On the same rectangular patch of Bermuda grass where shock, embarrassment and disappointment visited in earlier weeks, Georgia Tech celebrated.
On a brisk late-autumn afternoon, the Yellow Jackets’ reclamation of the 2012 season continued in the form of a 42-24 victory against Duke on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In the final home game of the season, Tech continued its improvement in the second half of the season with a victory that may even secure itself a spot in the ACC Championship game, a destination all but unimaginable just a few weeks ago.
“After the way the season started and everybody kind of wrote it off, I’m proud of these guys for hanging in there and fighting and getting it done,” coach Paul Johnson said.
With high-level execution of the spread-option offense (13 of 20 on third downs) and a strong second half of defense (seven points on four Duke possessions after halftime), the Jackets claimed their fourth win in the past five games. Their performance Saturday demonstrated Tech to be a different outfit than the one that gave away an overtime loss to Miami, sleepwalked through a 21-point loss to Middle Tennessee State and was trounced by BYU, all at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“Coming back to this predicament we were in, we wanted to finish off the season on a good note,” safety Isaiah Johnson said. “That really drives us.”
With the win, the Jackets claim at least a share of the ACC Coastal Division title. They could receive even better news as early as Sunday. Miami, having earned bowl eligibility Saturday with a 40-9 win over South Florida, has said it will announce its plans on a possible postseason ban in anticipation of NCAA sanctions after it becomes eligible.
Click here to read complete game story.
- Ken Sugiura of the AJC staff
185 comments Add your comment
Peach Fuzz
November 18th, 2012
2:30 pm
Dooley wud make good AD at UGa, assuming he can manage the red knickers.
5150 UOAD
November 18th, 2012
2:36 pm
HOT PMS MURRAY………………….Students are not imagining it if they think it’s harder to get in to Georgia Tech.
Those admitted for next fall boast an average 3.9 GPA and a 1430 out of 1600 on the math and verbal SAT. By high school graduation these students would have taken an average of eight college-level courses, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate.
About 14,700 students applied for one of the 2,400 spots for fall or the 250 spots for this summer. The admitted class represents 86 countries and 49 states. No one from Wyoming was admitted…………………….you couldn’t even get in TECH.
GTBluto
November 18th, 2012
3:00 pm
If we get to the ACC title game by Miami backing out we should be required to back all the way to Charlotte. Embarrassing way to get there with our record.
Clyde
November 18th, 2012
3:03 pm
GTBluto, as embarrassing as a one loss team playing for the National Championship?
Doesn't matter who plays...
November 18th, 2012
3:33 pm
Tevin can’t beat UGA, and Johnson’s stupidity in handling the QB situation has left Vad unprepared. We should have been starting Lee, not this stupid platoon stuff, against Presbyterian. Instead we messed around with Washington, got beat by every good team we faced, and several mediocre ones, and are left with 0 chance against UGA.
Flexbone 45
November 18th, 2012
3:41 pm
CPJ ~ “we’re to the point now with Vad where he’s going to run the same stuff that everybody else runs.”
Brandon Watts ~ “Everybody has confidence in Vad,”…“Everybody seems to go up to another level when he’s in there.”
CPJ~”[The triple option] is one play,”…”We run that play maybe twenty percent of the time. Depending on the game, sometimes less than that. It would be just like calling the I-formation a sprint draw offense.”
I follow tech because of the offense and CPJ, no other reason.
First, does anyone sincerely believe GT would have beaten NC without Vad?
Secondly, does anyone believe he couldn’t have led this team to a victory at home over Duke?
As for the ‘hot hand theory,” there is only one set of hand that gives tech a prayer of beating the dawgs.
White&Gold
November 18th, 2012
3:56 pm
Flexbone 45: The point of this two QB system is to see where both QB are at after they both get their two drives in. Tevin led us to two TD on his first two possessions and Vad led us to a TD on his first. Now I know that on his second drive, Vad was forced to pass with only about a minute to play in the half, but his passes were awful, and that was a drive where we needed some points. After Tevin led us down the field (geatly thanks to Ray Beno’s catch) on our opening drive of the second half, it was extremely clear that they were not gonna stop us, not to mention Tevin was in a groove. Now why would you possibly take the chance in taking out a hot QB in a must win game that was close for a large duration of the game just to make fans happy? Tevin got the job done and played a great game. Don’t try to justify in any other way.
