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
Dawghater
November 29th, 2009
12:12 pm
All the Dawg fans think this win makes up for all the losses this year and the losing season UGA has had. A week ago most people on these blogs thought some or all of the coaching staff needed to be gone. Also, fans were questioning if the team even needed to be at a bowl game. UGA may have beat GA Tech but they have bigger problems to fix. Good luck with that. Always a Georgia Tech fan!
fcmr
November 29th, 2009
12:13 pm
GT Bill Were you at the game last night, are you going to the game next week, what about the bowl game. Just wondering?
TitanCoach
November 29th, 2009
12:14 pm
Don’t worry Saint Simons. All of these UGA people will be without a job when they graduate and you will be reinventing the economy.
Willie Martinez
November 29th, 2009
12:15 pm
It’s great.. to be.. a Georgia Bulldog. Say it’s great, to be, a Georgia Bulldog…It’s great, to be ………..
Man, I just love it in Athens, GA.
Super Dog
November 29th, 2009
12:15 pm
Lets hear from you Tech
Your thoughts on getting beat by the worst defensive coordinator in college football
Your thoughts on Nesbitty he really is good on 5 yard passes but anything farther?
Your thoughts on getting run all over
Oh yea your thoughts now on DRYER against King
TexasJacket
November 29th, 2009
12:15 pm
Thanks idiotsinohio. It’s nice to see come class every once in awhile (from either side). Most of the worst fans (especially on this blog) don’t even have a connection to the school.
Yeah, I’m a Tech Alum and I defintely hate ugag… but they were certainly the better team last night. You just have to give credit where credit is due. They had a rough year, but they stepped up when it counted last night. They didn’t run any trick plays or anything – just ran it up the middle – almost every play – and we STILL couldn’t stop it.
There aren’t any excuses.. they showed up and we didn’t. I’m not sure how (especially as a Jacket) you can’t get excited for this game, but we we didn’t.
Good luck next week in Tampa, Jackets. We’ll probably be outnumbered 2-1 by orange, but the goal still remains – win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl. As much as it pains me, I’d rather take a BCS bowl anyday.
where r u st. simons
November 29th, 2009
12:15 pm
30-24 hahahahahahahahaha
fcmr
November 29th, 2009
12:17 pm
DGID pre business is similar to many majors at most universities across America. Check gt’s catalog for similar majors with not a whole lot of substance.
NERDS!!!!
November 29th, 2009
12:19 pm
Now you GT dorks will finally shut up!! Nerds, nerds, nerds!!!!!!
((((((30-24)))))) Ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
indianman
November 29th, 2009
12:19 pm
dawghater you say with tech all they are loser i say with dog s theey are winner
Scoots
November 29th, 2009
12:19 pm
Any given Saturday . . .
Congrats to UGA. Not what I wanted or expected. That dropped pass by D. Thomas killed me.
That said, we’re still 1 win away from the Orange Bowl, and 2 from a Top 10 finish. We got had last night, but still have bigger fish to fry. We weren’t going to get a chance to play the BCS title game anyway, so really we’ve lost nothing.
See you next year Dawgs! Go Tech
Super Dog
November 29th, 2009
12:19 pm
Dawghater
No wonder why more famous people have graduated from UGA with comments like that
This is one fan who has been on these blogs every week wanting a change in the assistants
and still does
Willie did nothing impressive last night you are just an inferior team who’s record would be 4-8 in the SEC and not 10-2
TexasJacket
November 29th, 2009
12:21 pm
BTW, fcmr, we lost last night, but GT is not like most universities in America.. when a school that is consistently has a top 5 engineering program in the US and was recently ranked in the top 10 in the WORLD even has a competitive football program, that’s an accomplishment.
There is NO similar major to Pre-Business at Georgia Tech.. period.
Didn't Get it Done
November 29th, 2009
12:22 pm
fcmr..u r right..irrelevant point, i’m just bitter
Scoots
November 29th, 2009
12:23 pm
Laugh it up all the way to Shreveport. Deep down you Dawgs know you escaped with one last night.
Enjoy another year of Willie Martinez next year
GTbill
November 29th, 2009
12:24 pm
No I was not at the game. I worked all day Saturday. There are working class people who are still fans of Ga Tech. I did grow up selling programs at Tech games when I was a kid and that is how I became a Tech fan. So I don’t understand the relevance of that question
fcmr
November 29th, 2009
12:24 pm
TX jacket Tech does have good engineering programs, much like UGA’s law, ecology, pharmacy, journalism ( hard to say that one based on todays state of journalism) and business schools. The fact is that the majority of D 1 athletes are not enrolled in engineering programs. Industrila management and building management are two majors that I know exist at Tech and aren’e as strenuous as your engineering programs.
