Outmanned Tech fights to the end but can’t finish the drill
One guy coached a winning game. The other coach won. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Athens – Give Paul Johnson a couple of months and he could take the remaining Rolling Stones and have those geezers rushing for 300 yards a game. Say what you will about the man, but he can coach the heck out of what he has. At issue Saturday night was whether he had enough.
There aren’t many coaches who can outdraw Johnson with the X’s and O’s, but the game, as we’re constantly reminded, isn’t played on a whiteboard. It’s played by real-life players. And Johnson’s Jackets lost to Georgia here Saturday not because they didn’t play hard or well but because in the end they just weren’t as skilled. Try as they might, and they tried mightily, they could never take the lead.
If anything, Saturday’s game showed us how clever Johnson is. He bled 512 yards out of an offense missing its best player. Tech held the ball for 38 minutes and 14 seconds, ran 92 plays to Georgia’s 48. And even at the end, when the Bulldogs appeared to have scored the clinching touchdown, they looked up and realized the old fox on the far sideline had one-upped them again.
As Johnson said, allowing Georgia to score was “the only way we could win the game.” And rather than alert its players to the possibility and advise them to get a first down and then fall on the ball, the Bulldog staff was caught unawares.
“We didn’t coach very good there,” Mark Richt said, speaking of Washaun Ealey’s 20-yard touchdown run with 1:29 remaining that put Georgia up eight points. “We got outcoached right there. It was good strategy by Coach Johnson. I thought when it happened, ‘He got us there. He got me.’ ”
It was that kind of night. Georgia won the game but left the distinct impression that it had gotten away with one. Johnson’s Jackets messed up early and often and still were one drive from winning the thing. (And then, one possession later, one drive from forcing overtime.)
Tech fizzled twice early — getting stopped on fourth-and-2 at the Georgia 19 after recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff, fumbling inside the 10 not five minutes later. And here came the Bulldogs, seizing a 14-point lead that at the game’s outset seemed like twice that much. But back came Tech, back on the strength of those two Johnson staples: A running game and a sheer stubbornness.
Even the hardiest of Jacket backers were dreading this strange game, in which the team with the lesser record entered favored by two touchdowns. Georgia clearly has better players than Tech, and without quarterback Joshua Nesbitt there are moments when it seems Tech has nothing at all. And yet the visitors kept fighting after falling behind by those two touchdowns, and soon it was apparent that the team lacking its best player wasn’t lacking in guts.
It was 14-all with one minute left in the first half, 21-all with a minute left in the third quarter. And this wasn’t because Tech was playing letter-perfect football; on the contrary, it had taken three Georgia turnovers and gotten nothing from them. And still the game was tied, the underdog having become the aggressor, the Bulldogs looking as confused as they had all season. (Which, given how the season had gone for Georgia, was saying something.)
Late in the third quarter Tech was driving to take the lead when Roddy Jones fumbled. Georgia nosed ahead on Washaun Ealey’s touchdown burst on fourth-and-goal. Then Tech fumbled again, quarterback Tevin Washington pitching to Jones as the Tech back was about to get splattered, and the resulting loose ball was taken for a touchdown by Georgia linebacker Justin Houston.
Another two-TD lead for the home side, this with barely a quarter to go. Surely there was no responding from this, not with the redoubtable Nesbitt a spectator with his broken arm. But doggone — no pun intended — if the Jackets didn’t surge to one touchdown and then, beggaring belief, another. With 4:56 remaining, the Jackets were within a point of even.
And Scott Blair, who hadn’t missed an extra point all season, missed the extra point. And surely that was that. But no. Georgia didn’t lose six times by its ability to deliver under pressure. The Bulldogs moved within field-goal range, chose to go for it on fourth-and-1 and saw Aaron Murray fumble the snap. At last Tech had its chance to take the lead.
And it couldn’t manage a first down. Tevin Washington was dropped for losses on first and second down, threw incomplete on third and fourth, and the Jackets had to be done, didn’t they? But Johnson pulled his let-’em-score trick and still his Jackets kept coming, flying across midfield with 45 seconds left. And then finally it was done, Washington delivering an interception.
Georgia had won and rendered itself bowl-eligible, but the lasting memory of this game won’t be of the Bulldogs and their escape: It will be of Johnson and his Jackets and how close they’d come with all their fumbling and without their No. 1 quarterback. It will be of the coach with the lesser players forcing the Bulldogs to the brink. If Paul Johnson can ever recruit similar talent on a consistent basis — admittedly, it’s a big if — Tech won’t wind up 6-6 again anytime soon.
