Richt on late fumble: ‘That’s as basic of a play as we’ve got’
BOULDER, Colo. — Comments by Georgia coach Mark Richt after the Bulldogs’ latest loss, 29-27 to Colorado on Saturday night:
On the fumble on Georgia’s final drive: “That’s as basic of a play as we’ve got. You say, ‘What’s our No. 1 running play?’, and that was it. They got penetration, obviously, but you’ve still got to be able to secure that ball for a 4- or 5-yard loss. You’ve got to hold on to it, but we didn’t. They made a play.”
On Caleb King’s night otherwise [100 yards rushing on 12 carries]: “Yeah, Caleb played real good. He broke a lot of tackles. [On the fumble] I think he was trying to make a spin move as he was getting the ball. It was his instinct to try and make somebody miss. But you’ve got to get the ball first, and we just didn’t do that. Caleb gave great effort; he gave great runs. When the ball was secured to him, he wrapped it up real well. Unfortunately on the exchange, he didn’t.”
On the team’s morale: “Am I worried about it? It’s hard. It’s not easy. But I have a lot of faith in our guys. They’ll stay together; they’ll keep working. No one’s going to give in or quit, and nobody’s going to do a negative thing within our ranks. I’m confident that everybody on this football tam is going to keep working. … Losing is not good, but there are a lot of good things that come out of it as far as effort and attitude of the group. There are a lot of things that I can point to that the coaches will be proud of these games for. But the bottom line in football is wins and losses, and right now we haven’t gotten one in a while.”
On A.J. Green’s return: “It’s nice to have A.J. You could see tonight just how talented he is and how dangerous a player he is. He’s a momentum changer, and he did [change momentum]. We reversed the momentum of the game, and … he made our offense spark. He’s definitely a special player and a special kid…. There are plays you can call that go to a guy, but we didn’t go that way because of protection or coverage, so that’s where we started with him.”
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342 comments Add your comment
nmdawg
October 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
Why do we “rebuild” when other teams that have consistently good recruiing classes reload? Saban replaced nine starters on defense from A NC team, Urban relace Saint Tebow. Oklahoma replaced Sam Bradford. Boise State wins with less than stellar classes. Rebuild, BS!!! Not prepared is more like it.
AMG
October 3rd, 2010
10:40 am
did any of you UGA fans see UGA lose to a completely sad Colorado team? Need I say more? You know what is going to happen for the rest of the season.
DawginOH
October 3rd, 2010
10:43 am
I agree with you, UGAVIII. The 3-4 is a huge difference from the 4-3 and CTG just doesn’t have the right personnel in there right now (although his failure to adjust to work with what he has is, of course, frustrating). Just look at how players like Kwame Geathers and Justin Houston are doing in this system. I also think Boykin is slowly coming along under CTG and should be much better by the end of the season.
I also think the offense will be much improved, even by the end of the season, because it already is improving. Despite the bonehead fumble, Caleb King had a good game. Green looked amazing, albeit out of shape. Murray is going to be a top-notch QB. Even the line showed marginal improvement (although not as much as I think needs to be shown by this point in the season).
There are some huge minuses this season that are driving me and all Dawg fans insane: horrible playcalling, inconsistent play by the offensive line, blown coverages, bonehead penalties at crucial moments and poor performance in the red zone. I’m not saying this team doesn’t have a whole lot of work to do. I’m saying that there actually are some reasons to be optimistic and that we should focus on those instead.
The fact that a lot of bandwagoners on here are trashing all affiliated with UGA’s football program for not doing their job is just plain silly. The only job we have as fans is to support the team: celebrate with them when they win, stand by them when they lose. How can we criticize the coaches and players for not doing their job properly when we are not doing ours?
This season has been just as painful for me as it has for the rest of y’all, but I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and will be a proud fan of the Dawgs till the day I die. All I can do is offer them my full support because I know I have no impact on what actually happens on the field. Especially when that field is about 1,500 miles away in Colorado. I encourage everyone to show up ready to support the Dawgs in a crucial home game on Saturday. They need us now more than ever.
GO DAWGS!!!