BK
November 29th, 2009
12:26 pm
Too bad Butler can’t win with class. Way to tear up the GT on field with your cleats after the game was over – twice. His daddy wouldn’t have done that…
Chuck
November 29th, 2009
12:26 pm
Suck it, Schultz. You have a lifetime worth of BS to eat today, you cousin-screwing jackass. UGA ran it down Tech’s throat all night and the nerds couldn’t stop it for anything.
Let’s hear it, St Simons. Where is your sorry a$$ today, your worthless airbag? Riding your inflatable date, I would imagine, while your wife becomes a chronic masturbator (just like Schultz’s) due to a total lack of a man in her life.
That’s why you are who you are, nerds. You suck. UGA OWNS you (even in YOUR best year and our most mediocre in ages) and it’s never gonna change.
Keep crying, clowns. We all know you can’t take it like men.
Dawghater
November 29th, 2009
12:26 pm
To “Didn’t get it Done”, we noticed the same thing, a player who majors is “housing”??? How lame is that? Students at Tech graduate with real degrees.
30-24 We're just better than you.
November 29th, 2009
12:28 pm
Always.
Didn't Get it Done
November 29th, 2009
12:30 pm
Chuck – yes we will defer to UGA fans on the topic of “taking it like men”
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:32 pm
Stomped a mudhole in the middle of Grant’s Field.
Next...
November 29th, 2009
12:33 pm
Coach Johnson, I have Notre Dame on line one…
Hal Mumme
November 29th, 2009
12:33 pm
CPJ – I know it’s tempting to run a high school offense in a high school stadium, such as Bobby Dudd, but trust me, gimmick offenses only work so long. You are having the best year you will have fot the next Millenium and Georgia it’s worst, however you still lost like a bunch of girls. Maybe you should do what I did and get a few real girls on your team. I tried at kicker, but I suggest you try at quarterback. It will be better than what you have. Well Paul, congrats on blowing it and the one game winning streak. Go Clemson. I love all the tech douche nozzles talking about how Georgia grads won’t have the caliber jobs that they will. You should go to Athens – see any money there dork???
30-24 We're just better than you.
November 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
Deal with it nerds.
Willie Martinez
November 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
HEY TECH
BWWWWAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHHAAAA
Even I beat you—NIIIICCCCEEE Offense
Didn't Get it Done
November 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
Hal Mumme – what is a douche nozzle? Is this a degree offerred at UGA? BA in pre-DN?
"Yellow" is perfect for you.
November 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
Yo Dawghater, isn’t college about preparing students for future careers?
I’ll bet UGA football players go on to higher paying jobs than the GT football players.
No class
November 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
attn: jUNKYARD BLAWGER GRAY HAIR DUDE “All the way turnt up” was put together by GaT player Anthony Allen and some of his teammates. I live in Tampa where Anthony is from and happen to know his family as I have a nephew who played with Anthony in high school. He is a good kid who plays unselfish football. He has several family members who serve in the military in which one as killed two years ago while deployed in Iraq. Your more than welcome to make fun of the school anyway you want but leave Allen alone. He is a well behaved young man with much purpose in his life. And if you have a problem with that you can meet me in Tampa next weekend and be sure to wear your GA dog cap. I played professional football myself for the Jets and stand 6′6″. I will be looking forward to meeting you.
Run Ealy Run!!!
November 29th, 2009
12:38 pm
30-24 hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!
LongTimeTechGrad
November 29th, 2009
12:40 pm
So where do we rank in the SEC…Above Miss State and Vanderbilt. As for our “Playoff Game of Losers”, who cares? The ACC…a joke. The worst mistake Boddy Dodd ever made was getting us out of the SEC. Last time we had a full stadium? When we were in the SEC. As for the dogs…don’t yuck too much…how can you get excited about beating an ACC team? South Carolina did that too.
Didn't Get it Done
November 29th, 2009
12:40 pm
Hal Mumme – that was actually funny
GTbill
November 29th, 2009
12:40 pm
The more Ga fans post the more they make my points in my original post @12:10 pm. Denigrate their own team to diminish ours such as calling their team “mediocre.” There are a lot of very good football players on both teams and they played their hearts out last night. Most of the fans on this site, including me, have never accomplished in sports what these young men have.
