Paul Johnson Q&A
Greetings-
The post-game interview from Paul Johnson.
Q: Is frustrating how you’d describe the game?
A: I would say frustrating. I thought our kids played hard Frustrated that we couldn’t find something that they could do on offense a little better. Clearly, they had a better plan than we did because we couldn’t get any rhythm, couldn’t get much going. Never really hit any big plays after the toss play that we hit to Roddy (Jones) there in the first half and they called offsetting penalties.
We never hit any big plays. We never got anything going. We had a heck of a drive there in the second quarter to get back in the game – 90 yards – and then we give up the touchdown again. We can’t overcome the special teams that we had today and that’s a reflection on me. Clearly, something we’re doing isn’t right in about every facet. I don’t know if the kickoff return got out to the 20. The kickoff (team) let [Miami] return one. The fake punt; I’ll have to look at the tape. It’s an automatic call if there’s a certain look, if there’s not that many people. So it was an automatic call. I’ll have to look and see who made the play because it was [by Miami's] bench.
With an automatic call, either we made the bad automatic call or we had to turn somebody loose. I don’t know which. The punt (team), we never caught one. When that thing hits the ground, you’ve got to get away from it.
Q: Did Zach Laskey have a problem with confidence fielding punts?
A: I think today was the worst that it’s happened to him. He had one where he bobbled it and dropped it, but clearly after the first one, it looked like that he didn’t want to come up and catch it. You would have to ask Zach.
Q: Will you evaluate that job this week?
A: We’ll take a look at everything. You have to.
Q: What wasn’t working with the offense?
A: I don’t know. We just never got in sync from the interception on the first play. Like I said, I thought we had an opportunity with the drive because we ate up the second quarter and now even with all the things that have happened, if you get in at 14-7 and you get the ball first, you got a chance.
And then the other thing that was a killer was we couldn’t finish the drive in the third quarter. We converted a couple plays and got down there and we couldn’t convert. We could never get anything going. We had a hard time getting the ball on the perimeter. They made us play in that tackle box and we weren’t very good in there. We couldn’t hit any big plays. We’ll have to take a look at the tape and see.
Q: The run defense played better.
A: I thought we played better against the run. We all lost. But for positives, I thought we ganged up on the run a little better and played a little better against the run.
On Tevin Washington’s play:
A: We’ve got to find something he can do.
Q: What happened on the fumbled punt?
A: I’ll have to look at the tape and see. I think he tried to pick it up on the bounce. … I don’t think he fielded it cleanly. The killer was the kickoff, too. It was supposed to be a deep kick.
Q: It wasn’t a squib?
A: Oh, no. There was no squib.
Q: Was Synjyn Days’ fumble part of the reason he hasn’t gotten playing time lately?
A: Well, we’ll just have to see.
Q: Do you have a prognosis on his injury?
A: No.
Q: Is playing Vad Lee a possibility at this point?
A: Probably not.
Q: Can you see that Tevin Washington is doing anything wrong?
A: Nothing that I know that I can see that I can fix. If I did, I would fix it. It’s not fair to put all this on Tevin because there’s a lot of us that have got to do better. We can’t overcome bad plays. Because when you’re not hitting big plays … I don’t know how many plays that 90-yard drive was. It had to be a slew. That’s hard to do.
Q: What happened on the first play?
A: I thought we had Orwin (Smith) open. It’s something we saw the film study that I thought would have a chance. I think we had a chance. We just didn’t get it done.
Q: How were they giving you problems on the perimeter?
A: We can’t get to the perimeter. I don’t know that we have a tough time on the perimeter. They make you hand the ball off.
Q: Is it a problem of Tevin Washington missing reads?
A: I’m not sure that he’s missing em. I think that what’s happening is you’ve probably got five blocking four and the four are winning. But we’ll have to look a the tape and see.
Thanks for reading. Please follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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310 comments Add your comment
The Truth
October 23rd, 2011
12:02 pm
Well hey, at least we made a championship game…and can you see the future? How do you know we’ll lose? We may play our best game of the season…lord knows it won’t take that to beat Georgia Tech.
5150 UOAD
October 23rd, 2011
12:12 pm
Truth I didn’t say UGA was even going to make it to the DOME. If they Do or Don’t I am still asking how the Mutts will feel? Easy schedule and the Mutts don’t make it that will be bad. If they do well we just have to wait to see how bad that will get.
