Johnson: Georgia Tech players were complacent in 2010
Paul Johnson's Jackets went 1-5 down the stretch, including a loss to Georgia. (Brant Sanderlin)
After 20 wins in two seasons, an ACC title and igniting a fan base that at times seemed to sit quietly at football games while waiting for basketball season to start – I know, it seems like a long time ago – Georgia Tech was cast in an unfamiliar role last season.
The Yellow Jackets were the hunted. They didn’t handle it well.
They went 6-7. They lost as many games in year three under Paul Johnson as they had in the first two (20-7). They went from ending the season in the Orange Bowl to ending it in the Independence Bowl. The cover of the Jackets’ 2010 media guide showed two hands clinched together, one wearing a jeweled conference championship ring. The caption warned, “Brace for Impact.” But what followed were 20 fumbles, the most in Division I, and an alarming lack of focus.
So much for being braced.
“I think there was a sense of complacency to a degree,” Johnson said. “Not with everybody. But when you win nine games the first year and then you win 11 games, I think some guys just think, ‘Well, this is going to happen again.’ It doesn’t work like that.”
Georgia Tech opens spring practice Monday. Complacency shouldn’t be an issue because there’s nobody riding a glorious hangover.
For some reason, the message was lost.
Failure and humiliation can be wonderful motivators. If Johnson’s players need any reminders of what happened in 2010, he can use video or his right foot, whatever works best. But apparently they’ve already gotten the message.
“Our guys aren’t dumb, they know what happened,” Johnson said. “We’re light years ahead of where we were last year at this time. We have a lot more togetherness as a group. You can see our focus, our desire. I can look out my office window [onto the practice field] and see guys working, doing things we didn’t do last year. There’s a different aura.”
Hard to imagine, but the Jackets were ranked 16th in the preseason last year. That ranking disappeared somewhere over the skies of Lawrence, Kansas.
They had built-in excuses. Demaryius Thomas, Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett all went to the NFL. In the first half of the ninth game at Virginia Tech, quarterback Joshua Nesbitt was lost for the year with a broken arm (the Jackets were 5-3 at the time and the season hadn’t spun out of control yet).
But there were problems far beyond physical deficiencies. Some players didn’t lead. Others didn’t want to be led. It was not the mentally tough team we had seen play in the previous two seasons under Johnson. It seemed almost like the Jackets played with a sense of entitlement.
We saw it early when they lost to Kansas (which the previous week lost 6-3 to Division 1-AA North Dakota State). We saw it later, when they dropped five out of six to end the season, and committed four turnovers in the 14-7 bowl loss to Air Force.
A step back was expected. Not a step into this.
This will be a change. Johnson was the new guy in his first spring at Tech. People were excited. Then came the impressive first two seasons. One had to page back to the days of Heisman, Alexander or Dodd to find a coach who had a better start.
This is the first time his program is being asked to bounce back from misery.
“I think leaders will emerge this year,” Johnson said. “But like I said last year, you’ve got to want to be led, too. And if you’re a leader, you can’t get frustrated if you think somebody’s not going as hard as they can. You have to keep pounding. If a majority of the guys are doing the right thing, you’ll win out and others will follow.”
He’s looking forward to seeing the freshman class that redshirted last season, particularly running back Charles Perkins (”He has a chance to be a special player) and quarterback Synjyn Days (who will compete with the returning Tevin Washington). “We’ve got a lot of young guys we want to take a look at,” he said. “As a general rule, this is when you lay the foundation for the fall camp. Hopefully by the end of spring, we’ll have a pretty good idea what our two-deep is.”
More importantly, he’ll have a pretty good idea where their heads are.
By Jeff Schultz
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141 comments Add your comment
George Stein
March 25th, 2011
3:48 pm
The problem with UGA is that Richt & Bobo are impatient running the ball and they won’t settle on a feature back. If they did, UGA would be even more difficult to beat because they’d hog the ball and reduce the other team’s margin of error on offense.
DawginLex
March 25th, 2011
3:49 pm
Funny thing is if Erk had taken the UGA job in 1989, johnson would have been his OC and would have become head coach after Erk retired.
DIT
March 25th, 2011
3:50 pm
I guess I’m more of an “open it up” kind of offense. CPJ does have the grit though. I agree with your comment about 8-4 or 9-3 for both school. Each have weaker schedules this year to make it happen. Again, it will be up to both defenses to get it to 9 or 10 wins! Should be fun
GTBob
March 25th, 2011
3:50 pm
How come he never mentioned how he kept putting his defense in terrible shape by going for it on 4th and 2 from his side of the field?
