On UGA’s good offense, patchy defense and weary coach
Mark Richt points out ... well, something in Georgia's victory over Kentucky. (AP photo)
This post is an adjunct to the Georgia-Kentucky game column, which can be found here.
1. Mark Richt looked tired after this one. It was late, and it had been a tough night, but still … the usual Richt bonhomie was missing. He said he was “very excited about the victory” and complimented Kentucky’s coaching and preparation, but after a round of questions bearing a distinctly negative tone he’d had enough. He stopped in mid-answer and said: “Know what? I’m happy with the victory. We’re 6-1. That’s not bad.”
2. Mike Bobo might not be a fan favorite, but he’s the Georgia coordinator having the better year by far. Had the Bulldogs’ offense sputtered here, they’d have lost. But they made no turnovers, which was huge, and Aaron Murray threw for 427 yards and three touchdowns against a Wildcat front that was stacked against the run. Thus did the Bulldogs escape, if only just. “I didn’t see any panic in our guys,” Bobo said. “We told them, ‘You’ve got to be prepared for this (in the SEC).”
3. After seven games, it’s fair to say the defense’s middling numbers aren’t aberrations. No, Jarvis Jones didn’t play, and yes, Abry Jones got hurt in the first quarter, but Georgia yielded 329 yards and 24 points to a Kentucky team that was averaging 215 yards and 9.5 points against SEC opposition. Said Todd Grantham, the defensive coordinator: “We didn’t start like we wanted to start … but guys sucked it up the second half.”
By Mark Bradley
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396 comments Add your comment
Fair n Balanced
October 21st, 2012
4:20 pm
Hey Richard Head, how’s that koolade you drinking? What world you living in? Is that an attempt at optimism or sarcasm?
Sammy
October 21st, 2012
4:21 pm
Time to clean house? 2 back to back 10 win seasons for UGA/
The gt blogger writes again.
Cuz
October 21st, 2012
4:21 pm
The sky is falling, the sky is falling…….
dmr
October 21st, 2012
4:27 pm
Richt is 112 – 39 in 11 1/2 years of coaching at Georgia. He has my support. However, if Georgia were to make a change, here is where it should start.
28 years coaching experience, started as a Florida Graduate Assisstant, has worked wonders with defenses, strong recruiter, knows the SEC inside and out, has head coaching experience….two words…….CHARLIE STRONG!
SEC Fact Finder
October 21st, 2012
4:31 pm
Tampa Gator,
I hope all is well on your side of town and the family is doing well,
Your Gators looked very stout yesterday. They are just as impressive on the field. For the first time is about 4 years Florida is forcing the play instead of reacting to the play. Give Muschamp and his staff all the credit for turning those soft guys Urban left into strong active players.
I have been fortunate to see Georgia, Florida( 3 times) LSU, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, and South Carolina play this year while on the field, and Florida fronts are as good if not better than them all and they ARE winning at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. My only concern is their depth, and it looks like they have a couple of capable replacements on both sides of the ball that could play anywhere.
Should be a very very good game next weekend. I expect a great deal of trickery from UGA to get man on man advantages and to keep Florida from being so aggressive.
Good luck to you all and GO SEC!
PappyHappy
October 21st, 2012
4:33 pm
WHO IS PROVIDING INSPIRATION TO THE UGA DAWGS? Hope that Mark Richt watched what Florida did to SC, and remembers what SC did to UGA!!
Is it lack of discipline?
Is it lack of desire?
Is it lack of practice?
Is it lack of LEADERSHIP?
Is it lack of coaching?
—OR—
Is it all of the above?
UGA has to be the most overrated team in the top 25!
Brandon
October 21st, 2012
4:37 pm
I love coach Richt and have always supported him. However I think I’ve finally figured out the problem . Players aren’t afraid of him – PERIOD. There should be a healthy respect and fear of the head coach. I only played high school ball but we were scared to death of our head coach and what would happen the following week in practice if we didn’t give 100% during the game. It is obvious that there is a lack of effort not talent and that is a byproduct of the players not being afraid of the coach. Do you think Alabama players are afraid of Saban or Florida players afraid of crazy Will – you better believe they are. I can’t believe I’m saying this but if Georgia gets blown out by Florida, I think the time has come for the administration to start planning ahead for a coaching change. Maybe not this year, but with our schedule for 2013 I can’t see the coach making past next year with this pitiful lack of fire that has plagued UGA over the last few years.
listless
October 21st, 2012
4:42 pm
Ogletree is overrated as are the DB’s.
listless
October 21st, 2012
4:42 pm
Ogletree is overrated as are the DB’s.
