After UGA disaster, Tech tries to rebound vs. FSU
Georgia Tech's defenses hopes to see fewer touchdown celebrations in Charlotte than it did in Athens. BRANT SANDERLIN/AJC
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson proved prophetic a week ago when he said that if his team didn’t play well against Georgia, it would get embarrassed.
The Yellow Jackets would like to avoid making Johnson 2-for-2. Sunday, a day after the Bulldogs laid waste to Tech by a 42-10 count, Johnson offered a similar prediction for the Jackets’ ACC Championship game against Florida State Saturday in Charlotte.
“We’ve got to see if we can’t play better than we did Saturday, or we’ll get the same result,” Johnson said.
Oddsmakers agree with Johnson. They set the Seminoles as a 13.5-point favorite over Tech, a nearly identical line to the one given Tech-Georgia. A high priority for both Johnson and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher will be to rally their teams from dispiriting losses to in-state rivals. Florida knocked out the Seminoles 37-26 Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.
What is tougher to recover from – losing at home with the nation’s top-ranked defense giving up 24 fourth-quarter points or a start-to-finish poleaxing – is debatable. Regardless, whichever can do it more quickly will have an advantage.
“You never know,” said Johnson, asked about his team’s ability to rebound. “You hope we’ll bounce back. I’m sure Florida State’s fighting a little bit of the same thing (Sunday) after their game with Florida.”
Given the state of the ACC compared to its SEC neighbors, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this isn’t new territory. Since the conference went to a two-division format in 2005, five teams have played for the ACC title a week after losing their 12th game of the season to their in-state SEC rivals.
Three of them won, including Tech in 2009 against Clemson. Of the two losers, one was the 2009 Clemson team and the other, Tech fans may remember, was the 2006 Jackets team that dropped the last three games of its season.
“It’s unfortunate it happened like that, but you’ve got to put it behind you and move on,” Johnson said.
Tech coaches can cast a vision to players this week that, despite the loss and the tumultuous season, the Jackets still can be playing in a BCS bowl game in a little over a month with an upset of the Seminoles. It would be Tech’s second appearance in one of the traditional four major bowl games (Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar) since 1967.
At 7-6 (with a win over FSU) and No. 63 in the Sagarin ratings, they would be the most ungainly team to ever grace a BCS bowl. Four teams have made BCS bowls with four losses, including the Seminoles twice. The Orange Bowl has never taken a team with more than four defeats.
To even dream about defeating the Seminoles, though, will require a considerable upgrade in play from Tech’s showing in Athens, particularly on the defensive side. Johnson said the defense’s play “was probably as bad as we’ve played all year,” though he allowed Georgia had something to do with it. Tech allowed six touchdowns on the Bulldogs’ first seven possessions of the game. To that point, Georgia was averaging 9.8 yards per play, a rate the Bulldogs could conceivably have maintained had coach Mark Richt not begun to pull starters from the game.
The Tech defense won’t get any break against FSU. The Seminoles are ranked No. 19 in the country in total offense (477.4 yards per game) and No. 8 in scoring offense (41.5 points per game). FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said Sunday that quarterback EJ Manuel, who briefly left Saturday’s game with a shot to the head, will be ready to play. FSU will be without defensive end Cornellius “Tank” Carradine, a potential first-round draft pick who leads the Seminoles with 80 tackles and has 11 sacks. Carradine tore his anterior cruciate ligament against the Gators.
Johnson said that guard Omoregie Uzzi, who did not finish the game, is fine. He said he would know more Monday about A-back Orwin Smith, who missed the game with an ankle injury.
“He didn’t play Saturday, so I wouldn’t have any reason to think there’s any change,” he said.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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245 comments Add your comment
aw
November 26th, 2012
6:05 am
tech needs a d coach….alll good and great teams major on defence…pj is a good coach, he needs to really concentrate on hiring a totally new defensive crew, that are young, agressive, and can recruit…..he needs his hands all over the D…..pj cares …..he is intence….he hates to lose…gts major under his watch has been offence….he thought he could trust big al to take the defence off his hands, but he made a terrible mistake….HE WON’T MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN….
