August 28, 2016 · 11:16 AM

Factoid of the day

It comes from, of all people, Mark Bradley.

Know how many previous first-year Georgia coaches won nine games? None.

Kind of changes your perspective, eh?

41 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

41 responses to “Factoid of the day”

  1. Juan
    August 28, 2016 at 11:27 AM

    Not really. How many of those coaches took over a program following back to back 10 win seasons?

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    • Greg
      August 28, 2016 at 12:38 PM

      On the surface, that looks good. Not so good when you consider that last year’s 10 win season didn’t even earn us a spot in the top 25 at year end…for good reason. The best team we beat might have been Ga Southern, we were outscored 65-13 by Alabama and Florida and we were outscored 35-7 over the last 35 minutes of the Tennessee game, blowing a 3 TD lead. Combining those details with the injuries to Chubb and Michel, the loss of our two best pass rushers in Floyd and Jenkins, the loss of our best receiver in Malcolm Mitchell and our deficiencies at the QB position (until Eason develops), the only reason we have a shot at 9 or 10 wins this year is the relative weakness of the schedule (again). The difference I hope to see with Kirby might not always translate to a W in the first season, but I expect us to come out to play and be competitive in every game. That means putting away all of the weaker opponents prior to the 4th quarter and at least being in the game against the better teams on the schedule. Even against our relatively weak schedule last year, 5 our last 6 wins were by a TD or less. We were very fortunate to rattle off all of those close wins to close the season – the SC game was the only one all year where I felt good about where we were headed as a program when the game was over…and it turned out that they just sucked.

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      • heyberto
        August 28, 2016 at 5:24 PM

        Will we get to 9 wins this season? I don’t know. Is it possible? Hell yeah. Out of all of the coaching changes since Dooley stepped down, Not many have walked into this level of talent overall (Richt may be the exception), not many have had as favorable a schedule, and how many have put together a staff built to take advantage of talent on hand, as opposed to trying to institute a new system. On the latter point, everything I hear points to making what we have work, not trying to prepare for the future. That may be the most welcome change, in my book and makes 9 wins seem achievable from what we know today. I’m not trying to play the optimism card outright, but it certainly looks like a possibility.

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  2. Bright Idea
    August 28, 2016 at 11:35 AM

    Different circumstances now. All we really know is this team should win more than it loses. That could be 7 or 15. Closer to 7 more likely. Lots of question marks in too many spots.

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  3. AthensHomerDawg
    August 28, 2016 at 11:46 AM

    9-3

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  4. JCDAWG83
    August 28, 2016 at 11:50 AM

    How many have ever had a minimum of 13 games to do it in?

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    • Senator Blutarsky
      August 28, 2016 at 11:56 AM

      If you read Bradley’s piece (I know, I know), he’s got Georgia at the nine-win mark before the Tech game.

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    • Union Jack
      August 28, 2016 at 4:01 PM

      Kirby is the FIRST UGA HC to have 12 regular season games. So shouldn’t we be looking at winning % as opposed to just the number of wins – that would be a much better gauge of success?

      Win 9 and he has a .750 first year winning %. Here is the first year reg season % of our last 10 HC –
      CMR – .727
      Donnan – .454
      Goff – .545
      Dooley – .636
      Griffith – .300
      Butts – .454
      Hunt – .550
      Mehre – .444
      Woodruff – .555
      Stegeman – .888

      Stegeman’s first year was 1920.

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  5. Walt
    August 28, 2016 at 11:51 AM

    Know how many Bulldog fans give a crap about Mark Bradley? None.

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  6. down island way
    August 28, 2016 at 12:34 PM

    This first year coach has been around the block and down to the next corner….with all due respect and love for the previous first year coaches, CKS will hurdle UGA to the national conversation year in and year out. CKS didn’t come back to God’s country to win 9- 10 games yearly….lookout, cause we’re coming to your town and we’re leaving with a dubya! Sanford stadium between the hedges on Saturdays returns with soul! Factoid be damned….GO DAWGS!

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  7. Macallanlover
    August 28, 2016 at 12:51 PM

    No other incoming coach followed 40 wins in the prior 4 years with Top 12, or better, recruiting classes, and a favorable looking schedule. Doesn’t make it a slam dunk to win nine but it is as likely as winning eight. I am now leaning more towards nine wins (as is the betting public) based on favorable comments I have heard from those who see more than I. I would say 10 is a stretch, just a 7 wins would be a big disappointment.

