Georgia Tech just as bad now as it was at Kansas
Anthony Allen and the rest of the Jackets looked outnumbered all day. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
This isn’t to suggest that Georgia Tech suddenly is a football program without any hope for the future. But the team that was just dismembered by Miami — it looked no better than the one that was humiliated by Kansas two months ago.
That’s a problem.
Tackling isn’t any better. Blocking isn’t any better. Even the most basic of common-sense football moments — like, dude, the ball is on the ground, so fall on it — seem to leave players looking perplexed, like preschoolers trying to comprehend chemical engineering.
The Jackets lost to Miami at home 35-10 Saturday. Not only are the defending ACC champions not going back to the title game, they may not even go to a bowl game. They haven’t won a game since Middle Tennessee State on Oct. 16 (and we’ll let you decide how much that counts).
This performance was so bad, even the Independence Bowl scout left after the third quarter. How bad do you have to be for the guy from Shreveport to think, “You know, I really don’t need to meet the Georgia Tech coach after the game. I believe I’ll go watch Georgia and Auburn on TV.”
Just as well. Paul Johnson probably would’ve preferred to be somewhere else.
This makes three straight defeats for the Jackets, their longest skid since the end of 2006. Johnson hasn’t lost three straight games since he was in his first season at Navy in 2002. That’s when he lost 10 straight. The good news is: There’s only two games left on the schedule, so that infamous run won’t be matched.
“Nobody likes to lose,” Johnson said. “Trust me, I’m not used to it, either.
“There’s no magic wand. Hell, if I had a magic wand, I’d have used it at halftime. I wouldn’t save it for next week.”
Yeah, about next week: The Jackets (5-5) are still one victory short of being bowl eligible. Don’t presume the Duke game next week is a gimme. Duke scored 89 points in wins over Navy and Virginia in consecutive weeks. Tech’s defense? It just allowed five touchdowns, 507 yards and 24 first downs to a Miami offense that was using its backup quarterback.
So much for progress in the Al Groh defense.
It’s one thing to alibi for an offense that was missing its primary weapon, quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, at kickoff for the first time this season. But that doesn’t explain allowing the Hurricanes to drive 88 yards for touchdowns on each of their first two possessions.
It doesn’t explain Miami’s second possession, when a silly pass-interference penalty on third down kept a drive going and an offside penalty on a field-goal attempt gave the Hurricanes a first down at the Tech. Miami scored its second touchdown two plays later.
It doesn’t explain running back Orwin Smith fumbling a pitch in the third quarter, then standing there and looking at the ball, as if waiting for it to magically become airborne and float back down into his arms. (Miami recovered and drove to its fourth touchdown on the next possession to make it 28-10.)
When Tech tried to make a run, driving to a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half to close to 14-10, Miami answered in one play: a 79-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson (a busted coverage on a short toss over the middle).
Yes, the Jackets had built-in excuses for taking a step back this season. They lost four players to the NFL draft. But to lose to Kansas, to get dominated by an average Miami team — which lost to Virginia two weeks ago — and to suddenly have to scramble to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1996 wasn’t expected.
“This really hurts, especially being a senior,” said cornerback Mario Butler, who drew the pass-interference call. “Time’s really winding down. … We had higher expectations.”
Johnson struggled to play the role of optimist: “We’ve still got a chance to salvage a winning season.”
But when a team is making the same mistakes in November that it was in September, it becomes clear that the light bulb just isn’t going on.
♦
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263 comments Add your comment
spider
November 13th, 2010
9:48 pm
look at the bright side, tickets to the duke game will be so cheap even clark howard will show up
joeygt
November 13th, 2010
9:58 pm
face it folks we knew this was going to be a rebuilding year from the start of the year, even though we hoped for better we lost alot of talent last year and the most important wasnt dryer or thomis it was those 2 olinemen that went to ga state, our oline is just terrible this year no doubt if that was better we would be at least 7-3or 8-2 at this point bc the tripple offense works great if the blocking is good it doesnt matter the skill set of the a back or b back , look at navy they run the offense with tremous execution. i think we should beat duke and most likely ga will beat us this year bc we are with out nesbitt, and make it to a bowl game and actually win the bowl game, from one diehard tech fan, im still behind my team no matter whta… go jackets
joeygt
November 13th, 2010
10:03 pm
nh
We Own You
November 13th, 2010
10:04 pm
Joeygt!!!! We knew it was going to be a rebuilding year???? You were on this blog predicting an ACC Championship in August! Last week you predicted winning out. Go ahead and predict now that you’ll beat Georgia in two weeks and then disappear for eight months like always….