Glory Between the Hedges
October 21st, 2012
4:43 pm
WE ARE BACK TO DONNNAN 9 OR 10 WIND OUTBACK BOWL THAT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE MUSCHAMP IS PASSING US WE WANT TO GO TOWARD THE ELITE NOT IN THE MIDDLE FIRE RICHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ramguy68
October 21st, 2012
4:50 pm
UGA had two weeks to prepare for Kentucky. Did they look prepared? In a word no. They came out and started the game as though they were sleepwalking. You keep hear the same excuses week after week about the defense. How many times did we see a rush on 3rd and long by Kentucky. After a while even the fans knew it was coming. I’ve been slow to be hard on the coaches but enough is enough. Did anyone see Will Muschamp after a Fla player picked the ball up after a FG block? Richt would have his hand on his chin looking around at the ground or the scoreboard. It is said the a team will reflect the personality of their coach. It seems that it what we have in the Bulldogs.
T-Dawg
October 21st, 2012
4:52 pm
Dawgy Style
October 21st, 2012
12:44 pm
When we whipp the jort wearing clowns arse next week will all you cry babies shut up??
When Florida beats this out coached program like every other ranked team, will you come back on this blog and say all 5 million Dawg fans were right? I didn’t think so.
rsstache
October 21st, 2012
4:56 pm
Bobby Petrino is a cancer — he wreaks havoc wherever he has gone — I hope to never see him coach again –
rsstache
October 21st, 2012
4:57 pm
ND is the most overrated team in the top 25
Contractor
October 21st, 2012
5:07 pm
It’s quite simple, Georgia’s defense is better without Baccari Rambo and Alec Ogletree. As dumb as that sounds, it’s true. Yes, pretty decent individual talent, but no discipline whatsoever. Ogletree seems to get personal fouls and facemask penalties every game and Rambo seems to allow receivers behind him for big plays. Georgia has struggled on defense ever since those two came back. I used to think Shawn Williams was the problem with his thuggish like play, but he has matured and become a real talent whereas Ogletree and Rambo have failed to progress and bring this unit down. Just my opinion and observation though.
POOPDAWG
October 21st, 2012
5:08 pm
Tampa Gator , keep running your mouth. If UGA gives UF 3 TDS like SC , UF wins. Otherwise you just never know how the ball will bounce. I love OLD FARTS who act 13 yr olds. i guess dementia is starting to set in. I guess you forgot UGA is your 2nd favorite team. GO DAWGS!
kmarshall4
October 21st, 2012
5:08 pm
grantham earn your money defense is horrible
LT
October 21st, 2012
5:14 pm
Coach Richt has to turn it around NEXT WEEK or we start recruiting Chris Peterson or Kirby Smart. The current situation is entirely unsatisfactory.
AceDawg
October 21st, 2012
5:15 pm
The UGA team still lacks an edge. Minus a few nice plays on offense, there was zero to be satisfied with. The offense underperformed significantly too – only 29 points? I don’t know if it is Grantham as much as Richt not providing the right energetic leadership, but regardless it is of couse all on Richt when UGA underperforms. He’s the one more than 10 years deep in the job, and he looks about as on top of things as Mack Brown at Texas. Still better than Chizik, but that is the case for every coach in the country.
Bruce Dog
October 21st, 2012
5:16 pm
Kirby Smart would love to come back to Athens as the Bulldogs head coach.
