Richt coaches fans on crowd noise; McClendon weighs in on ‘Boo’
Here’s a link to Tuesday’s football notebook and another to my profile of free safety Bacarri Rambo, who played this past Saturday’s game with a heavy heart. It was a busy, newsy day around the Butts-Mehre Building, however, and I couldn’t fit everything in. So following is some stuff that didn’t make the cut for print. Call it “bonus material.” . . .
Georgia coach Mark Richt, playing Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf, demonstrates exactly when Bulldogs fans should "go berserk." (Photo by Chip Towers)
Richt coaches fans on crowd noise
Georgia coach Mark Richt is counting on the Bulldogs’ fans to be a 12th man against Mississippi State on Saturday. He’s so adamant that they produce crowd noise that he stood up during his opening remarks at his weekly press conference on Tuesday and demonstrated exactly when and how he wanted them to be noisy.
“I want to talk to our fans and educate them a little bit,” Richt said. “We need a lot of crowd noise and I know fans know that. But when teams no huddle [like Mississippi State] and you’re cheering, you might not be cheering at the right time. So I want to try to tell you what we hope happens in the game.”
Standing up, Richt demonstrated how State’s quarterback Chris Relf looks to the sideline for a play call after lining up in the shotgun and starting the cadence.
“When he looks to the sideline,” Richt said, turning to face the side of the room, “that’s the time when we need the fans to go berserk. That’s when they’re going to try to communicate to their line what they’re going to do. We don’t want them to communicate well. We want them to have trouble hearing each other and we want offensive linemen to jump offsides. So, UGA fan base, that’s the time when we want you to go crazy, when he looks to the sideline after he starts his cadence.”
What’s up with Malcome?
There was a lot of rumor and innuendo bouncing around Tuesday about tailback Ken “Boo” Malcome, who didn’t make the trip to Ole Miss and was absent for Tuesday’s practice. Even running backs coach Bryan McClendon heard the scuttlebutt that Malcome was itching to transfer.
“It sort of took me by surprise to be honest with you,” McClendon said. “Every time I’ve talked to him, he’s been happy here and this is definitely the place that he wanted to come to and this is the place where he wants to be. . . . The bottom line is the guys that have been able to come out and perform out there at practice, those are the guys that have been able to play.”
As it turns out, Malcome missed practice because of “some sort of stomach problem,” according to McClendon. But therein lies the problem with Malcome getting playing time.
The 6-foot, 221-pound redshirt freshman from Decatur was expected to step to the forefront this season with Georgia’s attrition at tailback. But since preseason camp opened in August he has fallen behind true freshman Isaiah Crowell, linebacker convert Richard Samuel, junior Carlton Thomas and former walkon Brandon Harton on the depth chart.
“The biggest thing for Ken is he just has to come out there and be able to practice so he can keep progressing,” McClendon said. “Obviously, that’s something that’s sort of held him back last season, this season, this past spring, this past summer. I think he has a bunch of talent. Once he is out there and once he does get better, you’ll see the player that he can become. But he just has to be out there.”
Robinson spotting
All indications are that inside linebacker Christian Robinson will be available to play on Saturday.
To be clear, that’s “available,” not “will play.” But the 6-foot-2, 226-pound “Mike” linebacker was practicing without any obvious limitations on Tuesday, the second day in a row Robinson has been on the field. Robinson has been out since the fourth quarter of the South Carolina game with foot injury. He was a starter and the Bulldogs’ leading tackler in the first two games and is considered the unofficial defensive captain.
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474 comments Add your comment
bubba4dawgs
September 28th, 2011
8:24 am
Hey, let’s face it, every player is not going to make it! They may have all the talent in the world but not the heart to compete! Malcolm no doubt is loaded with talent! Surely, he’s getting the opportunity if he would simply come to practice. I hope he’ll stay and give it all he’s got…..just turn it up a notch and refuse to quit! That’s the worse thing he can do!! He’ll never forget having quit for the rest of his life! GO DAWGS!!!!
Delbert D.
September 28th, 2011
8:25 am
Drew had a non-football related injury, remember? Maybe that is why he is being brought along slowly.
Phuch Le` Duc
September 28th, 2011
8:28 am
(pronounced – foosh le duke)
Chip:
from your other article in which you mentioned how many players
have left the program; Tanner Strickland [you said] left due to a shoulder inj,
while it was my understanding that the young man graduated and chose to
retire from football even though he had eligibility remaining.
