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Sunday, October 3, 2010

A few (early) fleeting thoughts

I'll have more on Sunday, but as I get ready to leave the Folsom Field press box, a few quick things:

- No, the play on which Caleb King fumbled was not a flea-flicker. At least that's according to everyone I talked to down there - Mark Richt, Aaron Murray, but not Caleb King, who wasn't available. Richt called the play the team's "No. 1 running play," i.e. a high-percentage run.

- Thanks to deadline pressures and space issues, I wasn't able to write too much about the defense. But it probably deserves a bit more focus for this one. Once again it gave up a touchdown on the game's opening drive, and struggled in the latter portion of the game. The only way it salvaged itself was finally forcing a stop on Colorado's second-to-last drive, which set up Georgia's last chance.

- A.J. Green confirmed that his absence for two drives near the end of the third quarter was cramps. ("A lot of cramping," he said.)

Remember, while Green was in the locker room, the offense went three-and-out twice, and Colorado took the lead for good.

- Georgia hasn't been 1-4 since 1957. The Bulldogs finished 3-7 that year, under Wally Butts.

17 comments:

dawgjammin said...

I think our defense is bad because it practices and scrimages against an unimaginative and predictable mike bobo coached offense day in and day out...

Willb said...

Well be ok. We have Aaron Murray to look forward to. If we had some senior qb this year and was this bad it would be worse. It will help with the recruits that we have a qb as good as Murray for the next three years.

Am i the only one who might of underestimated how good green was? I knew he was the greatest wr in college but he changes everything! Where does he rank in the greatest dawgs ever list? He hasnt won that much but thats not his fault. Physically he's like Hershal walker at wr! Too bad he's had three different qbs in three years. Three totally different ones too.

Anonymous said...

Could you imagine a good offensive coordinator with Stafford, Moreno, Green, not to mention a great supporting cast led by Chapas and company (what a team that would be)... wait a minute we had all that but the offensive coordinator...

Anonymous said...

wait wait wait.. I forgot... we had MoMass on the team too... AJ and MoMass with Stafford at QB and Moreno at RB... wtf wtf wtf.. why isnt Bobo fired already.. seesh

nwofoe said...

What are you talking about? Georgia was ranked number 1 for the first time in their history with great talent like Moreno, Stafford, Masaqua, and Green! Georgia just can't seem to get it done no matter what. Let's wish Hershel Walker comes back to lead this dead program.

Anonymous said...

What Im saying is that if Bobo couldnt do it with that.. what do you expect him to do it with... seesh time for him to go...

Michael said...

nwofoe: That was a worthless and irrelevant preseason #1 ranking based on hype.

Anonymous said...

Whose fault is it ?

I have long felt that there should have been a Separation between Church and State. I see no reason to agree with his supporters who say that they prefer to have him to Nick Saban because he is a Forgiving Nice Guy. He is paid $ 3 million a year, and does not know how to recruit, or motivate his own recruits, hire his own coaching staff, determine who should be punished and who should not, how to control his football program on or off the field, beat the truly great teams, and he doesn’t know how to not lose to the really lousy ones. He also does not know how to talk to the fans.

I just don’t think Coach Richt is of this world. I do not think he has the same interests at heart for this University of Georgia Football Program that I have for it. I think if he did, he would have completely different Priorities.

Coach Richt has had 2 great years in 10. Both of those 2 years, he lost to really lousy teams and therefore was pitted against sorry opponents in our bowl game. In fact, Coach Richt has not only Never beat a Top 10 Final AP Poll team in Any Bowl Game Ever, but most if his Supporters were to sit down and look at his only 3 really truly great wins here at Georgia : They were 1 beating # 4 Final AP Poll vols 2001. He Lost 4 games that season. Was that great or a Fluke ? 2 beating # 6 LSU in The SEC Championship Game 2005 but Coach Richt lost to Florida 2005, Auburn 2005 and West Virginia 2005 to take away the shine of the 2005 season. And, 3, beating # 9 Auburn in 2006. But, 2006 like 2001 and 2005, Coach Richt lost too many games to be able to say that these 3 signature wins made us all that great. 2006 Coach Richt lost 4 games.

In the only 2 years of 10 that Coach Richt is said by his supporters to have been Great, he beat nobody. And, he lost games to teams he should not have; thus they say those were fluke losses. Were they ? Who did Coach Richt beat those just 2 years ? Go ahead; I will wait for your reply.

