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
WtfWruthnkn
September 13th, 2011
7:40 am
Funny….some of you think that theschool and team actually read/care what you type here
JB
September 13th, 2011
7:43 am
Mad Dawg @7:16 points it out clear as a bell. The Facts: we have become Ole Miss.
Border Dweller
September 13th, 2011
7:45 am
Larry Munson stepped down.
NoGaGator
September 13th, 2011
7:48 am
It’s a combination of what Beast and Watson said.
Look at Bowden and Richt’s coaching trees . Neither of them have produced any results to speak of. Compare those with Saban’s and Meyer’s. They both have a number of successful head coaches that were their assistants. When was the last time an assistant left Richt out of choice? Bottom line is he isn’t able to surround himself with quality coaching.
When Richt started at UGA the quality of staffs in the SEC wasn’t near what it is now. LSU,UA,AU,Ark,USC,UF have now caught and passed UGA.
NoGaGator
September 13th, 2011
7:49 am
Alright for Bowden we’ll give him Richt – for now.
JB
September 13th, 2011
7:50 am
WtfWruthnkn @7:40…. I have to do this from time to timr when i read a post like yours.
BLOG: defined as an exchange of opinions and comments from interested parties from a topic brought forward by a writer of some information or from his/her said opinion as to get responses from the readers. A round table so to speak via cyberspace.
RNB
September 13th, 2011
7:51 am
The answer is coaching period. I feel CMR is a SEC caliber coach but has stepped back over the last three years. Once you take this step back it affects everything you do. If Saban did the same trust me Alabama would start to decline also. If CMR can’t give it his all anymore this is what they call burnout and he needs to step down.
Wheelhouse
September 13th, 2011
7:53 am
The reasons are numerous…but all of them funnel down to one thing: Lack of leadership.
Somewhere along the way, he lost it. And it just happened.
And its loss manifests itself into various ways on and off the field…untimely penalties, critical turnovers, off the field discipline problems (players making bad decisions), inconsistent recruiting, choke sign by the DC during the Florida game gone basically unpunished, this “Dream Team” hype on a recruiting class…which is great for fans to get excited about, but needs to be tempered by the coaches, but is actually promoted as such,….it goes on and on. It’s one train wreck after another.
Lastly, there’s no true expectation of winning championships at Georgia, and the players no longer feel the excruciating pain of losing. Instead, “bright sides” and “encouraging signs” are found in the loss of a critical conference game at home after 10 years on the job. This is not the stuff of championship football programs.
SNAPDOG
September 13th, 2011
7:54 am
Just look at the quality of coaches in the SEC. Everybody CAN’T win.
You're ignorant....
September 13th, 2011
7:55 am
if you think that there is anybody on the Georgia sideline is okay with losing a game. This downturn is not due to a lack of effort! The Georgia football program is certainly in disarray but to question Mark Richt or anybody on his staff/team about their desire to win is obsurd. I am a full-fledged Georgia fan that religiously pays attention to the happenings within the program and the games on Saturdays. I am not happy with the outcome of the last two games or the last two years for that matter, but I refuse to turn my back on Coach Richt and this team. This team/coach will have my full support. If a change is made and a new coach is hired, I will support that staff as well. Quit being fair-weather fans and support your team instead of trying to be armchair coaches that have no real experience at all!
Michael St James Flatley
September 13th, 2011
7:55 am
When Riverdancing became the game plan to win games…
Seriously though, I didn’t know about his wife. That could be a factor. Look at Meyers at UF. You lose your focus at this high a level of competition, you lose the assistant coaches you trust (Bowden’s formula for success was recruiting and having great assistants), and the competition is getting better. It’s a tough situation.
chattadawg
September 13th, 2011
7:55 am
I seem to recall fans calling for Richt to relinquish the play-calling – the belief was that he was trying to do “too much,” stretching himself too thin. Becoming a “CEO” would allow him to manage the game better (i.e., the clock), focus on special teams (i.e., kickoff coverage), etc. Some of that has worked out – some has not. Richt does not know how to do those things effectively. He is too removed from the players now and his laissez-faire attitude sets the tone for the team. Lack of discipline and unity means unfundamentally sound football. Blocking and tackling. What has been the trademark of UGA football for the last 4 years? Certainly not those two…
Chip Towers
September 13th, 2011
7:55 am
Border Dweller: I’ve heard the Munson theory, and it makes some sense!
