Georgia Tech wins, but this was nothing to celebrate
Josh Nesbitt had an early 4-yard touchdown run to get Georgia Tech going. Nesbitt ran for two scores and threw for two more, but it turned out to not be such an easy night.
NASHVILLE — When a team has won five straight, launched itself into the BCS bowl picture and generally has left the impression it will skate through the “Nerders Row” portion of its schedule — Virginia, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Duke — it doesn’t expect to have games like this.
Georgia Tech defeated Vanderbilt on Saturday night 56-31. Looks one-sided. It wasn’t. Nor should it have been this sloppy or this difficult.
Expectations on North Avenue suddenly are meteoric. Maybe the altitude got to be too much.
It’s all still sitting there for the Yellow Jackets, everything they could possibly have wanted when this season began. A double-digit win total. An ACC championship. A BCS bowl game. A top-10 ranking. A second season under Paul Johnson to reaffirm that the first season under Paul Johnson wasn’t nearly a fluke.
But this game was a not-so-subtle reminder that there’s still the possibility of the bottom falling out. Vanderbilt entered this game with a 2-6 record. Its only victories had come over Western Carolina and Rice — and they don’t really count.
But where was this game at halftime? Tied at 28-28. When the Commodores drove to a field goal on their first possession of the second half, they led 31-28.
How bad should the Jackets feel about that? Bad enough to inch toward the balcony and maybe seek therapy.
In Vandy’s six previous losses, the Commodores totaled 9, 3, 7, 13 (that against Army, and only because of a field goal in overtime), 10 and 10. One of those 10’s came against the Bulldogs. So you need not wonder why Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack is as unpopular on The Flats as Willie Martinez is in Athens.
If the Jackets don’t want to concern themselves with impressing poll voters, that’s one thing. But they can’t give up an 80-yard kickoff return or a 62-yard touchdown run, as they did Saturday night, and expect to skate again. They can’t assume any of their remaining opponents will implode the way Vandy did.
Because there’s only one Vandy.
Jonathan Dwyer gave Tech a 35-31 lead late in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run. Then Vanderbilt turned back into Vanderbilt.
On the ensuing possession, running back Jamie Graham fumbled on the Commodores’ 19-yard line. (It was one of three Vandy fumbles.) Two plays later, Dwyer was in the end zone again from 3 yards out and suddenly it was 42-31 after two touchdowns in a span of 40 seconds.
Early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Josh Nesbitt connected with Embry Peeples for an 87-yard score, and the game looked like a rout. But for most of the night, it wasn’t.
It would be overstating things to suggest this was an “escape.” It was more like a reminder.
After a string of impressive conference victories over Florida State, Virginia Tech and Virginia — two of those coming on the road — expectations surrounding this program skyrocketed. The Jackets had the look of a team that was together and focused, that was following their coach, that seemingly would not be derailed in this home stretch.
Even coach Paul Johnson, while stating he believed Vanderbilt was better than its record indicated, did not anticipate any sort of a letdown. When asked earlier in the week about playing a non-conference game against a lesser opponent, he said: “I think our football team, to be a special one, has to go out and want to win every game. … I’m not worried about [a letdown]. I hope our guys are mature enough to realize that Vanderbilt is a good football team. We’re playing against the SEC. We’re not supposed to be able to compete. It’s a chance for our guys to match up with [an SEC team] again.”
Except that when you think, hear and see Vanderbilt, you don’t think, hear or see SEC. You see a small stadium that’s one-third empty on a campus where football doesn’t matter
It matters again at Tech. When you stumble, everybody notices.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
469 comments Add your comment
steve
November 1st, 2009
7:48 pm
About last nights game: I was out taking my little boy trick or treating and listening to the tech game on the radio. I could not believe how bad our defense was playing against a very weak Vandy offense. I am thankful we have a great offense like we have or we would be in bad trouble. After i got back home at halftime and saw the highlights I couldn’t believe the holes in the line that Norman had to run through and that other back ran through. Untouched. This has got to stop! I am happy for the win and happy that our offense once again had a great performance. Tech can beat you so many ways on offense. I just don’t think anybody can stop that. Our defense had better have their game faces on next Saturday against a very dangerous Wake Forest team who is gonna be pretty upset after losing to Miami in the last minute of that game. Skinner is a dangerous QB who can eat us up. I think we’ll win because Wake won’t be able to stop that offense and we will generate some long drives that eat up the clock. Go jackets!
