UPDATED: What happened to change direction of Georgia football?
The most significant change in the last four years has been Mark Richt's decision to relinquish offensive game-planning and play-calling duties. (AP photo)
I’m not sure how many people were watching College GameDay this past Saturday morning and saw the piece they aired on the Georgia football program. It was titled, “Discontent in Georgia” and I was among the individuals interviewed for it. Here’s A LINK to the video clip if you haven’t seen it.
But the real fireworks, I thought, came in the ensuing debate among the College GameDay panel, including regulars Lee Corso, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit and a new castmember named David Pollack, who some of you may have heard of.
In any case, it didn’t paint a very pretty picture of the direction of the Bulldogs’ football program, and that was before they went out and lost to South Carolina 45-42 on national TV. I thought it could have been a little more balanced — surely they could have found some folks that would have defended head coach Mark Richt — but the general theme was that Georgia fans are unhappy with the way things are going and want a coaching change. That’s what set off the debate among the GameDay guys.
The problem when you do television interviews for something like this is, typically, they ask you questions for 15-20 minutes and they may use 30 seconds of what you say. That was the case here and that’s fine. I knew that going in.
But one of the things they asked me about that didn’t make the airwaves was what I thought had taken place that precipitated Georgia’s downturn. It was a tough question and, honestly, one that I kind of struggled with. But after rattling it around in my brain for awhile, I came up with the best answer I could at the moment.
The only thing I could think of that changed from 2007, when the Bulldogs won 11 games, to 2008-10, when they won 10 then 8 then 6, was Richt relinquishing control of offensive game-planning and play-calling responsibilities.
If you recall, it was after the Georgia Tech game at the end of the 2006 regular season that we found out that Richt discreetly turned over those duties to quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo for that contest. Bobo also handled the responsibility in the bowl game and, after being bestowed the title of offensive coordinator in 2007, has been in charge of the offense ever since.
Now this is not to say I think Bobo’s offensive strategies have been the reason for Georgia’s demise. That was not and is not my point. In fact, Bobo’s offenses on average have actually out-gained (387.21-377.76 ypg) and out-scored (31.28-28.13 ppg) Richt’s. It has more to do with the resulting fundamental change in the way Richt directed the program as head coach.
Think about that for a minute. For 11 years before Richt came to Georgia, he was quarterbacks coach and/or offensive coordinator at Florida State, which happened to finish in the Top 5 nationally every one of those years. For the majority of that time, he was game-planning and play-calling for the Seminoles. Then he comes to Georgia in December of 2000 and, after doing calling the national championship game with FSU, he hits the recruiting trail for the Bulldogs and assumes the same offensive responsibilities at UGA in addition to being head coach.
That goes on through the 2006 season, when he finally entrusts the Xs and Os to somebody else. It was an exhausting run, I’m sure.
But again, more than not calling all the offensive shots, this represented a profound change in how Richt went about his business, both on a weekly and daily basis all the way down to game management. That must have had some sort of effect on the way things have gone.
Anyway, I’m not sharing all this to say I’ve figured anything out. This is much more of an observation than it is a hypothesis. But it’s something I’ll continue to look into going forward. And, of course, there are so many other aspects that go into running a college football program. Evaluation, recruiting, coaching, training, injuries, academics, luck, they all have something to do with it.
But that’s what I’m asking you guys today. Here is the cold reality: Georgia is off to an 0-2 start this season. It is 14-14 overall (12-14 vs. FBS) and 7-10 in the SEC since the 2009. So, what do you think happened?
UPDATE: I asked Coach Richt at his presser Tuesday what he would point to as the main reason for the recent downturn. Here’s what he said:
“Last year we went through all that, and we talked about things that are a year old. Those are old. This season is the only thing I’m really concerned about, and obviously, we turned the ball over. Not only were they turnovers, they were turnovers for points. I guess there was five yards they had to track one time. Our defense basically gave up 17 points to a pretty darn good football team. They had no responsibility for the fake punt, the pick six or the fumble for a touchdown. They could have stopped them on the five yard line going in. Sudden change – that’s their job to turn it into a field goal. We just gave that one away.”
