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
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2010
6:13 pm
What has Harbaugh, Peterson, or Patterson ever won? A WAC title?
SuperB
November 29th, 2010
6:14 pm
2nd down and 10: MIke Bobo calls a ’straight dive” play. Over and over and over.
JB
November 29th, 2010
6:14 pm
Defense wins in the SEC…………teams march through Dawgs like Sherman marched to Savannah.
We need athletes over on that side of the ball. Look at Bama, the 3-4 works. We need players.
Come 2011 for U of Florida and wow!!
November 29th, 2010
6:15 pm
If CUM does not retire again, and if he goes 7-5 or 6-6 in 2011 ……………………they will crucify him just like they did to Zook and that chubby guy that has been a long, long time co ordinator under Joe PA ever since. They did it to Pell and another guy that I don’t recall prior to S Spurrier.
Florida has had twice the number of head coaches as UGA has since Dooley stepped down as HC.
Go Dogs.
Jim Harbaugh
November 29th, 2010
6:17 pm
Well 1eyedJack, I guess my Stanford team is ranked about 48 places ahead of UGA. And look what I’ve had to work with as compared to your esteemed coach. What have you won lately? (Besides top ten recruiting classes and the Fulmer Cup).
JB
November 29th, 2010
6:18 pm
CUM loses 5 again in 2011, you are correct, they’ll go nuts down there. Tebowless=5 L’s. I don’t know if CUM can win at that level again. Tebow made that funky offense work. rotating everyone but the band at QB will not work. Welcome to our world Gators.We’ll all up to Spurrier.
The Owl of Prophecy
November 29th, 2010
6:18 pm
Come 2011… I think you’re referring to Galen Hall and we used to own him at UGA. Just shows how senile Joe Pa is.
PHIL
November 29th, 2010
6:19 pm
It is sad and hilarious at once to see all the so called f-ans of the UGA who have zero lives other than the pride they get out of a game played by 18-20 year olds. It’s also sad and hilarious to see them talk about what SHOULD and SHOULD not be done with a college athletic program when most have barely graduated high school. I bet 75-76 Dawg was yelling for Vince to be fired the year UVA beat us 35-0 for homecoming in front of Prince Charles. That was the year before Herschel and after that everything was good again for years.
If I were a recruit and I read what the fans say in this fish wrapper about the team and its coaches UGA would be the last place on my list to attend.
Texas still loves their coaches and they aren’t even going to a bowl. There are people on this blog who think we should hire Muschamp. His defense is WAY worse than ours. What would you be saying to him if you were all Texas fans? Morons. UGA has a patent on turning them into fans.
JB
November 29th, 2010
6:20 pm
Harbaugh would not stay at UGA long…If he won, he’d be NFL bound for 5 mil a year, just say’n
PHIL
November 29th, 2010
6:21 pm
Jim Harbaugh would we also be able to play in the Pac 10? that would cure what ails us immediately. Your team is an unranked 6*6 SEC team all day any day
JB
November 29th, 2010
6:23 pm
We go to Bama to play Murray’s junior year. Hopefully we’ll be loaded when we go…..
Dawg with bag back on head
November 29th, 2010
6:24 pm
Van Halanger didn’t forget how to coach weight lifting. Long ago the rest of the SEC figured out a better way. We’re still stuck in the FSU 90’s with our coaches, offense, conditioning, and lack of off-field discipline.
JIm Harbaugh
November 29th, 2010
6:27 pm
Phil, now you know that’s not right. We would beat Vandy, Ole Miss, Tenn, Kentucky, and UGA…maybe even Florida and Miss State this year. And Tech would have gone down by at least 21 points. Doesn’t matter where we play, we’re going to a BCS bowl, not the Liberty to get beat by Central Florida.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
November 29th, 2010
6:28 pm
I’ve dumped on Mark Bradley before but he’s right this time. Strength and Conditioning is obviously second rate. CMR needs to get tough. Not sure he ever will ?
MontyP
November 29th, 2010
6:29 pm
The problem with the offense is that it is a Vanila offense. The defense always seems to know what play Georgis is about to run. This has been a topic brought up by many sports casters during Georgia games since Bobo has been running the offense. Georgia ran the short slant route once against Tech and it went for a long touchdown. I’m not sure I have seen Georgia run that play all season long. It was so successful the one time that they tried it against Tech that Georgia never called the play again the rest of the game!
It is clear that Georgia has 2 or 3 really talented players on defense but the rest are just average. I think Grantham could put this bunch in the right defense every play and the opposing offense would still do what they wanted. It is clear that in order for Grantham’s defense to work he has to get the right players into the system.
Dawg with bag back on head
November 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
Remember our brain trust are the ones that thought S’Cam would work best as a tight end. That about says it all.