LakeDawg
October 21st, 2012
5:18 pm
“I don’t believe there’s any way Mark Richt would get fired after this season”
That’s very discouraging. Maybe he will resign. I can hope.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:24 pm
I’ve got to say it. THet tell us Jarvis didn’t play. They tell us A. Jones got hurt early. Here’s the question. Next year, all but one on defense is gone. We play a much harder schedule. Then what. 7-5 five next year. Georgia football is like Obama. You wake up every day and it’s so bad , and so long since it’s been good, you just kinda feel it’s normal, although your guy tells you it isn’t. I would like to see a new Prez next year and a new Georgia head coach. The country would be better, the team would be better, and to be honest, Richt would be happier and so would anyone his mission work life got touched.
joseph gamble
October 21st, 2012
5:24 pm
Dawgs are going to have play much!! better D against Gators for any chance to win & please stop talking about Petrino it making my skin crawl
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:26 pm
boy, should of proof read that….but I think you get my drift…LOL
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:30 pm
Don’t know if Kirby could win more games than Richt, but I do know after about 3 recruiting classes we would be stout along both line of scrimmage. Look at Bama’s lines. Average RB’s could get 5 yards a pop behind those lines. Richt has always loaded on the skill positions and gone light on the beef…..Thus in the SEC elite, we are SEC lite.
stopthemorons
October 21st, 2012
5:32 pm
We have a habit of hiring assistant coaches who are over-hyped, over-paid and greatly under-produce. TG owes the team, the fans, and school an apology for his poor performance. He also owes a refund of a majority of his salary.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:34 pm
Us old guys around hear have to ask if Richt has become a fixture in Athens, and like the Clampets who use to own the Falcons, they were just clueless ans cheap to fix the problem. Georgia has enough money to hire anyone they want and upset the apple cart in the college ranks much like Bama did with Saban. They gave him 4 mil per and the world gasp. Looks like a bargain now. Maybe with Adams leaving things will change. McGarity has his hands tied with Adams I’m afraid.
villedog
October 21st, 2012
5:35 pm
I have all the respect for CMR as a person and feel sorry for him, that he is having to go through this. But fans if you want to continue not winning against the highly ranked teams, don’t make a coaching change. CMR is too nice of a guy to do what it takes to have a top rated program.
fayncdawg
October 21st, 2012
5:37 pm
Rick James
Your counter to some gator fan who thinks CWM is some great coach and also thinks the gators will beat the Dawgs by 28 was spot on! HEY HEY HEY HEY-Y-Y!
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:38 pm
I would keep an eye on the Auburn game for us. After Florida gives us a beat down and a lock on the SECCG, Dawgs might tank and get ambushed by Van Gorder, and Auburn has lot’s to prove.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:41 pm
Rumors persist that Richt wants to use his celeb status, and he has it, to imulate what the Colorado coach did starting ” Promise Keepers” and lead a large Mission and will step down after this season or next. Yes, rumors, but I’ve heard this from 2-3 sources with close contacts inside the Bulldog clubs.
Loser alert
October 21st, 2012
5:42 pm
Muschamp is 0-1 vs UGa and he will be 0-2 or 1-1 after next Saturday so shut up……he has done absolutely nothing positive against UGa…….nothing at all.
gt4ever
October 21st, 2012
5:45 pm
LOL, Todd Grantham is a TOTAL idiot…. Yeah they sucked it up alright…. One turnover away from a UGA loss because of this jerk running the defense…
Loser alert
October 21st, 2012
5:46 pm
No possibility of getting Petrino……..we Don’t need to hire trash under any circumstance. Also, there is ZERO proof that Kirby would be a winning head coach….none, zilch, nada!
Georgie Boy
October 21st, 2012
5:46 pm
@Loser alert
Only problem is that the Gators didn’t play Alabama and get their starting QB injured this year. They gave the Dawgs defense a hard enough time last year with their QB almost on crutches.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:47 pm
loser alert…………And what “proof” did we have hiring Richt off Bowdens staff….??????
Loser alert
October 21st, 2012
5:53 pm
Firing CMR and hiring Petrino proves that we have fans who are so obsessed with winning a NC that they would do anything to win. I can handle being a Top 10 team with some morals. I’m not about to sell my soul for a championship. Besides, look at Auburn to see how fleeting a NC can be. Oh yes, to all the “know it alls”….. It was Auburn who fired a coach similar to CMR….and now he is kicking a$$ at Texas Tech!!!! Give it a break Dawg fans.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:56 pm
The entire country will be watching this Saturday. We have laid eggs the last few times we have appeared in big national games. Enough to have 90% of fans around the country saying this one could get ugly. What else do they have to go on.
JB
October 21st, 2012
5:58 pm
loser alert…………….get off the Petrino rag. Georgia will NEVER hire that guy.
