Richt’s deal with Dogs: Win turnover battle, grow beards
ATHENS – Georgia’s football team is looking scruffier these days. And that’s a good thing, coach Mark Richt explained Tuesday.
Richt, who normally forbids beards on the team, made a deal with his players: When the Bulldogs win the turnover battle in a game, shaving is optional the following week.
And after winning the turnover battle the past two weeks, 3-0 against Tennessee and 2-0 against Vanderbilt, beards are sprouting all around the locker room.
“I hope they are the nastiest looking bunch in America by the end of the year,” Richt said.
Richt actually made the same offer to his team last year, but no one noticed because the Bulldogs lost the turnover battle for the season by a whopping 28-12 margin, ranking 118th out of 120 major-college teams.
“Unfortunately, we were clean-shaven all year,” Richt said. “This year, they’re getting a little furrier.”
All that fur will have to be shaved after any game in which the Bulldogs are on the losing end of the turnover margin, Richt said. And what if the team breaks even in turnovers in a given game? In that case, Richt said, the beards can stay if the team is ahead for the year in turnover margin. Georgia has an 11-7 advantage in turnovers so far this season, thanks to the 5-0 edge the past two weeks.
“It’s just something we’re doing for a little motivation,” said scruffy-chinned linebacker Akeem Dent.
Fullback Fred Munzenmaier and tight end Artie Lynch appear to have the fastest-growing beards on the team, according to several players.
Turns out, though, Richt’s rule isn’t always the final word on the subject.
“I got a little fuzzy last week,” quarterback Aaron Murray said, “but my mom got mad at me so I had to clean it up before the game. She likes it clean-cut. I’ve got to make Mommy happy because my birthday is coming up and I want some good gifts.”
Besides, Murray admitted, he can grow a beard only in patches. “I’m still a teenager,” said the redshirt freshman quarterback, who will turn 20 on Nov. 10.
Senior wide receiver Kris Durham is among the players growing a beard, which he calls “icing on the cake” compared to the larger benefit of winning the turnover battle: “It is going to help us win games.”
Turnovers have been a serious problem for Georgia in the past couple of seasons. Critical fumbles figured largely in losses to South Carolina, Mississippi State and Colorado this season. And the problem was at its worst in the second half of last season’s loss to Kentucky, when the Bulldogs committed four turnovers to blow a 20-6 halftime lead and lose 34-27. Georgia plays at Kentucky on Saturday, hoping to win the turnover battle this time and keep the beards growing.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
230 comments Add your comment
Eaassyy
October 19th, 2010
4:18 pm
good one. i am sure they have twice the bowl wins too. losers
UGA Insider
October 19th, 2010
4:22 pm
This team us just starting to gain confidence and that is a great thing. I personally think UK will be out of gas Saturday night and UGA will be riding sky high. The end result will be a easy UGA win and probably another SEC freshman player of the week honors for Murray. Which will be 3 in a row. I also expect J Houston to get 2 or 3 sacks as well. He is well on his way to being SEC defensive player of the year as I predicted back in August.
godawgs!!
October 19th, 2010
4:22 pm
http://pricezack.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/the-bcs-who-will-raise-the-crystal-ball/
3 and 4, will win no more!!!
October 19th, 2010
4:22 pm
Casbah, come talk to me after you have cleaned out all of the dawg sh*t on all of the Tech blogs. Tit for tat.
Eisendawg
October 19th, 2010
4:23 pm
This is a great idea. Also, in the event of a vicious “head to head” helmet hit, the beard will be a built-in shock absorber.
Rock the Casbah
October 19th, 2010
4:29 pm
3 and 4, speak for yourself, Weenie. I’ve never been on a Tech board in my life. Why would I have any interest in what you losers have to say?!?
Michelle
October 19th, 2010
4:30 pm
Hunker Down Hairy Dawg!
DawginLex
October 19th, 2010
4:30 pm
I would not expect a bunch of nerds to know anything about football so I will inform you that Dan Mullen is an up and coming coach and has MSU playing much better than previous years. That’s how they beat florida.
always have to pull out the “what’s your record against Florida” stuff to deflect the true question. Why does Kentucky have more wins vs UGA this decade than Tech does?
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2010
4:32 pm
I’ll take the degree to which Murray is getting better against the degree that Hartline is getting better.
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2010
4:36 pm
And yes Brad, he said Mommy. I guess a starting QB at a Major D-1 University football program isn’t quite as manly as some lil punk who can post about it in a blog.
Rock the Casbah
October 19th, 2010
4:40 pm
It’s going to be a heckuva battle Saturday night. I think KY’s star RB Locke will be back. They may be coming off the high of beating SC, but it’s going to be a tough game for sure.
Keyser Soze
October 19th, 2010
4:42 pm
Casbah, you seem awfully worked up for someone who does not care. You only seem to be responding to the fans of other programs, rather than posting any meaningful info or adding to the discussion. Just do what I do when dawg fans pollute my teams blogs, I simply ignore them.
