Johnson responds to critics
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson made for pretty entertaining radio Wednesday night on his weekly show on 790 the Zone. Johnson took calls from listeners who challenged him on all matters regarding the team and its disappointing 3-5 record. Johnson even proactively addressed issues that have been raised by fans and media about the team before they were brought up, namely quarterback Tevin Washington.
I’m not sure how these read, but I wouldn’t call his tone defensive. Even-keeled and firm, certainly. Perhaps defiant. You can listen here through the Tech iTunes page.
On the season:
“We’ve lost two games in overtime. It isn’t making excuses, it’s just facts. We’ve lost two games in overtime. We lost the one at Clemson after being ahead in the fourth quarter. Is Sammy Watkins a really good player? Yes. Is DeAndre Hopkins at Clemson a really good player? Yes, but all in all we played with them to toe to toe until we fumbled the snap on 4th and 1 from the 7-yard line. If we don’t fumble the snap, maybe we go up two scores in the fourth quarter and it’s different. It wasn’t like when we lined up, we couldn’t line up and they were knocking us off the ball.”
On the BYU loss:
“We were horrid on third down in that game but if you go back and look for the rest of the year, we were probably tops in the league or second in the league. Last year, we were second in the country. We’ve been pretty good on third down.”
On recruiting:
“If we want to be honest, recruiting’s about the same as it has been. We can rewrite history, but the facts are the facts. I think we have some good players. We’ve got to be better. If we don’t play better, your point will be proven. If we do, mine will be proven that we’ve got some pretty good players.”
On recruiting and talent level:
“We’re trying to compete in the conference that we’re in, and if you look at it, we’ve played five times, we’ve been ahead five (times in the fourth quarter). If the talent level is that bad, then we must be doing a hell of a job coaching to stay in there and I don’t think that’s the case. So I think that the talent level is not as bad as you think. We’ve got to finish the games. Now, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I got you – we need to win the games. I just don’t see the gloom and doom that everybody wants to buy into.”
On the team’s intensity:
“I think intensity has not been a strong suit of this team, I would agree. That’s something that we’ve got to find and I’ve got to do a better job of as a coach.”
On his record and quarterback Tevin Washington:
“There’s an overall body of work. When the time comes, if it’s not good enough, do what you’ve got to do but you don’t have to re-set your standards and you shouldn’t be judged on every series or every play or every game. And the quarterback shouldn’t be judged on every play, of every series, of every game.
He has an overall body of work. He can do what he can do. He can’t control punts getting blocked, he can’t control whatever, and the only thing I can tell you is the kid is busting his tail doing everything he can do for Georgia Tech. And I promise you, I go to practice every day, and if I thought the other guy would help us win, he would be playing.
And I’m not ready to throw away the season – and I’m not saying if we put the other guy in, we’ll throw away the season – he may very well play this week. But it’s not going to be because somebody tells me to do it. It’s going to be because I think he gives our football team the best chance. Because my job is to try to give us the best chance to win the game. I see those guys every day we practice. I know there’s a lot of people out there that can do my job better than I can. I gotcha. I understand that. But pardon me if I’m not going to listen to everybody who tells me who I should be playing, what I should be doing.
I’ve managed to survive for 34 years doing what I’m doing without getting fired and we’ve won a lot of games. If I’m going to go down, I’m going to go down doing what I do and knowing what I know. So that’s it in a nutshell.”
On play-calling:
“You try to call the plays that people can run. You can have 100 plays and if you can’t run ’em, it doesn’t do any good to call ’em. I don’t mean this in a bad way or whatever, but it’s not like PlayStation, where you just pick a play. You have guys out there who can do certain things. And if guys struggle pulling, you don’t run the pulling plays. If guys aren’t as good at throwing one way, you try to throw the other way. That’s all the things that you know from being with those guys every day in practice and going into the game plan.”
“People say, ‘Well, when Vad goes in the game, you call a different game.’ Well, I try to do what Vad (Lee) can do better as opposed to forcing something else. Now there’s a point that it doesn’t matter just what Vad can do, you have to do whatever everybody playing with Vad can do. That’s part of coaching. We’ve got a lot of plays and people have probably made it – and I’m probably my own worst enemy by saying, ‘Hey, we run five or six plays and we do variations.’ – it’s a little more complicated than that. But we try to run the plays that give us the best chance to win the game.”