    We won’t know anything with a degree of certainty until the veil is lifted next Saturday and we actually see the product. I get the need for some privacy in several areas but I do think the lack of any general info about the team’s practice yesterday is bad form. I guess there will be some coach speak later today but fans deserve a little peek under the kimono one week away from the opening kickoff; we are not building another world altering bomb in Athens. Come on man!

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    • Cojones
      August 28, 2016 at 1:34 PM

      I heard from a lot of people who said that Eason was faking into the line and then carrying the ball himself while running outside. Seems they have been secretly building up his legs and speed, but that didn’t account for his natural stiffarm to Davis and Sanders for 7 more yards. Douglas and Crowder were opening holes for him and for Chubb. He was hitting the TEs with frozen-rope passes 25yds downfield and arching it to the WRs with precision 40yds out. He was 28 for 26 passing while Lambert could only muster 10 for 11. The report also said that Ramsey applauded from the sidelines and couldn’t wait to get into the practice to punt. Further, Sony ran hard into the line while holding his left arm skyward to prevent contact ….

      Just trying to rev up your Sunday morning with made-up news to make up for the secrecy. If you believed after the first sentence that this report was true, you are possibly going to vote for Trump because you may keep reading his bullshit statements and finding a reason to believe him.

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    • RobG
      August 28, 2016 at 1:35 PM

      Why do the fans deserve “a little peek under the kimono”? just wondering not trying to start any sort of argument. I’m just in the camp of I’ll form my own opinion of the team when I watch them play.

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      • Macallanlover
        August 28, 2016 at 2:10 PM

        Fair question, and remember I qualified that I don’t expect a lot of specifics. My answer is because, collectively, we are the fans; the ones who allow the building of the IPF, the money that drives the millions in salaries every year, and who plan to spend hundreds, or thousands, of dollars next weekend traveling to see “out team”. It shouldn’t be totally in the blind, if Elvis came back and were playing in Vegas next week, I would like know he doesn’t have laryngitis or plan to do a Johnny Mathis tribute show. Just give us a few morsels that don’t tilt the contest toward Cheetzik and Fedora.

        For example, I don’t expect to know what the planned QB rotation will be, or whether we will mostly be in a five WR set, or three tight end set most of the game, or if Sony fumbles three times while carrying the ball in his injured arm, or if Ramsey threw four picks, or the defensive line was gouged all afternoon by Douglas or Holyfield. I also don’t need to know that we had 320 yards rushing or 425 yards passing.

        Some specifics are OK, but not harmful, and some topline observations can be enough. Examples would be the offense moved the ball well but struggled some in the RZ, or our 2 deep remains pretty much in tact but we had a couple of players were a little banged up and we will have to evaluate their readiness between now and Wednesday before we know, or I was very pleased with our energy and effort but we have to cut down on mistakes and we are handling with those who did not have the proper focus we require, or our OL is coming together and seem to be peaking just as we needed, or our DBs got beat a few times but some of that was good coverage that got beat by a perfect pass or an incredible catch, etc.

        Again, I understand we are not going to get total scrimmage stats any longer, and that we have enough players in doubt with their recovery status that revealing that could give UNC time to make some adjustments. But I guess I feel I don’t want the whole Saban/Belichek imitation from Kirby, there is a lot of room between holding open practices and telling all and that super secret level. Tell us what you can, keep the harmful to yourselves, but while we don’t suit up for games, we contribute in other ways that make UGA football what it is. Six days to go, I don’t like being a treated as a total mushroom. Just a few rays of light….please.

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        • RobG
          August 28, 2016 at 8:07 PM

          You do make some very good points and since I am not one of the fans that does much contributing, I don’t feel like a part of the program as someone such as yourself and others that are alumni and actually spend a lot of coin on attending games…. I see where you’re coming from, thanks.

