Tech notes: Johnson mum on starting quarterback
1. Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson has it in his mind what will happen this week with quarterbacks Tevin Washington and Vad Lee.
“We’ll see if it plays out in practice,” he said.
After replacing Washington with Lee for the final three possessions of Tech’s 41-17 loss to BYU Saturday, Johnson said “we’ll see” about who would start against Maryland this Saturday. Washington has started the past 25 games for the Yellow Jackets and has largely played well this season, but along with the rest of the team played poorly against the Cougars. Lee led Tech to a field goal, the only points produced by the offense.
Johnson took issue with calling the decision-making a process a “competition.”
“I’m looking to play a guy that gives us the best chance to win the game or a guy that I feel comfortable putting in there,” he said. “I’m not going to put somebody in there just because somebody wants him in there.”
2. Johnson knew about the resignation of athletic director Dan Radakovich even before he came to Johnson’s office to inform him Monday morning. Johnson found out from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, a good friend of Johnson’s.
“I told him Dan was a great guy to work with,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he was excited for Radakovich and that he’ll miss him. Radakovich hired him as a replacement for Chan Gailey after the 2007 season.
“He’s a good friend,” Johnson said. “He did a lot for Georgia Tech and for me and my family. He’ll still be a good friend even though he’s at Clemson.”
3. Johnson’s assessment of the BYU game after watching game video: “We didn’t play well defensively. Was the offense and special teams worse? Yeah. But the defense wasn’t great, either.”
Johnson said that missed tackles were up “significantly” from the Boston College game.
4. Kicker David Scully is expected to return to practice Tuesday after missing the BYU game with a hip injury. Against BYU, Justin Moore made 1-of-2 field-goal tries and struggled on kickoffs. Said Johnson, “It’s open for the student body if there’s anybody that can kick.” …. Johnson took notice of fans booing after Washington threw an interception that led to a BYU touchdown in the third quarter. “I’m not saying they can’t do it. I’m just saying it’s disappointing.” … Maryland school officials closed the school for Monday and Tuesday due to Hurricane Sandy. The Terrapins don’t practice Mondays. Tuesday’s plan was unclear as of Monday evening.
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135 comments Add your comment
Wes
October 30th, 2012
8:56 am
I was booing Paul Johnson for keeping Tevin in there.
But I did it at home with “class”.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
8:57 am
@Tampa Wreck.
We have a sinking ship that DRAD just jumped off of after raising our debt.
We were outcoached in all phases of the game.
Only great plays by Isaiah Johnson and Jamal Golden kept the game from being even more embarrassing.
Charles Kelly needs to step up with more blitzing.
The new special teams coach needed to try something different on kickoffs when the other team’s wedge is so successful.
An example of coaching?
BYU tweeked their shovel pass that went for 5 yeards in the first half so it would go for a TD.
That was impressive.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
8:59 am
@Wes.
Funny.
But with a sinking ship and not a righted one, if all us Tech fans blast players and coaches every week and stay home, will things get better?
Maybe we will feel better but I doubt it will help.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:02 am
Just ike Tevin Washington and Deon Hill were denied status as heroes due to our defense in the Virginia Tech game, I have not heard much about Isaiah Johnson’s great pick 6.
For some reason, many have complimented Jamal Golden on his great play but not Isaiah.
George Stein
October 30th, 2012
9:03 am
I understand the thinking around the early schedule, and I think if we had hung on versus VT and Miami, the MTSU loss doesn’t happen. However, we got drilled Saturday. I think the result would have been the same.
The frustrating part is that we were pretty close to a good season, but probably because the level of competition wasn’t as good as we thought. We just aren’t a good team this year.
observer
October 30th, 2012
9:04 am
During his tenure I have heard Johnson repeatedly blame his players for “poor” reads on bad offensive plays, blame his defense and special teams for losses, blame poor defense on bad tackling, and even fired DC in mid-season. Never have I heard him accept responsibility for bad play-calling, bad game planning, bad recruiting, and the total lack of toughness of his team. The problem with this program now is plain and simple, Paul Johnson. He doesn’t even realize, apparently, that his team has given up on him, which accounts for their lack of effort. GT program is going to get worse as long as he is in charge.
Perfectly said, observer...
