What’d you like most?
Well, the ACC’s Coastal Division is again up for grabs.
Georgia Tech’s demolition of North Carolina and Virginia Tech’s demolition of Miami means it’s a three-horse race between the Jackets, Canes and Hokies, unless the Tar Heels can somehow show more than they did on Saturday. Of course, that’s what folks were saying about the Jackets a week ago.
Here’s what makes it interesting to me: Virginia Tech couldn’t have ordered better conditions on any kind of pay weather site for its game against the Hurricanes. The rain neutralized Jacory Harris, and meant that Tyrod Taylor didn’t have to try to do anything to win the game. For all purposes, Virginia Tech is a one-dimensional team. I know what Taylor did last week against Nebraska, but those kind of plays aren’t the kind you can count on.
Now, that sets up a huge game between the Techs in a few weeks in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech stoned North Carolina’s rushing attack, just crushed it. It’ll be interesting to see how the Jackets will plan against the Hokies.
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But, first things first. Mississippi State is up next week, and the Bulldogs aren’t to be taken lightly. They should have beat LSU on Saturday, but couldn’t punch it in first and goal from the 3.
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The Jackets have got to get their kicking games issues fixed. Scott Blair seems to have lost his confidence. He missed field goals to the left and right on Saturday, as well as kicking the ball out of bounds twice.
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The draw play that Johnson called for Jonathan Dwyer was very effective against the Tar Hells, as was the quick pitch. Better blocking on the perimeter may have helped on the quick pitch.
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What did you like most? Nesbitt’s toughness? Dwyer’s big game? The defense? The coaching?
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136 comments Add your comment
William Casey
September 27th, 2009
9:48 am
NESBITT is one tough son of a gun! Favorite moment: Nesbitt, obviously hurting, runs 9 yards for the clinching touchdown. GT played hard!
Stinger
September 27th, 2009
9:48 am
Superdawg – another if for you. If Arizona State’s kicker had not kicked the ball into Green’s hand, you loose to another non ranked team. Your team is pathetic. You lost to the only ranked team (Highly over rated I might add) and barely squeak by 3 unranked teams. You are about to get into the part of your schedule that you can’t compete against. Losses will come to Florida, Tenn, LSU, Auburn, and Tech. This will give you the 6 losses that I predicted before the season began.
Native Son
September 27th, 2009
9:50 am
I enjoyed the fact, that they did something with Dwyer other than dive plays up the middle. The truth of the matter here, is that this option game should be played a whole lot faster, but they’re playing mostly at a traditional speed.
What I see on the O-line is we’re giving teams too much push, allowing them to set up on the edges and wait. This is when Nesbitt should throw, instead of trying to catch a team unawares on a first down. Nothing against that, but read what the defense is giving you, and be accurate with the passes, long, or short.
What I feel good about is it seems this offense really gets crankin’ about mid-season.
Native Son
September 27th, 2009
9:53 am
P.S.: 300 yards rushing is always good, and 7-11 is great for Nesbitt.
Go ACC Champs 2009-2010
RT in NC
September 27th, 2009
10:02 am
Living in NC, loving the win!
Loved the fact that the entire backfield was whooping it up after the game. The boys looked just tired after the last two. I don’t know if it was CPJ or the players that found some intensity. We’ll need it over the next month.
Has anyone noticed that the “forward progress stopped prior to falling out of bounds” rule has taken over in pros and college. A player practically has to run out of bounds untouched to stop the clock anymore. It requires too much judgment on the ref’s part. If the player makes it out of bounds, the clock should stop, forward progress or not.
GT Rich
September 27th, 2009
10:05 am
I really liked the delayed hand-offs to Dwyer instead of doing the dive play over and over. Definitely gave him a chance to explode through the line. The defense played their first complete game. Except for Burnett getting beat on the TD pass, they were stellar. Miss State has a stout run D….but then again, so did UNC until yesterday!!
son_sir
September 27th, 2009
10:15 am
What’d I like most ? This week the Jackets were motivated to play ball. Last week at the U, for whatever reason, they weren’t.Also, good to see the pundits disproven again – re. the formula for stopping the flexbone has been found. Execute and make the blocks, it will work. Don’t and it won’t.