Tech was 109th in the nation in punting average and 98th in punt return defense. I think that played into a lot of the 4th down decisions. Why not go for it on 4th an 2 instead of getting a 25 yd field position gain on average?
ManUp...
March 25th, 2011
3:55 pm
The idea of Coach Johnson ever going to Georgie seriously Erks me…
Too much? Ok I’m leaving anyway…time for the last weekend of Spring Break to officially kick off!
Go Jackets!
Worm
March 25th, 2011
3:57 pm
Sorry, but does Paul EVER take the blame for anything..His act is getting old.
Stinger2
March 25th, 2011
3:59 pm
I am a GT fan since 1952 and always will be regardless of their record and who the coach is. That said, I cannot get too optimistic about 2011. I had rather wait until after each game to formulate my expectations for a final season record. There are too many question marks: will the defense actually be improved, will there be a quarterback who can throw to receivers who can catch the ball or more importantly will the coaching staff be willing to incorporate a reasonable amount of passing in the offensive scheme? These are all unknowns at this time.
I hope all of you who are saying it will be a better season are right. Go Jackets.
JasonGT
March 25th, 2011
4:06 pm
UGASlobbercocker… how do we lose 3 consecutive games to end a season when we won the ACC championship to get to the Orange Bowl??? BTW congrats on being the last SEC champion to not win a National Title, you must be proud
BYRDDAWG
March 25th, 2011
4:12 pm
George , my Dawgs O line isn’t physical enough for us to run it alot! The last time we were able to hammer it away was against you guys 2 yrs ago & by all accounts your D wasn’t that stout! PJ has done what Gailey couldn’t & that was to beat us…..He gives you a fighting chance to win every game if the O is clicking & that’s all you can ask for!
George Stein
March 25th, 2011
4:19 pm
I think UGA needs a new OC, BYRDDAWG. Richt has done too much good there to warrant being fired but new blood would help. Lord knows UGA has equal players to Bama. I believe that there is a complete lack of creativity on offense to compliment a true power running game.
Rock Star from Mars
March 25th, 2011
4:23 pm
One word for Turkey Neck……DEFENSE. Stop somebody, we win probably 4 more games IMO.
George Stein
March 25th, 2011
4:25 pm
Bingo, Rock Star.
It’s Friday afternoon. Shouldn’t you be banging seven gram rocks by now?
Jeff
March 25th, 2011
4:35 pm
Even in our worse year……WE WIN!! GOOOOOO DAWGS 9-1
Mr. Dawg
March 25th, 2011
4:35 pm
The phrase “Brace for impact” generally means something is about to crash and burn. At the very least, the phrase doesn’t mean something good is about to happen.
4-3 Man
March 25th, 2011
4:36 pm
Was not impressed with the 3-4 defense and seven losses.
tyger
March 25th, 2011
4:42 pm
Falcoons Easy Button 1.0 2011
1.27 Justin Houston DE UGA
2.54 Jon Baldwin WR Pitt
3.81 Bruce Carter LB UNC
4.108 Curtis Marsh CB Utah St.
5.135 Ray Webber WR UAPB
6.162 Frank Warren RB Grambling
7.189 Rico Lockette WR FVSU
reebok
March 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
I like Coach Johnson and his system very much, but c’mon…if the team was complacent last year, whose fault was that???
DemJackets
March 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
Nice George,
BI-WINNING!!!!
Come on man
March 25th, 2011
5:15 pm
So gdawginkalamazoo , I’m assuming UGA will be 2-10 because they a re a whole lot worse off, even with the “Dream Team” lol
Gravy Train
March 25th, 2011
5:35 pm
Wow! A whole 70 comments! People really do want to see what Turkey Neck has to say. Too bad he’s not being honest, though. He got the Nerd Herd hyped with quality players he didn’t recruit. They’re gone now, and Captain Fish Fry can’t get more. FSU is waking up again. It’s over for the vaunted Triple Chin attack.
ScoutDawg
March 25th, 2011
5:37 pm
Bull Shiznit.
Come on man
March 25th, 2011
5:43 pm
Ned Herd? That’s it? Come on man. Johnson has done better recruiting than Gailey Gravy Train. Wishful thinking that we will stink. Typical UGA redneck
dawgfan
March 25th, 2011
5:52 pm
Typical Manboobs. Puts it all on his players and takes responsibility for absolutely nothing. The arrogance of this guy is unbelievable.