“I wish I could have found a way to help them win the game,” Johnson said, speaking of his players, but he’d done all any coach could do. He’d put them in position. His undermanned team just couldn’t finish the drill.
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859 comments Add your comment
option smoption
November 28th, 2010
8:28 am
Dawg h8r. The word THIS would exclude alabama/carolina/auburn. You obviously are a tech fan, not a tech student.
Johnny FuPa
November 28th, 2010
8:30 am
I HOPE WE FIRE PAUL JOHNSON. HE’S A POMPOUS JERK WHO PANICS AT THE END OF GAMES AND CAN’T RECRUIT TO SAVE HIS LIFE!!!!!
OkefenokeeDawg
November 28th, 2010
8:32 am
In the entire history of college football, has there ever been a pair of coaches who could lose their own team’s offensive rhythm, and give up momentum faster than our own Richt and Bobo?
Andy in Blairsville
November 28th, 2010
8:32 am
After yet another totally dysfunctional season in Athens and barely becoming Tampax Bowl eligible, GA fans have the audacity to talk smack and belittle the Tech fans.
Pot meet kettle.
Jeremiah
November 28th, 2010
8:32 am
uga is a wasted, wannabe football factory. the state should immediately stop providing hope scholarship money for kids who simply want to drink and learn how to bark. completely irrelevant.
Real Fan
November 28th, 2010
8:34 am
What is all the talk about being the “better team”. The object is to win the ballgame. Stats or for losers.
UGA
November 28th, 2010
8:35 am
Scoreboard.
Real Fan
November 28th, 2010
8:36 am
Jeremiah are you so naive you dont know that drinking goes on at all colleges. Say somthing that makes sense.
UGA
November 28th, 2010
8:37 am
Scoreboard
Real Fan
November 28th, 2010
8:38 am
Everybody talked it up before the game. Now its been played. Stop crying about the results. They can play it again next year.
Billyboy
November 28th, 2010
8:38 am
It just proves you can’t teach an old thug any smarts. Dawgs were lucky and got whipped by a weak Tech team.
CanTheDawgWhineryStopNow?
November 28th, 2010
8:43 am
.
.
As an SEC fan, I used to like and respect the Georgia Bulldawgs until I moved to this state 10 years ago. After hearing all the whining, complaining and excuses and seeing the thuggery, unsportsmanlike coaching and classless fans, I became embarrassed for what I used to consider a respectable program.
Pulling for Tech for those reasons, but maybe it’s a good thing Georgia DID win so we don’t have to listen to the lame excuses and the blame-it-on-the-refs whining for another year. The crybaby stuff after the Auburn loss was pathethich. If you lost to Tech, I’m pretty sure the state would have run out of Kleenex in no time.
So, Congrats, Dawgs… party harty!!! You’ll be vying with the other 6-6 teams like (OMG—the Volls???) for one of the lesser bowls. Enjoy it!!
But… get over yourselves. You pretty much suck. Think about it: You’re bragging about a barely-there win over a team using a back-up quarterback that slapped you around for much of the game.
If I were you, I’d quietly and gracefully accept the gift win and go about my business hoping for a less sucky year in 2011 … and buy some Kleenex for opening day when Boise puts you 6 feet under.
Coach Hewitt...
November 28th, 2010
8:45 am
We’re 2-4 in our last 6…ga is 4-2 in their last 6.
Tell me which team has a brighter future?
Tech fans, we’re going in tthe wrong direction. CPJ must go.
Cut the ties that bind us now. Recruiting is in the tank, we can’t
come from behind. Telvin is a deer in the headlights. 512yds means
nothing. Stats & moral victories are for losers. We’ll never win the ACC
or beat ga with CPJ. He could care less about defense. 2009 was an anomaly.
Chuck Allison
November 28th, 2010
8:46 am
All Tech needs is a defense. I wonder if Al Groh will be here next year. Since Johnson is our offensive coordinator, we need someone to make the defensive calls. Obviously, last night we had no pass defense at all. Congrats to Logan Wall, however, for his valiant effort, catching a GA running back from behind after the rest of the defense had given up. Tech defenders need to get away from trying to “bump” people down by hitting them with their shoulders. They need to grab the ball carrier and bring him down. I hope Al Groh leaves and we get someone who can coach the defense.