Mama says
November 26th, 2012
6:19 am
The offense is as unstoppable as any other style of offense and whoever thinks Tech has had a defense at any time in the last 12 years simply hasn’t paid attention.
The black watch was the last time Tech could brag about its defense and it went 6-4 in its first year with them
Crazy Robert
November 26th, 2012
6:35 am
I would like to be one of the first to congratulate the UGA football team for proving yet again that losers can win in college athletics.
BigTimeTECHFan
November 26th, 2012
6:49 am
Tech will be better next year
Born2Buzz
November 26th, 2012
7:06 am
When will the Head Coach be held responsible for the entire program? That means defense, special teams, and recruiting, not just the offense.
NoCharge
November 26th, 2012
7:12 am
Majority of GT players wouldn’t give Johnson air if he was in a jug …. He’s perceived as a pompous, arrogant, pencil-legged jerk. If he calls a play and it works …. it’s all his doing. If it fails …. it’s 100% the players fault.
yellowfever
November 26th, 2012
7:51 am
Tech has no AD, Yes times are bad right now but not what I would call an all time low. That would probably have been around 1979 to 1983 when I think Tech won a total of about 6-7 games and UGA was winning NC and finishing in the top 5 the other years.
yellowfever
November 26th, 2012
7:53 am
Born Buzz, you get it, so many on here don’t
TechLB
November 26th, 2012
7:58 am
@Texas Dawg – You’re wrong bud, sorry you don’t like to admit that GT is a tougher academic environment – and there are also fewer degree choices. Some of the other tough schools you call out have liberal arts degrees and that can be an easier academic path. At Tech, It’s called Math and you have to pass advanced classes of it at Georgia Tech. If you really want to have an adult discussion rather than spout your incorrect personal bias, You need to do more research before you continue that tired line that ALL schools have crib classes for athletes. ALL schools have some classes that are easier than others available for all students. Most have Crib DEGREES for athletes, most liberal arts schools do, check out those of your beloved UGA grads.
Try talking to a Georgia Tech Athlete who’s an alum and get your facts straight.
It doesn’t really matter though, it’s not an excuse for mediocre recruiting, player development, coaching and play. Georgia Tech is better than this.
And finally, what does it say about you and others who come here to gloat and demean The Georgia Institute of Technology that it’s not enough for you to win on the field? How pathetic man, have some class and go enjoy your victory with your fellow fans instead of kicking others when they’re down. Just like James Franklin said, that’s low class.
Georgia Tech University
November 26th, 2012
8:15 am
It would be Tech’s second appearance in one of the traditional four major bowl games (Cotton, Orange, Rose, Sugar) since 1967.
nuff said………..
Freddie Blassie
November 26th, 2012
8:19 am
Coach Johnson is staying and if you do not like it we do not need you. Join DRad and his parasites up 85 or take 316 to Athens. Clempson and Georgie is where you belong.
Tech1986
November 26th, 2012
8:23 am
Tech fans, it has become very obvious to me over the last 2 years reading the Tech blogs, that despite the total dominance by UGA over us on the football field, they still worry about us. I could care less what any UGA blogger says about our academics or our classes, and that includes that WNE guy. It appears that all these guys are just upset because they could not get into Tech and still have chip on their shoulders. Great, their playing in the SEC championship, good for them, but we are in the ACC championship, good for us. More practice time, one more time formeto enjoy college football. Again, let’s support our team and student athletes. I may have graduated with a 2.9 in Industrial Managment 25 years ago, but I know I could have been a 4.0 student in Family and consumer economics. Heck, I even could have passed “Coaching 101″, how many points do you get from a 3 point shot, or how many halves are a basketball game. Good luck to our big brothers from Athens, we all know your really care about us. Oh yeah, one more thing, THWG, GO JACKETS!!!
chas_jacket
November 26th, 2012
8:38 am
The recruiting problem isn’t solely academics, its more of the limited, science focused majors offered. Not sure cpj is the answer, but next year with vad at the helm will be telling. As far as the defense, still think we should have let kallon play this year – from what 5150 has said, he is going to be at Tech 4 years regardless so why RS?
