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
mowreck
November 14th, 2010
7:06 am
I think with Joshua out really hurt the offense AND defense. Oh well, I have an excuse. I already knew we didn’t have very good players.
p.s. JS, I suck at your little pick’um football game in the AJC.
jacket man
November 14th, 2010
7:28 am
I will be a Jacket man come hell or high water-have been fro over 50 years. Paul Johnson is a football coach. We wil;l never do any better than him. This offense he runs leads the Nation in rushing. Rushing teams control the clock. Our Defense needs a ton of work. Too many missed assignements and tackles. This is not Grogh’s fault, but a lack of effort on the players side. The loss to Kansas was just too p[ainful to watch. Butmaybe the next two games will turn us around. A win at Athens will be worth all the other lossses. So get behind them and don’t be like a bunch od Dawg whiners.
Sautee Dawg
November 14th, 2010
7:32 am
What a bunch of turncoats. Last season it was, CPJ, CPJ, CPJ, the greatest mastermind of college football with his triple headed running attack. Now like the Dawgs your having a bad season and you give up on the coach.
I hate the Dawgs are having a poor season and hate the Jackets are too, but I’ll say the same for you Jacket fans as I did for our Dawg fans.
These coaches and players haven’t forgotten how to coach and the players haven’t forgotten how to play.
Each team is lacking team leadership from the players, someone to step up on each side of the ball and make sure players are taking care of their assingments, A team captain if you will. .
ACC and SEC are both on a downslide this season, hell even the Texas machine who never loses more than 1 game a season is having the same problems.
One thing we all should remember is all these young men are simply that. “Young Men” 19 to 21 year olds that need our support not our complaints.
As a Ga Tech friend of mine said last week. This years Ga. Tech vs UGA will be each teams Bowl game. And that is what makes college football fun.
Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the oppisition as we did with Auburn yesterday.
Auburn had the better team and in the end it showed.
Same with Miami,
Good luck with Duke next week and the following week I’ll be between the hedges barking at you.
One thing you can always bet on in life and in sports.
People need support when they deserve it the least.
So quit whinning and support your team and coaches.
Ezekiel
November 14th, 2010
7:33 am
Nothing has changed, Paul Johnson is still an excellent coach. The team just needs to keep working and getting better and the coaches need to keep working on the recruiting trails. It could be worse.. Tech could be Georgia. More GT football coverage at: http://BBuzzOff.com
Astropig
November 14th, 2010
7:33 am
I think all the whiner “fans” need to take a step back here,inhale and chill…
The fact is , this years GT team is just not very good. Maybe it senior leadership (or lack thereof) ,maybe its just that their potential and talent was overrated but more likely its just a combination of the two ,with some bad luck thrown in to make the season package complete.Either way ,it’s NOT coaching. You people that are writing about CPJ are UGA people hoping to get some kind of wave going against a fantastic coach. Believe me,you have your own house to clean.
To true GT fans here: Get behind CPJ and write this year off as a rebuilding project. This man can build a dynasty here-If we are smart enough to let him.Do you want to go back to the old days ? Do you want another retread like Chan Gailey telling us that there is no way to win here ? Didn’t think so.
Every now and then ,you just have a bad year. deal with it.
Rosezeee
November 14th, 2010
7:33 am
We got some CANES over here!! Throttled the yellow bellies with a true freshman starting only his third game. Lucky Jacory was hurt or it would have been 70-10.
War Jacket
November 14th, 2010
7:51 am
One bright spot: Tevan Washington. Threw some nice passes, made several good decisions with the ball. I was pleasantly surprised by his level of play. On defense, we are just getting blocked it’s as simple as that. Miami must have gained 100 yards running the fullback isolation play off tackle. Seal the tackle, double the nose and the fullback blocks the linebacker. Tech couldn’t stop it. That’s football 101. If you can’t stop that play, you can’t win. I don’t care who is coaching. And guess what Georgia’s favorite play is?
ko
November 14th, 2010
7:55 am
got to be able to throw the short ball in this offense
TechRon
November 14th, 2010
8:02 am
My first Tech game was in 1959, when Maxie Baughn led Tech against a suprtalented UGA squad that included Tarkenton and Billy Payne. GA won 21-14, but Tech fought like hell though they were badly overmatched. Today’s Tech players cannot carry the shoes of the real men who played that day. They have no class at all. I saw them out there wearing the same uniforms as the 1990 team. The resemblance stopped there. No effort at all. Horrible coaching. The whole staff should resign. Al Groh is a joke, but not a funny one. Fire him today and let Shirley Franklin coach the defense for the last two games.