Ted M
November 13th, 2010
10:10 pm
“Even the most basic of common-sense football moments — like, dude, the ball is on the ground, so fall on it — seem to leave players looking perplexed, like preschoolers trying to comprehend chemical engineering.”
Thats pretty funny and accurate.
realist
November 13th, 2010
10:11 pm
This team is worse than I thought and is beginning to quit. Looks from here like we don’t win another the rest of the season and no bowl. 2011 not much better. Maybe 2012 will show improvement.
Jeff Schultz
November 13th, 2010
10:13 pm
The Man — They won an ACC title last year. I think that qualifies as a savior don’t you? Obviously they dropped off this year but that doesn’t discount his first two seasons.
Real Tech Fan
November 13th, 2010
10:19 pm
What a bunch of whiners on this blog tonight. I like what Old School had to say. Stick by the team and see what happens. It was fun for a couple years but definitely hit a speed bump here. I don’t think that a break down like today was a fault of the “system” as much as I think it is just a lack of guys that can compete against the size of Miami.
I still think there is reason to think the game against UGA could be fun to watch. But it won’t determine the value of my existence either way.
Chan the Man
November 13th, 2010
10:20 pm
You’re loving me now!
John Doe
November 13th, 2010
10:21 pm
Shultz .. you are wrong .. his first two seasons were ONLY becuase he inherited NFL talent (BeBe, Morgan, Dwyer etc.) and a VERY weak ACC seeing his high schoold offense for first time. AND even then he was only .500 against winning teams! .. and sub .500 from UGA/ACC championship and Bowls. Don’t be fooled by the facade. We are only NOW seeing CPJ and it ain’t pretty. Alumni hatred of his ‘act” and empty seats at Dodd will determine his fate by next year. Bank on it.
D/C Jacket
November 13th, 2010
10:22 pm
Ramblinwreck’s epistles are absolutely correct. Ga Tech ths year on both offense and defense is about as poorly coached teams as one can see on a football field. CPJ should concede the last two games and save the fans from being anymor embarassed. When you buy tickets you expect your team to at least mentally show up for the game and demonstrate some physical effort. But, this year we certainly have not got our money’s worth at any game. It is a shame forthe fans to have to endure such pitful game plans when there is tremendous talent to work with – wake-up coaches!!!!
JD (canes fan)
November 13th, 2010
10:22 pm
Miami is better than you think. This was no avg. team you lost to today boys and girls. Don’t give me the crap of losing 4 guys to the NFL draft, we have been doing that for years (just in the 1st round) Quit crying about this loss, pull your pants up and play like a man.
joeygt
November 13th, 2010
10:23 pm
we own you its obious your a ga fan your an idiot as a fan you should always have hope for your team if ga tech played its best we will beat your mutts but thas the thing we havent done that at all this year maybe in the va tech game before nesbitt got hurt.
Burgess
November 13th, 2010
10:26 pm
Jeff, the first 2 years he had Gailey’s recruits !!!!!!
What great athlete will come to Tech and play in this offense ?????
To the Ga. Southern guy, I don’t think it’s going to be Johnson’s decision as to where he’ll be the next 10 years.
I sure hope it won’t be Tech.
Ted M
November 13th, 2010
10:28 pm
Special Teams are so bad its as if they are not coached at all.
