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
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 27th, 2011
9:12 am
LSU will beat the living sheet out of UGA.
GT has a decision to make and that is keep PJ and finish 7-5 each year or go another route.
The GT defense is never going to stop the better teams due to size and talent. Coaching is not the issue on defense.
GT has to recruit a QB that can at least throw a spiral some of the time.
GT should go hire Mike Leach today!!!!!
C. Tampa Ironworse
November 27th, 2011
9:13 am
Amen Say What!!!
Neutral
November 27th, 2011
9:18 am
PLEASE read the “Say What??” post today at 9:07
It is literally the best of the best and so incredibly true. I especially love the Jan Kemp point….kinda like GT didn’t give preferential treatment to football players back in the Kemp days. I know as a fact they played that game too because I was there. We just didn’t get our hands caught in the cookie jar!
Kudos to “Say What??” for the best post in weeks!!!!
LeRoy
November 27th, 2011
9:18 am
Wrong again, Jeff. When you recruit offensive players that cannot give your defense a decent look of a “normal” offense, the defense suffers. None of Johnsons teams ever has a good defense. Native is right,Johnson only cares about his triple dipple, not about Tech or anything else
LE Haha
November 27th, 2011
9:25 am
Jeff Schultz.
SAY WHAT is a better writer than you or anyone on your staff. You could bring him in to give some instruction, but you will be too busy making up excuses for CPJ to attend. Maybe he could come up with some questions for Mr Prickly, like “have you changed your mind on how the ACC stacks up with the SEC after Saturday night”.
Neutral
November 27th, 2011
9:28 am
Hey “Say What??”,
The silence is deafening from 5051, GTBob, etc!!!
I think you get a slam dunk on your blog.
Wzt
November 27th, 2011
9:29 am
Say What? That has to be the post of year.
Spike
November 27th, 2011
9:29 am
Will Tech get their deposit back on the cancelled ring orders?
bigdon
November 27th, 2011
9:31 am
Where to start. CPJ. A charlaton. Triple option. Like they say on SNL: “Really?” Works great
if you’ve got Broncho Negurski or Jim Thorpe. Arrogant jerk. Dullard. (That’s a good one.) Tool, anybody? Haven’t heard that one yet, but he’d certainly look at home in my helter skelter toolbox.
I’m not a Yech hater, not at all. CPJ disgusts me on a level that’s hard to explain. You guys ain’t winning squat with this crustyself-important curmudgen jerkoff running a running a offense less complicated than what we ran in Gray Y in the late 60s. What stud is going to come there if you can’t throw a football. Oh, yeah, the same studs that go to GA Southern. So you’ve got a choice, my pocket protecting buddies. Are we a football school orare we a school with a football team. Right now I’d lead toward neither, but don’t worry, you can recruit the leftover standout LeGrange High School gems forever discussed around the Dairy Dip on Main Street for winning that one over hated arch rival Talifar County that were not recruited by the SEC, you know, the QBs that ran for 10,000 yards their senior years and passed for 125, the ones that knew how to run that LeGrange option attack like nobody’s business, the six foot 185 QBs with the quickest option toss in AA football in the State of Georgia. Anybody rmember Joe Bob? or whoever that dude was that left the hallowed halls for greener pastures in Statesboro? Yes, this is truly a joy to make fun of that idiot of a coach, the guy that won at Navy, Statesboro, DeKalb Tech on Memorial Drive and the semenary school over in Decatur. God, but I’d follow that guy into the trenches. I’m sure he’d use a slingshot against the machineguns cause it worked before machinguns were invented. Well, I’m about done for now. Can’t wait for next year, CPJ and what mysteries heretofore unbeknownst to the “millions and billion’s” of true triple option fans that you will unveil betwixt the hedges. You’re a genius and when I commit to you I promise with no fingers crossed not to talk to any othere colleges. LMFAO!!!!! P.S. Terrence Moore sucks.
KeepDreaming
November 27th, 2011
9:33 am
YES! Keep Paul Johnson, we appreciate it!!!
Another STINKER in the books for the Jackets, bwhahahahahahahaha!
Disaster
November 27th, 2011
9:33 am
This coaching staff is a complete failure. If we want excellence changes must be made. Overpaid isn’t strong enough to describe what we have currently. Take a chance on an unproven upstart with exciting plans, strategies, pie in the sky optimism and vision. Plenty of smart guys willing to try for what we’re paying these guys. This group has no future whatsoever. I’d rather see o’leary and friedgen back at the helm, maybe even gailey and I hated his coaching.
