Richt: ‘0-2 for the first time in 10 years, and it’s not a comfortable spot’
Listening in on Mark Richt’s weekly radio call-in show Monday night:
- As you’d expect with Georgia’s 0-2 start in the SEC, there was some discord in Bulldog Nation. The first caller asked Richt for reasons to continue to invest in the program, asked the coach “to sell me” on Georgia football “not just for this year but 2-3 years down the road.”
Richt replied: “The bottom line is if you’re a true fan, in my opinion, you’re going to support your team no matter what. I don’t think you’re going to just love the boys when they win and hate on them when they lose, you know. . . . Our league is one that is a very, very tough league, and we’re not always going to win. We find ourselves 0-2 for the first time in 10 years, and it’s not a comfortable spot. It’s not a spot we want to be in. But it’s not like we got shellacked and run off the field. We actually, I thought, represented very well, even though we lost.
“The bottom line, of course, is the win. But the way the guys fought . . . there was a lot of courage; there was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. . . . If you just watch the spirit of these young men and how they fought and how the coaches fought, I think that is admirable. And I would say you certainly should continue to support for those reasons. . . . ”
- Richt talked quite a bit about Aaron Murray, acknowledging the young quarterback has areas to improve but making it clear he’s a special player.
“We looked at the film and realized every time that kid moved up inside that pocket good things happened and every time he started up and then dropped back again and tried to reload, something bad happened. So he’s just got to learn, and he’s getting there,” Richt said. “But you can’t question his toughness, his ability and just his love for the game and love for Georgia. So we’ve got the right guy right now. We’ve just got to keep going.”
- Richt disputed accounts that said Georgia sent all of its receivers on deep routes on the late-game 3rd-and-4 play that resulted in a Murray sack and forced Georgia to punt to Arkansas, which scored the game-winning TD three plays later.
“I did watch the TV copy myself, and I know the commentators were saying … there was no outlet, there was no short route, that there ought to be,” Richt said. “I don’t know what he saw, but there were actually two routes that were about a five- or six-yard depth and a couple of them that would be deeper routes.”
- Richt didn’t disagree with a caller who expressed disappointment in the play of the veteran offensive line.
“It is a little disappointing,” Richt said. “I think the offensive-line play has been good but not great. Like you say, we got to find ways to sustain drives.
“I’d like to see us continue to run-block better, and I’d like to see us continue to pass-protect well, which I think we are. Some of the pass-protection issues really have nothing to do with the offensive line. It’s more back-related. The running backs have to step up and do their job too, and the receivers got to run the right routes, and the QB has got to put it on them.”
Murray, Richt said, needs to develop “a better feel” for when a receiver is open.
As for run-blocking, “we need to continue to … provide more space for the backs,” Richt said. “And the backs have got to get more than what [the linemen] block, too. If you watch around the country, you see backs breaking tackles, you see backs getting yards after contact and all that. I think we improved in that area last ballgame, but we still got a ways to go.”
- A caller asked why the Dogs aren’t getting the ball to talented tight end Orson Charles.
“There were a lot of calls that were made where Orson was the No. 1 priority or No. 1 read for the quarterback,” Richt said. “Sometimes that No. 1 option is taken away, so you go to No. 2. Sometimes protection breaks down. Sometimes the QB is moving right or left at the moment when he should be cutting the ball loose to his primary receiver. Those were some of the issues.”
- Another caller asked about “the state of the program,” noting that a few years ago Georgia was “considered one of the elite programs” in the nation and is “now 8-8 [actually 9-7] in the last 16 ballgames.”
“You’d be surprised,” Richt said, “but the same things we did when we were finishing in the top 10 and all of that kind of good stuff — we’re doing those very same things. Sometimes you win some close games and sometimes you don’t, but right now I can promise you our coaches, our players are battling as hard as we can to get a victory. That’s going to be the plan for this week against Mississippi State. Hopefully, next time on the show, we’ll be talking about all the good things that happened.”
