Without Joshua Nesbitt, is Tech’s season over? Nah, I say
A tough break, literally and figuratively. (AP photo)
Watching from afar, my first two thoughts were:
1. Without Joshua Nesbitt, Georgia Tech won’t win again.
2. Mark Richt’s job is now safe for this year. (Weird how I made that leap.)
But then, after 30 seconds’ reflection, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think Tech will lose its final three games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jackets and Tevin Washington — and Paul Johnson — don’t give us a finish to this regular season. Because Paul Johnson can really coach.
We saw it again last night. With his team a two-touchdown underdog on a rainy night in Blacksburg, Johnson saw to it that his men got the required fast start and kept them playing after the one indispensable Jacket had been lost to a broken arm before halftime. When inevitably Virginia Tech pulled ahead, Tech and Washington managed to re-tie matters.
When the Hokies ran back the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown, darned if the visitors didn’t muster up another drive. And had they scored another touchdown, I’d convinced myself PJ wasn’t going to mess around with overtime. He was going to go for two and steal the thing in regulation.
No, Johnson’s team didn’t win. But it gave a winning effort both with and without its MVP. It stacked 426 yards on Bud Foster’s defense, which is saying something.
And now I’m thinking Tech will, even without the great Nesbitt, contrive to win at least once more and render itself bowl-eligible. I’m also thinking Georgia shouldn’t be overconfident.
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291 comments Add your comment
Buck Commander
November 5th, 2010
9:16 am
First Again!!
Buck Commander
November 5th, 2010
9:18 am
I will get bashed now for sure. Oh well, it started my day off on a good note.
B
November 5th, 2010
9:19 am
MARK BRADLEY YOU ARE AN EGG SUCKER.
Mark Bradley
November 5th, 2010
9:19 am
Mine, too, Buck Commander. Kudos.
juvenal
November 5th, 2010
9:23 am
hope he is remembered as our Braveheart……
Benjamin
November 5th, 2010
9:24 am
The great Nesbitt’s completion percentage was below 40 percent going into last night’s game; I just wanted to make that known.
I like Josh and he is certainly a leader on the team, but the season’s not doomed for the Jackets. And I’m a Dawgs fan, though I distance myself from most of them because 82 percent of the ones who seem to read these blogs sound about as intelligent as my three year old nephew,
David
November 5th, 2010
9:25 am
I hate to see Joshua go out like that; the team played well and showed some guts. The defense finally ran out of gas; way too many snaps by VT on offense in the second half. This should be interesting; we will now get a glimpse at the new GT offense for next year and this will give Tevin and gang well needed reps…
WreckIt
November 5th, 2010
9:26 am
As sad as I am to lose Nesbitt, I’m excited to see Tevin break in. Now we’re officially in rebuilding mode. Young offensive line, new defense, new QB. The good news is that Tevin can sling that rock, and that the WRs seem to be able to catch that ball.
Hanging tough with VT isn’t a bad start. GO TECH.
Shug
November 5th, 2010
9:28 am
You’re right that this may have saved Richt’s job. No way that Georgia loses to a Tech team with a second string qb, right?
Bromaryius Thomas
November 5th, 2010
9:29 am
That game was rough last night… Paul Johnson is an unbelievably great coach, based on our performance, but you have to think that game could have gone our way if we had gotten some breaks. Our kicking game, like CPJ said, is absolutely horrific. But Nesbitt breaking his arm, that’s tough for us. Not only is it hard to win without him, but he’s the most exciting player to watch. I guess now I’m just crossing my fingers that we go to the Sun Bowl so me and my friends can go party in some sweet Mexican border towns.
Will
November 5th, 2010
9:30 am
Tevin? Really, Tevin?
SadDawg
November 5th, 2010
9:30 am
Heard on “PTI” yesterday that there is a rumor that Texas will promote Will Muschamp to HC after this season. The reason? Because UGA is gonna fire Richt, and go after Muschamp to replace him.
I don’t believe it, but it was on the ESPN show yesterday, so the rumor is out there . . .
SadDawg
November 5th, 2010
9:32 am
Shug, UGA could lose to UF even if they played 3 QBs. Oh wait, that really happened.