* “Just the facts, ma’am” – Sgt. Joe Friday -
Also in response to an earlier gentleman;
every team has a 5th string running back, who is probably disgruntled.
Especially if he was a **** star HS recruit -not- playing behind a walk-on.
*(they all think they are going to play on Sunday)
Hopelessly Devoted to Mark
September 28th, 2011
8:28 am
@DJ Dawg
I agree. I mean… It’s not like you can just make them practice. Rich Rod tried that at Michigan, and look what happened to him. The players (at least, the ones who didn’t want to practice) called the NCAA and tattled on him. We don’t want that to happen to Coach Mark.
Dawgman49
September 28th, 2011
8:29 am
Well Bulldawg nation we need to yell as loud as we can on SATURDAY !!!!! We are the only BULLDAWG IN THE SEC.
BirdDog
September 28th, 2011
8:29 am
I’m really sick of you Richt bashers and complainers, who offer nothing but more whining! Who do you think UGA could get that’s better than Richt? And don’t give me that Dan Mullen crap. He hasn’t beaten one team from his own division except Ole Miss and is 16-13 overall. Yeh that’s a big improvement. Most of you sound like 2 year olds having a meltdown. IMO, y’all are the ones who should resign.
Rich Rod
September 28th, 2011
8:30 am
I’m available.
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:39 am
@BirdDog
I agree. Either stand behind the team and our coaches or find someone else to pull for. We DONT need you and we DONT want you!
Ai
September 28th, 2011
8:39 am
Practice, man we talking bout practice, practice,we aint talkin bout the game, practice, i mean practice, man we talkin bout practice,nothe game, practice,practice man…
CEPH
September 28th, 2011
8:40 am
If Richt spent more time coaching the players instead of trying to coach the fans he wouldn’t have to worry about the crowd going beserk. He doesn’t understand when you give the crowd something to go BESERK about it just comes naturally!!!!! Could you imagine Saban holding a press conference to educate the fans about how to cheer? To tell you the truth it is things like this (i.e. having your wife being the water girl) that makes it embarrassing to be a UGA fan. McGarity PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, get Richts ass out of here!!!
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:41 am
@Ai
Very original. Never heard that one before.
St Simons - we're on Island time
September 28th, 2011
8:43 am
A 5 star giving 50% = 2.5
A 3 star giving 115% = 3.5
Hence the Boise St beatdown.
An accountant’s perspective. I’ll take the 3* every time.
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:44 am
@CEPH
Sounds like you would make a better water girl!
dean
September 28th, 2011
8:45 am
@ St Simons..
Being an accountant, you should know only the government can give 115%.
Texas Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:46 am
IF we don’t win them all from here on out we need to fire Richt…I’m tired of excuses….I’m tired of “wait next year”….yes I support the team as a dire hard fan……I expect better from the staff and as fans of UGA you should as well!
Richt is teaching us how and when to yell at a home game……….does that bother anyone else other than me? You would think his time would be better spent scheming…game planning ect…Bama…LSU…Fla one can see how certain coaching decisions make a huge difference in the game…….our head coach is telling us how and when to cheer???????????
DawgLifer
September 28th, 2011
8:47 am
Ok unless its gallstones I don’t care to hear anything about a stomach ache Boo Malcome. We need him terribly to be a backup to Crowell. That means that instead of Samuel not dodging the first tackler, we will have a power runner who is also shifty (I think we all agree Richards agility sucks). Im starting to worry about Boo’s work ethic. I’ve always defended him but now he has me worried. I hope he had the flu or something. In 2 years ive seen him carry the ball 3 times which i sad.
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:50 am
@DawgLifer
I hate to say it but it sounds like to me the kid has no heart!
flo-ri-duh
September 28th, 2011
8:53 am
Win saturday and Richt still has a job – lose and kiss him bye bye. Ironically, I see the man going up against him saturday as being a strong candidate for Georgia’s next head coach.
Spaceman Spiff
September 28th, 2011
8:53 am
Snoopdog is nothing more than rooster and the rest of the trolls…why on earth ya’ll pay attention to these fools and let them get under your skin is beyond me…
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:55 am
@flo-ri-duh
I hope you are wrong!! What has he done since becoming head coach? nothing
booger
September 28th, 2011
8:56 am
dawgs will get up msu a s s e s sat. ………….
feels good !!!!!!!!!!
