The doctor is in: What UGA must do to rise from mediocrity
Yes, but being 6-6 shouldn't ever be cause for celebration. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
This is the week, Mark Richt said late Saturday night, to recruit in earnest. And it’s true that one of the teams that played in Sanford Stadium on Saturday needs a talent infusion, but it’s not Richt’s Bulldogs.
Georgia Tech has a clear idea of what it is but insufficient manpower to get it where it wants to go. Georgia has, and has long had, enough players — not that it couldn’t use more — but has come to lack direction. As these middling-by-definition teams head into December and then 2011, we address their respective needs. First, Georgia’s.
Step 1: Get stronger. It has long been suggested that Georgia’s conditioning program has gotten soft, and we saw striking evidence again Saturday night. Tech ruled the line of scrimmage. Dave Van Halanger, Georgia’s strength coach, had a hand in building SEC championship teams here — those were his offseason mat drills, transferred from Florida State, referenced in “Finish The Drill” — but the Bulldogs have come to look comparatively peaked. (And not just against Tech; Auburn scored touchdowns on six of its final seven possessions two weeks earlier.)
The issue: Van Halanger is Richt’s best friend. Willie Martinez might have been Richt’s college buddy, but it’s Van Halanger with whom Richt goes jogging. Richt waited long — too long — to sack Martinez as defensive coordinator, but finally he did it. He needs now to make an even more difficult personal decision and upgrade a position that has become substandard.
Step 2: Get edgier. An acronym born under Erk Russell is still written on the board before every Georgia game — GATA. (Loosely translated, “Get After Them Aggressively.”) The Bulldogs, however, have become slow burners. They didn’t take a lead against an SEC opponent until the season’s fourth conference game. They trailed Florida 21-7 in a game they might have won easily had they built a two-touchdown advantage. When they responded to Auburn’s opening touchdown with three of their own, the question asked itself: Why don’t do they do this more often?
As we say in hockey and figure skating, Georgia football has lost its edge. Some of this has to do with preparation, but not all. Which leads us to …
Step 3: Get an idea. Richt is a finesse coach. Georgia runs the ball as a counterpoint. Its staple running play over these 10 years has been the sprint draw, and a draw is by design a fake pass. There’s no reason for Richt to change what he believes and become Woody Hayes reincarnate, and that’s fine. Where Georgia errs is in seeking to be both finesse offense and power offense. Artificial concerns over “balance” need to be tossed in yonder trashcan.
When Georgia fans rage at Mike Bobo for “going conservative,” they have half a point. Running isn’t a bad conceptual idea, but Bobo/Richt seem to feature the run at moments when all running can do is slow Georgia. The top two teams in the BCS standings have gotten there by playing fast and attacking for four quarters. Time for the Bulldogs to join the fun.
Have a seat in the waiting room. Dr. Bradley’s Rx for Georgia Tech can be found here.
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601 comments Add your comment
Bama Dawg
November 29th, 2010
3:21 pm
Hey Billyboy and all you other haters, why don’t you just go a pull for Tech since they are such a great team with a great coach and won the game everywhere but where it counts – on the friggin scoreboard. I didn’t see Tech just lay the ball on the ground and say here you can have it. The turnovers were cause by someone on the UGA defence knocking the snot out of the ballcarrier.
Of course all you guys were all-americans when you played college football and ultra successful as SEC coaches, so guess you are right. We should celebrate that we beat our in state rival for the 9th time in 10 tries and we shouls recend all the scholorships since everyone on the team is a quitter and we should fire the whole coaching staff. Hopefully you will still be available to coach us when all that happens.
