Georgia Bulldogs Football: Why Boise State and Why Now?

In case you didn't know, the Georgia Bulldogs and Mark Richt will be placed on display for the whole world to see at the start of the 2011 college football season.

The announcement that the Bulldogs would face Boise State, in Atlanta, for the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game was both a surprise, and a statement, that the new athletic director, Greg McGarity, wants Georgia to get back to being a brand that the college football world recognizes a contender.

That said, the turmoil, and the question marks, surrounding Mark Richt, Georgia football, and the overall direction of the program just went from being a local/regional story to a national one.

Is that the kind of attention Mark Richt really wants?

Can this opportunity provide the spark that he and the team both need to get back on the right track this off-season? Will the fans who gave up on the coaching staff long ago come back and support them now—temporarily ditching their seats on the 'Fire Mark Richt' train?

These are the types of questions you have to ask because, while it's easy to applaud this move and say that it will benefit the program from both a financial and, hopefully, a recruiting standpoint, there are also more serious repercussions if the move backfires.

For one, this isn't the Boise State program of 2005. The one that Georgia dismantled and decimated at Sanford Stadium, 48-13. That was Dan Hawkins' team and he left shortly after said season for the "greener pastures" of the BCS friendly Big 12—opening the door for his offensive coordinator, Chris Petersen, to take the reigns. 

Chris Petersen has not only been every bit as successful as his predecessor, but he's moved the Broncos into the realm of major contenders.  His team has become a staple of the BCS Top 10 and, barring some unforeseen catastrophe, they are poised to make yet another appearance in a BCS bowl this year—their third in five years.

By contrast, Georgia hasn't seen a BCS bowl since 2007 and their overall win-loss record has dipped lower in each successive year since that time. 

That said, this time around, Boise is likely to be the favored team entering the contest.

In other words, this game would be a great opportunity for Georgia because Boise will enter 2011 as a Top 10 team, and if Georgia can beat them on a national stage, then it would be a tremendous start to their season.

That said, you also have to entertain the possibility of what it would mean if Georgia lost. That would certainly be a bad omen for Richt's future prospects—especially if the remainder of the season played out in much the same way the prior two have.

Of course, if the team lost but was able to find their footing and go on a run, a scenario pointed out by  one of my loyal readers, Bill B., then who knows. As Bill pointed out, both Virginia Tech (2010) and Oregon (2009) lost their season openers to Boise State, but still ended up finishing well.

That's a very good point, too. Oregon won their next seven games and moved into the Top 5 before a late season loss to Stanford spoiled their season. Still, a Pac-10 Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl wasn't a bad consolation prize. 

As for Virginia Tech, they stand to win the ACC and they too could end up in a top-tier bowl come seasons end—so, there is a bright side.

However, you still have to wonder if this game is meant to send a message. Is this McGarity's way of letting Richt know this is his last chance to shine?

It could very well be and, for the sake of Georgia's fans, let's hope that he's ready to shine brightly.


Related articles

• Georgia Bulldogs Go "All In," Agree to Meet Boise State Broncos in Georgia Dome to Open 2011 Season (dawgsports.com)
• Boise St. to face Georgia in 2011 opening game (sports.espn.go.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Football: The Mark Richt to Colorado Reports Are Complete Nonsense

Apparently, Georgia head coach, Mark Richt, along with current ESPN analyst (and former Oregon Duck head coach) Mike Belloti, are considered front-runners for the vacant head coach position at Colorado.

CBSSports' Dennis Dodd, as well as the "Insider" page at ESPN (which, to be honest, is just a glorified message board for anything that a troll can come up with) are both running with the possibility.

However, even the Colorado press is taking the story with a grain of sand.

According to John Henderson of The Denver Post, "Richt isn't believed to be in danger of losing his job, but a source said he may be tired of the SEC's pressure cooker and could seek a change in scenery. Richt lived in Broomfield for part of his youth."