Rock the Casbah
October 19th, 2010
4:44 pm
I’ll put Murray’s toughness up against any other QB in the country right now. He’s taken some shots and gotten right up. In fact he really needs to learn how to slide or he’s going to get knocked out. He’s having a great start to his career, though. He’s the top ranked freshman in the nation in passing efficiency right now.
Rock the Casbah
October 19th, 2010
4:47 pm
You haven’t seen me “worked up” Keyser, but not bad advice.
Loser UGA Fans
October 19th, 2010
4:48 pm
Don’t you love it….2 wins over SEC cellar dwellers at home and the UGA fans go from “Fire Richt!!” to “Win the SEC”. What a joke of a program.
BirdDawg
October 19th, 2010
4:51 pm
Dan Mullen was coaching MSU last season too.
barneyb
October 19th, 2010
4:54 pm
So he normally forbids facial hair, but allows dreadlocks? Such hypocrisy.
Bride of Chucky Knapp
October 19th, 2010
4:55 pm
Why’d Aaron have to go and mention gifts?! Now the NCAA will be investigating his mom’s birthday presents!
Rock the Casbah
October 19th, 2010
4:58 pm
I hope Murray’s Mom isn’t a registered agent!
aladawg
October 19th, 2010
5:03 pm
Bob Sacamano/Durka Dawg, both of you idiots get off this blog talking about the dawgs looking like bums have you not seen half of the fans that follow the dawgs are worse bums that the players. They come out of the hills dipping snuff, unshaved and looking like they haven’t had a bath in a month those are your bums and my bet is that you two look just just like them. Most of you look like Tennessee fans.
The Exterminator
October 19th, 2010
5:06 pm
Tech fans –
8 out of 9.
Will be 9 out of 10.
Go back to your own board, bugs.
Go Dawgs.
John Galt
October 19th, 2010
5:10 pm
I naturlly thougt it was his dancing after beating the vols had done the trick. You are all much ado about nothing as usual. Until these top five recruiting classes year end and year out start winning national championships, then technically, no pud intended, dogville is strictly a regional football. Growing beards are for turkeys anyway.
GeorgeDawg
October 19th, 2010
5:12 pm
Some of you Georgia fans are too serious and too critical. You dudes from other schools with these nasty comments about our players, coaches, school, etc have got to be losers – the thought of posting comments on another teams fans blog has just never crossed my mind. I’m here for I’m an alumnist of Georgia who really pulls for Georgia’s various teams and love sports, in general.
Again, if you’re alabama, florida fans – get a real life, a job or a girlfriend, something. You are truly pathetic. Oh and I bet you really are losers!
Gator Man
October 19th, 2010
5:25 pm
Dogs beat Tnn, Van, both teams are in last place, yet the dogs are pumping their chest out like they are 7-0. Forida lost to the #1 and #7 team in the country and they are giving it to Urban.
Talk about low standards at UGA, you lost to Colorado, no Sec team have yet to lose to them you have not played for a NAT since the Cell phone was invented and Ronald Reagan was in office, yet Mart Richt give you another subpar season and you idiots are praise him and these losers.
DenverJacket
October 19th, 2010
5:27 pm
Retarded gimmick. That is all. They’ll all be clean shaven next week. What next Richt? Ride your pony to game if you score more than 7 against a worthy opponent?
AndyDawg
October 19th, 2010
5:38 pm
Can we get red lumberjack print jerseys for the Tech game if our beards get long enough?
UGADawg83
October 19th, 2010
5:45 pm
Its not a gimmick if you earn it……my Richt could win them all and there would be complaints. I get the complaints from the non-Dogs but not from our own folks when it comes to this.
Aaron for Freshman on the year
October 19th, 2010
5:48 pm
Brad,
Your criticizing a kid for calling his mother “mommy” When you have 16 total touchdowns as a RS Freshman through 7 games then you can criticize him about not being tough. I think he was being sarcastic idiot. Go Dogs
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
5:53 pm
Beards now? Leading the team on the field? Black outs? Gator Stomps? Grasping for straws? Yeah, CMR is a great motivator, but can he coach?
Dawg Whisperer
October 19th, 2010
5:54 pm
Good job, coach Richt. A simple motivation technique managed to irritate UGA haters. Apparently, it doesn’t take much. Keep on trolling UGA haters, who knows, Richt might come up with adding a moustache to the beard. From the looks of your posts, I’m guessing that will send you into orbit.
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
5:59 pm
What happened to the ‘win games and get championship trophies and rings’ promise? Now it’s down to win the turnover battle and you get to grow beards? My, my, my but the standards have dropped in Athens. Sounds like there will be some hairy losers on the sidelines with those incentives.
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
6:01 pm
Dawg Whisperer – You’re sorely needed in Athens if you are truly the “Dawg Whisperer.”
patrick
October 19th, 2010
6:04 pm
James
October 19th, 2010
2:34 pm
This is reminiscent of the “let’s change uniforms for motivation” gimmick. Typical Richt…
========================================
Black out games
.
1. Auburn….win
.
2. Hawaii…win
.
3. ALA ….loss
.
2-1….seems the gimmicks work
patrick
October 19th, 2010
6:07 pm
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
5:53 pm
Beards now? Leading the team on the field? Black outs? Gator Stomps? Grasping for straws? Yeah, CMR is a great motivator, but can he coach?