PALADIN DEATH DEALER
November 29th, 2010
3:23 pm
75-76-DAWG:
BOBO HAS FORGOTTEN MORE FOOTBALL THAN YOU, MY FRIEND, WILL EVER KNOW….ALL THIS ADJUSTING IS JUST A BUNCH OF BULLCRAP….95% OF WHAT THESE GUYS SEE ON GAME DAY, THEY HAVE SEEN IN THE VIDEOS ALL WEEK….ITS NOT LIKE EVERYONE GOES AND PUTS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DEFENSE AND OFFENSE IN EVERY WEEK….I HAVE SEEN WHAT COACH JOHNSON DID, CALLED FOR THE DEFENSE TO LET THEM SCORE, 15 TIMES IN HIGH SCHOOL GAMES…..JOHNSON THE GENIUS PROBABLY GOT THAT FROM A HIGH SCHOOL COACH…..HE NEEDS TO WORK ON HIS 2 MINUTE OFFENSE IF HE WANTS TO COME BACK AND TIE A GAME….THAT 2 MINUTE DRILL THAT JOHNSON AND TECH PUT UP WAS JUNIOR HIGH TO THE CORE…..WHY WASTE TIME HOPING FOR A TOUCHDOWN AND 2 POINT CONVERSION WITH A 2 MINUTE DRILL LIKE THAT…..ITS ALL ABOUT PERSONNEL, MY FRIEND….OUR RECRUITING HAS BEEN OFF FOR THE PAST 4-5 YEARS….WILLIE AND DEFENSIVE GUYS BEFORE RECRUITED SOME THAT CANNOT PLAY….WE HAVE RECRUITED SOME RUNNING BACKS THAT CAN’T SUCCEED BIG TIME IN D-1—-AUBURN HAS THE RIGHT IDEA…GO GET A CAMERON NEWTON….WHERE WOULD THEY BE WITHOUT HIM…ITS ALL ABOUT PERSONNEL, WE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB RECRUITING….
BeatTech
November 29th, 2010
3:27 pm
Mark, I’ll give you credit when I think you’re right. You’re dead on with this analysis. Kudos (not that you need them from me!)
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
3:31 pm
For the record, I do not care of Richt is Georgia coach next year or not. Nothing I have to say matters in the grand scheme of things but, just the FACT that I do not care should say something.
With Richt for another year, we are at least 3-4 years from some progress. With a new coach at best 2-3 years. We’ve seen what Richt can do. If you are happy with it, scream from the hilltops to keep him. If you’re not, suffer like me and the other fools calling for his job
HotDawg
November 29th, 2010
3:37 pm
Can anyone explain to me why 95% of our pass plays are predicated on play action? I mean faking the handoff to the running back might freeze the linebackers if you actually have a legitimate run threat. Obviously we do not. King/Ealy/Offensive line has not been a threat. So you make a freshman qb fake to the back everytime which slows down his decision making because he has his back to the line of scrimmage for something that the defense already knows is a fake. They even do it in their own endzone. It gives the defense a leigitamate 2 second advantage before Murray has even turned around to analyze the field. Why not occassionally get in the shotgun snap it to him and let him have time to see the play unfold and throw it to the open receiver. If there isn’t one open then let him make a play. As it stands now he has to fake it, turn around and if the primary receiver isn’t open he has to take off running for his life. Can someone explain this to me please before I go crazy?????
PALADIN DEATH DEALER
November 29th, 2010
3:37 pm
MARK BRADLEY:
GO TELL TECH WHAT THEY MUST DO TO FIX THINGS…..9 OUT OF 10 YET WE ALWAYS ARE WANTING TO FIX GEORGIA…TELL US ABOUT THE TECH RECRUITING EFFORTS, AND WHAT GREAT RECEIVERS ARE TELLING COACH JOHNSON WHEN THEY WATCH FILM AND ONLY STALK BLOCK………DESPITE TURNOVERS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO CONVERT ON 4TH AND 6 INCHES, WE STILL WIN…..SO WE STILL RUN THIS STATE……
Denver Dog
November 29th, 2010
3:38 pm
I don’t presume to be as smart about footbal as our coach (es). Mark Bradley raises good points. I think that our team will improve greatly as they have througout the year. Strength and Conditioning is an issue, defense is an issue, and we need to do a little more on the offensive diverstiy. I like the way that we let Auburn score so that we could get the ball back. Looking forward to the bowl, and basketball season myself. We’ve discussed this stuff enough. I’m off of this case for now.
The Chokemeister
November 29th, 2010
3:38 pm
See my choke sign worked this time!
75-76-DAWG
November 29th, 2010
3:47 pm
Paladin Death Dealer
I’m not disagreeing with you at all . One of my post a few day ago said we need to demote Bobo to only quarterback coach , bring in a better strength and condition program that has an emphasis on speed , nobody can argue that we didn’t get man handled on both lines this year, and get rid of Garner.
I will give Grantham a few years to recruit the people he needs to have a successful 3-4 defense. We tried everybody at nose tackle which along with the defensive ends and linebackers are the most important position.
You said that letting someone score is used frequently even in high school and is not too unusual to see but I have been watching college football for 40 years and have never seen a coach use it and CMR and staff hadn’t either sense the strategy worked.
