Tech’s Paul Johnson: A coach who dares to be great
Josh Nesbitt after scoring the game-winner in overtime. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
The surprise wasn’t that Paul Johnson went for it on fourth-and-inches with Tampa on the line. The surprise was that, for half a minute, it seemed Paul Johnson wasn’t going for it on fourth-and-1 with Tampa on the line.
Down three points in overtime, ball nuzzling the 5: What else would PJ do? “If we can’t get half a yard,” he said, “we don’t deserve to win.”
First Georgia Tech faked everyone out. The Jackets lined up as if to run a play but did the ol’ draw-’em-offside bit to no avail. They called timeout and trotted to the sideline, and your first thought was, “PJ just chickened out.” But PJ doesn’t chicken out. He talks the talk and goes on fourth down.
“If you ask the kids to play to win,” he said, “you’ve got to play to win.”
He’d asked his quarterback what he thought, and Josh Nesbitt, who’s as bold as his coach, said: “I can make it.” And PJ said: “I know you can.” And then Nesbitt did, and one play later he was in the end zone and Tech had climbed a couple of rungs up the BCS standings and drawn within one win of the ACC title game. So you can’t say there was nothing at stake. But PJ’s way is to play to win no matter the consequences, no matter the history.
Four times Tech had gone on fourth down already, and four times it had failed. Nesbitt had fumbled the snap and slipped in the backfield and gotten stopped at the line and thrown a pass Anthony Allen dropped. One more slip and Tech would lose. But this time nobody slipped. This time Nesbitt ducked his head and got the yard.
Tech wobbled Saturday. It started nicely but began to commit penalties at a Georgia-esque rate, and a quick 10-point lead became a 17-10 halftime deficit. It could have been worse, but Dave Wommack’s underwhelming defenders stopped Wake Forest at the end of the first half and then limited the Deacs to one first down over the next 25 minutes.
And then, even after Wake tied it, the D made a stand near the end of regulation to force overtime, and once beyond 60 minutes, PJ and Nesbitt weren’t going to let the Jackets lose. “You just will your way to win,” Johnson would say, and that’s what happened here.
Derrick Morgan had three sacks, all essential. Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 189 yards, 59 coming on Tech’s first snap of the second half when he burst up the middle on a tweaked play for the tying touchdown. (”Something I saw,” said Johnson, the archduke of adjustments.) Wake being Wake, it would never simply slink away into the gathering dusk, but Tech matched the Deacs in heart and trumped them in skill and gall.
Into overtime. Tech held Wake to a field goal and the game was the Jackets’ to win or lose, which meant it was PJ’s and Nesbitt’s, and was there ever any doubt how it would end? Said Johnson: “I don’t think [his players] expected anything else [than going for it on fourth down]. Our defensive guys knew we were going for it.”
Said Dwyer: “Who wouldn’t want to play for a coach like that?”
Before the game, Johnson had given his men an impassioned speech. He told them “not to put the horse before the cart” and ponder what might be waiting down the road. This prompted someone to ask: Doesn’t the horse generally go before the cart?
“Horse before the cart, cart before the horse,” Johnson said. “Maybe that’s why we came out flat.”
No matter. It all worked out in the end. PJ dared and Nesbitt made it work and Tech’s cart and horse, in whichever order you prefer, drew another hundred miles closer to a title game in Tampa.
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552 comments Add your comment
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:04 pm
seattle jacket: didnt you get paid for that?
KB81
November 7th, 2009
9:04 pm
The SEC schedule ain’t too tough. FL plays 3 cupcakes. TN plays 2, mighty LSU plays 3, SC plays 2, and on and on. That doesn’t count their patsy conference members. We all have to play our conference members, so can’t help that. Everyone gets a tuneup game, Tech’s was JAX State. But to play cupcakes repeatedly, like FL, is pathetic. I’m tired of the whole “the SEC is so tough” line. UGA at least played Ariz State and Okie State. Good for them. They should have had Tenn Tech earlier in their schedule, as it looks bad to beat the snot out of a cupcake this late. But UGA did play a decent schedule. Not as tough as Tech’s, but better than FL, LSU, and the rest of the patsy playing SEC.
