Thumbs-up for Georgia Tech special teams
Greetings-
Funny the difference a week makes and some kudos to BigTimeTechFan, who last Monday predicted “Yellow Jackets in a blowout.” He was a little more on the ball than Dawgfan, who prophesied that “CLAMPSUN WILL DESTROY THAT STUPID YOUTH FOOTBALL OFFENSE.”
A couple thoughts and I’ve got to get moving.
1. After taking a lot of heat, special teams gets a pretty big assist for its role in Saturday’s win. Clemson’s starting field position on its seven kickoff returns – the 28, 26, 50, 28, 30 and 11. Considering Sammy Watkins had been averaging 28.9 yards per return (24.6 if you factor out his 89-yard return) and Tech’s kickoffs were landing around the 10, that’s pretty good work. Jemea Thomas had one good stop and I think wasn’t credited for another. Watkins also ran into one of his own players and was downed on another. When that happened, it made me kind of think it was going to be Tech’s night.
Sean Poole and the punt team netted 44.0 yards on three punts. Tech had to, at least, play Clemson’s special teams to a draw, and the Jackets did at least that. (Clemson’s initial kickoff went out of bounds and Chandler Catanzaro missed a field goal from 40 yards in the second quarter.)
If Poole can develop consistency, he can be a valuable weapon.
2. I’m not a fan of repeating cliches – I am, however, a fan of Sushi Yoko, a Japanese restaurant in Doraville – but I’m going to go with “You’re never as good as you think after a win and you’re never as bad as you think after a loss,” if that’s the proper phrasing. Please don’t read this as “Georgia Tech got lucky,” because the Yellow Jackets were clearly the better team Saturday.
I think running back Andre Ellington being out was a pretty big break for Tech. I’m not saying it made the difference, but he would have given Clemson more of a chance. I’m sure if you go to a Clemson message board, you can find more “if only’s,” but that was a pretty big one.
It’s the same line of thinking, mind you, that the Tech-Miami game could have turned out differently had Roddy Jones not gotten the facemask call and Zach Laskey had avoided the punt inside the 10-yard line. Tech played pretty poorly, but the Jackets weren’t as bad as they showed that day. The result made it easy to think that Tech couldn’t beat Clemson (unless you’re BigTimeTechFan). Likewise, beating Clemson doesn’t mean the Jackets will beat Virginia Tech. Or Duke, for that matter (which could have easily beaten the Hokies Saturday).
I can think of plenty of reasons why both may happen, but I also had a lot of reasons why they would beat Virginia and Miami. I’m not saying it won’t happen – I’d say chances are more favorable it will – but banking on it is probably not wise.
Saturday was just a reminder of how much this game rests on the emotion and intensity of post-adolescents. A week after beating Oklahoma, Texas Tech lost at home to Iowa State 41-7. The Cyclones had lost their first four Big 12 games by an average of 24.3 points. I’m going to guess that the Texas Tech players’ (and maybe coaches’) heads were in the clouds all week. Same with Michigan State, which got drummed by Nebraska a week after upsetting Wisconsin in about the most euphoric manner imaginable.
“It’s hard to explain why we weren’t on top of our game, knowing we’re going to get their best shot,” Tommy Tuberville told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. “But we weren’t. We just had no emotion — coaching or playing.
“It was kind of like, ‘Hey, it’s going to happen. We beat somebody last week. It’s going to happen.’ But no matter who you’re playing, they also have a football team. They also play hard, and they’ve got good players, and they’ve got good coaches.”
Paul Johnson, last week: “I expect to win every game, I want to win every game. But the reality is the other teams have 85 other scholarship players and they pay their coaches and they try to win, too. That’s why you play the games.”
Links
Game story, notes and Monday follow story from the Charleston Post and Courier.
Stories putting Clemson loss in perspective Anderson Independent Mail. The first has a funny detail. Writer Greg Wallace tweeted awhile ago that an Orange Bowl berth would be a great accomplishment for Clemson, and some fans responded that that statement was insulting. A whole bunch of more posts from the game.
No practice today, so this should be it for Monday. Thanks for reading. Happy Halloween!
