Georgia Tech-Utah game thread
Greetings-
Just about an hour from kickoff (now 2:21 p.m. EST). I’m getting pretty intrigued to see how this game unfolds. Not having seen Utah, it’s kind of hard to get a grasp, but I think a lot of it comes down to two things. First, can Georgia Tech move the ball on Utah’s run defense, especially without Omoregie Uzzi not starting (as has been announced). Shaquille Mason will start; it’s undetermined if Uzzi will get snaps. B-back David Sims will play some, but how much is also not clear. Expect Preston Lyons to get plenty of snaps in his final game.
Second, can Tech stop John White? I imagine Utah will be more than content to pound the Jackets with Smith it’s the Utes are able. Worth watching – the sledgehammer blocking of fullback Shawn Asiata.
Other items of interest:
1. Wind is blowing pretty briskly towards the open end zone. I’m not sure of direction; if you’re watching on television, it’ll be the end zone on the right.
2. Steven Sylvester’s parents Roderick and Barbara are at the game with their other son Roderick Jr., completing a pretty remarkable feat. They have attended every one of their son’s Tech games in his career, home, away and bowl. They drove to this one with the families of Tevin Washington and Jamal Golden. Mr. Sylvester reports it took about 22 hours from the family’s home in McDonough, a pretty quick clip.
“I told Tevin’s dad he missed his calling,” Roderick Sylvester said. “He should have been a truck driver or something.”
The Sylvesters’ motivation to attend every game came from Roderick’s military service, from which he retired in 2006, which kept him from attending many of Steven’s games.
“You can’t make up for lost time, but I promised Steven as long as I’m healthy, you can look up (in the stands) and know we will be there,” he said.
3. Utah will be short two starters, left guard Miles Mason and and defensive tackle Dave Kruger. The Utes rotate a lot of defensive linemen, so that shouldn’t be as big a factor, but Mason’s injury may.
That’s about all I’ve got for now. I can’t say I’ve been to a wide variety of stadiums, but this is one of the more memorable settings. It’s set in the Franklin Mountains, which overlook the stadium beyond one end zone, and the visiting stands are carved into the side of a rocky hill.
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1,676 comments Add your comment
UltimateAlcoholic
January 1st, 2012
1:24 am
What does Georgia Tech and marijuana have in common? They both get smoked in bowls!
CPJ lost a fan today
January 1st, 2012
1:27 am
I’ve seen a lot of things in all my years of playing and watching football…..But today was the first time I’ve ever seen a Head Coach run the clock out on himself. It was surreal and it’s something I can’t get out of my head…
The problem with Paul Johnson is he will end up blaming the kids for “not making plays” or “not executing when it counted” or some other form of deflecting the blame for today’s loss from where it truly belongs: squarely on the shoulders of the Head Coach.
Nearly every other Head Coach in FBS would accept responsibility for failing to close out a win like Tech did today…But not Paul Johnson. The funny thing is, neither would Chan Gailey. In some sort of weird, parallel universe way, Paul Johnson and Chan Gailey look more and more alike with every passing GT game:
* They are both stubborn to a flaw.
* They both coach “not to lose” instead of coaching to win.
* They failed miserably against UGA and in Bowl Games.
* They both got huge extended contracts that removed any incentive to perform to keep their jobs.
* Neither could effectively evaluate their coaching staffs and hold them accountable for such things as player development, special teams performance, or “fill in the blank here” improvements year-to-year.
* Neither could coach their way out of a paper bag at the end of a game, especially a big game.
* They both are Legend In Their Own Minds….
But today it occurred to me….Gailey was much better than Paul Johnson at one thing: RECRUITING. Johnson’s success has trailed off since he has lost Gailey’s recruits and had to rely on his own to fill their shoes. This is obviously not working…
The thing that most disturbs me as a Tech Alum is that we’ve been had by 2 snake oil salesmen in Johnson and Groh. Johnson runs a quirky offense that nobody wants to play in and Groh runs a quirky defense that GT can’t recruit the right players for…..But the fraud continues.
