Live blog: Georgia Tech-Middle Tennessee State
Is there a hangover?
Georgia Tech has more margin for error against Middle Tennessee State than it would against an ACC opponent, but not so much that it can sleepwalk through Bobby Dodd Stadium and count on winning. A week after a crushing loss to Miami, the Yellow Jackets can show they’ve put it behind them and are ready to play their final eight regular-season games with a dominating effort against MTSU. A-back Orwin Smith said the team has finished its moping and is moving forward.
How does the defense handle the Blue Raiders?
After Miami played the Tech defense like a fiddle, the Jackets will play an offense of a different stripe. The Blue Raiders operate a spread offense that stretches defenses sideline to sideline. They also work without a huddle, which Miami used to give the Jackets problems last week. With MTSU quarterback Logan Kilgore often throwing short routes, it may be difficult for Tech to pressure him, so effective coverage and good tackling will be essential.
Will the backups get playing time?
Given that Tech was a 27.5-point favorite on Thursday and has beaten MTSU by a combined 56 points in the past two seasons, there is some expectation that the Jackets will win, and possibly handily. Should that prove to be the case, coach Paul Johnson will have the opportunity to stretch the legs of some second- and third-teamers for possibly the last time this season. Defensive linemen Anthony Williams and Adam Gotsis, inside linebacker Anthony Harrell, quarterback Vad Lee and guard Trey Braun could make cases for more playing time.
A win for Georgia Tech would …
Improve its record against teams with “Blue” in their nickname (Duke Blue Devils, Presbyterian Blue Hose and MTSU Blue Raiders) to 55-30-1.
A win for Middle Tennessee State would …
Be the third win this season for a Sun Belt Conference team against a BCS conference team (Louisiana-Monroe over Arkansas, Western Kentucky over Kentucky).
Matchup to watch
MTSU wide receiver Anthony Amos vs. Tech cornerback Rod Sweeting
Amos, a former walk-on, has caught 21 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns in three games this season. He was added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top wide receiver. Sweeting had a tough game against the Hurricanes and will have another challenge when lined up across from Amos.
The history book
Series record: Georgia Tech leads 2-0
Last meeting: Last September in Murfreesboro, Tenn., the Jackets scored on their first play from scrimmage, a 73-yard touchdown pass to Tony Zenon and led 28-0 in the second quarter on their way to a 49-21 win. Quarterback Tevin Washington completed five of eight passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
Tweet of the week
If Tech loses I’m transferring
@yaboynewt
Newt Clark, Tech student
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774 comments Add your comment
DawgNole
September 29th, 2012
3:56 pm
USMC Dawg
September 29th, 2012
3:23 pm
“USMC Dawg..Thanks for your service..” GT 65
Thank You Sir! I appreciate that. I just wish UGA and GT fans could show a little(LOT) more class on the blogs.
Good luck next week at Clemson.
_____________________
Some do (show class). Too many don’t–regrettably.
OldSchoolTechFanatic
September 29th, 2012
3:56 pm
Good night and so long this program will self distruct in 30 seconds. Never mind I think this program quit in the first half of the MTSU game.I hate it for the players.
RICHARD
September 29th, 2012
3:57 pm
PLEAS FIRE PAUL JOHNSON …………..HE IS THE MOST WORTLESS COACH IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY..HELL ILL TAKE BOBBY PATRINO
kingster
September 29th, 2012
3:59 pm
Clemson 56 GT 13, thats how I see it…….maybe its me, but why have a team (GT) that runs the ball down the field, then when they get in the red zone the coach calls the QB’s number, other player deserve to score, what Tevin has 10 or 11 TDs, then next person has 3, not fair, why play hard and not be rewarded, I’m just saying!
DawgNole
September 29th, 2012
4:00 pm
BringBackPepper
September 29th, 2012
3:27 pm
What an embarrassment. I may even root for the Dawgs today. Disgusting.
_____________________
Come on over!
WnE
September 29th, 2012
4:01 pm
re:
GTVegas
September 29th, 2012
3:28 pm
What burns me most is that I now must agree with everything WnE has written.
