Richt: Effort not the issue

Mark Richt isn’t quite buying that effort was the problem in Saturday’s loss to South Carolina.

Plenty of Bulldog players have theorized that – pointing the finger at themselves – but Richt thinks that’s a symptom of “not knowing what to say” when asked about the loss.

“I just think they’re frustrated," he said. "And then when they get these things thrown at them, what is the right thing to say. I don’t know. We calculate loafs in the game. And (this) was not a game where we said, ‘We loafed.’ So I don’t think it was a lack of effort.”

If anything, Richt added, it might have been not substitution enough in hot weather. And the fact his team was beat physically.

“We got knocked back. That was the biggest problem,” Richt said.

This was brought even more to Richt's notice as he watched the TV copy of the game, which he does regularly.

He noticed an image of one of their players who turned down an opportunity to lay into somebody on a key play.

“That’s not Georgia football,” Richt said.

Some other quick notes and nuggets from Richt and player availability on Tuesday:

- Richt on the importance of the game: “I don’t know how big a game can get. But this is big. We know that. Our coaches know it. Our players know it.”

- Nose tackle DeAngelo Tyson, who played every snap at South Carolina, did so even after getting treatment during the game for a knee sprain. He also admitted he got tired.

The reason Justin Anderson and Kwame Geathers, two bigger nose tackles, didn’t play was because South Carolina was in a three-receiver set almost the entire game, and in Georgia’s nickel package, Tyson is the nose.

But Richt said they were working on changing their personnel package, so the bigger nose tackles will be in there.

Richt also said the defensive line has to “drop anchor” a bit more. There were too big a seam for the linebackers to try and make plays.

- Richt reiterated that Aaron Murray would be given a bit more leeway in the offense, and felt the freshman quarterback was ready.

“We’ve gotta let him shoot a little bit more than we have lately,” Richt said. “Could Murray match (Ryan) Mallett. I don’t know. Of course Joe Cox did last year.”

- Asked to evaluate the run-blocking, Richt called it “fair.”

“And I say that, if I had a bunch of freshmen linemen I’d say it was a pretty decent day. But I expect more of our group,” he said.