Tech secures a bowl but doesn’t exactly leave UGA cowering
With this swoop, Mario Butler takes Tech from behind to ahead. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
The goal, cornerback Mario Butler said, was to keep from becoming the first Georgia Tech team since 1996 to be bowl-ineligible, and that mission was accomplished. And if the Jackets entered Saturday’s game with the ancillary aim of rendering Georgia overconfident for next week’s collision … well, they managed that, too.
Upcoming in Athens: The most impressive 5-6 team in the land — that’d be Georgia — will face the least imposing 6-5 aggregation. Tech won Saturday for the first time since Oct. 16 and needed all the aid and comfort Duke could supply, which was a lot. Some will point to this tepid regular season as a massive comedown from the high of the 2009 ACC championship, and in its way it has been. But this comedown could well have been a nosedive.
The Jackets didn’t have much except Joshua Nesbitt when this season commenced, and now that the indomitable quarterback has been lost they have next to nothing. Their offense mustered but two touchdowns — one of them coming on a pass completion, of which Tech likewise had two — against Duke, which ranked last in the ACC in total defense. The Tech defense, meanwhile, yielded 443 yards to an opponent conspicuously lacking a talent on the order of, say, A.J. Green.
The first half was vintage Tech 2010: A touchdown run overridden on a penalty; a fumbled Duke kickoff uncovered; a fumble lost inside the Duke 10; a failed fourth-down bid that led to a Duke field goal three seconds before halftime. “We had a chance to bury them early one,” said Paul Johnson, the Tech coach, “but we couldn’t get out of our own way.”
Tech trailed 13-6 at the half. It drove smartly enough on its first possession of the third quarter but was held to a field goal, whereupon Duke drove smartly and was within 14 yards of establishing an 11-point lead, whereupon Butler made two plays. The first resulted in a 6-yard loss. The second netted seven points. Butler broke on the only pass thrown by Brandon Connette, who is Duke’s running quarterback for a reason, and took it 85 yards to score.
“I just jumped it,” Butler said, speaking of the pass route. Then: “When I cut across [the field on his lung-bursting return], my hamstrings were about gone.”
Tech would build a 10-point lead. Being Tech, it came close to handing it back. Duke missed a tying field goal with 9:20 left. Three snaps later, Stephen Hill outfought a defender to snatch a Tevin Washington pass from the air. The 79-yard touchdown was the sort play of the departed Demaryius Thomas authored weekly last season but that Hill, considered the heir apparent, has seldom made.
“Coach Johnson wants playmaking receivers,” Hill said. “[I've] had a bad little year. But the year’s not over with.”
Said Johnson: “We didn’t accomplish a lot of the goals we set as a team, but our players know they’re going to play two more games.”
Tech’s next game will be of great local interest, and it’s hard to imagine a team that needed 3 1/2 quarters to put away Duke at Bobby Dodd Stadium going to Athens and actually winning. But say this about these Jackets: They’ve somehow won more than they’ve lost, the key word being “somehow.”
Jonathan Dwyer gained 1,395 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns in 2009; Anthony Allen, the new feature back, surpassed 1,000 yards with Saturday’s grinding performance but has scored only five times. Derrick Morgan had 12 1/2 sacks in 2009; the 2010 Tech team has 16. The aforementioned Thomas caught 46 passes for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009; Hill’s numbers this season — 13 catches, 244 yards and three touchdowns.
When Nesbitt suffered a broken arm against Virginia Tech 2 1/2 weeks ago, the fear among Tech fans was that their team wouldn’t win again. On Saturday it won, if haltingly, and now the Jackets will play in a bowl, albeit an off-brand one. That’s actually pretty good value for a team almost devoid of playmakers, and you Jacket backers should try to hold that thought. Because what happens in Sanford Stadium might not be pleasant for the ol’ White and Gold.
