Quotes from Tech’s loss
SHREVEPORT, La. — Quotes from Georgia Tech’s 14-7 loss to Air Force in the Independence Bowl, courtesy of bowl organizers:
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson
“Air Force played a very good game. I said before the game started that the team that won the turnover battle is going to win the game and that is what happened. The way the game was going I knew both teams were not going to have the ball many times and I knew that.”
“We started the second half and we put together a great drive and then we fumbled the ball on the 3-yard line. It was kind of a microcosm of our season. Then we come in and have a defensive series and hold them, fumble again, go out and hold them. Then fumble again. It is hard to overcome all of those mistakes.”
“It is very disappointing. At the start of the third quarter I thought we had the game right where we wanted it. They got a touchdown and go up 14-7, but to their credit we didn’t get it in. We fumbled the ball.”
“We had to go to our back up returner, and he didn’t have it. He misjudged the first one and then he probably lost confidence after that. He has been the back-up returner all year and it is just one of those things. We had our chances, so don’t lay the loss on him.”
Defensive End Jason Peters
“Sometimes things don’t go your way and at this point we should know how to grow and mature as a team and learn how to handle those things better. The situations that don’t turn out in our favor we need to learn how to turn it in our favor and have a better outcome next time.
“That is one thing we expected to do and we expected from the young guys and you see how they work in practice. We push each other and we push ourselves and we know that we expect that from the rest of them.”
Running back Anthony Allen
On fumble before halftime
“We are kinda used to having long drives and taking some time off the clock and driving down and grinding it in. It is kinda heartbreaking and frustrating when you drive all the way into the red zone and have a fumble. The momentum kind of turned around from there when they went and scored.”
On if reality has set in that he has played his final college game
“Oh yeah most definitely. This was my last game. I wanted to go out with a win and get Georgia Tech its first bowl win in a few years but that is the way the season went, it was very frustrating. We had opportunities to make plays and win games and we did not do it.”
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun
On first half:
“We were fair on our execution in the first half, and when we’re fair we don’t move the ball nearly as proficiently. Our guys were excited, had a great week of practice, but we just weren’t quite as crisp as we have to be.”
“I thought the drive that we engineered prior to the half time was huge. It just gave us a real good boost coming in. To be able to move down the field . . . we took some shots and we able to make good throws, and in the end were able to convert the field goal. That was a key drive.”
On the upcoming off season:
“We’ll start from scratch. There’s a good bit of building that will have to occur, but we aren’t starting from the beginning. When you think of all the guys you have to replace . . . I mean we’ve got guys that have started nearly 40 games . . . and so we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
On the passing game:
“Coming in we thought we were going to have to hit some play action passes. Coming into the game it was going to be the turnover margin that would be a key part of it and special teams, and, just, how efficiently you could throw would be a part of it too.”
“We’ve got a guy who’s a heck of a passer and we do a tremendous job with protection. We have some capable guys on the outside who are able to run routes too.”
On 4th down conversion attempts:
“Our guys are good enough to execute. That’s who you trust.”
On the field goal kicker getting “iced” at the end of the first half:
“These guys aren’t going to get too riled up. They love to play. You’re not going to be around guys who are any more passionate, any more disciplined, guys that have any more care or pride in them than these guys. Ask these guys what’s it’s like to go through a basic training at the Air Force Academy. . . There’s some poise these guys have—that’s why they’re going to be great leaders.”
Running back Jared Tew
“That first half our offense struggled a little bit, we only got six points on the board, and we came into the locker room at half time and, just, realized we have to put some plays together, we’ve got to execute better than we did in that first half, and basically, if we took care of our responsibilities and every person did their job we knew we could drive the ball, and that’s pretty much what we did.”
On his last TD:
“My number got called on the three yard line and coach SingIeton [] says you get the ball in the red zone you don’t get stopped. I got lucky enough to get my number called, and in my last name I was lucky enough to get a touchdown. It’s pretty cool to end like that.”
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455 comments Add your comment
BigTimeTechFan
December 28th, 2010
8:59 am
@Techmaninathens – Was Tarrant hurt? YES, got hurt in the game
BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
December 28th, 2010
9:03 am
gtu lost to AIR FORCE????? BWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Jack G
December 28th, 2010
9:06 am
If CPJ had any PRIDE, he would say excuse me and submit his resignation
v8 cat
December 28th, 2010
9:08 am
I’m a big Tech fan for 60 years, and I have never seen such a lack of talent and heart. There is not a playmaker (our last one was injured and he is a senior) on the team, and looks like we won’t be getting any after the way the announcers bashed our program. I never thought I would see a CPJ coached team play this way for such a long string of games. The problem is not really the defense. It is the offense and special teams.
buzz fart
December 28th, 2010
9:08 am
where is poad–he will give some insight for the ages
Hit a Single
December 28th, 2010
9:08 am
I hope the UGA defense watched the Air Force Defense. That is playing with heart and knowing assignments. Tech will be fine. Johnson is bringing in his recruits for his offense. All these Johnson bashers knew what they were getting. My gosh he has run that offense all his life. They have some good recruits coming in, starting with the QB from Charlton Co. He may be the best athlete in the state.
