Richt vs. Bobo in context

Michael Elkon makes a very good point about Patrick Garbin’s statistical comparison of Georgia’s offense under its two coordinators of the Richt era:

Kudos to Patrick Garbin for taking a numbers-based approach to comparing Mark Richt and Mike Bobo as offensive coordinators in Athens (HT: Blutarsky), but there is a fairly big hole in his reasoning.  The period in which Richt was an offensive coordinator (2001-2006) was a defensive era in the SEC, whereas Bobo’s period has taken place during an offensive explosion.  Thus, we should not be simply comparing raw numbers.

My only quibble with that would be in citing 2011 – the season in which only two SEC teams finished in the top twenty in scoring offense and five finished in the top ten in total defense – as a time of “offensive explosion”.  But that’s minor.  It’s his conclusion that’s spot on:

The dominant impression that I took from the numbers (and this will surprise absolutely no one, given that I like the college-specific offenses [the spread-to-run and the Airraid] over the pro-style attack) is that Georgia’s offensive numbers in the Richt era are underwhelming.

Having a high-scoring offense has never been a key for Richt.  That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to win; it’s just that’s not the way he feels he can best go about his business.  Which, again, is why I don’t think replacing Bobo would make much of a difference.

92 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!

92 responses to “Richt vs. Bobo in context

  1. Bevo

    Good post. Can’t disagree with your reasoning.

    The more interesting questions to me: (1) Why does our offense disappear for long stretches and turn the ball over so much against good teams? It’s often an execution problem (see South Carolina). Some people insist you can’t blame coaches for that but I believe coaches do in fact have a very important role in preparing the players to execute. Isn’t that what practice is for? (2) Why can’t special teams can’t at least be a wash, if not a strength? Anything other than a huge liability would be nice.

    I think Bobo is a scapegoat because fans think they understand playcalling. It looks easy enough on TV and it works on the XBOX, sooo…. Tough thing about playcalling as a job — like policymaking for instance — is everyone thinks they can do it. Unlike examining a history of injuries and inadequate recruiting on the offensive line or more subtle techniques within the game, it’s much easier to look at a failed play and declare it was stupid and provide a genius yet untested alternative.

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    • Ginny

      “I think Bobo is a scapegoat because fans think they understand playcalling.”

      Bingo.

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      • UGLYDAWG

        People see a play that doesn’t work and think it was just the wrong play to call. They think “I wouldn’t have called that play…I would have called this play”, with the assumption that their play would have worked. There are so many things that can go wrong that will blow up a play, just as something on defense must go wrong for a play to succeed. A play might be called just to set-up the defense on another down….If I have any criticism towards the offensive gurus at any level and esp. at UGA, it’s this..field goals are not a given. They are especially not a given in a close and important game where nerves come into play. They are only worth three points, even in the first quarter. It is probably better to risk a fourth and one for the sake of scoring seven, than to attempt an iffy forty five yarder for the hope of scoring three. It drives me nuts. Early in the game, I’d rather leave the other guy with a long field to drive than to settle for an easy three….especially in a game that promises to be a shoot out.
        The best play calling we ever see is when a place kicker is out of service. Everyone seems to play harder when you know you don’t have that option.

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    • DawgFaithfull

      I agree %100. If you dont understand football then leave the playcalling to the experts. I got into an argument with one of the people you speak of yesterday on this post. Trying to reason with these people is like playing cards with my brother’s kids. The example he gave of Bobo’s bad game management came from the South Carolina game where we had 2 missed FG’s and and still managed to put up 42 points. Personally, I thought that was one of Bobo’s best called games of the year. What stuck out to this guy was one isolated draw play on 3rd and long in the 2nd quarter of the game. Obviously whatever philosophy Bobo was using in that game worked pretty well, yet Edawg questions 1 play. Go figure

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      • Edawg

        A draw play on 3rd and 15 from your own 45 when you’re losing and you have Drew Butler at punter…is stupid.

