Mark Richt gives a doubting Bulldog Nation reason to believe
Bottom line: A lot of Georgia folks still like this guy. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Here’s one case of goodness being its own reward. The events of this offseason have reminded us that it was never this coach Georgia fans had come to dislike; it was only this coach’s diminishing record. Mark Richt has given those folks reason to believe the record is subject to sudden change, and the cloud of gloom that figured to shroud the 2011 season has all but lifted. (At least for now.)
Georgia folks are optimistic. Cynics among us will insist that Georgia folks are always optimistic until reality descends — then they’re ready to fire their coach. After the Bulldogs lost to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl to finish 6-7, there were a couple of anxious days when some who know the inner workings of the program weren’t certain Richt would keep his job. But here he is, and he’s not acting like a coach about to get canned.
He’s cheerful, almost aggressively so. “I plan on having a hell of a year,” Richt said last month.
In public appearances across the state, he has been greeted not with skepticism, but with an enthusiasm that has redoubled. It’s as if Georgia fans spent the winter contemplating life without Richt and concluded they still want this guy as their coach. They just want him to win more games.
Toward that end, Richt won big on signing day. The “Dream Team” might prove to have been overblown — recruiting classes often are — but there can be no denying that its compilation came at the exact right moment. Georgia fans were wondering if their program still mattered, and the addition of a half-dozen major prospects delivered the message that it does. But there was another component to this offseason, this having to do with Richt himself.
His constituency had come to wonder if winning meant as much to him as it does to them. His answer came in measured steps, but it was the answer Georgia folks wanted. Richt re-assigned strength coach Dave Van Halanger, often described as his best friend, and replaced him with fierce lifetime Bulldog Joe Tereshinski. The mat drills that were Van Halanger’s staple, the exercise routine that had spawned the Richtian slogan “Finish the Drill”? They were dropped.
So was Washaun Ealey, the running back of great promise who kept losing his way. Gone, too, is Caleb King, another hyped runner who failed to meet obligations. “Some of [the departing Bulldogs] left because they wanted to leave,” Richt told the Bulldog Club of Metro Atlanta. “Some we helped out the door.”
A bit later, Richt conceded: “I might not be as patient as I once was.”
This drew the loudest applause of the night, and in that moment it was possible to believe that this coach might well stay in place another 10 years. For all the criticism he has received, nobody who knows Richt wants him to fail. The personal affection Georgia fans have for this coach has been, if not a game-winner, then at least a game-changer.
As of this month, the elements that make up Georgia football have again come into alignment: The coach has been reborn, the players rededicated, the fans re-energized. “You’re either on the bus or you’re not,” Richt said that rainy night in Atlanta. (He has spoken the same words other places.) “If you’re not, you need to get off. If you are, great — now let’s go have some fun.”
Recent seasons have drained the joy from Georgia football. This figures to be the year the fun returns. Unless the Bulldogs lose to Boise State and South Carolina. But they won’t.
By Mark Bradley
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116 comments Add your comment
Producer
August 27th, 2011
6:12 pm
“But he’s such a good man…: Thought we better get that one out of the way before the season begins.
Martin the Calvinist
August 27th, 2011
6:21 pm
I think we at least find a way to split the first two, honestly unless there’s some type of surprise that comes from either MSU, UT, or UF, I don’t know why we don’t win all those games that are left. This could be a great bounce back season. Go Dawgs!
dentaldawg
August 27th, 2011
6:21 pm
First to proclaim first, altho not actually first
BDawg
August 27th, 2011
6:27 pm
I believe deep down that the majority of our Bulldog nation would like for coach Richt to succeed and stay in place for the long haul. You can’t have a better representative for a university than Richt. Let’s go out and have a great season! Go Dawgs!
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
August 27th, 2011
6:29 pm
“You’re either on the bus or you’re not,” Richt said that rainy night in Atlanta.
I believe he meant to say, “You’re either on the bus or you’re on a scooter.” Scooter riding has become very controversial for this football team. Coach Richt wants us to ride the bus but it is hard to convince some of these guys (especially the running backs) that there’s a better way to get around than on a scooter. We scoot this state.
wag
August 27th, 2011
6:30 pm
Wow, Mark. That’s a great read man! A great read!!!!!!!!
Kool aid drinkers galore
August 27th, 2011
6:31 pm
energy vampires “,Get on tha Bus” mantra and so forth and so on once again sounds good. Ivs seen that movie too ….. Richt will be toast when he goes 0 – 2 and lose to the gators in another beatdown. Sorry folks I aint buying it.
drbasic
August 27th, 2011
6:33 pm
I just hope the defense is not so “amped” up that the first time they put a slobberknocker on Moore, they don’t get a 15 yard unsportsman penality…but then again…..
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
August 27th, 2011
6:33 pm
Filtering a little dog is not nice.
Bill King is a boob
August 27th, 2011
6:34 pm
Better D Line and a little more blitzing will help the secondary. Richt and all the coaching staff know this is a make or break year. I’d say he cant afford to be patient anymore if he wants to keep coaching in Athens. I do believe him when he says, “I’m planning on having a helluva year.” I plan on it too. Cant wait to get this season rolling next weekend!!!! And, I’m ready to see Richard tote that rock…..that ball aint that heavy!!! Ready to see our badarse linebackers bust some arse too!!!!! And for you so called UGA fans who are doubting this team…..you can always go pull for TECH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Willie
August 27th, 2011
6:35 pm
Miss me yet? I think UGA continues the late hits and arm tackling.
