It’s not easy to restart a program, but UGA’s Richt just might
How 'bout these young Dawgs? Isaiah Crowell on Signing Day. (AP photo by Mike Haskey)
Hoover, Ala. — His program, figuratively if not literally, was headed south. “Georgia had declined in record and in how people nationally perceived our program,” Mark Richt said. “I realized that.”
That was important. Realization that you’re going wrong is the first move toward making things go right again. But such knowledge isn’t always the precursor to change. Fact is, it’s harder to recapture momentum than to build it in the first place.
“You can get it back,” said Richt, speaking before his appearance before the full body of the SEC media here Thursday. (These glitzy Media Days are like the Oscars in that there’s a pre-show for selected local and national scribes.) “There’s positive momentum around our program right now. There’s a sense of excitement. Anticipation is very high.”
He’s right. There is. Over the winter, Georgia went from being the team that couldn’t score a touchdown against Central Florida to the program that assembled a recruiting Dream Team. And here’s quarterback Aaron Murray after seeing the heralded freshmen in summer workouts: “I wasn’t sure if they were going to be that good, but they’re definitely as good as advertised. Seven or eight of them could start right now.”
For all the speculation that Richt must win big or be gone, there’s no sense, as Richt himself said, “of gloom and doom.” This team thinks it can win the SEC East. (More than a few observers, this one included, would agree.) This program has overridden the grim reality of an 8-5 season followed by 6-7 … at least for now.
Here we pause to assess reality. Tennessee won consecutive SEC championships and the 1998 BCS title; a decade later, Phillip Fulmer was pushed aside to make room for, ahem, Lane Kiffin. Florida State finished in the top five 14 seasons running but not once after 2000, which is why Bobby Bowden was jostled into retirement. Having suffered four losing seasons in five years, Penn State has since had three 11-win seasons — but that was in the Big Ten, not the SEC.
In the SEC, everything is accelerated. Terry Bowden won his first 20 games at Auburn and resigned after coaching 45 more. Tommy Tuberville, who succeeded Bowden, went undefeated in 2004 and was gone in 2008. David Cutcliffe went 10-3 at Ole Miss in 2003; the next year he got fired.
The exceptions: Bear Bryant had six-win seasons at Alabama in 1969 and 1970 but won eight of the next nine SEC titles; Vince Dooley went 5-6 in 1977 and 6-5 in 1979 but was 43-4-1 over the next four seasons. Bryant’s turnaround came when he began to recruit black players; Dooley’s came when he signed Herschel Walker.
If there’s a surge coming at Georgia, it will likewise be tied to recruiting. The Dream Team, center Ben Jones said, “was the turning point we needed. The juice is back.”
Said Richt: “The recruiting class did give us momentum, and [there was momentum] even in the class itself. So-and-so would jump on, and then so-and-so, and there was a climax at the end with Isaiah [Crowell, the Columbus tailback] and [JUCO nose tackle Jonathan] Jenkins.”
There’s another component to G-Buzz 2011, and it’s a function of Richt being bold. Opening against Boise State is a considered risk — the Bulldogs might well lose, and there’d go your buzz — that had to be taken. “That game would jolt you back into the consciousness of the college football world,” he said, and the coach is milking it as feverishly as an ambidextrous dairy farmer. (Five seconds into his opening statement to the main media body, Richt spoke the words “Boise State.”)
In Athens on Wednesday, Richt stage-managed the unveiling of the Nike-styled Pro Combat uniforms the team will sport against Boise. He pretended to throw a fit when Murray and cornerback Brandon Boykin didn’t show up — the coach even threw his notepad — only to have the two players walk into the room in full (top-secret) regalia. “There’s excitement over our uniforms,” Richt said.
If Georgia loses to Boise and then to South Carolina the next week, excitement will yield to raging speculation over how Kirby Smart will fare as the Bulldogs’ head coach in 2012. In his pre-briefing briefing, Richt was reminded by Ivan Maisel of ESPN that Sports Illustrated writer Dan Jenkins once said, “No matter how pretty a woman is, there’s somebody somewhere who’s tired of her.”
Richt laughed out loud. Then he said, “I know where you’re going with this. We’ll see how pretty we look at the end of the season.”
The guess here that they’ll look pretty darn good. The guess is that Richt will do what demonstrably great coaches have failed to do: He’ll execute a mid-course correction and take Georgia back to the top of the SEC East.
