Georgia Tech drilled, problems start with Al Groh’s defense
Common scene: UGA (Chris Conley) scoring, Tech (Rod Sweeting) watching. (Brant Sanderlin)
When a team looks flat, lost and beat up and loses 31-17 to its chief rival — and it really wasn’t even that close — generally no player or area is immune to criticism.
Physically, Georgia Tech got hammered Saturday by Georgia. There were mental lapses. Emotionally, the Jackets seemed to lack a pulse on their home field against the only opponent that usually defines their season — which probably is the greatest indictment of all, considering the 364 days of buildup on a campus where the rallying cry is, “To hell with Georgia.”
“You have to play with everything you have. We didn’t,” linebacker Steven Sylvester said.
How does that happen? Were they saving it for the Sun Bowl?
But Tech’s biggest problem Saturday against Georgia was no different than what its biggest problem has been for four years under coach Paul Johnson. Their defense stinks. They can’t stop anybody or intimidate anybody. Two many games come down to pinball games.
Bad defense got Dave Wommack fired after two seasons. Bad defense under Al Groh should leave his future uncertain at the end of a two-year contract. Groh hasn’t said definitively that he wants to come back, but the question Johnson needs to ask himself is: Do I want him back?
This is no minor issue. Johnson has won 34 games in four seasons. The Jackets’ 8-4 record this season going into their bowl finale certainly is not worse than most projected at the outset of this season, and it’s probably better. But when you have a defense that ranks 43rd in yardage, 56th in points allowed and 89th in third-down conversion, you’re not going anywhere.
Georgia is good, very good. The Dogs have better players and are as hot as any team in the country, save LSU (next week’s opponent in the SEC championship). But when the Bulldogs accumulated 254 yards on their first four possessions, this game was over. Georgia didn’t even punt until its sixth possession. By then, it was 24-10.
Johnson’s view of his defense’s inability to stop the Dogs: “It’s deflating. I think it deflates the whole team.”
The option offense isn’t built to play from behind. Neither is quarterback Tevin Washington. When the Jackets tried to open it up, Washington was intercepted twice on Tech’s first three possessions in the second half.
But remember where the problems started.
Georgia’s superiority on the field shouldn’t discount that Groh’s 3-4 defense got worse late in the season and has failed in the big picture. Tech is no better off on defense today than it was when they fired the last guy. Nationally, under Wommack the Jackets finished 28th (2008) and 54th (2009) in total defense. They were 64th in Groh’s first season and went into this week 43rd. Scoring defense in the past four seasons: 20th and 38th, respectively, under Wommack; 37th and 56th (entering the week) under Groh.
Progress?
Johnson is an offensive-oriented coach. When he goes consecutive series without a touchdown, he goes postal, but even he recognizes the importance of having some semblance of a defense, or he wouldn’t have made a change two years ago.
Groh wasn’t made available for comment Saturday. Just as well. He might need some time to figure out how to spin this one. There was an expected transition period with the switch to the 3-4 defense last year, but it’s not any better now. The Jackets still don’t have the players to play it, particularly up front.
Young teams should get better as the year goes on. But Tech has back-slid since a 31-17 upset of Clemson, with mediocre defensive performances against Virginia Tech, Duke and Georgia.
Sylvester on the difference since the Clemson game: “I think it’s just playing with emotion. If you turn on the film of the Clemson game you can see how emotional we were. I feel like we came out flat the last couple of games. We didn’t have as much energy as we should have, and our attention to detail wasn’t [good enough].”
Players should be able to get up for its rival, but that’s also on coaches for not having them prepared. Johnson and Groh share that responsibility.
But the head coach isn’t going anywhere. Groh, we’re not so sure. And when Tech fails, it’s usually not because of the offense.
By Jeff Schultz
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632 comments Add your comment
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:39 am
dry dirt road,
Judging from how your women look, I find your statement highly dishonest.
dawggone
November 27th, 2011
11:39 am
dry dirt road, I would have had a blast also with Tech winning 2 out of 4 years but I was only 12
Pierce County DAWG
November 27th, 2011
11:40 am
Like i said before the game techies,we own you and always will. Where is the 500 yards rushing all of you talked about. Weshut you down. Tech had better stick with baseball,youare not physical enough to play football with the DAWGS. GO DAWGS
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:41 am
UOAD,
A 12 year old would whoop you silly. You are a spineless, pitiful excuse for a man. You have as much guts as your joke of a football team, which is definitely not saying much.
dawggone
November 27th, 2011
11:42 am
weez, I doubt very seriously you have seen all the women at Tech, and just because they were smart enough not to hook up with you dosn’t mean their not attractive
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:43 am
DawgByte …………………………………31 years in waiting
You just can not seem to get over the hump can you……………………………Good luck in ORLANDO at the CAP ONE BOWL.