There once was a day when a fraud like Groh would have been fired immediately after a 4th QTR/OT defensive debacle like the Sun Bowl. It’s quite obvious to everyone else in the world that the 3-4 is not working at GT. We don’t have the personnel to correctly install it. The fact that Johnson allows Groh to continue this charade without showing him the exit door makes him just as guilty.
It was a sad day for GT. CPJ is not who we thought he was. He’s just another Chan Gailey who can’t (or won’t) recruit as well and we’ve entered another mediocrity feedback loop…..
UGAFAN
January 1st, 2012
1:28 am
GT fans, seriously I was pulling for you guys today. I was shocked they scored 14 in the 4th. Sorry to say, but CPJ is going to constantly give you 8-5 or 7-6 years. His first two years were with Chan’s recruits.
RVDawg
January 1st, 2012
1:36 am
Dawgs blow out mich state, start 2012 ranked in the top 5. The dawgs are loaded—look for an easy sEC east title and upset over alabama in the SEC title game!
Another Dumb Dawg Speaks
January 1st, 2012
1:42 am
I don’t care if Obama said “Georgia Tech University”. It’s INCORRECT. Get it? And if you keep going around posting and saying “GTU” and “Georgia Tech University”, then you make yourself look like an ignorant Dawg Fan. Then again, most of you don’t need much help with that you know?
So keep posting “GTU” and make yourself look like a stupid douchebag….I’ll LMAO at you every time I see it.
“Chump don’t want no help….Chump don’t get no help.”
Where Chan
January 1st, 2012
1:44 am
can paul hire chan as recruiting coordinator? paul only won with chan’s players—his own recruits don’t have it.
raceday
January 1st, 2012
1:45 am
A Tech Fan since I was a little boy went to Peach Bowl when it was palyed at Grant Field, I have a son that is die hard Tech, A cousins son that is the number 1 pitcher at Tech top 10 draft pick this comming June. My son plays high school football and if Tech came to him to say play for us I would grab my son and run as fast I could in the other direction and plead with him if it came down to Tech to never ever play football agian. I quit Tech Today January 1st 2012.
UltimateAlcoholic
January 1st, 2012
1:49 am
@Another Dumb Dawg Speaks
Thanks for letting complete strangers know how to get under your skin. GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!! GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTUGTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU GTU!!
PAUL'S JOHNSON
January 1st, 2012
2:09 am
they are jumping off the bandwagon ladies & gentlemen….loyal fans “quiting” on Tech…..wow….not good days on da’ Flats.
Mark
January 1st, 2012
2:14 am
What a BUST! Players left it all on the field, but Groh is horrible. With 4th & 15, he doesn’t know to avoid Man coverage? He invited that final TD pass, and put a knife in hearts of Tech-nation. It’s getting hard to be a Tech fan!
Another Dumb Dawg Speaks
January 1st, 2012
2:29 am
Get under my skin? Are you kidding me? I LAUGH at your imbecilic behavior and….
I fart in your general direction!!!!
Coleman Rudolph Was Right
January 1st, 2012
2:42 am
No mo TO…..this offense is a joke and an embarrassment…….17 offensive points today and zero chance of scoring a TD at the end because GT does not have a QB who passes better than an 8th grader…….no mo TP
Buggoff
January 1st, 2012
2:49 am
5150 shaves pj’s nuts with his choppers and hitek is a cheap vibrator with a fat chick’s indentations…. Both are huge tools!!!!! Pj and grohld must go immediately! Losers!!!
UTE Man
January 1st, 2012
2:58 am
34 pages of comments and nothing but cheap shots handed out to Utah. This is the second bowl game you guys have lost to Utah. PS. The Alabama fans had a lot more class after we beat them in the Sugar Bowl. I love the big talkers from the ACC talking trash about the PAC 12. Oh, BTW how did Virgina Tech get in the Sugar Bowl. Now that is a real joke.