        You’re a clown and a total homer. Believe whatever you want about the Richt/Bobo offense. I’m done with you.

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        • DawgFaithfull

          You said you were done with me last night around 8:30. Am I supposed to believe you now? REad these posts! People are writing in and commenting about dumbasses like you. You fit the mold perfectly.

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        • DawgFaithfull

          Read reipar’s post. Dude, Thats you to a T. Youre still talking about 1 abstract play call from a game where we scored 42 pts. It was one of Bobo’s best called games of the year. Who cares if we ran a draw on 3rd and long in the second quarter? Coordinators do that ALL THE TIME. Its not just Bobo.

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        • DawgFaithfull

          Just for fun….. What would you call on 3rd and 15 from our own 45yd line in the 2nd quarter against SC? Im interested in hearing what a guru like yourself would have done in that situation. Keep in mind we were down 1 score in the 2nd quarter of a Home game against the 6th ranked pass defense in the country and our QB has already thrown 1 pick. Go.

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        • DawgFaithfull

          Please include some specifics like, what personel grouping you would go with?, what formation?, Who is the primary receiver and what route is he running?(Im assuming you want to pass here), what are Murray’s 2nd and 3rd options? Then please explain to me why. This should be good.

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          • oke from fenokee

            Your love affair with Bobo is comical. Have ANY other programs asked to talk with him about job opportunities? The guy’s been the offensive coordinator at one of the top 10-15 programs in the country for over 5 seasons and nobody wants to even talk to him. Does that tell you anything or do you just want to tell everyone how much you know about football?

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            • DawgFaithfull

              I just want people to stop blaming Bobo for every little thing. I want them to support their team and leave the x’s and o’s to people who know about football. I dont mean me either. I mean people who know way more about football. Maybe he’s not head coach material. Just because youre a good coordinator doesnt mean youre made for head coaching Charlie Weis. Bobo does make questionable calls but Im not in the huddle, I didnt make the gameplan and I dont really know enough about what Richt and Bobo are trying to do to comment too much. I just support my team and the coaching staff. Again, My problem is with the fans that “reipar” describes. The idiots that dont know shit but really and truly beleive they do. Its dilusion bordering on the Gtech fan level.

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            • DawgFaithfull

              He’s a hell of a recruiter anda great QB coach. He’s the reason we keep getting maximum performance from our QB recruits. In my opinion any top tier program would be lucky to have him.

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            • Ted Roof had two job opportunities in a week. By your standards, that makes him one of the top defensive coordinators in America.

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        • DawgFaithful

          What difference does it make who the punter is? In what way is that significant. Are you still thinking that every punt is kicked as hard as the punter can manage? Never heard of directional punting? So what your saying is we should only punt if we are far enough away from the endzone so that our punt wont cross the goal line and be ruled a touch back? What if we have 4th and 10 from their 40 yd line? Should we not punt for fear of a touch back? You try to kick it out of bounds inside the 10. The Giants punter did it 2-3 times against New England in the super bowl. You cant even pick up on basic stuff but youre an expert on play calling.

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          • Coach Harbin

            I think I can answer this…

            Let’s first assume that the 3rd and 15 draw gets 5 yards (I’m guessing here but I think that’s roughly what this play averages). So we’re comparing being at the 45 versus being at the 50. And let’s also say Butler averages 45 yards a punt (which is actually pretty close to being accurate). If he’s punting from the 45, the ball is coming down at the 10. If he’s punting from the 50, the ball is coming down at the 5.

            So I think the point he’s making (and I think I agree) is that those 5 yards aren’t worth the tradeoff of not taking a real shot at the first down, especially when you consider the probability of the ball going into the endzone when it lands at the 5 versus when it lands at the 10 (landing at the 10 is usually going to result in a fair catch).

            If you don’t have a good punter like Butler and your guy averages 38 yards a punt, the context of the situation changes. You’re looking at the ball landing at the 17 versus the 12. Getting the ball to the 50 makes more sense in that situation.