Neutral
November 27th, 2011
9:34 am
Le Haha, I guess the Techies figured out why UGa’s opponents from the SEC East aren’t ranked high nationally in offenses. The ACC took a total pounding last night by SEC East defenses…..and the offenses weren’t bad either!!!
techismybee-otch
November 27th, 2011
9:36 am
Jeff, I can’t believe you are writing this article…surely a ghost writer did this article…for you sir, are the proverbial CPJ butt-kisser….go back and read your articles over the last 4 years…he is a genius remember? You did your best to run CMR out of town, and never missed a chance to say, he has 100 wins, but before this season, he is a 500 coach over the last two…..using your logic and rational, we can only wait for the same article on your man-love for the Genius….the one who is a 500 coach since his 2nd season…and how he won with Chan’s recruits….you know, those same digs you tried on CMR when he was kicking butt hus first 5 years….we anxiously await to hear how the Genius is so smart and was right to call UGA fans retards….I know plenty of Tech fans who shop at Wal-Mart because that is all they can afford….what are they going to say about him when he loses again in the Sun bowl….the Sun? really? What a genius….LMBO
cloudmanJacket
November 27th, 2011
9:38 am
ONLY 17 POINTS…sounds like the problem started with CPJ and his highschool offense
billy bob
November 27th, 2011
9:40 am
GT fans take note….As long as the Board of Regents(btw, all are UGA alumni) have the programs in place, GT will never compete with UGA. They will not allow for liberal arts majors to be at GT. Therefore GT cannot get the players UGA and the rest of the SEC get. Understand that.
Knowshon5dollafootlong
November 27th, 2011
9:43 am
He dresses in yellow and black
with a chin like a gunny sack.
He bellows and blows with less-than-eloquent prose
for athletes he surely does lack.
He’d love to think his team is hot,
but Steve Spurrier he is not.
Throwing insults around like a man-boobed clown.
Me thinks his foot has been shot.
He’s provided fresh motivation
for all of the Bulldog nation.
The performance against Duke made his own mother puke,
yet he still speaks with fork tongued oration.
Tech is most certainly the enemy.
Barbs and insults their fans will send me.
Perhaps the coach should win a few before he has nastiness to spew.
It’s clear he suffers from Bulldog envy.
Neutral
November 27th, 2011
9:44 am
MUST READ for all Dawg fans just waking up after all the celebrating. Please see the 9:07 post this morning by ” Say What”. So incredibly spot on and true. It is long, but a masterpiece.
Disaster
November 27th, 2011
9:45 am
Alternative is to conduct a special fundraising campaign for funding required to hire spurrier. Someone with the hatred of uga and vice versa that we need for this game. Additionally, would return the program to prominence and contend for championships regularly. Yes, very expensive, and yes, very possible. Pay him $5m, 10m, who cares. We would at least get better value than current regime. And he has coached here once before as lowly assistant.
Wzt
November 27th, 2011
9:45 am
Does Fish Fry have anymore impressions…please share.
Cats hav fleas 2
November 27th, 2011
9:46 am
Add Billy bob to the long list of excuse makers. See the Say what? post at 9:07 Billy bob. The surname fits btw.
Jarmar
November 27th, 2011
9:49 am
Tek is just a horrible program, coaching staff and fan base. Even their campus and conference is beyond pathetic. They are inferior to their masters from Athens in every way possible. They wasted 365 days preparing and dreaming about this game, while Richt and company spent maybe 2 or 3 days the week before getting ready. It is absolutley hilarious how worthless the cheats have become. They were even better off with Gailey than with their most overrated coach in history they are now saddled with. lol!!! Love it!!!
Smurf Bowl Committee Member
November 27th, 2011
9:52 am
We are officially extending an invitation to your wonderful team to return home to Boise where we westcoast fans have longed enjoyed witnessing your decaying squad getting the crap kicked out of you by a mighty WAC team. We look forward to reliving the recent past and seeing you in your rightful place in post season play.
hahahhaha!!!!!
November 27th, 2011
9:53 am
Please sign Paul “Moobs” Johnson to a lifetime contract, please!!! He is more concerned with coming up with cutesy childish comments, insulting fans and idiotic smack talk than he is creating an effective game plan!!! This moron is a keeper!!! Lifetime contract extension, please!!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!
Buzz2011
November 27th, 2011
9:56 am
Hard to compete year to year against 6 star players out of a football mill. Believe me Schultz UGA does not have near the coach that GT has and that is evident. Why don’t you ask Mark Richt who the better football mindis and he will tell you PaulJohnson. Richt is honest if nothing else..
FLA DAWG
November 27th, 2011
9:57 am
Keep Groh & Johnson.
Tech usually has an unfilled stadium anyway so few care.