SECFAN
November 1st, 2009
8:11 pm
Matt, Maybe you should look at the UP TO DATE SOS, not the beginning of the year. Here they are prior to yesterday’s games.
Strength of Schedule Ratings as of games of October 24, 2009
1 Washington 4.73142 2 Virginia Tech 4.90691 3 Arkansas 5.09605 4 Louisville 5.19466 5 Kentucky 5.19594 6 UCLA 5.22109 7 Colorado 5.24283 8 Minnesota 5.25194 9 Clemson 5.26808 10 Tennessee 5.31639 11 Mississippi St. 5.32217 12 Washington State 5.33707 13 Florida State 5.35129 14 Georgia 5.37034 15 Arizona 5.37385 16 Notre Dame 5.37553 17 Wisconsin 5.37755 18 Michigan State 5.40296 19 San Jose State 5.40622 20 Oklahoma 5.41379 21 Iowa 5.43911 22 Purdue 5.47392 23 Oregon 5.47672 24 Colorado State 5.47897 25 Miami (FL) 5.48026 26 Oregon State 5.50656 27 Nebraska 5.56681 28 Miami (OH) 5.56879 29 UTEP 5.63449 30 LSU 5.63913 31 Ohio State 5.65949 32 USC 5.71104 33 Michigan 5.76149 34 Illinois 5.77555 35 Alabama 5.79802 36 Texas 5.80458 37 Florida International 5.82116 38 Syracuse 5.82329 39 Virginia 5.85870 40 Arkansas State 5.85984 41 Iowa State 5.87937 42 Connecticut 5.88446 43 SMU 5.88515 44 Missouri 5.88890 45 Bowling Green 5.89225 46 Auburn 5.89275 47 Baylor 5.89516 48 Florida Atlantic 5.90289 49 Florida 5.91753 50 Rice 5.91838 51 Georgia Tech 5.93545
Delbert D.
November 1st, 2009
8:13 pm
techredneck – You probably unknowingly called slobberknocker “genus” instead of “genius”. I have to agree, slobberknocker is not only a separate species, but a seperate genus as well.
Delbert D.
November 1st, 2009
8:15 pm
And dammit, I misspelled “separate”. I am, however a vertebrate.
SECFAN
November 1st, 2009
8:40 pm
SEPERATE
Delbert D.
November 1st, 2009
8:47 pm
SECFAN – “seperate” …Not a word. Not even in the ACC, where Duke, UNC and Thomas Jefferson’s own university hold sway.
Max Arnold
November 1st, 2009
9:02 pm
This article, if you can call it that, is the reason the AJC has dropping circulation. I have dropped the delivery and only buy one on occasion to get coupons or sepecial items. There is nothing good about the article, usless you are trying to please the Dogs. They got a better write up after giving Flordia a lot of help in pentalies.
I agree with the first comment, Kurtdt Kobain, just reread his. Max
Napa Jacket
November 1st, 2009
9:31 pm
No Respect Tech,
Thanks for the note. We’ll just meet on those flats and see how bad we’ll suck on your spew. UGA is one good player away from being Ole Miss in the SEC and your boy Richt is, according to those who knew him well at FSU, falling right into patterns that made those FSU fans so happy to see him go. We’ll suck on the upcoming results in our match on the flats. Why don’t you suck on many, many more years with MR and the tan-o-meter coaching your beloved dogs.
3opt
November 1st, 2009
9:39 pm
This win, statistically and on the scoreboard, reminds me of the wins made by Johnson’s absolutely dominant GSU teams. The defense will improve, but CPJ’s best defense has always been his superb, soul-crushing offense.