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391 comments Add your comment
Dave from GT
September 21st, 2010
11:37 am
Mallett lit you guys up for 400 yards !!!!!
Mallett lit you guys up for 400 yards !!!!!
Fix that and you win.
Your QB got the crap beat out of him.
Fix that, and you win.
It’s really not all that complicated. Just fix it b4 the Tech game so you can blame Richt for that loss and make it stick.
osama
September 21st, 2010
11:38 am
Along with the lack of involvement by the TEs, why isn’t Marlon Brown used more for his size (6′5″) and leaping ability like AJ Green? It’s that he works the middle of the field and he’s shown he has great hands when given a shot. He could be just as much a threat on deep pass/jump balls and endzone passes as AJ–even when AJ comes back. It just doesn’t seem like the offense (Bobo) is utilizing their weapons to the fullest. This WR corps should already be a juggernaut even with a Freshman QB.
5150 P.O.A.D.
September 21st, 2010
11:41 am
How many SEC coaches since 1990 kept/ had their jobs more than 10 years? I can only think of Fulmer. Spurrier left on his own. Richt is own his last leg, like Tubberville. The fans like what he does for the most part, but he has stopped getting better. When a coach keeps finishing behind Bama, LSU, Florida, and Tennesse for a few years they end up getting fired. Richt will feel the Fulmer-Tubberville crunch shortly. Coaches don’t stay around like Pertno and Bowden anymore. Get your team better and take the next best job offer is the only way to survive in the coaching game. Name 1 UGA Coach that went to a better job after being the head man at UGA? Vince was forced out, Donnan, Goff are there anymore?
Jake
September 21st, 2010
11:44 am
Richt said, “… the same things we did when we were finishing in the top 10 and all of that kind of good stuff — we’re doing those very same things.”
Another way to look at it is that doing the same things they were doing years ago may have worked then, but they’re not working any more. Phil Fulmer’s, Mike Shula’s and Tommy Tuberville’s are all gone.
Smart businesses continually take inventory and re-evaluate themselves to see what’s working and what isn’t. The perception from the outside is that UGA’s football program hasn’t kept up with the times, changes grudgingly and only after it’s become obvious to everyone. (For example, Willie Martinez.)
The feeling is that the program is stodgy and unimaginative, because that’s the kind of product UGA is putting on the field.
Has it occured to Richt?
September 21st, 2010
11:50 am
5150 P.O.A.D. they don’t teach spelling at Tech?
San Francisco Dawg
September 21st, 2010
11:54 am
Richt’s comments will haunt him..”You win some, you lose some” ? Bad choice of words…What I want him to say is this: “Losing at home, between the Hedges, when you are favored, in front of alumni, family and friends, is unaceptable and will not be tolerated anymore” “We will play hard every play and play to win…period!”
Coachdawg 2000
September 21st, 2010
11:55 am
I do not understand why some of yall insist on looking at the ‘01-’05 period as some type of flawless coaching. In ‘01 we lost directly because of poor coaching(running up the gut with :16 on the clock and no timeouts) but because the next year we won the SEC championship all is forgotten. At some point the players have to do what they are told. If any of you have kids you know that you can show them,tell them what to do but you can’t do it for them. Alot of the guys CMR and Bobo deal with were the very best players in their leagues. Sometimes these guys athletic superiority was so vast that in high school they could out-athlete everybody. Now everybody is as good if not BETTER and they fall into freelancing instead of doing what they’ve been coached to do(think Matthew Stafford).For all of the “why don’t we have more experienced Quarterbacks. No uber-talented guy wanted to come in and watch Stafford play so we end with only Joe Cox and 2 freshman in ‘09. Coach Richt does need to examine the way things are done(which I’m sure he does!)and see if there are some things that need to be tweeked.
