Football and basketball notes
Good morning…
The men’s basketball team will play an early-season tournament in Puerto Rico, officially called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-off.
Eight teams will be in the tourney, which runs Nov. 19-22 and airs on ESPN. Each team is guaranteed three games.
Only seven teams were announced Tuesday, and pairings have not been finalized. It looks like a strong field: Villanova (in the Final Four), Dayton (reached NCAA Tournament second round), Indiana, Kansas State, UAB, George Mason and Tech.
In the 2008 event, Xavier beat Memphis for the championship.
This will be the Jackets’ third tournament off the U.S. mainland in the last four years. They didn’t go to one this past season.
On to football….
The secondary will be a lot more experienced this year, with everyone returning except Jahi Word-Daniels. It also will be deeper. Jerrard Tarrant, a 6-foot, 189-pound redshirt sophomore from Carrollton, is one reason why. Tarrant was impressive last spring and would have had a chance to start had he not been suspended. Here’s the background on that saga.
This spring, he’s shown good hands and a little bit of rust.
“He gives us another player who’s got pretty good skills and ability,” CPJ said after Monday’s practice. “He’s a little bit rusty, but you can watch him go through drills and see that he’s a talented kid…We knew he was pretty good last year. We had him in spring.”
In addition to pushing the starting corners, Tarrant is being tried as a returner.
“We’ll take a good look at him as a returner,” CPJ said. “I think he’s got some ability to do that.”
Couple other notes….We wrote the other day about Tyler Melton’s comeback from a knee injury. He could be the solid receiver Tech needs opposite Demaryius Thomas. When I asked about that, CPJ made an interesting point.
“Nobody double-covered [Thomas] last year anyway. With the nature of what we do, it’s pretty hard to double cover.”
CPJ added, however, that having two “weapons” at wideout would be beneficial. “We might not have to go as much to one side.”
Finally, the coach shed a bit of light on the offensive backfield. He was talking about how he decides who plays where. He said he considers the importance of putting people “where they fit” and at the same time trying to “get the best 11 on the field.”
“I don’t know who’s going to be the three backs,” he said. “I know who one of them (Jonathan Dwyer) is gonna be. I probably know who two of them (Roddy Jones) are gonna be, but then that third spot, if Anthony (Allen) is better, or whoever, or Lucas (Cox) might be a better B-back, you’ve just got to move them around.”
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81 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
4:50 pm
AN, we DID win the national championship in 1990, but we were not in a major bowl. The ACC didn’t have a tie in with the major bowls then, so Tech got screwed and sent to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. It still paid off big time for us though, since we DID win big and win the UPI National Championship—which eventually evolved into the BCS Championship (same crystal trophy, and we have it in a case on campus).
Minnesota, I was in school at Tech from 1962 to 1967 (counting grad school). Those were, of course, Dodd’s last years, 1966 being his last. Dodd ALWAYS fielded great defenses, but the best I ever saw was in 1966 with Bud Carson as DC. Because of his defense he was named head coach on Dodd’s retirement. He continued to field great defenses, but he was a stubborn man, and he only started building a real offense the last 2 years he was there. It was, in hindsight, a major mistake to hire him to begin with, but, also in hindsight, because of the turn things were finally taking, it was probably also a big mistake to fire him when we did. Carson, of course, went on to build the Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh, so that should tell you something about how good a defense he could build. Second to his defenses, in my lifetime as a Tech fan, was the Black Watch Curry’s last year. The 1990 defense was a typical O’Leary defense; they usually held when it counted, but they gave up way too many yards most of the time, and, like Tenuta’s defense, they seemed to put it on the line only when they felt like it. I enjoyed Tenuta’s blitzing and stunting, but overall, I hated his defensive scheme, and I’m glad he’s gone. Pepper, as I said in an earlier post, never fielded a good defense, although he had some real superstars on the field. If he just had not been so damn arrogant and stubborn, who knows what those teams might have been like?