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            • DawgFaithful

              I understand his reasoning. Its a stupid point because you could pooch it or directional kick it out of bounds. If you dont agree with the 3rd down play call then fine but try and use valid evidence to make your point. Again there are many factors that go into 3rd and 11+ play calls. Worrying about where the 4th down punt will land is at the bottom of the list. Not throwing an interception at mid field in a close game is at or near the top. Are you people really this retarded?

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              • Coach Harbin

                You’re a moron. If your punter averages 45 yards a punt and you’re at the 50, a “pooch” gets you back out to the 10 at best, which is exactly where you would have been if you let him kick his normal kick from the 45. Don’t you get that?

                Nice backtrack on why you thought it was a great call by the way. You raved about how smart it was to pin them back and let your defense go to work. Now you’re saying that doesn’t matter and you’re worried about throwing an interception. You really are a joke.

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                • DawgFaithful

                  Wow, Ive offended another idiot who doesnt know shit about football. Yes I understand simple math. Do you understand that when chossing a play on 3rd down worrying about where the 4th down punt will land is at the bottom of the list of variables to take into consideration? Not throwing an interception at mid field in a close game is at or near the top.

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                • JYD

                  A draw on 3rd and long is almost giving up on the first down to take a safe few more yards and set up your 4th down punt. Sure you hold out hope that you convert but you know that the chances are very, very slim and you will most likely get 5-7 yards out of it.

                  If you’re not analyzing where you’re going to end up and how that benefits you, then you’re not doing your job as a coach.

                  You might want to look in the mirror before accusing others of not knowing shit about football. You come off looking really bad in this string of comments.

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                • adam

                  I always hate just giving up on 3rd down and long and not even trying to get the first down. It only makes sense to me to go that conservative if it’s in a really close game, you’re close to your own endzone, you’ve had a lot of problems with turnovers, and it’s like 12+. Instead… No pressure on the other team. Gives their defense momentum on a silver platter (the draw sometimes surprisingly works, but it’s very rare) and they can easily come up, make the stop, and take the ball. I wonder how many times it’s been stuffed for less than 3 yards vs. how many times it’s gotten 10 and/or the first down.

                  Also, following the “logic” described, we may as well be punting on third down. Why risk the fumble when the defense knows what’s coming and our TBs liked to fumble at crucial moments. So, why not just punt it on third down if it’s longer than about 8 or 10 yards?

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                • DawgFaithful

                  WTF are you talking about? Do you like Bobo or not? thats what the post is about

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            • DawgFaithful

              Go play a few downs of football and then get back to me

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              • adam

                I just want to point out to you that trying to discredit the person with whom you are arguing in no way diminishes their argument.

                It just looks like you either don’t know how to argue or don’t have a real point.

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              • The other Doug

                You posted repeatedly wanting someone to explain why the draw play in that situation didn’t make sense. Coach Harbin and a few others have explained this, but now you want to fall back on name calling.

                One of the legitimate negatives about Bobo is that he calls plays every once in a while that don’t make sense. The draw play above is one of those times.

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        • UGLYDAWG

          Edawg, that one play probably was stupid. But to say Bobo called a bad game because of one stupid play would be the same as saying he called a great game because of one brilliant play…It’s just not that cut and dried.
          Putting up over forty on USC should qualify as a pretty good job, shouldn’t it? That game was an anomoly, pure and simple. Spurrier even came close to acknowledging it.

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          • Cojones

            Running a draw play when the opposing D is looking for a pass is stupid? If it had worked (as many draw plays do in pass situations) then Bobo would have been perfect and brilliant? Arguing about Monday Morning QBing is the most ridiculous and stupifying conversation that any fan could have. No one is aware of all the factors in the arena except the coaching staff and everytime someone comes in on the “coaching better than professional SEC Coaches” meme, it truly diminishes their perceived intelligence. Second-guessing always does.

