UPDATED: Tech out-slugged by Clemson, 47-31
Clemson's Andre Ellington (23) tries to get by Georgia Tech's Jeremiah Attaochu.
Updated, 10:10 p.m.
CLEMSON, S.C. – As late-afternoon shadows crept across Memorial Stadium, the Clemson faithful stood in full-throated roar. The sellout crowd sensed its team about to deliver a knockout punch to Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets complied. Another fourth-quarter breakdown torched three quarters of effort and offensive play-making in a 47-31 defeat to No. 15 Clemson Saturday in Death Valley. A week after absorbing one of the worst losses in school history, Tech made good on its vow to give a better account of itself against the Tigers. It did, but up against an arsenal of offensive weapons and its own self-destructive habits, it wasn’t enough.
“Right now, we’ve got to play close to perfect,” coach Paul Johnson said. “Clearly, we’ve got to score more points.”
The Jackets fell to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC and made the bus ride home down I-85 with regrets of plays missed and chances squandered packed underneath. They also are owners of their second three-game losing streak in the past three seasons.
Twelve months after opening the season 6-0 for the first time since 1966 and rising to No. 12 in the polls, the 2012 Jackets have scuffled their way to a less glorious piece of history. Tech goes into its bye week with its worst record after six games since the 1994 team, which started the season 1-5 and later brought about the late-season dismissal of coach Bill Lewis.
“We’ll come back,” Johnson said. “They played hard for the most part, and if they’ll play hard, we’ve got to find a way to try to help them win.”
As was the case against Virginia Tech and Miami, the Jackets held a fourth-quarter lead Saturday, this time in a game that few gave them any chance to win after their 21-point home loss to Middle Tennessee State last Saturday. The Tech offense at times scalded Clemson’s poor tackling defense. Quarterback Tevin Washington operated the option effectively, freeing up A-backs Orwin Smith and Robbie Godhigh to gain 178 rushing yards on just 11 carries. He completed nine of 14 passes for 144 yards.
Said Smith, “I saw guys with more drive than previous weeks.”
Tech’s work led to kicker David Scully’s 26-yard field goal that gave the Jackets a 31-30 lead with 13:03 left in the game, the fourth time they had wrested the lead from Clemson. The Tigers responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, one of their six scoring drives measuring 70 yards or more, completing it with a 35-yard pass to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. A two-point conversion gave Clemson a 38-31 lead.
A team that is becoming painfully familiar with an inability to rise to the game’s biggest moments tripped again, this time literally.
Chris Milton misplayed the ensuing kickoff, fumbling the ball before recovering it and then slipping to the ground at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Washington pitched to Smith, who was overrun by Clemson defenders and dropped for a safety for a 40-31 lead. The stadium shook in approval.
The episode recalled Smith’s own safety on a kickoff against Miami.
“You can play 10 years of football and never take a kickoff return on the 1-yard line and have a safety on a kickoff return,” Johnson said. “We’ve had both. It seems like it shouldn’t happen.”
On the series after the safety, the Tech defense, which allowed 601 yards to Clemson, gave a spark when inside linebacker Daniel Drummond intercepted a Tajh Boyd pass, returning the ball to the Jackets at the Tech 45-yard line. Down nine and needing two scores, Tech drove and then sent Scully out for a 37-yard field goal. His try was blocked, his second miss of the game.
“That was pretty much it,” Johnson said.
It brought an end to an afternoon that held the hope for a season-turning upset but was done in with a mound of errors. Tech tried for a first down on 4th-and-1 from its own 37 on its first possession of the game and was denied on a sneak by Washington.
Nose tackle Shawn Green made one of the plays of the game in the third quarter, intercepting a screen pass and returning it 17 yards to the Clemson 26, but Tech squandered the opportunity to add to its 28-27 lead. A botched snap between center Catlin Alford and Washington on 4th-and-1 from the 7 gave the ball back to the Tigers.