Bill King is a boob
August 27th, 2011
6:35 pm
This is going to be a special year for the DAWGS!! And for those of you people who claim to be UGA fans but are doubting this team……you can always go pull for TECH!!!!
Dosta Dawg
August 27th, 2011
6:37 pm
THis is going to be a helluva year for our team! This is going to be one of those special seasons that longtime great memories are made of. And for those of you who claim to be UGA fans and are doubting this team and coaching staff…………..YOU CAN ALWAYS GO PULL FOR TECH!!!
Badgerina
August 27th, 2011
6:39 pm
Good luck Coach Richt. I badly want you to succeed and be our coach till you retire.
GO DAWGS!!!
Producer
August 27th, 2011
6:39 pm
“They just want him to win more games.” Ya think?! Bradley, You’re another Richt sycophant. Are you sure you weren’t the one who went with Richt into those jungles of Central America this summer spraying him with OFF and adjusting his mosquito netting? Thought that was Steve Hummer but I could be wrong. And most football fans tend to dislike a loser coach’s “diminishing” record. The majority of Dawg fans do not want this loser still at the helm. They wanted him gone two years ago. The fawning press he receives isn’t deserved or warranted. The only person who “should have been helped out the door” was himself. And that’s classy, too, Richt, to blame your players. General Patton, you ain’t. And I can’t tell you how excited I am that he re-signed the damn strength coach! Wowow!!!! We’re bound to go 12-0 after that.
Dirty Dawg
August 27th, 2011
6:40 pm
Hey kool-aid…we don’t give rip whether you’re buyin’ it or not…if you’re a Bulldog then just shut your yap…if you’re not then do whatever you like since we won’t be paying any attention to you anyway…get it? If not then get out.
destin dawg
August 27th, 2011
6:45 pm
Richt is a great guy…. glad to have him… want Urban Meyer ??? Steve Spurrier ??? Saban ??? No thanks.. we.ve had a couple bad seasons…. Bear Bryant did too….. watch the 1st 2 games then we’ll know…. Go Dawgs !! can’t wait !!
chickenman
August 27th, 2011
6:46 pm
TIME TO BEAT THE SMUFS! IN RICHT WE TRUST
Kool aid drinkers galore
August 27th, 2011
6:51 pm
Hey dirty dawg….. put your money where your trap is and bet the house that Richts goes 2 – 0……. Yeah thats what I figured, another Richt apologist blowin hot air.
GT techie
August 27th, 2011
6:54 pm
hey we’re on here cause we dont have a life.. scared to come out….. stuck in metro… muggers… sirens all night… its depressing…. got any valium ???
georgiagirl
August 27th, 2011
6:56 pm
Get on the Bus or Get off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPREAD THE RED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
intheknow
August 27th, 2011
6:56 pm
All you Florida fans need to get a dose of reality…..if you really think your beloved gators will be worth a damn this year let me point out a few facts that you gator fans always seem to leave out…1. What makes you think that Weis is going to be successful as your OC?…he failed miserably as the Head Coach and OC at Notre Dame…a school with far superior facilities than Florida has, a rabid fan base and a talent pool that covers the entire nation due to their numerous connections through their alumni base…2.I find it interesting that you gator fans point to Muschamp as your new savior…did you check out the Longhorns record last year?…how about those defensive stats…..believe me Texas was happy to get that booger off their finger….and now he and Weis are going to change the gator offense to a pro style…LOLLOLLOL…..it will never work because the talent on your roster does not fit. The gators are in for a long year…long year….they’ll lose to Fla. St….S. Carolina….Tenn…. Alabama and yes the Dawgs will beat them down in Jacksonville…..I can’t wait….
Sept3rdDawgDay!!
August 27th, 2011
7:16 pm
Richt haters need to look at the big pic. Great recruiting class, I really believe this will be a special year but Haters think about next year, Murry a junior, these new recruits could be awesome after a year in the system. Do you guys really want the coach that recruited these top guys to leave thereby insuring a season or two of rebuilding under a new coach and his new assistants? We are on the verg of some great seasons!!
FB Fan
August 27th, 2011
7:18 pm
Well pass the koolaid! CMR is throwing out more cliches than Dabo Swinney!
Sept3rdDawgDay!!
August 27th, 2011
7:21 pm
Our rivals would like nothing better than for us to lose Richt, outsiders are able to look at the big picture, emotions removed and see that the Dean of SEC Coaches has many more wins and Chamionships in him, I just hope it is in the Black and Red of UGA. All programs have down seasons it is the rebound that makes the program. I Believe!!
DAWG07
August 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
This off season has been the best in several years. Hopefully the young men are learning to do it the GEORGIA WAY. Good for the Dawgs but more so for the young men.
CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT ANYONE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY WOULD NOT PLAY FOR THE DAWGS GIVEN ALL THE POSITIVES: THE FIRST CLASS ATHENS COMMUNITY, A HIGHLY RECONIZED UNIVERSITY, and A COACH THAT YOU WOULD GLADLY SEND YOUR SON TO PLAY FOR WITH NOT RESERVATIONS. I have lived in several states, grew]up and got my B.S. in AL but none of the neighboring states/universities compares to Georgia/UGA.