Spaceman Spiff
September 28th, 2011
8:58 am
Pollyana = rooster = flattire = nothing more than a troll. Once again, why let these fools get under your skin?
Dawg_Mike
September 28th, 2011
9:01 am
Boo- you might want to stay off twitter( and so should all the players )
Tweeting that you “won’t answer the phone unless it’s money calling” is pretty stupid.
You might want to actually man up and earn some PT and then perform well, stay up top on the depth chart and have a good college career first, THEN think about NFL.
Rampdawg
September 28th, 2011
9:02 am
Is it me, or does anyone else think that Pollyanna needs to take a Midol, and change his feminine napkin? jeez!! Just shut up already.
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
9:05 am
@Dawg_Mike
Like I said earlier NO HEART!!!
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:09 am
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:44 am
@CEPH
Sounds like you would make a better water girl!
—————————–
DJ Dawg
September 28th, 2011
8:55 am
@flo-ri-duh
I hope you are wrong!! What has he done since becoming head coach? nothing
————————————————
DJ, you’re on fire today buddy. Agree on both counts. If CEPH is so embarrassed to be a UGA fan, then Tech needs fans bad, so go cheer for them. And Mullen for coach? No way .. unless we are searching for the thoroughly unaccomplished as a replacement.
gdawginkalamazoo
September 28th, 2011
9:10 am
Prayers out to Rambo and his family. I can’t imagine the pain that he is going through.
I would think that you have to practice in order to play. Malcome hasn’t practiced yet has he? Get on the field kid and prove it if you are that talented. Shouldn’t be that hard getting past everybody else on the depth chart except IC. Come on Boo take the rock and start running dude.
Really people. Let’s play the games first before we start shouting fire Richt again. So what if kids are leaving the program, all programs have unhappy kids who don’t live up to their potential. Stop with the “all these guys transfered” stuff. We don’t care they are history.
One game at a time. I for one think that yes he needs to win at least 9 and beat Florida. I think we can do it. The team has been getting better every week.
J.T.Keene
September 28th, 2011
9:10 am
Yesterday, there was a nice article about how Nick Saban coaches his players “up” instead of dumming down the system for the lame brains. Today, we get to see how M.Richt tries to coach the lame brains up to learn how they can make noise and disrupt the other teams signals. Only at UGA could you be taught something as important as this and not be insulted.
slydog
September 28th, 2011
9:15 am
Sorry folks, Pollyanna or whoever he/she is, has hit the head right on the nail on almost every single point. But I won’t be so vicious. I have wondered why this coaching regime under CMR just simply cannot finish “in the 4th qtr” of anything, not in the off-season, not during the season, not in games, and not in recruiting (spare me the numbers). Or is that “finish the drill?”
1. Off season conditioning has been poor for at least 4-5 seasons
2. Too many losses to teams they should beat, including not beating Ron Zook ever, finishing 12-2 in 2007 and complaining about not getting in the game (don’t lose two games genius)
3. Just look at the games, even the win against Ole Miss. The game should have never been in doubt.
4. And as far as these top recruiting classes, only a handful of these guys turn out to be “players.”
I won’t go into a rant because I know you all get the point. Boo Malcome should be cut from the team and allowed to transfer. Huh? We now know that’s why it was so important to put Samuel back at RB so late in the off-season (Boykin may be a better option, start one of the freshamn at DB, Florida is). No player has this many excuses as far as playing time. He didn’t even make the trip because of a “stomach” virus? CMR, everybody goes to Georgia to get a college degree, so I believe everyone can think critically and logically. WE ARE NOT THAT STUPID!!! We clearly need Malcome to play at least 10 snaps a game and yet he isn’t. There is something in the milk that’s sour. Even our very own Chip Towers admitted on radio last week that UGA is very secretive when it comes to these matters, and somewhat deceitful. Chip, I was just paraphrasing you, not quoting. Name a team with a world class sprinter on the roster and there is not one “package” for him? Or hasn’t played a snap?
Anyway, we are having some down years and I have no doubt that CMR will get the program back to relevancy, but that’s just it. If we want to keep up with the rest of college football, we need to chase the ring, not SEC East Division titles. There should be no way that UGA is not annually a top 25 team or at least 8 out of 10 years.
And yes, they called me for a donation yesterday.