Speaking of arrogance, only at a joke program like Georgia Tech would players grow complacent after their first All Crap Conference title in 19 years, first major bowl apperance since 1967, and 8th loss to Georgia in 9 years. Sense of entitlement? LMAO. Unbelievabe. Entitled to what? It just goes to show how laughably low the standards of Georgia Tech football truly are.
Georgia Tech football=JOKE.
GT man
March 25th, 2011
5:53 pm
On a positive side, PJ did sign a long snapper, so I guess he plans on punting alot!!!! Hope we have someone that can catch a “fair-catch” punt!!!
gt
March 25th, 2011
6:16 pm
you just cannot convince me that Tevin Washington is the best you got. He looks like a 1-AA QB and ought to be playing for WOfford or somebody.
I mean losing all but one game with him in that position and would have lost to Duke had it not been for Mario Butler on defense. I still cannot get over TW dropping the ball on the two yard line. I am just amazed that the football program sunk that low that fast.
Yes, I pray, CPJ takes a real close look at the incoming class.
you can't fix stupid
March 25th, 2011
6:25 pm
@dawgfan:
Obsess much? It never fails that you reply to EVERY blog about GA Tech with the same idiotic rants. If Georgia Tech football is a joke, then clearly you love reading/writing/obsessing over it. The joke is you dawgfan.
superDawg
March 25th, 2011
6:31 pm
nov.26,2011.NUFF SAID nerds!
GTBob
March 25th, 2011
6:43 pm
How is it arrogance and diverting responsibility when he talks about what was wrong with the team? He isn’t saying that he isn’t to blame, in fact he has said in the past that he is to blame. In your minds is it even possible to talk about actual faults with the team without seeming like you are blaming the players?
College Football Forever
March 25th, 2011
7:10 pm
The Tech alumni will run Paul Johnson off within the next 4 years.
Just mark my words and watch and wait.
Poopdawg
March 25th, 2011
7:33 pm
Johnson isn’t going away soon. But he’s got to utilize the pass play better. His stubbornness is hurting Tech’s offense. I was a little disappointed in the 2nd team qb play but having more reps this year may help. I’m all DAWG but love to watch Tech football since Johnsons taken over. The hatred I had for Tech while in school at Uga is gone except for Uga Tech game day.
gt4ever
March 25th, 2011
9:07 pm
George Stein,
You seem to be a fairly smart guy when it comes to some of your comments…. But for the life of me, I can’t understand how you and others have decided we are OK on offense…. We were less than 50 percent in the red zone. It doesn’t matter how many yards you have between the 20’s if you can’t SCORE…… I mean really, the point is to score more points than the other team….. We couldn’t even score more points than FREAKIN Airforce…. We couldn’t beat a PITIFULL UGA team two years in a ROW….. We can’t recruit anybody worth a DAMN on offense… What part of this offense is OK????
RomeDawg
March 25th, 2011
9:58 pm
I am not sure complacency was the big problem or just lack of talent. Not trying to start a debate but 4 great players to the NFL and your stud qb going down is tough on any team. And maybe it’s not lack of talent but lack of experience. In saying that, I am still not sold on CPJ. I think with him Tech will always be good (8-5 in 2011) but never great. I think his bowl record proves, that when given time to scout it, his offense is not too difficult to stop and he has NEVER had a good defense.
Good luck this year Jackets, see ya at the end!
heeldawg
March 25th, 2011
10:01 pm
Tech’s team last season had a problem more fundamental than complacency. There was, quite simply, a lack of top-drawer talent. This was particularly the case after Josh Nesbitt was injured. There were no reliable receivers, the defense was undersized, and the secondary was mediocre at best. The talent level in the Flats will not change appreciably this season, and that will make a bigger difference than any vague mutterings about motivation, hunger or team chemistry. Although a lack of cohesion and focus can erode the spirit and steal wins from teams with great talent (see Georgia the last three years), all the team chemistry in the world cannot surmount an inherent dearth of talented players.
To CPJ’s credit, if I had his defense (and his offense, particularly when Nesbitt was healthy), I’d go for it on fourth down more, as well.
And if this Georgia season is another bust, I would point to CMR’s gutless call not to go for it on fourth down in the bowl game against Central Florida as the moment when the die was cast on his demise–for that moment demonstrated most clearly the lack of faith Richt had in his own team.
