The All-UGA Heat Check: Hot – Mark Richt’s seat. (Duh)
Isaiah Crowell: It wasn't all (or even mostly) his fault, folks. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The Monday Heat Check arrives, due to the holiday, a day later than usual. Georgia fans might wish it didn’t arrive at all. Because it’s all about the Bulldogs.
Mark Richt’s nerve: It was in place. Georgia won the toss and chose to receive. Get After Their Assets, as the famous Bulldog slogan (sort of) goes. Trouble was, the players’ nerves were jumping all over the place. There was a false start before the first snap, another false start on third down and a delay of game before the punt. Heat Index: Richt tried to be cool, but his players were uncool.
Todd Grantham’s pass defense: Kellen Moore threw 34 passes. One was intercepted. (He was pressured and threw poorly.) Five were incompletions. Twenty-eight were completed. Georgia mustered no sacks. Heat Index: If this is aggressive D at its best, Willie Martinez is Buddy Ryan.
Mike Bobo’s offense: It managed 373 yards, which doesn’t sound so bad. But 167 of those yards came on three plays. (All resulting in touchdowns.) Georgia ran 60 plays and netted 13 first downs. It converted two of 13 third downs. Only one possession spanned more than seven plays, and it ended when Richt chose to go for it on fourth-and-one and Richard Samuel was halted in the backfield. Heat Index: A damp squib.
Isaiah Crowell: He rushed for 60 yards, which is only 24 fewer than Herschel Walker managed in his collegiate debut. But Herschel scored two touchdowns and trampled Bill Bates. Not really a fair comparison, I know — but so much hope has been invested in this latest New Herschel. Heat Index: By normal standards, Crowell’s first game was warm enough.
Aaron Murray: If you want to call it the worst game this gifted quarterback has played as a Bulldog, I wouldn’t argue. He wasn’t terrible; he just wasn’t very good. Heat Index: What’s the opposite of balmy? Tepid?
Alec Ogletree: He figured to be Georgia’s best defender this season. He broke his foot in the first half. He’s out at least a month. Heat Index: That cold chill? It’s traversing the spinal column of the aforementioned Mr. Grantham.
Georgia fans: They came to praise their team. Many left early. Some booed as they departed. Heat Index: A few of these folks seemed hot under their dog collars, if you’ll pardon the expression.
Mark Richt’s seat: He’s not going to be fired on Sunday if Georgia loses to South Carolina on Saturday. But losing to South Carolina could well convince Bulldog Nation that there will never again be great days under this coach, and once that happens there’s almost no going back. Heat Index: No warmer than a blast furnace.
By Mark Bradley
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720 comments Add your comment
jg
September 6th, 2011
1:01 pm
I really don’t know what’s more amusing; watching ga get beat (physically and score wise) or reading the comments from the delusional fan base afterwards. The comments give a whole week of pleasure.
Dirty Harry
September 6th, 2011
1:03 pm
GT…as bad as Georgia played..the Dawgs will always be better than GT!! Get back in your closet Punk!!
Doug Wiley
September 6th, 2011
1:03 pm
Antoine Carr: What is the problem man? You have some kind of attention deficit disorder you cannot have treated? If you cannot read more than 2 sentences together, then don’t. Some people and many people may disagree with me, but just because you have a 15 second span does not mean the rest of us do some of us can actually read whole articles and comprehend them.
I think the whole theme of this and other blogs is that Georgia needs to win on Saturday and beat Florida and beat Tech or Richt is definitely gone. Lose any of those, he needs to be gone.
chief1
September 6th, 2011
1:04 pm
BoBo Will coat CMR. his Job,Since BONO has been calling the plays Georgia has a record of losing Check it out , Is CMR on a Trip to Never Never Land WAKE UP COACH BoNO don’t Know…..
Smaul Johnson
September 6th, 2011
1:04 pm
We have a winning record against Florida if that is what you mean. What, you cannot debate your own team’s record against us? What is your record against UGA?
Smaul Johnson
September 6th, 2011
1:05 pm
jg, its amusing that this gives you a full week of pleasure. Was Dragon Con not enough?
