ATHENS – Georgia didn’t need much help to beat Georgia Tech, but the Bulldogs received plenty. The result was predictable – a 42-10 loss for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Seeking perhaps the biggest upset in the history of the rivalry, Tech turned the ball over twice, botched offensive plays, tackled poorly and gave the Bulldogs generous field position.
The No. 3 Bulldogs did the rest, plowing through Tech’s defense and proving themselves the superior outfit for the 11th time in the past 12 years. It’s the most one-sided 12-game stretch in series history, replacing 10-2 runs that spanned 1971-1982, 1972-1983 and 1986-1997.
The loss brought to a halt Tech’s second-half run in which the Jackets rallied from a 2-4 start with four wins in five games to gain bowl eligibility and a spot in the ACC Championship game. After this dispiriting defeat, Paul Johnson will have to re-train his team’s focus on what could be even a greater challenge – Florida State in the ACC Championship game next Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C.
Tech will play the once-beaten and 10th-ranked Seminoles with a 6-6 record. Georgia (11-1) will likely play Alabama in the SEC championship at the Georgia Dome with a likely spot in the BCS championship game on the line if Alabama stops Auburn later in the day Saturday.
Tech’s chances took a direct hit even before kickoff when A-back Orwin Smith was ruled out with an ankle injury suffered last Saturday in the win over Duke. With Tech’s most productive offensive player sidelined, the Jackets gave more touches to A-back Robbie Godhigh and tried to establish the interior running game with B-backs David Sims and Zach Laskey Tech actually moved the ball effectively – at halftime, the Jackets had 238 yards of offense and were 4-for-8 on third downs. But the Jackets lost the ball on the opening possession when Godhigh was stripped by Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo near the goal line. Rambo intercepted quarterback Vad Lee on a deep ball to A-back B.J. Bostic to end the fourth possession. The fifth possession, the last of the half, was capped by a missed field goal from 36 yards.
The Bulldogs’ offensive line manhandled the Tech defensive front, clearing wide lanes for running backs Todd Gurley and keeping quarterback Aaron Murray safe in the pocket.
Georgia averaged 10.6 yards per play in the first half, scoring four touchdowns in its five possessions before halftime. It didn’t hurt that the Bulldogs’ average starting point on its five drives was just past its 40-yard line.
- Ken Sugiura of the AJC staff
300 comments Add your comment
George Stein
November 24th, 2012
9:35 pm
I’m still trying to find someone to pay me $2.6MM to do my job. No success yet.
Sunbury Ga dawg
November 24th, 2012
9:36 pm
UGA was using WWF moves out there on tech…….42-10, sit back and watch us win the championship next week in your town.
Al Bundy
November 24th, 2012
9:43 pm
George Stein… The reason you don’t make 2.6 million per year is because you never lost 4 games in a row to UGA and you aren’t 0-5 in bowl games.
George Stein
November 24th, 2012
9:45 pm
In his defense, Johnson isn’t 0-5 in bowls, either (not that I care about them anyway).
Al Bundy
November 24th, 2012
9:51 pm
That included my prediction for this year!
TechApp fan
November 24th, 2012
9:58 pm
back to the rest of the season, Tech will play ______in the Orange Bowl?
billyBobjacket
November 24th, 2012
9:59 pm
Yes, even the UVA coach…just in what, his second year, with very young and generally poor athletes, low fan support, second rate facilities, and higher academic standards than Tech. He took it on the chin this year, but recall UVA beat Tech last year, and he seems to be able to recruit despite being hundreds of miles from any significant football-rich areas. Still they beat Miami and Penn State, and played Va Tech just as close as we did. Check back in 3-4 years and see which one is doing better between him and CPJ.
billyBobjacket
November 24th, 2012
10:04 pm
Everybody just give up..we will NEVER be able to talk any sense into George as long as he has his head so far up CPJ’s lower alimentary tract. It’s OK George, CPJ is the BEST coach in the NCAA…I am sure he is up for MANY coach of the year awards, besides being such a pleasant human being…
Silly Mutts
November 24th, 2012
10:21 pm
Gt is irrelevant in athletics! Waste of $$
CHDawg
November 24th, 2012
10:26 pm
There is nothing wrong with the offensive production at Tech. The loss is frustrating, but I wouldn’t throw the whole team off the bus. A lot of turnovers and breaks hurt today. Get a D and Tech could play with anybody.