By Mark Bradley
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239 comments Add your comment
Old Dawg
July 21st, 2011
1:02 pm
Here’s hoping the turn around happens. I like having CMR as the coach. I like wins over major rivals more. I’ve written numerous times it’s impossible to win big every year, and I still believe that.
It’s just that the talent level in Georgia is too good not to have one of the nation’s great programs.
Here’s to the hope and promise for a great season!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 21st, 2011
1:03 pm
What is that? …… a Alabama fan making excuses of why they lost…… make excuses all you want for your coach who you put a trophy of outside your stadium. I think you need to shut up. We broke in a new Defense, a new QB, and had our best player suspended the first four games.
Face it Alabama had a mediocore year last year. You underperformed. You blew a 24 point lead to Auburn. You had them beat and chocked it away. Good job for a team that just put a statue of Satan outside the stadium.
Buckeye
July 21st, 2011
1:04 pm
dogs are O V E R R A T E D ! !
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 21st, 2011
1:05 pm
T R E S S E L was O V E R R A T E D !!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 21st, 2011
1:09 pm
@ Crimson and Clover
Is that a Tide fan making excuses? Sounds like it. You blew a 24 point lead to your biggest rival. That is a choke job.
You returned the most talent in the conference if not the nation and still lost 3 games. UGA broke in a new defense, new QB and played without its best player for the first 4 games. So please you go shut up.
Go make excuses somewhere else. Nobody here gives a crap about Bama. Go put up another statue of Satan when he goes 8-4 this year.
UGA_2001
July 21st, 2011
1:09 pm
Why are these Bammer rednecks replying to articles about UGA? I expect tech, but Bama? We don’t even play you cheaters often.
Ryno
July 21st, 2011
1:10 pm
If you see Paul Johnson in Atlanta, bash his head and rip the filhy, cheaters ACC Championship ring off of his finger and mail it back to the NCAA. Also, piss on Paul while he’s on the ground.
UGA_2001
July 21st, 2011
1:12 pm
I love how articles about UGA bring in a bunch of haters from random school across the country. WTF do Clempson and Wisconsin fans care about UGA? Get a life, jerkoffs.
Ryno
July 21st, 2011
1:12 pm
What’s worse for the city of Atlanta, 2 years of the Michael Vick criminal proceedings or Paul Johnson cheating throughout his tenure at Georgia Tech (and never winning a bowl game).
David Granger
July 21st, 2011
1:14 pm
I hope you’re right, Mark.
But as a long-time “bleed black and red” Dawg fan, something still bothers me:
Our recruiting classes (year-in and year-out) have been rated in the top 10 (or higher) all during Coach Richt’s tenure at Georgia.
So why should a program…with that kind of recruiting success…need to be restarted?
GT
July 21st, 2011
1:15 pm
Go back five or six years and copy the article change the date and you are looking at the same blah blah. If you have six or seven freshmen that can start right now that is telling us more about the blah blah last year then the new blah blah this year. Believe it or not I truly hope Georgia is good but I think Bradley is reading UGA copy again.
Crimson Tide
July 21st, 2011
1:15 pm
What was score the last time we played you losers?
Todd
July 21st, 2011
1:17 pm
Ryno I am a dawg fan and you are a pos. GO back to your trailer. I would be willing to bet 5k that you never attended a single class at uga.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 21st, 2011
1:19 pm
So what was the score the time before? You really wanna play that stupid game? Yeah now we see who needs to shut up. Go blow another year of wasted talent. Lets see how Satan squanders Richardson this year.
Billy Peeler
July 21st, 2011
1:24 pm
@ David Granger
re: Your 1:14
You make a valid point, and it makes wonder even further: If Mark Richt knows how to fix the problems at UGA, why did he let them develop in the first place?
DawginLex
July 21st, 2011
1:26 pm
Let’s talk about 2002 and 2007 versus Alabama if you want to play that retarded game
Geez
Go recruit the next Updyke or something
Joey
July 21st, 2011
1:34 pm
Billy Peeler – or why the statement that he was “going to study football. Cutting edge football.” only after a losing season?
crusher dawg
July 21st, 2011
1:35 pm
GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT WE STARTED TO WORRY BEFORE THE SEASON. REMEMBER WHEN WE THOUGHT A SEASON WAS GOING TO BE TOUGH. REMEMBER WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND THOUGHT ABOUT HOW GOOD THAT THEY WERE. IT MADE US LOOK AT THINGS AT SEE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR US TO WIN.