October 30th, 2012
9:10 am
…he has ALWAYS thrown “whomever” under the bus, never, ever looking in the mirror and asking if he could have done anything better…
Tybee tech
October 30th, 2012
9:11 am
Defense played poorly? Really? You offense scores 3 points mainly aided by penalties and you condemn the defense. I say no more trash talking the defense until your famous offense scores more than two touchdowns against a top 30 defense.
George Stein
October 30th, 2012
9:17 am
Perhaps you should be a better observer, Observer.
http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-tech-sports/2012/09/24/notes-johnson-calls-loss-my-fault/
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:20 am
One similarity between Bobby Dodd and Bear Bryant is that they both stepped up after losses to take the blame.
Example: Auburn 29-21 about 1962 home loss.
Dodd: “I wasn’t much help to Billy (Lothridge) today.”
The score would have been worse had not Jordan respected Dodd so much that he refused to run up the score.
You don’t see that much in the college game anymore.
Mike Smith may have had that approach vs Andy Reid Sunday.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:24 am
Many on the Falcon’s blog Sunday wanted the Falcons to run up the score.
Andy Reid has lost a son recently.
I think Mike Smith decided it was worth the risk to take the foot off the pedal and trust his defense in order not to be brutal to a hurt father.
Some things are more important than the game.
A lot of fans don’t know that.
And then he said, G Stein...
October 30th, 2012
9:25 am
…quoting from the article you attached:
“It’s like I told the team [Monday],” he said. “You get beat like that, it’s my fault. I’m ultimately
responsible.”
“After playing fairly well in the first three games, Johnson said he thought the defense’s giving up 609 yards to Miami was “an aberration” and called the fourth-quarter play more of a concern than any specific defensive shortcomings such as the pass rush or secondary play.”
“And I’m also concerned that we didn’t score any points in the fourth quarter,” he said.”
“Johnson said that there is not a “hard-and-fast rule” regarding the number of audibles that the quarterback can make at the line of scrimmage. Following the game Sunday, quarterback Tevin Washington said he is coached to only make one “check” at the line, which helped lead to a 4th-and-1 play in overtime resulting in no gain. Johnson accepted responsibility, saying that Washington may have misinterpreted being told to not get in “a checking contest.”
While he may have said it is his fault, he sure went on to give examples of who he seemed to think was really at fault…
Uh, Jacket Detective...
October 30th, 2012
9:28 am
…while one would “hope” that such thoughts MIGHT have gone through Smitty’s mind, I honestly DOUBT, very much, that any such thing was thought – he, to me, and this is just my opinion, just went into his usual “play to not lose” mode, and fortunately, it worked this week…
George Stein
October 30th, 2012
9:31 am
I’m not sure what you want out of him then. Is he not supposed to say that player X made mistake Y?
AMG
October 30th, 2012
9:32 am
I was booing, but I was booing CPJ for leaving Washington in. He will start Washington again because he is bull headed and does not want to admit anyone knows bettert han him.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:35 am
What if Tech cannot afford to fire Johnson?
Will staying home and saying fire the coach (see Schultz’s column) help?
I had BYU fans on both sides of me Saturday on the 18 yard line in the West stands.
Per lifelong policy, I made friends with them which made the loss easier to take.
On both sides they at least pretended to like my jokes.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:37 am
@Uh.
You are probably right.
I was remembering a nicer time.
I think I am right about Shug Jordan and Bobby Dodd though.
Sidle was unstoppable that day.
But who knows?
1234
October 30th, 2012
9:41 am
Johnson needs to understand the crowd wasn’t booing Washington….they were booing Johnson for leaving Washington in the game when he clearly didn’t have it together…
Tired of It
October 30th, 2012
9:41 am
Just getting tired of the negative comments. Nothing good to say, not a word of encouragement. These are not the TECH fans I have known in the years past. Sure a horrible season. However, I can’t help but things will get much, much better. Look at CPJ’s record in the years past. He just didn’t become a bum coach over-night. Somewhere along the line the players themselves have to be accountable. I seen a huge number of missed tackles & blocks in the BYU game. And, it wasn’t from being out of position either. TECH fans are better than what I have read here.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:44 am
BTW given a defective game plan by the O coordinator, Lothridge had maybe his worst game as a Jacket.
