March 7, 2014 · 8:15 AM

Mark Richt’s expertise on losing control pays off.

He’s become college sports’ go-to guy on injury wipeouts (h/t Bernie).

Gosh, and here I’ve been thinking that losing all those players had nothing to do with going 8-5 last season.

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42 responses to “Mark Richt’s expertise on losing control pays off.”

  1. McTyre
    March 7, 2014 at 8:43 AM

    The plague of injuries to offensive players indeed were a key factor in some of our losses. However, the string of catastrophic gaffes by poorly coached D and ST were a greater factor vs Mizzou, Vandy, Auburn and arguably Clemson. Remains borderline criminal what was heaped on Murray’s (and Bobo’s) shoulders for most of his career at UGA: be excellent lest the frequently worse-than-mediocre D and ST.

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    • Mayor of Dawgtown
      March 7, 2014 at 9:06 AM

      I don’t disagree but, to be fair about it, the Auburn loss was caused by 1 idiotic play by 1 idiot.

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      • Anon
        March 7, 2014 at 9:16 AM

        I didn’t realize that we lost 7-0 in that game…

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        • Mayor of Dawgtown
          March 7, 2014 at 12:07 PM

          Anon–Georgia had the lead with slightly more than 30 seconds to go. The ball was deep in Auburn territory. It was 4th and 18. The Auburn QB heaved an off-target desperation pass downfield that was going to be incomplete until JHC, going for a meaningless stat-padding interception (LOOK AT MEEE!!!) tipped the ball to the Auburn receiver for the winning TD. Really? And you won’t admit THAT lost the game? Every football fan in America knows THAT lost the game.

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      • AthensHomerDawg
        March 7, 2014 at 9:20 AM

        I watched the same thing happen during the NFL playoffs. The first thing the announcer said was “that looked just like the Georgia-Auburn play”. Then they proceeded to chuckle about it. Barners stole that last game. Richt is 6-2 over the Barners over the last 8 years. 7-5 overall.

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    • uglydawg
      March 7, 2014 at 11:21 AM

      While you have a good basic premise, you greatly overstate the case. I’ll buy “factor”, but “greater” should be deleted…In my opinion, of course.

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  2. Rp
    March 7, 2014 at 8:44 AM

    Not at all. Our plan for the Mizzou game was always to have Green be the leading rusher and Wooten be the leading receiver. Who needs those Gurley and Mitchell guys. Makes no difference.

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  3. McTyre
    March 7, 2014 at 8:45 AM

    [correction] . . . D and ST cause a loss.

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  4. Dawgfan Will
    March 7, 2014 at 8:50 AM

    Senator be trollin’ this morning. And I like it.

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  5. MGW
    March 7, 2014 at 8:56 AM

    The offense was looking at being in a different stratosphere than all but a few other teams before the injuries. The D didn’t step up when it needed to, but the D would have been all but a formality if the O was able to live up to its potential.

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    • AthensHomerDawg
      March 7, 2014 at 9:26 AM

      Preseason I think it was pretty well understood that the O was going to have to carry the D until they grew up. After the injury bug bit the O was to busy growing its own kids up to carry that D. D was kinda beat up in the secondary too. Lot of different players started in the D backfield. It’s football and that ball bounces funny.

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  6. Go Dawgs!
    March 7, 2014 at 9:10 AM

    Of course, Tom Izzo wasn’t really sure what to do with the advice he got: “Just run the ball more.”

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  7. Dante
    March 7, 2014 at 9:13 AM

    In other news, I hear Will Mushcamp has called Dave Wannstedt for advice on transitioning from an awesome defensive coordinator to a horrible head coach.

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  8. Jeff Sanchez
    March 7, 2014 at 9:24 AM

    The “No excuses!!1!1” crowd isn’t going to like this one bit…

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  9. Irishdawg
    March 7, 2014 at 9:25 AM

    No, Senator, the 8-5 record was the fault entirely of our terrible coaching staff and the injuries to almost every skill position player had nothing to do with it, and you’re a Richt apologist if you say otherwise. Nick Saban would have flown in witch doctors from New Guinea to heal his players because he just wants to win more than Richt.