WreckIt
November 5th, 2010
9:33 am
Shug, what about the opposite case? If Tech beats UGA with a second string QB, what does that say for Richt’s job?
Hankie Aron
November 5th, 2010
9:35 am
Mark, I don’t think UGA should be overconfident against any BCS opponent. I do think they can be reasonably confident against the Potato Spuds from Idaho State
WesDawg
November 5th, 2010
9:35 am
Mark, Here is another off the wall scenario: Let’s say Nesbitt doesn’t get injured and GT still loses the game. Is CPJ the same coaching “genius” or is this just you taking another cheap shot a Mark Richt?
the murf
November 5th, 2010
9:39 am
I wont forget the play against FSU, fumble and then Nesbitt with the steal. And the overtime against Wake, awesome
bjohndawg
November 5th, 2010
9:39 am
I am a Dawg fan…but I hated to see Josh Nesbitt go out like that. He is a great player and competitor and you hate to see a young man having a good season have that kind of injury. I was looking forward to watching him compete in Athens. The 2nd string QB moved them down the field very well. And the interception was not a bad pass, just a great play by the Vtech CB. Their season is far from over.Now this guy gets the reps and that will help them even more for next season.
JacketOption
November 5th, 2010
9:40 am
Last night’s tradgic season ending injury of Nesbitt wasn’t complete bad news. I think Tevin Washington did a supurb job once he got comfortable on the field. For the first two series he was out there I felt that game was probably over, even with a 7 point lead. Then our defense showed up, which is proof that if we give this defense time to be carefully installed it will produce. Last night was the first time our team had shown emotion, the first time this season we had the attitude it requires to be what us Georgia Tech fans have come to expect. Anthony Allen was busting for yards play after play, because he knew it was his time to take over as the offensive leader and to help out Washington. (why PJ didn’t keep Allen in for the attempted 4th down conversion, I’ll never know) We also got to see a glimpse of what Tech football future is going to be like without the only option quarterback we’ve known since this system has been installed, and to be honest, I’m encouraged. Tevin was putting passes right where they needed to be and getting yards on the ground when he knew we had to have them. He showed that he has the ability and the heart to take things into his own hands and make plays happen. I’ve loved seeing Nesbitt, our warrior, orchestrate our complex offense for the past three years. But I don’t think the fun stops here. I believe Washington is about to show us that this success can and will carry on. Coach Paul Johnson is no fool, he will demand production out of this offense and has the resume to prove that. We’re peaking into a new era my friends, and it doesn’t feel quite as bad the day after as it did watching number 9 laid out on the field.
the real Old Gold
November 5th, 2010
9:41 am
His completion % had nothing to do with throwing and everything to do with drops. Those of us who watch games instead of espn stats know that.
Mulk
November 5th, 2010
9:44 am
Coach Johnson had better be able to coach because Tech has no speed, no strength, no size on either side of the ball. Nesbit was their ONLY playmaker on the offensive side. We’ll see if you can just plug omponents into Coach Johnson’s scheme and be successful. I get the feeling that he thinks that no matter who is running it that it is going to be successful.
CarolinaJacket
November 5th, 2010
9:44 am
I was real proud of Tevin and the defense. They played tough and Tevin showed a pretty nice touch with his passes. I hope, however, that if Chris Jackson has recovered that he is moved back to wide receiver. He might just be the one that makes the passing game click, when needed.
nola dawg fan
November 5th, 2010
9:46 am
as a die hard UGA fan and alum, i must say #9 is/was a warrior. Even though I want tech to lose by 50+ every game out, dawg fans all respect the heck out of Nesbitt. Tough loss
T3
November 5th, 2010
9:49 am
A very tough loss.
GT was O-W-N-I-N-G VT until Nesbitt was injured.
So many stupid mistakes:
1. Blair KO out-of-bounds
2. Sweeting trying to run the INT out from deep in the endzone.
3. So many false starts of offense.
4. Blair with the wretched KO that ended with VT TD.
However………………………………………………
The BIGGEST MISTAKE was CPJ’s arrogant decision to
throw on 3rd & 6 from VT 6 yard line in late 2nd Qtr.