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  2. Jason

    I agree that there isn’t much difference between Bobo and Richt. But I refuse to subscribe to the mentality that we should just accept being ranked 4-6 in the conference on offense, as long as we’re playing great defense, b/c that’s who Richt is and he’s an offensive guy. And because I don’t subscribe to that loser mentality, I prefer to see Richt hire an outside OC and give him the keys to the offense. Richt can then be a CEO/figurehead HC.

    I’m not saying I would bet on Richt doing that. But this isn’t about predictions. This is about what would be best for the football program.

    But whatever. Go ahead and ignore what I wrote and criticize me for being crazy to think that Richt would turn over the offense.

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  3. Skeptic Dawg

    Senator, this only plays into my opinion about Garbin’s article yesterday. Garbin is attempting to point out that neither Bobo nor Richt as OC is the issue. Rather, the issue is Richt’s offensive philosophy.

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    • Rather, the issue is Richt’s offensive philosophy.

      This is the point the Senator has been making for months when the idiots get out in force to blame Bobo for every offensive play that isn’t run to perfection. I don’t want to say that he is handicapped by Richt’s philosophy, but my own guess is that he’s not given that long of a leash to stray from Richt’s philosophy and that’s the way it’s going to be as long as Richt is the head man in Athens. People that can’t accept that are just going to continue to be frustrated/disappointed as long as Richt is the head man.

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      • Skeptic Dawg

        I do not disagree with you. However, after reading Garbin’s post yesterday I thought he was attempting to fault Richt rather than Bobo. Not being familiar with Garbin and his site, I deferred to the Senator on this matter. The Senator said he felt that Garbin was not targeting any one single person.

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        • Oh, I definitely wasn’t aiming my comment at you. Like Rebar says below, it really annoys me that people think that running Bobo out of town is the solution to all the ails the offense. I got a newsflash for those folks – the new OC will be just like the old OC because they will be doing what Richt tells them to do, simple as that.

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      • Sanford222View

        +1

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  4. Rebar

    This is what has driven me nuts about the blame Bobo crowd; he is only doing what Richt wants him to do. Last year, Richt stated that he attended most of the offensive meetings and had input into the narrative. If Bobo were fired, the next OC would be told, “we like playing a conservative offensive game and smashmouth defense”. Replacing Bobo isn’t the answer, as he is following the head coach’s direction.

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  5. DC Dawg

    “I think Bobo is a scapegoat because fans think they understand playcalling. It looks easy enough on TV and it works on the XBOX, sooo…. Tough thing about playcalling as a job — like policymaking for instance — is everyone thinks they can do it.”

    I find this line of reasoning pretty unpersuasive. Do I think I would be a competent OC at the college level? Absolutely not. But it doesn’t take a Weis-like offensive genius to know that running between the tackles with Carlton Thomas isn’t a good idea — particularly when we’re trying it for the fourth time and the previous three have combined for -6 yards.

    And when people in the stands can predict the next play (We threw on first down, so we’re running on second down), any DC worth his title is going to know it’s coming, too.

    So it’s not so much that the average fan thinks they can do it. It’s that the average fan knows what doesn’t work, and doesn’t understand why someone on Bobo’s level would do what doesn’t work.

    You don’t have to have a degree in vocal performance to know that Britney Spears can’t sing, and you don’t have to be a professional comedian to know that Dane Cook isn’t funny.

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    • DawgFaithfull

      I strongly disagree. The average fan doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. Thats why coordinators get paid the big bucks… Because they know a hell of a lot more than the average fan. The average fans are the ones making Bobo the scapegoat. You dont think Alabama and LSU’s offenses aren’t predictable? Its either a run or a pass. You have a 50-50 shot at guessing right. At some point youre not trying to fool the defense anymore. Defensive coordinators study film and believe it or not they guess most plays correctly anyway. It comes down to execution.