Al Bundy
November 24th, 2012
10:36 pm
Now Clemson is getting their’s handed to them. That makes he SEC 4, ACC 0.
UGA 42 GT 10
Vandy 55 WF 21
SC 27 Clemson 17, Not over yet but likely to get worse!
FL 37 FSU 26
Just plain ugly! The ACC is weak!
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 24th, 2012
10:43 pm
Hey Tech
Clemp & son; FS-who and Tech go down to the overated SEC
LOL
Fear the ACC blahahahahahahahaha
superDawg
November 24th, 2012
10:44 pm
Ain;t competitive conference.
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 24th, 2012
10:53 pm
Oh
I almost forgot how about Vandy over Wake Forrest
The mighty ACC should be given better respect
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 24th, 2012
10:53 pm
Silly Mutts
November 24th, 2012
11:10 pm
Dabo sucks on johnson
GTBob
November 25th, 2012
12:03 am
Ken, you really are an idiot in the way you try to spin things. GT didn’t give UGA anything, they took it. 42-10 – suck on it biyatch…and it could have been much worse..
WDE
November 25th, 2012
12:27 am
Good game not a lot of the “extra” effort player on bith teams sometimes get in to …Go Dogs !
GT Baller
November 25th, 2012
1:50 am
Enter your comments here
GT Baller
November 25th, 2012
1:51 am
Hey George Stein… Here’s a good list to start with.
Head Coach Considerations
- Vic Fangio – Defensive Coordinator – San Francisco 49ers
- Greg Roman – Offensive Coordinator for the 49ers
- Phillip Montgomery – Offensive Coordinator – Baylor
- Derek Mason – Stanford Defensive Coordinator
- Brent Pease – Offensive Coordinator at Florida
- Kliff Kingsbury – Offensive Coordinator at Texas A&M
- Mark Helfrich – Offensive Coordinator at Oregon
- Mike Sullivan – Offensive Coordinator – Tampa Bay Bucaneers
- Ralph Friedgen – presently unemployed
- Todd Monken – Offensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State
- Rod Ash – Montana State
- Bobby Wilder – Old Dominion
- Chuck Priore – Stony Brook
Long Shots:
- Andy Reid – after he gets fired at Philadelphia
- Bobby Petrino – I know… It’s shameless
- Ken Whisenhunt – if he wants to turn around his Alma Mater
- Jim Tressel – also shameless, but he’s a darn good coach
Tech Forever
November 25th, 2012
2:00 am
TEST
Tech Forever
November 25th, 2012
2:01 am
I’m done. Every post I try except TEST never comes through…..been like that for a week now.
Tech Forever
November 25th, 2012
2:02 am
GT Baller,
Best man for the HC job…..Lance Thompson. Hands down, end of discussion.
GT Baller
November 25th, 2012
2:03 am
George Stein = Paul Johnson?
Tech Forever
November 25th, 2012
2:03 am
CHDawg,
Broken record.
GT Baller
November 25th, 2012
2:05 am
Lance Thompson is a food consideration, too. But we will need to drastically repair the offense after CPJ is gone.
GT Baller
November 25th, 2012
2:08 am
I am out.
Dawgs own us in football, but that is about the only thing they have on us.
Tech Forever
November 25th, 2012
2:09 am
GT Baller,
Thompson, HC. Montgomery from Baylor, OC.
Bali
November 25th, 2012
5:58 am
GT Baller….does that help you sleep better at night?
Li'l Barry Bailout - OBAMAPHONE!!!
November 25th, 2012
7:29 am
The only Tech story I’m interested in reading is the one about Tech hiring a coach who gives a dang about all three phases of the game.
GT. Fan
November 25th, 2012
8:00 am
Not only did our team get the snot kicked out of them…..the 3 best teams in the ACC were destroyed by the SEC yesterday by almost 100 points. Even Vandy killed us. Thank goodness we don’t have to play Bama, LSU, Texas A&M, Miss ST, etc.
BigTimeTECHFan
November 25th, 2012
8:15 am
Next year TECH will beat Georgia.
Yesterday’s game is history
Once delusional, always delusional
November 25th, 2012
8:21 am
Bigtimetechfan, keep dreaming and keep making excuses. That’s the ticket.