– Chip Towers
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734 comments Add your comment
HondaDawg
September 13th, 2011
8:29 pm
The answer lies in lack of player development by our coaches. When you have some time, check out our recruiting classes starting in 2001 till now. This trip down memory lane is pretty telling. Some names stand out for good and bad reasons. Eventually, you realize that only about 50% of any class remains enrolled for 2+ years, while even fewer players contribute meaningful game reps. Only 1-4 guys actually stand out as true impact players. For the past 10 years, the 4 and 5 star players take too long to develop if ever, while 3 star players (save the in-state lineman that opts for AU, UA and UF) contribute more meaningful minutes. This category called in-state 4/5 star in-state lineman is the most alarming. We almost have had ZERO 4/5 star instate lineman materialize into starting game changing players. I know, what about Jon Stinchcomb? Ok, so there’s one and maybe there are one or two more out there I’m missing. But, last time I checked, you need 5 to play on the line! You mean to tell me there aren’t 5 D1 prospects in GA every year? Bottom line, if UGA could improve in this one category, then maybe it has a shot. Albeit, a long shot.
ldh
September 13th, 2011
8:41 pm
Richt hasn’t forgot how to coach.In 09 we had Joe Cox he wasnt bad but NOT good and last year we had basically a freshman playing QB without a good running game(Ealey was terrible as was King)AND was missing Green for four games.It basically comes down to having a good running game and not turning the ball over.We now have Crowell and if Murray can cut down on his turnovers we will be ok.
bugsquacher
September 13th, 2011
8:50 pm
Why Georgia should be thinking about a coaching change…..
1-Georgia is a combined 0-5 against Top 25 teams in 2010 and 2011 and has lost 10 of its last 12 against ranked teams.
2- richt is now 14-14 in his last 28 games
3- Lets look at the remaining schedule. Games they will probably lose: 1- Miss St. 2- Tenn 3-Florida 4-Auburn. Games we should win (if we don’t have an off week): 1- Costal Carolina, 2-Miss, 3- Kentucky, 4- New Mexico, 5-Tech, 6-Vandy. LOOKS LIKE A 50/50 CHANCE OF ANOTHER LOSING SEASON.
Rocktown Dawg
September 13th, 2011
9:19 pm
Today i saw mike bobo driving his short bus… In the front seat sat Grantham and in back was our retard qb Murray… CMR had his leg out the window sun tanning with those darn sunglasses. I wonder this week who else will McGarity will put on Bobo’s short bus… almost for got… Murray was waving some pompom’s like he did that football on saturday… lol… So this is a lesson to the rest of the Highschool football players across Georgia.. If u have someone who starts to play like Murray,coaches like CMR or Grantham, tell’em, ” GET OFF BOBO’S SHORTBUS”
SHORTBUS MAYBE COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU!!! SOON WILL LEAVE ATHENS!!!!
Dawg85
September 13th, 2011
9:19 pm
Hurray for Jsmooth at 7:51pm. Couldn’t have said it better. And these same know it all obnoxious folks are going to be the real reason good recruits think twice about coming to UGA.
bilbo799
September 13th, 2011
9:48 pm
It’s absurd that a program with the resources and talen of UGA has Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator. Bobo’s offenses have a way of being better on paper than in reality. We scored 21 against Boise State–not awful. But anybody who saw that game knows our offense was absolutely terrible.
bilbo799
September 13th, 2011
9:49 pm
The thing about BOBO’s offenses is that they always put the Defense in tough situations. The D played its heart out against South Carolina, but time and time again, UGA failed to capitalize (bc BOBO put in Samuel instead of Crowell in 1st half) and then started making mistakes. BOBO MUST GO.
Lamar
September 13th, 2011
9:59 pm
Chip, I swear I have been saying the SAME THING YOU JUST SAID!!!! The spiral downfall that started since Richt got lazy IS BECAUSE HE HAD ARRIVED AT GA AND BUILT UP A HUGE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT THEN TURNED IT OVER TO BOBO AND LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW! You hit the nail on the head and nobody can explain the problem better! Good job!