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497 comments Add your comment
gt84
November 21st, 2010
12:39 am
i know this sounds odd but i think gt will beat ga fairly easy bc of coaching , its obious we gt are lacking lots of talent this year which ga bulldogs is loaded with , which ga s coaches cant seem to get them to play to their talent,,,,
talent means nothing if you dont prduce which ga has done too much this, neither tech either but i say tech wins 24-17
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:39 am
UGA football team aka clarke county correctinal facility
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:39 am
HOW ABOUT LOSING TO A SCHOOL THAT FIRED THEIR COACH BEFORE THE SEASON WAS OUT????? Guess that doesn’t mean anything, huh?
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:42 am
pageing ARDawg??? Its time for your nutering…are you there??
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:43 am
did all the puppies leave? Shame. I was having fun.
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:44 am
Techster you post on stingtalk? If you do, go read “Enough’ thread in football forum. Been a plessure trying to smack since into these nadlickers with ya! GO JACKETS THWG!!!!
gt84
November 21st, 2010
12:44 am
man I am so sick and tired of this fan base! Those young men played with HEART today, and all year. Trust me, I was just as down as anyone else when we were losing to DUKE at halftime, but these young men came back like RABID JACKETS in the second half, and fought it out!
The Mutts are not good. I am TIRED of reading that they will demolish us!! If our student athletes read that their own FANS dont even beleive in them. Why should they!?
Let’s give them ALL the support they deserve by showing our GT pride ALL DANG WEEK!!!! I for one will fly my flags, and show my magnets ALL WEEK, because I am DANG proud to be a WRAMBLIN WRECK FROM GA TECH!!!!
Tech is always empisizing(Sp?) class?? Show some, by not letting those DANG mutts get to you this week!!! Let’s just beat their arsh on the field!!!
I am TIRED of this Bull****!!!!
I will be in Athens, and I WILL be leaving SCREAMING the fight song at the top of my lungs!! We WILL beat the mutts!!!!
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:45 am
Nerds, I didn’t realize how hard you are clamoring for something, anything to brag about. It must really be bad over there on North Ave. What happen? No free hotdogs and cokes this year? Here’s you something, did you Nerds know Tech is the proud owner of 5 SEC titles? That’s true! Of course it was when the SEC is as bad and weak as the ACC is now
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:45 am
See you in the sespool that is Athens Ga!!!!
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:47 am
I wasnt bragging. I was enjoying talking smack with puppies
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:47 am
gt84
Great win today there buddy!!
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:47 am
Yes GT84, that is my post I was refering too!
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:50 am
a win is a win…..not somthing youd know much about this year!
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:51 am
ARdawg…you realize that is the DUMBEST thing ever said? Bear Bryant? The dominant Ole Miss teams of yesteryear? You need a serious history lesson.
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:51 am
We’ll reacquaint ourselves with it on Saturday and in a fine fashion I’ll expect
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:52 am
Simpleton
You should read up on your history. Some of you Nerds aren’t very smart are you?
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:54 am
Oh that’s simple Tech isn’t it? Silly me and these glasses. Somehow Simpleton fits you though
THWG
November 21st, 2010
12:54 am
History:
Most recent confrence championship…….THats us.
Most recent NATIONAL championship……US AGAIN………
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:54 am
Later Nerds but, please meet me here next week, won’t you?
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:55 am
Absolutely Retarded Dawg….
I did. Why don’t you go read up on the history of the SEC before bashing your own conference?
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:56 am
Absolutely AR. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
12:57 am
I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech, and a hell of an engineer–
A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer.
Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear.
I’m a Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer.
Oh! If I had a daughter, sir, I’d dress her in White and Gold,
And put her on the campus to cheer the brave and bold.
But if I had a son, sir, I’ll tell you what he’d do–
He would yell, ‘To hell with Georgia!’ like his daddy used to do.
Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it round.
I’d drink to all the good fellows who come from far and near.