Pi$$onaDawg
November 7th, 2009
9:04 pm
I have a full head of hair but it is grayer now for sure
Mark Bradley
November 7th, 2009
9:04 pm
No way I have a stalker. Nobody cares enough to stalk me.
Pi$$onaDawg
November 7th, 2009
9:05 pm
FSU you are letting Clemson back in the game.
Mark Bradley
November 7th, 2009
9:05 pm
You did say you were nervous. And I said you needn’t be. Wrong again, I was.
Not Disappointed!
November 7th, 2009
9:05 pm
It was awesome game Jackets. My hats off to Wake Forest. Skinner is one fine QB and person.
Buckhead Bulldog
November 7th, 2009
9:06 pm
Willie…..you are way too funny! : )
I actually come to the Tech blog to read you and Cuz’s remarks……classics!
By Dodd
November 7th, 2009
9:06 pm
Defense wins Championships. If we had the Alabama or Florida Defense, there is absolutely no one, not the Saints or Steelers could beat us. How can anyone, in their sober, realistic minds, think we will not pay dearly on a National stage or in front of the leg humpers at some point, because we cannot pin a team deep with kicks or keep giving up third down conversions.
Buckhead Bulldog
November 7th, 2009
9:07 pm
you= your
. Beamer Boy
November 7th, 2009
9:08 pm
Georgia Tech is the best one loss team in the nation.
Cecil34
November 7th, 2009
9:08 pm
Nesbitt has a lot of heart and CPJ is always on top of his game – and thank God, because the defense is horrible.
They seem to be able to handle the run well enough, but opposing wide receivers wander at will in the secondary. There was definately not enough pressure applied to Skinner.
Why in the hell didn’t we blitz him to death? Every time we did, we messed them up.
We better blitz Cox because Green will be 10 yards open every time.
By God our corners need to play up and smash the receivers in the mouth – laying off 10 yards is going to get us beat!
jacketnation
November 7th, 2009
9:09 pm
Way to pull it off Yeller Jackets! We played pretty good D. Made some mistakes on offense and dropped some passes. Let’s go beat Duke and then get ready to put a whoopin’ on UGAG; who beat National Powerhouse Tennessee Tech today.
tm
November 7th, 2009
9:10 pm
that’s was a great game period.
Wesley W.
November 7th, 2009
9:10 pm
Outside of the three chop block calls, I thought the referees did a pretty good job. However, I think the one referee is confused on what constitutes a chop block. They will straighten him out.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:10 pm
Enter your comments here
TechMD
November 7th, 2009
9:10 pm
There was no question to go for it on 4th and 1. Too much respect for our offense and too much respect for Skinner. The penalties allowed Wake to come back, our D kept us in the game.
I think it should be said that Wake is actually a pretty good team. They should have beaten Miami and would have if not for a fumble and an injured quarterback. I have a lot of respect for Wake and hope they get 6 wins and go to a bowl because I think they belong in a bowl.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:11 pm
Mark, the water girl is your stalker.
Delbert D.
November 7th, 2009
9:11 pm
I don’t care about national ranking. I want Tech to beat Duke!!!
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:12 pm
thanks Buckhead. makes me feel good somebody appreciates my rapier like wit.
michael
November 7th, 2009
9:12 pm
BY DODD- quit stressing. It’s the real deal this year and the next and next and next. I know my TECH teams and THIS one is semi-GREAT. Defense / Special Teams WILL adjust to the muscle of the offense. IT BREEDS THROUGH-OUT THE TEAM no matter what the kid’s name is on THIS team. IT’S CALLED SUCCESS!
By Dodd
November 7th, 2009
9:12 pm
The only chance we have against pass happy teams like Duke is to stand directly across the line of scrimmage, smack them in the mouth for the first five yards, meanwhile chasing the QB all over the yard. How many interceptions do we have this year? It is because we put NO pressure on the QB at all.
tm
November 7th, 2009
9:12 pm
let’s get ready for the bulldogs, because we all know that’s the one that really matters, two year win would be so sweet.
Not Disappointed!
