Following Georgia’s loss to Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt better start buffing up his resume now because he may be out of job soon.
Playing what amounted to a home game, Georgia didn’t look like they belonged on the same field with Boise State. After falling behind 7-0 early, the Broncos methodically played their game and came away with a 35-21 win over the Bulldogs.
Although Bulldogs’ quarterback Aaron Murray put up respectable numbers, he made too many mistakes throughout the game that cost Georgia dearly.
Murray completed 16 of 29 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown, but there were a number of times he held onto the ball too long and gave up a sack. While some of his passes should have been caught, there were too many times Murray missed open receivers.
For a quarterback that was entering his second full season as the starter, Murray was thought to be the one player Georgia could count on in an otherwise youthful offensive unit.
Despite having one of the biggest offensive lines in college football, Boise State was able to exploit the slower Bulldogs linemen by using their speed to pressure Murray.
The Broncos had trouble stopping the Bulldogs rushing game early in the first quarter, giving up an 80-yard touchdown run to Brandon Boykin. But for the next 52 minutes of the game, Georgia could only muster 57 yards on the ground.
What’s become so perplexing about the Bulldogs is their inability to play up to their potential.
Georgia has plenty of talent, but over the past two seasons they’ve compiled a 14-12 record which isn’t what you’d expect from a team that has a number of highly regarded recruits on the roster.
Richt was already considered to be on the hot seat following a 6-7 record last year. Now that seat is even hotter after the loss to Boise State and he better get the Bulldogs turned around quickly.
Georgia opens their SEC schedule next week when they host South Carolina, a 56-37 winner over East Carolina on Saturday. If the Bulldogs want to keep themselves relevant in the SEC East, they have to beat the Gamecocks.
More importantly, if Richt wants to keep his job beyond this season he’ll have to win at least eight games, and even that number of victories might not save him.