Occasionally better defensive play and pass-rush pressure often placed Clemson in 3rd-and-long situations. As has become rote, though, the Jackets allowed Clemson to convert 13 of 19 third downs. Tech has given up 31 of 46 third downs in the past three games.
The first-quarter fourth-down try in its own end spoke more about the state of Tech’s defense than Johnson would.
“I thought we could make it,” Johnson said.
Once again, opportunity lost.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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361 comments Add your comment
dry dirt road
October 7th, 2012
3:50 pm
I think the reason Tech loses is because of Buzz. I am a Tech grad, and I don’t like Buzz at all. I don’t like all Tech clothing and decal merchandise to have Buzz on them and be forced to identify with the Buzz mascot that has an unidentified person inside of the costume. As a male, I would like to know the gender of whoever is Buzz, and the race. Now I did not have any problem with the yj in the 60’s and 70’s when I was at Tech. There was only one mainly, the T-Club one, which the student body also could use in merchandise. That yj is not available at Tech or anywhere now. Nobody at Tech got to vote on if they wanted the Buzz art to take over all yjs at Tech, it was forced on us. No questionaires were mailed out to alums asking what their attitudes were about the proposed Buzz art that was to link up with the costumed mascot at games. Also, now at Tech no alum clothing merchandise is sold at all. So the alums get alienated alot at Tech these days, and what do they watch for football or basketball from Tech? The message they get is that Tech wants them to get lost, they just want their Alum Assn monetary donations. Clemson has Iptay, and they don’t change that tiger paw symbol ever. Tech decided to change its yj to Buzz.
ga tech fan
October 7th, 2012
4:00 pm
They played a good game until the 4th qtr. I dont think its the offense, because they are always breaking long plays and scoring points. I guess defense is what wins championships! need a pass rush badly!! Go tech beat bc in 2 weeks!
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
4:22 pm
the dwags are fit to be tied….way worse than us….near 900 posts on one blog….there are several wanting to fire the coach….a man that is in his 12th year & has won 110 +/- games for them….I just cannot have any sympathy for them though
StanH
October 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
Pitiful…pitiful…pitiful….Cpj needs to man up and leave and take his high school coaching and groh with him…….tech couldn’t beat a good high school team…..pitiful…pitiful…pitiful
...Take The Wheel
October 7th, 2012
4:28 pm
As fans we should not give up on the team just as we don’t want them to give up on the season. I’m sure they all want to win even more than we do. If we are truly fans then lets just rally behind them.
I was at the Clemson game and I have NEVER seen our stadium as packed and electric as Death Valley was. We typically beat Clemson, but that didnt stop there fans from getting behind them being that extra player when they need extra energy! It was so loud at times I’m surprised they could here the plays when they were called.
So while some of you get on here and trash the coaches, the players and even the AD ask yourselves how you rate as a fan AND START THERE!
ga tech fan
October 7th, 2012
4:43 pm
Lets pack bobby dodd stadium vs boston college! Support the team when things arent going good, Yeah they have lost 3 in a row, but they still have games to play! Lets support them!!
GTJohn
October 7th, 2012
4:50 pm
Bottom line – GT must score 50 points minimum to win.
GTJohn
October 7th, 2012
4:53 pm
And 50 points is possible if they set their mind to it.
BillCurrie
October 7th, 2012
4:58 pm
All we need is an easier schedule. I bet we look much better against BC, Duke, North Carolina. Then we can puff our chests out and talk about how awesome our team and coaches are.
joel
October 7th, 2012
5:36 pm
What happen to “old time ” fundamental football. You build your team around solid defense, don’t turn the ball over and you PUNT ON 4TH DOWN , especially on when you are on your side of the 50 yd line !!!!!!!!!
Smyrna Gold
October 7th, 2012
5:40 pm
All things considered: traditiion, location, academics, coaching, fan base, facilities, apathy, this has to be the very worst football program in division 1 football. Absolutely pathetic.