In case you missed it…
Washington, Lee keep relationship smooth
Tech scrambling to prepare for Maryland QB
On Tech ending its kick-return drought
Johnson says it’s not time to panic
Heisman biography offers revealing history
Notes: B-backs struggling to produce
Notes: Johnson mum on starting quarterback
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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439 comments Add your comment
TechLB
November 2nd, 2012
7:52 am
@Wreckbone – I agree with your statements my friend, however I would suggest decaf or a typing course, spell check, something man!
10per
November 2nd, 2012
8:15 am
I agree CPJ, we are just a few plays away from a much better season. You know who steps up and makes a play when needed? Better recruited players.
Jmonty
November 2nd, 2012
8:22 am
CPJ is by far from being dumb. In fact, he is very smart on the offense side of the ball. The problem comes with defense. I think if he can find a DC that know what he is doing and can get the players behind him, CPJ can go back to focusing on the offense again. Regardless of what you may think about CPJ, he is one of the only coaches in all of football that doesn’t walk around with a playbook. Good part? It’s all in his head… Bad part, this can cause the offense to do repeated plays. Kind of like dinners at home, you can get into a rut… having the same stuff week in and week out. But, know this.. not everyone can play call without a playbook. He is not a defensive football coach though. I think he thought Groh was the answer, but Groh only drove the defensive program into the ground. Kelly is now in an almost impossible position and will more than likely be targeting next. The defense needs to move to a 4-3 or even a 5-2. If it was me coaching, I would use the old 50 bears defense that was used by them in the 80’s and then used by the Giants in a little different (more evolved way) back in the 90’s. This is when the 50 style defense used quick LB’s as defensive ends. A man named Lawrence Taylor seemed to be pretty good at the positiion. Not saying we have the next Lawrence Taylor, but we do have the personel for that style of “D”.. The 3-4 is not for what talent we have. There is a reason why Pro teams run it. Maybe because they are PRO!! It takes big and fast interior defensive linemen. A NT that can stuff up the middle and roll off blocks to make tackles. and more importantly the ability to run zone blitzes and stunts. NONE and I mean NONE of this GT has or does. So, how was the 3-4 supposed to work?? CPJ’s only problem was thinking Groh could get the “D” at the level it needed to be at. If GT misses a bowl due to this, I would think that GT would find a way to buy his contract out and restart the football program from stratch.
old dog
November 2nd, 2012
8:25 am
@Coach,
Good link! I had the good fortune of being at the game where Brent Cunningham torched Clemson for 217. (Strangely, another Cunningham had 217 at Grant Field this year…..another story for another day.) Those fans who love CPJ will stay with him; those that do not won’t. I do not think it is just the losing….it is the quitting (like MTS.) Ya’lls fan support has gotten terrible, so there is something deeper than wins/losses. However, although it would be great for the state if Tech picked it up a little, I reckon it is up to ya’ll. Good luck however it turns out.
TechLB
November 2nd, 2012
8:32 am
@GTBob, Stony – Good posts guys.
@GTLover 1 4 GT and Old Fashioned – I think had some beers with you guys at PJ Haley’s! I feel the same, just can’t stand being a bad team…win some, lose some but damn, let’s play like we have a clue!
@Billybob – is that Taylor? what’s up man
TechLB
November 2nd, 2012
8:33 am
@Jmonty – Preach on my brother! Defense wins games and we have been very bad for 4 years. Time for some attention to the Dee!
JB
November 2nd, 2012
8:34 am
With a new AD coming in, Johnson has say 2 years to turn it around. A new AD would not pull the plug by just others opinions I would guess. If he did, you’ve hired the wrong AD.
old dog
November 2nd, 2012
8:35 am
@TechLB,
FINALLY…. a real fan and not an apologist or zombie!
Vett
November 2nd, 2012
8:37 am
Current GT student perspective on GT Athletics: http://www.rcsoatl.com/2012/11/hopeful-for-change-in-gt-athletics.html
UGA = Yawn
November 2nd, 2012
8:45 am
Why not a comment on MTSU?????
flagboy?