Johnson is doing an awful job. Any recruits he signs are those who only the Vanderbilts and Indianas are interested in. He never gets top players. Ask him why and he acts like he does not care. He acts like “we will take who we get and make them into what we want them to be.”
And the penalties! Is it possible that at Navy and Ga. Southern he had players who were smart enough to comprehend the offense, make the blocks and remain set til the ball is snapped and at Tech he does not? I guess that is the case.
I remember a few years ago UGA fans were suggesting that we were done for as a top level program and that we should de-emphasize football and play in the Southern conference. They might have been right.
Sure, UGA lost a painful game last night, and I was pleased to see that. But they TRIED the best they could against a superior team. I definitely admired them for that. Players and coaches, they went there to win. That is the difference between Tech and UGA football. At UGA they care, and they go all out. Our players dont give a damn. They ought to dump the whole team off scholarship and start over with walkons.
son_sir
November 14th, 2010
8:09 am
When the other guy is bigger, faster, and stronger,… and you lack inspiration, concentration, and desire, you usually get your butts handed to you. That’s where Tech is at now.
Duke is now a pick’m and Athens looks like a nightmare in the making. Get used to that obnoxious sounding PA guy saying…. first down—-GEORGIA !! all afternoon. Dawgs can take their pick—-run it….throw it…. whatever. Time to get a refill on the Xanax.
Spike
November 14th, 2010
8:09 am
So much for all that “New Sheriff in Town” bs from a couple of years ago.
messin with sasquatch
November 14th, 2010
8:32 am
can’t wait to hear coach rich assess his game monday morning on wsb radio. and he gets 2.8 mil to get beat down………..
James
November 14th, 2010
8:32 am
Tempo was set on the first two drives as Miami just ran it down the middle. UGA, unfortunately will do the same plus the long ball. Still don’t understand how we lost two linemen because they couldn’t get their masters at GaTech. Johnson- recruit a few 4 star sizable linemen and don’t be so focused on growing the 3 stars- like we all find out in our dating years- size matters.
messin with sasquatch
November 14th, 2010
8:33 am
colorado looking better this morning for rich, i bet…………..
messin with sasquatch
November 14th, 2010
8:33 am
woof woof james
mtraininjax
November 14th, 2010
8:34 am
Johnson is making the same excuses Gailey did, only more colorfully. Its a young team, you can run for 300+ yards, but you have to score to complete drives. Young teams have problems doing both. Its not the system at fault, its the execution of the players.
mtraininjax
November 14th, 2010
8:35 am
Last year, Tech was favored by all sorts of people in Atlanta, I like being the underdog in Athens.
messin with sasquatch
November 14th, 2010
8:36 am
rich’s excuses are?
Spike
November 14th, 2010
8:38 am
Sasquatch.. It is “Richt”, not rich. Too much beef jerky? Boob.
Wes Durham's Gigantic Bottom
November 14th, 2010
8:44 am
Maybe CPJ is learning some humility…..his coaching genius combined with I-AA / FCS talent will not allow him to beat talented teams.
Shreveport Calling!!!
November 14th, 2010
8:48 am
With the BP disaster, we have had a lot of business close down. With very limited hotels/motels, we are the perfect fit for Ga Tech. Bring your 20 fans, and watch your team get pummeled…..THWGT
Chan Gailey
November 14th, 2010
8:49 am
Miss me yet?
gtne80
November 14th, 2010
8:52 am
1. Beating Duke will be difficult, but it is our ONLY hope of another win this year. Magic wand or not, Johnson has one week to find some solutions.
2. Beating Tech is UGA’s only hope of extending their bowl streak and possibly needed to save one or more their coaches’ jobs. They WILL be extra motivated (as if they need it).
3. UGA has a bye week and will be rested, ready and at home when we limp in. I’m not looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend (other than maybe getting a deal on a new TV).
4. Throwing Johnson and his offense under the bus is stupid and premature. What we’ve seen this year is NOT the totality of this offense. It DOES include a passing option but Nesbitt and our corps of receivers were incapable of executing that part of it.
5. The issues this year have been the lack of talent on the field. Complain about Groh and his scheme if you wish, but no scheme can overcome players who can’t execute basics (i.e., tackling).
6. The remaining question is “can Johnson and his staff restock the program with athletes capable of executing with passion, energy and enthusiasm EVERY game?” This was his third year, traditionally the fourth year is the year that a coach’s transition is deemed to be complete. I doubt that there is a store of redshirts that are coming in next year to make a difference (or CPJ would have abandoned the redshirts and brought them in this year). That means that we’d better attract some high impact freshmen and do some serious coaching of the talent that we have left.