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:43 am
Maybe if Johnson had gone to church and done a lot more praying God wouldn’t have allowed his horrible team to get humiliated on national tv????
DawgByte
November 27th, 2011
11:43 am
Okay Posers Lets Talk Strength of Schedule:
Preseason AP Top 25
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. LSU
5. Boise St. – L
6. Florida St.
7. Stanford
8. Texas A&M
9. Oklahoma State
10. Nebraska
11. Wisconsin
12. South Carolina – L
13. Virginia Tech
14. TCU
15. Arkansas
16. Notre Dame
17. Michigan State
18. Ohio St.
19. Georgia
20. Mississippi St. – W
21. Missouri
22. Florida – W
23. Auburn – W
24. West Virginia
25. USC
UGA played 5 preseason Top 25 teams and beat 3 of them. Against South Carolina, UGA statistically dominated the game and turned the ball over 4 times and yet still only lost by 3 points. In week #7 Georgia Tech was ranked at #12 in the country and was 6-0. We easily kicked Tech’s hiney 31-17.
Perhaps this will shut some people up. Georgia didn’t make its schedule. Winning 10 straight games in the SEC is difficult regardless of circumstances. Beating Florida, Tenn., Auburn and Tech in a single season is sweeter than cotton candy – period!
Wzt
November 27th, 2011
11:44 am
Choad has a new angle – question the fan base’s religious views. Add it to the list.
BuzzedforGT
November 27th, 2011
11:45 am
First off, congrats to the Dawgs on the win.
You had the number 2 rushing offence against the number 2 rushing defense. I for one think that GT’s been hanging their hat on statistics since CPJ got here. So, let’s see if there’s any relevance to them:
Total Yards: UGA 380, GT 355
Passing: UGA 252, GT 112
Rushing: UGA 128, GT 243
Penalties: UGA 6-45, GT 5-36
3rd Down Conversions: UGA 4-10, GT 7-16
4th Down Conversions: UGA 0-0, GT 1-2
Turnovers: UGA 1, GT 2
Possession: UGA 29:21, GT 30:39
UGA had the advantage passing, GT had the advantage rushing. Aside from that, looks pretty even uh? Actually, it wasn’t even close. Bottom line; scoreboard says it all.
UGA wins yet again and it’s because of better athletes and…wait for it…better coaching. CPJ is a good coach, but not against this level of competition. It is what it is folks. I’m a GT fan through and through, but sometimes you have to face the facts. UGA is better and will continue to be so as long as CPJ is our coach.
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:45 am
Don’t worry UOAD, I’m sure you will have a blast at the Smurf Bowl while your cheats get drilled by yet another powerful WAC team.
ARdawg
November 27th, 2011
11:45 am
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:34 am
I see the dawgs here are as much Real fans as you are Real Christians. You claim to be both but most of you NEVER attend Games or Church. I thought you respected Richt and his views, but you don’t follow his example an attend church? Why is that?
Geeze 5150. This is really in the gutter. Are you so bitter and run out of all your lame excuses that now, you attempt to go at everyone’s religion, wholesale?
Really, really pathetic. Tech fans everywhere are ashamed or should be
northern neighbor
November 27th, 2011
11:45 am
Tech women command the space shuttle, just sayin’
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:46 am
Chop Block U
November 27th, 2011
11:33 am
Keep crying CHOAD, keep crying
31-17. Choke on it.
Hahahhahahaha!!!!!!!
sad, sad little man
Headley
All Cupcake Conference
& many more I can’t remember right now
How many BLOG names do you use? You a bunch of different names because for ALL your talk you are the blogs more than ANYBODY. You just use a bunch of different name so people don’t think you are as PATHETIC as you really are.
DawgByte
November 27th, 2011
11:46 am
01 Hawk -
You’re just pissed because we’ve beat you 10 out of the last 11 times!! You have NO leg to stand on, but keep trying.
(((31-17)))
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:47 am
UOAD is a posterchild for what a Tech fan, and human being in general, is all about. Talk about sad, wow.
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:48 am
UOAD,
You are probably the most pathetic poster on these blogs, hands down.
31-17, without even breaking a sweat in Sanford Stadium Jr.
5150 is a Baby
November 27th, 2011
11:49 am
5150,
You are a low class loser. You sound like a child. Your team stinks and you are an immature punk. Grow up.