UGA OWNS gtu
December 28th, 2010
9:09 am
gtu is a freaking JOKE! LMAO
HARRISON
December 28th, 2010
9:09 am
NO talent, no wins paul johnson will take us back to the bill lewis years
Moonpie
December 28th, 2010
9:10 am
Air Force?
I cant stop laughing!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
CloudmanJacket
December 28th, 2010
9:10 am
@the real Old Gold
6 losses to unranked teams? If it isn’t coaching, then what is it. You want to blame the players and you are right that CPJ isn’t on the field, but he is responsible for the players on the field. He recruits them and should coach them up. He now has HIS players so he is to blame.
Vince
December 28th, 2010
9:10 am
Questions from last night…..
1. How do you miss curfew in Shreveport?
2. Why, oh why, did I pick an ACC team to win a bowl game when I truly know better? I’ll never win Schultz’s iPad with stupid picks like that!
munsondawg
December 28th, 2010
9:11 am
That’s it, I’m not renewing my Tech season tickets. Ive had enough of this garbage
nickj0321
December 28th, 2010
9:13 am
munsondawg
December 28th, 2010
9:11 am
That’s it, I’m not renewing my Tech season tickets. Ive had enough of this garbage
——-
Your name is “Munsondawg” – why would you have had season tix in the first place?…stupid mutt
Buzz Me
December 28th, 2010
9:15 am
Paul Johnson Shot is wad and now is nothing but mediocre., Fact is we suck, and I hate saying that. CPJ’s arrogance hurts us in games. While he isn’t the fun fumbling he makes it difficult by passing up points and by not being smart enough to replace a guy after he has fumbled a punt return. He says we didn’t have anybody else. BS. Put one one the kick returners out there. If there is no one else who can catch a punt that’s his fault and that’s pathetic. He needs to get a QB who can throw, and receivers who can catch. He needs to incorporate more short passes to backs out of play action. He needs to get a kicker and punter and someone who can coach the defense as well a special teams coach. I hope there is a job open this year that he takes and am ready to get a hot young charge or bring back Chan ( when Buffalo fires him) or even O’Leary. Go ahead Dawg fans lay it on us, we deserve it but remember you guys too are in deep trouble.
UGA OWNS gtu
December 28th, 2010
9:17 am
Air Force???? Really???? A Service Academy???? HAHAHAHA
UGA completely OWNS gtu.
dburns
December 28th, 2010
9:20 am
WHY IS RODDY JONES NOT GETTING THE BALL???????
Bill. B
December 28th, 2010
9:20 am
Well, the bad news is that GT lost to a service academy that is very limited in who they can recruit. The good news is that they lost to a group of young men who will soon be going off to defend our country. If this win makes their job a little easier when they put their lives on the line for us, I can certainly live with the embarrassing loss.
GT
December 28th, 2010
9:20 am
How can AF run multiple formations and GT can only run one if this is the same offense? I think CPJ is extremely overrated!
gt4ever
December 28th, 2010
9:22 am
It’s really pitiful when there are people still giving this guy a pass…… Only at GT! It’s OK to lost to a service academy….. What a joke we have become…
Taint Timons
December 28th, 2010
9:23 am
Tech sucks! Ha Ha you bunch of losers! Get ya some of that.
stendek
December 28th, 2010
9:24 am
Some teams simply do not deserve bowl appearances…
http://stendek77.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/yellow-jackets-ensure-losing-mark-with-bowl-loss-to-air-force/
Painful.
STENDEK
JB
December 28th, 2010
9:25 am
Most teams put a skill player to catch punts like a WR……….Whoops, sorry.
42-34 73-72
December 28th, 2010
9:27 am
Kennesaw State
and now Air Force
Please one of you start talking about how smart CPJ is or how you are a program on the rise
BBBBWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAHHHA
7 Points – The Triple Joke Strikes Again
BBBBWWWWAHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHA
munsondawg
December 28th, 2010
9:29 am
I don’t think tech has a skill player…………..
Techster
December 28th, 2010
9:29 am
Ticlke Piles have suffered as a result of our poor play!!!
JB
December 28th, 2010
9:30 am
I’m also shocked at 7 points……Not having Nesbit hurt…..He plays Tech wins by 2 TD’s, and I’m a Dawg fan. Hard to score with that offense with a 2nd teamer QB who hasn’t played all year. I thought Tech’s D played pretty good. Turnovers killed ya.