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    • DawgFaithfull

      How you feel about Britney Spears singing and Dane Cook’s comedy routine is your opinion. I find that analogy pretty “unpersuasive” as well. What does that have to do with anything?

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  6. Again: One of the few things I comment on.
    Richt Is hands on with all things regarding the O. He is at QB meetings, O game plan meetings, & wears a headset during the games. He got the job because of his record as an OC.
    Richt evaluates players after a game & after a practice: I think he does the same thing with the coaches.
    If Bobo meets Richt’s approval as the OC, that is good enough for me. He is better qualified than I am to make that call.
    As for me: I watch the games, read the feed back, & rewatch the games
    .I almost always disagree with the Bobo Bashers after studying the game.
    I think that when Cox was QB & the defense was Terrible, Bobo was extenely good. 24 TD passes & 8 wins under adverse conditions.
    RE; D.: I think the Saban & Moore combo have the best SEC D but CTG is arguably at #2..
    Re:O. : I still think Spurrier is the best SEC OC, particularly during a game, & The ARK. HC / OC is my #2. Then the Richt/ Bobo Combo, much like the Saban / Moore D combo, gets my nod as the third best OC (HC/OC) in the SEC. I Blame Bobo.

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    • UGLYDAWG

      Bobo has made mistakes. So has every coach at every position, IF, they have been doing it for any length of time.
      The biggest mistake I’ve seen was holding Tershinki back against Florida, but I’m likely wrong in that judgement. Maybe letting JT wing it would have been a huge mistake…we’ll never know…just like we’ll never know how well we could do calling the plays. Coaches know things about the game and the situations of the game that we don’t.
      Bobo is doing fine and getting better. I don’t imagine he’ll ever be perfect.

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      • Cojones

        Two really good posts. DawgFaithfull has run amuck against the run-amuckers. Good for him in trying to throttle the idiotic comments about what individual fans would do and what they “see” is wrong AFTER THE FACT. Most of the antiBobo opinions are not of whole cloth and are poor judgement calls at best. They will never come to grips with the reality that they look bereft of good reasoning and antistaff for no good reason.

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  7. You could argue that Bobo has had better QBs (Stafford, Murray) during his stint. I’m not saying these guys are better than Greene or Shockley, but they are of a different mold.

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  8. charlottedawg

    Correct question should be: how does our offense stack up against other SEC offenses during Bobo’s tenure most importantly in scoring offense (i don’t care about yards) and turnovers. In a team wide analysis, If we’re not perrenially in the top 3 in the sec in all facets of the game:offense, defense, and special teams, changes need to be made somewhere. these changes can be up to and including changing the head coach. All arguments pro or anti bobo or any facet of the uga program should be made in that framework. Georgia is a program with elite resources we need to start having elite standards.

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  9. reipar

    I think my three favorite anti-Bobo arguments are (in no particular order of preference): 1) I can predict X number of plays before we run them. These people can predict either every play, almost every play, or they see a play pattern that then allows them to nail what Bobo is going to call; 2) He runs Carlton up the middle over and over again with negative results. The problem with this argument is the stats do not seem to support it, but that one time Carolton was stuffed for negative two sticks out to them and becomes every time; 3) He does not properly deploy personel. The example most recently cited to support this position was the lack of throws to Charles. Except no one knows how many times Orson was the number one option on a play and Murray did not go to him for one of many possible reasons, or how many times Orson drew over under coverage, which is why we had so many WR getting open going deep.

    I am lucky as I am blessed with a guy that sits in front of me who screams about every offensive play no matter the score. He seems to truly believe every play we run should go for a TD. Luckily he has passed this down to his son who despite being in school at UGA still comes over to sit with daddy for every game so they can rip on Bobo after every play that does not score. It makes the game experience that much more enjoyable for all of us that have sat around him for the last 12 or so years.