JLP Golfer
January 1st, 2012
7:30 am
As a long time jacket fan I will not continue to support a coach that is not able to see his offence will not stand up to competion that has large interior lines such as UGA or most bowl oppenents To try three up the middle runs in a row when needing to control the ball in the fourth quarter shows a lack of any imagination Tech under Johnson will never be able to compete with SEC schools or any schools that have large defensive lines.Schedule will have to be Navy Georgia Southern or other schools that have small defensive lines and then we will still have to play to win.Texas Tech won with the passing attach from the shot gun why we can not combine the two is a mystery.It takes smart athetetes
JLP Golfer
January 1st, 2012
7:36 am
Our student athletes are smarter than our coach who is to stubborn to adjust an offense that can not not stand up to a large defensive front I will not support Tech Football as long as we continue to run an offense with no spread options
UGA OWNS gtu
January 1st, 2012
8:19 am
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA I absolutely LOVE the fact that gtu is pathetic and irrelevant, just like every single gtu fan. LMAO
UGA OWNS gtu.
Always have, always will.
mehta
January 1st, 2012
9:04 am
uga and tech—mediocre programs, with blowout losses against elite teams. Richt and Johnson–both overpaid. Ga loses to mich state like tech lost–no offense.
truthsayer
January 1st, 2012
11:05 am
You’re all pretty sad. You don’t quote facts. You choose not to see the truth. PJ recruiting classes have outranked all but one of Gailey’s. Tech will never recruit with the big boys and everyone knows why. Even so, Tech has been more competitive than it has been in years. Since Johnson’s arrival they have been in almost every game with a chance to win . The defense is better than it was last year. Two years is not long enough to recruit the right players for the 3-4. Special teams are a problem PJ should address, especially finding a kicker and punter (having a superior kicker and punter than your opponent is worth ten points per game). Let Tech fire Johnson and find another coach. No proven coach will come to Tech. Get lucky and find an up and coming young guy who comes to Tech and wins ten games a couple of years and he is gone. Those are mostly facts and some opinion. Deal with it!
cmon man
January 1st, 2012
11:12 am
@mehta if you want to take cheap shots at uga thats fine but DO NOT lump tech and uga into the same group. if you honestlythink uga is “mediocre” then you would have to put tech into the piss poor group. im sorry that you are a little hurt about the game last night but cmon man wake up.
CPJ
January 1st, 2012
12:00 pm
We won the first 3 quarters so it wa a moral victory for us.
Iceblades
January 1st, 2012
1:18 pm
Another lead choked away by Groh and Coach Cheeseburger. When will Tech ever clean house and get rid of these bozos on the sidelines?
Sad Tech Grad
January 1st, 2012
9:58 pm
I love uga grads… one cleans my house, another mows my lawn.
UGA OWNS gtu
January 2nd, 2012
9:43 am
I love OWNING gtu and their fans!!!! BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA
gtu and their fans are PATHETIC. LMAO
UGA OWNS gtu
Always have, always will.
Sad Tech Grad
January 2nd, 2012
11:49 pm
You own us, huh? I haven’t known too many dogs that “own” anything…. sans the requisite ‘74 Camaro (on blocks) or a prized Larry the Cable Guy DVD collection. Y’all got ‘er done against Michigan State today, huh? Owned them, one might say. Back to the trailer parks. Your season is now over too… and Rev Richt is STILL feeling the heat. THWG!!!!
Dwolf
January 3rd, 2012
10:02 am
Love all the trash talk by puppy fans. They just pulled a Tech. Until coaches in the state of Georgia learn to not sit on the ball, they will never win a championship!! GT, UGA, Falcons– their coaches love to sit on the ball when they are up by 7-10 pts. I want a coach who is a murder!! They know how to kill their enemy!! I am a Tech fan who also pulls for the UGA on days they do not play Tech. Love the Falcons, but none will win until we learn to run up the score!