Tech loses bragging rights, chance for something special
Look a little different than the end of last year's Tech-Georgia game? The Jackets lost to the Bulldogs, 30-24, and they won't soon forget this. (Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@AJC)
Signs of change were everywhere.
Bobby Dodd’s stands weren’t half-red. Thus, the game didn’t have the usual neutral-site feel to it. Bowl officials didn’t jam the press box. What for? Georgia Tech’s future was fairly simple, and Georgia’s was fairly depressing. The Jackets could be headed to the Orange Bowl, a game with history. The Bulldogs could be headed to the PapaJohns.com Bowl, a game with anchovies. The Dogs even had a temp-Uga on the sideline.
But if the Jackets feel like they just got knocked back in time, there’s a reason.
A year ago, they stunned Georgia at home and tore branches off the sacred hedges. On Saturday, with an eight-game winning streak and a fantasy season unfolding, they fell behind early to the Bulldogs 17-3 and fell short in a comeback. They lost 30-24.
The 12 months of bragging just kicked off from the other direction.
It doesn’t mean Tech can’t win the ACC title. It doesn’t mean the Jackets can’t play in Miami and finish 12-2. But this one will sting for a year because this is one most expected they would win. They were playing a mediocre Georgia team coming off a loss to Kentucky, and it doesn’t get much worse than that.
Tech coach Paul Johnson downplayed the significance of this game earlier in the week. He believes everybody should focus on the big picture, and that picture includes conference championships and competing for BCS bowls, not just bragging rights over big brother from Athens. “I don’t want to leave the wrong impression because I do realize that the game is important and I know for a lot of our fans that this is the game they want to win,” Johnson said. “[But] we want to get to the point where our program is bigger than one game. We want to win the game, but we want to do some other things that just beating Georgia won’t do for you.”
And Johnson’s right. Tech’s season is about more than beating Georgia. But beating Georgia ranks pretty high.
Bottom line: This was the Jackets’ chance to take charge, and they failed.
Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt left the game in the first quarter with a sprained ankle but returned later. (AP photo)
This won’t do much to boost morale in the ACC’s offices, either. The conference’s two championship game entries, Tech and Clemson (to South Carolina), both closed the regular season with losses to SEC rivals.
Tech trailed 17-3 at halftime. It clawed back to within 30-24 in the fourth quarter after a touchdown run by Josh Nesbitt, who keyed the comeback when he returned from an ankle injury. When Georgia’s Blair Walsh missed a 55-yard field goal attempt with three minutes remaining, it gave them one last chance. But a dropped pass by Demaryius Thomas at the Dogs’ 35 ended the final threat.
There was a general consensus that this would be a high-scoring game, with the game’s two defensive coordinators, Georgia’s Willie Martinez and Tech’s Dave Wommack, taking turns absorbing blows like those old inflatable clowns that keep bouncing back up after being punched. (In Martinez’s case, there’s no guarantee he’ll be bouncing back up after the season.)
What nobody figured: At halftime, Tech would be trailing 17-3 and its run-dominated offense — one of the top units in the nation — would be outrushed by Georgia 204-80. (On second thought, maybe it’s Wommack who won’t be bouncing back up.) That kept the Jackets’ offense off the field.
Not only was Tech limited to four possessions, it lost Nesbitt, who might as well be this team’s transmission. When he suffered a sprained ankle with 1:03 left in the first quarter, every projection about this game changed. He tested the injury on the sideline, eventually went into the locker room, presumably for a wonder cure, and returned during the second. But backup Jaybo Shaw ran the next possession and threw an interception, which the Bulldogs turned into a touchdown and the 17-3 halftime lead.
But Nesbitt played Tech’s final possession of the half, not looking full-speed, and then returned strong in the third quarter. He led the Jackets to touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half (including a 77-yard scoring pass to Thomas). But the Dogs’ responded with touchdown and field-goal drives and held a 27-17 lead. If nothing else, it had turned into the game most expected.
But the end wasn’t what Tech players or fans expected. Last year was about getting attention. This year has been proving their worth. It can still be a great season. But not nearly as great it could have been.
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1,802 comments Add your comment
GT Joe
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Really Right on Time? Is your bowl game before or after December 20th?
45ACP
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
It’s okay. We know you are hurt and crying.
Go to bed. Everything will be okay in the morning.
DawgsCRUSHJackets
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
GT Joe, Oh please with the bowls. Have you ever been to a BCS? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO UGA has, 3 times.
Oh, word just in>>>>>>>Martinez turns down Defensive Coordinator job at GA. Tech….Says it’s too big of a step down for him. Takes Special teams job with Kentucky.
JJ
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Confused, you must be a Tech fan. In case you missed it, UGA won 30-24.
uga all the way
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
24-30 put it on your ACC championship rings
GTU is a 5th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Same old GTU. Got that a$$ beat AGAIN by the DAWGS! Some things never change. LOL
Uno-Ocho
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Paul Johnson the “smartest coach in Georgia” according to the gAyJC throws it four straight times to LOSE the game. HAHAHAHA. Yeah, he’s a genius!!!