The GAME…The ACC title shot…Nesbitt…and perhaps The Season…
…were all lost on that ONE SINGLE play.
Arrogance can be a great quality in a coach,
right up to the moment it becomes…self-defeating.
GT4Ever
November 5th, 2010
9:51 am
I hate it that Nesbitt is out for his last three games at GT but Tevin did look pretty good after the initial (probably a nerves thing) couple of series. He definitely looks more accurate than Nesbitt. You’re right MB, against Foster “D”, Tevin and Co. did march up and down the field not once but twice. That’s saying a lot about CPJ and Tevin’s characters. I think will see our guys play harder the rest of the way too. The guys seemed to rally around Tevin. We have UM, Duke and UGA left. All are very winnable games. Go JACKETS!!!!
juvenal
November 5th, 2010
9:51 am
our bak-ups are NOT jaybo, but real option QB’s…….Blair always gets weaker as the game goes on where is the Marist kid?
swimdawg68
November 5th, 2010
9:51 am
I hate Nesbitt was injured. When the Dawgs take care of Tech in 3 weeks all the techies will use that loss as an excuse. Remember, we played 4 games this year without our star player, and lost 3 of them. Now tech will get a tase of that bitter pill, it’s very hard to take.
tim
November 5th, 2010
9:51 am
saw CPJ holler the GD word several times last night.
stay classy CPJ
Glory Glory
November 5th, 2010
9:52 am
Don’t worry Tech!!!!
You still have Stephen Hill!!!!!!!! Haha
The worst part about this will be the excuses that cone rolling in after Tech gets crushed in Athens over Thanksgiving.
Get well soon Joshua.
PMC
November 5th, 2010
9:53 am
I feel bad for Nesbit. I hope he gets healthy soon. If this is the last we see of him in College, he certainly left a lot of spectacular moments.
Perhaps next spring Tech will work on passing quite a bit more. No matter who is the QB, either the routes aren’t crisp, they don’t fight for the ball or the pass is a wounded duck. They are awful throwing the ball.
Delbert D.
November 5th, 2010
9:54 am
@Will – “Tevin? Really, Tevin?”
What are you not saying?
The Dream
November 5th, 2010
9:55 am
My heart was broken as is Joshua’s arm, but that is why I follow college football. We are at the mercy of a young man (or men) that anything can happen to them due to poor luck, bad decisions or even something wonderful from time to time. Joshua was the heart of this team, but I could see the sparkle in the eye of Tevin Washington and as I told my son last night, there is always hope. Good luck Tech and I’ll be there in the stands for the next game as always, looking for the big play.
PMC
November 5th, 2010
9:56 am
Roddy Jones was awesome yesterday.
College Football between the two major programs in this state this year is just lacking. Special Teams let Tech down big time last night.
Tech v Georgia this year is going to be an ugly sloppy poorly played slugfest.
Glory Glory
November 5th, 2010
9:56 am
Only delusional Tech fans will tell you their team is now better after their “Heisman leading” quarterback snaps his arm.
You idiots sound like the Bammer Jammers when Ingram missed the first couple games.
The ONLY positive for Tech? Jacory Harris will not play against you next week.
Slick
November 5th, 2010
9:57 am
So, losing a tough game and its best player gives you reason to believe that Tech might beat the Dawgs? Now, I got no problem with anybody thinking Tech might beat my Dawgs. As badly as UGA has played it’s easily a possibility. But I got to admit, I’m confused as to how losing a game and the best player on the team instills confidence.
Bill
November 5th, 2010
9:57 am
Agree Mark! GT played with alot of heart and never give up. Nesbitt will be missed but Washington showed he can move the TEAM. My prays are with Nesbitt.
Love the way Coach Johnson does his job, knowing he’s going for the win. He’s a Winner (REAL COACH)…….not like Paul Hewitt. Dawg’s may win but they’ll know they been in a fight. I still believe GT wins.