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  10. Hank
    March 7, 2014 at 9:43 AM

    I didn’t know he overcame the mounting injuries. Did anyone consider 8-5 a good year?

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    • Senator Blutarsky
      March 7, 2014 at 9:45 AM

      Georgia beat two top ten teams and Florida for the third time in a row. It wasn’t a great year, but, yeah, that qualifies as good for me.

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      • McTyre
        March 7, 2014 at 12:39 PM

        2-2=2?

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      • Hank
        March 7, 2014 at 3:23 PM

        Don’t get me wrong. We had some GREAT moments and the should-a, would-a, could-as were heart breakers. Beating Florida has always been and will always be special. OK, maybe good, but in a few years it will look like 8-5. that is now a whole lot above .500. Maybe just too disappointing.

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        • Mayor of Dawgtown
          March 7, 2014 at 5:04 PM

          Truthfully, if JHC doesn’t tip the ball to the Auburn receiver and lose that game for us and Lynch holds onto the winning pass at the end of the bowl, that’s a 10 win season including a bowl win for 2013. That would have been an outstanding season given the injuries. Alas…….

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    • eethomaswfnc
      March 7, 2014 at 10:18 AM

      If that pass on the Plains harmlessly hits the J-HS turf, do you think 3 wins vs. top 10 teams, 1 loss on the road against a top 10 opponent by 3 points, and a likely bowl win against either Duke or Iowa for a 10-win season would have been a success?

      All of that with an offense that lost its starting QB in his last home game, 3 of our best playmakers to season-ending knee injuries before the calendar hit October, and our best player period for almost 4 games and a defense that lost 8 guys who ended up in NFL camps at some point this year – I wasn’t happy at 8-5, but CMR did a heck of a job to keep the team together this year.

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      • uglydawg
        March 7, 2014 at 11:27 AM

        It was a good year to me. The losses were heart breakers because we know Georgia was the better team. The win over FL and the comeback over a stadium filled with nerds thinking they had the Dogs on the ropes are wonderful.

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      • Hank
        March 7, 2014 at 3:27 PM

        Yes, I agree with everything you said.

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        • eethomaswfnc
          March 7, 2014 at 5:16 PM

          I guess my point is that the outcome wasn’t what we all hoped for, but CMR did a great job of keeping the team together after all of the injuries that decimated the 2013 team.

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  11. 202dawg
    March 7, 2014 at 9:51 AM

    “…expectations became a bit more tempered once all of the personnel issues began…” He obviously hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting some of our fans.

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  12. Hogbody Spradlin
    March 7, 2014 at 10:10 AM

    Richt to Izzo: My advice to you is to drink heavily.

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  13. Spike
    March 7, 2014 at 10:21 AM

    Want a brew? Don’t cost nuthin’…

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    • Mayor of Dawgtown
      March 7, 2014 at 12:13 PM

      What a shame that a few bad apples have to spoil a good time for everyone by breaking the rules.

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  14. Dog in Fla
    March 7, 2014 at 10:39 AM

    Richt to Izzo: Watch the Barry Gibb Talk Show and listen carefully to “Staying Alive”

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18q0ah_saturday-night-live-barry-gibb-talk-show_fun

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  15. Cosmic Dawg
    March 7, 2014 at 1:42 PM

    Who can CMR call to get advice on potentially preventing a couple of those injuries next year? I’m not ruling out that it’s coincidence and bad luck, but after injuries ruined his football team last year, he’s surely checking their preventive measures, right?

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  16. Gr
    March 7, 2014 at 6:38 PM

    He does know the team went 8-5 and finished unranked, right? Why call Mark Richt? Richt doesn’t overcome anything.

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