This article was originally published with Dawgs247 on November 3, 2015 and can be found  here.

ATHENS — Mark Richt doesn’t live in a bubble. The longtime Georgia head coach is aware of the calls for his firing after the Bulldogs dropped to 5-3 on the season with a 27-3 loss to Florida on Saturday. The defeat to the Gators meant Georgia had lost three of its last four games and has stretched its touchdown drought to two consecutive games.

Richt said he understands the frustrations that are mounting among the avid fan base.

“I like the fact that we have passionate fans,” Richt said. “I don’t mind if people get mad about the results that aren’t what they’re hoping for. That’s why there’s thousands of people that travel thousands of miles to go to games. That doesn’t surprise me at all, and I don’t get mad at them. I don’t blame them for feeling a certain way.”

The criticism towards his players, however, is something Richt does not tolerate. He explained that people overlook the rigors of being a college athlete. The task of managing football and academics is not easy, and fans may forget the balancing act they have to encounter. Attacking the head coach who is paid to handle the situation is one thing; going after the players on his team is entirely different.

But there’s no talk of a lost season from Richt. He was adamant that the team can overcome its issues for the final four regular season games. It all depends on if the players stick together and block out the outside noise.

“You focus on the things you can control,” Richt said. “You fight and you fight together. That’s the main thing.”

Richt expects the fans to come out in full force the Bulldogs’ matchup against Kentucky on Saturday, their last Southeastern Conference home game of the season.

“No matter how you feel as a fan, I think it’s important to support these guys,” Richt said. “Just like this Saturday coming up. I really believe the Dawg Walk should be full and everybody riled up and ready to play a ball game. The Dawgs are going to play the Cats this week. Everybody needs to show up and get excited.”