Buzz2011
November 27th, 2011
9:58 am
The Dawgs better enjoy their ” big” win over a ranked team.. They lose by 30 next week..
You will love that game hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
happy mangy mutt
November 27th, 2011
9:58 am
Once again a see another who dares to use option O as a reason the D is not better. NEBRASKA 93-07. An O that beat a defense to death and a D that hammered an offense until the end.
It is as lame as saying a true academic school (Stanford, Cal, Northwestern, etc) cannot win.
Recruit well, coach better, and play hard.
Buzz2011
November 27th, 2011
10:01 am
I hope UGA keeps Richt and Bobos forever .. They are great coaches in the SEC east……..The SEC east is very powerful and indeed scary .. Ask LSU, Alabama, ” Kentucky”.. Very scary..
WnE
November 27th, 2011
10:05 am
re:
Buzz2011
November 27th, 2011
9:56 am
Hard to compete year to year against 6 star players out of a football mill. Believe me Schultz UGA does not have near the coach that GT has and that is evident. Why don’t you ask Mark Richt who the better football mind is and he will tell you Paul Johnson. Richt is honest if nothing else..
_____________________
Sorry Buzz, but MORAL VICTORIES like what you stated above is the main reason we got the sheet kicked out of us yesterday.
At some point Coach Moobs is gonna have to learn how to Recruit good enough to give GT a chance to win.
Coach Kung Fu Panda is a horrible recruiter.
So far moral victories have done NOTHING for GT FB on the field!
FLA DAWG
November 27th, 2011
10:05 am
Richt and Bobo just outcoached Johnson & Groh.
If your fan base is unable to effect changes when need (as Dawg Nation did resulting in a DC change) then the fault lies with the fans.
As far as The Dawgs v The SEC West Champ LSU I fully expect a loss but am hoping for a respectable loss. Against a great, undefeated (and finest) team in the country that would not be such a bad thing.
Buzz2011
November 27th, 2011
10:06 am
Billy bob… You understand that GT once owned you Thugs and the day will rise again John boy!! You country bumpkin flowing on lucky Dog wins with no vompetition. Let’s here your big talk after you go scoreless next weekend. GT competes with UGA and their 5 star kids every year .. Last year I think we ran out 450 yrds…UGA will not beat a top 10 team as they can’t …….TAKE NOTE BILLY BOB
virginia dog
November 27th, 2011
10:09 am
Okay … listen up teckies. as a graduate of Darden and a c-ville resident i can tell you Al Groh is the worst college head coach i have ever watched. Not only is he a jackass he also set back uva recruiting in state of virginia 10 years. The guy is out of touch and a sum bitch as well. Cut him loose and be glad he is gone. Now as a UGA undergrad. My advise is he is perfect just where he is … lock him down long term. HA HA HA HA HA we own you people and i even have some of you people working for me. HA HA HA
WnE
November 27th, 2011
10:12 am
Where are all the douchebag GT fans that used the “Transitive property of CFB Analysis” to predict that GT would be uga?
I think it went some thing like this:
If Ga. Southern’s Triple-O could do what they did to Bama and we have CPJ the Genius himsself, then imagine what we’ll do to uga and that idiot CTG?
Where are all those douchebags today?
jarvis
November 27th, 2011
10:14 am
Johnson just gets a pass? You suck Shultzie.
That garbage you and the ball coach sat down and spat about earlier in the week was just that….TOTAL GARBAGE.
How did the SEC do yesterday? Don’t think we’re going to let you forget the lovefest you and CPJ had on Tuesday. Not much difference? I believe he pointed to Wake/Vandy, Clemson/South Carolina, and FSU/UF. Two of those three showed how drastically different the two leagues are.
jarvis
November 27th, 2011
10:18 am
@Buzz2011, you don’t compete every year. You didn’t compete yesterday. You’ve lost 10 of the last 11, and 22 of the last 30.
If that’s competing, I hope Georgia never competes.
James
November 27th, 2011
10:23 am
Georgia was proactive in pursuing JUCO transfer Jenkins to anchor their line. That was HUGE in the 3-4’s improvement this year. I don’t know that GT has the option to do something like that. I was never sold on Groh as the DC–his defenses at Virginia were rarely better than mediocre.
Ted Roof
November 27th, 2011
10:24 am
Uh, Coach Johnson…….I think I will be available at the end of the season…again
Gorilla Biscuit
November 27th, 2011
10:25 am
Say what?, you can now add that the Board of Regents is against Tech and that is why they cannot recruit BCS athletes.
FLA DAWG
November 27th, 2011
10:25 am
On the other hand I really enjoy seeing The Dawgs pull an upset of LSU !
Wow, would that throw The BCS into a mess – just what we need to rekindle the talk of a playoff system.