Bottom line….it’s ugly RIGHT NOW. Johnson has a track record of winning and he’s accomplished some good things in his first two years. DRAD and the rest of the administration better step back and take a very critical look at the product that we field next year and be ready to take action in one direction or the othe based on the results. If the results aren’t there, we can’t afford to hesitate in pulling the trigger. Georgia Tech can’t withstand 3 (or more down years). This season is strike one. Will next season be strike two?
Rodney Dangerfield
November 14th, 2010
9:06 am
To all the idiots out there that thought Chan Gailey could recruit and is some kind of offensive guru (really this is what they were saying about him when he was hired at Tech). Go watch the Buffalo Bills!
You Gailey people are pathetic. I thought Gailey was a very good man but if I had to watch another 3-6 ACC Championship Game against WAKE FOREST and we had CALVIN JOHNSON, well I was going to puke. Thank God I don’t have to watch that crap anymore. If you threw jump balls to Calvin on every play, I assure you that is worth at least 14 points a game.
turnovers penalties
November 14th, 2010
9:13 am
I can stomach someone beating us man-up. While trying to give Miami all the credit in the world….GT extended the first two drives on penalties when they had Miami stopped. So you take off 11 of the first 14 points (assuming Miami did make that 41 yard fied goal).
Then you pick up the fumble inside their 10 yard line and we at least put 3 more on the board. That’s Miami 24 GT 13. Coulda, woulda, shoulda….
Crap, who am I kidding? We flat out stink whether it’s shooting ourselves in foot w/ stupid penalties, turnovers…whatever…… I’ve run out of excuses and I’m tired of seeing this GT team beat themselves week after week. STUPID PENALTIES AND TURNOVERS!!!!
GT Fever in Athens
November 14th, 2010
9:18 am
I say we not go to a bowl. After this dismal season, not making a bowl may be the motivation the guys need for next season. As this point, I just hope we beat Duke to be above .500 !
GT
November 14th, 2010
9:28 am
I never remember the state of football being this bad at both schools the same year like this year. Georgia was beat by a College Park kid yesterday. I wonder if you couldn’t put together an all Georiga team that went out of state to school and beat both our state schools this year. Somehow we are calling not so talented, talented, in our in state recruiting, and the very talented are being discovered by out of state coaches right under our noses. One school Tech, can’t get all it goes after and the other gets what it goes after and then finds it has made an awful marriage. Tech lost yesterday because it couldn’t man up, and for a school that has a handicap of high academic entry some of its players are flunking football 101 on assignments. I think they will do OK with Duke because Duke can’t man up either but if Tech is going to recruit dumb players you might as well be like Georgia and at least substitute some talent for the brains you are not getting. I think Johnson unlike Richt can coach talent if he ever get any.
I also think Groh brings that losing atmosphere to Tech from his Virginia days. The defense was not biting the bite to get at Miami. These ex pro coaches do not do much for college football. They see this game as a business not a passion. In some cases as in the USC deal, that business goes further than just drawing a paycheck, Where pro football and college meets is the border of a lot of college footballs problems. A man that has become accustomed to coaching players being paid either in college or pros loses his feel for the game and knowing what buttons to press to motivate his players. Paul Johnson is a college football for life very much what Spurrier found about himself when he ventured off the reservation a few years ago. We need more like Johnson even if he is having a bad year.
realist
November 14th, 2010
9:38 am
It is surprising how fast things have gone downhill. Don’t see much help on the horizon. I’m afraid we are back to our usual seasons of around .500 with an 8-4 season thrown in every now and then. Turns out PJ may be no better than Pepper Rodgers.
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
9:50 am
lets 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 what… go jackets
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
9:54 am
coach pj has 2 awesome years and this year is a down year and all you bandwagon fans are saying coach pj isnt the best coach we thought we had,,,, well let me tell you ssomething noone was saying that last year or the year before, its obvious coaches coach and players play, its simple our player are not that talented and their not executing the tripple option right look at navy they have no talent and they run the tripple option with great execution and they win 8 games every year, you people are idiots, with a new coach it usually takes 5 years to see the rseults we have seen in the last 2 years.
Passing Attack?
November 14th, 2010
10:04 am
Your program is condemned to perpetual mediocrity as long as you have Fred Flinstone running things with that ponderous stoneage offense. How can you GT fans stomach watching that self-limiting option offense, it’s pathetic. Send Fred back to one of the service academies where his early twentieth century “gimmickery” would be appreciated.