AMG
October 3rd, 2010
10:43 am
Look it is hard to prepare for a football game from an 8×8 jail cell, what more can I say.thUGA has made some bonehead decisions in who they recruit , how they discipline them, and how they coach them. They will continue to fail if they do not make major adjustments to all of it.
UGAG is gitting the ncaa death penalty, he he ha ha
October 3rd, 2010
10:47 am
HE HE HA HA, LAST IN THE SEC!!!
dawgfan
October 3rd, 2010
10:48 am
nmdawg, we used to be like that too. The game has passed Richt by. Football, particularly college football, is constantly evolving and progressing. Richt hasn’t progressed. The SEC is absolutey nothing like it was even 5 years ago. Look at Saban. I always thought he was a little overrated at LSU. Sure, he had that great 2003 team, but other than that he fielded a lot of mediocre teams at LSU. But look at him now. He has progressed. He has become a much better coach in my opinion. Richt has stuck with the status quo and has not tried to improve. He put this program on auto-pilot and the rest of the SEC has flown past us like we’re standing still.
Its time for Richt to go.
dawgfan
October 3rd, 2010
10:50 am
“I’m saying that there actually are some reasons to be optimistic and that we should focus on those instead.”
I’m supposed to be optimistic after a 1-4 start? I’m supposed to be optimistic when I see the same freaking mistakes over and over and over again? Fumbles, penalties, blown coverages, etc. Its the same crap week after week. I’m just not seeing all this improvement that the delusional ones are seeing. Where is it?
nmdawg
October 3rd, 2010
10:59 am
dawgfan…I am with you on your comments. The game evolves, and changes are part of it. Even Paterno at Penn State made adjustments to remain (or reestablish) relevency for PS. Richt had his sucess before the others were entrenched in solid SEC programs, and now we can no compete week in and out.
WTF?
October 3rd, 2010
11:06 am
Hit mans hasn’t impressed anyone yet. Rambo not the same since concussion.
RGRDAWG
October 3rd, 2010
11:09 am
I agree with DawginOH. Strength and Conditioning is a common denominator for why the team is horrible.
Linemen getting manhandled
Fullbacks can’t knock anyone down
Running backs can’t absorb at hit (or hold onto the ball)
DB’s can’t play physical enough
AJ ready to keel over after a few snaps
Nike sells as many green jerseys to UGA as it does red jerseys
Here is a post from someone from Bulldog Blog last week. I thought it was dead on.
“Our Strength and Conditioning program is one of our biggest problems. We recruit some of the top athletes in the nation but we always fail to develop them physically. Look at our offense and defensive lines. They are getting blown off the line by teams that should be inferior to us. The fullbacks are resorting to missed chop blocks when they should be squarely blasting linebackers onto their backs. Our running backs, most 4-5 star recruits, can’t break the first arm tackle or hit they encounter. W. Ealey took a heck of a shot on Saturday and fumbled the ball. Do you think he would have fumbled the ball if he was physical enough to take a blow like that? I don’t think one of our running backs are what you would call a physical running back. It seems like King is always getting hurt. It’s not like they are the workhorses of our offense.
Hard hitting physical safeties and linebackers used to be the staple of our defense. Now the linebackers are too busy fending off offensive linemen because our defensive linemen aren’t requiring double teams. The safeties aren’t punishing receivers or running backs anymore. It is easier for them to run along side them and jump on their backs for a game of rodeo. We are injury prone year after year. That isn’t just a coincidence!
Anonymous 5:05 was dead on about what other coaches in the NFL and at other colleges are saying. “We are weak, fat, and out of shape”
I hate to compare other teams to UGA but look at Alabama’s S+C program. Scott Cochran has his team physically ready to beat their opponents into submission. The offensive linemen are driving defensive linemen into the linebackers. Their defensive linemen are clogging up the line of scrimmage. Even the receivers and cornerbacks play physical.
It doesn’t matter who is calling the offensive or defensive plays. If our players are all wearing green jerseys or can’t knock an opponent on his back then we will continue this path of mediocrity.”
Dawgtired
October 3rd, 2010
11:16 am
Why is #25 still on the field? He should not have been out there to run into the kicker!!!