Chief
August 27th, 2011
7:46 pm
Enter your comments here
Chief
August 27th, 2011
7:50 pm
Sept 3rd, it didn’t take Chizik long to win a Nat. Championship. And yes I would take Saban, Meyer, or Spurrier, all of those coaches have Nat. Championships. Until
UGA people realize it’s about winning UGA will continue to be 2nd tier.
trupert
August 27th, 2011
7:52 pm
Good take on the state of the program, Mr. Bradley.
I can’t remember the exact timing of it but when Mark Richt had that first post Bowl game press conference you could tell he seemed like a man who had the answers and you could see that he believed his words and that things were ready to turn around.
Yes, I wanted to believe in Mark Richt but I could clearly see that he was not a man who was defeated, this was a man who was determained and who believed in himself and his program.
Every thing I’ve heard from this team since points to that being true. Go dawgs!!!
Suwaneedawg
August 27th, 2011
7:54 pm
UGA has to have a good, if not great, year. No way we have 3 down years in a row. I’m on the bus and I’ll do anything I can for our Dawgs and Richt!
Sept3rdDawgDay!!
August 27th, 2011
8:14 pm
Chief, Chizik followed the rainbow and found the pot called Scam-Newton, he was lucky!! We will see how HE starts and builds a program now. Very unusual for a program to rebound from a new coaching staff in less than three years. Just saying it would be a shame to waist the talent we are sitting on because of a knee jerk emotional reaction. This may not be the best year ever, we are playing alot of “rookies” but we are nicely set up for the next couple of years.
Dawgboy
August 27th, 2011
9:03 pm
Think about it. There are some top high school coaches in this state who could have taken the talent on last year’s team to a 6 and 6 record. What we need is a coach who can take the typical UGA talent pool regularly to a 10-2 or 11-1 season. Simply find that 4 million dollar coach that is out there somewhere and bring him in. Adding a million dollars to the coaching payroll of a school that sports an 80 or 90 million dollar athletic budget and tremendous booster support shouldn’t be a problem.
Coach Grohbo
August 27th, 2011
9:25 pm
The Georgia fans have no idea what is about to hit them.
They are the new South Carolina.
Bless their hearts.
weatherdawg
August 27th, 2011
9:27 pm
Kool aid drinker and producer—–You two may have an IQ that totals 6, though I doubt it.. It is morons like you that try to spoil what the rest of truly enjoy and that is college football. Coach Richt was and is an excellent coach and even better man. If you are jealous, that is a you problem. If you don’t like someone who likes to try to live right, that is a you problem. Whatever the case, I am behind this coach and this team and that will be the case if we go 12-0 or 0-12 and I am proud of it. GO DAWGS!!!
LakeDawg
August 27th, 2011
9:32 pm
Mark, I thought I would give kudos when they’re deserved. A really fine article. I think you nailed the essence of how the Dawg nation views Richt. Personally, If it had been up to me, I would have fired CMR last year. However, I’ve always liked and respected him and want him to succeed. That’s best for him and more important its best for UGA.
SEC
August 27th, 2011
9:49 pm
Dawgboy, Richt averages almost 10 games a year, only LSU has more SEC titles over his tenure.Call yourself Jacketboy. Ten win Seasons in SEC since 2001. Auburn 3, Alabama 4 , Arkansas 2, Florida 4, LSU 6, UGA 6 , Tennessee 3. So since Richt arrived in Athens Georgia is Tied with LSU for most 10 win seasons of any program in the conference.
Sept3rdDawgDay!!
August 27th, 2011
9:58 pm
SEC, Great Post!! the numbers do not lie, I admit, I wanted Richt gone after the bowl game, but quickly realized I was responding on feelings and emotions and not the facts. Haters, look at the numbers. The Best Is Yet to Come!
aladawg
August 27th, 2011
10:17 pm
To all you ass holes putting Richt and the Bull Daws down get the hell off this blog I will guess that most of you are your mother’s brother.
invictus mon
August 27th, 2011
10:42 pm
Getting off to the idea of getting on the bus!!!!!! Naysayers can shove it!
LHarding Dawg
August 27th, 2011
10:50 pm
Coach Richt is fine and the Georgia Bulldogs are going to be fine. I’ll be seeing you at 8:00 next Saturday for the Boise win. Then after that I’ll be seeing you in Athens for the SC game. Win or lose, you have got to believe.
SecFan
August 27th, 2011
10:59 pm
Dawgs will beat Boise St., but South Carolina is a different animal. Ironic that when it looks like Georgia can turn the tables on Florida, Spurrier rises again to torture the Dawgs for the foreseeable future.