======================================
.
Can he coach…..well lets examine that
.
2008….18 scholly players out with season ending injuries PRIOR to game 3…………..ended up ranked top 10, had 10 wins and won a bowl. Name another coach that had that many quality players out all season and accomplished that…NOW THATS COACHING
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2010
6:09 pm
“yet the dogs are pumping their chest out like they are 7-0″
really?
You thought all day long, and this is what you came up with? Of all the things that you could try to pass of for an actual opinion about football, or the teams, this is your comment? You are not actually very smart are you?
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
6:09 pm
patrick
October 19th, 2010
6:04 pm
“2-1….seems the gimmicks work”
… you should have said the “gimmicks workED” (past tense) because the last time out wasn’t pretty.
dawghater
October 19th, 2010
6:10 pm
I guess “scruffy” is the new Blackout for 2010! Or CMR had to take the sharp objects away from the players so they did slit their wrists!
SEC Fact Finder
October 19th, 2010
6:12 pm
For all of you UGA fans who have been taking it from The Gator fans for years…here is an interesting article in the Gainesville Sun on their top notch recruiting class last year…check out your friend and mine TAMPA GATOR….who is always on here running his pie hole but here he seems to be whining..
Give em hell boys:
http://recruiting.blogs.gatorsports.com/10704/re-evaluating-the-2010-uf-class/comment-page-1/#comment-5118
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
6:12 pm
patrick
October 19th, 2010
6:07 pm
Yes, you remind us of 2008… but what about last year? Even more pertinent, what about THIS year? Patrick, can you tell us what Richt’s SEC record is for the 2009 and 2010? Please take a look and get back to us, ok?
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
6:20 pm
patrick,
Have you figured out yet that UGA has a LOSING record in the SEC these past two years? (6-7)
I’m sure you would agree that despite having Top Ten recruiting classes for the past 5 years CMR has not coached up this talent to compete in the SEC. You stated “NOW THATS COACHING”, but it’s really just BAD coaching!
Obvious
October 19th, 2010
6:26 pm
patrick,
How did that last Blackout Game go? How many Blackouts has UGA had since that game in 2008? I mean, if the gimmick worked then why not use it all the time, or at least every year?
MikeP
October 19th, 2010
6:37 pm
Great idea, Coach Richt. Scruffy, unshaven players will go miles toward reinforcing the image of thugs at UGA.
(What in the world is this guy thinking? After all the arrests, now he institutes a policy that makes even the non-arrestees look like hoods!)
Fred Ziffel
October 19th, 2010
6:44 pm
Maybe they all should be able to sport tattoos, ear bling, gold chains, dreadlocks and dont take baths. Thats how to get nasty and smelly. Stank Dawgs I say !
Fred Ziffel
October 19th, 2010
6:46 pm
Oh and dont forget them Hoodies too.
(Arrested) Player of the Week
October 19th, 2010
6:51 pm
Athens has been renamed “Gimmick City”.
Soon, all the players will be dressed in black jerseys, black pants, black shirts, black helmets, black socks–and will have long, beards, mohawks, gold teeth–all the while sporting a record that stinks to high heaven.
(Arrested) Player of the Week
October 19th, 2010
6:53 pm
….no, I said nothing about nipple rings or red panties. Don’t put words in my mouth–that’s not sanitary.
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2010
6:54 pm
Richt is 21-0 when his teams do not turn the ball over.
Too bad that unshaven young men offend you so much, or you would be more happy about this for you team.
turkeycaller
October 19th, 2010
6:58 pm
I feel Richt spends too much time on things like this beard issue. He seems to try hard to be one of the boys to me. They better get UK on their minds instead of this contrived nonsense. I just feel time could be better spent by all parties concerned. I know there can be pros and cons to this thing but I would urge Richt to worry about the obvious and most important thing….UK.
Harry the Hat
October 19th, 2010
7:01 pm
I wonder if any of the books about UGA football include the perspective of someone speaking for the late Jan Kemp? The perspective that “student” athletes like Lindsay Scott were playing years without taking college level courses? That the proudest moment of the football program was earned by players who never earned a single college credit?
Dawgtards love to return to 1980, but their memories are really short when it comes to remembering an earthshaking event that happened a few years later that showed the world what a joke UGA athletes were and what a scam artist their beloved Vince Dooley was (and is). So for all those dawgtards with short memories or who think their athletes are actually taking real courses and trying to graduate, here’s the quote that broke the trial wide open and showed what a slimeball Dooley is:
O. Hale Almand Jr., a lawyer for the defense, offered a justification for the favorable treatment accorded the athletes, citing a hypothetical player. “We may not make a university student out of him,” he told the jury, “but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbageman when he gets through with his athletic career.”
Nothing has changed at UGA, they just do a slightly better job of keeping things quiet, but that’s hard to do when 45 of your player-thugs have been arrested, isn’t it?
UGA: WINNER OF THE FULMER CUP AND THE CESSPOOL OF THE SOUTH.
Joe
October 19th, 2010
7:03 pm
The Dawgs will never be national Champions with this Man as head coach.