Time for a change
September 13th, 2011
11:17 pm
He obviously side stepped your question. I agree with you 100% Chip. Turning the O over to Bobo was the start of the downturn and he is too stubborn to admit it and it will cost him his job.
Allen
September 13th, 2011
11:22 pm
I think “Beast from the East” hit the nail on the head . . . Richt needs better assistant coaches . . . and UGA needs to pony up the money necessary to get them. The very best and most successful programs have top-notch assistants. The other obvious weakness is in our line play . . . we need more and better O-line and D-line players . . . and someone to coach them.
General Patton
September 13th, 2011
11:23 pm
REALLY? Because Van Gorder is doing so well with the Falcons…sorry defense?
Thomas Brown
September 14th, 2011
6:05 am
I-A Wins 2006-2011 ( 6 Seasons )
1. Boise State 63 wins
2. Florida 58 wins
3. Texas Christian 56 wins
4. Oklahoma 56 wins
5. Virginia Tech 54 wins
6. LSU 53 wins
7. Southern California 53 wins
8. BYU 52 wins
9. Texas 52 wins
10. Utah 52 wins
11. West Virginia 51 wins
12. Wisconsin 51 wins
13. Missouri 50 wins
14. Oregon 49 wins
15. Auburn 49 wins
16. Penn State 48 wins
17. Hawaii 48 wins
18. Boston College 47 wins
19. Cincinnati 47 wins
20. Texas Tech 47 wins
21. Navy 46 wins
22. Ohio State 46 wins I thought they are supposed to be great ?
23. Tulsa 45 wins
24. Oklahoma State 45 wins
25. Nebraska 45 wins
26. South Florida 44 wins
27. Nevada-Reno 44 wins
28. Georgia Tech 44 wins – outside Top 25 over these last 6 seasons now
29. Georgia Bulldogs 44 wins 2006-2011 – last six (6) seasons now
Triple Dog Todd
September 14th, 2011
6:40 am
Ultimately, there are a number of factors with Chip’s observations being one of them; however, if Coach Richt’s heart isn’t in this anymore, just say so and walk away. I think discipline is the problem.
Being a coach is VERY akin to being a parent. You can’t always be buddy-buddy with your kids. To be a GREAT coach, you gotta have a mean streak in you somewhere. I don’t personally know any FBS coaches, but I dare say that Les Miles nor Nick Saban go through some of this because they just don’t tolerate mediocrity. If they lose to a better team, it was really a better team on paper, but in their mind, I dare say they believe it. If one of their players gets arrested for something, I’d bet money they fear their coach showing up at the police station more than anything else. Those parents who can glare at you and get a reaction tend to get better results than those who just put you in time out.
In my opinion Coach Right has hung his hat on winning the SEC or just making it to the Championship game, other coaches in the SEC shoot for National Championships. If UF, LSU, Bama, and Auburn have done it, why can’t UGA? If the talent level is about equal (as others have commented), then the only difference is how that talent is taught, i.e. coached.
I’m just sayin’. Gooooooooooo Dawgs!
BVG
September 14th, 2011
7:15 am
Bring back Van Gorder! He’s not doing well in the nfl and will come back to UGA for the right money!!
BEAT UGA SOUTH CAROLINA SO RICHT CAN KEEP HIS JOB
September 14th, 2011
8:44 am
11 YEARS AND MARK RICHT HAS NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT,REMEMBER FLORIDA(2),LSU(2),ALABAMA(1) AND AUBURN(1) ALL HAVE WON NATIONAL TITLES SINCE RICHT AND BOZO BEEN AT UGA!
YOU HICKS ARE STUPID AS HELL FOR WANTING TO KEEP A COACH THAT HASNT WON A NATIONAL TITLE!
BEAT UGA SOUTH CAROLINA SO RICHT CAN KEEP HIS JOB
September 14th, 2011
8:48 am
MIKE BOBO SAID CAM NEWTON NEEDED TO BE A TIGHT END AT UGAY? NOW WE KNOW HOW THAT ENDED UP! YOU CRACKERS THAT KEEP DEFENDING MARK RICHT AND MIKE BOBO DESERVE WHAT YALL ARE GETTING AT UGAY!