On the down side, the kicking unit was miserable and will cost the Jackets in a tight one if it is not fixed in a hurry. While the passing unit improved some, would still like to see more involvement by the A-Backs in the passing game.
The best thing to happen to Tech was a close game between Miss. State and LSU. I think the Jackets will respect that (for obvious reasons) and prepare well.
T.O.S.S.
September 27th, 2009
10:37 am
Good game nerds. Very happy for you.
T.O.S.S.
September 27th, 2009
10:40 am
Stinger, here is an “if” for you:
IF Tech had hot chicks, would you dorks notice?
SavJacket
September 27th, 2009
10:46 am
What is amazing is how we have gone from “Oh my God, we are failures. The offense doesn’t work. See I told you.” to “What did you like most about Saturday’s performance?” I tell you what I liked most, the fact that Miami awoke from its dream-like state, and that we played as we should have all along. Too bad it was a week late.
MAP quest
September 27th, 2009
10:54 am
Here you go again best team in fulton county,oh excuse me that would be MIAMI!where did ya’ll go last week we could not find you.oh you were lost.
Tie-Rod
September 27th, 2009
11:14 am
Da U is back! Hahahaha.
James
September 27th, 2009
11:30 am
We played well. Finally. And against a good defense. Phwew. That’s my favorite part!
I saw a lot of things I liked. The offense didn’t pretend like they were superstars, they just blocked well, held on to the ball (mostly), and ground it out downfield. During the UM game, they seemed like they expected someone would make it 60 yards on one awesome carry, instead ending up with nothing or negative yards. During this game, they seemed like they EXPECTED 4 yards, and then anticipated for the big play.
I was watching on TV, and on one punt, the announcer said something about “this is the freshman long snapper’s first snap of the year…”. The punt was good, caught down near the 10, and then the return man got DEMOLISHED by some skinny white kid. Who was it? The long snapper. I thought that was classic.
Even if we just have to decide that Scott Blair isn’t a great kicker, at least he still plays with heart. I don’t think he’s ever lost us a game on a missed field goal (less than 45 yards) that anyone should be expected to make. And he’s saved several touchdowns with smart tackling on special teams. He needs to get his confidence back. He served us well as a very average average kicker last year. If nobody else steps up, he can do it again.
GT Fan...
September 27th, 2009
11:35 am
Not really “thrilled” about anything but the W. And thank you VT for leveling the Coastal race. Now I’ll explain what I saw yesterday….
The D appeared dominant b/c the O held the ball for 42:06 out 60:00; UNC had fewer reps to get more yards. Getting concerned about the lack of pressure (2nd game in a row) on the QB. Pass D is sketchy too. MB gets burned again for a 40 yd TD. Yates had numerous bad throws to OPEN receivers, and there were a few drops by receivers on well thrown balls. A few more catches keeping drives alive … who knows. GT can’t expect every QB and receivers to play like UNC’s did.
Josh Nesbitt should NOT be running 32 times. The O-line got blown-up many times! On numerous occassions there were 3-4 blue shirts at the point of attack. The replay was on Comcast ch53 last night … lots of missed blocks by the GT offense – lots.
Dwyer was playing hurt (or hungover or something) …. he was NOT the JD we’re used to seeing. His 2 long runs should have been TDs with the speed we know he has. Looked to me like he was protecting his shoulder. That said, he still had 158 yds rushing which is fantastic. But to think how bad it really could’ve been for UNC if a 100% JD was running.
Don’t get me started on the kicking game — pure pathetic. And could someone PLEASE block #34 for UNC on punt return??? The guys was in JT’s face every time he caught a punt!
UNC turnovers were huge for the Jackets …. maybe this puts the ‘08 loss more in perspective to all the “experts” that claimed UNC blew out GT last season.