I actually think we have a better chance against FSU. They will not have nearly the prep time as ugag and they are not a disciplined defense.
Just Saying
November 26th, 2012
8:47 am
all I want to know is ORWIN SMITH playing? It obviously does matter.
Georgia Tech University
November 26th, 2012
8:48 am
3 star players play like 3 star players. Against 5 star players, they look like, well, 3 star players.
NC Jacket
November 26th, 2012
8:51 am
We need Brian Van Gorder now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Georgia Tech University
November 26th, 2012
8:56 am
3 star coaches coach like 3 star coaches. Against 5 star coaches, they coach like, well, 3 star coaches.
Jon Koncak
November 26th, 2012
9:00 am
Can’t wait to see the overhead shot of the GT-FSU game, what’s the over-under on the attendance of this “Conference Championship Game” given both schools got boat raced by their in-state rivals? Also, notice that both of these fine institutions head coaches like to use the word “retarded”, seems they both need to look at themselves before running their mouthes…..probably could move the game to a local high school in Charlotte to make it look like the stadium is at least half full.
dry dirt road
November 26th, 2012
9:01 am
Re: flu bug, I find this more important than it is looking like. Certainly CPJ could have prepared himself and the team during breast cancer awareness month by getting shots. Perhaps CPJ did this on purpose, and is testing the waters at Tech to see how loyal Tech is to him. Or maybe he did this to get fired so he can follow in Radikovich’s footsteps. NC State has a vacancy now, and CPJ went to App State. But for the team to lose Isaan Cross and then Attaochu, and CPJ himself to an extent, is a blow that didn’t help the team that had comeback against NC and Duke with everybody healthy.
William Casey
November 26th, 2012
9:03 am
The problem at GT is the fundamental nature of the institution rather than coaches per se although CPJ would probably be a better offensive coordinator than head coach. Changing the head coach would be simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. College football is now a “NFL Career” driven game. Until GT broadens its curriculum, it will never attract ENOUGH 5-star athletes (especially on defense) to be competitive with UGA. I never thought I’d say this but, either make the systemic changes necessary OR stop playing UGA. Anyting else is masochism.
dry dirt road
November 26th, 2012
9:07 am
Tech had the white helmets at their disposal against Georgia instead of the gold ones they have lost to Georgia in more than won.
FSU Alum
November 26th, 2012
9:08 am
Face it jackets, you are not that good at football………..
DKG73
November 26th, 2012
9:11 am
The sole issue here is defense. That includes special teams defense. Championships are won by teams with excellent to great defenses. If I remember correctly, David Pollack was either a two or three star recruit. He also seriously considered going to GT. Available recruits for GT on the defensive side is not the problem. GT is a quality school that is attractive to many atheletes. GT has had excellent defenses in the past albeit so far not under Coach Johnson. This is the year that the Coach should have learned that lesson! If so, he will adapt as he is more competitive than hard headed or arrogant. Finally, most of the successful defenses run the 4/3 versus the 3/4. To the point of the contributor regarding the high number of high school players yielding fewer college players which yield only a few hundred pro players each year, the 3/4 is even more limited in quality player access so recruiting is more difficult. Hopefully Coach Johnson will hire an intelligent, fire in the belly, defensive coordinator that specializes in the 4/3 quickly and let him run the show defensively. Then, we will see some solid teams for years to come.
Animal Control
November 26th, 2012
9:11 am
“Gee Shucks, you never know how your team is going to play.” That is a crap answer for a coach who has no clue how to bring a disaster of a program back from the dead. One tip PJ- IT’S CALLED DEFENSE! Start there. I have never actually been embarassed to pull for a team like I am to pull for GT. This is one of the worst seasons I have ever seen coached and I just wish we were lucky enough to have a dang AD who could fire him! All these speeches about playing with focus, and determination, and inspiration are crap and only being said because thats what you say when you have a sesonal success equal to a pee wee football program. EMBARASSING!
