In its first ACC test, Georgia Tech plays like … Georgia Tech
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The team that got overrun at the end by Kansas last week in Lawrence? Those weren’t these Yellow Jackets as driven by this coach. Those were impostors. Here on Saturday we saw … well, let’s let the coach express it.
“The encouraging thing,” Paul Johnson said, “was that we played like Georgia Tech.”
A Georgia Tech game doesn’t have so much a rhythm as a heartbeat, and at the end it’s usually Johnson’s men who have the bigger heart. There will be palpitations en route, most of the due to Tech’s defense or the lack thereof. But these Jackets are accustomed to that by now. They don’t get antsy when they fall behind. They didn’t get antsy here, where they trailed three times in the first half and again in the second.
They just kept fighting, and for once the fight wasn’t all about Johnson’s stylized offense. Though the offense did muster 448 yards, and Joshua Nesbitt did complete three of four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, and the Tech offense did essentially run North Carolina’s offense off the field. Said Johnson: “I really didn’t feel like they could stop us if we ran the ball three times. Or four times.”
That said, the Tech D — yes, the Tech D — did its bit. It limited North Carolina to seven points over the final 40-plus minutes. Granted, the offense did its bit, hogging the ball for 32 of those 4o-plus minutes, but on its final five possessions Carolina managed four first downs (one of those by penalty).
In sum, this wasn’t the Dave Wommack-coached defense that ould start badly and get worse. This one improved as it went. Said Al Groh, the new coordinator: “When players had to make plays, they made ‘em.”
It would be wrong to say Groh’s group figured it all out Saturday. There were enough defensive howlers to stamp this as a vintage Tech game. Said Johnson: “The first half it looked like nobody was going to stop anybody.” But the Jackets had a chance to lose this vital game after Nesbitt sailed a pitchout past Roddy Jones late in the third quarter, and Brad Jefferson’s recovery of T.J. Yates’ fumble on Carolina’s first snap saved the day.
Said Groh: “Our personality, our identity, our brand is to play with energy , toughness and passion on every play.”
Yes, it’s a brand in progress. But there’s no question that the overall Tech persona — starting with Johnson and trickling down through the indomitable Nesbitt — isn’t so much skill (though there’s much of that on hand) as stubbornness. Said Nesbitt: “We go into every game with the mindset that it’s going to be a dogfight.”
That Tech team that lost to Kansas? Those weren’t the real Jackets. We saw the real Jackets here for the first time this season, and they looked pretty much the way they did a year ago. And in 2009 they were ACC champs.
By winning here, the 2010 team has given itself a chance to repeat after itself. The schedule remains difficult — the Jackets still must travel to Clemson and Virginia Tech — but this date at Kenan Stadium always loomed as the key early test. It didn’t matter how many Tar Heels were missing due to suspension; to be taken seriously again, Tech had to win this game. It did.
“It’s too early to write an ending for this season,” Johnson said, but the ending now has a chance to be brighter than if Tech went 1-2 over its first three games. This was a conference game, a division game, a statement game. And the Jackets’ statement was: “We might not have Derrick Morgan or Demaryius Thomas or Jonathan Dwyer or Morgan Burnett anymore, but we’re still Georgia Tech.”
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223 comments Add your comment
GT Alum
September 18th, 2010
5:58 pm
Yeah, Steve, UGA often starts ranked high. It’s not where you start; it’s where you finish.
GT Alum
September 18th, 2010
6:01 pm
Yeah, unfortunately, the first 2 weeks of the season will ensure that, even if Tech wins the ACC, they will get no respect. Whoever wins the ACC this year really needs to win the Orange Bowl.
around town
September 18th, 2010
6:03 pm
Great win for GT. The D adjusted very well in the 2d half. Blair (14) was great kicking FG’s. And Nesbitt is a superhero, plain and simple.
If you Ga people had half the brains of your ugly, stupid mascot you would know that it’s time for you to sit down and shut up, at least until you can show that you can beat some team in division 1A.
TechfansRlosers
September 18th, 2010
6:04 pm
you win a game missing half its team and suddenly you think you are good.
southern miss beats Kansas. Really? Didn’t you lose to kansas? HA!
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:06 pm
Who has a 5 game bowl losing streak? You are right GT Alum, it is where you finish. UGA will end up above Tech this year. Never fails. Tech will always be a middle of the road team. Again, look at both teams records over the past 10, 20, 100 years.
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:08 pm
Buford T. Pusser, not sure why you’re whining….it’s not like your deputies haven’t been busy in athens ALREADY!!!
TechfansRlosers, UNC is NOT missing half its team….they know EXACTLY where they are!