Gagal
October 3rd, 2010
11:19 am
This is CRAZY!! Fickle fans go from…..boy, I hope FSU doesn’t need a coach because we got a great one in Richt to Go, Go, Go, Resign…after a bad season which isn’t even over He is a great coach who is dealing with some young men who he has little control over. He thought he had two great quarterbacks to only end up with one. He once again has a great receiver back who just wanted to go on Spring Break like all the other college kids do!! The NCAA needs to look at how the players who play their hearts out every Saturday and get banged up can also have the ability finacially to enjoy their college years. Perhaps some of you big mouths need to remember if you can what it is like to be a college student for the first time away from your family structure and what you did then. Did you make all the right choices? I seriously doubt it. Richt has to discipline the players and that has cost us on the scoreboard!
Facethefacts
October 3rd, 2010
11:27 am
If McGarity can’t afford to fire Richt, then he should make his life miserable. He could do that by firing Bobo and Van Halanger immediately. That would devastate Richt. It might even frustrate him enought to make him want to quit.
Marie
October 3rd, 2010
11:27 am
GO DAWGS!
It sure is easy to support a team when they win, isn’t it?
Loser so-called fans.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
GT Haynes Killen
October 3rd, 2010
11:35 am
Ha Ha!
chickenman
October 3rd, 2010
11:36 am
so no one on the ajc has the cojones to write about the obvious? hmmm
ugabean
October 3rd, 2010
11:43 am
God bless our Dawgs!
ugabean
October 3rd, 2010
11:51 am
No thanks to Dish Network! I bet they still send a bill this month. Time to change to Direct TV. Win or lose, I still want to watch the Dawgs. Our Radio commentators suck.
dawg gone
October 3rd, 2010
11:51 am
This is UGA football…..turning great recruits into nothing!
What a waste
TT44
October 3rd, 2010
11:56 am
LETS ASK THE DAWGS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN….WHAT THE HEY? A BASIC RUNNING PLAY AND YALL ALLOW THAT MUCH PENETRATION?
THIS O LINE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR ANCHOR…AND THEY ARE SINKING THE BOAT!
Richt's Future
October 3rd, 2010
11:57 am
you morons calling for richt’s head are so myopic. If he goes, it sets our program back 5 years.
1) get Bobo’s ass back in the booth. Little man can’t see over all those lineman and can’t see what defesnes are lining uo
2) McGarity needs to come out and proclaim that Richt’s job is as secure as it’s gonna get- we need those recruits next year
3) Play Carlton Thomas #30 a helluva lot less. The kid is awful
4) Ditto for Christian Robinson #45
5) Do something about our safties…their play is sickening, esp “hitman” Hamilton…what a joke
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
11:57 am
Richt,
You’re being out-coached in every game now and most of the players have already given up.
The rest will soon.
FLA DAWG
Class of ‘79
TT44
October 3rd, 2010
11:58 am
ONE MORE THING….CMR, IS NOT THE PROB. ITS WHO HE HAS SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH! AS THE GREAT BEAR BRYANT WAS ASKED ONCE,,” WHAT MAKES YOU SUCH A GREA COACH?” hE SAYS…” I SURROUND MYSELF WITH GREAT PEOPLE!” CMR TAKE NOTE! GO DAWGS!
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
11:59 am
“If he (Richt) goes, it sets our program back 5 years”
Richt has set our program back 20 years already. So, if we unload him we’ll move our program up 15 years.
zondy23
October 3rd, 2010
12:00 pm
Please tell me all of you who want the coaching staff gone. Who wants to come to Georgia? There is no one out there who will come besides a mid major coach and that is taking your chance. You want to get rid of a guy who has won 91 games in ten years for a coach at Boise St? They play in the WAC, they have to get up to play one game a year and yall think he is some great coach, be careful what you wish for. For some of you saying the last play was a trick play and that you were at the game and saw that it was a trick play, you must have had to many beers in you, that was no trick play.
Bobo showed he could call plays with Green in the lineup but when he went down in the third it was typical bobo play calling run up the middle on 1st and 2nd and send everyone deep on play action or have an end around when we haven’t been able to run all night. Also bobo having thomas come in the thrid quarter when king was playing so good. Thomas was our third string running back to start the season for a reason, I don’t care how much king and washawn fumble they are still better than thomas plus thomas can’t pick up a block.