Please follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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419 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
5:03 pm
Vegas, headley hasn’t shown up today (suprise, surprise)…..at least not under any of his usual aliases
carolinajacket
October 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
That’s the main complaint I have with these blogs, an idiot can use as many names as s/he wants. I used to play poker online (before the feds said I couldn’t) and there once you choose a name you had to stick with it.. I think that’s the way it ought to be here. Also, we’ve all had some fool write messages using our names. That should not be allowed.
tp jones
October 31st, 2011
5:10 pm
headley actually is affiliated with the fpj blog ; ) Probably trying to shore up his career right now.
Bobby Dodd
October 31st, 2011
5:13 pm
I’m sitting in the V watching GA-FL and some Tech guy next to me was just screaming his head off for FL. asked him if he really liked FL and he said, “I just hate UGA”. Now, I can understand that when you’re 19 and at Tech or UGA, but after your 20’s man just have some pride in the state you live in. I went to Tech, and I pull for UGA every week (especially against UF) except the Saturday after Thanksgiving. However, it makes it hard to do it reading these blogs…..
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
5:16 pm
Bobby Dodd, I wouldn’t be screaming in a public place, but I never NEVER pull for the dawgs. I have some very good friends who are dawg fans, and am actually bringing one with me to the game in November, but he knows I do not cheer for the dawgs, and he’s ok with it. And, btw, I am well beyond my 20s. LOL
Jacket Man
October 31st, 2011
5:32 pm
This extra time will probably include spending a bit of extra work on special teams as we all know “Beamer Ball” is a big part of VA Tech’s game (although not too prominent this season, so far, but we know they’ll be working on it during the break, too). I would also guess the pass game will be worked on, including blocking, routes, timing, fakes and looking off receivers as this part of the game has, obviously, fallen off the table in the past several games.
GT
October 31st, 2011
5:47 pm
Johnson is the type guy that if you make him mad he will eventually get even. A lot of coaches don’t have control of the results of their team, Johnson does. He could have been on them for Virginia and Miami but he thought those games might handle themselves, he saved his week in hell practices for Clemson. Somehow he knew we would be happier with that win and in the meanwhile he might luck up and beat the other two. Now he has an extra long time to prepare for Va. Tech, the problem is Va. Tech does too, and Frank Beamer is a very good coach. This is really like a bowl game with much more riding on it. Tech doesn’t do well in bowl games. But then bowl games are not played in front of a full house at home This is going to be a lot of fun.
William Casey
October 31st, 2011
5:49 pm
@Supersize: It was a great way for my son to start life. 1990– GT wins football NC, 1990-91– GT in basketball Final Four with “Lethal Weapon 3,” 1991-2005– Braves win NL East for 15 straight years. I always tell him that he was good luck charm for my favorite sports team. BTW– I bet it is great with Ciraldo & King.
carolinajacket
October 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
GT, isn’t it something that “Tech doesn’t do well in bowl games.” Sad but true, and at one time we were the bowl kings of the country. How times have changed and we have lost some bowl games we surely should not have lost.
Vince Dooley
October 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
Bobby Dodd,
I couldn’t agree with you more. My father was a running back under Wally Butts and I am a UGA graduate. My father taught me early on, you want most of all to beat your in state competition but otherwise you pulled for those rivals. I have always pulled for Tech when not playing the Dawgs. Incidentally, Tech’s victory Saturday against a team of wonderful athletes was a thing of beauty regardless of what kind of offense one may prefer. If that Tech team shows up around Thanksgiving, I can only hope the Dawgs can return to the cohesion last exhibited in 2007 to even stay on the same field with our fellow Georgians.
19
October 31st, 2011
6:03 pm
Very classy Vince Dooley.
Go Jackets!!!
1 4 GT
October 31st, 2011
6:26 pm
If ya’ll are still here….seen several comments on S Hill’s redeeming catch….GOOD for him….ya’ll see how excited he was to pull one in????he was flapping his arms and bouncing on the ground sitting on his butt….and how about that blocking he was doing 40 yards down field….the tv guys even commented on that
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
6:36 pm
“but after your 20’s man just have some pride in the state you live in.”