This will be the pivotal season for the next half decade in the Tech-Georgia rivalry. If this year’s Georgia team loses to this Tech team, that would mean that the Dawgs have against grossly underachieved against a far less talented Jackets squad–and it would probably mean the end of CMR’s career at U.Ga. On the other hand, if Georgia rights the ship and comes out of the box smoking, with wins over Boise and South Carolina (or even a win over the Gamecocks and a respectable loss to a talented Boise team), then Richt may well have exorcised the demons of the last few years–and may, by that token, seal CPJ’s fate at Tech. If the Dawgs play up to their talent level, Johnson’s Tech teams will not win against Georgia for the next four or five years, igniting another string of futility that even the most die-hard Jacket fans may not be able to tolerate.
To paraphrase the dear departed Al Ciraldo, I wish toe could meet leather right now!
wreckmaniac
March 25th, 2011
10:10 pm
Great opportunity here. No team anywhere can be any worse than this squad was last year. Every job should be up for grabs. In fact I can’t really think of anyone who should be assured of a spot after last year other than Allen . I would use any word other than “rebuilding” season which is an automatic equivalent of “we don’t plan to do well”
wreckmaniac
March 25th, 2011
10:14 pm
George Stein/BrydDawg: Do you guys normally have problems staying on the agenda ?
wreckmaniac
March 25th, 2011
10:19 pm
dawgfan: Just be pround of the fact that your team and Miss State and Ky and Vandy are the teams that make the Floridas, the Auburns, the Alabamas, the LSUs, and Tennessee the great football schools that they are. Take pride in your team’s annual achievement as providing an interesting practice game for the BCS championship game.
John
March 25th, 2011
10:23 pm
Bottom line…if you can’t stop someone, you can’t win. The defense was porous last year. A coordinator switch showed that coaching wasn’t the main issue, the players were the biggest problem. If the defense doesn’t improve, Tech will once again be just an average ACC team.
Go PJ Go!
March 25th, 2011
10:55 pm
Tell it PJ. Guys just flat out got lazy, to be honest. Nesbitt and Ant Allen can only lead so much if the rest of the team won’t follow. It’s not their fault, nor PJ’s, if the a-back fumbles the ball on what would otherwise be a 30 yard gain or even at TD. It’s not anyone’s fault that the backup QB ain’t as good as the All-ACC player who changed the record books.
2011 will be more like 2009 than 2010. There will be a winning season, a solid bowl AND a win over the PURE EVIL of Cheatersville Dixie, AKA Athens Middleschool, AKA Clarke County Remedial Institute, AKA “University” of Ugag.
Synjyn Days: ACC Freshman of the Year 2011. Go Jackets! Sting ‘Em!!!
Dogpoop
March 25th, 2011
11:04 pm
A Ugag fan making fun of………….ANY program? How can someone who’s a fan of a pseudpo-PRO program with remedial standards make fun of ANYONE? You have borderline retards “toting the rock” (as one of your ‘Tards says on 790) and a load of criminals “leading” the team.” What a joke of a “Skool.” Give the starting 22 at Ugag a 3rd grade reading test and they’d fail.
Mark Richt is a phony recruiting criminals constantly. He can’t coach out of a wet paper bag, and Van Gorder has PROVEN he sucks beyond belief when he can’t bully 19 yr olds. Retards and criminals reside at Ugag. What a joke. Give them the death penalty, Scumbag Doodley earned it in 1980. Stupid trash is as stupid trash does. TO HELL WITH UGAG!
Own the State
March 26th, 2011
12:45 am
Dawgs beat Tech again, easily—mark it down!. UGA wins 10, wins the SEC east. Tech–will be lucky to win 7==another minor bowl somewhere for the bugs.
black bee
March 26th, 2011
1:52 am
What about CPJ using the spread for a few plays? What about CPJ relaxing that CRAZY policy that if a 18 year old commits he can’t take anymore visits? What about CPJ letting his QB and WR work with a passing Coach over the summer. What about CPJ recruit in Texas, Florida and Penn. What about CPJ going to the NFL and explain how the TOS is not an NFL killer?
DawgBone
March 26th, 2011
5:15 am
Tech’s problems that were stated by CPJ were the same problems CMR dealt with at UGA in 2010. Lack of team leadership and players that refused to be led.
A coach can only lead off the field. Players have to lead on the field and both programs lacked that in 2010.
Taking into account the fumbles that both teams had and the timing of those fumbles, without those both teams probably win a couple more games and the season for both schools looks alot better.
Both teams should see alot of improvement in 2011.