Long answer to a short question…LOL
45 – 42 ! RUN, RODDY, RUN !!!
THWG
scott
April 1st, 2009
4:57 pm
Supersize mutt l was at sanford and son stadium when we beat them in the mud in 74 (peppers 1st year 35 to 20) l was on the bridge and l guy had a sideline pass and l bought it from him for $10 not knowing if l was a sucker or not, turned out that the sideline pass was good so l watched the game and was talking to some players and flirting with
peppers daughter, she was cute and she was real nice, however Pepper and georgia tech got alot further with georgia than l did with Peppers daughter. man she really missed out
MinnesotaJacket
April 1st, 2009
4:59 pm
Great comments from all you guys…great to hear good conversation and to think back about some of the great heritage that Tech football has…truly awesome to hear that kind of devotion from fans!!
GTSS I agree with you again about UGA fans riding the coat tails of other teams…if it ain’t your team don’t brag about them…
I also agree though that these next 2 yeras could be extremely special for the ACC and GT especially…because if GT comes out and doesn’t make the mistakes on offense like we did last year and allow our yound d-line to grow and use the talent that is there…it could be one hell of year…
Also lets not forget a win at home against UGA so we can hear even more excuses next year at this time
Go Jackets!!
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
5:09 pm
Scott, cool that you were at that game too, and sorry about your luck with Pepper’s daughter…LOL. I took my dad to that game in Athens; it was the only time I ever took him to a game, although he and my mom did go to the Tech – UT game in Knoxville in 1967 or 1969 (I forget which). It was so cold and miserable that day in Athens that I suggested at half-time that we leave (I didn’t want him to get sick or anything). Most of the UGAG fans left at the half, and the stadium was only about half-full by then. My dad shocked the hell out of me by refusing to leave, saying he was enjoying it too much. I think that’s the closest I ever felt to my dad; I was SO PROUD of him. The only time I ever took my mom to a Tech game was to the Tech – UGAG game in Atlanta in 1969. Tech won that one too, 6-0 (another one of Carson’s great defense/no offense games). My whole family are Tech fans. My brother-in-law went to UGAG, but ALWAYS cheered for Tech, even when he was a student in Athens, including when they played the mutts. His son and one of his sons in law also went to Tech. We BLEED white and gold
surfrider
April 1st, 2009
5:10 pm
Great comments from the Head Coach and the fans. Tech will be deep and talented at the three backs and even QB. The problem with the passing game the last few years has been the touch and execution of the aspect. We’re not that far off a pass a lit big more accurate and a little bit more catching, some think hands is more important than speed if they can block, eventhough speed is critical as well. Jimmy Robinson and I think Steve Raible did well in Pepper’s Wishbone before passing came back on the scene. They could block, had good hands and were quick. Both went on to play in the NFL if not mistaken. Tech could really challenge our 1999 offense if it can develop a passing game that helps the option even more. Hopefully the Defense will be staying strong throughout the year, a top 30 finish there last year is not bad and hopefully we can improve on that too.
m
April 1st, 2009
5:13 pm
Chan was by far the worst coach in Tech history. He didn’t even try…he just came here to cash a fat paycheck since no one in the NFL would hire him as a head coach. Give me Curry or Lewis anyday. And any of you Tech folks that are defending Chan now or in the past SUCK to the nth degree. It is you fools that helped allow him to stay here for 6 long horrible years. Thank God and Greyhound that he is gone forever and it is a shame that he didn’t take his idiotic supporters with him.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
5:16 pm
m, I DID NOT LIKE Chan Gailey, but for you to even THINK that he was worse than Bill Lewis is absurd. Chan, for better or worse, at least won a few games. Lewis couldn’t have won against Louisiana-Monroe. That’s why he was fired mid-season, and not after 6 years of crap.
m
April 1st, 2009
5:45 pm
Bill Lewis didn’t have the worst loss in Tech history of ugag. Bill Lewis didn’t have the worst loss in 100 years to Clemson. Bill Lewis at least tried to do a good job. Chan didn’t even try. He was too busy trying to get home to watch Little House on the Prairie reruns. He sucked the life out of Tech and everyone that defends him sucks too.