Seeing what I saw, and knowing GT’s potential, I’m very optimistic for the Jackets considering the total domination in the stats while, IMO, not playing so well.
wreckmaniac
September 27th, 2009
12:03 pm
For the first time this year, Tech looked like last year’s team. The defense has certainly jelled. Our offense is still unpredictable. You
can’t win against teams like Va Tech when you get inside the 10 and come
away with nothing.
UNC is much less than expected. They had a much stronger team last year so I don’t know how to evaluate this win. Butch Davis is a fine coach
and I just cannot understand how his team played at the level it did yesterday.
joke by coke
September 27th, 2009
12:10 pm
knock knock.who’s there,miami,we are not home
PDubATL
September 27th, 2009
12:48 pm
Wow, we are just getting hosed in the polls… The coaches’ poll has us at #26 while Georgia moves up to #14 after barely beating ASU at home. VT moves up to #6.
GTMan
September 27th, 2009
1:14 pm
The Defence was much more improve… I saw a little more blitzing, getting some pressure on the QB…Someething that was missing in Miami. PJ need to mix some plays, because the “A” back is giving away the direction of the play… I saw NC keying in on the “A” back. I have confidence that PJ will see that in film study. Great game except for the Kicking. Can we please get a better kicker. Where is Siccion when we need him. And we need some better RED-ZONE play…. Nice place for some play action pass…. Score should have been much more than it was.
Booger
September 27th, 2009
1:43 pm
doggs, get a life. you escaped with a win. shut up.
ARE YOU THAT STUPID
September 27th, 2009
2:51 pm
What I liked most is we were not as stupid as we were against Miami who was going to be NC till they got crushed by VT.
Second thing I liked most was how North Carolina just laid down and didn’t play with any fire or gumption. That is one pathetic looking ACC team. Of course the whole ACC is pathetic (see Florida Stare vs South Florida The ACC is in a race to see who is the most pathetic team.
I think we will win the most pathetic award because we are the most stupid. We will lose to Miss. State then to VT. Then our season will boil down to what it always does… Can we beat UGA.. that is what defines our program. Now that is stupid for you.
Not Disappointed
September 27th, 2009
3:35 pm
Screw the polls! Play ball and worry about the rest at the end of the year.
Ramblin Wreck!
P
September 27th, 2009
3:56 pm
Enter your comments here
GT76
September 27th, 2009
4:00 pm
We beat MSU on the road next week and the polls will take care of themselves. 27-7 on a day when there were still mistakes suggests this team can be great. It’s up to them. I’m just glad the bad call on the clock at the end of the first half was not a factor. Could have cost us the game if it were close. It probably cost us at least a field goal.
GT Joe
September 27th, 2009
4:07 pm
Hey UGAy fans, I thought UNC was one of those teams that “figured out our offense” last year. I guess they forgot what they did to stop us?
GT65
September 27th, 2009
4:18 pm
I hope like hell this team doesn’t look past MSU. That team is capable of beating our a$$.
Techfanplus
September 27th, 2009
4:18 pm
Is it not permissable to review a call such as the oot of bounds play and not stopping the clock on a first down? Seems as if you should if you can review the spot of the ball as was done and ruled against Tech.
toh3llwithgeorgia
September 27th, 2009
4:19 pm
I love the 4-3!!!! And Josh Nesbitt!!!
toh3llwithgeorgia
September 27th, 2009
4:21 pm
And can someone explain to me haw UGA is ranked ahead of us? Even after they still haven’t really earned a win, and even after we have beaten a ranked team and they have not? I’m just saying.
GT65
September 27th, 2009
4:39 pm
Maybe because right now they are better than us?
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
4:42 pm
i was impressed with techs effort against nc they played so much better and the blocking was a little better, but they still missed so many blocks. imagine how explosive tech could be if the oline could block better. great win tech, nc has a stout defense and we dominated them in most faucets of the game. get ready for miss state they are improved fro last year, but if we come out focused we should win easily.