DostaDawg
September 21st, 2010
11:57 am
Hate to say it, but the best head coach in waiting
is not at a Division 1 level, there are two better,
one is at Murray State and the other is at
Valdosta High.
Joemac
September 21st, 2010
12:07 pm
ugakev…. you are truly delusional. 10-2 WAS NOT possible before the season started, and now that the 2 is already there, there is no reason to believe that the 10 will show up. The pups will lose at least 3 more between Missy St., Kentucky, Florida, Auburn, and GT. As I have said many times over the past several months, consider a record of 8-4 as a GREAT season. They are already an underdog to Missy St., and I predict that Murray will not handle the cowbell atmosphere very well. Your best bet is to force TO’s like LSU did last week. Oh, that’s right, LSU has a pretty good D, something you guys are still looking for. Maybe the next week with Colorado the pups will get back to playing some comparable competition. Watch out for Kentucky, a team with many more offensive weapons than CMR has at his disposal. In fact, Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke could come play for the pups and immediately be the best offensive players on the team. Remember, 8-4 = GREAT SEASON.
JaxGator
September 21st, 2010
12:08 pm
You Dog fans need to be patient with St. Mark. We Gator fans think that he is a real nice, Christian man; he is also good for a few laughs at Jacksonville, endzone dances and black helmets. Seems as if I have heard his talk before; he reminds me of Doug Dickey and Ron Zook with his coaching and explanations for losing. Please don’t get rid of Richt; remember he beats Tech almost every year.
GT clarification
September 21st, 2010
12:09 pm
To I agree… Just wanted to correct one thing in your paragraph where you actually were giving credit to GT on its direction where you said –
“Then, when they finally decided to pull the trigger and get rid of the coach who also bought into that thought process, they got a guy whose philosophy is “good teams don’t lose two games in a row (unless one of those is a bowl game after a season ending loss – like last year)”
GT has not lost two games in a row under CPJ yet. The losses to UGA and Iowa were broken up by winning the ACC championship over Clemson. Now this is not to say that we won’t ever lose two games in a row. In fact, law of averages guarantees it. I also can guaranteed that CPJ will be reminded of that quote (which I agree with) when it happens. I am hoping that does not make excuses as CMR does and simply states that evidently we are not a good team and need to prove that we are.
As for UGA – you guys did well on the defensive side by getting rid of your coordinator and I also agree with “I agree” that you may need to look at staffing that does what it needs to to win and keep its kids out of trouble.
As a GT fan I actually want both UGA and GT to become and stay strong in their respective conferences so we can keep that Georgia talent in state and out of FL, TN Sc and AL teams.
Good luck and see you in Nov.
gt
September 21st, 2010
12:13 pm
“Coaches don’t stay around like Pertno and Bowden anymore.” With the millions they pay these guys each one owes his school accountability. And if that is not realistic neither is the salary they accepted and never complained about. With the money they are paying that man down in Alabama they would have hung him if he had not produced. Coaches use to have to teach PE just to make ends meet for themselves along with their coaching duties. We keep returning to that logic when we talk about expectations. Richt’s expense account is bigger than Dooley’s entire budget for paying coaches when he first broke in. How many college programs can say “we got our money’s worth” in this modern era? The press doesn’t care to correct any of this, they are part of the welfare too. So the only way a program rights itself is the mob gets restless outranks the PR machine and take charge of the problem themselves.
dog daze
September 21st, 2010
12:19 pm
what if Bobo was right?
Perspective
September 21st, 2010
12:21 pm
In Richt’s time at UGA…
LSU won a national championship Saban, replaced him with Miles and won another.
Florida has won two national championships with Meyer
Saban spent time in the NFL and returned to Alabama and went 12-1 in his 2nd year, and won it all last year in his 3rd.
Now, Arkansas appears to be passing UGA by in Petrino’s 2nd year
meanwhile…Richt and Co. are doing the same things they did 10yrs ago even though every other program has gone through coaching changes and are all doing things differently. Where is the program evaluation, where’s the self evaluation?