GT
April 1st, 2009
6:38 pm
Gailey is the disease that is found in about everything now days. “I exist I need to be paid.” The A.I.G. man of football.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
6:54 pm
Bill Lewis did not, indeed, have the worst loss in Tech history to UGAG. But Bill Lewis had the WORST LOSS TO ANY TEAM ANYWHERE SINCE 1904, when in 1993, the Jackets were beaten by FSU 51-0. And, even though Lewis had been replaced mid-season, O’Leary coached that team in 1994 to the second worse loss ever to UGAG. Imagine how bad it would have been if Lewis had not been fired mid-season. On the plus side, Tech still owns the largest victory margin over UGAG at 48 points, plus, as we all know, the longest win streak at 8. At any rate, neither Bill Lewis nor Chan Gailey were any good, but I still maintain that Lewis was worse. Had Tech not fired him when they did, there might not be a division one football program at Tech now. I always knew that we would survive the Gailey years; it was just a matter of how long they would go on. And with CPJ in charge, we not only survived, we came out WAY WAY AHEAD of anything since 1990.
eBuzz
April 1st, 2009
7:09 pm
Good comments from many about worst head coaches. My worst are:
Bill Lewis (nice guy, but like a deer in the headlights during a game.)
Bill Curry (faux nice guy, sanctimonious jerk is more like it. What is Ga. State smoking?)
Chan Gailey (nice guy, but did too little with what he had and stuck with that thug, moron QB who couldn’t count up to 4. Seemed disinterested at times.)
Lots of stuff about Pepper is accurate, but what most people don’t know is that he was never wanted by Dodd, who constantly operated behind his back to screw over him. For some good entertainment read Pepper’s hilarious book “Fourth and Long Gone” with the understanding that Dodd was the guy he was taking jabs at. Dodd certainly had a good record and everyone loved him, but I will always wonder what he could have accomplished had he had real practices instead of no contact when the season started. By then, he had picked his favorites, and it was impossible to move up the chart unless a game injury occurred. It also prevented the players from being ‘game tough’ when it counted. I know. I played for him (and the former comment was not sour grapes, just fact). In 64 we were 7 – 0, then lost two tough games to Fla and Auburn. We were 7 – 2 going into the Ga game, and the Sun Bowl extended an invitation regardless of the outcome. Dodd met with the team on Rose Bowl Field, told us about the invitation, then said that he was going to let us vote, but that he was sure that “you boys all want to be at home on Christmas”. Talk about rigging the vote. The light went out of the players’ eyes and by a hand vote, we declined the invitation. I knew right then and there that we had also just lost to Ga., a team struggling at 5 – 3 – l under first year coach Vince Dooley. Kent Lawrence of Ga. ran a punt back for the only score: Ga. 7 and Tech 0. Ga got the Sun Bowl invitation, beat Texas Tech 7 – 0, finish 7 – 3 – 1, and Dooley began his ascension. I lost all respect for Dodd at the vote. Dodd was also the driving force behind Curry, one of his favorites, to land the Tech job, and he protected him like a mother hen.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
7:32 pm
eBuzz, interesting insight there. I knew that Dodd didn’t like Pepper and loved Curry. I had not heard about the Sun Bowl talk. But I well remember that horrible loss that year to an obviously inferior UGAG team. I was unfortunately there. I was also unfortunately there for Gailey’s first game in Athens too; it was and will be my last trip to Sanford and Son Stadium. Dodd’s practice strategy worked great in the 40s and 50s, but by the mid-60’s, there was no way it could succeed much longer. One of the worst moves Tech ever made, although obviously a logical one, was to keep Dodd on as AD after he retired from coaching. We should NEVER have left the SEC (IMO), no matter how scandalous the Darwin Holt incident was, nor how poorly his recruiting meshed with what the times demanded. And it really pisses me off to read these ignorant UGAG fans talk about how Tech could have rejoined the SEC, when it was Dooley’s veto (coupled with the Miss schools and LSU) which kept it from happening. The ironic thing is that our readmittance was championed by, of all people, Bear Bryant. But the mutts didn’t want us back (I guess they were scared that we would re-emerge as their arch-nemisis), and so Dooley ruled the day.