I’m a ramblin’, gamblin’, hell of an enginee
ARdawg
November 21st, 2010
12:58 am
THWG
Stick with the 5 SEC titles. It has more “Pop”. I knew you could. Nighty night now. Can you say “5 SEC titles?” I knew you could
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
1:01 am
By the way, Mr. Bradley…..I don’t think it would have mattered if we would have won 90-0 against Duke, the Dawgs wouldnt be cowering. Why not write an article instead about how misplaced you were about how many wins your blessed dawgs were going to have……and how ironic it is that THEY HAVE TO BEAT TECH IN ORDER TO GO TO A BOWL!!!!! HAHAHAAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
whatever
November 21st, 2010
1:02 am
Mark,
I always knew that you were a closet Bull Thug fan – but this year, you have come out of the closet with your consistent pathetic articles about how bad tech is and how The Bull Thugs are the best unranked team in the nation. Yes – Tech get beat pretty bad by The Bull Thugs – but at least Tech players will come away with a much better education – rather than a lot of Thug-Dawgs – who will graduate with unuseable degrees like Housing (and no, this is the “building” class), general studies, african-american studies (nothing wrong with that – but unless your going into teaching, what good does it do you?), health, sports mgmt, underwater basket weaving (just kidding).
It’s the REAL world that these guys – that UGA fans go crazy over right now – will be in over the next 2 to 3 years; and unlike the VERY FEW who will become Pros – the rest of them will have to live with the sorry state of education and the degree (??) that they will leave with at UGA. Which is to say – all they will have is to remember “the glory days”.
Simple Techster
November 21st, 2010
1:04 am
Nice, whatever. But I beg to differ about your prediction of the outcome of the game.
Sonnydays
November 21st, 2010
1:21 am
JUST BLEED! Nothing to lose here. We will go for it on every fourth down and run real plays for no reason whatsoever. thats just how we roll.
Tech by 3
macrotech
November 21st, 2010
1:23 am
I don’t own a crystal ball…as so many on this blog seem to, but I DO know that Tech will have to play MUCH more physical if they’re to beat the pups in Athens. It was nice to see Hill make a catch, but he’s been so bad this season that I was certain that we were dead at the moment of the throw. Allen was a workhorse and Washington did okay…he’s not making good reads out there. He should have pitched the ball a little more. Our DBs need to get their act together…for the life of me, I don’t understand how Duke had so many recievers wide open. This MUST be fixed or we’re going to watch AJ Greene rack up a lot of yards AND scores. Today, we beat our “Colorado”. I’m glad to have the ‘W’…it’s the end of the season and we STILL have MUCH room for improvement! GO TECH!!!
Richard Cranium
November 21st, 2010
1:31 am
IF YOU CAN’T GO TO COLLEGE – GO TO UGA,
“THE BEST 5 – 6 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY”…
POOR INBREDS.
Hairy Dawg
November 21st, 2010
2:02 am
Dawgs get to start returning to dominants by beating on pestky bugs to running states. We goning to make fat slob coaching look like high school were nobodys wants to play. Then we gets talents to reload for paybacks.
Jen
November 21st, 2010
3:16 am
LMAO..GT gave up 443 yrds to DUKE?!!!?……………………the end.
London Jacket
November 21st, 2010
4:21 am
I am a Tech man through and through but I think UGA may just run over this year and never need to throw a pass. We are just not physical enough on D to stop a team with decent balance. UGA will make us stop the run which will require our interior to stuff their interior. I can’t see that happening. Our guys would need 9 in the box to stop their running game and then who covers AJ Green?
It is the balanced teams that have killed us – NC State, Miami, Clemson and UGA’s offense is in this mold.
And our offense is not consistent enough to win a shoot out.
But…
I actually think this could be one of the more entertaining Tech / UGA games because both teams are so unpredictably bad and good at times. No telling what might happen.
But gotta believe UGA are at least 14 point favorites here.
mowreck
November 21st, 2010
5:18 am
Don’t forget Eric, GT lost to a pretty good team also. … KANSAS!
Doggoneit
November 21st, 2010
5:57 am
Dawgs defense patehtic-Tech’s even worse, Dogs offense with A J Green really good-Tech’s offense without Nesbit not too good- Paul Johnson going for it on 3rd and long at the 50 yard line early in games arrogant and stupid-Dawgs take out a year of frustration on Bees at home 52-28
Rusty
November 21st, 2010
6:11 am
UGA is the #1 5-6 team in the country, but Tech is in the top 20 of all the 6-5 teams. Gonna be a good game.
Rusty
November 21st, 2010
6:13 am
Yeah that was pretty dumb to go for it on 3rd and long. They should have punted on 1st down.
