ATHENS — University of Georgia president Michael Adams urged Georgia fans to unite and support coach Mark Richt and the football program the rest of the season, starting Saturday against Coastal Carolina.
Adams comments came Thursday when he was asked at the fall meeting of UGA’s cabinet how he felt about the job Richt has been doing. The Bulldogs, who face Coastal Carolina on Saturday, are 0-2 after going 6-7 last season.
“I don’t believe I have ever commented on any coach mid-season,” Adams said. “What we do with every head coach, at the end of the season the AD sits down and makes a judgment. Then he makes a judgment whether or not he needs to talk to the president about that.
“The issue for me right now is, I think this is the time for all of us to come together and get behind this group of guys who played a heck of a game last Saturday and deserve our support.
“I’ve never folded on anything 15 or 20 percent into it, and that’s what we would be doing.”
Adams was one of three different individuals who came out with statements of support for Richt this week. Former Georgia football coach and athletic director Vince Dooley and Coastal Carolina coach David Bennett were the others.
On Thursday, Dooley said: “Coach Richt is a proven coach. He’s the type of guy you want at Georgia, the way he conducts himself, his character and the way he represents the university. I think he has the support of the greatest majority of people because they believe in him. I believe in him, too, and I think he’ll come out of it.”
At his weekly press conference Wednesday, Bennett said: “I say this to all Georgia fans and people out there, you don’t know how special a guy you really have there. I think they had one losing record, and they’re talking about getting rid of a guy that’s one of the winningest coaches today.
“The Georgia Bulldogs will be fine. They’ll be fine. If [sophomore quarterback Aaron] Murray stays healthy, they’re going to be better than fine.
Later, Bennett said: “Major college football has become big business. You’ve got million-dollar donors. They want to tell you what their opinion is. I’m just telling you, there’s a phenomenal guy down there at Georgia, and he’s done a heck of a job [with] one bump in the road and you’re talking about getting rid of him. That’s shame on whoever’s doing that because that guy’s very special. He’s a good man, he’s a good coach, he’s outstanding.
“Georgia, you better know what you’ve got because you ain’t getting no better. You’re not going to hire nobody better than that man.”
Lacking sacks
One of Georgia’s concerns entering the season was whether it could sack quarterbacks as well as it did a year ago. The Bulldogs lost junior outside linebacker Justin Houston, who finished second in the SEC with 10 sacks, to the NFL draft.
So far the Bulldogs have one sack in their first two games, and that came from blitzing cornerback Sanders Commings. They had 24 sacks as a team last season.
“We’re getting pressure, but we’re definitely not getting the sacks,” Richt said. “Right now we’re challenging our guys to be able to rush the passer without having to bring different types of pressures to get the rush, to get the sacks. We just have not had anybody step up and do that on a consistent basis anyway.”
The Bulldogs have been getting close. They have 12 quarterback pressures, including four by linebacker Cornelius Washington, who plays Houston’s position, and three by linebacker Jarvis Jones.
Etc.
The 1971 Georgia team will be honored Saturday. This season is the 40th anniversary of that 11-1 season. ... The Bulldogs held a closed, dress-rehearsal scrimmage Thursday at Sanford Stadium. No players or coaches were available for interviews afterward.
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