_____________
Had you simply agreed with me a long time ago, you could sit back and relax knowing that you were one of the FEW smart GT fans that could see through CPJ’s gimmicky BS Offense and crappy recruiting.
Now you have internal conflict that could have easily been avoided.
Rule of thumb:
Don’t disagree with WnE when it comes to CFB in general and especially GT FB!
Oh …………I almost forgot!
I TOLD YOU SO!!!!
Dum-Bass
September 29th, 2012
4:01 pm
MTSU has been loading up with GA players for 2-3 yrs. now. 32 on the roster this year. Today is the fruits of that labor.
S
September 29th, 2012
4:04 pm
Uga will score more against tennessee in one half than we did against middle tenn in a game
kingster
September 29th, 2012
4:13 pm
Yes Tech is through, I can not see them beating Clemson, BYU, mainly UGA, North Carolina, not evening Duke and Boston College, its crazy, watching this game during the middle of the 3rd quarter its just look like this team is just going through the motion, with a coach like Paul Johnson and A Groh, the kids are not buying into their bull, wake up its a new day, now I don’t think the Drad is on the hot seat because of the other sports teams are doing ok, I really believe the basketball team will be better but not good, so that will and other sports will keep his job, but the people who support the football team will demand a change, you can get rid of the Defense Coord, but everybody needs to go, from the head coach to the ball boy, thats the only way! (sad but its true) I am not buying into its the academic anymore, we can get good player and better student to come to GT, you got to give them a product they want and need, and hell no not that triple option sh_t! We won a National Championship before and played great before, why not now!
sting_em
September 29th, 2012
4:25 pm
The numbers don’t lie. Johnson is out of here this year or the next unless he does one of two things.
1) goes 2-0 in bowl games. This means that he gets to at least a toilet bowl this year.
2) goes 1-1 against UGA. Highly unlikely this year. We can only hope for next year.
Should be able to get the family to a game this year for under $25.
FORMATION 4 SUCCESS
September 29th, 2012
4:28 pm
I have posted our problems at the beginning of the season. Our problem today. Is our coaching staff believes that past experience somehow means something today. You could hear it in Coaches voice on Wednesday during the coaches show. He has succumb to mediocrity. The players have succumb to mediocrity and are mentally weak. Tackling is a basic fundamental in football. Week in and week out for 6 years we don’t tackle. We make the same mistakes from top to bottom over and over and never change. Listen, Practice Monday should be nothing but tackle drills for the Defense. On Offense, It should be nothing but blocking. Anything to increase mental toughness. For the Coaches, for get working on plays just work on how to rush the QB. How to block, how to catch, how to pay attention in the film room, how to throw a pass, how to pick the ball, how to run the option. How to block, how to read defenses, how to fight and win, instead of how to fight hoping not to lose. How to handle winning and how to put teams away. It is a mental challenge for both coaches and players and your losing it. Change may have to come. But, it is the entire program from my experience that needs to be changed. There is a difference between believing and wishing. I believe our program mentally approaches each game wishing for the best. That is why we are losing.
Jesse Myers
September 29th, 2012
4:28 pm
the 3-4 is a good defense if you have the personal, tech dosn’t !!!
WnE
September 29th, 2012
4:38 pm
Something else to think about:
MTSU went with too much trickeration early in the game and LEFT 10-17 “points on the field”, had MTSU played a clean game and their HC stayed with their power run game, MTSU would have EASILY scored 60+ points on GT today.
Think about that, 60+ points to a non-BCS D1-A team?
Burdell
September 29th, 2012
4:42 pm
It’s very simple. We don’t have the players. Paul Johnson thinks he doesn’t need them. He believes that with his system and offensive genius he can win with mediocre talent. And he can sometimes. But when you play someone with far superior talent, you will lose more than you will win, and most of the teams we play have superior talent. Then you have games like today where the coach needs to make sure his team steps up and that is where PJ is failing. I don’t know for sure, but he comes across on the screen like he’s just disgusted and can’t be bothered to coach his players. We lost to a team we shouldn’t have and that’s going to happen from time to time, it’s just more glaring when you are playing on the edge and have no margin for error.
georgia tech breakin neckz
September 29th, 2012
4:47 pm
Waiting for a news reel to say Al Groh Has Been Fired As Georgia Techs Defensive Coordinator… New @ 5pm
woodstockgt
September 29th, 2012
4:48 pm
We will win the rest of our games and go 9-3, and head to the Gator Bowl. You will all be talking about how great of a coach Paul Johnson is for getting this team to believe again and win.