November 7th, 2009
9:13 pm
I was more nervous than a whore in Church! Ashame to admit, I change my pants when arrived home. LOL! Jack Daniel had to help me through the game. Wasted mustard tonite, but who could tell.
Where my buddies POAD, CUZ and 45ACP? Ramblin Wreck!
booger
November 7th, 2009
9:13 pm
Louis, are you out there? Damn security stopped us from taking the goalposts down again. And what was with the dam refs calling the dam chop block fouls? Beamers whining??
No eye poking though, thank god.
Wake is good – better than their record. Always tough to win. And what was the crap about them wanting to wear white?
So dorgs won over a tier 2 rugby team. Wow.
So Louis what you think?
45ACP
November 7th, 2009
9:13 pm
My dog is my stalker. Every time I turn around he is there.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:13 pm
unfortunately, i am the rodney dangerfield of defensive coordinators. nobody respects me.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:13 pm
45, are you in heat?
Delbert D.
November 7th, 2009
9:14 pm
willie – You gave it away with that “rapier” comment. You are El Zorro! Gotcha! The Federales are on the way!
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:15 pm
Mark, maybe you should call this the dog blog. seems more dogs than insects here.
45ACP
November 7th, 2009
9:15 pm
Willie – the water girl is hot!
I have seen you watching her with that “want to” look in your eyes.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:16 pm
del, no problem. i made peace with guy williams and walt disney years ago.
jacketnation
November 7th, 2009
9:16 pm
We played against a top QB today. He didn’t burn us up. We played much better against the run. Blair kicked off deeper than ever. Our kick off coverage is poor due to Blair’s short kicks and lack of hang time.
If we had a consistent passing attack, we could score 45 on anybody including Florida. We must get better on defense. We have two play TWO HALFS of defense.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:16 pm
45, i TOLD her not to look at me during the games!
45ACP
November 7th, 2009
9:17 pm
No I take a pill for that heat stuff.
Delbert D.
November 7th, 2009
9:17 pm
UGA can now say they beat “Tech” this year. Woof!
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:17 pm
jacketnation, 2 halfs is a hard thing to do.
Louis
November 7th, 2009
9:17 pm
Yeah I thought the same thing. So what will the dorgs whine about this week beating the techies in tennessee?
And booger, did you notice the deacons have a bush on the team? They’ve got bush!
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:18 pm
45, no, that pill is for fleas.
Billy
November 7th, 2009
9:18 pm
My hair got Cremins-white today. But I’ll take these games, as long as we win them!
By Dodd
November 7th, 2009
9:18 pm
Michael, I am not stressing, but genuinely concerned. Being 9-1 is something I would have given a good testicle for during the Gailey years. You have to admit, if you will put your martini down long enough, is that this Defense has no track record of success. This DC simply cannot make adjustments, nor is he confident in the Defense, otherwise he would man up our CB’s and put pressure on the QB
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:18 pm
prickly heat is the bane of the dog nation
Billy
November 7th, 2009
9:19 pm
I have a feeling that “By Dodd” is someone who is hoping the Paul Johnson fails because he wasn’t “By Dodd”’s preferred coach.
booger
November 7th, 2009
9:19 pm
haven’t yet seen the perfect game this season. but I liked the overtime result at bobby dodd tonight.
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:19 pm
billy, have you ever heard of the slide rule position. its great!
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:20 pm
bill, dodd’s dead and gone. what do you want?
willie martinez
November 7th, 2009
9:21 pm
the water girl’s gonna get upset if i spill one more martini on this laptop
pilgrim
November 7th, 2009
9:21 pm
To By Dodd and other D critics: Tech D gave up 25 yards rushing. Skinner impressive)couldn’t get it done by himself. It was the penalties and the mistakes that made the game nerve wracking.
booger
November 7th, 2009
9:22 pm
not a perfect game, but then I haven’t seen one this year by anyone. And the OT result – sterling.
Delbert D.
November 7th, 2009
9:22 pm
Georgia can say “Tennessee didn’t beat Tennessee Tech”. They would like to forget that Kansas State beat “T Tech” by 42, though.