Since Lothridge was my hero as a ten year old, I have thought about that game probably more than any other.
Jordan kept the margin close enough (in my speculation) so that no one booed either Dodd, the O coordinator, Lothridge or all three.
Maybe that crowd would not have booed a blowout though.
Dodd was not overpaid like all the coaches are today.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
9:48 am
@Tired of It.
I’ll second that emotion.
Do we really want to add Johnson to the million dollar welfare program for fired coaches that exist today?
Did staying home and screaming on blogs using insulting handles “he can’t coach” help the basketball program?
I have sometimes thought to joke it was Hewitt’s daughter doing it so he would be fired and she could get a Mercedes as her first car.
The Necormancer
October 30th, 2012
10:23 am
Let me get this straight – Maryland is starting a freshman LB at QB AND not practicing?
85jacket
October 30th, 2012
10:24 am
I do not think that anyone has really noticed how bad the ACC is in general. Stanford blew out Duke, Kansas St and Notre Dame blew out Miami, BYU blew out Tech, VA Tech gets blown out by Pittsburgh, Tennesee beats NC State. Our only hope as a conference now is Fla State beating Fla and Clemson beating South Carolina. I do not think this is an indictment of Coach Johnson, Tom O’Brien, Cutcliff or Beamer. There is an extreme talent gap and the ACC schools must take notice. ACC will become irrelevant if this problem is not cured. The next AD at TECH has to solve the 55 graduation rate to make TECH attractive. The next AD needs to help the coach in making TECH the inside the perimeter school of choice to all the talented kids that come from GA. How do we do that? Make TECH an athlete friendly institution.
GT Joe
October 30th, 2012
10:31 am
Its funny: folks say “if we would have hung on vs. VT and miami, we would have been fine”.
In reality: If tevin doesn’t throw a pick in OT at VT, then make a bad read in OT vs. Miami, we would be fine.
It really does boil down to Tevin.
Oh, and thanks for coming back, Take the Wheel! I missed you! Is Tevin still the answer? LOL.
old dog
October 30th, 2012
10:32 am
ACC stands for “Ain’t Coaching Championships” when it comes to football. Ya’ll can change that, you know you can. Bring athletes into a system that is better……bring in real QB’s, not athletes who get stuck at QB. (Again, Nesbitt is an NFL db.) You do not have a QB on your team who could start for most D-1 schools. A real one won’t come because under the current system he is human sacrifice. My Tech buddies……..time to start over! There ARE good coaches out there who would love to come to your program. Also, even if they were on an even keel with what is there now, perhaps they could recruit better…….
GT Joe
October 30th, 2012
10:33 am
Nothing is more frustrating than having a REAL D1 QB talent (vad lee) sitting on the bench, while we start a horrific, FCS-caliber QB, making GT look like terrible recruiters of talent.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:38 am
I definitely want Vad to start against Uga if not sooner.
We’ll see how good he is on his back the whole game.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:42 am
GT Joe.
When will you buy season tickets and become more of a fan?
Do you have any money commitment to the team you say you are for?
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:45 am
BYU, by winning special teams except for one great play by Jamal Golden and winning on offense and defense except for one great play by Isaiah Johnson, makes the case about the talent level at Tech more than any deficiency of Tevin Washington does.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:48 am
@85jacket.
You make a good case.
The ACC looks like chumps from all their blowouts vs other leagues.
Barely in the games.
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:50 am
Someone finish this line with a clever joke: Winning the ACC Coastal division is like…..
Jacket Detective
October 30th, 2012
10:53 am
Duke 2012 = Ga Tech 2011.
Buzzed
October 30th, 2012
10:58 am
…being the tallest midget.
old dog
October 30th, 2012
11:01 am
………being MVP on an 0-11 team……………
old dog
October 30th, 2012
11:04 am
Well, ya’ll do have round-ball, and the ACC is usually pretty good at that……..and I STILL think Tech needs to stand up, get a quality coach, pick up the recruiting, and live up to the once-proud football history of your school. You can do it. Forget all the UGA hate, etc. Just quit crying and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
GT Joe
October 30th, 2012
11:14 am
JD: I’ll buy tickets to the Duke game if Vad starts.