Silly Mutts
October 7th, 2012
5:42 pm
Smoke is in the air! Gt accepts its fate and thus becomes the automatic victory for the never done anything teams in the country! Dukes 3rd team will put up 50 against this piss poor team! Support the garbage! Can’t wait to see bc put 60 on this team! I will continue to laugh and pj will continue to get rich!!!! Pathetic!!!!
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
5:53 pm
In all seriousness, I will never quit hoping & pulling for the Jackets to win. I regret just sitting on by duff at the MTSU game in the 2nd half when it became obvious the guys just were not mentally into it. I was stunned at what I was seeing. As long as it is plain the guys are trying, I will be urging them on. But, I still have the right to vent about what I perceive to be wrong. I am much more upset at what I see as poor coaching now instead of poor playing. We DO have enough good ball players to at least be competitive (in spite of what “Carnack” says) against all but the very best teams, & maybe them too. Selah.
Smyrna Gold
October 7th, 2012
5:57 pm
@take the wheel
When you learn how to spell, we’ll talk. Meanwhile this program does not deserve our support. It’s too expensive and disappointing supporting the likes of CPJ, Al Groh and DRAD. Tech should not be playing Div 1 football. Period.
Tech Guy
October 7th, 2012
5:57 pm
PJ can’t recruit as well as Chan Gailey, and that is the major promblem. Chan’s recruiting was getting better each year, and a number of his recruits are playing on Sunday. Had he stayed, we wouldn’t have a losing record. He was being paid less than half of PJ’s salary. AD Rad needs to go.
Smyrna Gold
October 7th, 2012
6:02 pm
@Joel
You are right, but CPJ is too dumb or egotistical to realize that. SO SAD.
Smyrna Gold
October 7th, 2012
6:06 pm
@Tech Guy
I think DRAD is a big part of the problem. Why not try and hire South Carolina’s defensive coordinator?? I think he would be an improvement over what we have now.
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
6:06 pm
Georgie showed USCe how they play football……………………………….the “OLD MAN WAY” ROTFLMFAO WOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOO JACKETS THWGeorgie
Smyrna Gold
October 7th, 2012
6:09 pm
I’m talking about Head Coach, not defensive coordinator.
VegasTiger
October 7th, 2012
6:42 pm
Hey bulldawgdaddy, who’s team is pathetic?
yeller bug
October 7th, 2012
7:06 pm
As one person previously implied, “Maybe the new uniforms are unlucky.”
Financially, I think we’re stuck with CPJ until 2016. The unfortunate part of our stupid contracts is that financially speaking, there is more incentive for our coaches to want to be fired than to do well. Who wouldn’t want to be fired, get $10M and then go get another job and get double pay. To all his critics, CPJ is smiling and saying “Fire me please!” Our only hope is that his ego is greater than his greed.
CAG’s contract ends this year and he’s a goner. We can only hope that his pride/ego will keep him working hard to solve the multitude of problems on D.
I hope Vad gets to play a lot against BC because he’s the future. I also hope that CPJ recognizes that maybe Vad is more suited to the pistol than the TO and he adjusts his offense to suit personnel.
I guess we’ll see and get to write and either complain or rejoice about it. NCSU beat FSU so anything can happen on a ball field.
joel
October 7th, 2012
7:10 pm
Hey guys. Just checked the vegas odds for next week and we are only a 2 point underdog against ” Bye Week”. What conference do they play in ?
New Idea
October 7th, 2012
7:15 pm
Future is not bright. Unless GT figures a way to bring in some more talent, fan support is declining.
Technology Majors are not attractive to today’s Athlete, need some non technical majors besides Management. Need different Offense with more passing – maybe the pure spread with just some TO.