Birmingham Jacket
November 26th, 2012
9:13 am
Nothing is going to change for the better until we get out of the ACC and to a better conference (probably The Big 10).
FSU, Clemson and Va. Tech will all make moves to better conferences in the near future, and The ACC will be a left-over Big East.
Our playing FSU and GT playing in the conference championship game after being humiliated by in-state rivals is a testimony to how pitiful the ACC is.
Why would any decent highschool football player want to partake of such a horrible, uncompetitve conference.
If we can get to The Big 10, I believe our recruiting would improve considerably. Until then, get used to many more beat-downs from UGA.
dry dirt road
November 26th, 2012
9:13 am
yellowfever, I don’t get it; I born BD years yj, the one worn on T-Club jacket of Chick Granning when he signed autograph for Annette Funicello of Mickey Mouse Club in Atl
old dog
November 26th, 2012
9:17 am
I pull for the Teckies except against us. It is painfully obvious to even the novice that the talent level leaves much to be desired. You could not bring in buddy Ryan in his prime and do much with that D…..there just ain’t enough talent on that side of the ball. Ya’ll can recruit better than you have been.I know they talk about 2-3 star recruits versus ours, but whoever gave some of ya’lls D players even 2 stars needs to be drawn and quartered, as they missed the mark. Good luck down the road, and remember: bring in some football players!!
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:31 am
It helps to be hungry and to show it!
Flak Jacket
November 26th, 2012
9:35 am
Run the ball Paul will never have a good defense or special teams,and will never beat good teams consistently at this level and everyone knows it.A 21 point lead is never enough to bag a win as long as this guy has his defense in play.Our kick off teams have been horrible with this coach.Expect more of the same next year.Too bad TECH has to keep him.
Just Saying
November 26th, 2012
9:37 am
its all about cheating and transcript fraud, payouts to families for their sons services, etc….Saban, Richt, Miles and so on…….
Not to mention your star player cannot pass a drug test……so much to be proud of
matt
November 26th, 2012
9:39 am
middle tennessee state
matt
November 26th, 2012
9:40 am
byu
matt
November 26th, 2012
9:40 am
42-10
matt
November 26th, 2012
9:40 am
2005 Emerald Utah 10-38 L
2006 Gator West Virginia 35-38 L
2007 Humanitarian Fresno State 28-40 L
2008 Chick-fil-A LSU 3-38 L
2009 Orange Iowa 14-24 L
2010 Independence Air Force 7-14 L
2011 Sun Utah (OT) 27-30 L
old dog
November 26th, 2012
9:41 am
@Jusy Sayin’
Sour grapes and a crappy attitude will get you nowhere. Shut up and recruit….and quit raising sand about other programs just because you happen to have the LEAST-TALENTED DEFENSE in the history of organized athletics! It’s cry-babies like you that make losers. You ain’t no good, so you find ways to shoot at others. Tech would be better off if bozo’s like you pulled for another team.
TN Jacket
November 26th, 2012
9:49 am
My Issues w Tech Football as it stands:
1. Head coach hates recruiting and avoids it whenever possible- puts us at disadvantage with young enthusiastic coaches
2. Head coach thinks emotion, motivation and team enthusiasm is someone else’s job.
3. Head coach is uninterested in defense and special teams, and blames them every time he can, while not taking ownership for the problems.
Contrast how Johnson approaches each of these with how Saban and Meyer approach these issues. The new AD needs to demand and expect more from the HC. The HC has to at least try in these areas!
MC
November 26th, 2012
9:50 am
BS!….GT TN PJ’s history of having sorry Ds PROVES he doesn’t care. If he cared he would have made the effort to play better D a long time ago. He’s a one trick pony. Always has been always will be. Please stop apologizing for and enabling this pseudo college football coach.
