University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt walked out of Neyland Stadium Saturday night with win 100 under his belt, and, hopefully, a new momentum going forward for the 2011 season.
Coach Mark Richt has been under fire, barely hanging on to the hot seat, for at least the last two seasons, as the Georgia Bulldogs have faltered, seeming to fumble and foul their way across the football field. Starting off 2011, the questions were quickly rising again, and Mark Richt did not seem to be responding. With all of his accomplishments, it seemed he had lost his fire for coaching the Georgia Bulldogs.
Has that changed?
Just watching Coach Richt this week, he seems to have found something that he had lost, at least for the last three seasons. He has a fire, a will, that he seems to be willing to put on display for the good of the team. He is taking chances and taking names. He is being proactive, not reactive. And, on the reactive front, he IS reacting, not just standing as the team goes downhill, perhaps giving a little shake of the head in response, and continuing to watch the team roll downhill without him. This writer has wanted him gone, but, as I’ve always said, right up until Ole Miss, prove me wrong, Coach, and I’ll be the happiest Bulldog on the planet. Bring back that coach with the winning ways, the one who fought not just FOR his Dawgs but WITH his Dawgs, and I will cheer right along with everyone else, and help you off the hot seat.
The Coach Richt of immediate seasons past had to go, however it was going to happen; if we can get him gone by bringing back the winning Coach Richt, all the better. Let’s hope that that is the way this current season is heading; a 20-12 win over Tennessee in Neyland Stadium was a great way to really send that quest into overdrive.
"This is a tough place to play and an even tougher place to win at," Coach Richt said following the win on www.georgiadogs.com. "Our defense came out in the second half and did what they could to give us great field position and then the offense came out and did what they had to do. Tennessee came to play and this was a great, tough football game."
Other than a crazy string of penalties by the offense during the fourth quarter, which left the Dawgs at an unbelievable 2-and-56, the team did look strong overall. And, as the coach said, Tennessee did come to play—the game was hard-fought by both teams. UGA quarterback Aaron Murray led Georgia with 227 yards on 15-for 25. Freshman wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was a favored target for Murray on the night, and he racked up 126 yards. Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell led the Dawgs on the ground with 58 yards and two touchdowns. With Cornelius Washington suspended after an arrest on a DUI charge, Mike Gilliard stepped up and led the defense, recording 12 tackles and one sack.
Next Saturday, Oct. 15, Georgia will get another look at a Tennessee team, when they travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports South.
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