Dawg H8R
November 29th, 2010
3:48 pm
UGA ‘92
The death of print media related to a mediocre football squad? This is the type of thinking that I was referring to, narrow minded POVs. What the hell does the media have to do with this team. Close minded people
don’t seem to realize the unfettered love for jawja over GT with people like Bill King. That fairy won’t allow my opinions for MONTHS! He’s a homer.He obviously has an issue with GAMECOCKS/DAWG H8Rs. Is that as
the lunatics call “FAIR and BALANCED”? This is an ATL paper with more than enough ink and manpower devoted to covering the BUTTLICKERS for YEARS!
This “fool” calls for his job just as ANY ADULT who is not cutting the mustard to be FIRED!
As far as Garner, his recruiting will be missed if they run him off. What will jawja miss if they run off Richt or Slingblade Bobo? Perhaps, two guys the ole boys in GA love to see at the golfcourse or the racetrack or the church.
Coaching isn’t acceptable here, rubbing elbows with the good ole boys is!
wildbill
November 29th, 2010
3:54 pm
After UGA got a total of 9 yards rushing in 10 tries during the first half, I turned the tv off. Tech comes to town with a 2nd string quarterback and a running game, and we won by luck being on our side. If McGarity can’t see that, UGA football is doomed for several years to come.
AltamahaDawg
November 29th, 2010
4:00 pm
I read the headline thinking, Good an actualy look at what can specifically be addressed to improve at various positions. Then it’s just more of the same subjective cliche’ banality. Edgier, and Stronger. Yea, that’s the ticket.
guy
November 29th, 2010
4:01 pm
The bottom line is how determined is CMR to reach back and go for the gusto again.In most cases,once that edge is gone or the fire in the belly is gone, it’s hard to ever get it back. Some coaches have made so much money like CMR has that they really don’t have to coach anyway.
guy
November 29th, 2010
4:02 pm
Enter your comments here
Thuga Nation
November 29th, 2010
4:02 pm
How about getting rid of them thugs, thats a start.
guy
November 29th, 2010
4:03 pm
THE OFFENSE IS NOT THE PROBLEM AT UGA!
DawginLex
November 29th, 2010
4:07 pm
Aggressive play calling instead of playing not to lose.
Don’t be afraid to run the score up.
At least 2, if not 3 JUCO big d-linemen to anchor the middle so the 3-4 can work.
Richt needs to go back to calling plays and make Bobo the QB coach only.I give them both credit for developing Murray but the seat is so hot now that Richt must make these tough decisions.
Convince AJ and JH to return for their senior seasons wouldn’t hurt either…………….
Spike
November 29th, 2010
4:07 pm
Hire Randy Shannon as a defensive coach!!
Sleeper Service
November 29th, 2010
4:09 pm
What I find truly amazing is that most of you
bashing our play this year seem to miss the
fact that there is another team on the other side of the line.
This isn’t xbox man! Every play isn’t going the distance.
Bo
November 29th, 2010
4:13 pm
HotDawg, you are right about the playaction. However after Green came back, Bobo started using the playaction on pass plays to set up the run. What I mean to say is that they would fake the handoff on a pass play then come back a few plays later and run the same formation but actually hand the ball off. It was the first time I can remember seeing the playaction set up the run and it has been a strategy the last 4-5 games. I think it has showed good playcalling and adaptability. I shouldn’t say that too loud because killing Bobo and Richt are the Vouge thing to do amongst GA fans.
Fan of the Game
November 29th, 2010
4:16 pm
Simple – GATA and I mean UGA players when they loaf and make mental mistakes over and over again!
Stevie
November 29th, 2010
4:20 pm
First-Richt has to find his inner Woody Hayes. Stop the off field issues before they happen.
Second-The new defense was a disaster. It’s all about the coaching. That’s a must fix Georgia State will have a better program.
Third-Learn to finish the fight.Finish the drill motto is all well and good but is about 60 minutes of football. It’s about the final play, the final push, and the last stand. They were never out of it in most of their losses. They were a much better team, but the way they played Tech just showed they don’t know how to finish the fight. Richt has to take repsonibility. Maybe get mad a litte, yell at the defensive coaches, make a show. Take away their headsets. Just do something.
AltamahaDawg
November 29th, 2010
4:22 pm
Too bad bill, hey had like 120 on the next 10. I know you are sorry that you missed that. And I’m sure McGarity sees well enough to figure out where fans that brag about turning off the TV at halftime of the tech game figure into the equation.
HotDawg
November 29th, 2010
4:25 pm
Bo
Thanks for the insight, that makes me feel a little better. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why we play actioned so much especially with a young qb. Thanks!