JB
September 13th, 2011
7:58 am
This team was more focused on those damn uniforms before the Boise game as to preparing for the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, and that starts at the top. We can’t back up the ” side shows” Richt has created.
The Bottom Line
September 13th, 2011
7:58 am
The UGA defense allowed 30+ points only ONCE from 2001-2004.
The UGA defense has given up 30+ points a total of 20 TIMES since the beginning of 2005.
There is your answer.
Yes, Bobo is bad and should never have been hired, but the defense is beenflat out terrible in recent and strikes no fear in the opposition.
trupert
September 13th, 2011
7:59 am
Brian Vangorder deciding to leave and Willie Martinez not working out had much more to do with it than Bobo’s offense only averaging ”31 PPG.”. Yes offense is sexy but defense wins championships. Bobo’s 31.PPG are not the problem. Ga went from a top three SEC defense to a average SEC defense.
How good would LSU have been with an offense that averages 31PPG over the last three or four years?
The ESPN article was an ATTACK PIECE and the way they used those young girls with those bought and provided T-shirts just proved it. And only after one game?
ESPN has never had any love for Mark Richt. He’s the wrong kind of man. Character, integrity and a real love of Jesus Christ are not valued by many these days.
I support Mark Richt and I value having a coach with integrity and God given values leading UGA’s football program.
Border Dweller
September 13th, 2011
8:02 am
If UGA had scheduled Sister Mary’s School for the Infirm and Podunk Technical College as the first two games this year, we’d all be raving about how great this team is and how they’d turned things around from the past two years. Instead, they scheduled two very tough teams for the first two games and lost both. They improved markedly from The Power Ranger Uniform Game to the Give The Turnover Game, so look up, ye fickle folk! I think this is the genisis of a really great team, if we’d just give them the rest of the season before we fillet the coaches.
Dawgwild
September 13th, 2011
8:02 am
ESPN gave such a one sided view, they didn’t even stop and show that some fans actually still support CMR. I am one of them. Don’t get me wrong. He needs to win at least 9 games this year to keep his job if not show him the door but if he does he has the track record and deserves to keep calling the shoots.
Time to turn it around Dawgs. Hunker down!
The Georgia Sports Report
September 13th, 2011
8:02 am
http://thegeorgiasportsreport.blogspot.com/2011/09/it-is-not-clear-cut-decision.html#comments
Gators
September 13th, 2011
8:02 am
Mark Richt is the best coach Florida never had, keep up the good work! No really I like your Coach and we need the SEC east to get stronger on all fronts to include FL and TENN. I think Mark is the right person for the job his players seem to like him and vice versa. I wonder if the supporting staff that Mark has around him are the right pieces to the puzzle. As one individual said earlier in this thred GA is getting the same type of talent as the Bamas, LSU etc. Obviuosly I am not a dawg fan and I feel your pain GA fans, Florida needs Georgia to be successfull it will only help all of us out in the long run.
Loyal Dawg
September 13th, 2011
8:02 am
I know exactly what the problem is. I wish I could shout it from the roof tops. The inconsistency year to year is due lack of depth. We get a lot of great players, as evidenced by the guys in the NFL; but because we do not oversign recruits and manage our scholarships the way most schools do, it leaves us at the mercy of injuries, academic casualties, and general stupidity of college kids (i.e. suspensions). We gave out EIGHT scholarships to walkons this fall! That’s almost unheard of. How many of those guys will be true first line SEC players? Contrast that to Alabama and the ways Saban manages scholarships (and I’m not picking on Saban here). Has he ever given out more than one or two scholarships to walkons? I am amazed how Alabama can replace seniors and injured players without much of a bump. It’s because they have build depth by managing scholarships. Saban knows that his job and success depends on having a lot of talent. John Wooden one said that he would rather have lots of talent and little experience. When you look at this, you can’t just look at the number of players signed each year. You have to dig deeper and see how many stayed. Remember in 2006-07, we had a terrible time with depth at OL. We had something like 20 players have season ending injuries or left the program. It seems we haven’t been able to catch up ever sense. Now look at last year and this year. We are struggling with depth on OL, LB and are one injury away from disaster at RB. CMR’s stance on oversigning and managing scholarships is going to get him fired and it’s a shame.