Technophobia
September 18th, 2010
6:09 pm
Steve, Nesbitt’s ankle injury wasn’t luck, it was a dirty play but a bunch of UGA thugs who knew they were going to lose if they didn’t do something drastic. I’d suggest you should be ashamed of that but you obviously don’t feel shame because you have no pride or integrity. Go cry in your beer loser.
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:09 pm
Steve! Glad I didn’t hold my breath on that stadium thing!!! We don’t have to go back ten years…we ended the season ranked higher than your beloved LAST season.
GT Trumpet
September 18th, 2010
6:11 pm
Never fails? We finished above you last year. And the year before!
Technophobia
September 18th, 2010
6:12 pm
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:06 pm
You are right GT Alum, it is where you finish. UGA will end up above Tech this year. Never fails.
——————————————————————————————–
Are you such a dumbass you don’t even remember where you finished last year?? Apparantly, you are.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:12 pm
Techno, UGA and Tech recruit the same players. They just choose UGA. You would have the thugs also if they went to Tech. Macro, we still beat you, again.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:13 pm
Techno, I am talking about in most seasons. Mark, are you going to allow this terrible language by the dork from the worst conference in the country?
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:16 pm
Yep…you sure did…it was called an upset!!! We STILL ended ABOVE uga in the polls. Like I stated earlier, nice little win, though. Have you given up on the 40,000 seat high school stadium in Texas? You appear to be QUITE tenacious…I’m starting to think that you’d go to Texas and build one just to prove a Tech fan wrong!
Technophobia
September 18th, 2010
6:16 pm
Steve,
Good lord you really are an oaf aren’t you. If UGA and Tech get the same players, why is UGA’s recruiting class always ranked so much higher??? They choose UGA because they know they can take some easy major and can get away with anything that doesn’t get them arrested. Even then it’s no more than a one meaningless game suspension.
Technophobia
September 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
Steve, lol yeah, go cry to Mark.
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
Steve, you DO realize that you’re coming off a LITTLE pansy with your cries for help from Mark Bradley…just bein’ a friend!
Delbert D.
September 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
Anguished fans really need the support of other anguished fans on the anguished fans’ blog.
GT Trumpet
September 18th, 2010
6:18 pm
We don’t want the thugs. And if one gets through we kick them off the team as soon as he pulls any kind of crap. For reference see the Robert Hall incident where as soon as CPJ found out what he did he was kicked off the team. None of the Urban Meyer or Mark Richt “Well let me look at my playbook for next week to see how much I would miss them before I punish them,” bullcrap.
And just so you can’t burn me on it Hall was let back on the team because new information came to the attention of CPJ which obviously changed the whole perspective of the incident.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:23 pm
Well if I can’t cuss, why should you nerds be allowed to? Braves look to win. Nice!
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:24 pm
I don’t know trailor park…you’re right…if you can’t cuss than neither should us nerds!!!
Technophobia
September 18th, 2010
6:25 pm
Steve, why are you here? Do you really have nothing better to do after a UGA loss?? BTW, Shultz just pointed out that UGA is 2-6 in it’s last 8 SEC games.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:26 pm
Ahhh. My favorite. Yes, I live in an RV in the sticks and work at McDonalds. I was waiting on that. Thanks!
More to Mallett than strong arm « News, Articles and Information
September 18th, 2010
6:26 pm
[...] Bradley [...]
g
September 18th, 2010
6:27 pm
Steve:
Why don’t you stfu and let them decide who the better team is November. Don’t come on to our blog and be an ass because your team got whipped today.
around town
September 18th, 2010
6:27 pm
Look on the bright side, UGA. Sinc Green will leaving after the season, he’ll be able to sell his 2010 Independence Bowl jersey with impunity.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:28 pm
Actually, I am watching the Braves game waiting on my slow girlfriend to get dressed so we can go to dinner. Darn women. I agree with what Schultz said. Point???? Those are called facts. Like the UGA vs. Tech history.
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:28 pm
G, did I not say UGA sucks this year?
TechDan
September 18th, 2010
6:30 pm
Steve, UGA was a 1.5 point favorite. Good job losing.
TML
September 18th, 2010
6:36 pm
Excellent start to the ACC schedule. This was THE game we had to have and we took an in-division home win…always a good thing. LIke CPJ said after the game, it really is like winning two games at once. Good, good, good.
http://www.stinGTees.com
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:38 pm
Well…THANK you for not making us wait too long for the ‘nerd’ line…just wanted to repay the favor! I like your statement about uga vs Tech history…you guys keep adding up those little victories and we’ll work on adding another trophy to our trophy case….new crystal would look SO good. We you EVEN alive when uga won in 1980? It’s been a LONG time…hasn’t it?