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    • DawgFaithfull

      That is sooo right on! Maybe it was DC Dawg that was sitting in front of you at the game yelling. Maybe it was Edawg from yesterday. Who knows? These clowns are everywhere

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      • dawgbones

        Take it easy pal. Based on what I’ve seen you write over the last 2 days, I don’t think I’d want to sit next to you either.

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        • DawgFaithfull

          It depends on if youre the guy reipar describes or if you have a clue. Im nice to the people who have a clue. Im even nice to the people who dont. Its the people who dont know shit but swear they do and they shout it out at games. Im pretty easy to get along with.

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        • OKDawg

          Well said, dawgbones.

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        • Cojones

          I’d consider it a welcome position to sit next to or near DawgFaithfull. I like everything he has posted today, but most of all his attitude about program detractors whether it be staff or players. DawgFaithfull gets great joy out of the game and is aware how tenuous strings of victories are. Expecting and posting for perfection doesn’t ring true to the reality and “iffyness” of every game. Not being able to resolve reasons for an “L” can lead to downright depression and how in hell can you enjoy what you have if you can’t look positively at this program and this team.

          Why don’t you coaching whiners take a break until next fall. Nah, you’ll probably criticize the Spring Game coaching before it’s over with.

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      • DC Dawg

        Yeah, I’m definitely a clown who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. Just for kicks, I pulled up the plays from the SECG. Thomas carried seven times for 28 yards with a long of 16. The run for 16 came in the first quarter. That means for the rest of the game, Thomas carried six times for 12 yards. His second half plays look like this:

        Carlton Thomas rush for no gain to the Geo 17.
        Carlton Thomas rush for 1 yard to the Geo 18.
        Carlton Thomas rush for 1 yard to the Geo 21.

        Granted, no one other than Malcome had a good day running the ball.

        But in the bowl game, Thomas carried twice for 0 (zero) yards. Against Tech he carried five times for six yards. Against Florida, he carred four times for two yards.

        He had three games in which he performed above his season average YPC, which were Auburn, Tennessee and Ole Miss. I don’t mean to turn this into a Thomas hate-fest, but it’s not really accurate to say that “the stats don’t support the idea that Thomas runs up the middle with negative results.” Could it be the O line? Of course. But it’s not playing to our strength to send Carlton Thomas up the middle, which was my main point to begin with. You don’t have to be an OC making six figures to know that, and yet we do it.

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        • You’re not saying that every one of Thomas’ runs in the SECCG was up the middle, are you?

          Although if I recall, the 16-yarder was between the tackles.

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          • DawgFaithful

            He’s another one of the “Carlton Thomas up the middle guys” that reipar was talking about. Its a classic case. He bases his entire opinion around 5-6 select plays. Its an epidemic

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          • DC Dawg

            I went back and checked, and he went strictly “up the middle” four times (26 yds, long of 16), off tackle twice for one yard, and around the end once for one yard. We can nitpick between “up the middle” and “off tackle,” but 6/7 runs were between the tackles, and three of them went for a yard or less.

            But he was thrown to in the flat three times (one catch for -3 yards) so at least Bobo was trying in that regard.

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    • Sanford222View

      +1000

      Spot on!

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    • UGLYDAWG

      If I do something wrong, even once, it becomes “always” and “everytime” to Mrs. Uglydawg (who, by the way, ain’t ugly at all )

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    • stoopnagle

      God, I hate that guy.

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  10. AthensHomerDawg

    Well “Hijo” you are surprisingly quiet. Still think we should punt Bobo?
    I guess not.

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    • Skeptic Dawg

      May I take this one?

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      • AthensHomerDawg

        Be my quest…. I am assuming you know who “Hijo” is? Hijo doesn’t take kindly to criticism!
        just sayin’

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        • Skeptic Dawg

          I am not critizing anyone. Just following the bouncing ball of logic set forth by Garbin and his article. If Bobo marches to the beat of Richt’s drum, and Richt has a poor offensive philosophy…Why would Richt not place someone with more knowledge than himself as OC? Why would McGarity not make sure Richt brings someone in with full offensive control? Punt Bobo? No. Punt Richt’s offensive philosophy?