Now, let me be the 1st to say, that I am consumed by the EXCUSES of his supporters. I open the paper daily for all these years back to the mid Fifties here in Atlanta and through all these years, I have never seen SO MANY EXCUSES for 1 guy in all my lifetime.

There are not any excuses for making my alma mater a HALFWAY HOUSE for WAYWARD criminals.

There are not any excuses for losing to 10 teams in 10 years who ended up not in the Top 25 of the Final AP Poll.

There are not any excuses for losing all but 3 of 11 games against Top 10 Final AP Poll teams, and in those 3 wins having miserably average results outside those just 3 wins.

Do I believe that we deserve National Championships ? I certainly do not for 2002 nor 2007 comparing the other teams and the fact that they beat Top 10 Final AP Poll teams those years and Coach Richt has NO WINS over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams by direct comparison either 2002 nor 2007. That is NOT the definition of # 1 and therefore we were not voted by ANYONE as # 1.

Then, his supporters say he was jobbed, robbed of his NC either 1 or both 2002 and 2007. He was NOT.

Do I believe that we as a Program could or should win National Championships ? UGA has 6 National Championships listed in the NCAA Records Book for 1-A College Football. 2 are Consensus. Wally Butts had a run from 1940 to 1948 that is a 9-year run like Coach Richt has had the 9 years prior to this one including 1. Vince Dooley had a run from 1980 to 1988 that is a 9-year run like Coach Richt has had the 9 years prior to this one including 1. In 118 years, we have 2 Consensus National Championships and 4 others that are Significantly Better than Anything Coach Richt has done in his 10 years here. They beat the top teams; they didn’t lose to the really lousy ones; they were not consumed by Bad Press for Arrests / Suspensions and they were not marked by the most ill conceived “coaching staff” of all-time on my campus.

Coach Richt was an Assistant Coach who beat Cupcakes at Florida State.

Anonymous said...

10 years later, he just doesn’t have his heart in it any more. I fully expect him to quit any day now. He doesn’t care. He hasn’t cared for his 10 years here, and has a set of Priorities not consistent with This Football Program, This University, or Her Fans.

Coach Richt, you beat the middle of the road teams. Thanks for 88 of those. There could have been 138 games played in these 10 years, however, and your losses to the great teams and your losses to teams who suck combined have left us out in the cold. And, those losses each brought us bad press. Your 3 great wins were accompanied by 11 losses those 3 years, so it means so little to me to hear you brag Coach Richt that you KNOCKED THE LID OFF THIS GEORGIA PROGRAM beating # 4 vols 2001 with 4 LOSSES 2001.

David Greene Never had another win like that.

DJ Shockley got 1 to win The SEC Championship in his 1 year, but Coach Richt when he wasn’t on the field, YOU COACH RICHT let DJ Shockley down with your Joe Tereshinski Florida LOSS and then you brought DJ back after his injury and LOST to Auburn with him still recovering, and then to top all that off YOU COACH RICHT didn’t even get us settled in our seats at the Sugar Bowl here in Atlanta, before we were DOWN 28 to NOTHING. You LOST that game too.

Matthew Stafford, AJ Green, Knowshon Moreno – we handed you these players Coach Richt while you RAN OFF SO MANY OTHERS YOURSELF COACH RICHT we could have handed you as well, and you have to SHOW for all that, the LONE win by Matthew Stafford against # 9 Final AP Poll Auburn in 2006, yet another year you LOST 4.

Graphics telling me that he is # 12 in wins as an active 1-A coach, have me just sit down and scratch my head that how can he have such a LOUSY COACHING STAFF that in 10 months time, he had to FIRE EVERY SINGLE HIRE HE MADE.

Anonymous said...

And, of course, a real study, not a cursory glance at 91 wins in 9 and half years; but a complete study of the now 32 losses, is a sad study of FAILED OPPORTUNITIES on the field and nothing but bad press off.

Do you want to go back in history 141 years back and find for me 1 football team who was considered great who lost 32 games in 10 years ?

There isn’t one.

The good news is that he has learned these lessons. I made sure. His next stop, he will not make these mistakes.

Either that, or he will go be a Preacher in some third world country and celebrate how he forgave them their mistakes, such as no Suspension for Vance Cuff for providing his DL to Branden Smith so that Branden could have it on his person and have his DL suspended as a result. On his person in a vehicle of 7 teenagers, the sole purpose of which was to drive around Athens a few weeks ago and GET DRUNK in Tavarres King’s truck for which Tavarres got 1 game suspensions, Branden Smith none and Vance Cuff nothing either. That is NOT DISCIPLINE Coach Richt and I am FED UP WITH THAT that you had ANOTHER SUSPENSION for the Colorado game on National TV to announce that The SEC had to SUSPEND YET ANOTHER OF YOUR DAMN RECRUITS HERE COACH RICHT.

