I think the world of Mark Richt. He is a great man and example. I was encouraged by the play I saw yesterday out of his team. It stood in stark contrast to the Boise State game. You could tell that the team was better coached and motivated than a week ago. It is clearly an encouraging sign. If I were at the game, I would have been among those fans who applauded the team's effort as they left the field. Here's the trouble ...
The team that scores the most points, wins the game. There are no judges' decisions. Moral victories don't show up in the record books. I'm certainly more encouraged by yesterday, as opposed to when I was waiting two hours on the MARTA platform last week. But, our Dawgs made just enough critical, crippling mistakes to let Carolina win that game, despite looking like the better team.
I've seen a lot of commentary about how the team was better and it should have won, except for a couple of small things that decided the game. The trouble is, the small things are always the difference between winning and losing. A mishandled exchange, a drop, a missed kick, an interception, an untimely penalty. Those are the things that separate teams of approximately equal strength and talent. How many times have we played well enough to win a close game and lost because of a few, well-timed lapses? South Carolina '01, Florida '02, LSU '03 I, ... Colorado '10, Florida '10, South Carolina '11. The small stuff is important and a single mistake can get you beat, much less three big mistakes.
We'll get better, but will it matter? We've lost twice on national TV, once in embarrassing fashion to a team that many casual fans unjustifiably regard as inferior to their chosen team. Thus, at 0-2, we are nationally irrelevant. If we want anyone to notice us again, there are three things the Dawgs have to do. Start winning, keep winning, and beat the Gators. The first won't be hard. Coastal Carolina shouldn't be in the game at halftime. The second is conceivable, but there are some very losable games left before Jacksonville. And the Gators, well, you know how that's been going.
People won't be talking about Kirby or Dan Mullen if they are leaving Jacksonville at 6-2. They'll be scheming ways for us to back into the SEC Championship Game.
Victory cures all. Every game left is winnable, based on the Carolina game. Many of those games, however, are also losable, based on the Boise game. And moral victories still don't count. Go Dawgs.
Quinton
5 comments:
I think of two arguments when it comes to the Richt situation
1. Be careful what you wish for. Getting rid of a coach is easy; replacing him isn't. Refer to Tennessee and Michigan as the most recent examples.
2. Perception is reality. If enough people believe it could happen, then it will happen. This perception especially applies to recruits and assistant coaches. Why go to a school if the head coach will be replaced within the year?
Which is argument is stronger in Richt's case? Right now, I think it is still the first. But, if Georgia winds up having another season like the last three, I think the program will be beyond fixing, and there will be a need for a change.
I agree 100% on being careful but at the same time we have become "that" team. South Carolina. The fans here used to make no end of their "moral" vistories over our real ones.
It sure stinks to be on the other end of that.
I love CMR but there is a fatal flaw that he might never overcome. I can live with it, but I don't think a majority of our fans want to.
Patin, I had that same thought this morning. It sucks.
The problem with the team is simple. Noone makes plays to WIN games. Hard to say exactly what causes this but it must change for outcomes to change.
I'm not sure if it's coaching or players but we need some guys that literally will not let the team lose a close game if they have a chance.
Guys like Pollack, DJ, and Greene. I don't know if we don't have guys like this or the coaches aren't putting the current guys in situations to make plays or making the guys believe they can make plays.
I give very little money to my alma mater and what I do give does not go the athletic dept so I guess my voice means little.
I have lost confidence in Richt and crew.
Offense looks great. Defense made some plays, but still could not consistently stuff the run. Special teams:
1) Let a 280 lb guy ramble how far on a fake punt--blown assignment gave them a chance, but no way he should be able to run that far.
2) Tough call went against Rambo on the onside kick=which I think was a great call. Rambo was offsides by all of 1 foot (or whatever size shoe he wears).
3) Missed FG by one of the best kickers in the country. How did he miss that kick THAT badly? Snap looked good, hold looked good.
4)Upside was very good kickoff returns.
Ingram goes unblocked to bury Murray and cause a fumble--not sure how much of the fumble I put on Murray, but he saw him coming so it was not like a blindside hit. He needs to learn to tuck that ball away.
So just good is Boise State looking now? If that UGA team had showed up a week earlier, UGA probably wins that game. But Boise dominated.
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