GT’s Johnson on the passes: ‘Seemed to me the thing to do’
This pass worked. Others did not. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Because I was curious, I asked: Why did Georgia Tech call four consecutive passes from the Georgia 46 Saturday night? And here’s what Paul Johnson said at today’s media briefing. (His answer went on for a while, so I’ll paraphrase in places.)
“We had two extremely similar situations,” Johnson said, referring to the end of each half. And there were similarities: Tech had the ball at the Georgia 40 with 2:03 left in the first half, but after a penalty and a sack wound up throwing a desperation pass on fourth-and-17 from the 47 as time expired.
But there were differences. Tech didn’t have to score to win the game at the end of the first half. There were still two quarters to play. And the Jackets had all three timeouts remaining in the first half, as opposed to one left with 1:49 to play.
Johnson’s point, though, was that Tech had had the ball in almost the same spot and hadn’t done much with it by conventional Tech means. (Though the sack of Josh Nesbitt on second-and-7 from the 37 effectively quashed the second-quarter possession.) “That registered,” Johnson said.
Also this: “We were taking six or seven minutes to score,” Johnson said. Correct again. Of Tech’s three touchdown drives, two lasted six minutes. The exception was the three-play series that culminated in Demaryius Thomas taking a short hitch and turning it into a 76-yard touchdown.
Also this: It’s hard to score from 46 yards out in 1:49 without breaking a long run. Asked Johnson: “How many 20-yard runs did we have?” Answer: Two, and one was an end-around by Stephen Hill. The longest run by any Tech A- or B-back was 16 yards. And Johnson also noted this: “We did run it the first four plays [the first three, actually] of the [final] drive.”
OK, now to the sequence. The first pass was a deep ball to Thomas. “We had a chance to make a play,” Johnson said, but the throw was long and Thomas was covered.
Speaking of coverage: “They’d just had a safety get knocked out of the game,” Johnson said, speaking of Georgia’s Bryan Evans. And Johnson had noticed that Reshad Jones, the other safety, was jumping (meaning committing early) on routes. So Tech sought to fool him.
“The second play was supposed to be an out-and-up,” Johnson said. “It ended up being more of a wheel route.” Because the route got rounded off, Hill didn’t pop open. Jones was with him. Hill nearly caught the ball while fighting both Jones and the sideline, but he didn’t.
Johnson: “We still almost made the catch. If we had, it’s first-and-goal at the 3 and we’re probably not having this discussion.”
Third-and-10: Anthony Allen blew past a linebacker and was open down the middle. But by the time Nesbitt’s pass arrived, Jones had closed in support and the linebacker, Johnson said, had “made up ground.” Incomplete.
Fourth down. “We tried to throw it the [first-down] marker,” Johnson said. And Thomas, who drops nothing, dropped the ball. And Tech had lost and fans on both sides were wondering why the designer of the famous spread option had turned into Air Coryell.
“Unless you score,” Johnson said, “you’re going to be an idiot.”
And did he feel, three days after the fact, idiotic? “If I had it to do over again, I’m not sure I’d have done anything different.” Then this, smiling: “I’ve been doing this a lont time, and it [throwing the four passes] just seemed to me the thing to do.”
And now, you’re asking, would I – famous coordinator that I am — have done things differently? I’d have probably run it on first down. But Johnson didn’t, and once you throw an incompletion on first-and-10 it’s hard to come back to the run with that little time remaining. As Johnson said, “You could run it three times and be down to 14 seconds.”
At some point Tech was going to have to throw it to win. We can quibble over whether the Jackets threw it too much too soon, but that’s what happens when something doesn’t work. You get the quibbles. You get second-guessed. You get media folks saying, “What were you thinking?” And give Johnson credit: He told us.
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298 comments Add your comment
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 1st, 2009
2:33 pm
It didn’t seem to be the thing to do to me but I guess he’s where he is and I’m here for a reason.
schleydawg
December 1st, 2009
2:42 pm
Hard to question a coach with an offensive record like Johnson’s. One drawback to the triple option is a limitation on scoring quickly when the other team knows you have to score quickly.