November 2nd, 2012
8:46 am
CPJ is delusional
November 1st, 2012
.. Instead we’re stuck w/ D3 talent @ QB cause CPJ is too stubborn to move away from the triple option
_____________________________________
If Johnson were to move away from running the triple option, you’d be better off with a new football coach. The triple option is Johnson’s offense. To argue that he should run a different offense is laughable.
U to the sixth
November 2nd, 2012
9:14 am
1. I have always told my UGA friends that I am glad that my livelihood depends more on the education I received at GT rather than the way our sports teams play.
2. This is our team and coaches and we need to support them. If I had the authority to review the coaches’ performance and fire them I would have the same opinion during the season. To fire a head coach during the year because of the way the team plays is out of the question.
3. If you look at our entire history of football teams you will notice that all of our coaches have had losing seasons and bad stretches.
4. I remember the year our only win was against Alabama and the year we had no wins but tied Notre Dame. If we beat UGA this year I will be very happy.
Go Jackets and THWG!
Crazy Robert
November 2nd, 2012
9:17 am
To all the CPJ fans, in Clemson, first quarter, score is 0 – 0, fourth and four (at least) still in your own territory and you go for it? Why do we need to be a coach to understand that is poor decision making?
trueblueeagle
November 2nd, 2012
9:19 am
You have to remember that coach Dodd at Tech and Coach D UGA did have losing seasons that we all had to suffer through. This is an odd year in college footbal because how many years has it been for Duke to make it to a Bowl game. Even VT is playing bad this year. Maybe we should step back and take a second look. Two weeks ago all the Georgie Fans were call for CMR to be fired and trashing the players houses. Averaging 37 points a game is not bad offense. Last year at Texas Tech they want to fire Tommy T because of the poor play on defense. Its only football life will go on and Tech will be back and UGA next year will be calling for CMR job again.
Empty Seats
November 2nd, 2012
9:22 am
If every game had ended when we were ahead, we would not lose a game.
Nice pj. Never been fired doesn’t mean won’t be fired.
pj can’t move to anything but the triple o, it is all he knows.
Team is highly motivated and can relate to pj, not.
He did a good interview though, no abuse of the challenged or threats to punch someone or hang himself. For him, great interview!
The New Coach Hewitt
November 2nd, 2012
9:52 am
Fire this clown.
GT Joe
November 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
Once and for all, GT’s offense scores 29.7 pts/game vs. FBS teams, ranked #42. Not good enough. And this is against the #68 schedule in the country.
Also, yes, CPJ sees both QBs in practice every day. So I trust his opinion on who the best PRACTICE QB is. But guess what, we ALL see both QBs on GAME day. And on GAME day, Vad is better.
When will CPJ realize that GAME day is more important than PRACTICE days? Is he too stubborn? I mean goodness gracious, we have pros that sit out 3-4 days of practice every week to “rest” so they’ll be ready for Sunday. IF CPJ was an NFL coach, he wouldn’t find 22 players to play!
GT Joe
November 2nd, 2012
10:17 am
If Tevin starts, CPJ should be fired at the end of the season. If Tevin starts and we lose to Maryland, CPJ should be fired SUNDAY.
Booze Hound
November 2nd, 2012
10:44 am
GT Joe,
No surprises if Maryland wins tomorrow. Johnson could very well be canned soon thereafter.
different year same result
November 2nd, 2012
11:00 am
typical arrogant coach who will not change his ways, even when things aren’t getting better. The saddest thing isnt the defense or third downs, it is the inability to throw the daggum football down the field farther than 15 yards more than 3 times a games and do it consistently. if you cant find a qb who can who can do that, then you are NOT a quality head coach. If he doesnt open things up, we will never be any better than a .500 team. Defenses are adjusting enough to stop us and keep us from winning, but his inability to adjust his quite clear. He has 5 games to prove himself, but if they dont beat Maryland and Duke at the least, how can you accept that???