By the way, I am surprised that nobody today has commented on the Mizzou b’ball coach “spurning” UGAG, as was reported in the Augusta paper. I guess money can’t always get you what you want. I can’t figure why anybody in their right mind would want to coach b’ball at UGAG anyway. But I would give them Hewitt, if they want him. LOL
scott
April 1st, 2009
8:31 pm
l remember trying to get back in the sec. bear bryant was the only one that voted to let us back in.
it is true we could compete better with the mutts if we had majors like yard raking and basket weaving
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
8:36 pm
Well, Scott, if it had not been for the UGAG members of the Georgia legislature in the 40s (or maybe 30s), there probably wouldn’t be a Ga State today, because Tech wanted a school of commerce, and the mutts at the capitol wouldn’t allow it. Imagine the way history would have gone if that had gone Tech’s way. UGAG would probably be no more than GA’s equivalent to Miss State…just another small town college with a so-so football team. It must have killed those guys when in spite of all that, Tech owned the mutts for most of the 40s and 50s.
SugarHillDawg
April 1st, 2009
8:58 pm
Hey DDT= Dawg’s Doggiestyle Tech!!I guess the SEC winning the last 3 NC’s shouldn’t be considered huh?I’ll be in an assisted living home when a team in the ACC wins a NC!!!You’re a SUPERSIZED IDIOT!!!
superDawg
April 1st, 2009
9:24 pm
HUNKERDOWN SUGARHILLDAWG!HUNKERDOWN ONE MORE TIME TECHWRECKED AGAIN!GO DAWGS!!!
route66
April 1st, 2009
10:18 pm
TECH SUCKS.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
10:21 pm
FSU has won 2 National Championships since they joined the ACC, and Tech has won one, whether you mutts choose to recognize it or not (the NCAA certainly recognizes it), and, though prior to joining the ACC, Miami won 3. All of those have been SINCE UGAG won their only one, and the only one they will ever win. So it is certainly not beyond reason that ACC teams can win again. But, of course, you mutts know nothing about reason. All you can do is whine and slam your rivals, especially after they beat you.
RAMBLE ON!!!
April 1st, 2009
10:24 pm
good stories there eBuzz, Supersize.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
10:25 pm
Oops, make that five national championships that Miami has won.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 1st, 2009
10:26 pm
Thanks, RAMBLE ON
GT GRAD
April 1st, 2009
11:40 pm
Paul Hewitt really needs to contact Xavier Henry! He just obtained his release from Memphis.
GT should make it clear that he and his brother are welcome to play basketball and attend GT. (Looks like Xavier & his brother CJ are a package deal and CJ is willing to be a walk on player). He already knows Favors and he might just want to play college ball with Favors and the other 4 excellent recruits we already have coming to play for GT. He might be VERY interested after he realizes the GT recruiting class will instantly become the #1 class in the nation as soon as he signs.
Coach PH has probably already contacted him; If not, somebody needs to talk some sense into Mr. Hewitt!
Teddy Dee
April 2nd, 2009
12:16 am
M saw a need and has simply stepped in and fulfilled it. Most of us would not do it. Almost
everybody thinks he’s a nut. Pause for a moment. They say that “Those Who Forget History Are Doomed to Repeat It”.