Peach Fuzz
November 18th, 2012
4:02 pm
Google Mary Willingham thesis for interesting reading. According to data in her thesis, during specified period UGa admitted over 90 FB players under special admissions; Kentucky admitted over 60, while Tech and NC State admitted fewer than 20 during same period.
Dawg48
November 18th, 2012
4:12 pm
Ok GT fans, how do you think the game will turn out Saturday?
Clyde
November 18th, 2012
4:23 pm
I asked my dad last night who he thinks will win the UGA/Bama game. He told me the Dawgs have a 50/50 shot. Same goes for Tech against UGA. They have a better chance of winning than if they weren’t playing the game.
GTBOB
November 18th, 2012
4:24 pm
WOW!!! We beat Duke!
Clyde
November 18th, 2012
4:25 pm
Yeah GTBOB, the game was yesterday. You just missed it.
GTBOB
November 18th, 2012
4:26 pm
How many Tech football players would get into Tech as students only….yeah none!
White&Gold
November 18th, 2012
4:28 pm
Ignore “GTBOB.” He’s a imposter of the regular gtbob and likely a UGA troll. BTW, most UGA football players would most likely not get into UGA as well. Remember Crowell? Dumb as bricks.
A-mazed
November 18th, 2012
5:23 pm
GTBOB
I realize facts are not important on these blogs, but any walk on obviously got in as a “student”… at either school. So think before you post,
jackyldo
November 18th, 2012
5:32 pm
It was Duke folks. Have you noticed how the 2-3 decent ACC teams do against them ?
jackyldo
November 18th, 2012
5:33 pm
It is Duke boys let us not go crazy..
Supersize that order, mutt
November 18th, 2012
6:05 pm
If the mutts can get all giddy about beating the likes of Vandy and Ky, why should Tech fans not be excited about beating Duke?
Kathryn Roberts
November 18th, 2012
8:13 pm
Ga tech fans are really going to Athens? I bet you super fans don’t have 4,000 people there. You can’t even get 40,000 at your own place for senior day. Most ga tech fans don’t do well in crowds or maybe your mothers won’t let you go until you clean up your room.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 18th, 2012
8:21 pm
@ Kathryn Roberts……it’s not because of any lack of confidence in the Jackets that many Tech fans won’t be at the game; it’s because of the obnoxious, rude, crude, and socially unrefined UGA fans. The last time I went to Athens and saw Tech win, I was spit on by one of your fans. I will certainly never go back again, and others have had far worse experiences there than that.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 18th, 2012
8:24 pm
I have a good friend who is a UGA fan and took his 10 year daughter to a game there last season. He said he saw two UGA co-eds hiking their skirts and p-ing in full public view. He loves the dawgs, but even he is embarrassed by the fans. It’s a good thing he didn’t see those who defecated on the library lawn.
Clyde
November 18th, 2012
8:54 pm
Alright, Yellow Jackets. Center stage next Saturday against the Bulldogs. Time to make them regret having Georgia Tech on the schedule every year.
Tech blows
November 18th, 2012
9:08 pm
Nuff said
Tech blows
November 18th, 2012
9:11 pm
Tech fans talking about manners and maturity is most laughable. Every single fight or skirmish I have ever witnessed at a UGA/Bug game was ALWAYS started by a tool fan, and of course it was always finished by a Dawg fan. You people are the worst fan base in the country, which is exactly why you are the most loathed program in the nation.
1 4 GT
November 18th, 2012
9:24 pm
And tech blows is the biggest liar in the land.