As a UGA fan I for one am glad that Tech didn’t go for it more in the Tech vs UGA game in 2010. We couldn’t stop those plays on the corner and seems like each one had at least a 10 yard gain.
Both teams sucked it up in the Bowl game in 2010.
UGA fans are down on CMR for not going for it on 4th down in the bowl game but, as he told his players when they came off the field, you had 3 tries to get a couple of yards, don’t ask for another try.
Good luck to GT in 2011 until the UGA match-up.
stan
March 26th, 2011
7:24 am
lets hope both programs be better this upcoming season. BORN AND BREED GA BOY
GT
March 26th, 2011
8:32 am
CPJ probably has never seen players that don’t care about winning until he came to Atlanta. It is about like the kudzu down here. A huge amount of the players have their own thing going, they are trying to get style points and if they win great but the main thing is to be cool. UGA is eaten up with it but they don’t have the coach to cure it we do. When CPJ talks about players he is preventing problems Georgia has by not calling out players until they wind up in jail. If a player thinks the coach is the ultimate responsible person and not himself isn’t it very easy to lay down and pass responsibility on to the next guy. You have an epidemic in Georgia, I think one of the reasons Cremins earlier basketball teams did so well is he recruited outside of the backyard. I think we are producing the most immature recruits in the country. Why should Johnson have to take the blame for that.
BYRDDAWG
March 26th, 2011
8:50 am
GT, I’ve always thought that the coach like the QB gets too much credit for the wins & loses!!!! It just seems to me( I could be wrong) that PJ wants to take credit for the success but not the failures!!!!Give me your side of that….
Phil
March 26th, 2011
9:02 am
Johnson always blames the players! Being a genius…who have to blame other people for your failures.
History
March 26th, 2011
9:16 am
Since 1967 and including the Bobby Dodd era, GT has replaced their football coach ( due to a firing or him leaving for greener pastures) every 4 years. Dodd, Fulmer, Carson, Rodgers, Ross, Lewis, Curry, OLeary and CPJ and maybe one or two more that I cannot recall ………….since Dooley ran Dodd off in 67.
CPJ is entering his 4th year and so, his comments are worthless. He too will be history, one way or other.
It Ain't Rocket Science
March 26th, 2011
9:25 am
UGA’s problems on defense were that they were trying to break in too many new schemes on defense, in a new defensive system, without the players needed to run that defense. They have some beef now and a year under the new system so they will be improved.
Offensively, they were not imaginative enough when they had the ball, and really built their offense around one player on that side of the ball. No matter how good A.J. Green was, he could not carry the whole team, especially with the rest of the offense watching him and expecting him to do it. Bobo, with his play calling greatly influeced that as well. Their offensive line was not cohesive and could not blow anybody off the line. If they had played to their potential, the running game would have been a bunch better. A vastly under used set of Tight ends also made the offense too predictable. This year will tell whether or not the coaches learned anything from last years demise. UGA has the type of schedule that should give them 10 wins if they play at the level they are capable of. Utilize the personnel they have, and be less predictable, and they will be tough to beat.
GT is actually in a rebuilding year for sure. They need to mature at QB very quickly and have to balance their attack at least a little better if they are going to succeed in their offense. They have the horses at RB to be good in the ACC. On defense, they have to be much more aggressive on the field. They let too many plays come to then, rather than coming to the play. The LB,s seemed to be constantly out of position in most of the plays and left the middle open too often. I think they have the beef on the D line to compete, but their LB,s and secondary are going to have to be more aggressive and hit with some authority. It is a given that they will get out weighed in most of their games so they need to be quicker, more aggressive and play with an attitude. They can’t wait for the offense to make it all happen, anymore than UGA,s defense can.
dawgfan
March 26th, 2011
9:50 am
Typical. Tech fans are not interested in a meaningful debate. They want to run their mouths about all of UGA’s problems (conviently ignoring that their joke program isn’t one of them) and accuse us of cheating while calling all our players hateful names like “thugs” and criminals. In a way, Paul Johnson is the perfect coach for these clowns. Tech fans want all the credit in the world for all their successes but are too big of cowards to deal with their failures like men. They put “45-42″ on rings and then turn around the next year and claim the game doesn’t mean anything when they lose.
The only thing that’s a bigger joke than Georgia Tech football is its fans.
Thanks.
tj
March 26th, 2011
10:06 am
It seems to have always been a defensive problem with Johnson at Southern, Navy and Tech. Hopefully the defense can improve.