CMR is 3-1 against Bamer
July 21st, 2011
1:37 pm
Nuff said!
Steve
July 21st, 2011
1:37 pm
It would be impossible for Mark Bradley to be a bigger UGA homer.
Team has no OL. No WRs. No RBs except an out of shape freshman who likely doesn’t know how to block. Even if the defense is as good as the kool aid drinkers think it’s going to be, this team loses 4 games minimum, maybe up to 7.
DIT
July 21st, 2011
1:38 pm
This team better be concentrating on Boise St. and nothing else right now!
Richt`s Hammer
July 21st, 2011
1:38 pm
Yes I can, Yes I can, For three million I can.
Pass the biscuits. God I hope Florida doesn`t beat us too bad this year.
Richt`s Hammer
July 21st, 2011
1:42 pm
Just in Little UGA has croaked. Oh lord.
Ramblin Man
July 21st, 2011
1:45 pm
Don’t go all crazy on me UGA fans but can some rational person please explain all the hype behind the dream team? I will admit UGA got some great recruits, but UGA does that every year. How many dream team members will play this year? What are you telling the current roster since it sounds like the staff and fans have more confidence on the incoming class than you? I have asked this of sveral UGA fans I know and they all mention Crowell, who has not played a single down, and leave everything else out. I always believe UGA has potentiol every season but has failed to prove it on the field. Don’t bother mentioning that you beat GT every year as that is a weak response in the grand scheme of things.
the voice
July 21st, 2011
1:48 pm
UGA fans have no cause to accuse other football programs of cheating. They lead the SEC in incredulous practices.
bruce mac
July 21st, 2011
1:52 pm
Crimson Tide, what was the score the time before last and the time before that and the time before that?
Blackberry Cobbler
July 21st, 2011
1:52 pm
Last season– one of the worst defenses in the SEC and not able to score a TD against UCF.
This season everybody’s on the bandwagon because of a bunch of freshmen and a juco guy that have yet to play an SEC game.
I like Grantham but we’ve still got CMR and Booboo. To me, that’s the problem.
First in the East? I just don’t see it.
DawginLex
July 21st, 2011
1:54 pm
the dream team represents the 1st recruiting class brought in under the restart program under richt.
no more DUI’s
no more arrests
We might have a kid do something stupid like not go to class a couple of times but he will pay a price.
We expect 5 or 6 of these kids to play a lot in 2011, primarily for depth. They will not start except for maybe Nick Marshall at safety.
We are excited because they are being brought in with a different set of expectations. Expectations to work hard and earn your way and not be entitled just because of what you did in high school.
Make sense Ramblin Man?
Eddie
July 21st, 2011
1:55 pm
If the team goes 7-6, they have far exceeded expectations during a rebuilding year. With all the off season transfers and injuries, and losign AJ.Durham/King/Ealey/Dowtin/2 OL, Richt will be doing an amazing job to get 7 wins.
DaMan
July 21st, 2011
1:55 pm
I can see 6-6, with 2012 shaping up nicely.
Hurricane
July 21st, 2011
1:56 pm
14-0 BABY–ALL DA WAY!
DawginLex
July 21st, 2011
1:56 pm
Eddie
i predicted 8-4 or 9-3 and believe that is truly possible
10-2 is miracleville
10-2 and win the East is contract extension
Anything more and richt will probably get a statue
Prance
July 21st, 2011
1:57 pm
I’m not as sunny of an optimist as Bradley, but I do thinkw e’ll see improvement over the 6 win season. Looking at, at least 7 or 8 win season.
Stinger2
July 21st, 2011
1:58 pm
Mark Bradley: You do not allow racist comments from your bloggers. Yet you write that Bear Bryant did not win until he started recruiting black players. What do you call that statement but racism? Please answer. Thanks
Eddie
July 21st, 2011
1:58 pm
10-2???? How? Which of these 5 teams do you have Richt winning: Boise, SC, Auburn, Miss St, Florida.
Rink
July 21st, 2011
2:00 pm
Sorry, I got us beatin CC, NM, Van, Ole Miss. Win #5 against GT. Win #6 against Kent. Then I run out of wins.
Buckeye
July 21st, 2011
2:01 pm
Low Country,
Isaiah, The Annointed One II, will prove to OVER RATED.