Athens Dawg
August 27th, 2011
11:09 pm
When was the last time SC had a 10 win season?
raleigh
August 27th, 2011
11:19 pm
Go Dawgs! Beat the Smurfs
Defensive Dawg
August 28th, 2011
12:31 am
In leadership circles we say… either you are a “Fire-starter” (you start passionate fires within people/you are a leader) or a “Fire-fighter” (you put out fires and kill passion in people). Many of you on our blogs are “fire-fighters” with comments such as, “don’t drink the kool-aid”, “he’s missionary/preacher man”, “anyone can coach a team to a 6-6 year”. Just very negative comments. “Fire-starters” are passionate people who believe at all costs. We as leaders strategically separate ourselves from negative “Fire-fighters”. I humbly recommend that you “get on the bus” or go root for another team. PS- I for one am drinking the Kool-aid because I know who CMR’s real Boss is that Boss tells me that I can do anything through HIM. Get on the honkin’ Bus and Spread the RED!!!!! (No DIsrespect aimed at our Actual Fire-fighters who protect our homes and lives on a daily basis) WHO-WAH!
CarefulNow
August 28th, 2011
3:41 am
Nice article, Mr. Bradley…I agree..Joy will return to Dawgville in 2011,
All Dressed Up
August 28th, 2011
6:14 am
Whatever. Just win. Thank God for easy schedules.
Brucerugby79
August 28th, 2011
6:43 am
Well said Defensive Dawg-I am so proud to have CMR as our Coach–GO DOGS–I guarantee you every other school wishes they had him.
Nub
August 28th, 2011
7:50 am
26 passes to Orson Charles last yr and AJ didn’t play in the first 4 games….. That is averaging two passes per game….. Is Bobo still calling the plays?…….. Who called for a field goal after a long drive against UCF when it was 4th and goal?…… How dare any of you comment about UGA football , must of you have never played in one football game….. Somebody else has been feeding us a lot of hope and change…… Nothing less than winning the east will save jobs in Athens…..!!!! Remember our record against the gaytors over the last 10 yrs…..
buzzDawg
August 28th, 2011
9:10 am
Dawgs go Dome to Dome in 2011.
Old Dog
August 28th, 2011
10:00 am
You can be a loyal American and have issues with the current President. You can be a loyal Dawg fan and have issues with the current Coach. I wish CMR the best this season, but I am waiting to see how it will go. There are big mistakes that have turned my stomach over the last three years, mistakes that cost us games. I look forward to a winning season this year, can CMR deliver?
Teriyaki Dawg
August 28th, 2011
10:26 am
I want a sandwich from Hooters right now!! A boob sandwich.
Producer
August 28th, 2011
10:33 am
Weatherdog, take a peek at the very first post of this blog. I figured I had better say what a great man Richt was before everyone else did it for me. Now, if you like a mediocre, uninspiring football coach at what is supposedly a top tier program, that’s your problem. Richt has many of you buffaloed with this “good man” stuff. I’m familiar with many folks who do more for the poor as far as monetary donations and commitments of persona time than this guy andddd they don’t have to wear it on their sleeves or have favorable journalists practically bl**ing them in the jungle. What Dog fans want is a winning coach and a winning team. Richt should not still be employed by my university with the record he’s given us the last three seasons.
pugweezel7
August 28th, 2011
10:46 am
lets play the games…then we can talk………………go dawgs………….
dawgit
August 28th, 2011
10:53 am
I’m cautiously optimistic. After going downhill in 2008 and 2009 I thought there was no way Richt would let that continue for 3 years in a row. Then last year happened.
Joey
August 28th, 2011
10:55 am
“nobody who knows Richt wants him to fail.”
*********************************
That is so true, Mark B. I’ve vented many times on here criticizing Richt, but most of it is his stubbornness regarding unperforming assistants. A trait that wonderful as a person, but not so much when he is an executive, which is what Richt is.
The fact that Martinez or Bobo have not naturally progressed to become head coaches somewhere seems to be lost on Richt. Just as he turned a blind eye (for a couple of years too many) to Martinez’s defenses giveing up 40+ points in big games, he now seems to not notice that Bobo’s offenses get shut down for halves (or games) at a time. 3-and-outs galore!
Hopefully Richt will be more involved and has found some new schemes and formations to sprinkle into a stale offense.
Everybody that know football, knows there will be a well-coached football team in the Dome next Saturday – Boise St.
The only question is, will there be two well-coached teams?
Numberwang
August 28th, 2011
11:02 am
There’s nobody I want to succeed more than Coach Richt. I think he’s done everything he can to turn this ship around and I think the boys will respond this year. I see much more wins this year than last.
Kool aid drinkers galore
August 28th, 2011
11:03 am
Next Saturday dawg fans will witness a coach who has 2 & 3 star players out coach a guy with 4 and 5 star players. Peterson will give Richt and Mike Bozo a clinic. Sad……..
Homepage | MrSEC.com
August 28th, 2011
11:05 am
[...] Mark Bradley: “This figures to be the year the fun returns.” Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree on Mark Richt: “He’s a lot different from last [...]
Sept3rdDawgDay!!
August 28th, 2011
11:11 am
Kool aid drinkers galore, are you a dawg fan, seriously, are you?
crow eater
August 28th, 2011
11:21 am
One thing for certain is that there will be a lot of crow eaters win or lose come Saturday in dawgie land.
Richt farewell tour
August 28th, 2011
11:23 am
begins in 6 days. Be there!
Mr. Tater head
August 28th, 2011
11:32 am
UGA will get spanked in their new ghetto gear 47 – 9.
War Dang Dawg
August 28th, 2011
11:47 am
He’s such a good man. At least I think he is. I don’t really know him, and the players he recruits often turn out to be bad actors. But he does appear to be one hell of a guy.