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
a conference title that is less prestigious than the WAC, MEAC, SWAC, etc…it’s like winning 5th in the SEC east. So…
blackdawg
November 29th, 2009
12:51 am
Even an underfed genious will lose an acorn in a mud hole every now a then.
Duke
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
better…you will also return to looking in the mirror and realizing that you are ugly….so is your coach.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
Saint Simons
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
((((((24-30))))))
Mommyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg Whisperer
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
Now we know the best way to beat Tech with PJ as their coach is to beat them at their own game. That’s exactly what Richt and Bobo did. They deserve credit for a good game plan. UGA’s O-Line showed up big time and that was the biggest difference in the game. BTW, has anyone seen Yellow Fuzz? Russ must’ve had him for a doggie snack.
Furry Foreigner
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
Tech fans… order has been restored 30-24 and you now have a whole year to chew on it. Get ready for the abuse. You keep talking about your bowl game, but what does it say about your team when a 5 loss Georgia team comes into your living room and pounds the rock down your throat? It tells me that you suck and don’t deserve to even go to a bowl, much less a good one.
Jeff, your West Coast schtick doesn’t play here. I’d pack your bags and go find out what rag Terrence Moore is spewing for, maybe they’re interested in a comedian instead of a sports journalist.
uga all the way
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
GT JOE? Really UGA just thrashed you. What does it mean when Tech and Clemson get beat by bad, not mediocre SEC teams. It means you are irrelevant.
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
Our bowl probobly sux this year. Our best win is against Arkansas…
theTruth
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
confused, UGA has a SOS in the top 5, so now I’m confused
hi-oh
November 29th, 2009
12:52 am
wow, SEC has 10 bowl eligible teams. ACC: 7.
BugKiller
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
The ACC just invited South Carolina and Georgia to Tampa to play for the ACC Championship and the conference’s bid for the Orange Bowl.
Saint Simons
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
((((((((24-30)))))))) Tear.
GT Joe
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
DawgCrush: You love bringing up old sh## dont you. Yeah congrats on your 3 BCS bowls. We have 4 national titles, but you dont hear me bringing that up.
Reggie Ball
November 29th, 2009
12:53 am
Cant blame me for this one.
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
GT Joe:
Will you be driving to that “championship” game?
DawgsCRUSHJackets
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
Unranked Clemson vs. #18 rank Ga. Tech for ACC Championship! Or watch #1 ranked Florida play #2 ranked Alabama in the SEC Championship! WHat a joke.
GTJoe, How were those 3 times in Boise, oh and the Silicon Valley Classic and Emerald Nut. LOL
We enjoyed the 3 Sugar Bowls, Capital One, and 2 Outback. The worst of them all, the Chick Fil A, and that’s your best. LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Helluva Engineer
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
UGA is the better team with better athletes who salvaged something from their otherwise embarrassing season. Congrats on the win, Coach Richt called a brilliant game that was Cox-proof, and their fans were great after the game. Best of luck folks.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
BCS COMPUTER DUMPS GT, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA FOREVER
Confused
November 29th, 2009
12:54 am
Sorry, Truth … you’re right, it was UGA. Don’t know why I thought Miss St. Either way, the rest of the numbers show the SEC isn’t what SEC fans make it out to be, and you all are living vicariously through two teams who somehow rank at the top despite going undefeated against a pretty easy schedule.
Jonathan "No Show" Dwyer
November 29th, 2009
12:55 am
Hope Dwyer turns pro, but he was a no show tonight. 14 rushes for 33 yards. Heisman hopeful -NOT!!!!!!! You can thank the Dawgs DL for this. Eat it, Jackets.
Where was Derrick Morgan tonight? I bet you GTU want to know.
GT Joe
November 29th, 2009
12:55 am
uga all the way:
No my friend, “irrelevant” is Shreveport or Nashville in December. I hear those games are on Fox Sports SouthEast West U.
Dawg 1
November 29th, 2009
12:55 am
My my, you are proving to have a thin skin. You can sit behind that computer and pontificate and be critical of anyone and anybody (except CPJ – maybe that will change now), but let someone come at you and it’s not so much fun. Frankly, you can do better…
a person who argues to defend or justify
It doesn’t mean Tech can’t win the ACC title. It doesn’t mean the Jackets can’t play in Miami and finish 12-2. But this one will sting for a year because this is one most expected they would win. They were playing a mediocre Georgia team coming off a loss to Kentucky, and it doesn’t get much worse than that.
Tech coach Paul Johnson downplayed the significance of this game earlier in the week. He believes everybody should focus on the big picture, and that picture includes conference championships and competing for BCS bowls, not just bragging rights over big brother from Athens. “I don’t want to leave the wrong impression because I do realize that the game is important and I know for a lot of our fans that this is the game they want to win,” Johnson said. “[But] we want to get to the point where our program is bigger than one game. We want to win the game, but we want to do some other things that just beating Georgia won’t do for you.”
