Tech trying to keep focus, edge
At halftime last week, an opportunity for history tugged at Jay Finch.
Georgia Tech had kicked Boston College around for two quarters, hoarding 407 yards of offense in taking a 28-3 halftime lead. If the Yellow Jackets could continue the pace, the Tech center realized, they could break the single-game total-offense record of 768 set in last year’s 66-24 rout of Kansas.
Instead, Tech managed just nine more points and 156 yards, leaving bushels of scoring opportunities on the field. For the fourth consecutive game, the Jackets were outscored in the fourth quarter. In a game where Tech had an extra week’s rest and carried the motivation of stopping a three-game losing streak, coach Paul Johnson and players said the team backed off and lost focus.
Tech still beat Boston College, “but it’s something that I’ve noticed,” Finch said. “But I’m not sure everyone notices, but that’s something that we do need to work on.”
BYU, Tech’s homecoming opponent Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, figures to be more capable of punishing the Jackets for wandering off course than Boston College. With BYU boasting the No. 8 scoring defense in the country, Tech likely can’t fritter away scoring chances or gift the Cougars with points as they did with the self-destructive Eagles.
“I think guys get comfortable,” A-back Orwin Smith said. “And you can’t get comfortable. We’ve been up a lot of games and just lost it towards the end.”
It’s a fitting summary for the first six games of the season. In starting out 2-4, Tech held fourth-quarter leads in three of the losses, two of them into the final minute. Against Miami, the Jackets scorched the Hurricanes with 36 consecutive points to take a 36-19 third-quarter lead before giving it all back and losing in overtime. Tech’s no-show 49-28 loss to Middle Tennessee State followed seven days later.
“I want them to be competitive,” Johnson said after the Boston College game. “And at times, we are. And when we are, we’re pretty good. And at times we lose focus.”
Johnson cited missed reads by both quarterbacks, Tevin Washington and Vad Lee, and poorly executed plays that prevented shorter gains from turning into larger ones. Johnson was so undone by the lack of fire that he took backup players to task for not being attentive and supportive from the sideline.
“It should be a privilege to be able to dress and have your name on the back of the uniform and be on the sidelines at Georgia Tech,” he said. “It’s not something that you should just kind of show up. If you want to giggle it up and laugh and cut up and have fun and dance to the video board, then go get in the stands.”
As a whole, the Jackets are easily described as hardworking and high-character, but perhaps not viciously competitive. Smith was bothered by players smiling and laughing last Saturday when the game was at halftime. He questioned whether his team has the ruthlessness to put teams away.
“I feel like you develop that from before you get to college, that drive to just always, no matter if you’re up 100, you still want to put up another 100,” he said. “Some of the guys, I can tell, just don’t have that.”
The Jackets have another opportunity to direct 60 minutes of channeled energy and cold-blooded ferocity at their opponent. They already know what can happen when they don’t.
“Even when we’re up, people still believe they can beat us,” Smith said. “It shouldn’t be like that. We need to just finish guys off.”
In case you missed it…
Penn State, Georgia State possible Tech opponents
Tech notes: Jackets prep for BYU hurry-up
Tech notes: Pocket containment key vs. BYU
Surgery probable for Tech’s Holton
Finch motivated by Tech streaks
Notes: Tech faces age-gap challenge vs. BYU
Notes: Johnson’s concerns about BYU
Notes: Field-goal unit needing repair
Tech vs. highly ranked run defenses
With BYU next, no-huddle issues loom for Tech
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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71 comments Add your comment
1 4 GT
October 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
I Love Jan…..I’m right there with you. I grew up wanting to go to Tech, got accepted, got of HS, had a part time job & went full time, got a better job, saved $$ for books, tuition & such…..fell in love, got married…………….I tried being married, working full time & going to Tech….not enough hours in a day to do all 3 justice….but I too have season tickets & I won’t miss a game without something drastic stopping me. If I wasn’t almost 70 yrs old…..I would go to Tech now. So I don’t begin to understand guys like TFFL that live close enough to go to the games and refuse to go. They had the privilege & honor to attend one of the best colleges in the land. I go to the games now & still feel somewhat envious of the kids I see on campus. They should be ashamed of themselves.
ole yeller
October 26th, 2012
10:35 pm
@Tech Fan for Life. No one cares if you show up or not. If you cared not to show up on these blogs, no one would care about that either. You are not significant when it comes to Ga. Tech. So just stay away from all things concerning the school.
gt40pinhd
October 26th, 2012
10:49 pm
tech fan for life: wish i was close enough to complain about going to the game. i’m stuck watching espn3 replays! do you know how hard it is to avoid listening to scores so i can watch the game “live”.
William Casey
October 27th, 2012
12:05 am
TFFL: I find a lot of your claims about your GT “fandom” dubious at best. What are your QUALIFICATIONS for determining the future of GT football? Why not man-up and use your real name? My Dad always said that a man always stands behind his words. Why don’t you have a kid and go cheer for his pee-wee team.
macrotech
October 27th, 2012
12:16 am
ANYbody boycotting Tech football because they don’t like CPJ is lame! When you stop attending games, you’re letting down the players, Tech and all the fans that pull for their Jackets no matter what! Tech will prove a team to be reckoned with when we get a D to match the success of our O. Do what you gotta do…ALL you’re doing is feeding the uga trolls.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 27th, 2012
12:21 am
@ macrotech…..you’re damn right on all counts.
