The Red and Black

Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: Opinions

Let Dogs' coaching staff 'fix the problem'

I was scared the moment Georgia Tech hired Paul Johnson as its head coach. I knew it would just be a matter of time before "clean old-fashioned hate" would become a competitive rivalry again.

I had seen what Johnson had done at Navy and Georgia Southern. I just didn't realize Tech would beat us so soon.

So before everyone fires Willie Martinez for the defense's performance against Georgia Tech this past weekend, consider this:

The last time Georgia played a triple-option team was in 2004 against Georgia Southern. The 2004 Southern team was coached by Paul Johnson's successor, Mike Sewak. This team obviously had far less talent than any legitimate Division I-A school.

However, that Eagles team ran for 294 rushing yards and scored 28 points, the most given up by the Georgia defense the entire year - a defense that consisted of David Pollack, Thomas Davis and Odell Thurman, among others.

The 2004 defense was also coached by everyone's favorite coordinator these days, Brian Van Gorder.

If Georgia Southern can run for that many yards and score that many points against the then third-ranked team in the country, how can anyone expect a far more talented Georgia Tech team not to do the same?

Also consider this:

I don't think I would find too many people who would argue with me when I say that Erk Russell was one of the best defensive coordinators Georgia has ever had.

In 1982, Russell would go on to start Georgia Southern's football program from scratch, implementing the triple-option. Just three years later, Russell and the Eagles won the Division I-AA national championship with none other than Johnson as the offensive coordinator.

I think it's safe to say that as a defensive coordinator, Russell installed an offense he knew was the most difficult for defenses to defend.

I am not making excuses for Martinez; I am just giving everyone something to think about before storming into the Georgia Dome demanding that Van Gorder come back.

I realize this does not account for the lackluster performances against Alabama, LSU, Florida, Kentucky or Auburn. And I realize that players being out of position, and poor tackling, fundamentals and discipline are a reflection of coaching. I believe some sort of change should be made.

However, I also believe that coach Mark Richt and the coaching staff know a lot more than any of us, and I trust he will do whatever needs to be done to fix the problem.

ROGER WELLS
Junior, Kennsaw
Landscape Architecture

Printing students' names deplorable

I was thoroughly disappointed The Red & Black felt the urge to report about students who garnered felonies during the break in Tuesday's paper.

Is mentioning the students by name and listing every single thing they did wrong really a productive way to convey a message?

The fact that the students were identified on the front page of the paper is preposterous, as well. Instead of publicly embarrassing students, why don't you guys report on something constructive, such as why the MLC is open until 2 am., whereas Snelling is open 24/5, increasing the likelihood of obesity among the student population?

Or how about you write about the lack of buses riding certain routes? Does the University really need a North-South bus route, which 12 total people actually ride?

If you are going to report crimes or arrests on campus next time, mentioning the students by name might not be the best idea.

BENJAMIN CARTOON
Sophomore, Atlanta
Pre-Business

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