Rick James
November 18th, 2012
10:00 pm
@Supersize that order, mutt
I have a good friend who is a UGA fan and took his 10 year daughter to a game there last season. He said he saw two UGA co-eds hiking their skirts and p-ing in full public view. He loves the dawgs, but even he is embarrassed by the fans. It’s a good thing he didn’t see those who defecated on the library lawn.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
I’m sure your friend walked over to those to girls and asked to see their student ID to verify that they were Georgia co-eds right? I mean there is no way under the sun that they could have been following the visiting team. I can only assume that this is the same “friend” of yours that wants Mike Bobo fired. I honestly think your friend is imaginary
Supersize that order, mutt
November 18th, 2012
10:25 pm
@ Rick James……all I can tell you is that he IS a UGA fan, although he didn’t go to school there, and he’s an honest, honorable man, which is more than be said for most of the UGA fans who post on the Tech blogs. Who said they were following the visiting team? He said they were UGA students, and I think he would probably be smart enough to distinguish a student from a typical fan. I certainly think I would be able to do so; I would assume you would be able to do so also. And what friend of mine has ever said he wanted Mike Bobo fired? The only people I have seen say that are UGA fans on these blogs. You are a typical mutt who refuses to believe that a great many UGA fans are nothing but trash, and their actions confirm that.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 18th, 2012
10:29 pm
BTW, my friend is definitely not imaginary. He is the service manager at an automobile dealership in Augusta. Unlike trolls like you who love to show their ignorance on the Tech blogs, he is a good man, and he and I can good-naturedly engage in “clean ole fashioned hate” without either of us getting pissed off.
dawgma
November 18th, 2012
11:17 pm
Congrats Jackets on making a bowl bid – hope you win the ACC. ‘Cause after the butt whupping you will takwe next Saturday between the hedges you are going to need some source of hope and cheer.
10 out of 11 supersized
November 19th, 2012
3:30 am
Did miami make a decision yet? December 1st would be so much better if we r both in our championship games,, dont u agree???L
Caleb King
November 19th, 2012
8:07 am
Only at Jawja does academic not count for anything.
Caleb King
November 19th, 2012
8:10 am
Jawja Dawgs! No prisoners, please keep all them in jail this week. No guns, knives, or any illegal moped parking this week.
Caleb King
November 19th, 2012
8:12 am
I am a proud product of the university of jawja!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tron5000
November 19th, 2012
8:28 am
ESPN reporting Miami self-imposes bowl ban. Jackets in ACC Championship Dec. 1.
Dadgum.....
November 19th, 2012
9:05 am
Miami has self-imposed the ban. GT backs into the ACCCG. You can almost hear the Orange Bowl crying foul. The Chicken Bowl is in a HUGE predicament because they will be now forced to take an unranked ACC team. Maybe even a .500 team or worse. Clemson is going to a BCS bowl so they are out of the picture for the Chicken Bowl. Assuming FSU beats either Florida or GT they will go to a BCS bowl. The Chicken Bowl can’t jump a GT team to choose anyone else because the ACC doesn’t have another team. Thus they will be contractually bound to take GT if they lose to FSU. Most likely GT will lose to Georgia and FSU and enter the bowl game in Atlanta with a losing record or heaven forbid the Orange Bowl with a .500 record.
The Chicken Bowl has the 2nd pick from the ACC but is not obligated to take the #2 team. They can choose another team that is within one win of the #2 team. Problem is that no 5 win teams qualify for bowls. VT will most likely crush UVA and become bowl eligible and thus be available. Since VT is the best travel team in the ACC-maybe country-they might be picked. I am positive the ACC would admonish the Chicken Bowl for choosing VT over GT coming out of the ACCCG.
With Miami backing out the backlash from the bowls will be heard loudly. The Chicken Bowl most likely is guaranteed to have a 6 loss team in either GT or VT. If somehow FSU loses to Florida and GT (almost no chance) they would fall to the Chicken Bowl and make them very happy. If that happened the Orange Bowl will start screaming about having to take a 6 loss GT team that stunk it up last time down there. It was Miami’s decision that caused this mess and the ACC is gonna take some hits this bowl season. Big hits. Like Adam said to Eve……stand back I don’t know how big this is gonna get.
Rock on……thank God the BCS is almost done!