Rasheed
December 1st, 2009
2:42 pm
Both teams played hard, my man.
Junkyard Dawg
December 1st, 2009
2:42 pm
((((((((30-24))))))))) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Eat it Saint Simons
December 1st, 2009
2:42 pm
((30-24)) hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Brad in Jasper
December 1st, 2009
2:43 pm
It truly is a game of inches – closely made and missed FG’s. Passes nearly caught/dropped. Fumbles not recovered by the other team. Great game by both teams. Although I’m glad the Dawgs won, it would’ve been interesting to hit the ‘alternate ending’ button and see what would’ve happened had Thomas caught that pass.
Ted Striker
December 1st, 2009
2:43 pm
The first two times I got married, it seemed like the thing to do.
Paul Turkey Neck Johnson Press Conference
December 1st, 2009
2:43 pm
Sound logic to me. No excuses… unlike Tech fans have come up with. Tech doesn’t deserve CPJ. The fans make him look bad.
jim
December 1st, 2009
2:44 pm
Enjoyed the article Mark. As a dawg fan, I applaud the outcome. As a football fan, I still question 4 passes in a row from that type of offense. Mark, have you heard ANYTHING regarding Willie and his status at UGA? thanks.
Tech
December 1st, 2009
2:44 pm
The reason Tech has been able to succeed this year is because Johnson isn’t afraid to take risks and give his players a chance to make a play. Unfortunately, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Also, if a wide open Thomas hadn’t make a very rare and untiimely mistake, no one would be second-guessing Johnson anyway.
old grump
December 1st, 2009
2:45 pm
CPJ, you will rue the day you said that those a’holes in athens better get used to losing to GT. Congrats on the ACC coach of the year. I mean that was an award by default aparently.
The Murf
December 1st, 2009
2:45 pm
I would’ve thought shorter passes, not necessarily the home run ball, but agree with Hillbilly… There’s a reason why he’s the head coach and I’m not
SadDawg
December 1st, 2009
2:45 pm
I was afraid I was gonna see that option to the outside right on down to a TD with no time on the clock. Thank you, PJ.
billy bob from cobb
December 1st, 2009
2:45 pm
He consulted that dot heads in the math dept. at nerd u and that is what they told him to do.
DR.J
December 1st, 2009
2:48 pm
ACCCG tickets $21 on Stub Hub and dropping like another Tech pass
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
2:48 pm
Based on the end results, it seemed like the right thing from my perspective as well. ….and Boo Boo Thomas drops the pass…. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2009
2:48 pm
Here’s the thing: Tech’s offense doesn’t feature short passes. (No tight end on the roster, remember.) When the Jackets do throw it, they tend to throw it deep — often off play-action.
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2009
2:48 pm
I have heard nothing out of Athens beyond what has been reported. Which is to say, nothing of any substance just yet.
B'ham Jacket
December 1st, 2009
2:49 pm
The next time I am the offensive coordinator in a college game it will be my first. CPJ knows what he is doing and that’s the reason he gets paid to do what he does and I don’t. Everything looks easy when your sitting forty rows up in the stands or sitting in your living room easy chair in front of the TV eating tater chips and drinking coke. I am as guilty of it as anybody, believe me.
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
2:50 pm
Hey everyone, over/under attendance for the A She She championship game. 40,000??
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
74 UGA grad
December 1st, 2009
2:50 pm
Would Johnson still be getting second-guessed if Thomas caught the 4th down pass and Tech went on to score, or at least had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds?
When coaches make bad play calls (the interception Cox threw to C. King against Kentucky when Bobo called the exact same play that had worked for a score a few minutes earlier), they deserve to get criticized.
When the plays don’t work because a player completely fails in his assignment (the drop by Thomas), don’t put the blame on the coach.
In that case, however, what would you and Schultz write about? The 2 of you can criticize the Falcons & ‘Dogs all you want, but both teams have played better than you guys have written the last week.