Now, can he coach? After 10 years that’s still in doubt. This should be Richt’s last year to establish that he is the right man for this job.
H-Town Dawg
August 28th, 2011
12:32 pm
LMAO @ the stealth nerds hatin’ on the Dawgs! CMR and the Dawgs are taking care of business this season. Choke on that, energy vampires!
GO DAWGS!!!
RedandBlackDAWG
August 28th, 2011
12:44 pm
UGA should be proud to have a man like CMR as head coach. For fans that think that the world revolves around just winning the NC each year, no coach will be good enough for them.
Team performance is cylical for every team and rough stretches should be expected for any team some time or another. Do you think Saban expected to lose the games he did last year. Except for the Auburn fans, do you see a lot of the “Fire Saban” crowd on blogs? UGA blogs have a lot of Tech. fans posing under different handles trying to be negative about UGA. 1 out of 10 wins in the last 10 years and they come onto a blog and spout negative things about UGA. At least be significant in the big picture before you make yourself a target of disdain.
I think most die hard fans of UGA want CMR to succeed and believe he will. He is not without reasoning powers and he will get the ship turned around and will make changes as they are needed.
GO DAWGS and GATA
Producer
August 28th, 2011
12:58 pm
I’ll take the temperment of Vince Lombardi, Woody Hayes or The Bear any day over the saintly Richt. Winning or at least the attempt or drive to win and the achievement of athletic excellence is all that matters on the football field. Off the field, feel free to go drive nails into a Habitat for Humanity House with Jimmy Carter.
OldFan
August 28th, 2011
1:35 pm
Getting on the bus and all this other stuff are fine, but we’re a program that’s been in decline. if it’s going to be different, it has to be different on the field. I’m a CMR supporter, but he has to produce a team that plays fundamentally sound football and executes to the level of its athleticism. We have too many good athletes not to be playing at a more competitive level. So, it’s time, CMR. Prove you’re the coach we want you to be.
suwanee dawg
August 28th, 2011
2:02 pm
This off season, Richt has done what he needed to do until now. Strong recruiting, new attitude, fewer off field issues,and new S&C coach. I hope he stays for another ten years. The only thing he needs to address is the questionable play calling from Boo Boo and the general lack of creativity on offense. Hard to believe we are all excited after 6-7, but I think we sense some change. These 12-0 comments are a bit strong and silly, but I think we all look forward this fall to 4 quarters of smash mouth football with discipline and control. GATA.
WDE
August 28th, 2011
2:09 pm
@Producer how’s that win at any price working out at the U or Ohio State, North Carolina etc fans with your pompous overbearing grasping outlook are a big reasons these coaches and programs feel the need to cheat to win. I’m glad CMR is our coach I hope he can move us in the right direction, if not we will have to make a change but I would never want to replace him with a person that put winning ahead of all else..its a short term plan that has very long term ramifications.
Reese
August 28th, 2011
2:28 pm
Mark,
I’d say there’s a low level of optimism. Richt has underperformed AP Preson Poll 4 out of last 5 seasons. 20% chance top 15 or better.
http://www.pollspeak.com/data/over-underrated-2010-AP-5-Year-OtoU.htm
Richt’s #5 on Coach’s hotseat.
http://www.coacheshotseat.com/MarkRicht.htm
So you think folks feel optimistic about Richt?
SOUTHGADAWG88
August 28th, 2011
2:29 pm
We shall find out in 6 days what’s what…looking forward to it.
Reese
August 28th, 2011
2:33 pm
Go Dawgs, Sic Em, woof!
CEPH
August 28th, 2011
2:34 pm
I have just watched Stafford dismantle NE. What a tragedy, if he had played for anyone other than Saint Richt and Boo Boo he would have won the heisman!!! Whats worse is Richt even dissed him.
All those players we put in the NFL and we have nothing to show for it .
Reese
August 28th, 2011
2:46 pm
I’m optimistic. But we have beaten the preseason AP poll only once in 5 years. Maybe this is the year. Yahoo!
Bo
August 28th, 2011
2:56 pm
I’m not as optimisitic as 9-3. I’d like to see a change in the direction though, 5-7 wouldn’t work. to me, I think you have to set up reachable goals. 7-5, that’s an improvement, and a doable goal. AD McGarity said he just wants too see some improvement. 9-3 is setting too high of an expectation, we don’t wan to add pressur eon the boys or the coach. Let’s just get better boys.
I figure 4 wins against Ole Miss, Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State, and Vanderbilt for sure. Other 3 wins should be against all the 6-7 teams: Tenn, Kent, G Tech.
7-5.
REAL DAWG'S N FALCONS FAN
August 28th, 2011
3:12 pm
Any person or member of BULLDAWG Nation that want’s to fire coach Richt is plainly an idiot. Do we care to revisit life before Richt ?there might come a time when the dawgs need a new coach ,I do not believe that time is in the near future.here is a coach that graduates his players,and has done a very good job as head coach.If you are a what have you done for me lately person,then maybe you should find another team to fufill your expectation’s! the dawgs will win big again with coach richt end of story.if you want coach to be fired you are entiled to your opinion,i’m proud to say the dawgs are my team win or lose,look around people auburn,lsu miami ohio state all are being investigated by ncaa,and their players don’t graduate.Richt is not just a coach ,he is a very important role model for all UGA to be proud of ,and I’m glad he’s our coach.GO DAWGS!