42-34 73-72
December 28th, 2010
9:30 am
ALL YEAR LONG
Vince
December 28th, 2010
9:32 am
Last night, did anyone else wonder how Air Force could shut down Tech’s offense, but Georgia couldn’t?
JB
December 28th, 2010
9:33 am
Vince, Coaching and IQ
mowreck
December 28th, 2010
9:36 am
I actually thought the defense played the best I have seen against the run this year. Our punt returner getting hurt was really the story of the game. Without those two mishaps, I think GT wins the game. But, not the coaches fault OR the substitute punt returner. I can’t remember when I have seen another punt returner other than #37 back to even receive a punt. I know he has done it in practice, but practice a little different from the actual ballgame. We have recruited 17 players coming in next year and if the REAL GT fans will look at them and see the size on the OLs, DLs and LBs coming in you just might actually look forward to next year as I am. By the way, got a GREAT WR plus another guy that will probably play LB, but can play the B back.
GTBob
December 28th, 2010
9:38 am
@CloudmanJacket,
He now has HIS players so he is to blame.
This isn’t really accurate. 16 of the 22 starters on the latest depth chart were Chan Gailey recruits. It will take more time to see how Johnson’s recruits end up fitting in.
CloudmanJacket
December 28th, 2010
9:43 am
@GTBob; you are completely a Kook-Aid drinker. He has 3 recruiting classes under his belt. Are you serious? The last 2 years they were better with Gailey’s recruits. I really hope you are smarter than that; you cannot be a GT grad.
mowreck
December 28th, 2010
9:43 am
Anybody seen Vad Lee, the QB that won the state in his class in North Carolina?
flagboy?
December 28th, 2010
9:45 am
Mama Says
December 28th, 2010
1:39 am
If any of you were real Tech fans you would stop with the comments and look at the actual future. The only OB on this team with ANY experience was a guy who absolutely could not hit the side of a barn with a pass if he was standing 3 feet from it (Nesbit). He was replaced by Washington who had been on the field exactly 3 plays. . . .. Oh one more thing–The Gailey recruited non throwing QB known as Nesbit–broke his arm trying to tackle the Va Tech player after he threw him the ball as if he was a Tech WR, as he was in the end zone. So I guess you “it’s Gailey’s players” people would have to write that game off as lost by Gailey instead of Johnson, right ?
_______________________________________
Well, i’m certainly not a “real tech fan”, but I do know how to spell Nesbitt’s name. I’m a Dawg fan myself, but no one in the state of Georgia will be happier to see Nesbitt graduate than myself. That kid is a flat-out competitor and winner. I’m sure every other team Tech plays will be much happier to see any other gt QB lining up behind center than Nesbitt.
I’ve been saying this for over a year now, but no tech fan wanted to hear it. Johnson’s inflexibility when it comes to his offense will be what does him in. If he continues to put the QB under center instead of in the shotgun when it is 3rd down and longer than 6, he’ll continue to lose. Tech’s linemen are not big enough to effectively pass block for very long since Johnson basically recruits high school tight ends and turns them into linemen. So instead of giving his QB one extra second, he keeps him under center. It hurt Nesbitt at times last year and this year, and will hurt any QB that plays in his system.
I am a Dawg fan, but I am also a football fan. I thought it was a shame that Nesbitt didn’t get to finish out his career on the field instead of the sideline. And seeing tech people go from Nesbitt followers to putting him down . . . well, any “real” tech fan would have told you where to go.
Always a Jacket
December 28th, 2010
9:46 am
The Tech fans I spoke with are not calling for Johnson’s head, this site is a bunch of frustrated UGA trolls and not true indication of Tech fans’ opinions. Most jacket fans still support 2 time ACC coach of the year and last year’s ACC Championship coach. Losing 4 juniors to the NFL last year, one year of poor recruiting during coaching transition, suspensions, loss of starting senior QB. etc all caught up to the team this year. We are going to be fine in the long run.
No one expected Tevin to put up the points like Nesbitt. Tevin, likely, will not be the starter next year, as we have redshirts and true freshmen that are much better fits. The defense came to play. It was clear that Tech had larger, faster athletes than AF, dont know where the recruiting comments are coming from unless UGA trolls. Allen ran hard.
As Johnson says, turnovers were the difference. As a long time Tech fan, I was as frustrated as anyone watching the jackets play in a crappy bowl making ‘first game of the season” mistakes. The loss had nothing to do with passing the ball or not passing the ball, recruiting, etc.
.