Dave from GT
November 14th, 2010
10:08 am
1992 Redeaux !
Russ555
November 14th, 2010
10:11 am
Passing Attack? — Have to agree. Can’t stand to watch Tech run that option any more. There has to be a reason hardly any one else uses it. I suspect limits the pass and does not give the defense a chance to practice against a modern offense. Time to lose it.
realist
November 14th, 2010
10:19 am
when PJ was anywhere else, it didn’t take 5 years – only one bad 1st year at Navy, Saban hasn’t ever taken 5 years, Richt didn’t take 5 years. If this isn’t better in 2 years, there won’t be a chance for 5 years.
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
10:19 am
gt
saint simons
November 14th, 2010
10:20 am
(((((((((((((35-10)))))))))))))))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
JJ
November 14th, 2010
10:21 am
Paul J is a sorry coach and this offense is a joke.
This was a gailey type loss. 3 straight losses.
Pathetic. Turn this around soon paul or you can go back to some crap low level school with that boring offense
skip
November 14th, 2010
10:23 am
I was a very vocal Paul Johnson advocate long before Tech hired him. I still am but must admit that a small seed of doubt has been planted. This is a bust. Lets see what happens next year.
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
10:23 am
realist , ive basically said we have been spoiled the last 2 years , coach pj has already proven his offense works, , but with poor execution anybody can stop this offense , ithink in we have 2 many bandwagon fans like you, you were the same person praising him last year, you obviously no nothing about football,, and we are gt not alabama we, dont even get half the talent the sec schools get
Eric
November 14th, 2010
10:27 am
joeygt
You are a delusional idiot. You were talking trash before the Clemson game saying how gt would beat them. Haha. Moron. Now you have 3 losses in a row and you are still making excuses for this garbage team and coach. Memo to you. This is PJ and GT going forward. You were lucky to have good recruits form Gailey to win last year and you were lucky in many games to get a win. Last year could have easily been a 5 loss season. It is what it is. PJ isn’t going to win with his tiny 2-3 star recruits with this offense. Enjoy a few more years of this. Real smart to extend his contract last year. LOL
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
10:28 am
i get so tired of hearing how we won with gaileys recruits, maybe be true but gailey couldnt win with his own recruits, its shows you how good a coach pj is when he wins a acc championship in his 2nd year something gt has never done, and used player not even suitable for his system i say wait 2 more years and gt will be a program on a national level like tech hasnt been in alot of years..
im a true gt fan when they win and when they lose.. all will be forgiven if we can play our best game and beat ga this year
Robert
November 14th, 2010
10:28 am
Yes Joey, he proved it would work with NFL caliber players. Not the guys he recruits. Quit making excuses. Duke is going to beat you. Uga will wax you. 5-7 and no bowl. At least you won’t have to lose another bowl game. Hahaha
Robert
November 14th, 2010
10:29 am
Winning the ACC. LOL. Yeah that sure is tough. 5th worst conference out of 6.
GM R
November 14th, 2010
10:30 am
I wasn’t expecting too much this season but was really disappointed yesterday by lack of effort from some players, with Butler being the main offender. He made no attempt whatsoever to look at the ball when defending a long pass in the red zone – none – resulting in a clear pass interference call. He made no attempt to block his man on a punt return – an embarrassment to his coaches. I would bench his backside next week as a message to a few others who have given up on the season. I came away thinking that it may be the time to put a few new faces in the line-up next week. There are some positive signs that Washington will be a more than solid replacement for Nesbitt but a few more diamonds are needed to replicate last year’s success and go on to the levels of athleticism seen in the SEC and they won’t be found by sticking with players suffering from delusions of adequacy.
Bulldog Fan
November 14th, 2010
10:31 am
What did I tell you all! I told you all they were going to get blowed out but You GT fan did not believe. Well….I think you believe me now. Just image what Cam Newton would do to Georgia Tech at least we stay in the game.
Eric
November 14th, 2010
10:31 am
There you go again.Beat ga. . Man you are are a dolt joey.
Uga is going to wax you worse than Miami did. You have no clue about football. That was seen when you thought you would beat Clemson. 3 losses later and you’re still talking garbage. You better beat Duke or it will be 5 straight losses! That amazing CPJ!
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
10:31 am
eric, i wasnt talking garbage about clemson i said we could beat them and all the rest of the games which was true, the difference is we have played poorly and di not execute and we lost, its simple we execute of offense and we win the last 2of 3 games, your a idiot bc your not even a tech fan and you get on these blogs, obiously you have nothing exciting with you own team so you look to bash other teams, what a idout you are
Brunswick Tech
November 14th, 2010
10:31 am
with out a doubt something is broke…fix it or get a new one
joeygt
November 14th, 2010
10:33 am
toomany fans of other teams on this blog obiously we have alot of terrible teams if you cant stay on your own teams blog
Eric
November 14th, 2010
10:35 am
Keep making excuses joey. You sound more pathetic with each post.