Snoop Dawg
August 28th, 2011
3:21 pm
We should change the name from Bulldog Nation to the Koolaid Nation. Ole Preacha Man’s making that elixir of mirage again… Wonder how many reasons he’s already thought up to explain the disappointment that comes along with the hangover…
The Energy Bus–that’s funny. I’m gonna keep my binoculars on Richt a lot this year on the sidelines to see if he’s on the energy bus this year. If he is, it’ll be a first as he has modeled himself after the Buddha with his emotionless persona on the sidelines up till now. We’ll see if he provides any emotional energy for his players on the sidelines. Then we’ll see if he’s on the energy bus, or if we are all on another bus to Abilene with da Preacha Man…
Jake
August 28th, 2011
3:21 pm
Real Dawg, no one wants Richt fired, but if he doesn’t have a big year, it’s not the end of the world to get a new coach. Look at what new coaches did at Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Miss St, Auburn.
Teriyaki Dawg
August 28th, 2011
3:29 pm
I wish Hooters delivered….food and s e x
ChemDog1
August 28th, 2011
3:33 pm
7 losses was tough last year, but it gives us a reason to believe!
Producer
August 28th, 2011
3:37 pm
WDE, where did I say anything about getting a cheating coach? Give me a coach who can motivate the players by any means including the players actually being scared of the coach. Now there’s a novel idea!!
RRXsing
August 28th, 2011
3:41 pm
#1 We have had top recruits fr years, top 5 over last decade in recruiting, yet went 6-7 last seaosn so that didn’t help.
#2 If having big guys was key, Nebraska would win the Champship each year. If endurance runnign was key, track stars owuld be recruited exclusively, and they’re not.
#3 If certain players leaving made the team better, the team should have won more games after Zach Mettenberger left. But they didn’t.
After years of watching Coach Richt try to make changes to win more games, only to fail in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010, going from 11 wins to 10 to 8 to 6, I’ve come to agree with so many others that Coach Richt really doesn’t know what changes to make, and when he gets that right, he can’t follow it through until it shows up on the field.
that said, I expect the team to finish better than last year. And I do hope I’m wrong, but history points elsewhere.
Tone
August 28th, 2011
3:43 pm
I don’t like the direction of wins over last 3 years, but hopeful, because it can’t get worse, right?
Fire Mark Richt!!!
August 28th, 2011
4:02 pm
In recognition of the start of the 2011 season I’d like to be the first to express my outrage.
UGAer
August 28th, 2011
4:35 pm
Class is having one of your players contact the opponent’s head coach and taunt him. Probably should have the whole team do that. I think Richt has used that before and it worked (sort of). All of the UGA fans should do a preemptive apology to Boise State so they know what to expect from you. Boise fans get ready for some delusional DOG fans that will be obnoxiously drunk, peeing in every corner of the dome and spouting how they are a national championship contender. When it’s over they do not say “good game” but “you stole it from us” or “the referees blew the game”. Plus “fire coach Richt”. They are what’s know as fair weather fans. GO UCF!!!
Bangler
August 28th, 2011
5:41 pm
a) ga as a state, good to recruit in, didn’t help last year, see 7 loss record, been in top 5 for decade
b) kicking mett off last year didn’t help team win more games–ask 11-1 Butler Community College
c) adding more pounds and running more miles won’t cure anything–ask Texas last year
SEC Fan
August 28th, 2011
5:56 pm
Bradey,I think I would wait until the season is over before proclaiming Richt to be the “comeback kid”. Of course, 8 wins will be good enough for Adams, McGarity and a lot of the UGA fan base, esp. if one of those wins is UF.
Georgia to Meet Its Doomsday
August 28th, 2011
6:34 pm
The Georgia Bulldogs will meet its DOOMSDAY and the Beginning of the END for CMR when they play Boise State…..We will be playing the Boise State Fight Song all over the state in celebration of the defeat of the DAWGS and especially the defeat of CMR….Good Riddance CMR!!!!!!!
I want CMR to FAIL
August 28th, 2011
6:39 pm
I want CMR to fail and to fail like the LOSER he is….he can not coach nor manage nor motivate a team to win……and it will surely show up in the major blowout loss to Boise State. We pray to God it will be the beginning of the end of the CMR era at Georgia.
LoganvilleDAWG
August 28th, 2011
6:41 pm
Why can’t most of the people that say they are TRUE DAWG fans support Coach Richt. You look at the 3 prior coaches & not a SINGLE ONE has a good a record as Coach Richt. I think alot of Coach Dooley but if he had not had Herschel Walker he would not have won a NC. So lets support our coach & players & win some football games. There has been a vast improvement this year vs. last year, it started the end of December & is still going on. But all of you dipsticks that think you know the program as well as college football are lost. Hey Snoop Dog instead of watching Coach Richt thru your binoculars why don’t you make some noise in Sanford stadium. It used to be a tough place to play, but not anymore. All of you so called fans just sit there & complain about the game.
So please support our HC, asst. coaches & our players, make some noise & let the other teams be afraid to play in Sanford stadium like it used to be.