WOLLEY STEKCAJ
November 21st, 2010
6:46 am
Bradley has nailed it again, he just tells the truth. Who did Tech beat this year: SC State, Midd Tenn, UNC with 11 players suspended, Weak Forest, Virginia, who may just suck more that Tech, and a sorry Duke team, we were lucky.
I’m a Tech guy , season tickets for 20 years, but you got to see what is happening.
Skilled players will not come here due to this gimic offense. Worked in non BCS schools ’cause all the best skilled guys are at BCS schools and the competition is more level in non BCS schools..
Look at our latest commit, we beat out Jacksonville State and Middle Tennessee to get this guy! No longer are we competing with Ga, Ala, Aub, or any school of athletic substance for skilled players.
Just wait, Georgia will crush us and next year the team is all Johnson recruits. Remember he says “The Georgia game does not define our season!” Thats a crock. Hopefully Tech will have the guts to fire this goof ball coach that blames everyone but himself before it becomes to late to be relevant in college football!!!!!!!!!
ToeMeetsLeather
November 21st, 2010
6:55 am
Our only shot at a win is if half the UGA team is arrested this week. Come to think of it, I guess there is a pretty good chance of that happening! Oh, and Mark, Allen did get his 1,000 yards that you predicted would not happen after about game four.
GT (not CPJ) Fan
November 21st, 2010
7:08 am
Mark B. Who cares if Tech is bowl eligible or that you think UGA will beat Tech. You are right in both cases.
However, I am on such a downer because of GT`s performance this season that I don`t care what they do.
CPJ must realize that with this loss that you have predicted to UGA and a loss (as usual) in a bowl game, his
record will be 6-7. Maybe he should decline a bowl game?
dawgma
November 21st, 2010
7:10 am
UGA should not accept a bowl invite after we beat the Techie’s. They have earned no bowl game.
WOLLEY STEKCAJ
November 21st, 2010
7:21 am
dawgma, Bowl games give you more practice time. Think of it as an investment for next year. you gte about 12 additional practices, that is actually good stuff.
Nub
November 21st, 2010
7:22 am
Squash bugs by 17….. And go bowling in Memphis—– need all the practice time they can get …. WooF!
Buckeye
November 21st, 2010
7:24 am
Um…….where is UGA currently ranked? Can’t find it anywhere.
Nub
November 21st, 2010
7:25 am
The MONEY says CMR is coaching to keep his job…..
Dude
November 21st, 2010
7:26 am
It’s very simple, PJ has already shown his offense can win games, but he did it with Chan Gailey’s players. If no four and five star players want to play for GT then it’s no mystery why they have dropped like a lead balloon. We have way too much talent leaving the state to play football.
Chiefdawg
November 21st, 2010
7:28 am
Never fear Tech fans, UGA can make the worst teams look great.
BUZZMAionN
November 21st, 2010
7:30 am
Congrats to the defense onTech, you allowed over 400 yards to the powerhouse Duke. I am still waiting for the defense to get better Ilol),we do not deserve to go to a bowl game. Maybe Santa will bring me a gift this Christmas, a new Defense Coach in my stocking. Predication, Georgia 35 ,Tech 17. What can I say, I love Tech but it is reality. We suck.
GoDOGS1
November 21st, 2010
7:37 am
After reading all the blog post from Tech fans, all I have to say is ‘dear me, the GT fanbase feelings have really changed for CPJ’. I wonder if CPJ has changed his tune regarding the GT/UGA game? Not meaning much, eh CPJ? As a UGA Alum and fan, the GT game is BY FAR the most important game each year.
Saint Simons…where are you?
Furman Bishop
November 21st, 2010
7:38 am
Don’t give up hope yet, Tech Fans. After all, Richt is still the coach at UGA and Bozo is still the coordinator. Anyone has a chance against that dynamic duo—just as Hawk, the canned Buffs head coach.
Clifford Ackley
November 21st, 2010
7:39 am
After watching that debacle off a computer screen yesterday, one has to conclude that Tech’s players and coaches must be cheating. Because there is no way football players that stupid can get into Georgia Tech.