Jeff
November 27th, 2011
11:49 am
Why do tech fans think we will be hurt by them saying LSU will crush us. LSU should crush us. I’m excited for the opportunity and to see how we stack up to a truly great team. I’m just glad we didn’t play down to our opponent’s talent yesterday. Again, still think them yelling “To Hell With Georgia” during the Munson tribute showed their true colors.
ARdawg
November 27th, 2011
11:49 am
“How many BLOG names do you use? You a bunch of different names because for ALL your talk you are the blogs more than ANYBODY. You just use a bunch of different name so people don’t think you are as PATHETIC as you really are.”
Thats pretty rich there GT Joe. How many more do you have?
Studawg
November 27th, 2011
11:50 am
WE RUN THIS STATE
weez
November 27th, 2011
11:50 am
Does anyone know if Ben Jones ate another mouthful of Sanford Stadium Jr.’s turf????
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:51 am
DawgByte …………………………………….Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am a BAMA fan.
ROLL TIDE ROLL
THEY CALL ALABAMA THE CRIMSON TIDE………………………………..Now go get your DOG BONE LITTLE PUPPY.
Enjoy another year without even being in contention for a BCS Championship.
Mex
November 27th, 2011
11:52 am
UOAD –
It has to suck that you cannot get respect in real life or even on an internet blog, ehh winner?
zbulldawg
November 27th, 2011
11:52 am
DON’T Blame Groh He does’nt have the players right now to compete like he wants TO !! Coming down on him On these sites hurts recruiting AND GETTING THAT BUTT KICKED BY THEM DAWGS DON’T HELP EITHER !!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS for the HONEY it was so SO Good !! HERE KITTY KITTY !!! WE want SUGAR !!! SICK EM
ARdawg
November 27th, 2011
11:53 am
jeff
We did play down just a bit yesterday and way too conservative IMHO. We spent too many plays trying to convince Johnson we had a running game and it wasn’t necessary.
LSU won’t crush us. It will be much closer than the spread but beating a NC team might be beyond our capabilities this year. Maybe not. That is why they play the games
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:53 am
BLACKOUT ANYONE ?
Mex
November 27th, 2011
11:53 am
O1HAWK = Shamed Tek fan. Doesn’t even have the balls to admit it.
Steve
November 27th, 2011
11:53 am
I have several questions for Tech fans:
Why was your stadium not full for your biggest game of the year?
I literally did not see one hot woman wearing yellow, why?
How does it feel to lose to UGA every year?
How does it feel to lose 5 bowl games in a row?
How many muggings or rapes took place after the game?
Are you excited about the SUN Bowl?
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:53 am
MEX……………………………………….I am well known on the UGA BLOGS as being a BAMA FAN.
Sorry to burst your bubble
bigdon
November 27th, 2011
11:55 am
Hey Buzz, you’re a big fat dodo head. Your views are silly, arcane and inaccurate, and that’s glossing it over. If you want a job you better get that big L tattoo of your stinger. Loser!
SEC > ACC
November 27th, 2011
11:55 am
SEC flatout owned the ACC yesterday. Had the dirty criminals at FSU not knocked out Brantley early in the game the SEC would have surely gone 4-0. Talk about sheer ownership.
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:55 am
UGA…………………………………….What color combination of uniform will you wear this time ?
BLACK HELMET
RED HELMET
BLACK JERSEY
RED JERSEY
GRAY HELMET
GRAY PANTS
OH, what the heck……………………………You will lose to LSU nay ways.
Mex
November 27th, 2011
11:57 am
Yet you are posting on the AJC??? Hmmm….sure chief.
Mex
November 27th, 2011
11:57 am
Last I checked Bama lost to LSU in their own stadium. Sad.
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:58 am
UGA ……………………………….You are a FRAUD……………………………LSU will show you how much of a FRAUD you are.
GET READY FOR A BAYOU BEAT DOWN
ARdawg
November 27th, 2011
11:58 am
“ARDawg yes I questioned dawgs religious view. Y’all were mad at people talking Mean comments about Munson since he died. If you believe he is in heaven then why are you not working to get there too. IF you are Christians WHY are NONE of you ever in Church? I will ask HOW many of you posters think you are good christian? Then WHY are y’all Never at church but on the blogs cussing people? I bet most of you think You are going to heaven too.
END of that.”
Really, really pathetic. Not only are you attempting to take potshots at someone’s religion, now you are also attempting to justify tasteless and crude comments directed at a dead man. Obviously you made several of those with your other handles. GTFU 5150. It’s football and smack talk nothing more. You are a sad excuse of a GT fan. I really feel for the good guys in the GT fan base of which you are not included. Troll
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
11:59 am
MEX…………………………Aren’t you in the wrong country ?