Who the heck is the Special Teams coach? Why has he not been replaced?
joeygt
November 13th, 2010
10:28 pm
john doe those players from gailey were not even for the tripple coach pj said he would have never recruited josh nesbitt and he admit nesbitt has been one of the best option qb he had, and its not the coaching that make the errors on offense and defense its the player ,although i would admit coach pj has made some bonehead play calling as of late
Techbuzz
November 13th, 2010
10:33 pm
Hey. all you band wagon flunkies out there, the reality is that right now, yes, Tech is not very good. But CPJ can’t actually go out there and do the plays himself. He has stated before and I 100% agree with him, in that, you can coach a player up all day but if THAT PLAYER doesn’t go out and execute the play then yes, the team is going to suck. I don’t fault CPJ at all. For me, I fault the three idiots that left for the NFL last year that had no business going, i.e. Dwyer, Burnett and Thomas. Dwyer was hurt half of last season, Burnetts play dropped from the 2008 season and Thomas, although a good receiver, wasn’t earth shattering or spectacular. They all followed the money. Which of course, you can’t fault them, but neither of them had earth shattering seasons in 2009.
The rest of the blame, I place on our piss poor defense! I’m not necessarily blaming Al Grogh-YET; however, if he is going to get defensive players to be in his 3-4 scheme, he better damn well get players that don’t try to arm tackle every play and don’t CONSTANTLY blow coverages.
After watching Miami’s first two drives, the whole Tech defense may as well have been on the sidelines b/c the only thing that would have stopped or slowed down Miami is the fact they were too slow running to the end zone.
It’s no mystery to CPJ that his team is mediocre AT BEST right now. He is intelligent enough to get Tech back to where it needs to be. Yes, Nesbitt going down was a HUGE hit for Tech, but good teams find ways to win games they have no business winning. Also, the one silver lining in the cloud we have is the fact that at least Tevin Washingtn is getting some very good and much needed game experience in before next season. I believe he will become just as good as Nesbitt. I already believe he is a much better passer than Nesbitt. He just needs to work on his timing and game rhythm. The triple option is a timing offense and it’s success is determind on how quick you make your reads on defense. Once he gets these things down, I think he will be a helluva QB.
So relax guys!! Raise your hand if you said, “Oh, crap, Nesbitt is out, we will still have a great season”..???? That’s what I thought. I’m a football realist and I feel that Tech will finish with a 7-5 record probably. They will beat Duke out of sheer frustration. The UGA(Y) game will be a toss up but b/c it will be in Athens, the advantage has to go to UGA(Y). But remember Tech did win there in CPJ first season, so it could probably go either way, b/c UGA(Y) sucks this year too. We’ll be bowl eligible and probably head to Boise again and as for winning, it depends on who we play.
Even if we finish 5-7, don’t get down on everything. Give Washington some time and pray that our inept receivers grow a pair of hands over the next year. Our biggest concern is our defense and if it sucks as much next year as it did this year, I say can Al Grogh’s butt. I have NOT been impressed this year other than a few key stops we mad last week at VT.
Wes Durham's Gigantic Bottom
November 13th, 2010
10:40 pm
Coleman Rudolph was right when they hired CPJ…..mistake…..players with talent do not want to play in an offensive system which does not prepare them for the NFL.
Insectinside
November 13th, 2010
10:47 pm
Hey Jack in Homestead– …don’t forget the “U” getting blown out by an average FSU team and that this “half-arsed” offense played horrible and still had over 400 yards on you. Yeah, we sucked today and know it, but Miami isn’t setting the world on fire.
NoShamSam
November 13th, 2010
10:47 pm
Speechless…what a wasted season…and basketball doesn’t look much better.
surfrider
November 13th, 2010
10:57 pm
Tech’s as bad now as it was in Gailey’s worst years and O’leary’s first two 95-96. Why? It’s defenses need to be tougher, faster and more aggressive, and athletic. It’s offense needs to be able to come from behind in the air at the end. Tech needs to recruit wider. Ross use to say I won’t take B player from this state basically if I can get an A player from another state, or maybe O’leary said it but it worked with them recruiting wise as their classes were in top 35- 40 range year end and year out.
Real Tech Fan
November 13th, 2010
11:03 pm
I wonder if Florida fans are crying in their beer and talkin trash about firing their coach
dawgfan
November 13th, 2010
11:08 pm
Georgia beats this piece of dog crap football team by at least two touchdowns. There’s your prediction Techies. I’ll bet the house on it.
