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Sunday, September 19, 2010

Richt: 'We're moving in the right direction''

Georgia head coach Mark Richt struck an optimistic tone on his Sunday teleconference, saying he sees improvement across his team, while granting that the losses were “discouraging.”

“I had a sense after the game that this team was really improving and making strides,” Richt said. “And after watching the film I think we’re moving in the right direction, and that’s a good thing.”

Freshman quarterback Aaron Murray is getting better, according to Richt, who compared that player’s learning curve to that of many on defense, who are still picking up the new system.

“It’s always discouraging to lose any game,” Richt said. “So we’re not happy about the win-loss record right now. But when you do the job that we do and you coach and you teach and you give them assignments … and you watch guys improve, that’s an encouraging thing, and that’s what I’m talking about.”

A few more notes from Richt’s teleconference:

- The only player that Richt knew was out for sure next week is backup center Chris Burnette. He did not have an update on any of the other players who missed Saturday’s game (CB-PR Branden Smith, ILB Marcus Dowtin, among them).

- Tackle Trinton Sturdivant took a shot to his leg, but Richt didn’t think it was serious. Sturdivant, who is recovering from consecutive knee surgeries, saw a lot of time at left tackle against Arkansas.

“Trinton is moving forward and deserves to get more opportunity and will get better moving forward as we go,” Richt said. “Definitely a bit of rust on him though.”

- No change in the offensive play-calling structure. Richt said offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is “calling the game,” though he will occasionally interject in key situations, and remains involved in planning during the week.

- The blame was spread around for the six sacks given up to Arkansas. He did say that Murray fares better when he moves up in the pocket.

“I’m not gonna sit here and I don’t wanna throw out anything that would sound like dirty laundry on these kids,” Richt said. “I care very much about their mental well being. But it was definitely a combination. There were some O-line issues, there were some running back issues as pass protectors. And there were quarterback issues. It was really spread out. It wasn’t just one culprit.”

- Finally, the coach was asked about having to motivate his players, now with a 1-2 record.

“My guess is these guys will get right back on the horse, start right, and get right back to work,” Richt said. “I think we all wanna have a real positive result in the win column. So I don’t think that’ll be an issue. I think we’ve got some really strong leadership and people that care.”

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

No change in the play-calling structure? What's it going to take for CMR to realize HE needs to be the one calling the plays...

Reverend Whitewall said...

Seriously, anybody calling for Richt to take over playcalling has a serious case of amnesia. Richt's playcalling was even more predictable than what Bobo has become. I'll buy into anybody making an argument that we need new blood (i.e. coaching turnover) on the offensive side of the coaching staff to make calls, but just turning the playcalling back to Richt is NOT the answer.

Anonymous said...

Need to get rid of Bobo and VanHalenger.
I'm willing to give the DC and his staff the benefit of the doubt except for Geathers who made plays when in; However its a mystery to me of why he doesn't play more.
Offense playcalling was horrid and its clear that our team isn't as strong as the last two we have played.

Anonymous said...

I think everyone in the Bulldog nation needs decide if we want a highly respectable coach with integrity ...who may also put us in contention for the SEC championship every three or four years....OR...if we want the program to win a National Championship. I honestly don't see us winning a national Championship with Richt...ever. he is, however, a very respectable guy who cares about his players.

Anonymous said...

Richt said exactly what I would have predicted. Nicest guy in the world. I think we need a coach with fire, not a nice guy. Bobo should not be a coordinator for a top 50 team and at the rate we're going, he's not. The Sunday school image hasn't been a help in changing our image b/c we still are getting kids arrested and suspended. I'm off the Richt band wagon and praying for a change.

darb said...

Freshman QB

Anonymous said...

Amnesia, eh? Have you forgotten the 2 SEC Titles that Richt brought to Athens when he was calling the plays? Predictable or not, Richt's play-calling was effective. I don't believe we have even been to a SEC Championship game with Bobo calling the shots, much less won one. But who knows, maybe I've forgotten? Just about anyone would be an improvement over Bobo.

Holla said...

The point, anonymous 7:50, is that the fans were CLAMORING for Richt to hand the play-calling duties over back in 05/06. When we got wind that Richt was letting Bobo call the two-minute offense at the end of a half, we rejoiced. We said "Now, that's how you call plays!" Now, fans are AGAIN unhappy (which is understandable), but their unhappiness is not producing much creativity or common sense. We didn't like Richt calling the plays, now we don't like Bobo calling the plays. So, we want to go back to Richt?

