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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
310 comments Add your comment
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 24th, 2011
11:00 am
When does CPJ grow up and hire a ST coach, enough already. O line didn’t help Tevin at all. We’ll be back. ” RELOAD JACKETS “
BigTimeTechFan
October 24th, 2011
11:18 am
Tech will do better this week against Clemson, they will be so fired up, practice will be better. Tech still can run the table and have a nice year.
GET BIGGER PLAYERS PAUL JOHNSON
October 24th, 2011
11:20 am
GET STRONG
fan of shorter passes (as short as necessary!)
October 24th, 2011
11:42 am
I’m wondering what caused the seemingly (almost total) loss of confidence in Washington…and the punt catcher.
Ramblin Wreck 05
October 24th, 2011
11:47 am
Laskey is in over his head. He is not he best option as a returner. Sure hands on the practice field is not the same as big time Saturday’s. The kickoff team does not have the best athletes available on it. What happened to Chris Jackson? Fought his way back and not given an opportunity to play on special teams! You have got to be kidding!!!! Some of theese freshman given opportunities are just not mature enough mentally or physically for prime time!
UGA
October 24th, 2011
12:25 pm
7-5 OR 6-6.What a way to end the season. LOL LOL LOL
Ramblin Man
October 24th, 2011
12:27 pm
Ramblin Wreck 05,
Totally agree with you on that one. I can’t understand why Laskey is still back there after he proved weeks ago somebody else was needed.
I just wonder who the starting QB for the Clemson game will be. I wish Days had been given a second chance. He did fumble the ball but the hit left both the defensive player and Days were left laying hurt after the hit.
Ramblin Man
October 24th, 2011
12:28 pm
UGA learn to add. LOL LOL LOL
Gman
October 24th, 2011
12:39 pm
Back to life… Back to reality!!! LOL
TampaDawg
October 24th, 2011
12:50 pm
As a former Miami fan (switched to USF several years ago when they went DI), I never would have expected them to work GT over the way they did, nor would I have expected the amount of mental mistakes from GT that helped Miami along the way. Unfortunately for GT fans, the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here.
Where has GT Joe been lately? Haven’t seen him on here in over a week.
Ga Panther
October 24th, 2011
12:51 pm
Your right about Jackson! He bench presses 400 lbs, played on kickoff team at Alabama as a freshmen and can’t crack this lineup. Greene weighs 180 and is blocking the perimeter. Why did we bring Jackson back?
Little League
October 24th, 2011
12:55 pm
I thought daddy ball was in little league but the coaches are obviously playing favorites. Pj and Kelley. # 16 hasn’t made a tackle on special teams all year!
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
12:56 pm
Bad example. CPJ was right on that one. That kid doesn’t play anywhere anymore.
Moral Victory
October 24th, 2011
12:58 pm
Rick Neuheisel anyone?
Brandon
October 24th, 2011
1:01 pm
other option teams aren’t having trouble air force had over 400 yards against boise, half running half passing. tevin sucks. time to let the other kids play
Cam Newton
October 24th, 2011
1:02 pm
Yeah, look at me. I’m not having trouble running the option in the NFL.
TampaDawg
October 24th, 2011
1:03 pm
true Brandon, Air Force had there way on offense but BSU was certainly not typical BSU in that game either. They looked really flat most of the game, including Kellen Moore.
GT Joe
October 24th, 2011
1:20 pm
@ 1 4 GT
WAAAH! WAAAH! Someone please help me! I am being picked on!
Get a life, will ya?
TampaDawg
October 24th, 2011
1:23 pm
GT Joe, where ya been? Missed ya around here.
GT Joe
October 24th, 2011
1:24 pm
@ bigtimetechfan
“We can still run the table…” Thanks for laugh – that is the funniest post have seen in a while!
GT Joe
October 24th, 2011
1:33 pm
@ Tampa
Just lurking…
Thanks, Ken...
October 24th, 2011
1:35 pm
Not really sure why the mutts are in here whooping it up – they haven’t played anybody since their last loss to usce – we’ll be up for THAT game, trust me.
Thanks, Ken...