Old Gold Britches
November 28th, 2010
8:46 am
Congrats to the mutts. I am proud of our Jackets for playing a hard fought game. Too many mistakes were made by players and coaches. First possession I thought we should have kicked a field goal. You mutts are laughing about the Independece Bowl, but your bowl will not be a great one either.
PROUD TO BE A YELLOW JACKET!!!!!!!!
Michael Watts
November 28th, 2010
8:46 am
Give full credit to Tech. They took it to us. With no so-called four-star players, they played their hearts out. Their offense was pretty much unstoppable, just as ours was. We got by only by the skin of our teeth because of some lucky takeaways that went our way. The offenses both played brilliantly with the talent they had. The defenses, for the most part, failed to live up to the name. Now on to the bowl season. Go Jackets and Go Dawgs. Make our state proud even at this close-out of a mediocre season for both teams. And may there be better years ahead for both.
Coach Hewitt...
November 28th, 2010
8:46 am
firepauljohnson.com
GT Won This Game
November 28th, 2010
8:47 am
GT Won This Game
Chuck Allison
November 28th, 2010
8:48 am
Tech has no pass defense. Tech has not passing offense. We run the ball well enough, and, last night, we defended the run well. But, we cannot continue to ignore the air game.
GT Won This Game
November 28th, 2010
8:48 am
Fire CPJ? GT Won This Game!
Dawg H8R
November 28th, 2010
8:49 am
Option Smoption
“THIS” state Will be owned by ALABAMA/SOUTH CAROLINA/AUBURN!
As far as my loyalty…………..GO GAMECOCKS!!!!!!
Funny
November 28th, 2010
8:50 am
re: WrecksNEffect
lol — keep telling yourself those things, darlin’
I know it makes you feel better about your (cough) “win”
hahahahah
BUZZMAN
November 28th, 2010
8:51 am
First of all Scott Blair did not lose the game for Tech, he has been great all these years and needs a pat on the back for all the years. I have to disagree with alot of you , CPJ did not coach that well, he cost us the game, think about it, he didn’t go for a field goal in the first quarter at the 20 yard line, that would have given us 3 more points and would have won the game. Then when we did get the ball back with 2.30 left in the game, he goes for a quarterback drawn two times, Why didn’t he go with Allen?? Allen was HOT. Then Johnson goes for 2 passes, Our Tech team played well, it was coaching all the way. It was Paul Johnson’s EGO that got in our way. If you have ever talk with the coach personaly you would understand. I have to commend all of the Tech players, you did the best you could, your Coach let you down. As far as I am concerned I will not buy anymore season tickets as long as he is coach and he needs to take Al with him.
Coach Johnsons Paul
November 28th, 2010
8:51 am
C’mon Bradley! Whatever!!! Johnson lost to the worst UGA team in over a decade and got pants’ed by KANSAS!!! And you’re going to slobber all over him??? The players did play hard and UGA did give up alot of yards but no one gets points for effort or stats and UGA made plays (creating TO’s)and converted those into points so I would say WE got outcoached. AGAIN!!!
Didn’t you pick GT to win the ACC again??? BTW-Nice job by your KY kitties getting housed by UT once again!!! What does that make it 26 years and counting. Worst UT team and KY still can’t beat em’.
Dominated
November 28th, 2010
8:54 am
Georgia got dominated and anybody that thinks otherwise is a fool. First downs Tech 32 UGA 18. Total plays Tech 85- UGA 44. Time of possession Tech 38:14 UGA 21:46. If you would have told me Tech would have 512 total offensive yards and 411 of them rushing I would have certainly believed Tech would win. The PAT should have never been kicked. We should have went for two. UGA should be concerned about their football program. At Tech we are headed in the right direction. Lose your starting QB and still putting 512 yards on a team on their home field. Yes final 42-34 but one team is moving foward and the other will never be playing for championships again. In the end I am glad Tech lost or many of my Georgia friends might have killed themselves like St. Simmons and the other posters who obviously live for UGA football and still think Hershel Walker II and Lindsey Scott III are going to show up on campus. Enjoy the next 365 days because most people who watched that game know that UGA got their butts kicked on their home field.
option smoption
November 28th, 2010
8:59 am
Most people look at the scoreboard to see who won the game.
TechFan
November 28th, 2010
8:59 am
If only we would’ve had Nesbitt…man, 9 out of 10 sure does suck! Oh well, DragonCon is coming up soon!