I can only imagine what kind of "formulaic" and "uncreative" offense some of these fans of ours would call, if they ever had the chance. If there ability to complain in a coherent way is any indication...

Anonymous said...

We need more rational fans..

Randall said...

Hey Xon,
Nice moniker by the way. You are a jackass. Most fans would not call a good game, however most fans are not highly paid, highly trained football coaches. So, I would expect them to fail. I do expect more from the coach of my esteemed Dawgs. From my untrained eye, I see plays called that do not give our inexperienced QB a chance to get comfortable behind the questionable blocking of our offensive line. I see undersized running backs not able to run through the non-existent holes of the a fore mentioned o-line. But again I am just a fan that is frustrated.

Reverend Whitewall said...

Anon 7:50,

We did not win those SEC titles because of Richt's play calling. We won because our defense played lights out every game, and when there was a critical 3rd down, our defense was able to come up with stops more often than not. As has been well chronicled the past few years, that stopped when BVG left. And that's when Richt's playcalling really became exposed, because he couldn't just lean on the defense to win games. If you don't remember that, then yes, you have a serious case of amnesia. Our red zone offense was the most anemic offense I've ever seen when Richt was calling the plays, that's why Billy Bennett and our other kickers back then were near the top of the country every year in field goals made. That is NOT category you want to be leading the country in, because that just means you can't punch it into the end zone. Though we laid a couple of eggs against South Carolina, our red zone offense has actually been much better under Bobo than it was under Richt. And even with his recent shortcomings, I'd still prefer Bobo calling plays to going back to Richt.

Dawg in the South said...

Regular Guy, if I remember correctly CMR was calling the plays when we won 2 SEC Championships.

Anonymous said...

Van Halanger is worthless

Burritodawg said...

It has taken a couple of days to calm down and find any semblance of a rational thought. I think I have gotten there. Whatever was missing from our leadership on defense CMR recognized it, made what was clearly a difficult decision, and took the steps to fix it. The critics would be correct in saying that he made the decision a season late, but firing a lifelong friend takes guts and he made the decision necessary FOR THE GOOD OF THE PROGRAM.

Now CMR faces the same problem on the offensive side of the ball. The issue is that this is the side of the ball where he has his training and expertise. This means that he SHOULD be able to effect change much quicker. The time for coached learning on the job has ended. The time for gaps in recruiting certain positions has ended. It is time, it is past time for results. I am not ready to fire CMR this season. But, if he does not start to get better results from his staff QUICKLY next year he will run out of reasons.

Wu Mao Dawg said...

Mallet wins offensive player of the week in college football one week after Latimore wins it.

T-Rey594 said...

Here are our offensive PPG since '05:
'05- 29.54 Against SEC opp. -27
'06- 25.15 SEC- 23.13
'07- 32.62 SEC- 28.5
'08- 31.46 SEC- 26.88
'09- 28.92 SEC- 29.25
'10- 28.33 SEC- 15
Total averages from '05-'10:
29.34 SEC- 24.55

*I believe Bobo took over in '06 so I decided to include Richt's final year.

For all you ney-sayers, here you go. I am by no stretch of the imagination professing Bobo as an offensive guru. However, averaging nearly 30 points a game aint bad. My problem with Bobo is not that he is too predictable, GT and Bama are two of the most predictable teams in football, but they still hang points. My problem with Bobo is he doesn't keep pounding out what is working, in fact, I feel like he tries to get too creative sometimes. The GT game last year was one of the best games he ever called because guess what, he was predictable. He said we are gonna keep running it down your throat until you stop us. They never did.

Schlagdawg said...

Nice stats Trey.
It also should be noted that so far this season we're giving up fewer points per game on D than in 2009, and that in each game we've given up fewer points in the second half than in the first.

Anonymous said...

Trey, could you please include the win/ loss stats with your report? I think those would say a lot, and frankly, be more important.

Anonymous said...

2005: 10-3 (6-2 SEC)
2006: 9-4 (4-4)
2007: 11-2 (6-2)
2008: 10-3 (6-2)
2009: 8-5 (4-4)

Unknown said...

Sunday, September 19, 2010
Richt: 'We're moving in the right direction''


We are?

Thanks a pantload Mark!

Anonymous said...