CloudmanJacket
December 28th, 2010
9:48 am
Maybe we should hire the Air Force coach…at least his option attach shows different looks and mixes in the passing game instead of the bull headed CPJ that runs the same freaking set and play over and over. Only 7 against Air Force and losing to 6 unranked teams – inexcusable
CloudmanJacket
December 28th, 2010
9:51 am
Always a Jacket = Kool Aid Drinker
So you are OK losing to 6 unranked teams?
Winning the ACC isn’t really much of an accomplishment when you look at the league’s strength right now. Hate to say it, but it is true. Only 1 top 20 team – a joke of a league for the past few years.
GTBob
December 28th, 2010
9:52 am
@CloudmanJacket
Are you saying that I’m lying? You can check the depth chart if you want. Unless you think he should kick all of the upper classmen off the team just so he can say he is using his own players. CPJ really didn’t have much impact on the 2008 class because of when he got the coaching job. So he basically had the 2009 and 2010 classes. Any players he decided to red shirt get delayed another year so you are looking at mostly Freshman and some Sophomores recruited by Johnson. This will even out more next year, so give it a little bit of time.
Moonpie
December 28th, 2010
9:55 am
Air Force,
Still laughing-hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
GoDOGS1
December 28th, 2010
9:58 am
I think CPJ’s bra was too tight, and it cut off circulation to his head. What a dumb azz coach! Yea…come on and hit a UGA person upside the head and see what will happen to you, fat fart Johnson. Punk!
L O V E I T !!!!!!
4WhatIt'sWorth
December 28th, 2010
10:01 am
The only bowl Tech has found that they can compete in and win is in Boise Idaho.
CloudmanJacket
December 28th, 2010
10:02 am
@ GTBob
Not saying you are lying, just saying you are drinking the Kook-Aid. It is simply his 3rd recruiting class and so he does have HIS players. If the Gailey players suck, then he should have recruiting replacements for them. It is his responsibility to do this. Most programs start a ton of sophmores and Juniors, so what is the problem? Coaching and Recruiting.
Fish Fry
December 28th, 2010
10:03 am
Seven (7) points.
Air Force.
Giddy.
superDawg
December 28th, 2010
10:03 am
Keeping pj at tech will hurt your program faster than a snowball in hell.You will be recruiting left overs with no chance to reach the NFL and the T.O. will put tech back 50 yrs.pj is a joke and should be ran out of town before it is to late.tech is already 3 yrs behind and five years of rebuilding to catch up.Good luck to you I know it is tough because we at UGA are in a down cycle now also,but I bet we recover and get on track a lot sooner than you think.
Ted M
December 28th, 2010
10:03 am
Its all CPJ’s fault.
His special teams are a flat out embarrassment. Scott Blair is a good placekicker even still it appears as though the Jackets have the worst special teams in college football.
Does he not even have the backup return men practice? I’m staring to wonder if he thinks his “genius” triple option status precludes him from even caring about special teams.
Its all CPJ’s fault.
Always a Jacket
December 28th, 2010
10:03 am
Cloudman Jacket
There is a difference between kool aide and knee-jerk reactions to one bad year (still went bowling). Let’s fire the coach. ??? You want Gailey back?? You want to start over every 3 years??? because I can guarantee Tech will not beat 10 top 10 teams and win the national championship every year.
ACC champion last year. look at the roster and redshirts. I looks a lot better than 3 years ago.
Ted M
December 28th, 2010
10:03 am
I’m starting
Headley Lamar
December 28th, 2010
10:04 am
Turn out the lights …. the “gimmicks” over …..
CPJ is a genius ............ right??
December 28th, 2010
10:04 am
Now, now …………..forget the score. Forget that GT LOST in Shreveport and forget that they lost to a service acadamey team of slow, white boys that ARE intelligent vs the GT urban thugs.
Did CPJ churn out more rushing yards? Did GT own the stats?? Because if they did, then, they really WON the game. This area is the ONLY area that matters …………….. rushing stats. See the UGA game to validate this point.” GT defeated UGA” because GT had 4,575,000 yds rushing on UGA. Right???
This is always the GT logic. Sad, pathetic and the GT lore of many, many years ago wth Billy Lothridge, Ted Davis and Billy Martin and Larry Morris, Johnny Hunsinger, are long, long ago in the 1950s to the early 60s and today’s GT team are a joke and are pretenders to that long ago GT lore.
CPJ is in trouble because GT has a new football coach every 4 years dating back to when Dooley ran Bobby Dodd off in 1967. Dodd, Fulmer, Carson, Rodgers, Curry, Lewis, Ross, O’Leary, Gaily, and now the current clown …………………… the genius CPJ. He is OWNED by UGA’s Coach MR.
Headley Lamar
December 28th, 2010
10:05 am
it appears as though the Jackets have the worst special teams in college football.
It doesn’t just appear. They do have the worst.