BOBBY MIZELLE
November 29th, 2010
4:25 pm
Coach Richt is a fine man and a good coach. However, he will never,ever lead Georgia to a NCAA Championship or even get close. Just not a good leader, who can motivate the talent that Georgia is able to get. A Christian man who is a very poor disciplinarian. He could be a great coach in a small school that is in a weaker conference.
Dawg Tired
November 29th, 2010
4:28 pm
Get a good DC for about $500,000 and use the other $250,000 to buy a player like Cam Newton (for more than one year).
.500 ball
November 29th, 2010
4:33 pm
UGA = 11-10 in it’s last 21 games …mediocrity at it’s best
Go Dawgs!
November 29th, 2010
4:41 pm
The Dawgs problems can be fixed with 3 positions:
1. We need a space eating big time 3-4 Nose – either a Mount Cody type OR a strong high motor guy like Fairley. Geathers back from injury next season can serve as backup and Tripp and Tyson can be moved to DE where they are more of natural fits for the 3-4. Toby Jackson fits this mold if we can get him to re-commit out of juco
2. We need a homerun RB that teams will fear. Isaiah Crowell could definitely be the answer, but we’ve got to get him on campus. Jackson and Crowell will be Richt and co.’s biggest recruiting battles and are must wins. Crowell can have the same impact that Lattimore had for SC this year.
3. If AJ leaves (which is likely) we need to hit a homerun with 1-2 WRs this class. And we need top guys that can come in and play right away. No offense to King, Troupe, and Brown, but they’ve had chances to step up and simply haven’t. All have shown glimpses of potential, and can definitely be role players, but they NEED a couple of young hungry high profile WRs to come in and push them. I wouldn’t be afraid to go the juco route here as well.
Obviously if we could get J.Houston to come back for his senior season that would be huge as well, if not I’d look for a juco replacement.
The word this offseason SHOULD be JUCO. We are too close and don’t have time to wait on recruits to grow up for the 3-4. Saban did it with great success at Bama, we just need a few stop gaps until Granthum can get his recruits in.
This without a doubt will be Richt’s most important offseason recruiting wise to date.
Mobile Dawg
November 29th, 2010
4:41 pm
What do we have to do to send CMR to Miami? I’ll even help move him down…We need Harbaugh, Mullin or Peterson. I would think we could get one for what we’re paying Richt!
From Where I Sit
November 29th, 2010
4:43 pm
How about win a few NC’s?
This team as always been a mediocrity team in the SEC. Yeah, every blue-moon it will win the conference, but it has on had a chance to play for a NC ONCE in thirty years. Therefore, it is an average if anything program.
Enough Said!
Alabama | MrSEC.com
November 29th, 2010
4:43 pm
[...] could hurt on that front.13. Meyer also wants the Gators to be tougher.14. This writer has the prescription to fix what ails Georgia.15. UGA’s basketball team salvaged its trip to the Old Spice Classic with a win over [...]
The Owl of Prophecy
November 29th, 2010
4:50 pm
You can only fix something if it’s repairable. What many of you Richt defenders are proposing is just treating a symptom. To really solve the problem, you have to fix the root cause; that’s why UGA needs to clean house. There’s just too much wrong…attitude, blind loyalty, recruiting, coaching, game-planning, conditioning, and incompetence.
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
4:50 pm
recruiting for the 3-4 isn’t as simple as a few (3) JUCO big guys to line up front. You also need to back 4 guys to be both big and quick. Quick enough to blitz without showing it until the ball is hiked and big enough to hit the gap when the linemen are double teamed (as GT was doing all night). I haven’t seen any semblence all year to a UGA defense looking like a 3-4.
Sleeper Service
November 29th, 2010
4:50 pm
Didn’t ending your posts with “enough said” go out around the same time
the Dawgs last won a National Title?
Go Dawgs!
November 29th, 2010
4:55 pm
Just curious- We lost 3 games by 7, 2 , and 3 pts respectfully. If we’d won those games and were currently sitting at 9-3 with a chance to face Auburn in a rematch in the SEC championship game would everyone still be calling for Richt’s head? Honestly.
Considering a new D scheme, a redshirt QB, and missing our best offensive weapon the first 4 games, I don’t think people realize that we’re not that far off. The biggest lost we faced was on the road to the number 1 team by 18pts (and one of those scores was a late garbage TD). The next one was a 12pt loss to SC early in the season without Green and in Murray’s 2ND CAREER START!!!