Can you spell F U M B L E?
BarbedWires
July 21st, 2011
2:01 pm
SURE MR BRADLEY, RICHT DID SUCH AN EXCELLENT JOB RESTARTING THE TEAM AFTER FINISHIGN IN THE TOP 5 FOR RECRUTING OVER THE DECADE. RICHT’S THE ONLY GUY TO FNISH TOP 5 RECRUTING OVER DECADE AND NOT WIN A NATL CHAMP. NOT EXACTLY COMFORTING.
headley lamar
July 21st, 2011
2:02 pm
Boise, SC, Auburn, Miss St, Florida.
Boise, SC, Auburn ( they are going to be terrible ) , Miss St.
He has a winning record against all those teams.
Lose to Florida.
mUZZLED
July 21st, 2011
2:03 pm
Beat Florida and I don’t keer if we win 2 games!!!
headley lamar
July 21st, 2011
2:03 pm
Isaiah, The Annointed One II, will prove to OVER RATED.
Can you spell F U M B L E?
Gotta go to Vegas with you sometime. Bring your crystal ball will ya.
Mark Bradley
July 21st, 2011
2:04 pm
It’s a matter of record — and SEC lore — that Alabama’s resurgence in the 1970s was at least in part due to Bryant’s decision to recruit African-American players. The 42-21 loss Alabama sustained in 1970 against Southern Cal, in which Sam Cunningham was the dominant player, is widely regarded as a turning point in college football.
Nate the Great
July 21st, 2011
2:04 pm
@the voice: Please elaberate on “incredulous practices”. Are you speaking of the way we conduct business or the way football practices go?
Are you a little steamed that your trade school tries to cheat but gets caught, recruits a dumber athlete who can’t graduate, or that even with all these shennigans you still get stomped year in and year out by someone who doesn’t consider you a rival anymore?
JB
July 21st, 2011
2:05 pm
You guys can go to the Birmingham News, click on sports, and see the entire Richt Presser. Gee AJC, where are ya’ll with this. They have a real good sports page by the way
A1Saucey
July 21st, 2011
2:06 pm
Now that we got rid of AJ & Durham & King & Ealey, finally have some good offensive scorers on the team. Charles will have a record year and score 3 td’s. Look for Tavarres to score 3 td’s and have arecord year. Blake Sailors, the leading returning rusher with experience from last season, might get 5 yards and break his record. Malcome had 2 fumbles on G-Day, Branden Smith is a 1 man fumble machine. Carlton Thomas severe case of fumblitis. Aaron Murray will try and break his record and get 30 sacks and 5 int’s against Florida in 1 season!
Tide Roll
July 21st, 2011
2:07 pm
Dawg in Lex. Get four more like Brown, and you win a National Title. Georgia needs to quit trying to reinvent the wheel. They promote Joe T., bring in Kasay, and recruit non-SEC caliber players like Dabell, Dantzler, Long and Theus. This is done with the idea of “building ‘em up” in an effort to make them competitive at this level. While all this is happening, the fools pass on James Carpenter, Chance Warmack, A,J. Hawkins. Roke Watkins, JuWuan James, Brandon Shell, Antonio Richardson, Jessaman Dunker, Brandon Greene, and now,Joe Harris. You’d have to be retarded not to see a pattern in this, not to see what’s going on. Every member of the Dawgnation should be insulted , but your not, you support it. you’re happy about it. That’s why your progam will never get there. And it shouldn’t.
Rink
July 21st, 2011
2:08 pm
Losses: Boise, SC, Miss St, Tenn, Florida, Auburn
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 21st, 2011
2:09 pm
M I K E V R A B E L
The drunken LB coach who walked out on tab. Good job to get the fanbase re-energized. Way to spin that one forward.
BarbedWires
July 21st, 2011
2:10 pm
LACK OF PLAYERS HASN’T BEEN COACH RICHT’S ISSUE: GETS A TON OF DUDES TO THE NFL AND IS A TOP 5 RECRUITER. POOR GUY JUST CAN’T DEVELOP THEM.
Nate the Great
July 21st, 2011
2:10 pm
@Buckeye: Can you spell NCAA sanctions? Maybe we’ll just start with tattoo…
Have a fun year without a coach or QB. Oh and enjoy your best in-state athletes attending MICHIGAN for the next several years.
Can you spell train wreck?