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  8. dawgxian
    August 28, 2016 at 1:35 PM

    It’s not an apples to apples comparison. Donnan inherited a horrible situation in 06. Not sure about Goff from Dooley. But, Dooley’s predecessor- Griffith “resigned” with a losing record. Butts had one bright moment in the 50’s before he turned it over to Griffith. Point is, rarely has a new UGA coach had good teams to build upon in year one. The only exception I can think of is 2001 when Richt found creative ways to lose to Auburn and SC. Anyone else remember 2001 when people were pointing out Donnan never lost a bowl game or 2002 when they said Richt was “winning with Donnan’s players”. All of you Richt apologists should keep that in mind

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  9. ugadawgguy
    August 28, 2016 at 1:41 PM

    I’ve pointed this out repeatedly, here and elsewhere. And there is a fairly large sample size to pull from, so this statistic is far from meaningless.

    7 or 8 wins would be far more likely in Kirby’s rookie season than 9+.

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    • lakedawg
      August 28, 2016 at 3:14 PM

      There are not 5 teams on the schedule we could possibly lose to even with Mark Badgley or Greg McGoofy coaching.

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      • TXBaller
        August 28, 2016 at 5:08 PM

        Sounds like pre 2007 when Bama fans said similar post Saban hire. He finished 7-6 in 2007….lost in Tuscaloosa to La-Monroe and put his boys up at a roadside inn in Shreveport as Bama fans made their second consecutive trip to the Weedeater Bowl.

        Bama fan was teetering on bailing and/or suicide.

        Kirby has a mindset to change. This group of players DOES NOT think it can win the big games nor compete on a national level (loom in the top 5).

        It will take time – and a signature win – to overcome the psychological hurdle – and then know that we have arrived.

        Unlikely this year.

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        • Derek
          August 28, 2016 at 5:33 PM

          2007 Alabama had no Nick Chubb. 2006 Alabama had not won 10 games. They were 6-7. 2007 Alabama never lost by more than 7 points. Alabama was a much bigger reclamation project. The biggest thing we’ve lacked is a QB and CKS got one dropped in his lap.

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        • stoopnagle
          August 28, 2016 at 9:19 PM

          Who did it better? Mike Shula or Mark Richt?

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      • Jared S.
        August 29, 2016 at 8:14 AM

        UNC
        Ole Miss
        Tennessee
        Florida

        There are four teams we could easily lose to. Throw in another team that surprises (Auburn, anyone?) and there you have your five.

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  10. ericdawg
    August 28, 2016 at 2:38 PM

    Bradley does not like the Dawgs to be great again.

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  11. 69Dawg
    August 28, 2016 at 3:06 PM

    Heck when you get down to it I’m just looking for a coach that still has a horse shoe up his butt. Dooley had it most of the time. Goff never had one. Donnan had only a pony’s shoe that work on rare occasions. Mark lost his after the 2005 season. Guys and Gals I’d rather be lucky than good any day of the week and especially on Saturday.

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    • Derek
      August 28, 2016 at 5:46 PM

      I’d accept no longer being painfully unlucky. Add up the chances that we’d:

      lose to Auburn on a 4th and 18
      lose on a tip to a player in bounds vs. bama
      score 0 points after being first and goal at the 2 vs. USC
      lose our best player to a scum bag sports memorabilia dealer
      lose our top wr for the year celebrating the first td of the season
      get a celebration penalty for looking in the direction of the crowd vs. LSU after what should have been the GW TD.

      I think you’d sooner be attacked by a great white in the lobby of the Georgia Lottery offices in downtown Atlanta while cashing your second 9 digit winning ticket in succession than have any 4 of those happen within a five year span.

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  12. aladawg
    August 28, 2016 at 10:20 PM

    Just win baby. Anything less than 10 is a step down no matter what the excuse……………

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  13. McTyre
    August 28, 2016 at 10:27 PM

    Not really. Most of his predecessors never had 12-game schedules much less 14-game ones. Also, metroAtlanta and Georgia weren’t perennial Top 5 recruiting ground until the 2000s. I hear you about fans needing to give Kirby time to build a championship team but there’s little in the Dawgs’ history of new HC hires to compare with this situation: inheriting a 10-win team and several top notch coaches, having come directly from an elite SEC program, adding experienced coaches with recent SEC tenure, coming into a time where UF, UT, Auburn and Tech are well below the height of their respective powers, etc.

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  14. Michael
    August 29, 2016 at 8:55 AM

    That’s a dumb stat because most new Georgia coaches got their debuts in an era in which teams played ten or eleven regular season games. Tack an extra tomato can onto Richt’s 2001 schedule and he gets to 9-4, right?

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