Read more: Bellotti, Richt get early looks for CU coaching job - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_16600621#ixzz15Bkb3Dmr

The article goes on to say that Colorado isn't willing to go over $2 million per season, no matter who they hire—Richt makes $2.8 million in salary (not to mention the compensation he receives for his endeavors outside of coaching). 

Unless Richt loses his final two games this year—particularly the one to Georgia Tech (who is likely to be without star quarterback, Josh Nesbitt, when the two teams meet on Thanksgiving weekend)—there is little reason to believe that he will be fired at the end of the 2010 season. 

Even more, if Colorado has any designs on Richt, they certainly haven't let the University of Georgia's AD, Greg McGarity, know anything about it. McGarity said the interest was news to him and, as late as this posting, no one in his office has been contacted about the possibility of speaking to coach Richt about the position—go figure.

Mark Richt isn't going anywhere—yet. And, honestly, Colorado is likely looking to lock down a head coach much sooner than Richt would be able to commit (assuming he were even interested, which is doubtful). 

Related articles

• Bellotti, Richt get early looks for CU coaching job (denverpost.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Football: 10 Things You Need To Know About Colorado

The vitriol and debate over the safety of coach Mark Richt's job will continue, but it's time to move on to talking about the game that's up next on the schedule—Colorado.

As promised, this weekly snap shot into each of the Georgia Bulldogs' opponents will remain a staple of this blog until the season is over which, for some, it already seems to be.

Either way, the Lady has not yet decided to give up on a season that, with four games in the books, isn't even half done yet. There is still plenty to be proved and salvaged for coach Richt and his beleaguered staff and the journey towards redemption begins in Boulder.

The last time these two teams met, it was a barn-burner, that took some last minute heroics for Georgia to seal the win. Here's hoping that this week the outcome is the same, but the score a little less close. The Buffaloes will enter the game confident and rested, whereas Georgia will play it's fourth game in a row—could that become a factor?

A.J. Green will finally make his season debut in Boulder and his presence will, hopefully, provide the spark Georgia is looking for to get things moving in the right direction. In the meantime, here's a little bit about the team they will be facing this weekend.

1. They have a very good run defense.

Currently, the Buffaloes are allowing a paltry 2.91 yards per rushing attempt (h/t cfbstats.com). They were blown out by the California Golden Bears in week two, but still managed to hold the Bears talented running back, Shane Vereen (currently ranked No. 22 in the nation in total rushing yards) to a modest 3.69 yards per carry (he averages 5.61 ypg)—his lowest output, of the season, to date.

2.  Their offensive line is a work in progress, but it shouldn't be disregarded as ineffective.

After the 52-7 thrashing at California, Tyler Hansen made a promise to play better the rest of the way and his offensive line has been more than ready step up their game in response.

Against Cal, the offensive line was ineffective and, nearly, non-existant as Hansen was sacked six times in the loss. However, by the following week against Hawaii, they seemed more focused and better prepared to do what they needed to protect their young quarterback.

There is plenty of size, strength, and leadership in this unit and, given the issues Georgia has faced in getting to the quarterback this season, this could end up being a very important battle to watch come Saturday.

3. Tyler Hansen isn't going to be shy about running on third downs.

Hansen has already made it clear that where third-and-short (1-3 yards) is concerned, he is not going to be hesitant to run for the first down—if need be. He is willing to do "whatever it takes" to sustain the drive.

Last week, the mobility of Chris Relf presented a slight problem for the Bulldogs so they need to be leary of Hansen's ability to move the chains with his feet.

4. They are coming off a bye week. 

The last game the Buffaloes played was against the Hawaii Warriors—a 31-13 win. They have been prepping for this game for two weeks, working on "Georgia stuff" to prepare for the physical nature that SEC play brings to the table.

Coach Dan Hawkins, who has faced Georgia before (as the head coach of Boise State in 2005), is unsure if the bye week was a good idea or not, saying, "There's pros and cons. We finished on a good note (Saturday). Maybe you just like to keep playing."