Steve
September 18th, 2010
6:39 pm
Yup, I was. Braves win!
macrotech
September 18th, 2010
6:46 pm
Enjoy your dinner with your slow girlfriend…hopefully, it’ll go better than the pups game did for them!
MuttH8ter
September 18th, 2010
6:48 pm
I’ll second that ankle twisting jab. It was the last time I yelled at a TV. BTW, isn’t there a blog on the mutt loss? Did you mutt fans get lost and end up at the Tech game blog to show your @sses?
I believe it’s time to start scooping up the mutt tailgater poop after the UGA home game.
Mutt fans are losers.
GT Trumpet
September 18th, 2010
6:48 pm
Be careful come November, just because you’re winning by 3 scores doesn’t mean CPJ won’t sneak up on you.
MuttH8ter
September 18th, 2010
6:49 pm
Steve, Do you always date “slow” girls? Are they easier?
Mutts suck
Ben pines
September 18th, 2010
6:51 pm
Ga fans go whine on your own blog. You lost we won end of story buh bye.
GT Trumpet
September 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
Lets talk about Tech stuff! Like how Joshua Nesbitt is a beast, Or how CPJ will lead us to greatness with the talent coming in 2011. Or the effect of a higher Reynold’s number on a spherical shape!
GT Man
September 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
Steve
I am not worried about November against your mutts, as you probably won’t have 11 players to play, as they will all be arrested, wearing panties, stealing scooter helmets, or drinking and driving. GT wins this year in UGAG. Mark it down. By the way, I predicted Mallet would throw for 400 yards, he threw for 380. What a bad loss for the mutts. 1-2 to start the season and BoBlow looks like chitman. He needs to wear a helmet at practice. Maybe he can borrow the scooter helmet and get outta of those panties.
Lattimore:
September 18th, 2010
6:57 pm
I am still running……………………………………LMFAO! How bout them Jackets and Hogs.
Gt Alum
September 18th, 2010
6:58 pm
I wonder if Idaho State will be favored against the mutts now? I say it’s State -3.5. GO JACKETS AND WHOEVER PLAYS UGAG!
ACC football notebook « News, Articles and Information
September 18th, 2010
7:00 pm
[...] Bradley [...]
Octavious
September 18th, 2010
7:07 pm
ahahaha UNC had 11 players benched, I wouldn’t read into this 6 point win too much techies
Delbert D.
September 18th, 2010
7:13 pm
I think Steve left early. A lot of Georgia fans did with 10 minutes left. I’ve never understood that. You wait 8 long months, picking up any little things that are football-related, you argue completion percentages during practices, and then leave early from a game. Mind blowing.
murray
September 18th, 2010
7:14 pm
tech and the braves win. i like.
supersize that order, mutt
September 18th, 2010
7:14 pm
Steve talks about how THUGa has “always” owned Tech. He might consider looking at the record book. Granted, the past 40 years have been miserable for Tech in the series, but prior to 1967 or 1968, Tech either led, was tied, or only behind by a couple of games in the series. Plus during the time that Tech and THUGa were in the same conferences (SAIA, Southern, and SEC), Tech had more conference championships than THUGa, plus 3 recognized national championships to none. Even now, playing in different conferences, Tech still has a total of 16 conference championships to THUGa’s 13, and 4 recognized national championships to 1. Even if Tech never gets the record against the mutts even, or better, again, we still have more to be proud about overall in our history than THUGa.
Delbert D.
September 18th, 2010
7:15 pm
Wow, Clemson is looking good on offense. TD on the opening drive.
Nate
September 18th, 2010
7:16 pm
Steve, I apologize for my fellow GT bloggers. Look we both root for our teams, but sometimes the blogs get out of hand obviously. Good luck to both teams. And Tech fans, I swear if any of you were the ones crying last weekend about bailing on this team, you should take a hard look at yourself. Stop being a pansy and get to the games and cheer this team on.
supersize that order, mutt
September 18th, 2010
7:16 pm
Delbert, apparently Steve’s “slow date” finally arrived and they headed off to the trough for dinner.
supersize that order, mutt
September 18th, 2010
7:18 pm
Nate, we don’t need anybody apologizing for the treatment mutts get when they come on a Tech blog and talk crap. They deserve anything they get and should GTH out of here.
spider
September 18th, 2010
7:24 pm
wont it be great when the gsu panthers and kenesaw owles rule the state and the gt and uga fans bashing each other will be a mute point