Dirty Harry
September 6th, 2011
1:05 pm
GT…as bad as Georgia played…the Dawgs will always be better than GT!!
BullDawg Rick
September 6th, 2011
1:06 pm
From one Dawg to another – Dan Mullen
GoForTwo
September 6th, 2011
1:08 pm
I say it’s time for a women head coach. The men just haven’t proven they can man up.
jtdawgfan
September 6th, 2011
1:08 pm
Regardless of what any UGA fan thought before this game, and i have been on Richt’s case for 3 years, but have at least been pleased that he *seemed* to be making changes for the better….
I’m just flat embarrased for those young, atheletic football players this staff talked into attending our school.
The evidence keeps mounting….
JB
September 6th, 2011
1:08 pm
Hoping we win Saturday is like throwing someone off the boat who can’t swim and expect them not to drown. By that I mean our OL has big problems. Our D is still suspect. Running game, due to OL, not there. OC has no clue and the HC is second in line for needing a clue. There are some fine men on this team, but we have to many glaring short coming to beat a talented and motivated Carolina team.
Heaven help this team. Beating Carolina Coastal or whoever we play week three will not help Richt. 0-2 against good teams is what he is being graded on after ALL THE OFF SEASON PROMISES.
The Pope
September 6th, 2011
1:09 pm
God hates Mark Richt.
just sayin'
September 6th, 2011
1:09 pm
.UGA has the money to give gruden a top salary and bring him in right now…so what if he only stays for the duration of the first contract…he will have reinstated the ’swagger’ needed on the UGA sideline…there’s no fire…no intensity…only going through the motions, and badly at that….not a pretty sight…
Cobb Dawg
September 6th, 2011
1:09 pm
Lindsey, I think you hit on a point but you are on the wrong side of the argument. CMR is NOT a smart guy. Steve Spurrier is a smart guy. So’s Chris Peterson. I think Nick Saban’s pretty smart. So is Les Miles and Derrick Dooley. Looks like Will Muschamp is making smart moves, we’ll see. My point is, we’d better hire a smart coach for a change. Not one who will keep the same personnel in place despite their failures (Martinez and Bobo). We’ve had Goff, Donnan, and Richt since we were a national power. Kinda makes me wonder how smart the “powers-that-be” at UGA are. I think we have the smartest AD in the SEC now. Time to make some smart moves and hire a smart HC.
John
September 6th, 2011
1:10 pm
AM still hasn’t won a game against a winning team. Just like last year, he does nothing when you need him to perform in 2 1/2 quarters, then performs well against the prevent defense of the opposing team. At the end of the game he produces good numbers that makes people assume he’s a good QB.
BREAKING UGA NEWS
September 6th, 2011
1:13 pm
Boise State just scored another TD!
Ray Goof
September 6th, 2011
1:13 pm
I’m tanned rested & ready. Come get me out da chicken rest’raunt
Leghumpers
September 6th, 2011
1:14 pm
Loved the game! Seriously, that was hilarious. Anyway, here’s hoping that Richt wins just enough that UGA can’t get rid of him. How about it Poodle fans, would you cheer against your school if it meant a new head coach??
Point to Ponder
September 6th, 2011
1:16 pm
Who was the last HC to win a NC after he had been HC at the same program for 10 years? With the burn-out factor, doesn’t happen often. If they haven’t done in their first 5 years, chances are they’re not gonna do it. Richt gave us some great years in his first 5 or so. I think he’s given us all he has now.
dawgfan
September 6th, 2011
1:17 pm
All the jabbering in the off season does not help. After a 6-7 season Richt should have banned these guys from talking to the media (humor me) until they proved that they could handle it. It seemed like every week Aaron Murray was gushing about a different player to the media. Then the whole Boykin twitter thing. How can these guys be so confident when they obviously have no idea how to play big time football? COACHING. That’s how.
smokedawg2011
September 6th, 2011
1:17 pm
Unless you know something I don’t, I do not see Gruden ever coaching here…is there a connection I am missing. I am still big on Dan Mullen even though some people on here are adamant against the spread. I like what he has done with less at Mississippi State and there is no doubt his absence was felt at Florida. Granted, losing Tebow had a lot to do with that.