Idiot_Savant
October 23rd, 2011
12:14 pm
I can envision a deal in which we swap Clemson (an ACC team that plays like an SEC team), for Georgia (an SEC team that is slowly, but surely, being re-made after their ACC Head Coach’s image).
Then we wouldn’t have to compete with Dabo for the ACC Championship, and Mark would have an easier time competing with Miami for all of those “bad boy” recruits.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 23rd, 2011
12:22 pm
after TW 1st pass he should have been pulled from the game. OL false starts and they get pulled, an INT is far worst then false start
BigTimeTECHFan
October 23rd, 2011
12:23 pm
I think tech will win the rest. Clemson upset, then beat Va Tech and Duke, then walk all over UGA
5150 UOAD
October 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
Pretty Crazy that the Fighting Tommy Tuberville’s pulled off a win at Oklahoma. i guess anything is possible. I guess Tech could beat UGA and an UGA athlete could actually get an education too. Anything is possible.
Idiot_Savant
October 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
Sounds like a plan. Sit all of the first-stringers and play the backups. That would have to be an improvement. After all, it is a well known fact of CFB that the backup QB is always head & shoulders above the starter.
Buzz me
October 23rd, 2011
12:28 pm
Hate to say it but without VAD there will be no more “V”s as in victories. Sorry big time Tech fan but you sir are delusional.
dawgfan
October 23rd, 2011
12:34 pm
I’d go back and dig up some of the absolutely moronic things that Tech fans were saying two weeks ago when their team was undefeated, but why bother? They would just deny it and lie. I remember one clown talking big about a national champship. LMAO. What a complete bafoon.
This is old hat really. The Techies beat up on some creampuffs and their chump fans start running their fat mouths like they invented football. Then they start losing and making excuses about calculus and how unfair recruiting is. It is one of the most pathetic things you will ever see in your life.
Well, I’m off my soapbox now. See you Techies about this time next year when we have to go through all of this again. You never ever learn. All your big Techie talk has never gotten you anywhere. Its hilarious.
Thanks.
Jack G
October 23rd, 2011
12:34 pm
Everybody hates an I told you so. So go ahaad and hate me. I told you so 4 years ago and really got crapped on because CPJ won a few games with his TO. Mine was a voice in the wilderness—–BUT what goes around comes around.
I STILL DONT LIKE PAUL BALL.
However I still love GATECH and am very sad that GT football has fallen into the wrong hands.
Pete
October 23rd, 2011
12:47 pm
That first half was about as ugly a half of football I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been a Falcons and GA Tech fan for decades. I was pleased to see CPJ accept responsibility for being out-coached. He’s been very hard on his players and I’m glad to see him also be as critical of his own performance. That said, I fear great ugliness against Clemson.
roughrider
October 23rd, 2011
12:47 pm
@ BigTimeTECHFan : If you are going to dream big, why not add a national championship ?
gt4ever
October 23rd, 2011
1:04 pm
Ditto Jack G….
Dumbo
October 23rd, 2011
1:18 pm
5150 UOAD…..you gripping about UGA fans on this Tech blog is very funny, tell you brethren how much vile crap you post on UGA blog you a..hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Born2Buzz
October 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
I went back and looked at the predictions blog and most reasonable folks had us losing 2 games at this point with losses to UNC or NCSt and Miami. So we lost to UVA instead of UNC or NCSt. Granted the lack of offense in the last 2 losses is troubling, and TW’s sudden inability to throw the ball with efficiency is killing us, along with special teams problems, but we’re kind of where most of us thought we would be.
Hey, the defense actually played fairly well, except for the TD right before the half.
Fortunately the team still gets to play the rest of the games and they don’t have to just take all the losses the naysayers have already pinned on them.
I know I will be there cheering like crazy next Sat night.
Born2Buzz
October 23rd, 2011
1:32 pm
And Bradley and most of you folks are just wrong, there is plenty of talent on this team. There is a lot of young talent, but the future is still bright.
I’m not sure about who asked about Clemson’s 43 freshmen, but that would be true and RS freshmen. We are about the same.
Born2Buzz
October 23rd, 2011
1:36 pm
Thanks GDB…what kind of sad douche goes on an opposing teams blog just to post trash talk. Is that really what you enjoy doing? Sad, just sad. But it seems you have lots of company.