Need New Defense Coordinator. CPJ is paid Millions to recruit a few d1 and a lot of d2 players. I think most GT fans are about fed up with the overall GT commitment to athletics. I sure won’t be in the stands ever again unless I see a commitment from BOR, The Hill, AD and CPJ (or new coach).
Sunday Night Unwind, 10.07.12… « Just Charlie
October 7th, 2012
8:13 pm
[...] sure you’ve heard by now that the state of Georgia was 0-for-South-Carolina yesterday. The Jackets made a game out of it before the inevitable conclusion, but UGAg surprised everyone with how sorry they [...]
ME Jacket
October 7th, 2012
8:36 pm
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” George Santayana.
Comments from the GT blogs this entire year continue to echo: “Al Groh’s Defense is terrible” and “Tevin is a nice young man, but panics in clutch situations, when the offense needs him most.” I am not making suggestions as to how to fix our issues, but it is interesting that Jeff Schultz wrote an article that identified these exact issues and sentiments last year, just after the 2011 Georgia game. Attached is the link. Question remains, “Do we really have to continue repeating history?”
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/11/26/georgia-tech-drilled-and-problems-start-with-grohs-defense/
The Old Coot
October 7th, 2012
8:47 pm
Here’s a thought:
Duke has 5 wins right now and has a better football coach than Tech.
jmonty
October 7th, 2012
8:50 pm
Again…. Please tell me where all you “the defense is better” people are??? I told everyone… Day one.. Al Groh sucked.. I told everyone… Day one… The “D” was not better… VT was great??? Really??? I don’t understand why they keep Groh.. What?? The “D” is going to suck if he leaves?? Too late..!!!! CPJ should be fired for hiring “no show”… I hope Groh goes to coach for some middle school team. He should be banned from the GT campus for being legally stupid.
jmonty
October 7th, 2012
8:53 pm
@ Old Coot…. Duke will probably beat Tech. I really don’t know if we’ll win another game this season. The “D” is that bad… It’s past being the Titantic. We’ve already sunk.
jmonty
October 7th, 2012
8:59 pm
By the way…. I predicted 48-35…. I was pretty close… We can’t lose next week at least.. Only because it’s a bye…. After that we got Boston College… If we fire Groh… We may win.
jmonty
October 7th, 2012
9:08 pm
If anyone thinks BC, Duke and North Carolina are easy wins… They are dumber than they look. GT’s defense couldn’t stop anyone. 1/2 the High Schools in the state could score on them. Thanks to dumbazz Groh…. our “D” is an shambles… The team will probably miss a bowl for the first time in many years… CPJ should fire him during the bye and get someone how knows what they are doing. Groh can effing go drive off a cliff for all I care. What a useless waste of flesh….
Arob
October 7th, 2012
9:27 pm
Defense will never be adequate as long as PJ refuses to make changes to his offense.
How does the defense get ready to face teams that throw the ball and spread it around? Answer is they can’t! We do not have the personnel or systems to simulate or give our defense the proper practice and preparation to stop a traditional offense. When everyone on the offense is recruited to fit the triple option, how can you even come close to simulating what we will face week in and week out? Our talent on defense is not this bad, they just don’t get the proper training. Just like in business, untrained employees will give you bad results.
Hate to see this happening to our program…..
ME Jacket
October 7th, 2012
9:30 pm
@ Arob, Agreed…
2ndSaint
October 7th, 2012
9:38 pm
I like Paul Johnson, but it maybe time to let him go. The ACC is expanding and becoming a premier conference and this brand of football is not going to win us a Championship. We need to go out and get a Big time coach and start getting back in the National Title conversation. Is Bobby Ross still available?
Bobby
October 7th, 2012
9:41 pm
@Your Bulldawg Daddy Your team is pathetic!!!!!!!
We seemed to have stopped seeing your addy after the 1st quarter of the USC game. I wonder why.