St Simons - we're on Island time
September 28th, 2011
9:17 am
I can remember a time when we didn’t care what the other team called or when we yelled. We just beat the snot out of them.
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:20 am
RedandBlackDawg
September 28th, 2011
8:08 am
Polyanna,
Why did you change your screen name? I would be interested to know since it appears you sure haven’t changed your attitude or your know it all mentality.
————————————
Hasn’t changed screen name, know it all mentality, passion for typing idiot rants that equate to small books on a BLOG. No, Pollyanna hasn’t changed much other than screen names. Pollyanna, Rooster, Thomas Brown; it’s all the same crap.
1. Pollyanna wants the true freshman recruits playing .. ALL OF THEM! Drew, Crowell, Mitchell, Swann, Seay, Rome, Debell, Scott-Wesley .. hell, just put them all out there at once.
2. UGA did not LOSE scholarship players. They left on their own and were replaced with other scholarship players. They still have over 80 players on scholarship as researched and printed on this very site already.
3. Richt isn’t “blaming” players, he is answering questions. What is he supposed to do when he gets asked about Malcome REGULARLY?
Ok, enough, Pollyanna is a 4th grader skipping school I guess but certainly someone who is clueless and most likely just a troll trying to start trouble.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 28th, 2011
9:22 am
Pollyanna is buLLdawg and Mathew Ciafero. Look at this hijacking times of the blog 4-8 this morning and the saber rattling posts.
Mobile Dawg
September 28th, 2011
9:28 am
To bad about Boo, I was looking for him to make some serious contributions this year. Seems he’s fallen into the abyss that Athens has seemingly become. Snoop and others are definitely not alone folks. I mentioned earlier I was talking to a couple of older alums in Sandestin last week. They aren’t happy with Richt, unfortunately dissenion is everywhere, we are a divided nation. In football, life, marriage, etc. sometimes to much water has gone over the fall and change is necessary just to heal. I think this is the case with UGA football and CMR. He’s crossed the line of no return IMO, to many crosses to bear, pardon the pun. His use of doing things the “Georgia Way” especially cuts me to the bone. Pollyanna and all his other screen names laid it out but some of you still will never come to the reality that Richt is in “WAY” over his head. The program has become stale. Sad reality but true.
Bobito
September 28th, 2011
9:31 am
This is Tennessee, not Vandy. The Mutts have no chance against thoroughbreds.
Bobito
September 28th, 2011
9:32 am
Folks, the problem is that Richt’s teams aren’t disciplined, aren’t in shape, and aren’t mentally tough. That’s because they’re not well coached.
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:33 am
Slydog, I think UGA is “secretive” on these things to protect the player, in this case, Malcome. It would be more embarrassing to Boo if they just released all the reasons why he is not on the practice field.
Getting out on the practice field is up to him, not the coaches. They can not make a kid practice. Personally, I think that Pollyanna is just a troll trying to make non-sense points to try to stir up trouble as I pointed out above. He/she (rooster/Thomas Brown) never makes a point that isn’t easy to debunk. This person wants to play every freaking freshman RIGHT NOW. Dumb idea! This person thinks we are rolling with only 50 something players on the roster. No, proven wrong already a couple of weeks ago by Chip. Again, he/she is either a troll stirring the pot, a 4th grader without an actual knowledge base or vision for the future, or someone who should be in a mental facility.
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:34 am
Bobito is apparently another expert on coaching. I mean, on this blog, who isn’t? Either way, UGA won’t lose to UT or Vandy. UT is waaaaay too weak on offense. And Mitchell and Crowell will have their way with the UT defense.
more cowbell?
September 28th, 2011
9:34 am
Since MSU likes to make noise with cowbells to distract their opponents, they should hand out vuvuzelas to all the UGA fans before this game.
JB
September 28th, 2011
9:36 am
I’ve read lately on here the difference between the heat Richt is feeling vs the heat Dooley never seemed to feel…with seemly worse years….one word….internet……….I remember waiting daily to get the Atlanta paper to see what snip it of a story they would have about the team, and that was the ONLY info you got. There was NO WAY to express displeasure with Dooley or the team….and those times seemed more accepting to mediocre years due to no 24/7 news cycle and internet to keep you juiced up. Richt lives in an entirely different world than Dooley…Not only do we know everything about the Dawgs, we know it about Bama, AU,Tenn,Tech,Fla. etc……….THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE !!!
