LOL! UGa fans think they didn't make playoffs because...

[05_never_again]

I agree that it is still too early to definitively say Smart>early Richt, but early Richt wasn't Richt's downfall. I mean, look at Miami right now. They have the same problems that UGA did when Richt was on the hot seat. They can beat most teams any given Saturday, but also can lose to any team. In the later Richt years he had issues with playing down to the competition and it doesn't seem to have changed. Kirby took UGA to a place in his second year that Richt never made it to, so I'd certainly give the edge to Kirby right now. Kirby is also recruiting at a level that Richt never did, especially in the trenches. Judging by all of the "fire Mark Richt" threads on the Miami boards, I think they'd gladly trade Richt for Kirby right now.

I agree. The single biggest reason to think Kirby doesn't equal Richt is because of recruiting. Richt always recruited well but never quite as well as you think he could have or should have, especially later in his tenure.

The thing about Richt and his lack of finishing - I thought this observation was irrelevant for a really long time but as time went on I wondered if there might be something to it. Mark Richt seems too nice to be a college football coach, especially at this level. When he consistently failed to finish for that long, it did make me wonder eventually if his personality might have something to do it. I'm a big believer that groups of any type, whether they be sports teams, employees at a company, etc., take on the personality of their leader(s) over time. Richt was never an in-your-face, nose the grindstone, killer instinct type of guy. I can't help but wonder if that manifested itself in some games where his teams would be completely MIA, or coming up short in a big game more often than you'd expect.

I think it is safe to say that Kirby does not have that element of his personality though.

 

[Atlanta917]

I agree. The single biggest reason to think Kirby doesn't equal Richt is because of recruiting. Richt always recruited well but never quite as well as you think he could have or should have, especially later in his tenure.

The thing about Richt and his lack of finishing - I thought this observation was irrelevant for a really long time but as time went on I wondered if there might be something to it. Mark Richt seems too nice to be a college football coach, especially at this level. When he consistently failed to finish for that long, it did make me wonder eventually if his personality might have something to do it. I'm a big believer that groups of any type, whether they be sports teams, employees at a company, etc., take on the personality of their leader(s) over time. Richt was never an in-your-face, nose the grindstone, killer instinct type of guy. I can't help but wonder if that manifested itself in some games where his teams would be completely MIA, or coming up short in a big game more often than you'd expect.

I think it is safe to say that Kirby does not have that element of his personality though.

Definitely agree there. I think it's telling that the UGA administration brought Pruitt in for a culture change while Richt was still there. lol that's not exactly a vote of confidence for the headcoach. I honestly see a ton of similarities between Smart and Pruitt. Both are great defensive minds and elite recruiters who'll probably need a good to great OC to win the NC.

 

[hUTch2002]

I agree that it is still too early to definitively say Smart>early Richt, but early Richt wasn't Richt's downfall. I mean, look at Miami right now. They have the same problems that UGA did when Richt was on the hot seat. They can beat most teams any given Saturday, but also can lose to any team. In the later Richt years he had issues with playing down to the competition and it doesn't seem to have changed. Kirby took UGA to a place in his second year that Richt never made it to, so I'd certainly give the edge to Kirby right now. Kirby is also recruiting at a level that Richt never did, especially in the trenches. Judging by all of the "fire Mark Richt" threads on the Miami boards, I think they'd gladly trade Richt for Kirby right now.

To say that Kirby took UGA somewhere Richt never did is a little unfair because had there been a playoff they definitely would’ve been in back in year 2 for Richt as well. I do agree that Kirby is recruiting at a higher level and that there is no comparison of today’s Richt vs Kirby. Let’s see what happens with Kirby after several years though. UGA should be good enough to run the table next year so the question becomes, will they? If they lose 2 more next year maybe they do have Richt 2.0 and that’s ok. The man averaged 10-3 at UGA.

 

[hUTch2002]

I agree. The single biggest reason to think Kirby doesn't equal Richt is because of recruiting. Richt always recruited well but never quite as well as you think he could have or should have, especially later in his tenure.

The thing about Richt and his lack of finishing - I thought this observation was irrelevant for a really long time but as time went on I wondered if there might be something to it. Mark Richt seems too nice to be a college football coach, especially at this level. When he consistently failed to finish for that long, it did make me wonder eventually if his personality might have something to do it. I'm a big believer that groups of any type, whether they be sports teams, employees at a company, etc., take on the personality of their leader(s) over time. Richt was never an in-your-face, nose the grindstone, killer instinct type of guy. I can't help but wonder if that manifested itself in some games where his teams would be completely MIA, or coming up short in a big game more often than you'd expect.

I think it is safe to say that Kirby does not have that element of his personality though.

Richt struggled with UF but he was also there during the Urban years. That’s what I want to see with Kirby. How does he do when Mullen unfortunately gets UF back off the mat and competing for the East? Yes they were somewhat close this year but the talent disparity is still pretty wide. Come 2020 I don’t see that being the case, not to the current level anyway. I credit Kirby with having his kids ready against Bama the last 2 years though. How he handles Fromm and Fields will be quite interesting. I don’t see how Fromm isn’t your guy. He had UGA a sniff away from beating Bama twice, won at South Bend last year, and appears to be a very good QB. I know Fields is great but many great players have had to wait.

 

[Dudleys87]

...they didn't "run up the score" on opponents this year. And are calling for a "Revenge Tour" in 2019, running up the score on everyone.
Dear Kirby


As if their two losses had nothing to do with it.

And they say WE are delusional. LOL

Michigan tried the revenge tour this season...

That work real well.

 

[thehutch40]

If we lose 2 games next year, even with our tough schedule, it will be a let down for sure.

The main difference at this point comparing Kirby and Richt is the players and production at the line of scrimmage. UGA always recruited skill players well but would fill the lines with mid 3* all the time (same thing is happening now at the U). Now we have 4 and 5 stars all along the 2 deep line so that even when you lose 4 starters to injury during the season...we can throw a freshmen in and not miss a beat. As long as Kirby learns from his mistakes...he will easily surpass Richt in success

 

[hUTch2002]

If we lose 2 games next year, even with our tough schedule, it will be a let down for sure.

The main difference at this point comparing Kirby and Richt is the players and production at the line of scrimmage. UGA always recruited skill players well but would fill the lines with mid 3* all the time (same thing is happening now at the U). Now we have 4 and 5 stars all along the 2 deep line so that even when you lose 4 starters to injury during the season...we can throw a freshmen in and not miss a beat. As long as Kirby learns from his mistakes...he will easily surpass Richt in success

Makes sense. Thanks for sharing. My only issue is with your name. I’m supposed to be the only hutch on here!

I actually don’t think your schedule is too bad but some of that depends on how good ND and A&M are and whether or not Auburn bounces back. At least there’s no LSU. You’ll be favored in every game.

 

[Remy]

They can be mad at LSU for whooping their tail!

THIS!! LSU punked them. There was no coming back from that beatdown other than beating Bama in the SECCG and they couldn't do that.

 

[Jack Burton]

UGA will win it all in 2019 and/or 2020. Time to get used to their dominance guys.