MC
November 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
Look guys. It’s like rightwing republicans in the 21st century. Their ideas just don’t fly. PJ’s system isn’t going to fly is this era either. Did it not register on anybody when Iowa just literally stoned his team in the Orange Bowl with Gailey’s future NFL players that this thing won’t win against quality opposition. He has HIS players now. Bad players with little talent. COME ON MAN! It’s getting too obvious.
www
November 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
gtbro/boozydwag – how much are you willing to put up on the maryland/gt game?
i’ve got $20 that says tech wins.
ball’s in your court.
www
November 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
i agree 100% with “tvfan” above:
“I think there needs to be a huge evaluation of the current assistant coaches.
The offensive line is not getting the job done and has not played well since 2009. Are they being trained well? The skill level does not appear to be what it should be. Look for the two kids from Tri-Cities as true freshmen offensive linemen to beat out the current guys next year.
The defensive line is abysmal. I know there has been some movement with who now coaches that unit, but it should not have ever gotten that bad.
Linebackers: can’t break through on a blitz. Appear to be weak and fail to make a stop when we need it. Maybe this is the time to mention appalling tackling skills.
Special Teams: Wow.
I’m sure Tech has some pretty good kids playing for them, but they need to start winning some recruiting battles soon.”
wt. king
November 2nd, 2012
11:18 am
I heard a coach give all the WRONG excuses….. I hate it but it appears CPJ has not learned much over the past few seasons. I just wish we could afford to let him go at the end of this one.
MC
November 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
It feels like sheeeeit to know we have no chance against UGA. They might score 70 points on us. If Murray’s still standing by then he might throw for 700 yards against this secondary. And I hate to think what havoc that Jones kid will wreak with small Paul’s lineman just diving at his feet. It has gotten to this point because Paul Johnson doesn’t know the difference in the ACC and Navy. You gotta have the players and he’s not getting any..
Booze Hound
November 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
www,
I’m a Tech fan and have been for many years.
What do you want me to say? Everything’s great? That Johnson’s doing a terrific job with his 18-19 record since November 15, 2009? That going 2-11 against Georgia, Virginia Tech, and bowl opponents is just fine? That getting curb-stomped by both Middle Tennessee State and BYU within the course of a month is no cause for concern?
GT Joe
November 2nd, 2012
11:35 am
www: I never said Maryland would win. I’d bet on Tech to win, but probably not to cover (don’t even know what the line is).
Now, I fully expect, if Tevin starts, that he has a great game, because he always does well against lousy teams. And all the TW fans will be on here with the “I told you so” garbage, forgetting that the game was a golden opportunity to start Vad for experience sake (just like the BC and Presby games).
BUT IF HE LOSES, CPJ must be fired Sunday. Look, we’ve lost to MTSU at home, losing to MD away is not a stretch by any means.
He can hear the saws and see the framing going on
November 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
CPJ is looking out his office window. He sees the lumber being cut and framed up. He sees his gallows being constructed and his daddy DRad, who hired him, has already left town.
As I said in July, CPJ IS ON THE HOT SEAT.
The funny thing is that when he is fired,right after UGA stomps him, ESPN nor local TV sports, will even run a story, because UT will be so unimportant in college football news. It is GT football, after all.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
Did it not register on anybody when Iowa just literally stoned his team in the Orange Bowl with Gailey’s future NFL players that this thing won’t win against quality opposition.
How do you think we would have done in that game with an NFL system? Iowa had a very good defense with several future NFL players and a month to prepare. They were going to be tough to move the ball against regardless of what offense we ran.
tech fan
November 2nd, 2012
11:41 am
CPJ can add a 10 yard out or curl route for the recievers, guarantee 10 yards. I think so
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
11:43 am
As I said in July, CPJ IS ON THE HOT SEAT.
He’s still not really on the hot seat. The only way he gets fired this year is if we finish 0-4 and get beat by 40 points every game. Even then its not likely.
Coach Russel Stover
November 2nd, 2012
11:56 am
This guy really knows how to candy coat a 3-5 turd, including an at home beat down by a Sun Belt team.
He should run for office.
I wouldn’t bet against Tech this weekend though, since the opposition is playing a linebacker as QB (5th string).