Smart
September 14th, 2011
8:58 am
Kirby Smart!
Ole Ball Coach
September 14th, 2011
9:38 am
2 years ago, it was Willie Martinez, now it is Bobo. You can’t figure it out can you? Got all those dream team kids lining up to be under coached by a staff whose leader’s contract expires in 2 1/2 years.
Recruits, don’t get too close to the UGA coaching staff, they seem to be disintegrating. You may want to look elsewhere, hint, hint.
Again, ain't rocket science
September 14th, 2011
11:44 am
Take the FIRST Sugar Bowl trip for UGA in Richt’s early UGA career. We kicked off and recovered a badly mis handled return and w scored TD!
Take the UT game where, we had the lead going into the half time BUT UT had the ball on UGA’s 3 yds line and D Pollack caused a fumble and Sean Ones scopped it far a 97 yd TD run. They went into the half time with a 14 or 17 point lead and won it.
Take the SC game (2?) in which Pollack stripped their QB of the ball and we scored a TD. He also stopped that same guy in that game or another game at the 3 yds line. We won both.
UGA in those days played smart, heads up ball and now, we are clowns, turning the ball over like vs Florida in 2010 and losing it and Saturday and too many games latey to comment on. UGA is simply NOT AFACTOR UNDER CMR anymore. Sorry but true !!
Time over for this regime UNLESS they run the table and we go to the Dome.
Go Dogs.
UGA man, class of 71 & 73
eric harber
September 14th, 2011
11:45 am
man, look here yeah the dawgs have a major challenge ahead just to become an average football team ,first clean up fumbles an turnovers i mean kick it in there tails on offeense an defense needs to learn how to tackle ,they need to come as a team from players to the staff ,get some spunk in there ass ,i believe there so worried about wat fans think play fundamintle football ,man up DAWGS……………
Randall "Pink" Floyd
September 14th, 2011
11:59 am
What’s happened is the bar on great coaching has been raised in-conference and nationally steadily since Richt arrived in Athens, and he simply hasn’t risen to meet it.
old dog
September 14th, 2011
12:46 pm
Right on, Pink Floyd…..good man or whatever, we have hustled backwards at break-neck speed. I ain’t sure of the final solution, but “what we doin’ ain’t workin’………………” Everyone can debate, and rightfully so, but we ARE middle-of-the-pack SEC team period. If folks are happy w/that, then good for them. How many of the SEC games left will we win, ya’ll???????
Columbus
September 14th, 2011
1:37 pm
Go Dawgs! Go Richt! See ya Bobo! Even though last game was MUCH better you roller coaster.
Call the plays Richt. Make the game plans Richt. Bobo is in consistent and just plain sucks sometimes….At least be in there planning with him to make sure he is not going down the wrong road some weeks……
Go Dawgs! The East is ours in 2011….!
bugsquacher
September 14th, 2011
1:49 pm
RICHT HAPPENED…..
WHY GEORGIA SHOULD BE CONSIDERING A COACHING CHANGE.
1-Georgia is a combined 0-5 against Top 25 teams in 2010 and 2011
2- GEORGIA has lost 10 of its last 12 against ranked teams. (2-10 record)
2- GEORGIA is now 14-14 in his last 28 games
3-GEORGIA is 6-10 in the past 16 SEC games.
4- REMAINING SCHEDULE. Games they will probably lose: 1- Miss St. 2- Tenn 3-Florida 4-Auburn. Games we should win (if we don’t have an off week): 1- Costal Carolina, 2-Miss, 3- Kentucky, 4- New Mexico, 5-Tech, 6-Vandy.
LOOKS LIKE A 50/50 CHANCE OF ANOTHER LOSING SEASON.
5- Its been 30 yrs since our last national championship…. Can Richt get us there? Are we trending in the right direction?
THE ABOVE SAYS……. NO!