Again no one is disputing what Richt has done at UGA, but you can hardly compare his results of the 1st 5yrs to the last. Save 07 what has he done? And really that was a quirky year anyway where we had a two-loss national champion and a two-loss #2 team, has that ever even happened in the modern era? For those who will tout the “some of those national championships were won with luck” I say this luck is where PREPERATION and opportunity meet. Maybe we haven’t been lucky because we haven’t been prepared properly. This year is a prime example. Florida has lost some teeth, Tenn is down, and we respond opening the season 0-2 in conference play.
Coachdawg 2000 – you make some interesting points in your 11:55 post, but let me ask you this, How is it that Alabama and Florida seem to manage their talent and prevent “free-lancing” and we can not? What’s the difference? Could it be coaching?
loyal fan
September 21st, 2010
12:22 pm
Spokesman for the East:
Are you saying that you would take Ron Zook over Mark Richt? NO.
What I’m trying to communicate is that Mark Richt is a coach with a winning record. It’s ignorant to think that with a freshman QB and new defense that he’s gonna have a stellar football team.
Keep Mark Richt and the program will thrive in a year.
Saben
September 21st, 2010
12:32 pm
Sorry I am not interested in the Georgia job.
You folks are just too cheap.
Missississipi State wins by 40
Dawgfan13
September 21st, 2010
12:34 pm
Loyal Fan, this team lacks fundemental blocking and tackling. Given the poor performance of the O-line and the pass blocking of the RB and let’s not forget the poor kicking game whose only bright spot is Walsh who has a strong field goal leg. And don’t even get me started on the secondary. When do we stop making excuses for poor performance both on the coaching and player side. Seems to me teams like Bama don’t accept poor performance.
59bulldawg
September 21st, 2010
12:34 pm
Right on Critter! No innovation, no improvement. Kiffin was right about game planning for Georgia. Same old same old! Richt needs to take his song and dance elsewhere.
Dawg Fud
September 21st, 2010
12:35 pm
And its worth noting Richt had a losing record against Zook
Hardtruth Soldier
September 21st, 2010
12:36 pm
Coach Richt, LETS LOOK AT YOUR TEAM LIKE YOU WOULD YOUR HOME AND KIDS! You wouldn’t want excuses if someone messed up your Big Home. or harmed your kids. We in Bulldog nation can’t and want except excuses for mediocrity out of 4 star, and 5 star players. The facts: In the 2 losses you guys have been the worst tackling teams in the SEC, you’ve got A O-Line that is absolutely awful. and really needs a change in players. Your running backs lack vision, don’t block and came so close to having us without a QB it’s scary. You can’t give the knowledgeable fans excuses when we see Urban with 2 rings, Nick with one(ACTUALLY 2, WITH LSU’s) and he did it at LSU, and ALA all in less than four years at each school. Your OC is garbage, and his play calling is questionable at best. Gratham will get his Defense right, this I can see just from last weeks performance against SC, to the performance against Ark. Coach one thing is evident, a team that lacks discipline off the field lacks it on it. Your team is un- disciplined, and by no means should a team that is 6th or 7th in the country in putting players in the NFL be losing to SC, or Ark. The only way your going to clean this mess up is win the next 8 and the Bowl game, and looking at Auburn, Tenn( There effort and heart) and Fla who we can’t ever beat consistently that’s a long shot. Bottom line Coach it’s time to get it together and stop giving excuses. You hold your players to a high standard( not high enough), so we in Bulldawg nation is are now telling you to get it together.
Spokesman for the East
September 21st, 2010
12:36 pm
loyal fan I agree that Richt is a better coach; but if my sole goal was to beat Georgia, I would take Zook. Zooks problem was he could win the games that were tough. His problem was he could not get a team up for a game that they were favored in. Trust me with his 1-5 recent record against the East we hope he stays for as long as possible. Question though; doesn’t it bother you that he has lost games between the HEDGES to Kentucky and Vandy?