TEXAS DAWG
November 26th, 2012
9:52 am
@Tech LB
As noted above by Technation Deflation, “Why do we no longer have the pool of talent like we did under Bobby Ross or George O’Leary”. What variable has changed. Did the school change or did the coaching staff change. Please explain Stanford, Duke, ND, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt (all on the rise). If they are the elite schools as you perceive GT to be and they are recuruiting the same talent pool, explain their success while GT falters. What is different? As an engineering school you should be good at working a variable into an equation and the only variable is the coaching. Stop using “high standards” as an excuse becasues the above mentioned schools have as high or higher standards for admission as GT and seem to find success on the field (and basketball court).
Bad Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:58 am
@ DR – “CPJ’s system, with Gailey’s juniors and seniors, went 20-7, flipped the rivalry…”
Huh? GT had a couple of seasons, including a vacated ACC Title (UGA beat you that year), but FLIPPED the rivalry? The victory Johnson accomplished was the first since 2000, and none have followed. Flipping a rivalry takes more than an upset victory once in a dozen years.
I don’t know who you’re going to get, but firing Paul Johnson is a priority. You’re not going any farther with him as your HC.
MC
November 26th, 2012
9:59 am
It’s time to stop hiding behind alleged academic prohibitions and man up. The academic EXCUSE makes the ones peddling it sound like little whining wussies.
SINCERLEY CAP
November 26th, 2012
9:59 am
Enter your comments here
GREAT COMMENT OLE-TIMER,AND DOESOUR DEFENSE REALLY HAVE ALEADER??
Future Tech AD
November 26th, 2012
10:03 am
People, remain calm please. CPJ is “not my guy”. Have no fear, I’m firing him in 364 days. Let the coaching search begin,…now.
BCS standings reaction: Week 14 – ESPN (blog) | Sports Action News
November 26th, 2012
10:10 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Stinger1
November 26th, 2012
10:11 am
WHEN IS ENOUGH …………..ENOUGH……..? why oh why won’t he just show mercy to his haters & just RESIGN? We fans ………..real fans hurt to see our school so hog tied by someone who cannot coach in this league, or at this level. PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GT TN
November 26th, 2012
10:15 am
@MC..based on your thought process..Oregon’s Chip Kelley hates D because they give up alot of points in the past until this year..Florida hates offense this year..they only scored more than 31 points 3 times out of 12 times this year and only 5 of 13 last year..just because it doesnt happen doesnt mean you dont care
GT TN
November 26th, 2012
10:19 am
All of he people that say we need to fire CPJ..please give me a name of a coach we can hire to take his place..i have been saying this for 2 days and no one can give me a name..it is east to say fire the coach but if you dont have a name to hire..how can we be better..
Arkansas
Tennessee
Auburn
Boston College
Kentucky
NC State
Colorado
Oregon (if CK takes a pro job)
Just a few jobs we will be going against to get a new coach
GIVE ME A NAME IF YOU THINK WE NEED TO FIRE CPJ
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
10:20 am
CPJ is a failure in talent appraisal.How else do you start tevin over Vad Lee? Even UGA fans know Vad is a stud athlete, and they saw him for 1 game.
What a wasted season on Tevin Washington. CPJ should be fired for wasting the season. Any idiot would clearly see that Vad is far more capable in EVERY facet of the game.
He should be fired just for playing tevin over vad.
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
10:22 am
GT TN: petrino, chizik, hell derek dooley.
All 3 of them could tell you that tevin is a d2 qb; all 3 of them would have started vad from game 1.
Imagine where we would be if CPJ focused on Vad as starter from spring practice? Would we look like a bunch of high schoolers saturday? No.
GT TN
November 26th, 2012
10:24 am
It is offical GT Joe=VAD father..if he isnt I have never seen more of a man crush on anyone in my life
GT Joe
November 26th, 2012
10:25 am
job #1 for a coach: play your best players.
CPJ failed this most basic task. any REAL coach would put their studs on the field and call plays that the STUDS can run. CPJ has it backwards: he calls HIS plays and plays the players that can run THOSE plays. Idiot.