Georgia has had its back to the wall before

ATHENS -- Georgia could have rolled over and quit.

Coming off a disappointing 6-7 season in 2010, the Bulldogs dropped their first two games in 2011 to Boise State and South Carolina. The temperature was high on Mark Richt's seat, with Georgia's head coach needing to find a way out of the situation he was in.

The Bulldogs then reeled off 10 consecutive wins and reached the SEC championship. Yes, they lost to LSU, which went on to play for the national championship, and they were defeated by Michigan State in triple-overtime of the Outback Bowl.

But Richt was able to climb out of the hole he started the year with and secure a 10-win season.

With Richt's future in limbo at this juncture, there's some wonder as to whether he'll be able to get himself out of the hole that has been dug through eight games of the 2015 season.

"You just never know how close you are to success," Richt said. "(In) 2011, if everybody said the sky was falling and everybody fell apart at the seams, we never could have won 10 in a row like we did that year. You just keep playing, keep believing, keep moving forward in a positive way."

The last time Georgia endured three losses in a four-game span was in 2010, when the Bulldogs lost four games in a row after winning the season-opener. The current stretch isn't anything this group of players is used to.

"I know we're not going to be like some teams and just give up when you get to this point," senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. "This is going to be a huge turning point, during this week of practice."

While the SEC championship is out of consideration, the Bulldogs have shifted their focus to winning out, especially among the seniors. While the season didn't go as expected, they want to turn things around before their time in a Georgia uniform ends.

"As a man, as a football player, in this case, life goes on," senior inside linebacker Jake Ganus said. "We've got four more weeks of the regular season and then a bowl game. I'm a senior. All the other seniors, we want to go out on the highest note possible, win the rest of our games and go to a good bowl. Just do everything we can. It's tough, but you've just got to go back to work.

"This is a tough situation, but we can handle it and we can show everyone how we fight and how we deal with adversity."

Senior offensive lineman Kolton Houston echoed the sentiment.

"I want to win out," he said. "I want to win these next five ballgames. "I don't want my sixth year to be some crap, basically. I want to leave this place on a good note. We got to get the ball rolling again and finish strong."

Before the 2011 turnaround, Georgia dealt with some struggles in 2006, which mirrors this 2015 season a little more. Georgia was 6-4 and had issues at quarterback, with Richt turning to a freshman Matthew Stafford in the middle of the season.

Not expected to finish the 2006 season strong, Georgia defeated Auburn 37-15 and Georgia Tech 15-12. The Bulldogs then rallied to defeat Virginia Tech 31-24 in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

"I've been saying it a bunch, but I think that you really need to focus on what you can control, and that's your job," Richt said. "I think that we need, our players and our coaches, need to keep from dwelling on anything other than 'what do I do on this play, what do I do on this day, and what do I do this week as far as preparation?'

"You've got to focus on your job and do it the best you can and stay positive. You have to stay united and stay together. We've always been able to do that and I have faith we'll be able to do it again."

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 11:10 PM with the headline "Georgia has had its back to the wall before ."