UGA-FLA

Took me a long time to come to grips with what I'm about to say...mostly because of the "Richt-colored glasses" I mentioned I've been wearing the past few years, but for me the lightbulb has finally gone off. In my opinion, everything about CMR's tenure changed with ONE personnel move; not BVG, not Willie Martinez, not Friend or Searles, not a new S&C program, not even Dooley or Damon Evans...it changed with making Bobo offensive coordinator. I don't say this because of any lack of respect for Bobo and/or his playcalling ability (although I'm not a huge fan), but because in doing this, CMR stripped himself of his one true asset.

Maybe I shouldn't say things changed, nothing really changed, it's just that it was with that personnel move that the truth began revealing itself. Richt came to UGA as an "offensive guru." A guy who had orchestrated (notice I don't say "led") prolific offenses for coach Bowden. Richt didn't have to show leadership qualities at FSU because Bowden had it in spades. I now know Richt brought nothing else with him that indicated he could be a good Head Coach, other than his ability to call plays...a good Offensive Coordinator? Absolutely! But the only "known" about him was that he was a good offensive coordinator, operating under a great head coach. Bowden knew how to build a program, Richt knew how to take what Bowden built and make it fire on all cylinders.

Richt plainly doesn't have the ability to build or to lead. His first few years were an immediate success because the key pieces, coaches and players, were mostly in place, he just had to come in and coordinate them...not coach them, coordinate them. This is completely evident in the continuous trend of exceptional talent that consistenly underachieves. The lack of ability to lead would have eventually caught up with him, but in my mind it all began unraveling in 2006 when he stopped calling plays. When you have a minute, go back and think on, or look up our record against ranked teams from 2007 on...tell me that's not concrete evidence that Mark Richt was a great Offensive Coordinator...but not a Head Coach.

wlayton this game is always a huge game for us. This year it is huge, but I am going to be looking at more of how this team reacts to situations. Belue mentions getting a TD up on them, as you and I know, easier said that done.

Beginning of the year felt that we had the depth needed on the defensive side to cause problems for everyone on our schedule and especially Florida in JAX this season. Made mention more than once about our front seven.

Another reason I posted in gillette's post, wondering what is going on with some of the folks that I thought would be lights out this season. Ramik Wilson, Ray Drew and others. wlayton, at this point I don't have a clue, bothers me when I see talents like the two mentioned above not contributing more. Believe you hit it with the comment that something deeper is going on.

Also, read Seth Emerson's column concerning Shawn Williams and what he had to say. Seth was again very thorough with his reporting. Interesting what some of the other players did and did not say when the interviews were going on. For example Williams shouting out during the interview across the way to Malcolm Mitchell. Very, very interesting. Will post Seth's column. Would appreciate some feedback from those that have or will read the article.


www.macon.com/2012/10/24/2225286/shawn-w...f.html#storylink=rss

Unlike football at many other levels, so much of the game in college is raw emotion.

After the 2007 opening drive and the Gator Stomp, I knew we would win that game. Never would have thought the final score would be as relatively close as it was at 42-30.

The 2008 game started with us getting a pick by Asher Allen that was negated by a penalty and then a non call on offensive pass interference that resulted in a Gator touchdown and eventual rout. I'm not convinced those two plays didn't completely dictate the outcome.

I stated the day after our debacle in Columbia that USC had a great team but also probably played the best game against us that they would play all year. Rambo having an interception taken away, tipped interception on the next drive. Punt return for a TD and we are down 21-0 and all they had to do was pin their ears back and come after us with reckless abandon.

Florida was trailing LSU late in the third 6-0. LSU has a great, fast D but offensively were a train wreck and couldn't score on multiple trips to the red zone.

I didn't watch much of USC/FL but saw the opening drive result with a USC fumble on the 1 and from what I've heard two other scores that only required about 30 yards of offense due to playing on a short field. After that USC folded the tents and you had a rout.

I'll give Florida credit, they have been the best at making halftime adjustments this year but don't think they have played a quality opponent on the road and have been the recepients of Les Miles like good fortunes. Not gonna make a call on the winner, probably more optimistic than most on here but understand we have to eliminate turnovers, create turnovers and rattle Driskell early. GO DAWGS!!! GAT gator A!!!!!

Buc wrote: wlayton this game is always a huge game for us. This year it is huge, but I am going to be looking at more of how this team reacts to situations. Belue mentions getting a TD up on them, as you and I know, easier said that done.

Beginning of the year felt that we had the depth needed on the defensive side to cause problems for everyone on our schedule and especially Florida in JAX this season. Made mention more than once about our front seven.