GT. Fan
November 25th, 2012
8:27 am
That’s what I said last year, and the year before, and the…..
North Avenue Trade School
November 25th, 2012
8:28 am
TV revenue, ticket sales, and yet to be hired AD will decide: PJ’s gotta go. Sooner the better.
THWGT
November 25th, 2012
8:51 am
LOL
Flak Jacket
November 25th, 2012
9:04 am
WANTED at GA. TECH,new AD,new head coach,players who want to beat GA every year not just once in a blue moon.
...Take The Wheel
November 25th, 2012
9:14 am
I may not have a dog in this fight next year but I will ALWAYS root against UGA! I absolutely detest their thuggish borderline illegal style of play. Physical football does not equal WWF! Alabama, or ND will kick the crap out of the back alley dogs! And I can’t wait. ROLL TIDE!
...Take The Wheel
November 25th, 2012
9:21 am
Let’s go get an ACC title. You can do it team. Yesterday is history!
dufferdawg
November 25th, 2012
9:27 am
Wheel…..perhaps football just isn’t your sport. Perhaps you should try …bowling! That is if the pins banging around on each other don’t upset you
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 25th, 2012
9:36 am
Take the wheel
Thuggish style of play; really with all your illeagle chop blocks and all those fights your players were trying to start yesterday
BTW read my name 1000 times; it really is a fact
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 25th, 2012
9:39 am
illegal
bigred
November 25th, 2012
9:41 am
To win you have to have a defense, GT does not have one and that puts more presure on the offense and PJ recruits for the offense, GT’S top recuits this year are for the offense , GET SOME D— DEFENSIVE PLAYERS AND GO AFTER BETTER PLAYERS, you might just get some—-till then , thank GA for not scoring 100 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATLXMAN
November 25th, 2012
9:44 am
Enter your comments hereatlxmen Your comment is awaiting moderation.
November 25th, 2012
8:30 am
gtbob—what nd team have you been watching? they have looked like a weak little acc team . only game they looked half way decent was against okl..other than that they havent been more impressive than uga. uga will crush nd when the 2 teams play.. nd defense is pretty good at linebacker but uga has face way better defensive lines already this year and ND hasnt faced 1 defense as good as uga or ala for that matter. you seem like a poor loser with you execuses why tech is really bad and the rest of the acc is awful
Can't stop laughing
November 25th, 2012
9:48 am
I think I speak for all of Bulldog nation when I say coach Paul Johnon and his ego are brilliant and both should be given a lifetime contract at the Trade School. Please keep Johnson forever, please!!!!
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2012
9:51 am
Paul Johnson isn’t going anywhere this year.
If some of you want CPJ gone then start writing checks. Not giving money and not going to games will leave Tech with NO MONEY to make a change. Hope & Change doesn’t work in politics or college football.
George “GOOSE” Godsey needs to be looked at as the next TECH head coach. He is Learning how to run a team from O’Leary to Belichick. Those are good O and D minded coaches.
GT1990
November 25th, 2012
9:54 am
If GT gets killed the next two games then he could very well get fired. Bank my words!
The SEC wins The 2012 ACC Championship
November 25th, 2012
10:00 am
5150 UOAD
Read my name 1000 times cause its a fact
BTW when is the ACC Championship trophy being presented to team SEC
White&Gold
November 25th, 2012
10:09 am
As upset as I am with yesterday’s performance, I think it was even more embarrasing with the amount of Tech fans that turned out. Couldn’t have been more than a thousand (and I was one of them). Yet Georgia fans find a way to make it seem as if they are the home team when we play at Bobby Dodd. It’s sad. Our fanbase will only show up when we’re winning, but won’t even identify themselves as “Tech fans” when we’re down.
Bill Lewis' Ghost
November 25th, 2012
10:15 am
Well it should be well apparent now that we’re going the wrong way. When he was hired my analysis was that he could take equal talent pool kids and win (i.e. going there and to its rivals anyway and not solely to play football). It doesn’t work at this level. What blue chipper in their right mind wants to go play in this offense or practice against it on defense? So this is the result. We are in a death spiral. What decent coach is going to come here except one in disgrace and then only as a stepping stone? We should have kept Gailey and listened to Dave Braine. Or at the very least, thought through the results of a CPJ hire.