Still Looking To Turn A Corner
Many Georgia Bulldog fans are licking their wounds today, while others lash out to inflict pain on whatever segment of the Dawg Nation they deem complicit in the losing effort Saturday night. Mark Richt, Mike Bobo, Nike? The list continues to grow. Boise State certainly lived up to their ranking as a Top 5 program, while Georgia flashed some real signs of hope but settled back in to some old, familiar bad habits.
I really don’t want to get in to all the details of the who, what and why. There are plenty of bloggers that will write about that today. I have many of them listed in my right side bar.
Check them out later.
The thing I have never been able to get my head around is how so many fans can build up a player, a team or a program IN THEIR OWN MIND, only to attack those same entities when it does not intially pan out.
Many of you still refuse to acknowledge that Boise State is a damn good TEAM. Really? I guess that doesn’t suit your purposes in running down a team and a coach that has yet to be given a real opportunity to show if they are an improved group. This week’s game versus South Carolina is another tough row to hoe.
That being said, sometime soon Coach Mark Richt and staff must turn a corner if they are to survive. I want them to survive, but they have to want it even more.
What Offense Does Georgia Run?
After a Tennessee game where our offense seemed lost and ineffective, it occurred to me(again) that we have no identity. If someone had to say, it is a mix of Pro Set, I-formation and some Spread Option sprinkled in to confuse things. The problem is it confuses us more than them(opponents).
For a while now I have felt like we really were running the FTS Offense. Have you never heard of it? Well about 4-5 years ago I met a high school coach from South Georgia. We were at a coaches clinic and since coaches are my primary customers, I try to go to as many clinics as possible. I asked this coach what offense they ran, trying to break the ice. He proceeded to tell me that they indeed ran the FTS offense. FTS stands for FEED THE STUD.
Aha! Sound familiar?
For quite a while Georgia has been dependent on “playmakers” making plays. From Fred Gibson and Terence Edwards to A.J. Green, just throw it up and let them make a play. David Green, D.J. Shockley and Matthew Stafford were playmakers. Knowshon Moreno? Playmaker. How many plays did Knowshon make totally on his own the last two years? Plenty.
Seldom has there been a time where Georgia had the identity of a hard-nosed running team that could dictate the line of scrimmage. That’s why we have usually struggled in the red zone. Do you realize that in Mark Richt’s first eight years, Georgia had three of the top ten seasons of most attempted field goals in SEC history. Billy Bennett attempted and made more field goals than any kicker in NCAA history. In 2003, he attempted just as many field goals as PAT’s(38). That’s an NCAA and SEC record for attempted field goals in a season. What does that say about an offense?
I am by no means an offensive guru, but I have heard it said enough and so have you. To win consistently, you have to be able to run the ball and defend the run. I’m not sure why we are running spread option plays when we don’t have spread option personnel on the field. Joe Cox….Richard Samuel? Joe Cox is no threat to run. That’s not a criticism of him, that’s a criticism of a coach putting him in a no win situation.
Logan Gray…Washaun Ealey…Carlton Thomas….
Now those guys could pose a threat in a true spread option attack.
I’m not talking about benching Joe Cox, but just allowing Logan to have a series or two, with a chance to succeed. One predictable play at a time just makes no sense. It just stalls drives.
We have time to turn it around!
Go Dawgs!
Georgia Football Keeps it All in the Family
It is very difficult to write openly and honestly about Georgia Football sometimes. There is an unspoken rule of not being too critical of your coach or team in the public eye. This is true for former players as well. This blog has been a tight rope because if I can’t be honest, it’s not worth doing. And blind loyalty is just that…blind.
But something that has occured to me lately is this notion of “family”. In the best case scenarios it is real. I believe Coach Mark Richt has fostered that environment at Georgia. I’ve seen recruits mention it as a big reason they chose Georgia over other schools. That’s great. The team should have that feel. But what about the coaching staff?
A head coach should foster the feeling of trust, good chemistry and maybe even family, but there is a point of diminishing returns. I keep thinking of the company I worked for prior to starting Total Team Sports. It was a family run business that had been around for over 30 years. They liked to think it was a family atmosphere, but there were just a few true family members and close friends that were in the inner circle.
The problem inherent in some “family” situations is it clouds business decisions. And make no mistake, college football is a business. You know that. In any event, any response to the cries for the firings of Bobo, Martinez, Jancek and/or Fabris have been and will be slow in coming, as they should be. Continuity on a staff is sometimes just as important as year to year results.
It may take Damon Evans taking Coach Richt off the hook and imposing his will to make any significant changes. I’m not saying he should at this point. I think at the end of this season, every one should be honestly evaluated without emotion. I believe Damon is that kind of person, which again is good.
Some Georgia fans seem to be unable to stop the micromanaging game to game, forget year to year. In this his ninth year, Mark Richt has orchestrated the DawgNation to it’s best run in history. And, most of the coaches in question were in the mix from the beginning. Do they need to continue to step up? YES. Do I want see anybody fired? Not really. But I am sure you are held accountable for your job performance.
They should too.
Georgia Fans, Check Your Balls Again
Okay Georgia Bulldog fans, be honest. Have any of the first four games gone like you thought they would? When you were fretting all summer and looking into your crystal balls to foresee this year’s version of the Georgia Bulldogs, is this what you saw? When I read posts this summer on DawgVent and even now on Twitter, those that speak with authority always make me laugh.
No one knows how this team will perform week to week. Not you, not me, no blogger or sportswriter, not even Coaches Martinez, Bobo or Richt have a clue. If I were a reporter having to attend practices or press conferences in person or via telephone, I would be very frustrated. Because when I asked a question, why would I trust the answer?
How many times can a coach say we are making progress and that our running backs have more to learn, blah blah blah. I always thought the most important aspects of being a great running back were instinctive. But I’m tired of being critical of Richard Samuel. I still believe Caleb King has looked better in the last two games, but the offensive line, a supposed strength of ours is under-performing and defenders are blowing up our backs before they even get to the hole. But at least Coach Richt has finally called them out. In addition, Georgia has reverted to the old pre-Knowshon habit of not letting anybody get enough carries to develop any kind of rhythm. See Thomas Brown-Danny Ware-Kregg Lumpkin. Every back I have ever heard talk about this issue says the same thing. I need the ball.
And why would anyone put stock in the notion that these Georgia Bulldogs would be more disciplined? Mat drills might help with agility and team building, but I always heard focus and discipline were in the mix as well.
I call B.S.
I would be perfectly happy with a lesser record in 2009 if I felt every player and coach were doing their best, but they are not and it’s not even close. It should not take until the fifth game to come together. I challenge anyone to tell me different. I hate to write negatively about the Dawgs, but an old mantra that seems to have died is the whole idea of getting the most from the players you have.
Do you feel we are getting the maximum performances from top to bottom?
Tell me what you really think!