GT Joe
October 30th, 2012
11:38 am
Also JD: you mention that we’ll see if Vad can throw off his back. Was that supposed to be an excuse for Tevin that the line isn’t protecting him?
Just remember, in Vad’s 3 drives, he had ONE loss of yardage play, when he tripped over an OLineman’s foot. Tevin takes sacks cause he is scared to throw. Vad has pocket awareness that you only get with experience (Vad was a big time passer in HS).
The difference is night and day.
JoeFan
October 30th, 2012
12:21 pm
CPJ knows his days at Tech are numbered if he doesn’t get things turned around but why should he care? Really don’t believe he has much incentive, no matter what happens he’s got his golden parachute.
Jmonty
October 30th, 2012
12:30 pm
CPJ is about arrogant as the captain of the Tatanic… and you see what happened there. Until CPJ can be willing to change and fix what’s broke, we will never get better. Nobody and I mean nobody respects GT’s defense…. and with good reason. Nobody respect’s TW arm…again with good reason. They know he can’t throw it far, so they all crowd the line. They offense has become very predictable. No imagination there. Same play, different look. The other defense just has to go to the same place time and time again. No matter how to run the play, if you go to the same spot every time, other teams do catch on. It’s just an insert player here and here… Then bam… option is stopped. CPJ is getting flat out coached in almost every game. Over-rated and way over paid. He can’t recruit high ranked players. Really?? What 4-5 star recruit would want to play for a team the underachieves? As far as a QB?? Good luck… No player with NFP dreams will ever play for CPJ. No RB with NFL dreams would want to play for CPJ, Further no WR in their right mind would want to play for CPJ. The player we have in the NFL are from another coaches’ recruiting efforts, not his. GT is going to keep spiraling down, until someone wakes up and smells the coffee. Yes, the triple option can work in college football… But, with that said, the QB has got to be able to pass the damned ball. oh forgot to add… to their own teammate.
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2012
12:32 pm
Joe….HMMMM, let’s see here. Under pressure, TW one hopped a pass to the receiver on 1st down. Under pressure, Vad one hopped a pass to the receiver on 3rd down. Different players, same tacits.
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2012
12:34 pm
Difference is night and day. NOT!!
GT TD
October 30th, 2012
12:34 pm
I know I’ll get grief for saying it, but I am really thinking about just watching Georgia games the rest of the year. At least their offense is interesting.
GT TD
October 30th, 2012
12:36 pm
Enter your comments here
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2012
12:37 pm
Joe….most everyone wants Vad to play. If not start, to at least play more. Why, I imagine CPJ feels the same way. I mean, he does know Tevin won’t be able to “play” next year, doesn’t he? Don’t you guess CPJ wants his QB of the “future” to get game time experience?
William Casey
October 30th, 2012
12:38 pm
@JacketDetective: You are right about Jimmy Sidle that day but it was ‘63 rather than ‘62. In ‘62 the Jackets lost to Auburn 14-17 on Legion Field. It’s funny, the 29 that Auburn scored that day seemed like an opponent scoring 63 today. Football has changed a good bit.
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2012
12:39 pm
GT TD….UGH!!!! I think I might upchuck if I did that!!
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2012
12:42 pm
In other words Joe, can’t you make your Vad campaign a little less caustic. Or can’t you control your leg humping go for the jugular instincts?
William Casey
October 30th, 2012
12:47 pm
@Guys complaining about not being able to recruit “NFL calibre QB’s”: When has GT EVER been able to recruit such QB’s? Matt Stafford wasn’t coming to GT regardless of our offensive scheme. What we CAN recruit (and perhaps already have) are Joe Hamilton types. I like CPJ’s offense a lot with Lil’ Joe at QB.
William Casey
October 30th, 2012
12:49 pm
@GT TD: Why not just watch the NFL. They are better.
GT Joe
October 30th, 2012
12:56 pm
1 4 GT: Under pressure, yes, Vad tried an almost impossible throw off his back foot with a defender in his face, and it landed at the feet of the receiver.
Tevin, on the other hand, had all the time he needed, his feet were set, and he delivered the ball into the ground, about 7 yards from the nearest receiver. You can’t miss a guy worse than that. Oh, and we won’t talk about Tevin’s very next pass.