GT65
September 27th, 2009
4:43 pm
Did they not review that play and determine that there was no 1st down? Maybe I’m wrong.
GT65
September 27th, 2009
4:50 pm
Houston keeps helping UGA out in the polls. Obviously they are for real. Clemson keeps hurting us. Obviously they’re not.
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
4:51 pm
1
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
4:54 pm
Enter your comments here
Dan Voss
September 27th, 2009
5:01 pm
When our starting Center went out, Dan Voss stepped in like a man on fire. I think he may have earned himself some snaps. He got under some UNC D linemen and pushed em 9 yards plus into the backfield so Josh could get some late yardage to salt this one away. Good job, man!
Von Jennings
September 27th, 2009
5:02 pm
Can we please spend a scholarship on a kicker. Scott Blair shouldn’t even be in uniform, much less kicking. He lucked up in the Clemson game. If CPJ continues to use him we will loose some games just on our kicking game. Please, please, keep Blair on the bench. Maybe he can carry a clip board or something. If he is on scholarship what a waste.
Enter your comments here
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
5:06 pm
First off, Great coaching during the off week and the game. Great playcalling. Great effort. Great heart. Really everyone looked really good and played better. I felt good about the team watching the game live, but watching it on the DVR replay solidified my feelings even more.
UGAIsSoLastYear
September 27th, 2009
5:07 pm
NYJacket – when did you graduate? 9000!? We’re at almost 18,000 now, I think.
About all the comments on the passing and good idea to have him pass shorter ones to get his confidence and pass some to the RB’s . . . I sent the coach and email after the Clemson game in which he had Nesbitt throw a bomb on his 1st play. I asked him why he was calling a play for a bomb by a QB that isn’t a good passer? I told him he should have plays where he throws 5-15 yd passes to get his rythym and confidence and also to throw to the RB’s. I’m just that good! And…he listened!! I am impressed.
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
5:08 pm
On offense:
Wow, the Abacks blocked. PJ needs to keep it simple more often. When the Abacks block its a night and day game for us. I noticed when we got on the perimeter, as long as the abacks blocked it was ok if the tackles got blown up because we would gain positive yardage. Sellers and Barrack played ok. They are much better blockers in space, ie. going to take out a linebacker or safety than they are blocking a dlineman. When they do this, the play is almost always going to the outside. I noticed a few plays where they just got tossed around, but when they go after a linebacker, I feel sorry for the lb because every time they cut their legs out.
Runningbacks looked awesome. Josh showed why I think he has great potential. I just wish he could put it together for a string of games. He showed more guts yesterday than any player out there. UNC was constantly going after his legs sometimes after the tackle occurred. Dwyer had the game we’ve been waiting for. AA threw some nice blocks, and Roddy was his regular solid dependable self. Preston Lyons is a strong up the middle option. He brings it.
I’ve been cursing playcalling for the last two weeks because PJ seemed like he was out of his element. Not yesterday. He did exactly what we do best. I love the addition of the draw play to our offense. even the line was pass blocking like a pro offense on that call. Defense had no idea what happened.
ObjectiveTechFan
September 27th, 2009
5:09 pm
toh3llwithgeorgia you are an absolute total idiot. UGA hasn’t “really earned a win”? Come on jackazz! They lost 1 game. They came from behind in shootouts twice, scoring 52 and 41 points in the process. They made a defensive stand, took the ball and got a win last night. We beat J’vile St. Whoopee! We blew a 24 point lead with Clemson and had to have two special teams TDs to win that game. We got totally beat down by Miami who got totally beat down by VT who got totally beat down by Alabama.. Once behind in the Miami game we had absolutely no chance and even appeared to have quit. UGA with their capability to score might could have hung in with Miami. Their defense is no worse than ours. That’s why we are behind them in the polls moron. And that Houston team everybody was ragging on has now beat OSU and Texas Tech. Now dimwit, do you understand how the pollsters see things? I’m just saying, in the words of the immortal Paul Johnson…..”are you that stupid”?