It’s going to be so funny seeing a lot of “so-called” Dawg fans having to eat crow next season.
NW GA Dawg
November 29th, 2010
4:56 pm
I have a question about the strength program as compared to other schools. Do other schools encourage the use of HGH and other performance enhancing substances that are not banned (or is HGH banned by NCAA?)? If other schools do, does UGA? Just curious if this could be making a difference.
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
4:58 pm
Recruiting for the 3-4 is a bit more than just a few beefy JUCO players for the front 3. It takes some beef and speed for the back 4. Big enough to fill the gap when it opens yet quick enough to blitz the QB without giving it away until the ball is snapped. For it to work to perfection, all 7 positions HAVE to be the right person. We were lucky to have 3 this year. One is likely leaving for the draft
Go Dawgs!
November 29th, 2010
4:59 pm
Mobile Dawg
November 29th, 2010
4:41 pm
What do we have to do to send CMR to Miami? I’ll even help move him down…We need Harbaugh, Mullin or Peterson.
You mean MULLEN or PATTERSON?
You lose credibilty when you can’t even spell the names of the coaches you’d like to see as replacements!
Careful what you wish for you might just get it only to regret asking for it in the first place.
We have some of the BIGGEST fair weather fans I’ve ever seen.
46-40
November 29th, 2010
4:59 pm
I don’t like you Bradley, but you are right in this article.
The Owl of Prophecy
November 29th, 2010
5:00 pm
ARdawg…you are correct. It also takes a coach that knows what he’s doing, too. For $750,000, we could have done a lot better and not try to fit round pegs in square holes.
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
5:03 pm
GO DAWGS
That answer is no. But, we didn’t win those games. The problem here is we rise to the level of talent we are playing. SC and AR game could have went either way although “we” could have beaten them. We should never have lost to CO and Missy ST. We shouldn’t have been beaten by the worse Fla team in decades and the GT game should have been a blowout. The inconsistency level of play is coaching
TXDawg3
November 29th, 2010
5:03 pm
Have you noticed that CMR’s loudest critics, that so frequently call for him to be fired, have never coached or played a game of football? Some might say, “well, I played in high school…” and your point is?
Leave him alone. If you were capable of doing the job better, someone would give you the opportunity.
Go Dawgs!
November 29th, 2010
5:04 pm
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
4:58 pm
We have J.Jones and R. Samuel at two of the LB spots next year. The key to the 3-4 is having a front 3 that can push the pocket allowing LBs to shoot the gaps or drop back into coverage and rush the corner or safety.
That’s the beauty of the 3-4 you never know where the pressure is going to come from, but everything starts with front 3 particularly having a big physical nose that warrants a double team. Our noses this season are more built for the DE position in the 3-4. Get a TRUE 3-4 nose and it helps all 3 positions, all 7 if you include the LBs who will be more effective.
Lindsey
November 29th, 2010
5:05 pm
In response to the caption under the picture, I think anytime you beat a rival is reason to celebrate, GO DAWGS!!
NW GA Dawg
November 29th, 2010
5:07 pm
Speakin of nose tackles, why was Kwame Geathers limited in play. He’s a big body. Is he just not that good? Injured? I think Tyson played every snap the other night, and that was a bunch.
9-1
November 29th, 2010
5:07 pm
DEFENSE is the ISSUE we will not win the SEC until we return to solid hard nose slap yo momma if needed defense. If you score 28-30 points it should be a win, the last 3-4 years we have had to sweat to the end and even lose games in which we scored 30 points, what a joke. Gratham is not the answer the defense did not improve all year, I am sick of the system is new and he does not have his players excuse, after 12 games they should have made some type of improvement but FAILED to do so…
ARdawg
November 29th, 2010
5:08 pm
Owl
Did it p!$$ you off to see GT manhandling that 3 man front and no help from the back? Gashing us to no end? TG never adjusted that the whole game. They stepped up like they were going to blitz then backed off before the ball was snapped. One would think when you suspect they are running to at least stay forward and fill the gap
NW GA Dawg
November 29th, 2010
5:09 pm
Where has Kwame Geathers been? He’s a big body. Is he just not very good or been hurt? Tyson played every snap the other night. He had to be exhausted after 90+ snaps.
Go Dawgs!
November 29th, 2010
5:10 pm
TXDawg3
November 29th, 2010
5:03
Well said! The lack of football acumen amongst SOME of our fans is scary sometimes!
Surprised
November 29th, 2010
5:11 pm
You can’t fix stupid…