And if there are Tech folks doing the same on the UGA blog, I feel the same way towards them.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
1:40 pm
GDBURDELL you can’t even spell therefore you jerk
Dumbo
October 23rd, 2011
1:42 pm
Born2Buzz….I’m not here to insult Tech or most bloggers here, but there is 1 a..hole….5150 UOAD loves coming to UGA blog and making comments unfit to print…..I’m looking to bust his balls in front of his folks is all!
dr.dawg
October 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
odd, isn’t it, how johnson blames everyone but himself. always. always the player, coaches, luck, fate, or whatever. never himself or his glorified ‘unique’ offense. always stays outside the fray. he is perfect, but it is just others who fail him. sounds like ghadaffi to me.
Steam boy
October 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
This team is suddenly hard to watch, and I want my money back.
Born2Buzz
October 23rd, 2011
1:55 pm
Then they are “trolls” on the UGA blog. That’s sad as well. At least their blog names are not shots at UGA, are they.
Whatever, I gotta get back to watching the Falcons trying to beat a UGA grad throwing to a GT grad.
Can’t we just all get along? Ha!
Zone3canE
October 23rd, 2011
1:57 pm
I figured out the secret of the triple option… It’s official name is the WING-T!
superDawg
October 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
5150 you are the poster child for tek fans.All puffed up and dumb as a retard on steriods.
dr.dawg
October 23rd, 2011
1:59 pm
and just when did coach paul johnson say he was outcoached????? when? i’m waiting and so are the rest of us.
Stinger
October 23rd, 2011
2:02 pm
Time for us to look for a coach who runs an offense that players enjoy executing and that fans enjoy watching. The Miami debacle appeared to be partly a lack of effort and poor discipline, but even when we were undefeated folks seemed disinterested.
superDawg
October 23rd, 2011
2:02 pm
14gt you are a pimple on a nerds beehind.
dr.dawg
October 23rd, 2011
2:08 pm
as a matter of fact, the gt bunch after last year’s loss in athens, claimed that the genius johnson was actually the better coach for calling that ‘free touchdown’ play near the end of the game. but he lost, anyway. sorry, it was the fault of his players. oh, what a loss this man is.
dr.dawg
October 23rd, 2011
2:11 pm
and more, for the last time i assure you. folks critize richt for not cover the backs of his players and coaches. is there any coach more guilty to this than johnson? he’s never covered any backs except his own. disgusting.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:15 pm
superdawg if dynamite was brains, you wouldn’t have enough to blow your nose
superDawg
October 23rd, 2011
2:16 pm
IT’S GREAT TO BE A GEORGIA BULLDAWG!
GT is off the map
October 23rd, 2011
2:18 pm
Paul Johnson has met his match folks. His methods worked fine at Navy, but his coaching style ” stubbornness on offense , lack of focus on defense, does not care about special teams play” will not cut it in the ACC, let alone any other BCS conf. NC state, Maryland, and Virginia should have been blow out wins with at-least 21 point spread. The ACC as a whole struggles with teams from the FCS. Georgia Tech should not fit into that category, But continues to stay there for more than a decade.
Stinger 2
October 23rd, 2011
2:19 pm
We end up 7-5 (maybe). Lose whatever the lowest tier bowl an ACC team can get.I never thought GT would be better
before the season started. The 6-0 start against cupcakes
were teasers.
GT is off the map
October 23rd, 2011
2:21 pm
Stinger
No one is interested in Tech because your school recruits to many foreigners now.
Do you think they care at all about Tech nope.
They want their degree ASAP then leave the country
Thats a proud program to be a part of
TRUE STATEMENT – GT has become an offshore school for kids that want no part of your tradition ( that is fading so fast ) and wish to return home to Asia.
Typical Tech Fan
October 23rd, 2011
2:22 pm
When is DragonCon?
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
I just went to the UGA blog site about 15 minutes ago….looked at 1st 2 & last 2 pages of 1st blog….did not see ANY GT bloggers i recognized from GT blog site….just sayin’….TROLLS
CloudmanJacket
October 23rd, 2011
2:27 pm
CPJ sucks
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:33 pm
I love living in my parent’s basement
AlabamaRamblinwreck
October 23rd, 2011
2:38 pm
Here is a radical idea: (it is time for one)
Start Sims at QB (Lyons at BB). Why? He is a better runner than TW and he has good ball security, unlike Days. He has worked for 2 years getting ready to be a TO QB. He has been getting some reps this year as an emergency backup.