BB's
November 1st, 2009
10:00 pm
Teams that Tech could be in the top 10. Florida, Alabama, Texas, Iowa, Boise St., Cincinnati, Oregon St., LSU, TCU. And just to let you know that I am intelligent, and that I’m not smoking funny weed I will also list the teams that could beat Tech in the top 10. Florida, Alabama, Texas, Iowa, Boise St., Cincinnati, Oregon St., LSU, TCU. That’s why we need a playoff. The only sport in America without one! And to think. University presidents have PhD’s, and yet collectively they think the BCS is a good system.
GTRich
November 2nd, 2009
8:17 am
Question for SECfan and other dawgs – Since UF beat the dawgs 41-17 at home and if Tech were to beat the same dawgs on Nov 28 say by a score of 42-17, would you then concede that Tech is equal or better than Tebo’s team???
GTRich
November 2nd, 2009
8:24 am
Now dawgs, you have all gone silent. Don’t be shy, answer my question. If Tech beats UGA on November 28th by a score of 42-17 or better, would you concede that Tech is equal or better than UF??? No excuses about different day, different place either.
GTcoaches
November 2nd, 2009
8:56 am
Dave Wommack take Note – comments from power ranking:
Why The Ranking Should Be Higher: 404 rushing yards and six touchdowns against a strong Vanderbilt defense is nice, and no one’s going to stop this running game the rest of the year, but …
Why The Ranking Should Be Lower: … Vanderbilt can’t score, and it got 28 first-half points. Yes, the Tech defense put the clamps down in the second half, but the D really isn’t that good.
Wommack, you have 5 more games to show that you can coach defense. If you can’t do better than the first 9 games then Donald Trump has a message.for you.
ILovetheJackets77
November 2nd, 2009
9:36 am
Well, once again the Yellow Jackets get no love from anyone….not even a writer in there own home newspaper…it doesn’t suprise me. GT beat Vandy but the same amount of points as Teblow beat them sorry Dawgs by. Yes our D was terrible in the first half but listen to this they only managed a field goal in the second half. 600 yds total offense and 56 points that seems pretty impressive to me. How many points did UGA beat Vandy by? Not that damn many! Josh Nesbitt throws 2 tds and 200 yds. That’s impressive. JD ran for 186 and 3tds and Roddy ran for 80 and a td. So, Florida gets “style”points for beating the basement in the SEC in there own backyard by 25…what do we do beat the basement of the SEC on the road by 25 and rack up 600 total yards. Give me a break! When will people stand up say this is a good football team. To all the UGA fans out there what will you say when we muster as many wins in the SEC as you do this season? I am sick of ESPN and every other “authority” on college football calling GT and riding the jocks of our opposing teams and saying that our O is a fluke…a fluke? We are doing it week after week with ease. Did you parents ever tell you “if you don’t have anything nice to say, just shut your pie holes. When were are 11-1 and ACC Champs then maybe someone will give us a ‘lil respect… GO JACKETS!!!
Q-tip
November 2nd, 2009
10:03 am
In four SEC games so far, the most Vandy has scored is 10. Tech’s defense is absolutely pathetic and will be exploited against a real team if they ever play one.
GTRich
November 2nd, 2009
10:25 am
Q-Tip, is UGA a real team??? I know they play in the “best” conference SEC.. I’d assume from your comments that they will exploit and beat Tech when they meet. Right?
ILovetheJackets77
November 2nd, 2009
11:13 am
They couldn’t beat us with KnowShow Moreno and Matthew Stafford…how can they expect to beat us with Cox and no running game? Oh and that’s right a suspect D. 10 points is what they scored but whats the most scored on them? 56 was the most on Vanderbilt since Kentucky score 56 a few years ago.
nessel
November 11th, 2009
4:48 pm
The ACC is the laughing stock of college football. They currently have 5 teams playing below .500 ball. By season’s end half the conference will be below .500. PATHETIC!!!
Louis Skolnick
November 15th, 2009
3:49 pm
you’re a dispshick nessel