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
11:59 am
ARDawg………….I an not GTJoe and have never been. I use 1 other name on another blog. if you don’t know who that is well I will not tell you. I have used the same handle for a few years with only a slight adjustment. had to change to U from a P.
ANY of you classy UGA fans heard form CUZ?
Anybody have any word on how Baylie is doing?
I know at least she got to smile with the Dawgs win.
bigdon
November 27th, 2011
12:01 pm
Lastly: Hey, CPJ, ever thought of wearing a swearshirt or something thick so we don’t have
to look at your saggy moods? I’m sure you’re past menopause now because you act like a punk little bitch, you silly little GT retard. If I want to see saggy boods, I’ll refer to the November ‘64 National Georgraphic that I still hide under my bed and has long been a favorite of mine. There’s nothing like the boobs of the !kung indians of the Amazon basin. Yours look like fried eggs hanging off a barbed wire fence. Not the least enticing.
DawgByte
November 27th, 2011
12:02 pm
01 Hawk -
Your poll ranking is meaningless. You can’t even win your own division and won’t be playing for the SEC title. Enjoy the game from the same position as all the other SEC teams!!!
LOL, another toothless Alabama fan dreaming of the Bear.
Steve
November 27th, 2011
12:02 pm
5150 how was your quicky with “supersize” behind the bus? Did you guys hold each other after the annual loss to UGA?
Gorilla Biscuit
November 27th, 2011
12:07 pm
Let me see if I can get my “GT Calculus” correct here. GT fans I know will correct me if I’m wrong.
Georgia beat Auburn 45-7, and Alabama beat Auburn 42-14, therefore Georgia is ten points better than Alabama. Sorry forgot my formula. Georgia>Alabama.
Now, Alabama lost to LSU 9-6 which means LSU is 3 points better than Alabama. Sorry, LSU>Alabama.
Therefore, extrapolating it out based on the numbers Georgia is 10 points better than Alabama and LSU is only 3 points better than Alabama, thus Georgia is 7 points better than LSU. And by the Laws of Physics Georgia should beat LSU 7-0. Thus Georgia>LSU.
Now Techies, tell me what’s wrong with that logic?
Burdell
November 27th, 2011
12:08 pm
Nobody likes to get beat 10 out of 11 just ask UGA against Florida. GA is better at football period, no question there. Do they have a better coach? That’s debatable, Richt year after year has a top 5 recruiting class and doesn’t do much with it. This year is a perfect example. The Mutts haven’t beaten anybody worth a damn this year or last. The schedule after the first 2 games was a joke, but nobody knew how bad FL, Tenn, or Auburn would be in the same year, so you can’t blame him for that. It’s just with the talent level at the 4 year house party, GA should be mentioned with ALA, LSU, and the other perennial powers. They are not and haven’t been for a while. I don’t think Johnson likes to recruit and uses real and imagined reasons for a lack of success in that area. He downplays recruiting because for whatever reason he has little success at it. So the real question is , do you want to have moral victories because you come close, or occasionally win the big games with lesser talent, or do you want to have superior talent and usually come up short when it matters? It seems GA nor Tech can do what it takes to win big games when they count and it’s for different reasons. I know I’d rather have the talent and always have a shot, than be the underdog always looking for the upset.
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
12:09 pm
Steve…………..that is CLASSY. Still worried you didn’t to have your MAN LOVE? What a pRicht you are.
Steve
November 27th, 2011
12:10 pm
A “pRicht?” Ha. Good one. Don’t be mad that we have a good coach and you have that fat lard Johnson who does not know how to run an offense.
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
12:10 pm
DawgByte ……………………………………BAMA 1992 beat MIAMI and 2009 CHAMPIONS over TEXAS.
31 years and waiting for the PUPPIES from ATHENS.
5150 UOAD
November 27th, 2011
12:13 pm
OK Steve whatever.
UGA fans talking about Man Boobs? REALLY?
Have you seen the males in your fan base? Your fans need the “Manzier” more than most women need a brazier.
Jordan
November 27th, 2011
12:13 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/11/27/dawgs-down-jackets-31-17/
01HAWK
November 27th, 2011
12:14 pm
DawgByte …………………………..DOOLEY was not that good was he………………………Certainly no where near as good as BEAR BRYANT.
Maybe you will get a statue of your coach when you all pass away because I doubt any of you from UGA see a BCS Championship in your life time.
ALABAMA ROCKS…………………………………State of ALABAMA may have a chance to win 3 straight BCS Championships.