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          • What your questions boil down to is this: are you prepared to lose Richt over Bobo? Because any head coach of Richt’s stature is heading out the door to greener pastures the second the AD elects to micromanage the football program like that.

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            • Skeptic Dawg

              I am simply attempting to follow the logic. If Richt’s offensive ideals are the issue (Garbin plus many on this site, not my idea) then correct that issue. While not likely to happen, it would be interesting to see Bobo’s philosophy vs Richt’s. Though it is likely that they closely mirror one another at this point.

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    • Cojones

      Sorry AHD- Helped a neighbor with an emergency yesterday and didn’t get back to the blog until this AM. I missed a good one, but DawgFaithfull said it all. I will look for his words from now on. All of my comments have been late.

      I’m surprised DIF doesn’t have a dog in this race. And where is Red Blackman?

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  11. I agree with those that assert that Richt’s philosophy is the driving force behind the conservatism. I am willing to bet that Bobo would try to run 100 plays and score 50 every time out if Richt wasn’t so adamant about controlling the game, managing the clock, and relying on his defense.

    Richt puts the brakes on when the lead gets to about 14-20, and he expects the defense & special teams to hold on long enough to win. Most of the time, they do. He recently suffered through a period of poor defensive play (or absentee offensive performances) where his philosophy didn’t work out so well. If he would let the guys dominate a conference foe from start to finish and win 48-10 like LSU or Alabama does, the “average fan” would likely faint. Instead, he’s content shortening the game, limiting the number of possessions each team has, and hoping his guys are more efficient in the limited possessions than the opposition.

    If we want to wring our hands and gnash our teeth over something, it’s not particular play calls or the effectiveness of the offensive coordinator in a vacuum, but 1) whether the overall philosophy is appropriate, and, if so, 2) whether the personnel in place (players & coaches alike) are adequate to carry out the philosophy. You could replace Bobo with Chip Kelly, and if Richt still gets to call the shots, you’ll get the same game management-style.

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    • UGLYDAWG

      It works, as you say, most of the time. But it’s hard to rev up an offense that is accustomed to idle speed. There are a lot of teams out there that can regret not having the points you left on the field.
      I’d rather see the pedal to the medal for the whole game, unless it’s a really weak opponent that deserves some mercy.

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      • Cojones

        Yeah, but didn’t Grantham take responsibility for the D losing a couple of games? In my book he is a good coach for that reason alone. Not bringing him into the equation and pounding senselessly about Bobo is why I get chapped at a lot of the drivel posted against staff. The miopic vision team/staff detractors put my glaucoma to shame.

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    • Krautdawg

      Cpa, I think the questions you ask are spot-on. For my part, I simply can´t locate where our game philosophy is. If we´re attempting to limit possessions, the no-huddle is counterproductive–and both Richt & Bobo said early this year that we´re trying to maximize our number of plays.

      But if we are, in fact, attempting to run up the score quickly and then turn things over to the D, where´s the process that´s necessary to implement that strategy? By “process” I mean committing, day-in, day-out, to running the ball effectively, perfecting reliable special teams, and building defensive depth. We´re in Richt´s 11th year now, and these things are only now getting talked up as priorities.

      Personally, I think Richt would like to be able to do both: run the quick strike for 2 quarters, then turn the game over to a churning running game (like vs. UT in 2010 or vs. Auburn this year). Still, given the way Richt used to call plays, it´s baffling that we´re having to “fix” our running game and special teams. But complaining ain´t gonna do a thing about it, is it?