GA DAWG
November 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
Way to take a random stab at it. What a loser. Thank God for Mark Bradley. He’s figured it all out in three mere points. Not very convincing, Mark. If you can’t think of anything to write, go google yourself. You talk about how UGA needs to reassess their staff… what about the AJC. Some people sure do get comfortable.
bigdawgfan
November 29th, 2010
6:38 pm
Right on Mark!! You forgot one thing though. We are losing too many in-state recruits to our neighbors. Maybe it’s time for Rodney Garner to go!!
MontyP
November 29th, 2010
6:39 pm
Crazy idea! Former Florida QB and current JU Dolphin Football Coach Kerwin Bell for Georgia Offensive Coordinator. He is an up and coming Head Coach that will find himself in Div I coaching job very soon. Might as well be as the Georgia OC.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 29th, 2010
6:40 pm
At least 4 losses next year
You can count on it
PHIL
November 29th, 2010
6:41 pm
MontyP WTF doyou think you ought to get out of an offense? Why is not 30+ points a game enough for you morons? Who cares HOW its done.
Dawg with a bag on his head. He was 3rd string at Florida. He was no good until JUCO so it’s not like the coaches at UGA are the only ones that didn’t want him. PLUS the coaches here say things like that about players they don’t want because of academic or character problems instead of throwing the kids under the bus in public. Can you see what would be happening to us now if he had cheated on several tests like he did at UF or stolen things like he did there? PULEEZE who wants him? About 5 years from now when AUburn has no football team they can always remember the 2010-11 National Championship they had stripped away.
Why some kid would come to UGA to play when they have people like you idiots here as “Fans” I have no idea.
fatboyslim
November 29th, 2010
6:43 pm
Fire Van Halanger! Just about every problem on this team comes back to him. You want an O line that is dominant, get em stronger and tougher. You want to know why we have top 10 classes that don’t pan out? They get here and just fade away because we don’t develop them like the rest of the league. I watch HS players go to other schools and turn into beast . Look at our wideouts . They look just like they did when they graduated HS. Its the same across the board. Buford has a better strength program than UGA. . Van Halanger has them 9 mths out of the year! The other coaches are having to spend half their time doing his job! Ask them. We can’t go full speed for a whole game. We’re not able. When you are soft 365 days out of the year, it shows up on Saturday. MaGarity better “help” CMR push Van Halanger out the door or show CMR the door.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 29th, 2010
6:43 pm
Friendship over the program, no changes wow
Thats fine, hope he can beat FL and Tech next year
PHIL
November 29th, 2010
6:45 pm
Jim Harbaugh you would have to show me that Stanford could beat UK. I don’t think Stanford could keep UGA under 30 and I don’t think you could keep Tech under 400 yards. Maybe they implode but not because you could stop them.
Oconeedawg
November 29th, 2010
6:47 pm
Doctor Bradley, Sir you could not fix a broken wagon toyof a 2 year old kid!
Please tell me how you know all the answers to “fix” the dawgs. I sorry but you are an idiot. The dawgs are not broken just not playing as the old dawgs!
The defense is new and will be improved if not great next season. And # 11 will be back with # 8, so I ask you what is broken? Please report fact as they happen and not cause problems! You sir are a trouble maker, I want all you readers, if you have any, to read this statement. GO DAWGS.
PHIL
November 29th, 2010
6:48 pm
FATBOY what has Buford done this year?
Wasn’t Van Halanger the coach when we won the SEC titles? Did he decide to get softer over that period of time? If you morons would just listen to what you say, you’d see how illogical it is. But then again, the definition of irrational is someone with out the ability to reason. Go figure.
reality
November 29th, 2010
6:52 pm
Solution for UGA….move to the Big East.
Top Dawg
November 29th, 2010
6:55 pm
We need much better line play on both sides of the ball. Remember 2008? We had the best “skill position” players in the nation and kept getting hammered by other schools because those other schools controlled (dominated) the line on both sides of the ball. We need better strength and conditioning too.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 29th, 2010
6:59 pm
The defense did not improve at all this year
When there is no improvement you can be sure next we will see the same
4 to 5 losses bank on it
Sleeper Service
November 29th, 2010
6:59 pm
Every year it’s the same old thing with you people.
“Fire this guy”, “Fire that guy”. Sometimes it’s right
but thank god the people who actually have meaningful
opinions don’t give these blogs any consideration.
Everyone forget how auburn was shopping a for a coach
only to have TT go 13-0? There have been a lot of
people on here debasing others integrity. The university
thankfully has displayed integrity where Mark Richt is
concerned.
Old Gold Forever
November 29th, 2010
7:08 pm
All 61 wins by the mutts are flukes.
One thing I know is that we can out-cheer you, which is better than winning and scoring homerun baskets at American football games.
Take this Dawgs
Differential X,
Differential Y,
A Square, B Square,
Integral of Pi !