WnE
October 7th, 2012
9:49 pm
re:
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
5:53 pm
In all seriousness, I will never quit hoping & pulling for the Jackets to win. I regret just sitting on by duff at the MTSU game in the 2nd half when it became obvious the guys just were not mentally into it. I was stunned at what I was seeing. As long as it is plain the guys are trying, I will be urging them on. But, I still have the right to vent about what I perceive to be wrong. I am much more upset at what I see as poor coaching now instead of poor playing. We DO have enough good ball players to at least be competitive (in spite of what “Carnack” says) against all but the very best teams, & maybe them too. Selah.
____________
Since you think we do have “enough good ballplayers”, think about this:
When CPJ first took over we had 4 future NFL DLs on the field at the same time in Wommack’s 4-3, we had a future NFL draftee at Safety (Burnett) and a CB that got a FA tryout and was on a practice squad for at least 1 yr. (Jahi Word-Daniels).
2 of our OLs got a sniff in the NFL Cord Howard & Andrew Gardner, not to mention our WRs, Bey-Bey & Cone, RBs (Dwyer & Allen), our QB (Nesbitt) was such an elite physical specimen he got a yr. in the NFL at Safety via the practice squad and eventually made the active roster.
From that list above we had MANY PLAYERS represented on the All-ACC 1st or 2nd Team.
Now compare that to this yrs. team & last yrs. team, last yr. we only had Uzzi on the 1st team all-ACC and I think we had Attouchou or Burnett as a 2nd team LB and THAT’S IT!
This yr. we won’t have ANY PLAYERS make 1st or 2nd Team All-ACC!
If you cannot recognize that kind of MASSIVE TALENT DRAIN over a “short” 3-yr. window, then you are supporting CPJ to point that it is hurting GT FB as a program.
The anti-WnE crap was cute for a short while but now you and SuperSize and your “merry band of followers” are now coming across as delusional.
Fans from other colleges are reading these blogs and are wondering how a fanbase can have such a LOW CFB-IQ when the problems are quite obvious to all outsiders.
Dook & Md. will have more all-ACC 1st & 2nd teamers than will GT this season, and that is all CPJ’s fault.
We just don’t have the “groceries” to cook the meals that the fanbase wants to eat!
At the end of the day I was right a long time ago and I am still right and you and your
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You won’t become a better GT FB fan until you OWN the statement above!
WnE
October 7th, 2012
9:50 pm
At the end of the day I was right a long time ago and I am still right and you and your merry band of followers are wrong now and have been wrong for a very long time.
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You won’t become a better GT FB fan until you OWN the statement above!
Papa Doc
October 7th, 2012
10:03 pm
I’ve sat in the same seats in the new north end zone since they were built. I am a Tech fan. I will keep going to games to pull for the team. I will keep cheering and singing the fight song.
But, I don’t see this getting better over time. I hope I’m wrong.
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
10:06 pm
You big goof….all I said was “good enough to at least be competitive”….I said nothing more than that & you want to call me out….go tak a flying leap off of a really tall building and sail your diatribes as far as you can….I’ve forgotten more football than you will ever know….fool
Al Bundy
October 7th, 2012
10:40 pm
WnE is right in regards to the talent level at GT. I watched the game and I don’t think there is one all ACC player on this team. I also watched UGA vs. USC and I would say there is not one GT player that would start on either UGA or USC. Our future doesn’t look good and worse yet, we are stuck with this coaching staff for a long time.
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
10:56 pm
Look Al, I am not saying GT is as talented as the good teams, but we could be competitive with most & at least have a chance to steal a win if they were not careful. Recruiting is lacking and must be improved if GT is to have better teams. No denying that fact. GT needs some studs in key positions on defense. No denying that either. But we do have some good ball players. I think Groan is gone after this season if not before. A new DC will want to hire his own staff. CPJ probably be around at least thru 2013 unless things get even worse.