ugadave
September 13th, 2011
8:04 am
When we have turned it over the last few years…they tend to be either in the worst situation or they result in a touchdown for the other team. Think Oklahoma St…when we turn it over close to our goal line…Colorado, when Caleb turns it over late in the game…Miss St, when Ealey turns it over on the goal line…and of course on Saturday when we essentially gave up 21 points on three turnovers. Conversely, we can’t get a turnover when we really need one. That’s what has been different the last few years…
The Bottom Line
September 13th, 2011
8:07 am
UGA allowed other programs to raid the talent in this state and Richt (or whomever) did a bad job replacing Callaway and Van Gorder. Maybe if Bud Foster or Kirby Smart took the DC job things would be different, but the safe picks have not worked out.
UGA '05
September 13th, 2011
8:08 am
My fb page that I made last year was in that video. The “fire Mark Richt” page. Ooops. I’m a Richt supporter. I made that page out of anger after the loss to Arkansas. After the season I realized Richt was a good recruiter and that if you’re in college football for so long, you’re gonna have good and bad years. Look at Joe Pa. If Richt wants to stay with the Dawgs so bad, then he’s a good fit at UGA.
tony
September 13th, 2011
8:08 am
At FSU his offense had been a national leader. In seven years as offensive coordinator, the Seminoles finished in the nation’s top five in scoring offense on five occasions, top 12 in total offense five times, and top 12 in passing offense five times. His 2000 offense finished the regular season ranked first nationally in total offense (549.0 ypg), first in passing offense (384.0 ypg), and third in scoring offense (42.4 ppg).
Here’s his ranking at UGA:
>>>>>Total Offense …..Pass Offense ….Rush Offense
2001> Rank 21st………..Rank 24th……….Rank 50th
2002> Rank 49th………..Rank 39th……….Rank 67th
2003> Rank 58th………..Rank 37th……….Rank 74th
2004> Rank 31st………..Rank 30th……….Rank 57th
2005> Rank 49th………..Rank 49th……….Rank 43rd
2006> Rank 90th………..Rank 79th……….Rank 71st
2007> Rank 74th………..Rank 83rd……….Rank 37th
2008> Rank 22nd……….Rank 16th……….Rank 56th
2009> Rank 75th………..Rank 80th……….Rank 47th
2010> Rank 56th………..Rank 56th……….Rank 73th
How does a coach go from being a dominant OC to a subpar OC. Maybe because Mr.Richt don’t care about the university of ga. Tommy Tuberfield tried to tell Mr.Richt that he had to run the football in the SEC. The last 5 national champions were rank in the top 20 in rush offense. Mr.Richt’s run offense never rank in the top 20 since he became the hc. If he cared about the university of ga he would have hired a top notch OC in his 3rd season.
CHDawg
September 13th, 2011
8:08 am
My two cents: I think we have a lot of people who are frustrated and suffering with the grass is greener syndrome. Bama was ranked number 1 last year and they wound up losing 3 games–what a disappointment. UF was in the top 5 with its strongest recruiting class ever, and they lost even more. Change for the sake of change isn’t always good. Adversity hits all programs, and we have had more than our share over the last few years. Are the injured feet and ankles Richt’s fault? I doubt it. It is strange. All of the Oline injuries and departures are strange, too. Overall, I think we need to take a big picture view of Richt’s work in CFB. Has anything changed, or are these aberrations? I think you want a guy that is smart, has a long history of winning, has a good rapport with recruits and their families, is a good mentor, and who has integrity; I don’t see how you can do better than Richt. He certainly isn’t perfect, but he is better than most. Now, some pressure is good because it communicates to the organization that our performance is unacceptable, but the destructive pressure is harmful. I think we strongly support the coaches and team, and take another look at the end of the season. Having this debate now only hurts current and future UGA football imho.
Ghost of Herb Brooks
September 13th, 2011
8:08 am
Richt and his recruiting staff are always looking for the BEST players, not the RIGHT players. Boise State, for example, does not have the BEST players out there but for their system they have the RIGHT players. If you seek only primadonnas to man your roster, then you’ll have a team of individuals. If you seek the RIGHT players for your system, then you will have a group that works TOGETHER as a team. Teamwork is the key to winning — period. Like I always told my 1980 Olympic Gold Medalists – “boys the name on the front of the jersey is a helluva lot more important than the one on the back!” Too many “I” and “ME” players down in Athens.