ARdawg
November 27th, 2011
10:29 am
Too bad Chan couldn’t have pulled at least one win over Georgia, he’d still be there
USMC
November 27th, 2011
10:30 am
James,
You hit the nail on the head. Al Groh is NOT a good Defensive Coordinator. I won’t disrespect him, but he is WAY too old and lacks intensity to give Tech a formidable defense.
Also, Paul Johnson seems too stubborn to diversify his offense enough to take Tech to the top-10.
As a UGA fan I have respected CPJ, but now find myself not liking him as much because he is a little too sarcastic and hard headed. You can’t expect your QB to throw darts if you you don’t throw the ball all season long. While I still believe CPJ is a great X’s and O’s coach, I think his limitations are shining through.
Gorilla Biscuit
November 27th, 2011
10:34 am
Georgia 31, Georgia Tech schooled!
stan
November 27th, 2011
10:42 am
hey who is our head coach???…….cpj right???….so who is responsible……duh????…….ive road his bus long enough…..sure he wins us 7-8-9 games a year…..but he never wins the big ones……Tech will never win big with him and his high school offense……Your never gonna recruit running his show period…….I gave him the benefit of the doubt with his offense and yea to win you have to run the ball but if your gonna run the ball you have to PLAY WHAT????……Can you say DEFENSE
dry dirt road
November 27th, 2011
10:44 am
I predicted Tech would play in the Cold Turkey Bowl yesterday after the VT game, and they did. The “Dregs Bowl” was what Tech earned by getting bowled over by the big VT qb. Tech has another 6′5″, 250 lb recruit named Francis Kallon that shoud be forced to try out for qb. Also, how Tech is organized is with it’s president and Ratikovich deciding if CPJ should get fired. We already know that Ratikovoich is biased toward LSU. Look at how they are ranked this year, and at how Tech lost to them in ‘08 in the Chick Bowl. Look at how Ratikovich did not hire a Tech jersey retiree for head basketball coach. Peterson does not provide any checks and balances to such bias like he should. And the AA keeps letting CPJ get away with unwatchable offense and defense. Tech might want to hire a football staff of many or all former Tech players who were good for Tech, not just one coach who used to be a player, such as Maxie Baughn, or Curry, or Roof. They gotta get organized. Staff there is not devoted to Tech b/c they did not go to Tech. I’m not giving any money to the Tech Roll Call this year. They need to improve too much. I can’t stand the direction the football unis from ‘08 went, from old gold, to black, to pink, to change jersey colors during the season. There’s not enough consistency at Tech for me to want to fund the alum roll call. My dad didn’t fund it either this year. We don’t fund a team that wears powder puff football pink for any reason, even breast cancer awareness pink, no sir, we will not. Neither my dad or I wear pink, but my mom does.
SCJacket
November 27th, 2011
10:45 am
This is simple. When you rush with 3 and drop the linebackers deep you get your lunch eaten all day long. Send people and you change the game. Watch the film.
GT Alum
November 27th, 2011
10:49 am
Credit to the Dawgs; they dominated the game. Even in the first few minutes you could tell Tech did not have the ability to put any pressure on Murray. It was like watching him plat toss and catch with his friends in the back yard. UGA’s O-line was simply too big for Tech. Once that became apparent (very early) then it was only a matter of who could score more points…and that points to Tech’s other shortcoming: Washington is simply not a good QB and never has been. Yesterday, as poised and accurate Aaron was, Tevin was equally incompetent. He can’t pass for s**t and when he fakes the toss he comes to a dead stop before running. Put simply, UGA looked good and Tech did not. Tech needs bigger and faster boys on defense. And, pray for rain, Vad Lee displays the promise at QB we all hope for.
UGA24-7
November 27th, 2011
10:50 am
TECH CAN THANK UGA FANS FOR GIVING THEM THEIR SECOND SELLOUT GAME OF THE SEASON..
GT
November 27th, 2011
10:50 am
Give Georgia credit, as it was well earned. I really thought GT had a chance to win this game, but we just cannot beat UGA. It’s almost as bad as the UGA vs UF series. I like coach Johnson, but Groh has got to go…You have to beat UGA at least once in a 100 year span, or you shouldn’t be the coach at Georgia Tech.
dry dirt road
November 27th, 2011
10:51 am
drop the “Buzz” logo and switch back to the T-Club yj used when Tech wore old gold unis in 71-2′ before “Buzz” was born
dry dirt road
November 27th, 2011
10:54 am
As a Tech grad, I’ve had it with trying to beat Georgia. We aren’t in their league. We need to cancel the series, and play them in bowls only. We need to schedule Georgia Southern as the new in state rival.