9 outta 10. How sweet it will be.
yep
November 13th, 2010
11:09 pm
The comment I get sick of hearing by the game commentators when the talk about CPJ is how smart he is, they say “he doesn’t even have a play sheet to look at on the side line” stupid he only has 7 plays, who needs a play calling sheet form that.
joeygt
November 13th, 2010
11:17 pm
1
dawgfan
November 13th, 2010
11:17 pm
Real Tech Fan, and your point is…? If you are somehow suggesting that Tech and Florida are in similar situations right now, with all due respect, LMFAO @ your ignorant Techie azz. Florida has won two national titles in the past 5 seasons and went 13-1 last year. Your half azzed sissy program won the All Crap Conference once and other than that has done jack diddly freaking squat. My God you Techies are truly freaking delusional. You are nothing. You weren’t even anything last year. You play in a candy azz conference and got pushed around like a bunch of chumps by 6-5 Georgia. It was only pencil neck media geeks like Jeff Schultz that thought you were anything worth sneezing at. Florida? LMFAO @ your ignorant azz one more time.
Burgess
November 13th, 2010
11:19 pm
Johnson’s post game comments….same old, same old…..blaming the players. I’d love to see him take some responsibility for not having HIS team ready to play.
I can’t believe his arrogance.
GTBob
November 13th, 2010
11:21 pm
I have to agree with Jeff. We don’t look good at all and we could easily lose to Duke. I honestly don’t even see how we could stay competitive with UGA. We couldn’t stop Miami with their backup QB. The UGA offense will score at will against us. Time to start rebuilding and forget this season.
Real Tech Fan
November 13th, 2010
11:31 pm
Dawg Fan, why don’t you go to your own blogs and worry about your team – plenty to be concerned about there. Similarity between Tech and Florida is they both have fallen pretty far from where they were a couple years ago – just like the Dawgs.
One Hard Johnson
November 13th, 2010
11:41 pm
Is anybody else tired of CPJ’s arrogance? He went for it on 4th and 12 today and ran a triple option. Result: two yard gain and turnover on downs at mid-field.
CPJ is a terrible coach. I knew it when we hired him. Smart people make adjustments when things aren’t going well. CPJ just digs in harder. We will lose to Duke and then we will get crushed in Athens.
Worse yet, the competitiveness of our Men’s athletic programs is heading in the wrong direction. Football will begin a steady slide from here. Basketball is an embarrassment to our Institution.
The Cult of the Loser has taken hold at the Edge Center. It is growing to all Men’s programs like a cancer. We either stand for winning or we don’t. It seems like DRad is satisfied with mediocrity now. Judging by the fan apathy I saw today we deserve the mediocrity we will get.
Dawg Fan's Mama
November 13th, 2010
11:47 pm
I just caught my son rubbing one out while looking at the Media Guide for the Men’s SwimDawgs. Last week we caught him sniffing his little brother’s underwear. What can I do to get him help?
History master
November 13th, 2010
11:50 pm
Many of the same idiots calling for Coach Johnson’s head were calling for Bobby Ross’s head ONE year before he took GT to the National Championship win!
Coach J WILL right the ship!!! Count on it, and be THANKFUL that GT has him!!!!!!!!!!
History master
November 13th, 2010
11:55 pm
One Hard Johnson, your stupidity is monumental! You MUST be some politically correct feminized baby to mistake a manly coach with an arrogant one! Coach J speaks the truth, and that is so refreshing in this time of our freedom of speech rights being stolen.
MAN up, you cowardly sissy!!
One Hard Johnson
November 14th, 2010
12:01 am
I will man up on your face History Master!
I am not calling for Johnson’s head. I’m just saying that he has done a lot of dumb ass things this year. He is arrogant and that has hurt us. He is at a crossroad and will have to make adjustments if we are going to be a consistent contender in the conference.
Our fans just blow the guy because he beat UGA once. Since last year at this time, we are a .500 football team. That is a fact. But I guess I am just stupid.
Tech Man
November 14th, 2010
12:02 am
Paul Johnson has won big everywhere he has been. He has won and will win big at Georgia Tech. His past is a great predictor of his future. He wins because he requires discipline and rigor. The players will get to his standard. He has won 25 games at GT…25 games at GT in his first three seasons. Good stuff.
It should be understood that the triple option is a tactic he deploys. It is not the reason for his success as a leader.