Richt has lost to Vandy and Kentucky between the hedges?
September 21st, 2010
12:38 pm
Are you shifting me?
Richt has lost to Vandy and Kentucky between the hedges?
September 21st, 2010
12:39 pm
Those two losses alone would be enough to get you on the hot seat. Ask Houston Nutt.
just a fan
September 21st, 2010
12:39 pm
I think some changes need to be made at the end of the year by letting go of CMB and CSS the line isn’t playing all world like it was said during the pre-season and this offence you see on the field now is what we are going to be seeing next year because we do NOT have a talent at wide receiver like AJ coming in or on the roster right now. Another thing it is just pathetic at how few catches the TE have between the two of them 5 catches for 54 yards one of them is on the Mackey watch list for best tight end in the nation all we heard was how deep we were at TE and they aren’t getting the ball enough IMHO
justanotherthought
September 21st, 2010
12:40 pm
Another soft shoe response!!!! Same bullcrap! Bottom line in this league is results! Nick Saban does not have to answer these questions!!!!! Ever wander why?
dawgfacedboy
September 21st, 2010
12:40 pm
THey showed heart, blood, sweat, tears, and courage for about 10 minutes on Saturday. If they could’ve even come close to matching that intenstiy throughout the game we migth all be in a better mood this week.
Richt has lost to Vandy and Kentucky between the hedges?
September 21st, 2010
12:41 pm
justanotherthought, no but we wonder why.
justanotherthought
September 21st, 2010
12:43 pm
exscuse me!!!!!!!!
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:44 pm
Even if the cute little pound puppies… I refuse to call them dawgs until they beat someone… do beat UF this year it will not mean anything and UF will not be ranked in the top 15 when they play… that is another train wreck waiting to happen… but then again its the S-E-C… so lets keep them ranked in the top ten… poor UGA they are going to finish dead last in the S-E-C this year…
dawgfacedboy
September 21st, 2010
12:44 pm
The WR have been playing pretty doggone good this year. They’ve been leaping, falling down, and still making catches (when Murray isn’t on his back due to a missed block). It all starts up front. We can’t run the ball, can’t make a guy miss, can’t break a tackle. Hell even Buck, the biggest UGA homer of them all was saying this on 680 yesterday!!!
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:48 pm
Hey this is the S-E-C and Vandy and Kentucky are S-E-C teams… we are all powerhouses!!! Its hard to play week in and week out in this conference thats why Ole Miss over looks teams like Jacksonville State.. becasue next week youve got to play an S-E-C team… who has time for out of conference games… when you play in the S-E-C….. losing to Kentucky and Vandy at home is nothing to be ashamed of… Remember this is the S-E-C!!!
Hardtruth Soldier
September 21st, 2010
12:48 pm
Oh one other thing Coach, Winners don’t show heart and intensity in the last few minutes of a game, they show it when the kickoff starts the game. Look at the Clemson-Auburn game for intensity.
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:49 pm
On a serious note though… Murray is going to a damn fine QB over the next couple of years…
playing time
September 21st, 2010
12:49 pm
I would say that college football has evolved over the last 10 years. The league Richt coaches in today is not the same league it was when he took the job at Georgia. The HC’s are more talented as well as the players. You make changes to improve your position. Name one change with personnel Richt has made othe that Grantham in 10 years. There have been a few positions coach leave. ex: Kirby Smart.
TheTaxJacket
September 21st, 2010
12:50 pm
*** Nesbitt for Heismen***
(((( 45 – 42 ))))
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:51 pm
Clemson Vs. Auburn…. game went down as a classic… that was an epic battle… and for me answered any questions about the ability of the ACC to hang with the SEC… the problem the ACC has had is showing up… I really hope UGA doesnt play Auburn at home…that would be an embarrassing blow out
dawgfacedboy
September 21st, 2010
12:53 pm
Mark Ingram misses the first 4 games due to an injury, comes back, promptly runs for 40 yards on his first carry, hands the ball to the ref, high fives his teammates, and heads back to the huddle.