Big Sur Dawg
December 1st, 2009
2:51 pm
I think I know what the problem was on Saturday night. All the nerds were distracted with the new episode of Pimp My Calculator.
How’d you like our boys tearing your field up? Kinda sucks when it happens to you, right? Tell your pathetic fanbase not to mess with our hedges, and maybe we’ll return the sentiment two years from now after our sixth straight victory at Historic Mark Richt Field.
Tom
December 1st, 2009
2:52 pm
Bottom line….Thomas makes the catch we have 1st and 10 at their 35 with 1:30 left…we did not make the plays and Georgia did…that is the difference in winning and losing.
Tech75
December 1st, 2009
2:52 pm
Tech, I’m with you on this one.
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
2:52 pm
Tech
December 1st, 2009
2:44 pm
In all seriousness, I don’t think anyone questioned the 4th down pass. Most people I’ve heard from questioned the previous three consecutive passes.
Saint Simons
December 1st, 2009
2:53 pm
Got 2 tickets, 50 yard line seats to the ACC championship. $10 takes both. Any takers?
Erin Andrews Landing Strip
December 1st, 2009
2:53 pm
Blah Blah Blah…..
Who cares about the call to pass or run. To Johnson’s point execute one of the plays and the game is different. The right calls were made.
KB
December 1st, 2009
2:53 pm
Enjoy it while it lasts and be sure to let us know how the weather in Shreveport is….
SWFLJacket
December 1st, 2009
2:55 pm
Ugay lost to Kentucky….
Exactly how do you bolis eaters rationalize that?
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
2:57 pm
Saint Simons
December 1st, 2009
2:53 pm
Are free hot dogs and cokes part of the package? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
nebraska jacket
December 1st, 2009
2:57 pm
why does it seem like every UGA fan has to put hahahahahahahahahahah on every comment? is it really that funny because i didn’t know winning one game and then heading off to the sh** bowl to celebrate was so hilarious
White and Gold
December 1st, 2009
2:58 pm
It’s like the 4th and 2 against Wake in OT. If Nesbitt hadn’t made it, the questions would be unending. Here again, gutsy play calling, and unfortunately a different result. Of course a different result would be nice, but I’m looking forward to good things to come. As a Tech alum I like and respect Paul Johnson and think he was a great hire and will provide us with many years of exciting football. I think we’ll have a lot of close games against the Dawgs in years to come, unlike that 51-7 showing in 2002.
timthebrave
December 1st, 2009
2:58 pm
It’s up to the players to make plays. 1. qb missed a single coverage home run ball that was tightly covered down the middle 2. Missed a first and goal on the right by a great defensive play 3 Tech’s best receiver dropped an easy first down that would have kept the game going. Execution was the problem for not coaching. That said. Go Dawgs!
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
2:58 pm
SWFLJacket
December 1st, 2009
2:55 pm
tech lost to UGA…
Exactly how do you bolis eaters rationalize that?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Mister T
December 1st, 2009
2:59 pm
billy bob…like you consulted the English Dept at Cow College before making your last post? Idiot.
Congrats to the dawgs. We definitely got exposed on the d-line. We need to get some much bigger d-linement. Had they stopped the run even on a couple of drives, CJP’s TO had been slowed but not stopped. Could have been different.
THWg!
Golden Tornado
December 1st, 2009
3:00 pm
You got it right, Paul Johnson. That razor-thin loss was suffered by UGA’s effective running. But at the last, you took a now-famous “Johnson risk.” It can’t work every time. Do keep taking risks, and being a winner.
Saint Simon's Daddy
December 1st, 2009
3:00 pm
NERD HERD TAKEN TO THE WOODSHED ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR POINTLESS CHAMPIONSHIP!!