Kennesaw Dawg
September 13th, 2011
8:08 am
What I first noticed, even before the decline became obvious, was how detached Richt seemed to be and continues to be. My theory on what has happened to the football program is that his “ho hum” personality has methodicly become entrenched as part of the culture of the team. Richt seems to have no fire inside him to win and it becomes absorbed by the players even though they don’t even know it. It’s on a subconscious level. Even on the side-lines during a game, Richt never seems to talk to any of the players or coachs. He never interacts with them or tries to get anything straightened out. Someone who watched the game said to me that he thought that we ought to starte making Richt buy a ticket to the games because of how detached he is during them. His mind and heart just aren’t in it. It takes time to change a culture. For the first several years after Richt arrived, the players were feeding off past culture of the program. We were winning. Then after a while that old culture simply vanished and that’s what we have today. Richt cannot force himself to see reality and won’t make changes that are needed. Coaching staff changes are needed but he won’t admit it. He’s not mentally tough enough to make changes that are needed. All I know is that whatever else is causing the problems with UGA football that it starts with the head coach.
JB
September 13th, 2011
8:10 am
trupert, I respect your post and your opinion of coach Richt. 99% of ALL Georgia supporters feel the same way………….But………….The passion and history and love for college football is such that failure in such a high profile place is not acceptable long. Mark got this year to right the ship because of those things you mention. It’s obvious this team and staff have problems.
you need to respect that lot’s of other people have opinions and spend A LOT OF MONEY to support this venture. It has to be somewhat successful. The passion runs deep both ways.
Thomas Brown
September 13th, 2011
8:10 am
TampaDawg September 12th, 2011 3:22 pm
“Goff and Donnan took us to absolute mediocrity. I would say Richt has far exceeded that with six 10 win seasons and 2 SEC titles. Let him try to coach through it. It’s not like he has had a string of losing seasons. He has had ONE! The year before was 8-5. Let’s at least let this season play out before the many experts on here pile on to the fire CMR bandwagon.”
TampaDawg September 12th, 2011 4:37 pm
“No bowl birth means no post season money for the school either.”
Ok, so what we have here is, is a RICHT-0-FILE ? Is it fair to admit that, that you want Mark Richt to remain at UGA, no matter what ?
1. You compare Mark Richt to Ray Goff and Jim Donnan. Is this the measure by which you want Mark Richt to remain, what Ray Goff and Jim Donnan, did here ?
2. Would you admit that we added a game after those 2 left, not that I will allow you to measure Mark Richt, compared to Ray Goff and Jim Donnan, that now we play 12 regular season games compared to them playing 11-game regular seasons ?
3. Not sure what 8-5 for 2009 point is; it is not clear; but, from posts after that, you seem to hold only 5-Loss years or worse, against any coach. And, you do so matter what level of competition they lost 5 games or more against.
4. No bowl berth for SEC schools absolutely does not mean no post-season monies for the school. Vandie gets a cut of all our bowl berths. If I need to explain revenue-sharing let me know. You seem perfectly capable of understanding it, without me. This is just an incorrect statement.
Now, let’s back-up and look at the big picture, instead of your view of Mark Richt compared to Ray Goff. Can we do that ?
Mark Richt said he came here because of the talent we have here, that the cupboard is not bare, and because of the recruiting base and that this is 1 of the few schools he would consider, as an unproven assistant coach to be head coach, now given in excess of $3.5 m total compensation annually. Skills such as hiring and firing a football staff, he had no experience at to indicate either way that he would do that well, or not. 11 years TampaDawg, you should have as good a handle on this as could be expected. How has he been doing at this for these 11 years now TampaDawg ? ?
Steve
September 13th, 2011
8:11 am
Van Gorder leaving was the first nail in the coffin.
JB
September 13th, 2011
8:12 am
Kennesaw Dawg…..Good Post and very insightful.
Thomas Brown
September 13th, 2011
8:13 am
This is now the 2nd time you ask me to go all through the 11 years. I tried to post them to you in reply that day, but I saw no reply, so I guess you missed them. It took me a good bit of time to put it together for you. I called you lazy to make me do it. 2002 there was 1 other team in the entire SEC who ended up in the Coaches’ Poll Top 25, Auburn # 14 who beat Alabama but lost 4 games. This is not a top football team. Agree ? Disagree ?