Gatorman
November 14th, 2010
12:04 am
Hey things do cycle up and down with most programs, but some have said that Gailey could recruit and Johnson can coach, but cannot bring the level of talent into the program that Gailey could. That’s yet to be proven, but don’t think that Tech (or any school including the Gators), can lose the number of players to the NFL they did without a fall off the next year. The thing to watch for is year 5 is whether the team goes back up or stays down, and if they stay down look for another head coach. I wish Tech had taken Randy Edsel when they had the chance, as he proved he could build a solid program at a lowly football program at UCONN. Think what he could have done here.
One Hard Johnson
November 14th, 2010
12:04 am
History Master…are you saying that I am wrong about:
- the 4th and 12 call?
- our Men’s sports programs?
Sorry to hurt your feelings, but coach Manboobs has made a lot of stupid decisions tis year.
it is what it is
November 14th, 2010
12:04 am
this is what we have learned this season…Gailey was only mediocre with the players he recruited, CPJ won an ACC title with Gailey’s players..GT needs a handful more of 4-5 stars, we need a play maker such as Jonathan Dwyer and Derrick Morgan. How does GT recruit these players? I wish they would offer more undergraduate programs besides Engineering and Ind Mgt. It doesn;t matter what curiculum GT has, it will always be regarded as an Engineering school. Texas Tech ands VT has other majors for Gods sake. I’m sick of being a school where the 5 stars can’t come to because they do not have the grades.
it is what it is
November 14th, 2010
12:09 am
I love the option, just need playmakers, CPJ can coach but he needs players that perform, rarely recall Dwyer ever fumbling the ball ..do not think this defense is going to work out under this coach but our offense couldn’t do much either this season
dawg
November 14th, 2010
12:17 am
Enter your comments here
dawg
November 14th, 2010
12:17 am
Enter your comments here
dawg
November 14th, 2010
12:17 am
Enter your comments here
dawg
November 14th, 2010
12:18 am
come get me out of Jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GT-UT
November 14th, 2010
12:34 am
I agree with Tech Man
To the so called CPJ hating GT Alumni on this blog. You are disrespecting yourselves and the rest of the GT Nation. Stop glorifying the Gailey years. They were bad, real bad. I was there, I know.
CPJ has given real hope to the Alum so stop spouting your drivel. We are finally excited about what is being built at GT and you guys should shut it and start helping.
look out
November 14th, 2010
12:38 am
I like CPJ but do not think this defense is going to work out, btw, did VA ever beat Miami or VT when Groh was coach? I know Jon Tenuta beat Miami when he was def coordinator at GT several times. Still wish GT could bring him back. I know CPJ hates to lose and will make changes before next season. Beating Duke is not a done deal. I remember in 08 when Nesbitt was hurt and Shaw played against Duke and won. Where he is now? Oh yeah that’s right, Monken had to lure the kid away so they could beat App St.
GTBob
November 14th, 2010
1:01 am
People really need to stop pretending that Gailey was a great recruiter. Lets look at his recruiting prowess:
2002: 51st
2003: 34th
2004: 35th
2005: 48th
2006: 49th
2007: 15th
Avg: 39th
One decent recruiting class. He was not the world class recruiter that people on here make him out to be.
Bama Dawg
November 14th, 2010
1:49 am
Schultz, it was the late cheap shot by Farley when he helment speard Murry long after the pass was thrown and the candy-a** refs who did nothing about it. And Chezik is a Urban Meyer type jerk. The better team won, but Auburn showed thy are a no-class outfit. Hope the Cam crap jumps up and bites them in the butt.
roger
November 14th, 2010
6:57 am
Amen Burgess He couldnt Survive with the Navy and Georgia Southern talent in the ACC
stan gan
November 14th, 2010
6:58 am
Big Al was pacing up and down the sidelines trying to figure if he had taken his blood pressure pill b4 he left his house. He was in a trance the entire game , as well as his players.
Hal
November 14th, 2010
7:05 am
When Smith dropped the pitch and stood there I turned off my TV set. I could not believe his reaction. There was no way this guy should have been in a Tech uniform on that day. I do not know if he played anymore but if it were me I would have sent him to the locker room to think about it.