October 24th, 2011
1:39 pm
I know there’s somethin’ worth reading in her, but with all the dawg crap all over the place it’s hard to get to.
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
1:44 pm
Georgia Tech has the most remarkable offence known to college football, but BCS schools have figured out a way to short circuit it. So a modification is needed: Always Pal Two Quarterbacks!
Heresy!! you say. I would agree except his offence requires the QB to carry the ball up to 30 times a game or more. The QB is tackled/blocked another twenty. Then you expect the QB to make split second decisions to hand off, pitch, or throw the ball. FATIGUE make cowards of us all. Mistakes are made.
Look at the facts:
1) There is no other position in the field that the same player plays every down EXCEPT the quarterback.
2) Tech has the best offence in the land. It’s different.
3) Defenses are locking down every position except the Quarterback. That requires the Quarterback to run the ball 15 to 30 times a game. He get’s hit another twenty times. And then he’s supposed to make split second decisions and/or throw the ball at the right time.
4) At this level of play, the quarterback becomes fatigued and begins to make bad decisions.
Coach Paul Johnson should activate Vad Lee, giving him three quarterbacks. Play all three until two surface as the best. Develop packages for the two.
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
1:45 pm
Add your thoughts on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pull-Vad-Lees-Redshirt-Coach-Paul-Johnson/212675438800719
Greta
October 24th, 2011
1:49 pm
How does CPJ feel about his coaching this week relative to the prior two?
One can only delegate authority, this is all the head coach’s responsibility.
Coach? Coach? Anyone?
GT Joe
October 24th, 2011
1:51 pm
@ Marietta
What is an offence?
GET BIGGER PLAYERS PAUL JOHNSON
October 24th, 2011
1:52 pm
GET STRONGER LINEMAN AT 6′4 AND UP
Hairy Dawg
October 24th, 2011
2:00 pm
It’s over tech fans…you have already won your last game this year.
Derek Dooley
October 24th, 2011
2:03 pm
GT needs to be in a different conference…perhaps a new conference with Georgia State, Army, Air Force, Navy, Slippery Rock, Duke, Vandy and Morehouse School of Medicine and Sheet Metal Work.
Bama Man
October 24th, 2011
2:07 pm
The ACC and GT are both jokes. GT should be playing some of Georgia’s top junior high teams. Maybe, just maybe they could win 8 games that way.
Buzz Sawyer
October 24th, 2011
2:07 pm
Actually I think this is just a matter of Tech being what it is going to be this season – just a fair football team. The early schedule of very weak teams raised unrealistic expectations among fans. CPJ has not had really strong recruiting classes and I think that the opponents are beginning to use their superior talent to catch up with his unusual offense. Tech will continue to be a pretty good team but will rarely achieve as it did a couple or three years ago.The ACC is going to become a more difficult place to play with the expansion.
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
2:08 pm
Sorry, I actually graduated from Tech. Can’t spell, but I make a lot of money. Go figure.
Kirby Smart
October 24th, 2011
2:09 pm
GT is an embarrassment to the State of Georgia.
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
2:11 pm
Buzz Sawyer, Tech’s recruiting class is always better than Boise State’s. Three star athletes with a good family background, playing an exceptional type of offenSe will more often than not, win the day.
Coach Vince "Coke Head" Dooley
October 24th, 2011
2:11 pm
Where am I?
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 24th, 2011
2:19 pm
Tech rebounds against Clemson. ” GO JACKETS “
Kb
October 24th, 2011
2:22 pm
The only rebounding Tech will be doing vs Clemson is when they meet during basketball season .
juvenal
October 24th, 2011
2:27 pm
pols follow polls, coaches not so much, this one less than most….wish i had the time to haunt other folks sites, but i would use it to do something useful……
Buzz Sawyer
October 24th, 2011
2:27 pm
Marietta Buzz, I think I would like to have some of those BSU receivers and that QB at Tech. Tech could be as awesome as they looked in the early games if they had more than one receiver and a QB that could really throw and run. Nobody is afraid of Tech’s passing game or of it’s QB running the ball. I just think over the long haul Tech is going to be hard pressed to find the athletes to compete against the really big name colleges. Good family backgrounds are important and I wish we had more athletes from that mold. I am not sure how you define families either.