It’s probably a touchy subject, but it doesn’t mean much to me. I grew up in Georgia, and I live in Georgia now, but I’ve also lived in 8 other states, some multiple times. I am proud to be an American and have served in the armed forces, but the particular state I’m in has never mean much. Support government institutions? Yes, but not necessarily those people who are holding office at any given time. People? Some, the ones that know and/or respect, and I give benefit of the doubt to those who I haven’t met that may be respectable and rational. Colleges? Yes, the ones that I have attended and have earned my respect (not all have), and those others with high standards for academic influence on their students. State boundaries? I’ve paid taxes in 9 states, some waste more than others. Education? I’d like an explanation from educators why the U. S. as a whole ranks so low in preparing students in math and science (OECD PISA-2010: reading 14th, science 17th, math 25th).
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
6:49 pm
That was my monthly rant.
1 4 GT
October 31st, 2011
6:54 pm
carolinajacket….I’ve been trying to find one….GT bookstore and archives neither one had anything of poster quality suitable for framing….any ideas????if there was some way you could get a good reproduction for my purposes without too much inconvenience, I would do whatever was required to get it plus full reimbursement of any monies….thanks in advance
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
6:56 pm
I’m more or less proud of the state of Georgia, but that certainly doesn’t mean that I am proud of or support everybody who comes from Georgia, even if they represent the state on a larger stage. I can think of quite a few politicians that I have no use in whatsoever. As far as athletics, when I was a kid, I pulled for both the Jackets and the dogs (they weren’t called dawgs back then). Sad to say, I was totally turned off to the dawgs by their fans and the state-wide and local (Augusta) media near obsession with them since the 70s. When, for example, the Augusta paper runs 2 or 3 articles on the dawgs every day of every week during football season and Tech gets at most one writeup during the week and one on a Sunday after a game, regardless of the record of either team, and when the few things written on Tech are AP reports only, then you just get sick of it. Couple that with the abysmal treatment Tech fans receive in Athens (I was spit on once by a drunk after a Tech win there), then to hell with ‘em. Like I said earlier, I NEVER cheer for the dawgs now, and I NEVER WILL !!!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
6:57 pm
I’m more or less proud of the state of Georgia, but that certainly doesn’t mean that I am proud of or support everybody who comes from Georgia, even if they represent the state on a larger stage. I can think of quite a few politicians that I have no use in whatsoever. As far as athletics, when I was a kid, I pulled for both the Jackets and the dogs (they weren’t called dawgs back then). Sad to say, I was totally turned off to the dawgs by their fans and the state-wide and local (Augusta) media near obsession with them since the 70s.
carolinajacket
October 31st, 2011
6:57 pm
You make a lot of sense, but I can see Bobby’s view also. Again, I no longer live in Ga. so I don’t necessarily feel the way he does, but I can’t criticise him for it either. In reality, about the only thing that concerns me is that Tech wins. I’ve suffered through oh so many painful loses.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
6:58 pm
For example, the Augusta paper runs 2 or 3 writeups on the dawgs every day of every week during football season and Tech gets at most one writeup during the week and one on a Sunday after a game, regardless of the record of either team, and when the few things written on Tech are AP reports only, then you just get sick of it. Couple that with the abysmal treatment Tech fans receive in Athens (I was spit on once by a drunk after a Tech win there), then to hell with ‘em. Like I said earlier, I NEVER cheer for the dawgs now, and I NEVER WILL !!!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:00 pm
I see the filter still won’t accept the word that precedes “of Confederation” (the document that preceded the US Constitution, if nobody understood what I was referring to)
1 4 GT
October 31st, 2011
7:00 pm
carolinajacket….just read the comment about libraries having a copy from Supersize to you I think…I had not thought about that…will give it a try
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:02 pm
1 4 GT, I worked in the stacks at the Tech library when I was in school, and I remember seeing several copies of that Look magazine there.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:05 pm
William Casey, if you would like a copy, I’m sure I could make one and find a way to get it to you.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:07 pm
1 4 GT, have you Googled it? I’m not sure it would have a quality that you would be able to make a poster out of, but it’s worth the shot. I KNOW the magazine cover CAN be found online.