So let this Fan who bleeds Gold & White pontificate when the urge hits him. I for one do not want
another President, or Athletics Director who is satisfied with 6 or 7 win seasons because this is
Georgia Tech and we can’t yada, yada,yada, and so forth. We never should be pleased with a
coach who is satisfied with 7 win seasons. That statement alone lets you know that his fire has gone out.
The Israelites grumbled all the way to the Promise Land. God gave them a 40 year detour. I don’t have 40 years. CPJ just might be our Moses. At least he has the fire and he’s running toward the Promise Land. Hope taste like Manna. Dissatisfaction taste like… Oh well, you know what I’m saying.
Anyway lets not forget the mindset that used to prevail before CPJ. Lest we repeat it.
TGAG ! {sounds good to me too. thanks cluett peabody }
BravesFan79
April 2nd, 2009
12:20 am
Dadgum: Thanks man glad someone else sees the light.
Just imagine how fast the NFL would loose fans if the super bowl was “voted on”!
Think about how many super bowl champs would of NEVER been given that opportunity!
Its not that i dont think GT is good enough to win it all, its just that there’s no way the ACC champ will get voted in over those other teams i mentioned before. (unless its FSU or Miami which get national respect…but thats not gonna happen anytime soon)
And im also a UGA fan (2nd favorite team) so yall should do nothing but agree with me 100% as well.
I believe that Joe Hamilton led team could of won it all if put in a 8 team playoff, just i think the UGA team with David Pollack and David Green could of won it all if given the chance!!
See thats whats wrong with CF… if all you stupid fans stopped your pointless bickering and focused on making your sport BETTER….. you could get stuff accomplished!
I think the presidents of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon all expect you to stay busy with your pointless bickering tho…. and you play RIGHT into their hands so no changes are ever forced to be made!!
BravesFan79
April 2nd, 2009
12:20 am
And yes Ramble on…. GT Hoops will be GOOD next year, and no i dont really care for Hewitt either, but i do believe that with the right assistant coaches (not young inexperienced ones like hes had since 2005) that we can consistently be a top 5 ACC team.
I look for GT to be at least a sweet 16 team next year!
Tokyo jacket
April 2nd, 2009
5:18 am
Enter your comments here
Tokyo jacket
April 2nd, 2009
5:19 am
Larry, I’m loving the coverage, but can we please do something about putting an add for the UGA spring game as the header-add for GT sports pages. Come on…I know you guys are cash strapped, but that’s not gonna sell anything.
AlabamaJack
April 2nd, 2009
11:38 am
Tech Wrecked Again – 43 is not a relevant number. 45 is a relevant number as is 42, like in 45-42
Better 43 years as a jacket than 43 seconds as a dawg
AlabamaJack
April 2nd, 2009
11:47 am
ebuzz, weren’t those 1964 losses to ALA and Auburn, not FLA and Auburn. I was a freshman sitting in the stands when Namath limped in off the bench and threw two touchdowns passes against us that killed us.
William Casey
April 2nd, 2009
12:31 pm
eBuzz…….. I enjoyed your walk through memory lane but your memory fails you on the 1964 GT team, a great defensive team by the way. GT started 7-0 but the losses were 14-22 to Tennesee and 7-24 to Alabama. Joe Namath came in with about 4 minutes to play in the first half and threw two TD passes to turn a 0-0 game into a Bama victory. Up until that time, GT had seriously outplayed the Tide, running between the tackles at will between the 20’s.
The 1962 GT defense was the best I ever saw.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 2nd, 2009
2:58 pm
I think William Casey got it right. I was a junior at Tech then, and I remember starting off 7-0 and being ranked 2nd in the nation before the final collapse. And it WAS Tenn, Bama, and UGAG. I was there in ‘62 too, William, and like I said yesterday all of Dodd’s defenses were great. I choose the 66 defense over the 62 one, because the talent really wasn’t as good in 66, but what was done with it was outstanding.