2002 Mark Richt lost to a 5-Loss Florida, using your methods for bad year by a coach, who finished not ranked in either Poll, because their 5 losses included losing to a 6-Loss, your method, and included losing to (2) two 5-Loss, using your methods, teams. On this day, our # 52 average for all 11 years NCAA Total Offense, had 11 third downs and converted -0-. Against this team, I believe you will agree was not a worthy opponent. Agreed or Disagreed TampaDawg ?
2007 lost to 6-Loss, using your methods on this blog, South Carolina team who did not even play in a bowl game – they did however share in the SEC Revenue Sharing and this includes a huge sum of monies earned by the conference for bowl games, the bowl game portion sent from the schools who earned it (not all of it mind you but huge sums) for all to share, including South Carolina 2007.
2007 Florida ended up # 13, a 4-Loss team beat by lowly Michigan, great team we beat ?
2007 Auburn ended up # 15, a 4-Loss team beat by South Florida & Missy State, great team Mark Richt beat ?
2007 Hawai’i ended up ranked # 19, is this a great team we beat ?
These are our only wins 2007, and notice if you will that what they try to float past you is that they say that Mark Richt was hosed in 2007 by the BCS, that he should have played in the NC game and that he would have won, they say. Yet, again, what they will not discuss with you, is that LSU had wins just like these 3 wins over not so great teams, but LSU also had two (2) wins over teams who finished in the AP Poll Top 10, while please note that Mark Richt (as he has ALWAYS done in the years he was supposed to be so great) has ZERO -0- wins over any team who finished in the AP Poll Top 10. How was Mark Richt cheated out of the National Championship in 2007 when he lost to hapless vols in a blow-out and lost to a team who ended the season 6-6 and did not even play in a bowl game. This entire 2007 season was OVER early for Mark Richt with these HORRID LOSSES 2007, and no team on the schedule who finished in the AP Poll Top 10. As this season, 2011, we don’t face the 3 top SEC West teams, we did not face LSU in 2007, and BLEW OUR CHANCES at getting to play them with these head-scratching losses. The facts are we had an easy schedule 2007, and FAILED to take advantage of it, as we are doing already for again 2011, now.
Thomas Brown
September 13th, 2011
8:13 am
2002 there were other teams who had a far more impressive résumé than Mark Richt put up. Agree or Disagree ? LSU in The SEC was far more impressive a résumé than Mark Richt put up. Agree or Disagree ?
Mark Richt in 11 seasons, and I love the guy – always have always will – has played 13 games vs teams who finished that season in the AP Poll Top 10. He has won 3 :
(1) 2001 knocking the lid off the # 11 all-time program in 1-A FBS wins, beat # 4 vols, but he ended the season the # 5 SEC team in the AP Poll and lost 4 games.
(2) 2005 he beat # 6 LSU, but he ended the season the # 3 SEC team in the AP Poll and lost 3 games.
(3) 2006, this 2006 season was 6 seasons ago now, he beat the # 9 Auburn team; but, he lost 4 games again 2006 including the loss to Vandie a team who won 4 games including the win over Mark Richt.
Please do not give me a load of excuses for all this. You are accomplishing nothing with excuses and comparisons to Ray Goff. I am not in the least scared of who our next coach might be, and I have read every post you ever wrote. If the next coach does, as Mark Richt has done, keeping UGA in the BAD PRESS every single YEAR all 11 years, he will be fired. My $10,000 a year spent supporting this team, these players and his coaching staff, makes it clear that I have some semblance of reality when I tell you plainly TampaDawg that what bothers me most, is not the # 2 Fulmer Cup All-Time Standings – which started in 2006, when from 2001 to 2006 Mark Richt was # 1. And, it has nothing to do with him running off 26 scholarship football players from his # 7 avg of both Rivals and Scout.com all 11 recruiting classes, these 26 I have specifically named in the last year which he ran off.
It has to do with his 3-10 record vs teams who finished that season in the AP Poll Top 10 all 11 years.