WnE
October 7th, 2012
11:08 pm
re:
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
10:56 pm
Look Al, I am not saying GT is as talented as the good teams, but we could be competitive with most & at least have a chance to steal a win if they were not careful. Recruiting is lacking and must be improved if GT is to have better teams. No denying that fact. GT needs some studs in key positions on defense. No denying that either. But we do have some good ball players. I think Groan is gone after this season if not before. A new DC will want to hire his own staff. CPJ probably be around at least thru 2013 unless things get even worse.
________________
Please list our “good FB players” and after you list them please list the Teams in the SEC that they would START for?
Thank you in advance.
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
11:16 pm
I’m pulling a “Carnack” & gonna ignore your question. I’m a half full kinda guy & you are chicken little….”the sky is falling, the sky is falling”……………………………………………….
1 4 GT
October 7th, 2012
11:17 pm
or the little boy that cried “WOLF, WOLF”
fan
October 7th, 2012
11:48 pm
Georgia Tech is a sorry team.
dry dirt road
October 8th, 2012
6:27 am
Tech should run plays with any new center by having the qb lined up in pistol/wildcat/shotgun formations to avoid l o s snap errors such as Catlin Alford made, learn from lesson, like learn from shotgun clinic put on for Tech by Russell of NC State two years ago in Atl.
dry dirt road
October 8th, 2012
6:44 am
Tech at least won against Clemson and VT in the uni dept. Those all white unis are what Tech needed badly after the darker gold always, and the jacket nest, honeycomb hexagons are cool art. I went out and found a jar of honeycomb honey at chain grocery store after seeing those, and it is good honey. The art I don’t like is Buzz. A return to the yj from ‘69-’73 is needed, the same yj the T-Club jackets had with the yj patch on them, the ones worn by Chick Granning’s team, the player who had his jaw broken by Darwin Holt of Alabama, thus causing BD to decide to drop out of the SEC. Why have Buzz after this Tech history? Is it the goal to make Tech forget about Chick Granning? How would you like to wear a Tech sweatshirt or t-shirt with Buzz on it and not know that the person inside the Buzz costume is a female? That would coincide with the pink, powder puff football socks and black thigh high stockings Tech has worn…on a gridiron? Maybe for powder puff football from the 60’s. I see some pro teams are beginning to wear pink. I believe the Patriots wore pink shoes yesterday, or maybe it was the Broncos. These are immoral signs for sports. A guy should get a haircut and be a guy.
Al Bundy
October 8th, 2012
8:50 am
1 4 GT, There is no question we can score points (except in the 4th quarter) but that isn’t enough. You can blame much of our defensive issues on coaching but at the end of the day, if your players aren’t good enough no amount of coaching in the world is going to save you. By the time a player get’s to this level he should know how to tackle or cover a receiver. Our guys can’t tackle and they can’t cover. That is a serious lack of talent and GT is recruiting more of them! That means more of the same for years to come!
old dog
October 8th, 2012
9:14 am
Her I am, and humbled. Remember, when we were all blogging back and forth before the season, old dog told you our o-line would be exposed against the better teams. We bullied up on the lesser teams, but against S.C. you can break it down like you want but upfront was where we got dominated. If we played them again next week, the same thing would happen. We were not good in any facet, but mainly up front. So, as I stated prior to the season, y’all need a defense and we need a line…….ain’t changed much, has it?
The Dulous, '70
October 8th, 2012
10:09 am
ANOTHER “GUTLESS” PERFORMANCE BY THE NOW FAMOUS AL GROH “GUTLESS UNDERMANNED” DEFENSE.
Poor recruiting by Coach PJ has caught up with him….miss Chan Gailey yet? At least he could recruit and his players were not “gutless”.
Vad Lee apparently does not need the expereince this year.
Oh yeah? If you think this year is bad….wait ’til next year.
The Dulous, '70
October 8th, 2012
10:12 am
Also, if you are waiting on AD Rattle No Nads to make a move, better get comfortable……remember how long it took him to get rid of Coarch Blewwitt?