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
This game Saturday vs Maryland is a 1AA matchup and CPJ should win because he is a mastermind at that level. He needs to be coaching at GA Southern, Montana, UT Chattanooga etc….. and winning National Championships. That’s where he fits and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem is GT is actually a D1 school and you actually have to have D1 athletes and you actually have to play defense. The trend is there, just look at the quality or lack there of in the wins he has…… It is a TREND not just a bad season and all of you that love CPJ just don’t want to see that.
Reggie's Balls
November 2nd, 2012
12:05 pm
Coach Stover-
You are correct, they will win this weekend and probably put up huge numbers and the average Tech fan will be happy with that and say look, I told you this guy could coach etc… blah, blah, blah. What they don’t see is those kind of wins against poor teams is where this guy builds his winning percentage. His wins come against Duke (Twice), Wake, MTSU (Twice) SC State, W. Carolina, PC, Maryland, Boston College etc… and he loses to the big boys. It is a TREND and thats what a coach should be evaluated on……..
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
12:14 pm
It is a TREND not just a bad season and all of you that love CPJ just don’t want to see that.
Should you fire a coach in the early stages of a possible trend when he had success before that?
different year same result
November 2nd, 2012
12:16 pm
listening to the podcast of the show right now and this guy(who I have supported and was excited about when he was hired) talks like he is the only one who understands football, results, and the way he defends TW and the belief that he is the best we got, it is EXTREMELY SAD, but he is awful throwing the football. Arrogant and cant tell him anything and this is what we are stuck with.
reality
November 2nd, 2012
12:32 pm
Are the people calling for CPJ’s head the same people who were calling for Gailey’s head? Do you remember what CPJ did his first two years? Yeah, something Gailey NEVER did. Is CPJ having a bad year? Yes. Is recruiting mainly the problem, probably. Did Gailey recruit better? Yes…but again even with his better recruiting, we still were bad. The bottom line is, quit measuring Tech against football factories. We aren’t one and never will be. You cannot expect GT to consistently do well against semi-pro (football factories), regardless of the coach. We cannot out recruit them, period. (You disagree?…when was the last 2 year stretch where we had a higher ranked class than UGA?…….keep thinking….keep thinking…ok yeah..it’s never happened…at least not in the last 20-30-40 years) GT is a fine institute and has a great education. It is smaller than UGA…it is poorer than UGA…it has less students…less fans…less admit exceptions…less property…less of everything…it doesn’t mean UGA is bad or GT is bad…they are just completely different. David and Goliath. Why do we keep sending our students out to play Goliath? We should abandon games against football factories imo, or just quit football altogether. It’s going to get someone hurt if we keep sending our David’s out against Goliath every year. What’s the point anymore? UGA won the war and the battle and the series…who cares? We should only play teams we are comparable with….to not do so is just inviting all this heart ache and bickering and finger pointing. GT was losing to UGA consistently long before CPJ came…so be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
12:32 pm
Lol. Such delusions of Grandeur.
I love this guy: “Oh, and I love these comments by CPJ. The man knows what he’s doing and I’ve got all the faith in the world that he’s going to take us in the right direction.”
If he knows what he’s doing then why has the program regressed every year that he’s been there?
The bottom line is PJ is a good coach and his system WILL work. I believe any system will work if you have talented athletes to run it. Tech just does not have talent… especially on defense. Johnson thinks recruiting doesn’t matter but the fact is… it does matter. It matters a lot. You’re in one of the top 4 states that produce football talent but he can’t get anyone good to come there. The best team he has had was his first team and those weren’t his recruits. Those were the recruits of a coach that KNEW recruiting mattered.
Take you in the right direction? C’mon buddy. You’ve gotten worse every year in Johnson’s tenure and you just lost to BYU and Middle Tennessee State by 3-4 scores. Get a young coach that can recruit, that runs a different system and you will land some talent. You’re never going to be Alabama, LSU, Florida or Georgia but Tech can get talent. They have before. Not with this coach though.
reality
November 2nd, 2012
12:35 pm
Oh…and the day we get a coach and AD who can consistently beat UGA (or other football factories)…………is the day that some richer school will just hire them away from us. Why do we keep going in these same circles, forgetting what history has shown us all too well?