We need a real head coach who has this proven experience to know how to deal with any of these areas of weakness you have Coach Richt.

10 years of 14-game seasons 8 of the 10 years. 138 possible wins. And, we have 91. 91 over mediocre teams, with 3 wins over great teams but added in 4, 3 and 4 losses those 3 years we won those 3 games over great teams. And, 8 losses in 11 games against them – the Top 10 Final AP Poll 11 games you played – winning only 3. 91 over mediocre teams, teams who when they were actually Top 25 Final AP Poll teams Coach Richt only was 17-21 against them. Again, there are 5 SEC Coaches right now today who are better than that against Top 25 Final AP Poll teams, and they just in our own conference. 91 wins in 10 years over mediocre teams but 10 LOSSES to really teams who just out and out SUCK.

91 wins (3 signature wins and all 3 years 4, 3 and 4 losses) and
32 LOSSES (10 losses to teams who SUCK)

Have a Nice Life Preacher; I wish you only the Best, sir. You might want to expand your role at Church – which is your ONLY priority.

Missy State and Colorado stick out ,and those just the last 2 games. And, OH YEAH, by the way Ben Jones got SUSPENDED for the 1st half of the football game LAST NIGHT by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. Dizzying number of Arrests / Suspensions, unacceptable number of losses to teams who suck, lack of luster against even Top 25 teams, and total abject inability to EVER beat a real Top 10 Final AP Poll Opponent in the same year you could not string together fewer than 4 or 3 LOSSES.

Anonymous said...

Get rid of Bobo? Do you really think we could upgrade with a lame duck coach? Why would anyone worth a look take that risk? Not disagreeing that Bobo needs to go, but we need to be real with our options (which will be few).

Anonymous said...

Aaron Murray is great, but other than Caleb King and AJ Green and maybe Charles the rest of our team sucks.

Starting with the coaching staff.

No more excuses, Richt has to go.

DieHardDawg said...

Wow, quite a diatribe there "Anonymous." Must be nice to sit behind your computer screen and rip a man you've never met, without so much as attaching your name to it. I wonder how much of that you would have the guts to say with him in the room.

Am I happy with the way the program is going? No. Are there a lot of things that need to be fixed? Absolutely. But let's go ahead and accept the fact that nothing will be changed at this point of the season. Even if there are firings to come, they won't happen until after season's end, so for now all the bashing of our team/coaching staff accomplishes nothing.

Everyone clamoring for Richt's head on a platter need only look to our neighbors to the North. There was a small contingency of Tennessee fans who were rabid for the firing of Fulmer, and they got their wish. They now sit still reeling, looking for an identity as a program, with no end to their misery in sight. Also, let's not forget that we didn't exactly have D-coordinators beating down our door to come take Willie's place. (I was glad to see him go just like everyone else). How many of our top choices for the DC job flatly told us no, or used us to get a raise at their current job? We are not the elite and desirable coaching job that we think ourselves to be. If we go firing Richt, and don't get Jim Harbaugh, or the next of our several top choices, who then will we get? Who will come in and do a better job in the next three or four years? Make no mistake about it - if we can Richt after this year we can look forward to at least three or four years of mediocrity while the new coach recruits players, installs his system, etc...and before anyone incites the name of Nick Saban, let's also admit that he's a freak of nature in the coaching world. He's one of only two or three coaches in the country who have the ability to turn around a program like that, and I don't see any of them champing at the bit for us to fire our coach so they can take his place.

I, for one, will continue to support my team and my coach in good times and bad. I bleed Red & Black when my team wins and when they lose.

Looking forward to a great game in Athens next week. Go Dawgs!

Not Anonymous said...

That's the problem with the internet, every idiot has an opinion.

And that includes the apologists.

Benjamin said...

Any word on Stripling?

Michael said...

"There was a small contingency of Tennessee fans who were rabid for the firing of Fulmer, and they got their wish."

So they should have kept Fulmer for some more 4 win seasons?

Sorry, but that dog don't hunt.

Firing Fulmer was the right move.

The mistake was hiring Kiffin... And by the way, Kiffin beat us... like a drum.

Dusty and Tiffany said...

burn Ken Malcome's redshirt...give him a chance at tailback, whats it going to hurt?