The pass interference on GT’s #2 was BS ..VT pushed him and he fell down, should have been O-PI. That play set up VT TD.
todd grantham
November 5th, 2010
9:57 am
Mark, are you saying Tech choked? heh, heh
Dunwoody Jacket
November 5th, 2010
9:58 am
Mark I agree with you. I think Tech will still beat Duke and become bowl eligible. I think we will be underdogs against Miami and Georgia, but capable of pulling off a win against either. We will know for sure in a few weeks. It was good watching Washington last night. I was so relieved to see that we do have a quarterback that can play to follow Nesbit, I almost forgot we lost the game. I liked what I saw of Washington.
St. Richt
November 5th, 2010
9:58 am
Have we pulled Stephen Hill’s scholarship yet??
Glory Glory
November 5th, 2010
9:59 am
Prediction:
you will see a LOT of (((((37-13))))) on these boards over the offeeason.
As well as:
“Well, if Nesbitt would have played…”
Losers
FullMetalJacket
November 5th, 2010
9:59 am
This is the next big test for Paul Johnson’s offense: plugging in a new QB (who he recruited) to carry on. True, Shaw filled in two years ago and did well, but this is for at least three games–three difficult games–with bowl games on the line. Either way, we’re going to miss Nesbit’s toughness. Now, if the receivers will just find their hands….
Ozzy
November 5th, 2010
10:01 am
Somebody needs to jerk Sweeting by his face mask and tell him to pull his head out of his rear.
He’s had two crucial roughing the kicker penalties and the bonehead decision to come out of the end zone last night. It could have easily cost us a safety.
He’s probably been playing football since he was six. C’mon man!!
GTAE86
November 5th, 2010
10:01 am
That game was really a heart-breaker – took me over an hour to get to sleep. We had the Hokies in our crosshairs, but they were able to finally beat us…with our backup QB, a backup O lineman and backup receiver. I live in Virginia, so I can honestly say they are too dumb to realize how close it was.
The good news is Tevin Washington. I have been worried for weeks about what was going to happen after Joshua Nesbitt graduates…now I know! If Tevin can watch some Nesbitt film and some from last night so that he knows not to freeze after the snap, he will do fine. After a slow start in the third, he really ramped it up. We could very likely win out the rest of the season.
As for Richt and the Dawgs – I wish them every success as long as they are not playing GT.
FullMetalJacket
November 5th, 2010
10:01 am
Glory Glory, How noble of you to assume that Tech will beat you 37-13 this year in Athens (I think it will be closer myself), but I wouldn’t call yourselves “Losers” just because of losing to Tech. You have so many other reasons to be called Losers.
Dawg gone.
November 5th, 2010
10:03 am
Slick, alot of us dawgs are confused too. How did we lost 5 games? Maybe the other teams want it more- are we need to fire CMR. Tech may kick our butt, losing Nesbitt may fire them up. Don’t cross your legs just yet you may fall.
Ted M
November 5th, 2010
10:03 am
Well it seems I had higher expectations for the Jackets then most as I thought the season was pretty much lost before this game. I do think they are capable of winning out, though I’m not predicting it, but I wanted more then that. Why does their special teams have to stink so bad? Why do they come out flat in so many games? Why does their defense usually have to stink so bad?
Perhaps there is a silver lining…Maybe these next 3 starts for Washington will prepare him for next season and set the ground work for a really special season.
Trade School Fools
November 5th, 2010
10:03 am
Tech’s season was over before it started. Noone cares about Tech. Not sure why you bother wasting print (or in this case kb’s) on even writing about them. They weren’t any good with Nesbitt. Not any good without him. As floundering as the UGA program seems to be these days, they still beat these fools by 2 TD’s without breaking a sweat.
Wreckedwreck
November 5th, 2010
10:03 am
Bud Fosters great defense? NC State 525 yards, East Carolina 361 yards, Central Michigan 401 yards.
VT is this years ACC coastal divisions tallest midget.
calvin
November 5th, 2010
10:03 am
There was no need for Tech to go for it on 4th down deep in
Tech territory. That’s fine when desperate, but they weren’t
desperate at that point. This going for it on 4th down was
great last year, but this year it has been costly, as it was
lat night.
Captn65
November 5th, 2010
10:04 am
EXACTOMONDO….Bark Madley….Doctor PJ is a constant work in Progress….SNAP….That’s the sound of the hedges on Jailyard Dog Day…..