BB 101
November 14th, 2010
4:54 pm
Here’s the link to the Basketball 101 exam at thUGA. As far as I know, it’s still being used. Thanks to ESPN for preserving the evidence.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/quiz/_/id/600
atltiger15
November 14th, 2010
4:55 pm
You UGA fans keep thinking AU will be trouble. I know more about this than any of you know. When the smoke has seetled, we’ll enjoy our SEC west championship and maybe more, while you guys might, and thats a big might, play in louisiana and enjoy your visit to the comedy club..As fas as showing class goes…. If any of you were at the game yesterday, you would have seen the DAWGS act like the hurricanes from the 80″s jumping up and down on the logo before the game and grabbing their balls. Yeah, real class. Fairley with the hit, thats what happens when you play to the whistle and sometimes after. The play where he was blocked into Murray’s leg, come on really, you call that a cheap shot, thats BS. As far as Cam about to stiff arm the hell out of the UGA player, yes it was premature but you dont know what kind of crazy ass act the uga player might have done to him out of bounds.
spike
November 14th, 2010
4:56 pm
22 pages of sweet, sweet Georgia tears…keep ‘em coming.
“Those mean Auburn kids beat us up!”
The Longest Yard
November 14th, 2010
4:58 pm
Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to take an in-depth look at UGA and have a serious discussion about the problems at UGA and why the arrest rate of players is the highest in the country? it’s common knowledge that UGA is a party school, but have any dawgtard players every actually graduated with a real degree? Jan Kemp exposed the school and the coaches almost three decades ago, but there is no sign that anything has improved; if anything, the arrest rate shows that things are getting more outrageous every year while the clueless Mark Richt has absolutely no control over his players. And then there is the infamous “red panties” incident that will haunt UGA for decades.
UGA has become a major embarrassment to all Georgians, and we want some answers starting now.
Hedge Trimmer
November 14th, 2010
5:00 pm
Let me put this in terms Richt will understand:
The UGA program needs salvation. Can CMR make the sacrifice’s necessary (disposing of bad coaches, ridding of thug players, etc.) or will he fall short of glory?
atltiger15
November 14th, 2010
5:02 pm
As for those talking junk about this scandal with Rogers, i ask you UGA fans, how many junior college kids do you have. Yep, Hamilton and a few. This scandal goes beyond AU, MISS ST, Ole Miss, TN just so you know, you heard it here. Thats all i’m gonna say but by the middle of this week after John Bond talks Tuesday, grab your umbrella becuase stuff is gonna hit the fan
bamaguy
November 14th, 2010
5:04 pm
Georgia fans; who out there would you like to see hired. It makes no sense to fire a good coach unless there is an excellent one out there willing to come to Georgia (which rules out all the left coast coaches).
Fire Mark's Rectum
November 14th, 2010
5:05 pm
A career path has opened of uga honor grads – Rickshaws may roll again in Atlanta – The senior class is saved from joblessness.
Mike
November 14th, 2010
5:06 pm
Bradley, You are an idiot – why don’t you leave?
dawginduluth
November 14th, 2010
5:07 pm
Pete Carroll will be available soon. By now, he should know how to cheat without getting caught.
Chillahill43
November 14th, 2010
5:10 pm
Oh yea Newsweek just rated UGA number1. Number 1 in
partying… Wahoo.. Lets throw a pity party…. Got Beat by a better team period(auburn). Lets drink our sorrows away.. Got beat by a inferior team (colorado) aww lets drink our sorrows away. Could we lose to GT god i hope not lets drink and drink and cry, cry , cry… Mean ole SEC offcials didnt bliw the whistle ir throw the flag… # 90 hit our precious QB late. Waaaaa! Call a waambulance!!! Look puppies there aint no crying in the SEC… Losers are the loudest… Yall sniff sniff sniff… Itll be ok… It hurst when the GA BOYS that go to other schools come back to kick your MUTTS don’t it… Hahahaha I love it!!!
Trail of Tears
November 14th, 2010
5:11 pm
22 pages of sweet, sweet Georgia tears…keep ‘em coming.
Yes, please do!
Trailer Park Tra...
November 14th, 2010
5:14 pm
“Mike: Bradley, You are an idiot – why don’t you leave?”
Mike, you’re the one who needs to leave. Now. Go back to your trailer park.
Sess
November 14th, 2010
5:17 pm
Need we say it again? Okay…
The Cesspool of the South
TampaGator
November 14th, 2010
5:20 pm
Get rid of Richt? You must be kidding. Who replaced him. No one better…and no one that is going to do a better job in Athens than Richt. But you do need to ask your new DC to apply for some NFL jobs. That is evident. But you better keep the best head coach since Dooley…unless you can hire the other Dooley.
TampaGator
November 14th, 2010
5:23 pm
I must say….I was shocked at some of the comments I heard last night after the game in the SWAMP….one from my brother….about losing faith in Meyer. My….how soon we forget two NC at Florida and how many 8 win seasons in a row (came to an end this year) at Georgia. Meyer and Richt will both get it turned around. They are both excellent head coaches…..but they both need to make some assistant coaching changes…that is obvious…..Grantham and Addazzio are not top of the class coordinators.
AP
November 14th, 2010
5:26 pm
Anyone else notice against Louisiana (0 4th quarter points), SCAR (0 4th quarter points), Tennessee (0 4th quarter points) Vanderbilt (0 4th quarter points), Idaho St (0 4th quarter points), Auburn (0 4th quarter points)…..