It would serve Georgia well to take advantage of any rust that the lay-off may have caused. 

5. They've established a nice 1-2 punch with Rodney Stewart and Brian Lockridge. 

The running game really took off against Hawaii, and the Buffaloes now have two capable backs who are more than willing to run the ball. Rodney Stewart is always dangerous (when healthy) and Brian Lockridge is one of the fastest players on Colorado's roster.

6. Beware of B.J. Beatty. 

The senior linebacker has been a monster this season, already recording 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss through the Buffs first three games. He is one of the stronger pieces of a very talented front seven— Forrest West is another. 

At 6'1", 260 lbs,  West is slowly emerging at the defensive end position and may finally be coming into his own now that he's 100 percent recovered from MCL surgery. 

Both will be around the ball, a lot, and bear watching. 

7. There is talent in the secondary. 

As a unit, the secondary has not impressed much this season. They rank near the bottom—statistically—of most every passing category (passing defense, passing efficiency, interceptions, etc.), however that does not mean there aren't players who are capable of making plays if given the opportunity. Both Jimmy Smith and Jalil Brown are veteran leaders back there and they can defend the pass as well as any corners in the nation. 

8. Dan Hawkins is a man with something to prove this season. 

This could be the last hurrah for Hawkins at Colorado. He knows it and so does his team. Every win is a statement that he is not going to be ready to hand in his resignation anytime soon, and a win over Georgia would definitely go a long way towards extending the good will.

9. The Buffaloes are 2-9 versus the SEC—all-time.

Georgia last faced Colorado in 2006, and the Buffaloes gave the Bulldogs all they could handle. If it weren't for some last minute heroics by former Georgia quarterback, Joe Cox, that game would easily have gone the Buff's way. The personnel has changed but the location might be a big advantage.

The Bulldogs have had some issues with conditioning this season and have looked tired in the fourth quarter, giving up the big plays, and allowing teams to score. If the high-altitude of Folsom Stadium becomes a factor late in the game, and the Bulldogs haven't capitalized on their scoring opportunities, things could get tight.

10. They turn the ball over a good bit. 

 

So far this season, the Buffaloes have four interceptions and four fumbles and they are ranked No. 100 in the nation in turnover margin (-1).

The Colorado Buffaloes Lose Another Impact Player In WR Markques Simas

The Georgia Bulldogs will match up with the Colorado Buffaloes in week five of the 2010 college football season. The game is scheduled to broadcast at 4:30 on Fox Sports South so mark your calendar and set your smart phone.

Prior to now, the game was considered to be one of mild interest to me and a few others as the 2006 match-up between the two teams ended wildly in Sanford Stadium. So, this trip out west was thought, at least by me, to be one worthy of a little concern.

Well, since that time, Dan Hawkins' club has undergone a bit of a face lift on offense.

The wide receiving corps that was a major strength just lost the better half of its dynamic duo as Marques Simas, initially suspended indefinitely, was eventually released from his scholarship and has since  transferred to another school—San Diego State.

Andre Simmons, another potential talent at wide receiver, has been ruled ineligible for the year. The JUCO transfer had hoped to secure a bigger role for the Buffs this spring but, academically, was unable to perform and has, consequentially, been suspended for the season.

Toney Clemons, the transfer from Michigan, will still be of interest but the Bulldogs should have an easier time with the Buffs in the secondary with much of their talent depleted for the game.

Dan Hawkins is definitely on the hot seat this year and with Colorado expected to move to the Pac-10 after next season, there is serious doubt that Hawkins will be packing his boxes for the move with his team.

That said, the Georgia Bulldogs will still need to be wary of a team with this much adversity heading into a 'hot seat' season and on the verge of switching conferences. The pressure to perform and be proven worthy of their Pac-10 upgrade will be high and I don't expect them to give an inch.

Even so, if you are a Georgia fan, you have to be a little more confident heading out to Boulder now than before.