I has to do with his 16 losses vs teams who finished that season not in the AP Poll Top 25 all 11 years, although 6 of those 11 made it into the Top 25 barely – but only by beating him.
This is not just only one year of 5-Losses and 1 year of 7-losses, which requires us by the way to go back 58 years to find an UGA coach who managed to lose more than he just lost last season.
Thomas Brown
September 13th, 2011
8:14 am
This is 11 years of losing to the top teams in the nation (AP Poll Top 10 you brag about in every post for Mark Richt) that year at 3-10 and another 16 losses in 11 years vs teams who would not have finished in the AP Poll Top 25 even, had they not beat him that year – and 10 of those 16 still did not, even with their win over him.
He has mismanaged the players.
He has played Favorites.
He has lost to the good teams.
He has lost to the sorry teams.
He has lied to his fan base.
He has lied to his players.
He has lied to his recruits.
Yes, he is 13-13 vs SEC East teams these last 6 consecutive seasons now.
Yes, he is 14-14 vs all teams these last 28 games, too.
But, he has NEVER beat the top teams when he was considered great and he has ALWAYS lost to the lousy teams, no matter how great our team was that season.
Do you know what a cupboard is ? It is a place where you look daily for that which you use. We don’t develop our back-up QB, don’t recruit key positions we just absolutely are in dire need of that season, and we sit in a state only 3 others have more high school recruits who go to the NFL. There is no chance that we can do any worse than that which we are in fact doing.
Anyway, you say replace him at the end of the season. So, where do we disagree, really ?
Phildo
September 13th, 2011
8:14 am
No doubt the trend line is on a down swing. So many games come down to one or two plays, and UGA has a history of coming out on the positive side. Not happening, now, but coming out on the positive side happens more often when the players are motivated, coached properly, and disciplined in all regards, and in UGA case at least a part of the equation is definitely discipline and enforced expectation of the coach. This is an on the field and off the field factor, and unfortuately, it is well known that off the field discipline, discipline enforecement, and disciplinary problems have been widespread, and that reflects what is happening on the field. Ballyhooed Dream Team (haven’t they all been over the last 10, such a trite label) mean nothing when a school with smaller, slower 2 and 3 star players with a recruiting rating approaching an average of 70 can soundly beat you, not to mention that ever present nemises, The Evil Genious, starts beating you with definitely less talent overall. Coaching, Coaching, Coaching.
When a coach is in trouble, he starts to look for moral victories and learning from the losses, and that is what is now happening. It is extremely rare for a coach to have continued success for an extensive time. The Paterno’s and Bowden’s are extremely rare (and even their swan song years are not up to their own standards. Sadly, it’s time for a change of scenery for Richt and UGA.
From Where I Sit
September 13th, 2011
8:16 am
What do you mean, what happened? The last time I looked GA has not won a NC since 1980!
This lack luster program is full of excuses. Almost every year, GA is over-rated and over-hyped. How about winning a NC a few times and then if your program goes South, you can whine and moan? Unril then, you have nothing to complain about. You are not nor you were not in the NC picture over the last several years, & when you had a slight sniff at a chance, you CHOKED! Once again, OVER-RATED!
FL or SC will win the East in 2011!
Enough Said!
Pop Dawg
September 13th, 2011
8:16 am
The most embarrassing thing is the win-at-any-price mentality of Richt, which has effectively made UGA a football factory, with cheating, recruiting of low-intelligence punks who barely graduated from high school, and tolerating immoral and unethical activities by both players and coaches. Even with all this, he still can’t win.
Richt has to go.
SimpleDawg
September 13th, 2011
8:16 am
Richt has gone on a mental vacation from coaching football.
His primary focus is on spreading the Gospel…..which is fine, but it’s not what he’s paid to do.
JB
September 13th, 2011
8:18 am
Pop Dawg………….We’re anything but that. See Bama/Auburn buddy.
GSO Dawg
September 13th, 2011
8:18 am
Alabama and Nick Saban marched into Athens in 2008 and took all of Mark Richt and UGA’s swagger. That one half of football changed everything at UGA. We haven’t been the same since.
bill arp
September 13th, 2011
8:18 am
Quarterbacks! Someone please tell me what the overall record is with J Cox and A Murray leading this team? Yes, that is what QB’s do, lead. I know Murray’s record is 6-9! Nice, huh? And i don’t think that number would be any different with another coach.
somebody
September 13th, 2011
8:19 am
Did’nt Steve Spurrier give up offensive play calling for a short period,
and realize it was a big mistake?
jimdawg
September 13th, 2011
8:20 am
It all began when Vincent Dooley was forced into retirement as A.D.