If there is a place for a change than it would be Bobo, if Richt is not willing to make the change at the end of the year then yes there will have to be a discussion about Richt’s future. Give him some time he has earned it over the years, and he earns more respect than what he is getting from his beloved dawg fans!!
The obvious question
October 3rd, 2010
12:00 pm
The players appeared to be affected by the altitude. It takes at least a week to become acclimated to the lower oxygen levels at a mile above sea level. For players that have never experienced high altitudes, it is very disorienting both mentally and physically. Could explain some of the mistakes.
seriously
October 3rd, 2010
12:06 pm
obvs q?
Bowden told everyone with Richt … that all that is BS.. the ball will sail faster and longer thats it
Kramer
October 3rd, 2010
12:18 pm
If the altitude is such a factor, please, please explain with at least 6 home games a year, why Colorado just now won 2 straight in over two years. Someone has been coming there to that “altitude” and beaten them. Enough with the lame excuses. Out coached and outplayed. We are an aveage team and frankly, I won’t accept that from a Georgia team!
SLim
October 3rd, 2010
12:21 pm
RIP UGA….1-4 and it’s about to get worst. Believe if you wish that things are going to change/get better, but this team (after last night’s lost) is talking about next year (UGA should beat LSU because they have the worst coach on the planent…another bone-headed call by the hat at the end of the game…but LSU will win because this team has given up). Even though Florida got their a$$ kicked by Alabama last night (after the first half Alabama shutdown/turned off their offense…it could have been worst), Florida will still beat UGA soundly. This team might only win 2 more games this year…
stendek
October 3rd, 2010
12:24 pm
Remember these wonderful times?
http://stendekk.wordpress.com/bulldogs-sink-to-new-low-in-loss-at-colorado/
IT WAS A FLEA FLICKER NOT SO SAINTLY MARK WRETCH!
76-DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
12:37 pm
FLA DAWG
You are exactly right , we are being out coached every game.
We have to give Grantham at least a year to get such a radical change on defense implemented and learned by the players. Most of these recruits committed thinking they were going to play the 4-3. The 3-4 is a lot more complicated and the players have a lot more responsibilities depending on the offensive play that is run. I still say that if we have the depth , and that question still has to be answered, to have the 3-4 it is a great recruiting tool because most of the pro teams use a 3-4.
One thing that what help a lot is for UGA to play as many freshmen as possible. If these new recruits are ready there is no reason to red shirt them.
spider
October 3rd, 2010
12:39 pm
the good news is that college football news has us ranked the top 1 win team in the country
College football expert
October 3rd, 2010
12:47 pm
Wow, gonna ten losses this season. I thought they would only have 9.
Skyler
October 3rd, 2010
12:51 pm
bugsquacher – UGa was not a top program when Richt came. Richt took UGa to SEC Titles, Division Titles that were a first since 1982. you got to get your facts straight bubba. this is a freshman quarterback behind a overrated o-line. This aint all Mark Richt.
Worst season since . . . . . Ray Goff
October 3rd, 2010
12:55 pm
Enter your 1-4 comments here:
Football Nazi
October 3rd, 2010
1:06 pm
99% of playing D is desire! I don’t see desire on that side of the ball.
The O line is fair at best! They are definetly not strong or mean enough!
I also think the players play how they are coached. The players are a reflection of coaching. I ask you to look at Bama and then look at the dawgs. Now which team do you think looks like they are well coached?
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
1:06 pm
76-DAWG,
As much as I want Richt, Bobo, Searles and a few others out, I think Grantham has not had a fair chance at implementing his 3 – 4. So I’m with you on this. If the story is true that Richt told Grantham not to yell at his players when they blew coverages then Grantham’s hands are tied until Richt is gone.
I like the 3 – 4 and also believe it will help in recruiting. I must wonder at this point how capable our current D players are at learning though. Rambo is usually 5 to 10 yards out of position and has given up major yardage and TDs.
Rod Seagrist,Santa Rosa, Calif
October 3rd, 2010
1:09 pm
If Richt played Murray last year instead of Cox we would be doing better this year.