WnE
September 29th, 2012
4:49 pm
I think Ken is responsible for the last 2 losses.
Our D was playing great until Ken wrote a blog about how great our young ILBs were playing in the middle of our defense, and then the middle of our Defense couldn’t stop anyone even MTSU.
I think Ken jinxed us.
FORMATION 4 SUCCESS
September 29th, 2012
4:51 pm
I love the potential of what CPJ’s offense can do and Al Groh’s defense has been good in the past. But both forget that it’s how you call the game is what makes a difference. CPJ has been know to run a play successfully until the defense stops it. Well now he runs plays that they stop and stops running plays that work. ie, Pistol read option was killing Miami. Why did we stop? GOD only knows because CPJ won’t. Everyone knows the slant has been killing us. So why don’t we play bump or cloud defense on 3rd downs to take the slat away? GOD only knows. Groh doesn’t. DRad believes that a good bowl visit is better than instilling a mentality that it is Championships or bust. And guess what, many of our money alumni believe that to be true too. Can you see our dilemma ? We don’t fill our stands because our money is better spent elsewhere until we find is worthy to invest. A tougher out of conference schedule would lure more people to buy tickets, hence filling the stadium and raising more money for the program. But, DRad would rather have empty seats a mediocre program and bowl bids to Shreveport, Boise and El Paso. Which no one travels too. Tech needs better players, better coaches and better expectations.
WnE
September 29th, 2012
4:51 pm
What THEY said:
Zach Laskey is a diamond in the rough.
What WnE said:
More like cubic zirconium!
The truth:
WnE is right yet again!
.
BringBackPepper
September 29th, 2012
5:07 pm
Like a moth to a porch light, I’m back … just threw out my homecoming propaganda and my roll call plea. Thank God I don’t still have my season tickets, or I’d probably jump over the press box. I can’t recall it being worse than this … Bill Lewis, Chan Gailey, … arrrrgh. Just deleted all my Tech email BS too. Good thing this cluster wasn’t televised … at least not on a real network. Can’t bring myself to root for UT …
georgia tech breakin neckz
September 29th, 2012
5:09 pm
now for all of you out there who think paul johnson suck as a head coach this is not true although the passing offense suffers we have been the in the two or three rushing team in the nation how ever enter Vad Lee that will open things up in the passing game then the offense did slip today with holding on to the ball but im not turning on this offense it works and i think with a little more passing we can be the ish even unstoppable now with that lets get to the real problem DEFENSE you know what make the SEC such a good conference its there Defenses Bama, LSU, GA, Fla all of them have the defenses to win with we don’t Fire Al Groh Today send him back to the Pats or Va or the Gaints just get him out of town the other slight problem with Ga Tech and even the ACC is that there are not a lot of 5star high school recruits that can cut the mustard in the grades department coming out of high school so the can’t and dont come to Tech and the ACC not that they are’nt recuited ask some of them the SEC has lower Standard in that department including UGA so with that thats the luck of the draw but look in the NFL and see how may starters went to GA tech on both sides of the ball some of them even recruited by paul johnson some by chan gailey but even the ones chan gailey recuited stayed at tech and the nfl loves them………. I say again get rid of AL Groh.
BobbyDead
September 29th, 2012
8:26 pm
My corpse is a better coach than Fishfry.
Gorilla Biscuit
September 29th, 2012
9:19 pm
Ya’ll were terrible. How much did GT pay MTSU to come into Bobby Dodd and embarrass them?
Fishfry, Al, and Tevin.
Cane Fan
September 30th, 2012
12:00 am
I like GT, first wore the T-shirt 40 years ago due to family ties. I am an ACC fan for not as many years bt always pull for you. With that said…… WOW! I thought your two losses were simply due to the last 30 seconds of the game needing to be played but after today I am embarrassed for you.
ps. WoodstockGt…. put the crack pipe down.