SFH
November 28th, 2010
8:59 am
I’ll take a win where I got dominated and lucky versus a brilliant loss.
LeeSBulldog
November 28th, 2010
9:00 am
Have to agree with you CanTheDawgWhine………… You’d think Sugar was falling out of the sky after reading some of these posts. Face it, we have two state college football teams who have become mediocre and they’ve became that at the same time. Johnson did one hell of a job coaching his mediocre team, while the team with the best talent let that mediocre team run up some incredible stats on offense.
Someone posted earlier…..”This wasn’t Auburn that the Dawgs beat!” It wasn’t. This wasn’t South Carolina. It wasn’t even Colorado for Christ sakes! I wouldn’t go around boasting so much when the rest of the football nation is paying a lot more attention to a lot better college teams.
One good thing…..At least now, it seems that the Bulldawg nation is over whining about where the Herschel Walker years went.
BuzztheKiller
November 28th, 2010
9:00 am
Way to battle guys. Tech is made up of pure warriors, just came up one drive short. With everything going against them, they still almost pulled it out. I am proud of the team. If I was a UGA fan, I would feel very lucky to get that win, and tip the hat to a worthy opponent. I think anyone can tell which team is headed up and which is in decline. Hint for the slower readers on here: its not the one that was handed a win last night…
Coach
November 28th, 2010
9:01 am
Got to love Paul Johnson. That man can coach!
Coach Johnsons Paul
November 28th, 2010
9:03 am
Oh forgot to mention that we got outcoached last year by a lameduck D coordinator and surprisingly not much was made of it but that was the Greatest Upset in this series in a looooooooooong time when you look at Tech’s record and ranking, ACC Champs and BCS bowl bid.
One W against a demoralized UGA team that we couldn’t stop (didn’t Stafford throw for 5 TD’s?) save for their shoddy tackling does not make CPJ a great coach. He survives off getting a lead and hanging on to the ball. If we get behind we are usually toast.(see KS)
Go Jackets!! We'll take CPJ anyday!!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:04 am
Enter your comments here
batdrool
November 28th, 2010
9:05 am
This very entertaining game was played between TWO mediocre teams, both of whom will be playing in mediocre bowl games. There are no moral victories; this one hurts as badly as any I can remember. UGA won the game and that’s all that matters. Who cares which coach did the better (worse) job? Who cares who had the better stats? Not me. We could have won but didn’t. Maybe next year.
TechFan
November 28th, 2010
9:05 am
Go Tech! We will take CPJ anyday!! Could GA be in over their heads in the SEC?
Coach Hewitt...
November 28th, 2010
9:06 am
to:Dominated
November 28th, 2010
8:54 am
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Are you serious?? Jesus man, we are spiraling downward under CPJ…..
1-9 in our last 10 vs ga.
1-2 CPJ vs cmr.
7-8 our last 15 games.
Tech fans, we’re going in the wrong direction. CPJ must go.
Recruiting is in the tank, we can’t
come from behind. Telvin is a deer in the headlights. 512yds means
nothing. Stats & moral victories are for losers. We’ll never win the ACC
or beat ga with CPJ. He could care less about defense. 2009 was an anomaly.
zinc
November 28th, 2010
9:09 am
Hahahaha…Georgia’s finest rednecks are out in full force tonight. Big brother beats his chest because he pulls out a last minute victory over his inferior, little brother. That is something to be proud of…hahahahaha.
Nevermind that the two schools aren’t even in the same league in terms of funding, facilities and recruiting. Well done UGA. The state should be so proud of you. Enjoy your bowl in Montana or somewhere cold and miserable.
Hahahahaha….UGA fans are a joke
rustydawg
November 28th, 2010
9:12 am
Did you guys watch the UF FSU game? UGA lost to a horrible UF team. I’m not even remotely proud of this win…. There’s a ton of work to be done in Athens. We’ll see.
Jeremiah
November 28th, 2010
9:12 am
real dumb arse fan- uga is an irrelevant institution and aj will get snapped in half by game four in the nfl. uga players are fantastic at the heisman pose- must be a new major.
to further get down to your moronic level- are you coors light or miller?
