Georgia Football: Mark Richt Finally Gathers Wits to Start Isaiah Crowell

Georgia Bulldogs' head coach Mark Richt entered the 2011 season on the hot seat and choosing not to start freshman running back Isaiah Crowell from the beginning has played a major factor in increasing the temperature of that seat.

Crowell was labeled the top running back recruit in the country and when he picked Georgia, nobody knew when or how much he would play. Then the Bulldogs' top two rushers departed from the team and everybody knew Crowell would see the field right away. 

However, Crowell wasn't named the starter in Week 1, with Richt instead going with junior Richard Samuel. Keep in mind that Samuel spent the entire 2010 season learning to play defense, and once he switched back to offense many wondered if he could still compete at a high level. 

The Bulldogs lost their first two games against very tough opponents and now that they finally have a cupcake game, Crowell has been named the starter.

The fans wanted Crowell to start from the beginning because they felt he could do just what Marcus Lattimore did for South Carolina a year ago. The Bulldogs needed a playmaker and a game changer, and Crowell gives them exactly that.

There's no question that Crowell has now earned the starting job over Samuel, but he should have been named the top guy from the start.

Richt had plans of splitting the load anyway, so naming the young guy the starter from day one would have given the kid a ton of confidence heading into the season.

That didn't happen, and now the Bulldogs are sitting at 0-2, wondering how they can save their season.

In no way am I saying that Georgia lost the game because Crowell didn't start because Georgia has several other problems that contributed to the loss.

What I am saying is that the Bulldogs waited too long to fully work Crowell into their game plan. In Week 1, Crowell had 15 carries for 60 yards and in Week 2 he had 16 carries for 118 yards. 

This coming Saturday, Georgia will play Coastal Carolina and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Crowell will not only start, but get a heavy work load. 

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"I’d say he’s a 20-25-carries-a-game guy and certain games it might be more," Bobo said. "And then you’ve got about 15 or so for the other guy. You’d like to run it around 40 times a game, the way I see things. He might be able get 30 of them."

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Bobo went on to say how he has always thought Crowell would be a special player for the Bulldogs, which makes me wonder why the young kid didn't get all the love from the beginning. 

I understand the game plan was different against Boise State and that a lot of different players didn't step up and play well. The offense couldn't find much success running or throwing.

However, no adjustments where made during that game and it left many wondering what could have happened had Crowell had more opportunities. The freshman is the best back on the team, and he should be given the ball as much as possible.

They were taking it slow with Crowell and easing him into the offense, but with two very hard games to open the season, they needed to feature their best players as much as possible.  

Crowell is going to be a great player for Georgia, as we all witnessed his array of skills against South Carolina. Now that his production has increased, his endurance and stamina will be tested, and hopefully the young kid can stay healthy.

In other Georgia news, Richt told reporters that as the season goes on, the Bulldog Nation can expect to see Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith on offense quite a bit. Per ESPN:

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"We’d love to get those guys going even more (on offense). With the heat, we’re afraid to use him too much for fear that it will keep him from playing defense," Richt said. "As the season wears on, with the cooler weather, I think you’ll see more of both of those guys."

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Some fans love this and others despise it. Why risk our top corners' health by giving them the ball on offense? Well, as we saw in Week 1, these speedy playmakers can make a huge impact on offense if they get into the secondary. 

As Georgia continues to figure out their offensive identity, they can rest easy knowing the next few games aren't nearly as difficult as the first two.

Things are looking up for Georgia, and with each week the team is getting better. The key is for the players to forget the past and focus towards the future, which is looking pretty bright.

Crowell will make exceptional plays over the next few weeks, which will leave us all wondering why he didn't start from day one.