Kentucky we scored because we needed to, game was getting close.
Ok, I know, in several of those games we didn’t need to score and against Ark, and UF we scored to get back into the game. However, our team is not finishing the drill, we are not mentally or physically tough enough at this point to win big in the SEC. Our coach calls off our team in the 4th with leads when I believe he should be hanging 60 or so to give us some swagger back. I realize there is a fine line in that scenerio, injuries to starters and sportsmanship, but I’m beginning to wonder where this team is mentally.
Predictions
1. We beat Tech and go bowling in BNA
2. Grantham bolts because he has a different football philosophy that doesn’t match his boss.
3. Georgia will be better than 3-5 SEC mark because of a couple influential freshman and a nice schedule.
4. Aaron Murray even better.
5. S&C addressed and offseason program will be nasty.
Delbert D.
November 14th, 2010
5:27 pm
For those true fans interested in precision blocking, Georgia Tech did not get called for any illegal chop blocks in the Miami game. Georgia got called for one in the Auburn game.
I must modify that statement, however, because Georgia Tech has not block consistently enough this year to be termed at all precise. Blocking nobody, blocking the wrong defender and getting pushed back into the backfield a lot are a continuing problem for Georgia’s next opponent.
SuperB
November 14th, 2010
5:28 pm
Richt has to go. Bobo and Grantham too. For $3MM a year this is unacceptable. the secondayr can’t cover, they can’t tackle. It’s not due to lack of talent– Georgia has talent. The coaches just don’t have it.
wildbill
November 14th, 2010
5:28 pm
We have met the future and it looks bad. Reverend Richt will NOT meet force with force. Auburn kicked us from goalpost to goalpost and all the Rev. did was shake his paperwork. I’m sure that put fear in #90!!! CMR, go now while you have an inkling of honor left in the football world.
Maddawg
November 14th, 2010
5:29 pm
Good gracious, Markie….trying to stir the pot and making something out of nothing — again. Richt can’t coach anymore? He’s lost his stamina? Well, you can’t write, either. Have you lost your stamina? Are you getting tired? Doesn’t the Schmoemuck News have a sports writer opening for you back in Kentucky? Everyone thinks it’s time for YOU to go!! Please go and good riddance!
Hairy Dawg
November 14th, 2010
5:29 pm
Coach Richt is best in nation at Christianizing and that helps recruiting and winning. We just goning need to get Adams out the way in restrictions on recruiting bests talents for SEC.
Jim
November 14th, 2010
5:30 pm
I think Georgia’s best days are ahead with Coach Richt. Look at it this way. You know how Willie M. did well the first couple of years after Van Gorder – thats b/c the players still had the lingering knowledge from Van Gorder. Now it’ll take Grantham a year or two to cleanse out all of the undisciplined coaching of Willie M, and put his stamp on this D. I believe Georgia will compete next year with far better results. I’m Georgia, and Richt still has my confidence!
Lackey
November 14th, 2010
5:35 pm
We’ll get em’ nest year Georgia fans. Next season will be the year. I feel it.
Atl
November 14th, 2010
5:38 pm
If UGA can beat Tech, they get to play in the……..
TOILET BOWL!!!!
Vince
November 14th, 2010
5:39 pm
It could be worse. Imagine you had Nick Saban during his first 9 seasons.
6-6, 6-6, 6-5, 7-6, 4 different seasons.
With Richt you get 1 on those type of seasons instead of 4 out of 9.
Richt’s never had 1 season in his 9 seasons where he didn’t win at least 8 games.
panhandle Gator
November 14th, 2010
5:40 pm
Coach Richt is and good guy; but uga has a curse on that team. Ever since your team ran on the field in Jacksonville your record has been getting worse ever year. So start thinking about that.
Greg
November 14th, 2010
5:41 pm
If Georgia beat Georgia Tech, and they should, that’s 6-6, and off to a Bowl. Gives the young team another 4 weeks of rpactice. If Richt wins the Bowl game, then you finish 7-6, going 5-2 over last 7 games. Sets you up for a nice 2011.
Peter
November 14th, 2010
5:43 pm
If Georgia wins out, create a lot of mo for next year. Let’s go Georgia, sic em’, woof.
Buster
November 14th, 2010
5:46 pm
22 pages of comments,. by the same person, using a bunch of fake names, some things never change, some people have no life.
Delbert/JiM/Hariy/etc.—-99% of the psots here, the same dude.
Funny.
He so is trying to bring Mark Richt down to his LEVEL.
He is SO envious of Mark Richt.
Perhaps even resentful of Richt’s $2.8 million per year.
Must have low self esteem, poor guy.
roldawg70
November 14th, 2010
5:48 pm
you’re doing a good job of stirring the pot
mark
and drawing eyeballs
but as one alum 1970
watched vince have good and bad seasons
having 2 bad seasons is no reason
to kick a pretty good coach out the door
unless this keeps folks coming to see you talk
i’ve generally like your stuff
but this isn’t it
weatherdog
November 14th, 2010
5:50 pm
Bradley—you are a one trick pony. Will the AJC get any better with you around—-no! As far as Coach Richt goes, yes it will get better under him. For all of the idiots(fake GA fans or rival fans)—you are a sad and sickening crowd. Your lives must be miserable. As for you Auburn—you will get yours sooner or later. Go DAWGs!!
Buster
November 14th, 2010
5:50 pm
roldawg= delbert….same dude…