Georgia football had a very good year in 2018, but it should’ve been a great year
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2018 was very good for Georgia, but it should’ve been better
The 2018 calendar year could not have gotten off to a better start for the Georgia Bulldogs. It’s hard to believe, but 364 days ago Georgia stormed back to beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. It was one of the greatest wins in program history.
2018 got better when Georgia landed the No. 1 signing class in the country for the 2018 recruiting in February. In October it beat rival Florida again, and then followed that up with a perfect November.
2018 was very good to Georgia. But frankly, it should’ve been a great year for the Bulldogs.
On Jan. 8, Georgia blew a 13-0 halftime lead to lose in the national championship to Alabama. The Bulldogs bookended 2018 with another painful loss, this time blowing a 28-14 lead in the second half of the SEC championship game to Alabama, falling 35-28 on Dec. 1.
There was also a 36-16 drubbing at the hands of LSU on Oct. 13 as well. And to top it off, because of those two losses, Georgia players and fans had to sit and watch two teams it was better than in Notre Dame and Oklahoma, lose rather handily in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Bulldogs are now waiting to take on a Texas game in the Sugar Bowl.
2018 saw Jake Fromm take another step forward. It also saw a weekly soap opera with freshman quarterback Justin Fields, who came to Georgia as the No. 2 overall player in the 2018 recruiting cycle. At the close of 2018, Fields now seems on the verge of transferring away from the school.
Related: Ohio State QB appears to warn Justin Fields again about transfer
This calendar year also saw Kirby Smart show that he is clearly one of the best coaches in the country. There may not be a better recruiter in the country than Smart at this moment — and yes I’m aware of Alabama’s Nick Saban. But it also saw Smart make an incredibly questionable decision on a fourth and 11 in the SEC Championship. And there’s no way Saban or Clemson’s Dabo Swinney would’ve lost to LSU by 20-points.
Georgia was supposed to take a step back after losing the likes of Roquan Smith, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Yes, it was predicted to win the SEC East, but the Bulldogs weren’t supposed to do it in the runaway fashion that they did. They proved, twice, that they can go toe-to-toe with Alabama. Georgia might be the only team in the country that can say that.
But coming so close and losing twice puts a damper on Georgia’s 2018 season. And it puts more pressure on Georgia to win it all in 2019. But as Smart came to say this year, pressure is a privilege, and the Bulldogs are more than capable of handling that as the calendar turns from 2018 to 2019.
A final word on Mark Richt
On Sunday, former Georgia coach Mark Richt announced that he was retiring from coaching after a three-year stint in Miami.
There are many reactions you could have from the news. A number of Miami fans certainly seem pretty happy, given how the Hurricanes flamed out this year with a 7-6 record and a disastrous 35-3 loss to Wisconsin in the bowl game.
Miami has already moved on and hired Manny Diaz, no not the UGA tennis coach but the Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator for the last three seasons under Richt. Diaz had previously accepted the head coaching job at Temple back on Dec. 13.
But Richt will be more remembered for his time at Georgia. He coached the Bulldogs from 2001-15, amassing 145 wins in that time. That’s the second most in school history, behind only Vince Dooley.
Related: On occasion of Miami retirement, Mark Richt should be appreciated for what he did for Georgia
A lot of people will want to bring up that Richt could never win the big one. He won two SEC titles in 2002 and ’05, but he never brought home a national title for Georgia fans. Dan Marino never won a title for the Miami Dolphins and John Stockton didn’t win a title for the Utah Jazz, but both are beloved by those fan bases. One day, I hope fans view Richt in the same light.
Contrary to popular belief, winning isn’t the only thing that matters. As a number of former Georgia players highlighted on Sunday, Richt was so much more than just a football coach to a number of Georgia players. I encourage you to go read what former Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch had to say about Richt.
Now that he is retired, I don’t think CMR would mind me sharing this story that perfectly illustrates who he is as a football coach, and more importantly, as a man.
It was January of… https://t.co/U8E6OYhdeu
— Arthur Lynch (@alynch1788) December 30, 2018
Richt left the Georgia program in a better place then when he found it. Very few college coaches at any program can say that. He certainly helped lay the ground work for Georgia’s strong 2017 and ’18 seasons.
If you’re one of the people who wants to dance on Richt’s grave, I can’t stop you. But I’d just like to point out that one of the first people to thank Richt for all that he did for both Georgia and college football, was current Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Richt clearly meant a lot to him.
Best of luck to @MarkRicht in retirement. Proud to have worked with a great coach and an even better man. Go Dawgs!!
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) December 30, 2018
Best stories from around DawgNation
- Georgia men’s basketball coach Tom Crean calls sellout crowd ‘difference maker’ in victory against UMass
- Ohio State QB appears to warn Justin Fields again about transfer
- On occasion of Miami retirement, Mark Richt should be appreciated for what he did for Georgia
- Kirby Smart and Georgia football react to Mark Richt retirement
- Georgia RB Elijah Holyfield also mulling NFL draft entry after Sugar Bowl
- Georgia OC Jim Chaney: Bulldogs ‘did right’ with challenging quarterback situation
- By the Numbers: UGA will probably be OK without Deandre Baker in Sugar Bowl
- WATCH: 5-star signee Nakobe Dean is ‘coming to work’ at Georgia
Dawgs on Twitter
Just heard the news my former coach and good friend @MarkRicht is retiring. 1 of the best coaches I have ever had but even better man that showed not just me but many young men how to be a great MAN! Blessed to have been around him. Wishing you the best in retirement coach
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) December 30, 2018
Mission “Surprise Evan”…complete!
Love this kid so much! @EvanEngram pic.twitter.com/9yOkibplRb— Mackenzie Engram (@Holy_Mack) December 30, 2018
🦌Just when you thought Christmas was over 🎄#ATD #SugarBowl pic.twitter.com/L0EXIQOsJy
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) December 30, 2018
A sellout crowd on December 30th. Thank You BullDawg Nation. To have a crowd like this tonight in our win over UMass is outstanding and appreciated. You definitely make a difference. Thank you again for supporting @UGABasketball
— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) December 31, 2018
Good Dawg of the Day
This is Rory. He likes to stick his tongue out and wiggle a bit so his human can’t get a nice pic of him. Little does he know these are masterpieces. 13/10 #SeniorPupSaturday pic.twitter.com/lHm6R6ji6M
— WeRateDogs™ (@dog_rates) December 29, 2018