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  12. HVL Dawg

    Let’s see how many dumb ass millionaires we can count:

    Mike Bobo is a dumb ass because he runs draw plays on 3rd and long.
    Mark Richt is a dumb ass because he is too loyal to his coaches and players.
    Les Miles is a dumb ass because he doesn’t manage the clock well and he stuck with a cold QB in the MNC.
    Steve Spurrier is a dumb ass because trashes his QBs and he couldn’t beat Auburn last year.
    Joker Phillips is a dumb ass for coaching at Kentucky.
    SOD is a dumb ass for ……there’s too much to choose from.
    Nick Saban is a dumb ass for selling out his players in a state where the fans want everyone sold out.
    James Franklin is a dumb ass because he whines in public
    George O’Leary is a dumb ass because he cheated on his resume.
    Jim Tressell is a dumb ass because he covered up cheating.

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  13. DawgPhan

    I must have missed the season where UGA’s offense sucked…what year is this?

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  14. mykiesee

    Well, then, who are we supposed to fire now?

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  15. Dog in Fla

    Houston Nutt is a dumb ass for being in the people helping business
    Charlie Weis is a dumb ass for putting ‘Have Cooler, Will Travel’ on Craig’s List
    Kevin Steele is a dumb ass because of Buffalo Bill
    Gus Malzahn is a dumb ass for not saying shut up enough
    Boom is a dumb ass for thinking he beat Nick Saban to hire a spread OC
    Chizik is a dumb ass for convincing a kid who likes to fish that Auburn is close to water
    Dan Mullins is a dumb ass because his heed has its own weather system
    Scott Loeffler is a dumb ass because the ‘football points’ he invented will come back to haunt him

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  16. shane#1

    Could Bobo be doing what Richt wants? Maybe Bobo is OC because he and Richt think alike. I am not one to pick apart every play because some plays are run to set up another play later in the game, say run Thomas in a third and long, then show the same formation with the same players, read the D, run play action and go deep. If the D is thinking,”Oh well, here they go again,” and you burn them deep, those runs up the middle might just start working.

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  17. CharlotteDawg

    for those interested here’s where Georgia’s ranked in points per game in the SEC (the stat i consider the most important in rating an offense) Year, pts/ game, sec rank: 2011: 32, #4; 2010: 31.9, #4; 2009: 28.9, #7; 2008: 31.5, #3; 2007: 32.6, #5. 30 points a game seems like pretty decent offense to me.

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  18. Love to read the comments even if I disagree totally with all of the Bobo Bashers. Meanwhile i am impressed with the entire Dawg Coaching Staff.
    Since they are & will continue to be what the Dawhs have. it appears that others need to get over it & learn to live with it. Still, i Blame Bobo..

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  19. W Cobb Dawg

    Neither Richt or Bobo would be coaching at UGA right now if it we depended on our offense to win games. The past 11 years prove both are mediocre OC’s. They should thank Brian Van Gorder and Todd Grantham – coordinators who get results.

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  20. AusDawg85

    Mike Bobo is not the best OC in CFB. There, I said it.

    He may or may not be the best fit for Mark Richt. For now, CMR believes so. But CMR has been wrong..and right…before.

    CT does not always run up the middle on 2nd and long after a failed first & bomb.

    I miss DawgVent with FIREMIKEBOBO!!1! His posts had clarity others lack.

    To win the SECCG, you need a dominating D (check!), favorable scheduling (check!), superstars on offense (check?…no, check!) and very inspired play-calling. There are plenty of examples that demonstrate CMB’s ability to call inspired plays (1st half vs. LSU) and lack of inspiration (2nd half vs LSU). Now hang on…no one is judging Bobo by the LSU game alone, nor the BSU, USCe or other losses in his past. But look at the teams that have won the SECCG and MNC games and you’ll see some inspired play-calling and wrinkles that put them over the top. We seem to lack this. If Bobo is simply doing Richt’s bidding, then CMR should be held to task for not bringing-in some fresh ideas. That doesn’t make Bobo a bad OC…it just questions if he’s the best one we can get.

    And that doesn’t make me a bad fan for asking.

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