Ealey msses a game because of his own idiotic choices, comes back, racks up a mighty 3 yard run, gets up, flexes his muscles and beats his chest.
Actions speak louder than words Richt. You are 10-12 in the East since ‘05 and 8-8 in your last 16 home games.
Some Sense
September 21st, 2010
12:54 pm
If you can’t write, you really should stay off this thing. Why? Because it’s, uh, writing.
This is to all who think they know more about football than Richt, Bobo, Grantham, etc. If you saw, and I mean really saw the same game I did Saturday in the third and fourth quarters, you know that UGA might not lose another game this year.
dawgfacedboy
September 21st, 2010
12:54 pm
Jonathan- UGA does play at Auburn, get ready for the fireworks.
dawgfacedboy
September 21st, 2010
12:55 pm
Some Sense- know what I saw??? I saw the reality that we might not WIN another game this year (Idaho St. excluded). The 10 minutes they looked fired up in the end was not nearly enough to strike me with confidence in them.
Reality Stinks
September 21st, 2010
12:56 pm
The Tax Jacket
Now theres an intelligent post
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:57 pm
Dawgfaceboy… dont be so direct about how mediocre the UGA football team is… They will win a SEC title and a national title… as you clearly pointed out since 05′ the program is building something special in Athens…
5150 P.O.A.D.
September 21st, 2010
12:57 pm
But is my FORD F-150 Richt Tough or Saban Tough? Damn, I hope it is Bama Tough for sure. Like Richt says in his part you have to keep fighting. Richt will be fighting for his coaching life all year.
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:58 pm
Who would toss in there from UGA… Ealey?? Hell AJ would sell that trophy too wouldnt he
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
12:59 pm
AJ for Heisman… that way we can buy the trophy on ebay!!! or better yet craigslist… doubtful.. he knows his way around a computer
uncle kirk
September 21st, 2010
1:00 pm
Why Smart or Muschamp? Both unproven as HC’s. Smart barely does anything at Alabama….Saban’s puppet. He couldn’t even turn down a job on his own. Muschamp has never been impressive as a DC anywhere. (Auburn or Texas). Texas won with offense. The guy from Boise could be good, but it ain’t like he hasn’t had plenty of offers and still has not left. Gruden? gimme a break, that is desparation talking. We are just fine with what we got. A few wins in a row and these same people will be saying “i knew we were gonna be fine”
Saabotager
September 21st, 2010
1:01 pm
Richt is the problem not the kids as suggested by some of you. Who gives a flip about the program (UGA) when the program don’t give a flip about the player.
Jonathan
September 21st, 2010
1:02 pm
Uncle Kirk… if at or below 0.500 is just fine… then you are absolutely right you will be… Congrats on the successfull season and football program
5150 P.O.A.D.
September 21st, 2010
1:05 pm
How much for AJ Green’s Arkansas game jersey? That would be like owning a piece of the Iceburg the Titanic hit.
Mobile Dawg
September 21st, 2010
1:07 pm
It takes stamina and intensity along with a lot of smarts to be successful in the SEC today. Richt has lost the fire in his belly, it’s obvious in his voice, answers, intensity, and results. He has an occassional spark, aka, the 4th quarter gathering Saturday.
The finish to the 07 season was unique. The team gelled and developed some chemistry. Once they got rolling (gained confidence in themselves) they were tough. We haven’t seen anything close to that since, nor prior to 07 for two years. People are a product of their environment, no way you can deny that. CMR has let an environment of entitlement and mediocrity settle in Athens.
Whomever posted that CMR doesn’t owe us anything, ask yourself this. Would I pay an employee (which is what CMR is) blindly when they repeatedly demonstrated they are not delivering their moneys worth?