Georgia Bulldogs Football: 2011 Season Preview

Mark Richt may be on the hot seat, but he can easily put himself off that with a season-opening victory against the fifth-ranked Boise State Broncos.

The Bulldogs have been miserable the past two seasons, posting just a 7-9 record in the gauntlet known as the Southeastern Conference.

They also just put together their first losing season in quarter of a century. UGA must improve upon that record if Richt expects to keep his job and if Georgia wants to be considered a nationally relevant program like it once was just a few years ago.

Hot Seat Much?

It was the 2008 BCS Sugar Bowl where the Bulldogs obliterated the Colt Brennan-led Hawaii Warriors 41-10. Those surging ‘Dawgs were the hottest and arguably most talented team in America that year, finishing No. 2 in the final AP Poll.

Since Richt left Florida State to be the head ball coach of Georgia, he has countered so many roller-coaster seasons, posting a 96-34 overall record while notching a respectful 53-27 in SEC play.

The hot seat talks have been rolling around because Richt has only had two winning seasons in the SEC the past five seasons. A loss in the Georgia Dome against those little Boise State Broncos will only make the road that much tougher. 

Season Outlook on Offense

As far as the team on the field that is backing Richt up, 15 starters return. The loss of A.J. Green will be difficult but not impossible to overcome.

Quarterback Aaron Murray returns for his sophomore season and there is a lot of hype surrounding him.

I was not overly impressed, mainly because he struggled mightily in the bowl game. Completing just 21-of-38 passes for 198 yards and two interceptions with no touchdowns is far from a decent game. Still, he may be the best signal caller in the entire conference as he enters his third season in the program (he redshirted in ’09).

The backfield is no longer crowded with the transferring of Washuan Ealey. He had some off-the-field issues before, and although he was the expected starter as he was going to share some carries in the process.

Now we were expected to see Caleb King and Carlton Thomas carry the bulk of the load with incoming freshman Isiah Crowell sharing time.

However, King was left the program after he was ruled ineligible, which gives the superstar freshman an even larger role.

Also, Thomas has been suspended for the opener which has moved former linebacker Richard Samuel back to the backfield. We will see if Crowell can live up to buzz of being part of the latest recruiting class, called “the Dream Team.”

Best in SEC and Beyond?

Aaron Murray will be under center for a second consecutive season after posting a 24-8 touchdown/interception ratio in his freshman campaign. Murray has a solid arm and has improved his accuracy, which has been a question mark at times.

He needs to learn to just sit back in the pocket and take his hits (or throw the ball away) as he delivers the ball to his playmakers. Still, he is one hell of a talent and could carve up any SEC defense given the time to throw. 

Murray was sacked 24 times, which is quite a bit, and the offensive line must protect him better. UGA fans should remember that back in the day, David Greene was once sacked seemingly 100 times in his career and he turned out to be a decent player in Athens. 

Depleted but Not Done

Taking way too many sacks is a huge concern since the offensive line is in shambles. Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant injured his knee once again this spring and will miss the entire season for consecutive seasons.

Cordy Glenn and Ben Jones return, but that is the only good news. Kenarious Gates is the projected starter at left guard whereas Kolton Houston is the other projected starting guard. 

Throw in backup tackle Dallas Lee with Gates and Houston and you will only find a combined three starts.

Luckily, Ben Jones is an All-SEC-caliber lineman and Glenn is not far behind. Still, the rest of the line is very green and inexperienced which will become a problem.

They will be tested against one of the premier, more physical teams in America right out of the gates against the Boise State Broncos.

No Green, No Problem?

The loss of A.J. Greene would kill most programs in the receiving department, but this UGA program still recruits really well. 

Holding their blocks and allowing the receivers to get open downfield will be critical against an average Broncos secondary.

Tavarres King is the only returning starter with experience at wideout, though tight ends Orson Charles and Aron White are stud playmakers.

Charles may make All-SEC this season being Murray’s security blanket in the passing game. Rantavious Wooten, Marlon Brown and some other youngsters must fill in admirably for Green.

Brown (6’5", 219 pounds) is the most gifted of any of the receivers UGA has and he will relied upon to stretch the field despite being moved to a tight end.

Wooten will start opposite King with Brown, Charles and White all getting looks as the slot receiver. Keep a close eye out for freshman Malcolm Mitchell and senior Israel Troupe.

Murray has a ton of upside, but Richt and the ‘Dawgs will have no time to wait for him to emerge. They need him to perform like the best QB in the SEC, especially if they want to contend in the SEC and win the Eastern Division. 

Sensational Secondary

Eight starters return for Todd Grantham’s defense and the secondary must be the unit that carries this defense early on.

Brandon Boykin was one of the most highly touted corners in the SEC and in America one summer ago. He has now returned for his senior season and must live up to his first-round hype that some (Mel Kiper, Jr.) have billed him as.

Boykin has fluid hips and runs very well (4.44) despite only being listed at 5’10” and 183 pounds. Boykin often gets in trouble when he is left on an island against taller, bigger more physical receivers. Still, being among the elite corners in the SEC is not a bad problem to have.

Bacarri Rambo and Jakar Hamilton are two solid safeties that bring the wood. Rambo is just a junior, whereas Hamilton is a former junior college standout and is now a senior. Rambo is a solid 6’0” and 215-pounder that runs well for a safety that is a bit undersized. 

Hamilton is your typical SEC safety, standing at 6’2” and 203 pounds, that runs just well enough to make plays in the secondary and behind the line of scrimmage.

This is arguably the best unit on the entire team and they will cause fits to whoever tries to stretch the field against them.

Underachieving Defense

The linebackers will be crucial since they have lacked the All-American-caliber play the past few years now. Jarvis Jones (SLB), Christian Robinson (MLB), Alec Ogletree (OLB) and Cornelius Washington (WLB) are the quartet of LBs that will be starting.

Despite having zero seniors, this unit should not be much worse than last year’s unit that struggled in pass coverage at times (17th) and always seemed to struggle against the run (56th).

The front three (3-4 D) will be far from spectacular, but should be solid. They will be led by Kwame Geathers who is quite the beast up front as a pass rusher.

Abry Jones will be holding the other spot up front alongside Jonathan Jenkins, who will see a ton of playing time. Garrison Smith, Candler Cook and DeAngelo Tyson will also provide depth as usual. Tyson has a ton of experience and should play a large role.

Tyson has NFL potential but needs to get more consistency from his teammates if they want to improve upon their unusual production the past few years as they have failed to rank in the top four in total defense in the SEC.

Drama's Forecast

If the defense struggles out of the gates, at least the Bulldogs have the best special teams in America.  With Brandon Boykin bringing back the kicks/punts, Drew Butler pinning the opposition inside the 10 and with Blair Walsh connecting on clutch kicks, things should never get too hot “between the hedges.”

Richt may be on the so called “hot seat,” but I do not think he is realistically going to be fired unless this team finds a way to lose seven games again. They have legit top 15-20 talent and the hope is they can win the SEC East and sneak in as a BCS at-large bid or at least a New Year’s Day bowl.  I foresee just that happening, though the season could be even more special if they can win one or both of their first two games.

RETURNING STARTERS: Seven on offense, Eight on defense

PROJECTED RECORD: 9-4, 5-3

PROJECTED FINISH: Second in East, Sixth in SEC

PROJECTED BOWL: Chick-Fil-A Bowl