Jacket time
October 27th, 2012
2:06 am
Lack of heart has been an issue b4 CPJ. Remember the gailey teams that only played to the other team’s level? This might be a deeper issue but it is good that some players recognize there is a problem. We need some leadership and this may fall on CPJ but because of his success at Navy and early success with us, I can’t help but support him being our coach. Sure don’t get the HS comments, specifically from our own fan base, pple seem to forget his past success at the D1 level. Got to have faith that things will get better.
tired from all the frustrations of being a yellow jacket
October 27th, 2012
6:57 am
tech fan forever you are a pathetic moron who does not understand the first thing about football. johnson is the best coach for tech available. We have been at the top of the nation in rushing for the last 5 years-the only thing wrong was Al groh trying the 3-4 defense without the animals to play it. take your losing ass and become a Dawg fan.
GTpack
October 27th, 2012
7:42 am
I enjoyed the youtube link to the 1990 game with Va and the Citrus bowl. Was at both games, such excitement and fun. Paid $200 for my wife and I to get into the Va game, and ended up sitting behind Bobby Ross’s father, who was about 90, and stood and cheered often.
Thanks TFFL for bringing back those memories.
I hope Super is right and CPJ can get it done, but watching our “Goon” squad and D line get whipped when we play big boys tells me that CPJ needs help recruiting. If Stanford can get it done, then so should we. This year, even Duke will be a challenge for us.
As for Orwin comments, I agree with him. Sometimes things just need to be said instead of pretending all is just fine.
Go Jackets, beat BYU. (Last night I noticed that BYU has their own channel on ATT Uverse, wonder if that helps their recruiting, and obviously they don’t have money issues)
Jacket Dad
October 27th, 2012
8:31 am
Like many previous comments, I see this on a regular basis but don’t know the answer. Our guys, either during the game or from game to game, start thinking too highly of themselves with a win or lead and seem to let up. Johnson also seems to go very conservative and I think that sends the players the message that we are playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
I truly hope we show up today for a full 60 minutes, because if we don’t, it will not be pretty.
GO JACKETS!!!!!
5150 UOAD
October 27th, 2012
8:48 am
By Tech Fan For Life’s criteria I must be a Bulldog Fan cause I don’t buy Tickets, Merchandise or go to the games but i will watch them on TV sometimes.
I’m a dWag Fan For Life…….
5150 UOAD
October 27th, 2012
9:03 am
The CHEETAH add at the top of the page is finally truth in advertising. Those girls a Blood and Money Suckers for sure. Hey you can help them pay their way through medical school. LMAO
GT-UT
October 27th, 2012
9:08 am
TFFL, CPJ offense puts up points! It amazes me how you guys want to replace this innovative offense. Anyway. Go Jackets! I’m off to work. Gotta long flight ahead. Will be watching through wifi
yellow britches
October 27th, 2012
9:30 am
Do stellar college programs generally put their best players on defense? Just wondering.
Hey, yellow britches...
October 27th, 2012
10:39 am
…I commented on this very question a couple of weeks ago, and that used to be the deal. However, I was told by someone on this blog that that is not necessarily the case today since all of these high powered, pass oriented, run and throw spread offenses seem to have the stellar athletes…so that is a very good question…
The GT future
October 27th, 2012
11:46 am
GT loses today, the first of three more season ending losses. BYU, UNC and UGA will destroy GT.
Tech4Life
October 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
@The GT Future: Don’t you think you should be more worried about what’s about to happen in Jacksonville in a few hours?
Been There. . . Done That
October 27th, 2012
1:52 pm
Seeing the theme running throughout, I offer this: I do NOT have money to support the AA, nor $$ for tickets; keeping these in mind, I originally supported the hire of CPJ — he’s won at Ga. Southern, the Naval Academy. . . and was the AD at Southern before coming back into coaching. Gailey & his deer-in-the-headlights looks, playing to the level of competition, etc., were observed with continuous cringing. Over the last two full years under CPJ, along with this season, the conclusion I reach is our recruiting has dropped off, in terms of the overall level of talent the coaching staff brings in. It seems we need to change our recruiting staff, approach, etc. {How many Gailey-recruited players are now in the NFL, aside from MegaTron?} The question remains: will CPJ actually alter/tinker his approach? While his stubbornness in sticking to his guns and storming ahead is a welcome change from Gailey, alternately, how much of it is also his downfall and/or WILL be when the time comes for a final evaluation when DRad comes to a STAY/GO assessment of CPJ once & for all.
Been There. . . Done That
October 27th, 2012
1:58 pm
Yes. . . just now recalled the missed “?” at the end of my last sentence!
GT-UT reminded us of how we definitely score more, and more each game, with CPJ; however, how much more, & how much more domination would we execute with a bigger, more athletic OL? My recruiting comment applies more to the higher talent level on the DL, specifically (and overall. . . perhaps it would spill over to special teams). {Although, reading comments from verbal commits to GT, to a person they appear to have responded to Coach Kelly when recruited – seems like a plus to have him as interim DC! Perhaps CPJ should make it permanent?!}
List Mama » BYU Cougars vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Saturday, 1 pm, ROOT – Deseret News
October 27th, 2012
5:03 pm
[...] Herald (blog)BYU football: Cougars grab 24-14 lead over Georgia Tech at halfSalt Lake TribuneTech trying to keep focus, edgeAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)ksl.com -Pregame.com -SB Nationall 159 news [...]
Roma
November 2nd, 2012
11:49 am
I would not suggest better!