Lastly, this option is not using up Vad’s redshirt.
How can it hurt? At this point, we can always go back the dynamic TW-led offense, if it doesn’t work. I cannot believe it would be any worse.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:39 pm
I have an idea…get rid of the high school coach and hire a real coach
dawgfan
October 23rd, 2011
2:40 pm
Actually GT is off the map, Johnson’s methods didn’t work that great at Navy either. He was usually good for about 8 or 9 wins a year there at most. That’s why I always got a big kick out of all the hype about what wonderful things he did at Navy when Tech hired him. His teams at Navy were plagued by the same deficiencies you’re seeing now at Tech: Poor defense, poor special teams, no passing game. He’s never progressed as a head coach and figured these things out. He’s happy leading the nation in rushing and averaging 8 wins per year.
Paul Johnson might be the most overrated coach in America. He’s got a neat offense that’s fun to talk about and he’s got a sharp tongue in interviews. That’s all it takes to get the short attention span media going ga ga over him, but the reality is that he’s a one trick pony. He can’t field a decent defense. He can’t implement a passing game. He can’t recruit. You can tell by the way he talks about it that he just doesn’t like recruiting. I’m sure there are things Nick Saban doesn’t like about being a head coach, but he does them anyway and he does them well because that’s his job and he’s getting paid well to do it. Paul Johnson is all about Paul Johnson and he’s going to do what Paul Johnson wants to do. What’s so sad is that Tech fans have put so much trust and faith in this guy but he would drop them like a bad habit if a more prestigous job came along. It won’t though because he’s average at best.
Thanks for reading.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 23rd, 2011
2:40 pm
No nation title this year but they can still beat Clemson, Va Tech, Duke, UGA. After Clemson game they all get easier.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:43 pm
KEN or SOMEBODY, the post under my screen name at 2:33 PM October 23, 2011 is a phony troll using my blog name…..ban this pos for life….the leg humping mutts that have to hide behind someone’s ID should all be banned from all AJC blog sites….WHY DO WE USE OUR EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ??POSITIVE?? ID IF YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM DOESN’T RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE AND STOP IT????? Ya’ll should be better/smarter that that.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:45 pm
AND AT 2:39 PM ALSO!!!!!!!!!!
IPTAY
October 23rd, 2011
2:46 pm
It really trips me out how tech fans are trying to figure out what went wrong. It seems like yesterday they were beating their chest and talking smack about their in state rivals. I don’t know what happened to your NC team you thought you had . But I do that THE CLEMSON PRIDE IS WATING. And we ain’t giving away nothing but A$$ whoopings and bubble gum and we are fresh out of bubble gum.
1 4 GT
October 23rd, 2011
2:50 pm
HEY BUTT SNIFFER TROLLS!!!!!!!!!!! I must be doing something right. Ya’ll ever hear this saying? “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” DUH!!! DUMMIES!!!
GT Jacket
October 23rd, 2011
3:05 pm
Right now, we are playing about like Pepper Rodgers’ teams in the 1970’s. Last week I thought we would finish 7-5, now 6-6. We are worse than last years team. We don’t have the D line to play 3-4 defense or O line to play option offense. CPJ has taken us a far as he can.
Big Ol Stinger
October 23rd, 2011
3:06 pm
Jason,
May you die a slow, painful death. And soon! How’s Troy doing this year?
Thanks.
JacketR4real
October 23rd, 2011
3:07 pm
@ 1 4 GT MAN!!!! Someone pushed your buttons
hunt for red october
October 23rd, 2011
3:12 pm
I think GT upsets Clemson. Clemson is not all that on defense either and is getting way too big for it’s britches. For that reason alone, GT sneaks out a victory at home. If the two teams played 8 times in a row, Clemson would win 7, but I just think Tech finds a way to upset Clemson at home. Their offense is phenomenal but I simply think Clemson stumbles on the road in a rivalry type game w/ GT’s backs against the wall. You’ll now see less pressure on Tech and should allow for the kids to just play. This team was never a top 20 team and the pressure of being a top 20 fraud was too much for them. Hopefully, then can enjoy being the spoiler for the next two weeks.