Prior to this unfortunate occurrence, Richt had an experienced and wise counsel, from whom, he could seek advice.
What's the fuss?
September 13th, 2011
8:21 am
Throughout Dooley’s career, UGA had mediocre seasons right after and right before great seasons. Two straight years ‘69 and ‘70, we were 5-5 and 5-5-1, no firings took place then. So, why do you folks want to rid UGA of a good man at this point in his career? I liked what I saw out of Mr. Crowell last Saturday and I believe there is a lot more coming this year. The receivers took a step forward against SC as well. Murray just needs to play within himself and not shoulder all the responsibility of the offense – sustained drives that end in touchdowns is both great offense and great defense. We are ever so close now so you yahoos need to quit trying to screw it all up.
The Bottom Line
September 13th, 2011
8:21 am
Also started Joe T III and Joe Cox ahead of QBs who were clearly better.
JB
September 13th, 2011
8:21 am
I do know that a QB at 6-9 on Sprurrier’s team would get a view from the bench while he gave someone else a whirl. Sprurrier gets what he’s being PAID to do.
old dog
September 13th, 2011
8:22 am
Blocking/tackling…….things that football is all about. We’re trying so hard to master (especially on D) the new mental aspects of the job that we forgot how to play old-fashioned football! We have some good athletes, but as stated before, you gotta get it out of ‘em! Not hatin’ on CMR, and he has a good overall record. But we are FLYING downhill. Not a lack of loyalty, but does anyone out there think we’re gonna beat Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, M.State, and Ole Miss all? (Not to mention Ky. and V.bilt!) In the words of Bum Phillips: “a good coach can take his’n and whoop your’n, and take your’n and whoop his’n.” We played better Saturday, but still lost. Mediocrity; ya’ll good with it?
SickandTired
September 13th, 2011
8:23 am
Here’s something to think about. I was told by a player of the early Richt era, the good years that after Richt had been at Georgia a couple years he started recruiting a different ki d of player. At the time I didnt understand what he was talking about. It is now crystal clear. Earlier in the decade you had players like Sean Jones, Will Witherspoon, Jermaine Phillips, Jon Sinchcombe, Curt McGill, Pollack, DavidGreene,and yes the players like J.T.Wall, Jeremy Thomas that battered their heads game after game. What’s different about these players today? They’ve had a feeling of entitlement. Those aforementioned players had a common trait. They loved Georgia. Yes they all wanted to play in the NFL but they had a sense of team first. That’s what this former player was talking about, players that cared, players that worked for a goal of team, not the goal of ME. I had a trusted friend in football tell me that Georgia has become ———- High School of the SEC. I won’t name the high school he used but it’s a place that year in and year out sends tons of kids into college to play football. But they never win championships. Why? Because all they want is that scholarship. Georgia players are looking to get to the league. Now, Mark Richt is the orchestra leader of this bunch. He’s a good man but that facade gets peeled away when you see the body of his work the last 5 years. Teams with enormous talent. Teams that are undisciplined. Teams rushing the field in Florida. Teams continually letting victory slip from their grasp and teams that want to win but don’t know how. Mark bought the groceries. He hired the chefs and he put out the menu. It’s his train wreck. They need to change the direction by firing him. Sooner rather than later the kind of players that filled the roster his first five years are out there. They just can’t or won’t recruit them. Fans say, we recruit the same players as Sabam and that Meyer did. Yes, we did, but where do they go to win championships? Players that come from high school programs that are coached hard and understand team and are successful post season decide to go to places like LSU, Alalbama, Florida, and now Auburn. I’ve had several high school coaches tell me theyd love for their players to go to Georgia but as long as Mark Richt is there with the current state of affairs the players nor their parents want them to go there. It’s over in Athens. The headline just hasn’t been written.
Hunkers Gone South
September 13th, 2011
8:25 am
I think Richt has lost his ability to coach players up to the level needed. I think Richt thinks more about missions in Africa,spending that $3.5 million,and being at home with his family. I think Richt needs to go now.