BankerDawg
October 24th, 2011
2:36 pm
Wow. I didn’t expect this at all. I picked Tech 30-23 to win straight up.
Two things:
Line Play
Special Teams
Your o-line is getting blown up at the point of attack. No wonder your QB is petrified back there and your BB has nowhere to go (although I do think if you had a Dwyer/Allen back there you would be getting more production). TW looks awful becuase he has no idea what to do when defenders are on him early or coming from all directions.
Your special teams are just awful.
If you were even decent on special teams, you probably are much closer, if not ahead, in the 4th quarter despite how badly your offense played.
Muff into the endzone and a ridiculous “squib that wasn’t supposed to be a squib” after your 20 player drive were game changing bad plays.
Clemmons is probably going to result in a long night for the Tech Nation…just be glad Game Day decided to head to Stanford for the weekend.
I’m usually more upbeat on the Tech Blogs, but outside of Duke, it looks pretty bleak at the moment.
On a positive note, your D looks to be improving.
GOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC ‘EM!
GT Fan
October 24th, 2011
2:36 pm
Can the Defense win one for the gippers? Sure hope so, b/c I’ve got $250 riding on the OVER 6 wins from Vegas!
Might be time to play Johnny B. Good or Stan Gable …..
Mr Tiger
October 24th, 2011
2:41 pm
Well I hope Tech plays a little better next week so Clemson can get it’s grove on for the rest on the season. It would be sad for the Tigers ’cause we need to be challanged each and every week. GO TIGERS!!!!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 24th, 2011
2:53 pm
Kb, I knew that comment would take a hit. lol
my own opinion is that
October 24th, 2011
2:55 pm
i am not happy to lose the games like we did. the defense seems to be improving but the offense is stagnant.
if we pair the d with last years o we win a few more games and finish with a winning season. the d IS getting better. if we had attaochu and drummond for the maryland game we win and would be 7-1 imo. the miami game was fug butt ugly. we were exposes as a team with an up n coming d but a struggling o.
having said that…. lets get real here. the jackets are the youngest team in the country not named auburn. And younger than a young and potent clemson team.
we can not recruit like the clemson’s and auburns’s etc. they not only attract players who are almost fully cooked body wise but they can attract all those players who ‘dont want to go to a school with our curriculum for what ever reason’.
for those reasons we are now going after big framed big bodied kids on both side of the ball. kids that need a year in the weight room and need some coaching up.
paul has been here 4 years now. the gailey players are almost gone. he is trying to maintain the status quo of 7-8-9 win seasons until he can see the fruits of playing a lot of players that have been red shirted.
to those of you who complain about our recruiting or lack their of i say hogwash. boise state is a prime example of what can be accomplished with a program that can rely on red shirting 10-15 players every year.
we are the second youngest team in the country. we are not there yet.
give this team a chance.
i can still see us finishing 8-4 …. a nice improvement from last year.
go jackets beat clemson
we are the second younge
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 24th, 2011
2:56 pm
All the pressure is on Clemson. They should be very afraid. BDS is going to rock Saturday night. ESPN Game Day made a big mistake. ” LET’S ROCK & ROLL YELLOW JACKETS “
Marietta Buzz
October 24th, 2011
2:59 pm
Buzz Sawyer, you don’t know what a family is? WOW. OK, I’ll say it slowly for you: One man, the dad, marries one woman, the mom, forever. The child is raised by a man and a woman. Old fashioned but it works more than it doesn’t.
Also, 2007 Kellen Moore 3 Stars on Rivals. Just 6′0″ 176 lbs. Do you think any major school would have ever considered him? No, just the remarkable ones. I want GT to be remarkable.
in two years i look for
October 24th, 2011
3:00 pm
us to start churning out 9 win seasons
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 24th, 2011
3:03 pm
opinion. I agree, except you meant UVA not Maryland. I like our players and you’re right, we’re not going to win big every year but we will compete and every now and then beat UGA.
Buzz Sawyer
October 24th, 2011
3:06 pm
Marietta it may work but it is sure going to severly limit recruiting in 2011.