GT
November 28th, 2010
9:12 am
Fun game indeed. Johnson did not throw his players under the bus, really never has in the sense of him trying to make himself look better. Scott Blair missed an extra point and in doing so made very public what Johnson is talking about. There are players in every game that take points off the board and hurt their team without the slightest notice from the people watching. The only hope Tech has this year is to out execute its opponents, it doesn’t have the luxury of talent. Teams with talent like Miami or Georgia play sloppy, and in that slop there is opportunity If Tech plays down to the sloppy level of its opponent it takes one of its few advantage away. The only other advantage Tech has is to come out on fire every game to take advantage of these teams that play like Gailey use to have Tech playing, like we really didn’t want to be there or we were too cool to sweat. As they say in the rivalry games all the records are thrown out the window. Why because the lesser team is playing like his life depended on it. Bottom line what system would you rather you son play under. My biggest fear is Johnson does a Bobby Ross and puts so much into the coaching, is not appreciated and just has a melt down one day and leaves. Unlike our basketball coach this guy is a find and we will never be able to replace him. His real personality is exactly what young men need, he give no quarter nor expects any. The AJC called Tech maybe the worse 6 win team in the country, I don’t think they are, as long as we have Johnson no game is unwinable. Johnson is our Cam Newton only he makes a little more money and like Newton desires every dine of it.
Larry
November 28th, 2010
9:13 am
If Richt doesn’t clean house on the defensive coaching staff (yes, AGAIN), he doesn’t deserve to stay as head coach. The offense has plenty of problems; the defense is abysmal. This team doesn’t deserve a bowl game.
Barkin'Dog
November 28th, 2010
9:13 am
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A CAKEWALK FOR THE DAWGS. NOT! I’m just glad to get the win, but Tech played lights out and they deserve respect, as does CPJ. To play that well under the circumstances, speaks volumes for what the head coach brings to his team. I’m not going to say a doggone thing bad about this worthy opponent. Great game though – fun to watch. Now go Falcons!!
Navigator
November 28th, 2010
9:14 am
Let’s see Miami fires their coach after a 7-5 season, dwindling fan support, losing to a rival. I hope PJohnson sees the hand writing if he thinks he can have no passing offense to go with his rushing attack. All great coaches of the modern era know that you need a passing attack and rushing attack to win big games against good teams. If he turns up with more 6-6 year like this one, he may finally get his chance to go to a lowly Texas state team like June Jones did. I’m tired of hearing the reason Tech had a bad year was losing the QB, hey they were having a bad year with their starter.
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:17 am
Paul Johnson is a great coach, but the bottom line is to win the game. UGA’s offense has really ticked (with the exception of 1st half against Fla.) since Green has come back. Hopefully we will see we can’t depend on one player for confidence. Defense has a long way to go. Tech’s last TD was plain out lack of effort by the UGA defense.
GA still sucks!!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:17 am
Bulldogs your defense is horrible. How does it feel to lose to a pathetic Florida team again? Great season Bulldogs. Maybe next year will be the year.
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:21 am
Also how about Coach Richt saying he was outcoached when Ealey scored. He got me on that he said. I can see Urban the Great Meyer saying that. Both UGA and Tech better be thankful for the coaches they have. Sure you want to win NC, but integrity and accepting responsiblity is a big part of it also.
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:22 am
Ga still sucks! – who is your team?
WrecksNEffect
November 28th, 2010
9:23 am
Final stats on CPJ this season:
6-6 with a loss to friggin’ Kansas, 2 lucky wins, one vs. Wake and one vs. UNC with 12 starters out.
The ACC is tied for the worst AQ (Auto -Qualifier) Conference with the Big (L)East, and our final schedule strength was #66 in the country and our final computer ranking was #70.
Please look at the big picture GT Fans and don’t allow a shoot-out game between teams with crappy Defenses to cloud your judgment.
BTW, next yr. looks to be worse.
Brian Holbrook
November 28th, 2010
9:23 am
I hope the coaches will please look at the effort of Justin Houston the whole game. He made big plays because the ball came his way, but please look at his lack of hustle through out the game. Almost every play he just stood up and watched the play. He obviously is leaving next year and did not want to get hurt. These are the players that is killing this program, if they do not want to put team first then put some one else in that is more than just a body. They basically played with 10 players and I don’t know why the coaches could not see that.
tech is very bad
November 28th, 2010
9:25 am
PJ can’t recruit , UGA plays an awful game and still wins, if UGA defense is awful what adjective would be used to describe Techs “non existent”? 9-1 11 wins in 40 years some things never change, App. State beat Michigan once.