FBFan
August 28th, 2011
6:57 pm
CMR is driving that bus right off a cliff. I got off at the last stop…..sorry for the rest of you.
Vampire Bill
August 28th, 2011
7:12 pm
I sure wish we could get some good football talk out of these AJC blogs instead of all the same ole stuff. How about a break down of Boise St’s strengths and weaknesses? Compare O and D lines and how we match up? It’s really a shame we’re still discussing the past down seasons and if Richt will get fired?
Even a injury report would be nice……
UCF ALUMNUS
August 28th, 2011
7:24 pm
I must’ve read fifty times in these blogs that Georgia lost last year to UCF in the Liberty Bowl. UCF was a top 25 team last year! Quit nipping at our heels and get over it. (I grew up in Atlanta and still follow the local sports).
ZinoDawg
August 28th, 2011
8:11 pm
I love the Dawgs. But no kool aid for me this year. The last time we played we got beat by UCF! UCF for god’s sake! Until they show me something against Boise State I’m going to shut up and chill. But man how I hope I am pleasantly surprised!
Bill Grogan
August 28th, 2011
8:15 pm
For sure, dogs will find out if the BS QB graduated last year.
huffsleeper
August 28th, 2011
8:49 pm
Richt is a good man and everyone is optimistic, until the first quarter of the first game and razzle dazzle has the dogs stunned. I hope UGA has a good year but I believe this will be the year to finish the drill and get a modern coach.
BKing42
August 28th, 2011
9:36 pm
I will be at the Dome Sept 3…tickets came in Wednesday…Absolutely can’t wait to kick off the football season…Let’s hold off on the whole, “Fire Richt” conversation….I will give $23 to anyone willing to bet me(that’s all I have left after spending my paycheck on these tickets) that Chizik, Spurrier, Saban(who is going into his 5th season at Bama) will not have whe winning percentage that Richt had in his 1st 5 seasons at UGA…Richt won 52 games in 5 years during 11 game seasons, people…!!!!! Now, I hate to sound like I’m living in the past…sometimes I wish I were, but the man can coach…I don’t want to make excuses for him, and I have never been one to do that but here I go…2008, UGA had 31 season ending injuries…and still won 10 games…that is insane…2009, Joe Cox…need I say more? I know the Ginger Ninja was a damngooddawg, but come on! Guy threw 4 pics trying to throw the ball out of bounds and couldn’t make it to the sideline…Not quite your prototypical SEC QB Canon!!! Last season was pitiful, but we got our asses handed to us by better teams…I don’t believe the whole, “we shoulda coulda woulda” thing…He is a winning coach…You idiots act like UGA was kicking ass when Goff and Donnan were here…Shut up!!! Florida, LSU, Bama have been better than us the last 3 years….so what…Maybe Richt can reverse the trend…Maybe he won’t! Hopefully you delusional fans will be eating crow at the end of the year…I am not going to blast the guy for the past, I just hope he gives us something to hang our hats on in the future….GO DAWGS!!!
Athens Dawg
August 28th, 2011
9:50 pm
I loved that post BKing42. Good one.
Athens Dawg
August 28th, 2011
9:56 pm
Also when will people realize that we aren’t Oregon State, VT, or anybody else that Boise has faced. We’re Georgia and believe it or not we’re a great, hard nosed football team regardless of our record last season. Boise is not going to roll over us and you’d be a fool to think they are. We’re from the SEC and Boise hasn’t fared too well vs. the SEC. We’ll see how it goes.
BKing42
August 28th, 2011
10:08 pm
I would not be going to the game if I thought it was a lost cause….UGA is gonna show up to play…9-10 times, that equals a hellova game….now…Are they gonna stay and play 4 quarters??? I would be drilling that into these players’ heads all week if I were Richt!!!! Nevada was down 2 scores at the half and they shocked the world…If UGA does what they have been training to do, they will do what They should do, and win it in a walk!!!!
Tre'
August 28th, 2011
10:09 pm
Geez fellas, perty much ANY OLE COACH can win in the SEC, new winners include Mullen, Petrino, Gene C, Saban, Miles, Meyer, SPurrier won the East last year. 6 new coaches got teams to instant winners. Need some new energy in here.
Forget the bus, the bus died, now there’s a ship,
An Dat Ship Goin Down!
Thomas Brown
August 29th, 2011
12:01 am
I do not believe that anyone in the Bulldog nation is doubting. I believe there are 2 sanctions amongst Bulldogs fans (1) those who think it is a great motivating factor to our team to tell them how great they are and who believe all Mark Richt’s lies and (2) those who believe the “coaching staff” of Mark Richt have blown it in 16 excruciating losses to teams who either didn’t finish in the AP Poll Top 25 or who would not have without their win over Mark Richt, also realizing we have Lost 9 and Won only 3 vs teams who did finish in the AP Poll Top 10 and that the players and coaches have to instead be told to motivate them to GATA.
Both sanctions know full well what we’ve been doing. I told them.
GallopingDog
August 29th, 2011
8:17 am
From my informal survey, about 40% believe Mark Richt will return for 2012. About 60% believe this is Mark Richt’s last year. I remember the survey done right here on this exact blog Jan 1, and it didn’t come out good either for Richt.