Mullen just impresses me plain and simply. I scratched my head a bit on the fake punt from the 35 this past week, but his players are always fired up and the offense is creative. We also get the rest of this season to see how he does. That is also why I would love this Boise State game to serve some purpose…and that purpose would be an interview of Chris Petersen should he ever leave Boise State. As mentioned earlier, if Boise goes undefeated and still gets overlooked for the National Championship game, this coupled with the pending conference realignment should give him every reason to leave. If he doesn’t, then I do not ever see him going anywhere.
What Petersen and Mullen have in common is that they do more with less. The only thing that all the haters and passionate UGA fans can agree on in this blog is that we have no shortage of talent. We just don’t use it effectively.
Go Dawgs!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 6th, 2011
1:19 pm
Anyone no where I can get those red nike shoes that the Ga coaches were wearing
Thats about the only bit of clothing that looked good
Douglas
September 6th, 2011
1:20 pm
Sandman: I believe Crowell is the real deal — the problem with Bobo is that he keeps running the spread offense. Just think if we ran most of our plans from the I formation or split backfield with a FB leading the blocking. Too many schools wanted him to say he is not good and he ran hard with little blocking. How often did UGA even run a toss sweep with the FB leading the blocking? I don’t remember it happening much if even at all.
Lack of Institutional Control
September 6th, 2011
1:21 pm
I don’t think it happens, but it’s not completely beyond the realm of possibilities that UGA loses to USCe, then beats Coastal and loses to the two Mississippi schools. Is Richt gone then?
HardTruth Soldier
September 6th, 2011
1:22 pm
It;s painfully obvious that Bobo is way outta his league. He can’t Coach nothing! Two many four and five star players on this team to not line up and Beat not only Boise State, But OU, Texas, Oregon, etc…Bobo did nothing to put his backs in space Saturday night. What, one toss sweep all night? Charles and White who I bet both can play at the next level never went across the middle and made there LB’s stretch out, and what the hell was he thinking leaving Mitchell on the bench till the second half? Didn’t Aubrey Jones and DeAngelo Tyson come to Georgia as DT’s? Where is Stripling and Ray Drew? Pure DE’s, Todd Grantham are you any better than Willie Martinez? This remains a question, but one that’s been answered is MIKE BOBO isn;t better than a Boise Coach who probably is making 10,000 less than he is. Coach, anybody who reads this Blog knows that Georgia, who has a history of good backs(Willie McClendon was my coming of age back into Georgia football)lines up and runs toss sweeps and down your throat football.WE DON’T RUN DRAWS WITH THE BEST FRESHMEN IN THE COUNTRY AT TAILBACK BOBO! South Carolina will roll in here Saturday and take us to the limit and probably beat us because of coaching, not talent. Coach Richt, Mike Bobo will become your un doing, get rid of him or GEORGIA AND IT’S FANS WILL GET RID OF YOU!!!!
JB
September 6th, 2011
1:23 pm
Just read the Boise write up about their OC saying how open his guys were. Said Georgia was scared of the long ball and just left the short pass open all night. We couldn’t believe they never moved up their DB’s and took it away………………………Google Boise Newspapers and click on Boise Football…………………….We NEED a NEW Coach and staff. These comments are getting old.
William
September 6th, 2011
1:23 pm
I’m available…..but you don’t want that
smokedawg2011
September 6th, 2011
1:23 pm
I think Richt is gone with a loss to South Carolina and any other combination of two losses. Even if we beat South Carolina, I believe he is gone with a Florida loss and any other beatdown loss the rest of the season. It will take something monumental for him to be here in 2012. Fortunately, our Athletic Department is flush with cash and we can afford to buy him out.