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:38 am
Praying for Bacarri Rambo and his family. I unfortunately know all too well what he is going through as a parent.
TampaDawg
September 28th, 2011
9:38 am
Nice one cowbell!!!!
1eyedJack
September 28th, 2011
9:40 am
Polyanna=Thomas Brown=BuLLdawg
Things must be slow on the night shift there at the Grady Memorial Hospital Psychiatric unit.
ARdawg
September 28th, 2011
9:41 am
That’s too bad for Boo Malcome. I don’t “know” with any certainty but confident, if he chose he could reverse his misfortune. To miss practice with no determined or obvious injury is not going to win any favors from the coach and it shouldn’t. It’s football and it’s proven on the field. Which brings me to my second point.
Enough with the gimmicks Coach Richt, I’ve had them up to my neck. When you put a team on the field that YOU can coach up to potential, don’t you worry. The noise will be there. The onus is on you Richt, give us something to cheer and make some noise about. Rather than looking for something, someone else to blame for your failures.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
September 28th, 2011
9:42 am
The situation for Dawg fans should be that Richt gets this act together. Players leaving over the past year, recruiting is treading water. You couple the transfers and then the lose of talent in recruiting if Richt is fired it may lead into a 4-5 year rebuild job just like UT is in.
You folks wanna complain now? What happens in three years and we are no where near competing? UF isnt going away, USC has there act together, Dooley is finally able to bring talent into UT again.
This is not a great situation to say the least but damn I am not in favor of Smart or Mullen. If the Alabama defense is talked about it is all about Saban. So who knows what Smart actually brings to the table. Mullen? He has teams that have close loses with inferior talent. Really? That is who we talk about outside of Mr. Boise State? It just simply is in the best interest of this University for Richt to rally this group.
That being said I do think thats a bitter pill to swallow, but with the SEC East at its current level I want the steady hand and not a nuclear detonation of the program.
P_The_Ricker
September 28th, 2011
9:42 am
Players are leaving, but the team as a whole seems to be sticking together.
There was some concern whether the incoming freshmen hailed as “the dream team” would mesh well with the veterans on the team…….and all indications as of 9/28 are that they have. The better freshman have played and surpassed veterans on the depth chart, while the others have experienced the typical growing pains of the transition from highschool to college.
Like many others, I’m hoping this is the start of always playing the best player at his respective position. In past years, too many players held onto their spots on account of being an upperclassman.
DawginLex
September 28th, 2011
9:46 am
Only a dumba$$ would include NFL drafted players on a list of players who have left the program and consider that a negative and blame Coach Richt
Only a dumba$$ would list players with career ending injuries on a list of players who have left the program and consider that a negative and blame Coach Richt
Only a dumba$$ would list players who flunked out on a list of players who have left the program who have left the program and consider that a negative and blame Coach Richt.
Only a dumba$$ would list players who refused to be team players and were “all about me” players on a list of players who have left the program and consider that a negative and blame Coach Richt.
Reduces the list considerably when you take the dumba$$ factor into consideration.
more cowbell?
September 28th, 2011
9:46 am
Players are leaving because they ALL expect to go to the NFL.
If they think they will not get the playing time to achieve that, then they leave.
JB
September 28th, 2011
9:46 am
We’re playing not a great team Saturday, but a pretty well coached and physical one. Georgia certainly has more talent than Mississippi State, and Saturday will be a good gauge to see if this team, like a of of Richt’s teams in the past, can improve as the season goes on. Coming out sloppy and unmotivated Saturday will not beat these guys. Scoring three points in the second half will not beat these guys. Just having better athletes will not beat these guys.
Saban
September 28th, 2011
9:47 am
What was that about all these dawg fans used to say about Saban forcing players to transfer. And now we here from the ajc that 14 uga players have left the program in the past year before their eligibility was used up? 2 went pro early but the rest were either transfers or players who were placed on “medical scholarship”. What was that? When Saban does it its cheating but when Saint Richt forces transfers or puts players on medical scholarship its saintly? The hypocrisy of the loser dawg nation never ceases to amaze me. 2 losses already. You guys are nothing.
DawginLex
September 28th, 2011
9:50 am
Shutup Saban
You TECH TROLL BOY
Still trying to fight all the restraining orders filed against you by the Tech coaches, players and male cheerleaders?
You will lose
go back to the Varsity TECH TROLL BOY