SWFLDAWG
September 14th, 2011
1:59 pm
Ain’t Rocket Science is right. He forgot the Colorado and Miss St. Fumbles. The biggest clown is behind center. Never have I seen a QB who is better at changing momentum with a bonehead turn-over. Causes as much damange as good and it is always in the big game..
drew_ga
September 14th, 2011
2:10 pm
These dawgs find ways to give up the big third down plays on defense, not get first downs on offense when they’re at third down, turnover the ball when it matters most, and lose games by small margins. That has to be coaching. We’ve got the players, just not when it matters most. I would love for Richt to stay, but am ready to start winning again.
arpiem
September 14th, 2011
4:27 pm
Richt makes bad game decisions that other top-notch coaches don’t make. He loves the field goal, but field goals can have a demoralizing effect on the team as well as the fans. They work hard to move the ball down field, call a stupid play on third down, then on fourth down, in the red zone, they attempt a field goal. I’ve watched and analyzed college football for over forty years, and, especially early in the game, it’s best to go for it with short yardage inside the twenty. If it fails, the ball stays there. If a field goal fails it goes out to the twenty. The important thing to remember, which Richt can’t seem to grasp, is that it takes three field goals to beat a TD and extra point. The doubters should watch what other winning coaches such as Miles and Saban do in those same situations, which has an effect on their winning.
wildbill
September 14th, 2011
6:12 pm
The dawgs are soft mentally and physically, coaches too. That’s it!!!! Maybe a few weeks at Paris Island Marine Training would help……………
Dawg for Life
September 14th, 2011
7:53 pm
I’m certainly no expert, but seems to me the program has not been the same since the Alabama loss in 2008.
Defense, Defense and Defense
September 14th, 2011
8:15 pm
I see it like this, in Richt’s early years we had some awesome defenses but the offense good, but wasn’t great. Over the years our offense has gotten better, yet the defense has suffered severely. Seems pretty simple to me. If we had the Stafford and Moreno offense with the defense from 02 we would have at the very least one NC in the Richt era.
glenn
September 15th, 2011
8:22 pm
if you see anyone winning with a sophomore quarterback and a freshman running back, telll me who it is. this is typcal hype fed to fans, programed losing coaching decisions. i mean how many teams have upperclassmen playing these key roles.
Jimmy
September 15th, 2011
8:41 pm
It’s already been said but I’ll say it again, it’s coaching. All of the other power house SEC schools recruit the same kids that end up at UGA. What happens to them while they’re here? They don’t improve. It’s been a full 4 year recruiting cycle now. It’s coaching.
Look at what Mack Brown did at Texas last year. One losing season and he gutted his entire staff. Why? Because he understands that at Texas the fanbase won’t tolerate mediocrity two years running.
Richt needs to get on the ball, because good religous man or not, if he doesn’t he’ll be gone. He might not mind that since his priorities seem to be on a different plain right now, but it will happen nonetheless.
romedawg3
September 15th, 2011
10:25 pm
it does not matter what we blog here. there will be no changes. bobo has too go.
bulld9090
September 18th, 2011
8:26 am
Thank God for Coastal Carolina! I think you hit the nail on the head. Coach Richt was hired because of his success as an Offensive Play caller at FSU and arguably the main reason for FSU’s 5 yr run. He needs to take over the play calling to succeed, if he is going to stay. As a Team Leader, he stands head and shoulders above the likes of all other marquee coaches in the SEC. I think what we might be witnessing is a 10 year paradigm shift in College football. Today, recruiting has been blown out of porportion setting kids up as Got-to-Have program changers. And the kids parents are demanding commitments from Coaches that their sons will play in his first year, not be redshirted, the Sports Information Director will put together highlight releases to get the kid early exposure to attract Pro Scouts—all about getting to the Pro draft with the best exposure on the team that has the best inside tract with the pro scouts. Remember ERK RUSSELL’s T-Shirt that simply said TEAM then in small letters under it “me.” Maybe Mark Richt’s sliding win-loss percentage is an ugly commentary on what major college Football has become. A win at any cost, big business.