Abnerish
September 6th, 2011
1:24 pm
If the Dawgs get behind early to South Carolina, then look out! The boo-birds will be flying BIG TIME! How pathetic will that be?!? I mean, you simply don’t boo your own team in college football, PERIOD. Glad I won’t be in Athens on Saturday to witness this, cause it could get REALLY ugly. I said it last week, and I will say it again this week: I really hope that we will improve, but I don’t think we are capable and we will lose again, and at this point I think the players will start to give up on the coaching staff. If we lose this week, we could be looking at a 3 or 4 win season. It’s going to be a loooooonnnngggg season…
meh
September 6th, 2011
1:24 pm
I’m waiting to see how UGA does against South Cackalacki before I pass judgement on Coach Richt. I’d like to see the tight ends and that Malcom Mitchell kid worked into the offense a little more and some more blitzes on defense.
........
September 6th, 2011
1:25 pm
Hey Dawgs….welcome to “Also Receiving Votes”
Buh Bye Mark Richt
September 6th, 2011
1:25 pm
Take you team to the Ramsey center for the last time before you play SC. Be sure to dive with your clothes on.
Sasquatch
September 6th, 2011
1:26 pm
If McGarity accepts another losing season from Richt, how about a new head coach & AD ?
Ray Goof's Hat
September 6th, 2011
1:27 pm
Losses like this are only going to delay the launch of the Bulldog Network.
Da Troof
September 6th, 2011
1:28 pm
Why is South Carolina scheduling cupcake games for their 2nd game of the season? Spurrier should know better than that.
JB
September 6th, 2011
1:29 pm
We go up against Carolina without Physical dominance or coaching talent and savvy. Both, that’s hard to over come.
Name (required)
September 6th, 2011
1:29 pm
Ray Goof’s Hat
September 6th, 2011
1:27 pm
Losses like this are only going to delay the launch of the Bulldog Network
__________________________________________________
We already have CourtTV
HardTruth Soldier
September 6th, 2011
1:30 pm
Just Sayin, Jon Gruden? Please he won a SUPERBOWL off of TONY DUNGY’S TALENT, Why don’t we bring in Dungy and lock the state down?
JB
September 6th, 2011
1:30 pm
What other duties can McGarity take away from Richt? How about coaching.
JB
September 6th, 2011
1:32 pm
How about the guy who coached the Steelers living in North Carolina doing nothing? What’s his name, but a task master& butt kicker.
Already Dreading Jax
September 6th, 2011
1:34 pm
All of these losses hurt, but I can’t bear the thought of another loss to #$%@ Florida. If we can’t do any better than this, can we just forfeit that game and spare our fanbase further humiliation?
VD! VD! VD!
September 6th, 2011
1:34 pm
Let’s dig up Vince Dooley’s corpse and let him coach! He’d still do better than this Richt schmuck!
Vote for VD!
SC Dave
September 6th, 2011
1:37 pm
Mark,
You need to take that 17 – 0 in context. ECU was beating Connor Shaw 17 – 0. Stephen Garcia came in and beat them 56 – 20.
HardTruth Soldier
September 6th, 2011
1:39 pm
Douglas, Glad I wasn’t the only one to realize that spread crap don’t work. Ask NFL Coaches how many of them would have a job running that spread.Ask Tebow how;s it helping his career? Just run the Damn ball at your opponents hearts!
1eyedJack
September 6th, 2011
1:40 pm
That game almost made me fall off the “fire Richt” fence. I will withhold final judgement until the clock hits zeros in our annual victory over the GnaTs.
Summit Dawg
September 6th, 2011
1:43 pm
Hey Savannah Dawg……It’s because Richt is the Boss over all these other coaches, and if he hasn’t
replaced them in three seasons, whose to blame???….His Name, in case you are too blind to see is MARK RICHT!!!
GT
September 6th, 2011
1:45 pm
Stu Klitenic is available.
GT
September 6th, 2011
1:45 pm
Norm Van Brocklin is available. Wait…No, he’s not.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 6th, 2011
1:46 pm
1-1 Is what UGA fan should have expected after these first two games, 9-3 overrall at BEST. Still possible, hard to envision it happening, but its why they play the game. We go 0-2 and this thing is going to unrail like something awful. If you want a name and a name that has cache’ to it, and man who is a leader of men, how about Herm Edwards.
GT
September 6th, 2011
1:46 pm
Bob Davies is available.