And Johnson’s right. Tech’s season is about more than beating Georgia. But beating Georgia ranks pretty high.
In other words, Tech didn’t want it as badly as maybe they should. They were more focused on the ACC Championship Game – next time just come out and say it.
Here’s another word Jeff. Mediocre, as in the over-all effort and research any of the AJC writers actually put into their articles.
At least your not mediocre and lazy. But not to worry, Mark Bradley fills that role nicely.
I will say this. You at least appear to put some thinking into what you write. Unlike M. Bradley, who just might be the laziest Sports Columnist in the history of the AJC. (And that’s saying something).
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:55 am
GT Joe:
I’m proud of you for being here to take up for your team after a beating. It must be familiar territory.
uga all the way
November 29th, 2009
12:55 am
Tech is a joke!
The ACC is a bigger joke!
Tech fans are the biggest joke!
30-24 GO DAWGS!
theTruth
November 29th, 2009
12:56 am
GTJoe, once again. If UGA used GT’s formula for NC’s, then UGA has 6.
1980 (12-0-0) – Vince Dooley coached the Bulldogs to a perfect 12-0 season, including a 17-10 victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to win the National Championship. Georgia finished as the only team with no losses and no ties and was declared No. 1 by almost every poll.
1968 (8-1-2) – Litkenhous
1966 (10-1-0) – Massey Ratings
1946 (11-0-0) – Williamson System
1942 (11-1-0) – Berryman; DeVold; Houlgate System; Litkenhous; Poling System; Williamson System.
1927 (9-1-0) – Boand System; Poling System
2N4YEARS
November 29th, 2009
12:56 am
GEORGIA
DawgsCRUSHJackets
November 29th, 2009
12:56 am
GT Joe: LOL National Titles in 1917, 1935, 1950 LOL Oh, and the shared title in 90. Live on brother, live on. Ga. Tech goes to Gator Bowl, I beat you. Losing to Clemson. LOLOLOL I thought the Big East was the worst, but they should KICK the ACC out of the BCS.
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:57 am
GT Joe,
Don’t most Yech fans think the season ends after a loss to UGA? Will they know there are still games left to play?
coach smith
November 29th, 2009
12:57 am
Every Dawg has his day……..
theTruth
November 29th, 2009
12:57 am
RightOnTime, I actually do give Avg Joe some credit because he is here. He’s not hiding like the rest of them.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:57 am
We just STOMPED a MUDHOLE in the maggots!!!!
Beat that AZZZZZZ!
Russ is 1-0!! We had good depth at DAWG!!!!
Reality
November 29th, 2009
12:57 am
I am sick of cheating refs – why the heck can’t we get Big 10 or WAC or whatever refs for this game? Every time the SEC refs are in charge they screw it up. They cannot even call games right within their own conference, yet we let them call this game??????
GT ATL
November 29th, 2009
12:58 am
Geeez! Be careful fellow techiesl, these dawgs are frothing! Maintain a wide margin in their presence!
Orkin Man
November 29th, 2009
12:58 am
Dear North Ave Trade School:
Woof. 8 out of 9. Have fun playing for the Almost Competitive Conference title. Neither you nor Clemson derserve a BCS bowl.
Don’t beat yourselves up. Have fun tonight. Let loose. Order a double Slurpee, try talking to good looking girls (oh, sorry, you have to go to Athens for that), watch Harold & Kumar, design some new Dungeons & Dragons software.
But most of all, for the next 365 days:
SHUT UP. YOU HAVE BEEN EXTERMINATED.
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:58 am
GT Joe,.
Is this season still “magical”?
GT Joe
November 29th, 2009
12:58 am
OH brother, UGA with SIX NCs now?!? I’ve seen it all.
Point is: We have a better record, had a better season, will finish ranked higher, and go to a better bowl. but congrats on the game.
Right On Time
November 29th, 2009
12:59 am
GT ATL:
Come on in and play. Talk to us about that “championship” game!!!!!
Reggie Ball
November 29th, 2009
12:59 am
You boys sucked worse than me tonight
southside DAWG
November 29th, 2009
12:59 am
Jeff
Who has the better QB NOW.
Dawg 1
November 29th, 2009
12:59 am
G.T. Joe – you can play that song all you want. You know and we know that the better team won tonight and that any bowl you go to will not make up for the fact that you were ran over tonight and out coach. So for the next 364 Days you can live with that. It is as simple as that…
Bobby Dodd from heaven....
November 29th, 2009
12:59 am
What the…..F……rename the stadium….please!!!!!. Tired of getting slapped in the back of the head up here.
Washaun Ealey
November 29th, 2009
1:00 am
can somebody help me clean these insects off my hobnailed boot?