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
5:11 pm
On defense:
Our four leading tacklers were defensive backs, but that said, I thought Jefferson was in on almost every play. He showed a lot. Rashad Reid seemed to be playing 3 positions at once. Morgan Burnett with the exceptioon of one play, played like an all american.
I loved the new look DLine. Logan Walls has found a home. The guy can play. He was all over the place. Ebiguniwe showed some promise. We still need to manufacture more pressure and I think we helped that by going to a 4-3 defense. Cross played some solid minutes and Barnes and Peters rotated in a lot. Walls is definitely the starter now though.
Our secondary was lights out yesterday. How we go from Miami to UNC in performance is incomprehendable to me. As I’ve said all year, Reid needs to be a regular starter on defense. Reid next to Morgan Burnett has the best instincts of any defensiveback I’ve seen at GT.
I will say this. I don’t think our new look defense was all that tested. For one, we held the ball on offense for 42 minutes and two, UNC’s offense is lethargic. So this is a nice effort from the defense, but really its not a great indicator to me how much they improved yesterday.
Going back to offense, no one has the blue print to our offense. UNC’s defense was pretty stout. I thought they tackled poorly, but PJ tends to make other teams do that.
The officiating yesterday as we all know was horrendous. Just how horrendous? It was the WORST I have seen since the GT/VT game last year. It was probably worse than that, but since we convincingly won, it doesn’t stick out as much. Had this been a close game and we lost, Swofford would be getting some much deserved heat from DRad. Just some of the penalties I saw.
On the non-holding call on Morgan in the 1st series, Ebiguniwe was also being held. In fact I saw him being held 2 more times throughout the game with non-calls. We got horse collared twice and one facemask that I never saw called. Not to mention the end of the 1st half. If the refs didn’t have an agenda, then they are completely incompetent. I don’t know what can be done about this but as fans with you tube and blog abilities, we need to point so much fun at the incompetency of ACC refs that Swofford takes notice.
joetgt
September 27th, 2009
5:14 pm
i see tech beating miss state next game 31-21
Sam
September 27th, 2009
5:18 pm
ObjectiveTechFan that fork you stuck in toh3llwithgeorgia still probably didn’t let any of that air out of his head. Tech has always had an issue with thinking they are better than they are with nothing to validate it. And it inevitably leads to their demise ala LSU and Miami. Nothing ever changes in that regard at Tech. It isn’t going to surprise me if they get their butts handed to them Saturday night in Starkville thinking big bad GT is going to roll into Starkville and crush poor little MSU.
UGAIsSoLastYear
September 27th, 2009
5:20 pm
Clemson, at Miami, UNC, at Miss St, at FSU, Va Tech . . . 6 games in a row that are very tough. Can we sustain and be consistent week after week? Well we messed one up already. Chan would have won 3 of the 6. I thin, unfortunately, PJ can only do 1 better at 4 out of 6. You think we can win 5 of those 6? I hope so but am not too sure.
Lil Joe
September 27th, 2009
5:22 pm
Another embarrassing week for the ACC.
Alabama Jack
September 27th, 2009
5:26 pm
To: ARE YOU THAT STUPID – here’s your sign.
Paul Castellano
September 27th, 2009
5:35 pm
Any team that can throw the football can beat GT. That’s just fact. Tech is a one dimensional football team that has to play from the front. VT, FSU, UGA, and yes, even MSU can put points on Tech and make them play from behind, which they show no ability to do. The above teams can get behind and still outscore GT. This years team is nowhere near as good as last year’s team at this point offensively.
Paul Castellano
September 27th, 2009
5:39 pm
joetgt Miami to UNC is incomprehensible to you. Could it be the difference in Jacory Harris and T.J. Yates? Could it be the difference in Miami’s recieving corp and UNC’s? DUHHHHHH!!
carolina jacket
September 27th, 2009
5:44 pm
I loved the effort, but UNC sure looked pathetic too.
Booger
September 27th, 2009
6:06 pm
Paul, maybe you should watch a Tech game before you open your yapper.