Another reason I posted in gillette's post, wondering what is going on with some of the folks that I thought would be lights out this season. Ramik Wilson, Ray Drew and others. wlayton, at this point I don't have a clue, bothers me when I see talents like the two mentioned above not contributing more. Believe you hit it with the comment that something deeper is going on.

Also, read Seth Emerson's column concerning Shawn Williams and what he had to say. Seth was again very thorough with his reporting. Interesting what some of the other players did and did not say when the interviews were going on. For example Williams shouting out during the interview across the way to Malcolm Mitchell. Very, very interesting. Will post Seth's column. Would appreciate some feedback from those that have or will read the article.


www.macon.com/2012/10/24/2225286/shawn-w...f.html#storylink=rss

Excellent points, Buc. True to your always sharp form.

Ray Drew. Ray "WHO"?

This is his sophomore year. He should be an ANIMAL by now. My take is that some guys who are monsters in HS are only that way because they are lining up against guys with my size and/or speed. When they get to college NOBODY is my size and/or speed. Now you are up against guys with YOUR size/speed. You get stronger and learn and adjust, or sit. He's certainly sitting at this point.

We lack MEAN-ness on our whole team. With our size and strength, we should be able to BULLY defense on the O-line. We can't. With our size and speed on D, there is not an offense, seriously, that should be able to string together enough first downs to score even from inside our 50. They ALL can.

We sure are squeeze-ably soft. Just like Charmin. Florida looks like they are headed to the men's room, and they are taking our team with them.

Buc, hope William's rant does some good but when he looked across the room for a comment from MM, it only shows me more evidence there is a dissention problem inside this team. We may be starting to see what has been going on this year that has been resulting in un-motivated efforts on the field.


One other point about the matchup Sat.......uh,...Pease has already coached against a CTG defense......not good!

Hiring of Pease. Muschamp did something that might have rubbed off on him from his days in Texas under Brown.

Brown knew that he had to have a strong, emotional, competent defensive coordinator to keep Texas in the top 5 or 10 in the country, year after year. That happened and it was a good move on Brown's part to promise the moon to Muschamp, keeping the vital coaching link on his squad. We can describe that move by Brown several different ways, the long and short of Brown doing that worked for quite a spell in Brown's favor. Since Muschamp's departure, Brown and his gang of "very talented athletes" are falling from favor with the Longhorn faithful. Appears that Brown and Richt have the same problem . . . . lots of talent on the recruiting trail, not much to be said for getting the young men to buy in once on campus. Appears that way to me, my thoughts.

Takes us back to Muschamp and his hiring practices in Gainesville. Made a mistake with his first choice at Offensive Coordinator. That did not work and was doomed from the beginning. Not letting any grass grow under his feet, Muschamp basically sent Charlie Weis packing to Kansas and brought in Brent Pease. Anyone notice the difference in the gators this year versus the coaching under Charlie Weis. Went basically from zero to number 2 in the national polls. Whether the rating is right or wrong, the change of coaches made a significant difference in the way football is being played in Gainesville. Coaching, very important aspect to winning football games, some figure this out sooner than others.

So, our head coach in his press conference made the statement that if he hired a Special Teams coach, he would have to release someone on his current staff. Yes? Rather than do that he said he would put more effort into the Special Teams, spending time learning from what, film . . . . My question to that statement would be . . . . ok, if that is the way you are going to handle the Special Teams, why does that have to be done after the 2012 season is over. Richt said in the presser that he had time to do that next season . . . . so what is he doing with that open amount of time now, letting the Special Teams, whether kicking, punting or coverage wait until 2013 . . . . also, what does Richt do with the person that he would have to release, move them to another area. I'm sorry folks on this board, Richt makes no damn sense, especially from someone that was given a free run from the beginning and appears to be able to continue to run a program that is losing ground in the SEC.

To me this all comes back to leadership. All of us know that it took a lot of teeth grinding to get Martinez out of Athens. Just how much time is it going to take to get as Mike Honcho said, an offensive coordinator representing himself as head coach to go the same route as Willie Martinez.

Appears to me that McGarity bought into the same talk that many of us did by tearing up the old contract and getting a new deal signed. Could it be that McGarity is on the same level as Richt, not looking for more than has been accomplished to keep the Dawg Faithful in line . . . .

Brent Pease, offensive coordinator for Florida scares me. He will have some "wrinkles" that have not been shown before, after all this is Georgia vs Florida. Wonder what our offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and head coach have in the bag for Florida. Soon we will see.