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
7:19 pm
Super – The blog-bot’s artificial intelligence has increased such that it now recognizes plurals. Could be a bad sign for mankind, these things.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:25 pm
Delbert, I know, and it won’t accept either the singular or the plural form of the word I mentioned.
BS Patrol
October 31st, 2011
7:26 pm
Beemer is lobbying the ACC refs for the chop block even as we post. There will be a long one called back, wait & see.
Steve
October 31st, 2011
7:27 pm
I see that some kid get beat up after the game Saturday. Gotta love that great location of GA Tech. In fact I see that the crime is getting worse and worse. And you nerds make fun of Athens???
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:28 pm
Steve, that is Atlanta’s fault, not Tech’s. Blame it on the Atlanta police for not making the streets safe. But I bet you wouldn’t walk the streets of Athens alone late at night either.
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
7:29 pm
Super – It wouldn’t accept the French word for it, either, which is very close to the same spelling. This is getting scary, even for Halloween.
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
7:30 pm
articulate
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:30 pm
BS, let him lobby. Maybe they will all learn the difference between a chop block and a cut block. I think the one called on Tech Sat was the first all season…only one I remember anyway. I wonder if it was legitimate; I doubt it.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:31 pm
Delbert, all that did was show that the first 5 letters are ok. I just can’t see anything about the word that could be a problem. Not like the day after Friday, that has a four letter word in the middle
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:33 pm
hmm, you can’t even put a “p” in front of the word, so I guess we can’t talk about nuclear thingies. lol
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
7:36 pm
Dutch artikel Irish airteagal
We can work around this.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:40 pm
I guess artikel will work; I just hate looking like I can’t spell
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
I’m outta here for awhile. Gonna go watch some TV for a couple of hours.
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2011
7:43 pm
Same here. Several “Boardwalk Empire” episodes to catch up on.
5150 UOAD
October 31st, 2011
7:43 pm
UGA must have won this week. I have had more TRAILER TRASH UGA type Halloween costumes come to my door. How am I supposed to accept EBT cards for candy?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:45 pm
Just turn out your outside lights and lock the door. Works for me. LOL
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:46 pm
Delbert, enjoy those Boardwalk episodes. I’m only behind one now, but way behind in other shows. Later, guys
5150 UOAD
October 31st, 2011
7:46 pm
I started handing out 4×8 sheets of faux wood paneling for their trailers and the kids are loving me.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
7:46 pm
LMAO UOAD
Spyro
October 31st, 2011
7:59 pm
LOL, I love the AJC. Just a few days after the upset of a #5 team, the AJC decides to post, “Is Crime a Reality at GT” article that doesn’t really address any new issues. Y’all UGA journalist really have to try to put us down, huh?
Steve
October 31st, 2011
8:06 pm
“Supersize that order, mutt”
Obviously has NO life. Wow what a loser. Not surprised though.
5150 UOAD
October 31st, 2011
8:16 pm
Steve how much work do you do at your church? What value does your life have?
Steve
October 31st, 2011
8:18 pm
Gurgle gurgle gurgle boop beep klat. Slurp slurp. Thank you, Coach Richt.
ATLER (RAMBLIN WRECK)
October 31st, 2011
8:45 pm
Great win for the Jackets. Hopefully we can keep it up the rest of the season. I still don’t see how we managed to lose against UV and UM. Oh well, let’s keep winning and everything will take care of itself. I want Tech to destroy VPI so bad that I can taste it. Go Jackets!!!!
IL Jacket
October 31st, 2011
9:06 pm
Supersize, just to put your mind at ease, the call on the chop block was correct. Since I could not be at BDS, I got a good look on the big screen. They had instant replay on the call and you could see clearly one lineman was engaged up top while another lineman was into the DLineman’s legs. The irritating thing about the broadcast was Craig James who kept saying the DLineman don’t Like cut blocks and don’t practice against cut blocks during the week. I am not sure he even understands the difference between a cut block and a chop block.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
Winning at home is always encouraging. Too bad they don’t have bowl games at our stadium. Looks like we’ll have to expect another blowout loss in a few weeks. Thanks, Coach Johnson.