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
12:36 pm
“Should you fire a coach in the early stages of a possible trend when he had success before that?”
Bob,
You’re in denial as usual. It’s not the early stages of a trend. He’s been trending down since year one. You’re actually towards the end of a trend. Yes fire him. Get yourself a coach that can bring Tech football back to the glory days of mediocrity just above .500 football. This losing to directional school stuff is not your normal level of loserdom.
Tech4Life
November 2nd, 2012
12:39 pm
@DawgFaithful: It’s funny. The man you were describing sounded a lot like Mark Richt.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
12:40 pm
Reality,
You will NEVER get a coach that can consistently beat UGA and other football factories. But you can get a coach that can consistently beat BYU and Middle Tennessee St. A coach that can get a few top kids and send them to the NFL.Johnson hasn’t shown he can do that. He’s stubborn
reality
November 2nd, 2012
12:41 pm
Dawn, I will admit that if we got a different coach, we would probaby be able to recruit better. That would also put us back into a circular pattern of ‘we need better recruits fire cpj’…….then 3-4 years later it will be ‘this guy recruits ok, but he can’t win…fire him…we need a guy with a gimick to overcome our inferior talent’……..and then we hire back CPJ? Nah…how about if we just quit trying to play football factories. If we take out games again UGA, LSU, etc….then I think our record probably looks good. Granted, there have been at least two really ugly losses this year……….but then again we won more than ever the first two years…so…pick your poison…history shows we can have a conventional offense in order to recruit better but we’ll lose to other conventional offenses who recruit top notch…………or…we can have a gimmick offense (like we have) and suffer a bit from recruiting in exchange. There is no magic wand that will make GT a powerhouse in football. I love GT, but I have eyes, and a brain, and observe the pattern history has shown us all too well. How about if we just quit football altogether?…then we have no argument to have about the coach and why they don’t win. I’ll solve the puzzle……………..we don’t win because we aren’t Goliath in the state…and we never could be…the Regents…the lay of the land…reality sees to that. It’s not a bad thing to be GT…it might be a bad thing to compare us to UGA though. David vs Goliath is heart ache waiting to happen.
Booze Hound
November 2nd, 2012
12:44 pm
DawgFaithful,
I’m just waiting to see Georgia stumble again this year, maybe tomorrow against Ole Miss, maybe against Southern in two weeks or with Tech at the end of the year (Auburn has virtually no shot). Then I can laugh as your fanbase turns on Richt and the coaching staff AGAIN. Not talking smack, but the comments on the UGA blogs during those times are hilarious.
reality
November 2nd, 2012
12:44 pm
DawgFaithful – Honestly, I would prefer to not have our expectation level ‘to beat MTS’……I would just assume they close the football program and let the kids study. It’s an excersize in futitlity year in and year out, save for a hope-inspring-blip……..soon to be followed by heart broken Tech fans. Just quit the football stuff…and focus on basketball, baseball, and studying. Sounds good to me.
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
12:48 pm
You’re in denial as usual. It’s not the early stages of a trend. He’s been trending down since year one.
First year 9-4
Second year 11-3
Third Year 6-7
Fourth Year 8-5
Fifth Year terrible
Tell me again how it has been trending downward since year one?
GTBob
November 2nd, 2012
12:51 pm
A coach that can get a few top kids and send them to the NFL.Johnson hasn’t shown he can do that. He’s stubborn
Why would we care about the number of NFL players CPJ is producing? Maybe I am weird but I am more concerned with how they do in college then the NFL.
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
12:52 pm
“Tell me again how it has been trending downward since year one?”
Well you won 20 games in the first 2 years with Gailey’s players and since they left you’ve won 17. You have an outside shot to get to 20 if you win 6 this year. That’s called a downward trend over a 3 year span. Delusional anyone?
DawgFaithful
November 2nd, 2012
12:52 pm
It’s math. You tech guys know about math right?
www
November 2nd, 2012
12:57 pm
actually, dawgfaithful, gtbob just pointed out that your math was bad so any comments about math just make you look like a bigger fool/tool than ever.
glad to have you as a sidewalk fan commenting so much on the tech football blog, however!