The Grinch
December 1st, 2009
3:01 pm
nebraska jacket
December 1st, 2009
2:57 pm
Is the sh** bowl the blue one tech regularly played on? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Kevin
December 1st, 2009
3:01 pm
Theres been an amber alert issued in Atlanta, Ga. There looking for 11 individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 and were last seen wearing gold and white jerseys. They go by the nickname Tech’s defense.
Mark
December 1st, 2009
3:01 pm
Give them all the credit they deserve, Mark. Because they certainly deserve every bit they get. Wins are difficult to come by in this series for the tech program….. So give them all the credit they deserve, even when they lose. Plus I have noticed it seems to make you and schultz feel better about yourselves when you are giving tech credit and the dawgs crap. So go ahead and gve them all the credit they deserve. Then we will tee it up again next year and the win or loss will come down to how bad UGA plays regardless of the effort tech puts forward.
Observer
December 1st, 2009
3:02 pm
I don’t mind the play call. First ball to Thomas was over thrown but there. Next ball to Hill could have had a better chance but was catch-able. I figured to see the out to Thomas on 3rd down, but the play to Allen was there but nicely defended when the ball was in the air. On 4th we see the out to Thomas, the gimme play, and the ball was dropped, game over. See you next year. Other opportunities were missed. It was a typical Tech/UGA game where it could be won on the last drive. As for the ACCCG, no matter the significance, Tech/Clemson will be an entertaining game.
EW
December 1st, 2009
3:03 pm
Regardless of all the crap Tech fans have talked for the last year (which I would expect from GT fans), I thought the UGA fans would have more class. Act like we’ve been here before people, when you don’t, GT fans are gonna drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. After a decade of domination you would THINK we expect to win.
U-no
December 1st, 2009
3:03 pm
At that point the game, it was one of those “What were you thinking?” moments. But, hearing CPJ’s explaination I can handle the decision to pass. I just can’t handle the outcome. But, we do get to keep playing for something other than the “Wonder if it is going to be good enough” bowl. We will have other opportunities to conquer the Pups. Let’s go get them Tigers! Go Jackets!
acc duds
December 1st, 2009
3:03 pm
IS THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP SOUTH CAROLINA VS GEORGIA????
GT IS A 4TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
December 1st, 2009
3:04 pm
SFWLJacket SAYS GT LOST TO A TEAM THAT LOST TO KENTUCKY. HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH AND MORE HAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHHA AND SOME HAHAHHAHHAHAHHHAHAHHAAHHAHAH AND ANOTHER HA
Saint Simons
December 1st, 2009
3:04 pm
@nebraska Jacket, not sure if you frequented the UGA posts prior to this weekend, but one of your classy fellow fans wasnt used to winning and therefore was a sore winner. Now, the UGA fans are retaliating. Enjoy the next year.
SadDawg
December 1st, 2009
3:04 pm
Jim, didn’t know if you had read Tim Tucker this am. This is a response to a question about staff changes:
Richt’s reply: “I’m not going to make any comment about anything like that. I think people think that just because we need to get better or make some kind of change — they think it always involves changing of people, too. And that’s not always necessarily true. But, you know, we’re going to get things back on track, I can promise you that.”
Sounds like the promise he made after last season, trying to justify no changes in staff, namely Martinez. We all know how those promises went. The only thing that improved were the paychecks…
Dawg Tired
December 1st, 2009
3:05 pm
Now that we beat Tech can we go to the Peach Bowl, get hammered by 35, and still have the AJC re-annoint our coach as the Messiah?
Paul in RDU
December 1st, 2009
3:05 pm
Mark – you are correct about GT not having a tight end and that most of GT’s passes tend to be thrown deep, but they did hit some fairly short completions against UGA. The one that BeBe took to the house was a pass in the flat and the dropped 4th down pass was just past the 1st down marker.
Having said that, I can’t second guess CPJ’s play calling – this game was won by UGA’s OL. It will be interesting to see if he makes any personnel changes after the bowl game
Slick
December 1st, 2009
3:06 pm
No need to SWFLJacket. Tech lost to UGA. You’re the one that needs to rationalize.