Loser alert
October 21st, 2012
5:58 pm
JB…..not disagreeing with you at all, but why give up a top 10 coach (on average year in and year out) to be part of an experiment (Kirby Smart). Sounds like a very reckless move and I assure you the only people in the universe who would agree with that move would be disgruntled Dawg fans….absolutly no one else would agree…….not even Lou Holtz or Herbstreet!!!!
Tampa Gator
October 21st, 2012
5:59 pm
DawgNole….
This quote you pulled from one of my posts and said I was bragging:
“No one is going to beat Bama this year. They are just too good. But Florida….at this moment….has the best chance…..if just a slim one.”
and…..if you look at the AP voters…..one (slim) AP voter has Florida better than Bama….out of 60 voters total.
Left Wondering
October 21st, 2012
6:00 pm
Georgia will not get past Florida and, hopefully, will finish the season with only two loses. They will probably play in the CapitolOne bowl. I wish Georgia had what it takes to win the SEC and a national championship.
Loser alert
October 21st, 2012
6:01 pm
JB…..I’m not the one pushing Petrino…..only about 30 other bloggers. Sounds like you like the guy. Be careful if he ask you to go bike riding!!!!
T-Dawg
October 21st, 2012
6:02 pm
Look, I want Richt gone more than anyone as I truly believe he is keeping this team back from achieving the ultimate goal…a NC. However, to say he was not a good hire or that his tenure here was a mistake is just plain ignorant. Like Donnan, he brought the UGA program back to SEC relevance. However, since that time, half the programs in the SEC have hired better coaches and he is completely overmatched. He deserves to be treated with respect but he also needs to go. I wish him well.
The Rev Al
October 21st, 2012
6:03 pm
Georgia coaching does less with MORE TALENT than any coach in the country. I am a long time fan of Mark Richt the human being but have concluded tha he is, at best, a mediocre coach. With four or five potential first rounders on a vetran defense, Kentucky looked like they were playing a high school team on their first drive. Georgia could not stop any of the runs. Georgia has four problems:
Very mediocre coaching
A weak offensive line that only looks good against poor teams
A defense that has many stars but is ineffective against running, mobile quarterbacks.
A predictible offensive scheme that is totally ineffective against top tier teams
Mediocre special teams. Pretty bad when your kicker struggles with PAT’s….
Tampa Gator
October 21st, 2012
6:04 pm
@Loser Alert……
I would not base the outcome….or Muschamp’s history vs. Georgia….on last year’s outcome. That was one beat up Florida team that Georgia played last year….and very thin. Florida will not come into Saturday’s game beat up or thin. You better hope Jarvis Jones is back and healthy….and has a similar game to last year….but I don’t think he is any better than Clowney……..(not as good, in fact). But Georgia is a talented team….no matter the outcome of the SC game or how poorly they played vs. Kentucky. Georgia has a chance vs. Florida….for sure. But Muschamp will have Florida prepared to play….and they are a lot better than last year’s team….that lost to Georgia by 4. I am not sure if Georgia is better or not. We will see.
JB
October 21st, 2012
6:04 pm
Loser….like everything in life…..careers, friends, marriages, church’s, politicians etc, you look at trends…….and some smart people on here the few months have posted a lot of trends with our program. None of them are good. He’s beat 2 ranked teams since 09. He can not get this program to excel . Best team in a while this year and a real easy schedule, thus we can’t beat the teams THAT MATTER on our schedule. I invite you back next Saturday night on here. Don’t let any kids see it. Looking with my mind and not my heart, Dawgs lose 45- 21….. and 14 of those 21 will be trash scores.
JB
October 21st, 2012
6:07 pm
Saturday will not be close. Muschamp will not lose this game……and if he can win BIG, he will
Bulldawg
October 21st, 2012
6:08 pm
To the defense: stop acting like every good tackle just won the Heisman Trophy. Team players make the tackle and get back to the huddle. Show boaters want the world to give them glory. We’ve got too many show boaters. Team play trumps talent any day of the week. Right now the Georgia defense is not a team, it’s a collection of individuals.
Tampa Gator
October 21st, 2012
6:09 pm
Georgia will have its hands full with a much improved Ole Miss team….even if they beat Florida. And if Georgia beats Florida and Ole Miss beats Georgia…..Florida still has to beat Missouri at home. Nothing is over Saturday unless Florida wins…of course.