Engineers Touchdown,
Engineers Yell,
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Fight like Hell!
Hunt
November 29th, 2010
7:09 pm
Georgia is too nice for big time football no killer instinct. Just want to win by 1 point. No heart when the other team fights back.
Old Gold Forever
November 29th, 2010
7:12 pm
Reality is on to something, but the dogs should move to the ACC with us. Much easier to win than in the Big East.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 29th, 2010
7:12 pm
Sleeper Service
Its real simple if there is no improvement next i.e 9 wins including a win over FL then he has failed for the money he is paid
I like Richt but GA has become a joke, with good ball players. If Richt does not want to make changes to his staff and he feels that it is best thats fine.
Im for giving him another year but another season like the last 2 and you lose to FL again then a few things should happen
He should resign
Be fired
Stop having fans pay donation money for tickets and parking or
Or he should take a %50 pay cut
BullDawgMike
November 29th, 2010
7:16 pm
CMR will get another year, and I believe he should. After next year, IF no improvment is shown, well ……I think Dan Mullins would be made an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Fred Garvin Male Prostitute
November 29th, 2010
7:16 pm
Enter your comments here
bitter coach "bear" bryant
November 29th, 2010
7:17 pm
class the word of the day is PAIN!!!!!!!!!! thanks for asking, but i did win all my N.C. by putting my players through hel–, this is not a game for puss—-y yaaaaw. only the strong SERVIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. tcu has a mean coach, boise st has a as—- hole for a boss coach, nice guys finish last, so stop bit—hing yaw and put some fath in our new A.D., PS miami will offer soon, if richt stays he needs someone to provide direction, (lessons on howl to be a hard noise S.O.B during practice yaaaaw). practice makes perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 29th, 2010
7:17 pm
Old Gold Forever
Are you serious
You call out UGA fans and you cannot even fill a high school stadium which was also talked about by the ESPN anouncers
You fight, come on with that crap
Fred Garvin Male Prostitute
November 29th, 2010
7:19 pm
These are the same stupid knee-jerk reactions that put a muslim in the whitehouse.
Old Gold Forever
November 29th, 2010
7:19 pm
But we have free hotdogs and cokes and I love the extra leg room when I have 30-40 rows open in front of me.
Old Gold Forever
November 29th, 2010
7:20 pm
Also, we have the leading Heisman contender in Josh Nebiitt.
MPK
November 29th, 2010
7:21 pm
In the beginning of the year, we had no leadership. Murray grew into that….The offense got better but the defense did not seem to improve that much. I do not know if the DC is the right answer but I believe coaching the basics seems to be a problem. Remember a few weeks ago we lost some fumble opportunities because we tried to pick the ball up and run instead of falling on it? We did the same thing this week.
MB is right, defensively we do not seem tough.
Reality check
November 29th, 2010
7:21 pm
Oconee Dawg
Actually you are playing like the “OLD DAWGS”. UGA has averaged just over 7 wins and just under 4 losses the last 20 seasons. Don’t have your expectations so high. The way I see it you are just one win under your 20 year average in 2010.
Old Gold Forever
November 29th, 2010
7:21 pm
Less people in the seats leaves more room for me and the guys to play dungeons and dragons and talk about one day scoring with chicks (or a tranny – we’re not picky)
Larry
November 29th, 2010
7:27 pm
I’m a Georgia fan but don’t understand the shock about being non competitive in the SEC. Since 83 the Dogs have only won the SEC 7% of the years from 1983-2010 (2 times in 28 years). If and when they ever win it again should be when everyone is surprised.
UGA ALUM
November 29th, 2010
7:27 pm
UGA needs a first-rate coach, not someone who’s in the bush league.
UGA ALUM
November 29th, 2010
7:31 pm
“Male prostitute,” better a muslin in the white house than a klu klux clansman like you. And, “prostitute?” Who would pay you for anything but sloppy, racist pigs, which I’m sure you are. Wanna meet and challenge me. We only need half-way intelligent people to respond regarding UGA, not idiot fools like you.
Delbert D.
November 29th, 2010
7:34 pm
@MontyP 6:29 – “It is clear that Georgia has 2 or 3 really talented players on defense but the rest are just average.”
Georgia defense losses from the depth chart.
Starters
—————-
DE Dobbs – 4 stars
LB Gamble – 3 stars
LB Houston* – 4 stars
LB Dent – 4 stars
Backups
————-
DE Wood – 4 stars
DE Tripp – 4 stars
LB Hebron – 5 stars
CB Cuff – 4 stars
Shouldn’t the defense have been a *lot* better?
*Assumes that Houston declares for the NFL draft
Dawg with bag back on head
November 29th, 2010
7:34 pm
Phil,
The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Delbert D.
November 29th, 2010
7:36 pm
“better a muslin in the white house”
Oh, no! A Linen is sure to be next!