Richt would need to beat Florida first of all, and he’s only won 2 out of 10 there. then he’d need to beat Spurrier, and with Lattimore, Jeffery and Big Game Garcia, that’s a long shot. richt has to win those 2 to keep his major team Div 1 job.
Boise? Top 5 team absolutely now way. Mullen? No, Mullen just outworks you. Auburn? No, they’re on fire and they’ll pile up points, a sure way to frustrate Georgia, scored 49 last year on us. Tenn? No, last 4 home team wins.
to be honest, Richt’s lost to pretty much every ranked teams, 2 years straight now, I think he’s 2 out of 10 there. He’s just outcoached.
So 6-6, best case scdenario.
Whiskey Breath
August 29th, 2011
8:25 am
I thought you guys stated Richt never ran off anybody? That was purely Nick Saban’s domain. So what is it? A 5th year guy ( King), suddenly can’t study? Telling a recruit they will start, (Crowell) has consequences. ( Missing man formation)
Which will happen first? You dawgs will figure out Richt can’t win, or the guy is the biggest phony?
Anyway you look at it, it will probably be Nick Saban’s fault.
GallopingDog
August 29th, 2011
8:25 am
One thing we’ve all come to expect here at Bulldog nation, is Richt underperforming. The man always seems to find a way to lose more games than the year before. We’ve seen it 7 out of last 8 seasons, and last 3 in a row. Richt has only exceeded his AP Preseason Poll ranking once in 5 years according to pollspeak.com. Ungreat expectations, that’s what we’ve come to expect.
Mark Richt Farewell Tour
August 29th, 2011
8:42 am
is getting closer now…..Buh bye Mark!
GallopingDog
August 29th, 2011
8:51 am
Kellen Moore is 38-2 as a starter, and 9-1 against ranked teams.
Aaron Murray is 6-7 as a starter, and 0-5 against ranked teams.
daddy dawg
August 29th, 2011
8:53 am
2-0 to start. Boise can’t hang and Gamecocks can’t finish, simple as that. You want to say “if, if, if, because…..”, fine, it’s that time of year, nobody’s lined up yet. Anything could happen. Dawgs might lose a game or 2 this year but not yet……not yet. GATA!!
daddy dawg
August 29th, 2011
8:55 am
2-0 to start….Boise can’t hang and Carolina can’t finish….simple simple….
GallopingDog
August 29th, 2011
9:02 am
Yeah yeah yeah. I used ot be blindly optimistic too, until I noted, for the 7th time in 8 years, Richt lost more games than the year before. I opened my eyes.
GallopingDog
August 29th, 2011
9:04 am
Did you guys know just how good Boise is? forget the 38-2 record? Forget only 1 loss to a ranked team under Moore. Did you know, out fo the 120 teams in the NCAA, Boise has OUTPERFORMED the AP Preseason Poll better than ANY OTHER TEAM over last 5 seasons? That means, at #5 pre season, they’re very likely going to end up higher.
5 Time National Champs Nebraska
August 29th, 2011
9:05 am
I don’t know……The UGA program has been suffering the last few years. This is Richt’s last chance to save his job.
jaxdawgfan
August 29th, 2011
9:56 am
I know without a doubt that Coach Richt is a man of great faith and integrity and nobody respects that more than me. Those are 2 fantastic qualities to have in a head coach but…. performance MUST follow.
When Coach Richt challenges us to decide whether or not we’re “on the bus,” he and we need to understand that the bus belongs to the team, not the coach. He is the driver and chief mechanic. Riders are there to support the team, not just the head coach. If he wants riders, he’ll need to be sure that the engine is started and running at peak performance and that the bus is not still stuck in reverse. If there is a misfiring plug, it needs to be cleaned or replaced. If that misfire is caused by the head coach, then it is he who needs to be “helped out the door.” Again, I hope that is NOT the case, but, if it is, then, for the good of the team, that needs to happen and no one should slam true fans who call for change that will benefit the team.
Since Mark Richt is still our head coach, I’ll give him this year to prove that he’s still an excellent driver. GO DAWGS!
Game week arrives: SEC links for Monday - River Region Sports
August 29th, 2011
10:40 am
[...] From ajc.com – Georgia’s Richt gives Bulldog nation reason to believe [...]
Dawg Follower
August 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
I cannot wait to come back and smear some loud-mouth agitators’ faces into their heaping platter of crow late Saturday night.
LogicalUS
August 30th, 2011
7:40 pm
“Cynics among us will insist that Georgia folks are always optimistic until reality descends ”
All you need to take from this article…ESPN doesn’t call UGA fans the most delusional in college football for nothing.
It seldom takes most UGA fans more than a few hours after any beatdown to start talking delusional trash about the next opponent and the “luck” of the previous opponent in not getting a beatdown if the UGA had played properly.
Facts are that regardless of all the peptalks, the UGA staff is still manned by the dreaded Bobo and Grantham, both who were complete disasters last season. Bobo averaged less than 14 pts a game against teams with winning records and Grantham’s defense fell apart as the season wore on.
And these disasters are supposed to take a cast leftover after losing its most productive players from the past two seasons, either thru leaving early or running them off, and form a viable MNC product? In what world?
Expectations is one thing, but the delusional optimistic swagger of Dawg fans for 2011 is weird.