6 of the Top 17 teams in the AP Poll are SEC teams. Georgia got 0 votes, putting Georgia not only in the bottom half of its own conference, but it also throws questions on the Offensive Line at Georgia. The 9 sacks in just the 1st two SEC teams for Aaron Murray are not just the Offensive Line’s issue according to Mike Bobo and according to Coach Richt. The same can now be asked about the running backs at Georgia. Is it their fault, or the OL ? Wide Receivers is it their fault ? The Tight Ends have done very little. Is it that they are to blame ? The Fullbacks, not used by other teams, used to be prominent in Georgia football; are they to blame ? They certainly have done nothing, either. What part of the Offense, Ranked NCAA # 81 Total Offense, has been good in the earliest 2 losses in The SEC for Georgia since 1992 ? Well, clicking on all cylinders, is not how anyone would describe the Offense led by Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo whom Coach Richt stole from Jacksonville State after the 2000 season, where he was the Quarterbacks Coach for 1 year.

Georgia fans, known for their passionate pleas for leniency toward our players, are outraged that there are no excuses provided for their NOT READY QUARTERBACK. Fresh off 4 losses in 2006 without preparing a Quarterback, and 5 losses in 2009 without preparing a Quarterback, Georgia fans had attempted to line up their excuses for young Aaron Murray; but, now instead the whole “coaching staff” has come out blaming Aaron Murray for the 3rd and 4 sack, the 9th sack of the first 2 SEC games Aaron has suffered; nearly eclipsing the grand total for all 13 games by Joe Cox behind the same OL last year.

Aaron Murray has 9 sacks in his first 2 SEC games, an interception, a fumble, 1 touchdown throwing and 1 running, while making a ton of mistakes. He has thrown behind the receivers, over the receivers, and failed to deliver the ball on 9 pass attempts. Countless other plays, he has just run around back there with semblance of a successful play call.

Is it the play calls ?

Or, is it the players ?

Arrests / Suspensions / Injuries, long a staple for DISNEYdawgs.com EXCUSES hardly can be to blame for a woebegone offense ranked # 81 in the nation, when BEFORE the season, this same DISNEYdawgs.com pointed out in every post that we have 10 of the 11 Starters returning this season.

Is it just 2 games ? In 14-game seasons, it is easy to fluff over 2 devastating losses early before the season has really even begun, as it was in 2006, as it was in 2007, as it was in 2008, as it was in 2009 and now as it is once again for the 5th season in a row now in 2010.

We have 1 of our easiest schedules ever. Prepared to concede the Florida loss up-coming will mean nothing, DISNEYdawg.com lined up to state that Georgia would beat Florida this year. 2-7 vs Florida, that seemed as out of touch with this world, as Coach Richt is.

Alabama, we certainly do not play. Out of Conference, there is not 1 ranked Opponent all season long for us to get excited to play.

3 meaningful wins in 10 years, is what Coach Richt has offered.

1.Knocked the lid off The Georgia Program Coach Richt exclaimed in 2001 beating # 4 Final AP Poll Tennessee vols, but he lost 4 games that season – some inexplicable.

2.Beat # 6 Final AP Poll LSU in The SEC Championship Game 2005, but lost 3 games that season.

3.Beat # 9 Final AP Poll Auburn in 2006, but by that game Georgia had already lost 4 games that season too.

91 wins. But only 3 of the 91 wins, none in any bowl game, are over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams. All of the other games these 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt has managed to lose. 11 games in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, and Coach Richt has LOST 8 and won only 3. And, of the only 3 wins in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt managed to lose 12 combined LOSSES those 3 years.

Coach Richt has not had a great year where he beat top teams.

His recruiting is glaring on the field.

Anonymous said...

6 of the Top 17 teams in the AP Poll are SEC teams. Georgia got 0 votes, putting Georgia not only in the bottom half of its own conference, but it also throws questions on the Offensive Line at Georgia. The 9 sacks in just the 1st two SEC teams for Aaron Murray are not just the Offensive Line’s issue according to Mike Bobo and according to Coach Richt. The same can now be asked about the running backs at Georgia. Is it their fault, or the OL ? Wide Receivers is it their fault ? The Tight Ends have done very little. Is it that they are to blame ? The Fullbacks, not used by other teams, used to be prominent in Georgia football; are they to blame ? They certainly have done nothing, either. What part of the Offense, Ranked NCAA # 81 Total Offense, has been good in the earliest 2 losses in The SEC for Georgia since 1992 ? Well, clicking on all cylinders, is not how anyone would describe the Offense led by Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo whom Coach Richt stole from Jacksonville State after the 2000 season, where he was the Quarterbacks Coach for 1 year.