If Richt had put in new defensive caoches 2-3 years back like he should of we would be doing better this year.
If Richt had gotten a real offensive coordinator rather than an untried buddy we would be doing better this year.
Saban had Alabama on top of the country in two years Richt and Georgia is still second tier.
Richt hasn’t been able to push the program to the top in ten years, what makes you think he can turn it around now?
Richt is a nice guy but he makes 2 million dollars a year to win not be nice.
I love Georgia and always will but we will not be a top program until we replace Richt.
What are Kirby Smart and Will Musschamp up to?
tony
October 3rd, 2010
1:10 pm
Skyler, it was Brian VanGorder’s defense that won the sec title in 2002 and DJ Shockley in 2004. Mr.Richt is an opportunist. If was a good decision maker the dogs would have won at least 1 championship with all the talent he has had.
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
1:11 pm
Richt appears to be denying the fumbled play by King was a flea flicker. He’s saying King likes to spin to avoid a hit and didn’t tuck the ball away.
Maybe that was the case. It looked like a blown flea flicker play to me but I’m not sure. I wish I had recorded it for replay.
Not a good thing when we cannot even trust what Richt is saying anymore.
Dan
October 3rd, 2010
1:12 pm
I’m gonna go ahead and assume that somehow UGA losing to Colorado proves how tough the SEC is.
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
1:22 pm
Has anyone seen / replayed that fumble by King enough to know if it was a called flea flicker (which would have been the dumbest call Bobo has ever made – and we all know he’s made many dumb calls) or if King was spinning and just lost the ball?
HeHateGator
October 3rd, 2010
1:28 pm
Rod Seacrest, agree 1000%, much more eloquent than I have been to say!!!
…but Richt makes 3 mill per year…
HeHateGator
October 3rd, 2010
1:31 pm
Fla Dawg, where are you located?…I reside in Tampa area. Yes, have also heard Richt had a problem with Grantham AND Van Gorder’s language…
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
1:36 pm
Coral Springs
HeHateGator
October 3rd, 2010
1:56 pm
From ESPN: Georgia is in the tank: It’s official now. Georgia’s season is over. All that remains is to see how bad and how far-reaching the fallout will be when the games are complete. The Bulldogs (1-4) lost 29-27 to a Colorado team on Saturday night that was trashed 52-7 by California earlier this season…The good teams find ways to win. This team is finding ways to lose right now, and not even A.J. Green’s return could save the Bulldogs. They’re staring down the barrel of their first non-winning season or even their first losing season in the Mark Richt era, and if that happens, Richt will have a hard time surviving.
Rich
October 3rd, 2010
2:00 pm
It looked like a flea flicker to me but even if it wasn’t shouldn’t it bother Richt that we can’t even execute a play “as basic as a play we got?”
UGADAWG 1978
October 3rd, 2010
2:26 pm
Dont you people realize how stupid you all sound? Fire Richt? The guy has been great for 8 years and he has a bad season with a freshman quarterback, a new defense that doesn’t have a nose guard, give me a break. I WILL NOT TURN MY BACK AND RUN AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ADVERSITY. YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. YOU ALL SOUND LIKE TECHIES. GO DAWGS
FLA DAWG
October 3rd, 2010
2:43 pm
Rich,
Good point.
UGADAWG 1978,
“AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ADVERSITY”…. you have a very short memory.
UGADAWG 1978
October 3rd, 2010
2:51 pm
OK FLA DAWG FIRE RICHT FOR WHO? SMART?MUSCHAMP? THEY HAVE A COMBINED TOTAL OF ZERO WINS AS A HEAD COACH. LET GRANTHAM HAVE A RECRUITING CLASS TO FIND PERSONEL NEEDED TO RUN A 3-4. AND BY THE WAY. IF RICHT GOES CHRISTIAN LEMAY GOES WITH HIM. RICHT NEEDS TO TAKE OVER OFF. PLAY CALLING. BUT I STILL THINK HE IS OUR MAN. I DON’T WANT TO REBUILD AND START RUNNING THE OPTION IF WE GET A NEW HEAD COACH. IF WE WENT AFTER A COACH THOUGH SCREW SMART AND MUSCHAMP I’D GO AFTER HARBAUGH.