Mark Richt desperately needs a Victory over Florida this Weekend
Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jacob Bunn
This is Mark Richt’s eleventh season as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. During his tenure, the program has seen two SEC Championships and three SEC Eastern Division crowns. In most cases, that would be a formidable resume for a coach to have. However, there is one hurdle with which Richt’s teams consistently struggle.
In the last twenty years, the Bulldogs have a record of 3-17 against the Florida Gators. Richt is responsible for two of the wins and eight of the losses.
Over time, Florida has become Georgia’s biggest rival. Georgia Tech has not been a part of the SEC for some time, so there is less consequence attached to the Georgia/Georgia Tech game. Tennessee has not been competitive in the last few years, so that game has meant little. Throughout the last decade, the SEC East has been won by the Gators or the Bulldogs six times.
As a result of the magnitude of the game, a head coaching record of 2-8 in the series will more than likely not be tolerated from either fan base. That is exactly what has happened to Richt.
His overall record as a head coach in Athens is 101-36. That is more than stellar, but he just cannot seem to conquer Florida. For that reason, and the fact that his team finished 6-7 last year, many think Richt is in a precarious position as he enters the final stretch of the season.
Some believe he will be removed as head coach if he loses more than one game from here to the end of the year. Others think a loss to Florida damages his chances immensely. Most, though, who have an educated opinion on the matter think that Richt will be the coach after this season but could leave no doubt by winning out.
This weekend, his team will face Florida in the annual rivalry in Jacksonville. The Gators are on a slide this year. After beginning with four wins, they have dropped the last three conference games, two of which were against the top two teams in the BCS (LSU and Alabama).
Both coaches have something to prove Saturday. In Will Muschamp’s case, he can continue the tradition of defeating Georgia and perhaps sooth some of the hard feelings from the Gator faithful about the blowout losses to Alabama and LSU. Richt, though, has more to prove, in my opinion, than Muschamp.
This is only Muschamp’s first year, so he has an amount of slack for mistakes that Richt simply does not have. Richt has what most consider a better team this year. It has knocked off five consecutive teams since losing the opening two contests to Boise State and South Carolina.
Everyone is talking about the Alabama/LSU game on November 5th and the fact that both teams have an open week before the epic contest. Georgia and Florida, though, were both off last week also, so you can expect this game to be extremely contentious.
However you slice it, this is Richt’s chance to turn the tide in this rivalry. This is his opportunity to give Georgia the inside track to appearing in Atlanta for the SEC Championship. I don’t necessarily think his job is on the line against the Gators, but tell me when he will get a better opportunity to defeat the team he has always had a problem with. As a result of the struggles his teams have had the last few years, and the disparity between the two programs, Mark Richt needs to get a win over Florida Saturday in the worst way.
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Email Jacob at jacob@bunnsports.com and follow him on Twitter at @JacobBunn
