ATL All Day
Fansided

Mark Richt: Criticism, The Nature of the Beast

By John Buhler

facebooktwitterreddit

Mark Richt spoke at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama Thursday morning, zero hour: 9AM CT.  This was Richt’s 15th appearance at SEC Media Days and he knows how to answer all the tough questions thrown his way.  Richt successfully navigated through prying questions about the starting quarterback situation as well as how to handle criticism as a long-time SEC coach without a National Championship.

-= Related: Georgia Bulldogs: First Look at UGA’s 2015 Depth Chart =-

Though Mark Richt listed RS Sophomore Brice Ramsey ahead of RS Junior Faton Bauta on the QB depth chart, he didn’t commit to naming a starter this morning.  This comes as no surprise as Richt and new OC Brian Schottenheimer would prefer to name a starter as late as humanly possible.

Live Feed

Dylan Raiola will be fine wherever he lands, and so will Georgia football
Dylan Raiola will be fine wherever he lands, and so will Georgia football /

Dawn of the Dawg

  • Georgia Football: Rumors swirling that Dylan Raiola will flip to NebraskaDawn of the Dawg
  • Georgia Football: College Football Is Dead, and I Don't Feel So Good MyselfDawn of the Dawg
  • Taking a look at the SEC Blueprint at SyracuseSouth Bound & Down
  • The Georgia Bulldogs were robbed of a spot in the College Football PlayoffSouth Bound & Down
  • Ranking every Georgia College Football Playoff game of the four-team eraDawn of the Dawg

    • What was concerning about the QB competition is that UVA transfer Junior Greyson Lambert had been in Charlottesville, VA finishing up summer classes and has not even been in the classroom with Richt, Schottenheimer, or the other UGA QBs yet.  Though Lambert is an intelligent man as he is graduating from a Public Ivy institution like the University of Virginia, he will only have 29 summer practices to master the UGA playbook.

    Richt feels that the 2015 team is chock full of leaders.  LT John Theus leads the offensive unit and WR Malcolm Mitchell is the face of the young WR corps.  On the defensive side of the ball, Richt feels that the vocal leader is OLB Jordan Jenkins and that the on-field play and work ethic of OLB Leonard Floyd and DB Dominick Sanders set the tone for DC Jeremy Pruitt’s improving defense.

    Mark Richt’s Dawgs team this fall seems like its bursting at the seams with playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.  Richt knows that Sophomore TB Nick Chubb can contend for the Heisman Trophy, but that it’s more of a “team award” than anything.  Georgia will have to perform well this fall for any Dawg to get to New York.

    More from UGA Football

    Richt also thinks that often-injured TB Keith Marshall will have a strong season playing at a lower weight to further emphasize his speed, likely playing closer to 200 lbs. than the 225 of the last few seasons.  Coach stated, “the more playmakers you have, the merrier.”

    When asked about the criticism he receives for “not getting it done” in his 14 previous seasons at Georgia, Mark Richt brushed off the uncomfortable question like the veteran coach he is: “what criticism?”  Newer coaches to the SEC would have fumbled at that question but Richt powered through it saying that “criticism is the nature of the beast” when coaching big time football.  He credited former FSU HC Bobby Bowden for his understanding of how to handle skepticism.

    “Our focus is in on the process of getting to Atlanta.” – UGA HC Mark Richt

    Towards the press conference’s conclusion, Mark Richt said, “our focus is on the process of getting to Atlanta.”  He knows that to play in an SEC Championship, Georgia has to win the East.  But to get there, the Dawgs have to play with composure and attack each game individually as opposed to getting overwhelmed by UGA’s tough 2015 SEC Schedule.

    I came away from Mark Richt’s press conference at SEC Media Days with a great sense of confidence.  There was no favoring in Mark Richt’s speech pattern and every question had a clear and concise response.  Basically no Les Miles’ filibusters were had by the Head Dawg in Athens.

    Also at the 2015 SEC Media Days representing the Georgia Bulldogs including Senior LT John Theus, Senior WR Malcolm Mitchell, and Senior OLB Jordan Jenkins.  Stay posted for more coverage on UGA’s featured day at this summer’s SEC College Football Media Conference in Hoover, Alabama.

    Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Five Potential College GameDay Scenarios

    More from ATL All Day

    Home/UGA Football