Tech Tony
November 29th, 2009
12:41 pm
Sad fact: They won. We lost.
One other certainty: WE are UGA’s rival. If we were the also-rans they’d like us to be, they wouldn’t be here going on and on about winning. They know in their heart of hearts we’re on the rise and it scares them to no end.
have you seen him?
November 29th, 2009
12:43 pm
have you seen him?
Clemson
November 27th, 2009
12:13 pm
Clemson will beat SC. Why would you not think so? Because sc hung with Fla? the sec is overrated and both top teams should have a loss if not for the officials. Clemson will beat SC by at least 10. The acc is as good as the sec this year.
30-24 We're just better than you.
November 29th, 2009
12:44 pm
And we always will be.
Dawghater
November 29th, 2009
12:45 pm
What do my comments have to do with who graduated from UGA? I too have been on these blogs for months and the UGA fans bash the program when they lose. All I’m saying is the problems aren’t fixed just because they beat Tech.
I really couldn’t care less who graduated from UGA I wouldn’t be impressed because it is a less respected school. Everybody knows UGA is a party school. So the fact that Ga Tech has made it as far as they have and is great school makes all the difference. I’m a fan no matter what.
HotNerdGirl
November 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
(Why do Dawgs think ‘nerd’ is an insult? You think Animal Relations and Magazines are actual scholastic disciplines? Let’s compare SAT scores. Just sayin’…)
BDawg
November 29th, 2009
12:47 pm
Just imagine how bad the beatdown would have been in baby Sanford had the Dawgs had their best player available!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
have you seen him?
November 29th, 2009
12:48 pm
have you seen him?
Myron
November 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
On Saturday night, a dedicated team of student-athletes will defeat a gang of undisciplined thugs and morons. In other words, Georgia Tech will beat UGA.
It’s really a pleasure to see the Doggies and Mark Richt’s career going in the tank, but what did he expect when he continued to recruit players with talent but no character or morals. At least, Richt’s resume will get him a nice government job as warden or parole officer.
And shucks, their ugly mutt died too.
bob
November 29th, 2009
12:48 pm
In a perfect scenario, GT loses next week to clemson and not only gets shut out of a bcs bowl but, because of their fan following they have to play in the peach bowl again since their fans dont travel for crap. You better hope you win next week techless, other wise you will either be stuck in atlanta, again, or get to play on a blue turf field since no other bowls want you because you cant sell tickets.
30-24 We're just better than you.
November 29th, 2009
12:50 pm
Yep.
have you seen him?
November 29th, 2009
12:50 pm
HotNerdGirl
November 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
(Why do Dawgs think ‘nerd’ is an insult? You think Animal Relations and Magazines are actual scholastic disciplines? Let’s compare SAT scores. Just sayin’…)
Ah. The classic tech comeback. When you win, you want to rant about how superior you are on the football field. When you lose, you want to talk about SAT scores.
classic loser mentality.
boohoo!!!!
November 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
Nothing sweeter than laughing at all the classless, trashy Tech bandwagoners last night leaving their joke of a stadium. Their excuses were absolutley hysterical!!!! Tools brought back to reality by their daddy Mark Richt!!!!
have you seen him?
November 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
have you seen him?
hey how2fish
November 27th, 2009
12:50 pm
a scam is scam no matter what you call it. i used the word ponzi so ignorant folks like you would understand i was refering to a ’scam’.
so the best conference in the country will lose 2 of 3 to the worst conference tomorrow eh? now that is funny. keep em coming.
i see fsu winning tomorrow also and making it a clean sweep.
speaking of sweeping. stall no 4 in the men’s room needs some attention. one of your ugay fans completely missed the mark. chop chop. and please wash your hands when your done. you have fries to fry.
Steven
November 29th, 2009
12:53 pm
Hope everyone realizes that “HotNerdGirl” is really a fata$$ 57 year old, bald, hairy back, unemployeed Tech fan.
1eyedJack
November 29th, 2009
12:54 pm
There’s a new sheriff in town and the DAWGS just stomped a mudhole in him.
30-24 We're just better than you.
November 29th, 2009
12:55 pm
Accept it and you won’t be as miserable.
RealityYech
November 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
The ACC continues to be the laughing stock of college football, and yesterday provided just another example of why the ACC’s BCS automatic bowl bid should be revoked. Their two divisional “champions” each lost to two very mediocre SEC teams, at best. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard at their failure and embarrassment.