Georgia fans, known for their passionate pleas for leniency toward our players, are outraged that there are no excuses provided for their NOT READY QUARTERBACK. Fresh off 4 losses in 2006 without preparing a Quarterback, and 5 losses in 2009 without preparing a Quarterback, Georgia fans had attempted to line up their excuses for young Aaron Murray; but, now instead the whole “coaching staff” has come out blaming Aaron Murray for the 3rd and 4 sack, the 9th sack of the first 2 SEC games Aaron has suffered; nearly eclipsing the grand total for all 13 games by Joe Cox behind the same OL last year.

Aaron Murray has 9 sacks in his first 2 SEC games, an interception, a fumble, 1 touchdown throwing and 1 running, while making a ton of mistakes. He has thrown behind the receivers, over the receivers, and failed to deliver the ball on 9 pass attempts. Countless other plays, he has just run around back there with semblance of a successful play call.

Is it the play calls ?

Or, is it the players ?

Arrests / Suspensions / Injuries, long a staple for DISNEYdawgs.com EXCUSES hardly can be to blame for a woebegone offense ranked # 81 in the nation, when BEFORE the season, this same DISNEYdawgs.com pointed out in every post that we have 10 of the 11 Starters returning this season.

Is it just 2 games ? In 14-game seasons, it is easy to fluff over 2 devastating losses early before the season has really even begun, as it was in 2006, as it was in 2007, as it was in 2008, as it was in 2009 and now as it is once again for the 5th season in a row now in 2010.

We have 1 of our easiest schedules ever. Prepared to concede the Florida loss up-coming will mean nothing, DISNEYdawg.com lined up to state that Georgia would beat Florida this year. 2-7 vs Florida, that seemed as out of touch with this world, as Coach Richt is.

Alabama, we certainly do not play. Out of Conference, there is not 1 ranked Opponent all season long for us to get excited to play.

3 meaningful wins in 10 years, is what Coach Richt has offered.

1.Knocked the lid off The Georgia Program Coach Richt exclaimed in 2001 beating # 4 Final AP Poll Tennessee vols, but he lost 4 games that season – some inexplicable.

2.Beat # 6 Final AP Poll LSU in The SEC Championship Game 2005, but lost 3 games that season.

3.Beat # 9 Final AP Poll Auburn in 2006, but by that game Georgia had already lost 4 games that season too.

91 wins. But only 3 of the 91 wins, none in any bowl game, are over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams. All of the other games these 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt has managed to lose. 11 games in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, and Coach Richt has LOST 8 and won only 3. And, of the only 3 wins in 10 years against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, Coach Richt managed to lose 12 combined LOSSES those 3 years.

Coach Richt has not had a great year where he beat top teams.

His recruiting is glaring on the field.

Anonymous said...

Arrests / Suspensions / Injuries, we don’t even know if we should practice. And, distracted by 1 of Coach Richt’s players arrested or suspended EVERY SINGLE MONTH since 2001.

I said we could not keep up with Ryan Mallett in scoring.

We did NOT.

7-4 then beat lowly Georgia tek WHO IS NOT RANKED. 8-4 then some bowl game against some MEANINGLESS OPPONENT, as Coach Richt has ACCOMPLISHED all 10 years now.

9-win season. 9-4. “Coach Richt won 9 games. No coach in the nation is better. 99 wins in 10 seasons.

Excuse me of the 10 seasons all but 2 were in fact 14-game seasons.

29 LOSSES now.

We have been kept from beating a Top 10 Final AP Poll team in EVERY BOWL GAME.

Yet, DISNEYdawgs.com want to say we won 10 games.

This is 2010.

14-game seasons. Win 10 games and THIS is the type of year you are YAPPING about.

Shut up about 10-win seasons for God’s Sake. I am not satisfied with this season, and Coach Richt OFFICIALLY is on the hot seat. He will coach next year, here. He will lose 15 seniors and 4-5 juniors after this season, and cannot possibly be great in 2011 either. And, for all his proclamations about “DREAM TEAM” how has Coach Richt and his “coaching staff” done in-state getting Offensive Players to help out this woebegone # 81 in the nation Offense ? It is an Abysmal Failure. Coach Richt can go take over at Florida State; Jimbo Fisher is not their answer they say. Maybe he won’t make the same mistake he did here and hire NOBODIES as his ENTIRE COACHING STAFF his entire 10-Year UGA career.

Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, Chris Petersen – would ANY of them have HIRED 1 single coach on Coach Richt’s “coaching staff” the entire 10-year Coach Richt Era ? How would a DREAM TEAM in the state of Georgia look with any of those 3 as our Head Coach ? Who would be their Offensive Coordinator ? Would any of them have these 4 tight ends and have 1 guy catch 1 pass all day long yesterday ? Would any of them have redshirted Knowshon Moreno so we only got to see him 2 years ? Would any of them try to motivate the players BEFORE the game 2 weeks ago or BEFORE the game yesterday, or wait until the 4th quarter to prove that you do MOTIVATE Georgia football players - as Erk Russell proved every Saturday.

I must have missed that.

Greg McGarity and Michael F. Adams BOTH after SEC week 2 now have issued absolute clear and undeniable REBUKES of the arrests / suspensions. Where are their it is all the fault of the Police all the fault of the NCAA none the fault of strength and conditioning and Mike Bobo is GREAT ?

Anonymous said...

ALL 3 OF THOSE WINS, the only 3 over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams in the entire Coach Richt Era WERE WITH COACH RICHT CALLING THE PLAYS. He is BETTER than Mike Bobo.

Thousands of O.C. are better than Mike Bobo.

Tie Game. 3rd down, 4 yards to go. 67-yard field goal where we were on the field. 1 minute 4 seconds left in the game. What do you call ? How about a quick hitting pass to Orson Charles ?

We need to go outside the current staff for play calling duties.

This play call cost us the game. 8-yard sack. Time out by Arky. Did we want to have a comeback victory at HOME, did we ? That play call was doomed to failure; I don’t care what Buck Belue said and then REMOVED from his blog that we should support Mike Bobo.

If ANYONE thinks that I cannot call a better play call than that, on that play, you are out of your mind. But, that is NOT the point. The point is that Coach Richt did BETTER than Mike Bobo who took over in 2007. And, NEITHER were to my liking. I speak on the past tense because MIKE BOBO is GONE. You could SEE IT ON HIS FACE with THE BLOODY NOSE.

Coach Richt is not Bobby Bowden's Offensive Coordinator playing cupcakes at Florida State. He is our Head Coach, a damn good one, who has surrounded himself with a COMPLETE COACHING STAFF whom he should have fired ALL OF, last year.

So, my question is why did Coach Richt not FIRE Mike Bobo last year ?

Anonymous said...

Let's see. Fulmer Cup winners, NCAA suspension, 0-2 SEC start, inexplicable play calling, losing (again) on missed tackles, poor effort on blocking, refusal to get on to guys who should be succeeding but aren't, being physically outmanned by lesser talent, etc.

Yeah, you have this going in the right direction Chief.

Anonymous said...

Our problem with this game is inconsistent defense. Zero sacks, I don't even remember QB pressure, and gave up 31 points. It's hard to win when you give up 31.

Williamborella said...

Were three weeks in and loss to two ranked sec teams! We just lost at that! How many ranked big ten or acc or big twelve teams do you think would of lost those games? Those were really good teams! I would of like to of seen us win but we have a freshman qb and a new dc! Everyone here seems to want us to be 3-0! Freshman qb! New dc! Two ranked sec teams!!!! That would be pretty amazing if we were 3-0 against two of the best teams in the nation! Were not getting blown out either like last year! I'm starting to not like reading what other ga fans have to say! Look at all the fans that left at the ark game! What would of happened if we all stayed and cheered our team on and showed them to no matter what the nation says the bulldog nation will always stand by our team no matter what! Because true fans aren't always positive but there not as idiotic as most of you guys are coming of as!

Anonymous said...

Best. Headline. Ever.

Anonymous said...

Nicely said will.

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:28 first of all you sound like a complete moron in your entire post but I'm wondering how do you see that many juniors leaving? Aj green. Who else? Maybe Justin Houston Brandon boykin?

William Neilson Jr. said...

Keep telling yourself that, Richt while nobody else but you believes it.

Makes you seem desperate as we get worse and worse under Richt

Anonymous said...

Anyone who uses the mythical "Fulmer Cup" to make a point is an idiot.