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
Coach Paul Johnson
November 28th, 2010
9:27 am
We were outmanned at every position, by every player, and the only thing that kept us close was the fact that I was walking on one sideline and Mark Richt was walking on the other. Wearing a face of desperation and fear, Richt shook my hand after the game and I knew in his eyes that he realized who was the better coach.
Michael
November 28th, 2010
9:28 am
According to this blog Tech won. Must be the new math.
Coach Hewitt...
November 28th, 2010
9:31 am
We beat 1 team with a winning record, a NC team with 8 starters missing.
We lost to a 3-9 team KU, & two 6-6 teams ga & Clemson (who woulda been 5-7 if we won).
CPJ & his can’t throw a pass offense & Depends wearing CAG must go. I would rather have
Randy Shannon than PJ (least he whipped us). We’ll never win another ACC championship
with this staff. Recruiting is horrible, our D II offense is pitiful. PJ is a self righeous, smarmy,
hard headed coach who just needs to go. DRad…. pull the trigger…
john galt
November 28th, 2010
9:32 am
As a frustrated Tech fan, I’ll admit it. UGA gets the better players every year. And then a dozen of them promptly get arrested. (Rimshot please)
We got outplayed, but UGA was outcoached. UGA is always going to slime its way through with Richt at the helm, Grantham is a $750k bust, and somehow Bobo has managed to salvage a miserable season with one successful game.
Tech will be better next year, and Washington has shown he knows how to run this offense. I’m not sure Groh is the Messiah on defense that we thought he would be. But I sure as heck would rather have CPJ’s staff on the Flats than CMR’s bunch of bums.
Go Tech!
RWBRebel
November 28th, 2010
9:33 am
2nd posting ever, and a life long Dawg fan. Glad with the result, even if achieved messily. As for the classlessness of the fans, there are always a bunch that never will measure up, in any aspect of life. I did find it perturbing that there were more than a few Dawg fans in the stands painted up and costumed up in the most nerdy and buffoon of ways. If you are going ot do this, could you at least put some thought into it. Gene Simmons in red & black just don’t cut it. This crop of 2010 fans is pathetic compared to the bunch that occupied the stadium in the late 70’s.
Rodney Dangerfield
November 28th, 2010
9:33 am
I laugh at all the UGA fans on here bragging about the win. After all last week reading how Tech would lose worse than 51-7 and how the high school offense had been figured out. You UGA fans can laugh it up all the way to whatever crappy bowl you go to because your team is bad. Tech put up over 500 yards on your lousy defense with a backup QB that Tech beat out Duke and Vanderbilt for in the recruiting “war”!
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:33 am
Brian Holbrook – I totally agree with you. He let backs run by him all night around the corner. And on Tech’s last TD he just stood and watched. If Coach Richt doesn’t correct this problem it will continue. Grantham chewed ass that first game and haven’t seen it since. We need intensity and learn how to drive a nail. But anybody that knows the game knows that Houston gave little effort accept for when the ball was in his hands.
My DAWGS are not that good
November 28th, 2010
9:34 am
I will take any win but hats of to GT. You guys played hard…….
GA shouldn’t be in a game with a mediocre ACC team, but we are average at best and that’s we we get…… AVERAGE Football
Hopefully it gets better next year………….
GOOO DAWGS
Katherine
November 28th, 2010
9:36 am
Rodney Dangerfield
November 28th, 2010
9:33 am
I laugh at all the UGA fans on here bragging about the win. After all last week reading how Tech would lose worse than 51-7 and how the high school offense had been figured out. You UGA fans can laugh it up all the way to whatever crappy bowl you go to because your team is bad. Tech put up over 500 yards on your lousy defense with a backup QB that Tech beat out Duke and Vanderbilt for in the recruiting “war”!
Yes…but the dawgs still won….bitter much?
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:37 am
Brain Holbrooke – You are right! Houston loafed accept when the ball was in his hands. If UGA doesn’t play with more intensity we will continue to struggle defensively.
GA still sucks!!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:40 am
I really think the GA defense is heading in the right direction. CTG is still trying to teach the boys the new system. How long is that execuse going to last. I think next year is going to be a championship year. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
pat
November 28th, 2010
9:41 am
Give me a break! A win is a win and a loss is a loss!
Katherine
November 28th, 2010
9:42 am
GA still sucks!!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:40 am
I really think the GA defense is heading in the right direction. CTG is still trying to teach the boys the new system. How long is that execuse going to last. I think next year is going to be a championship year. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
your bitterness is embarrassing. Who knows what will happen next season….we all know the dawgs had a bad year. It is just nice to go out with a win. You would be happy if your team won too so get over it.
Coach Hewitt...
November 28th, 2010
9:42 am
Hey Rodney Dangerfield….
Your the kind of gt fan who infuriates me… So what if we got 512, ga had 425 (that’s not much diff), And you prove my point about terrible recruiting with your last comment. I quote: “with a backup QB that Tech beat out Duke and Vanderbilt for in the recruiting “war”!”…..
Rodney, that’s what all of our players have become… kids we beat out Dook & Vandy for. LMAO, you can’t see the forest for the trees because of your CPJ man love. Wake up & smell the coffee dude. Under PJ we’re gonna be a 6-6 team in the worst conference in America & lose 9-10 to ga every decade. I Hope You’re Happy with that you big dummy… Geez…
Charleston Jacket
November 28th, 2010
9:42 am
Have to agreee with Buzzman. As much as I like CPJ – this loss is on him. He must fix the defense and get players in here.
john galt
November 28th, 2010
9:45 am
While we are on the subject of loafing players, what about Greene’s easy tiptoes out of bounds? I think the guy is extremely talented, and believe he will go high in the draft, but how many times did he step out of bounds 3 yards early rather than get hit? I counted 3 times just in the first quarter?
Now, this may come off as sour grapes from a Tech alum, but he cost you guys at least 3 first downs early on. Richt and Bobo may baby him, but you think a Parcells or a Cowher is going to put up with that?
Mark my words – Greene’s softness is going to be an issue once NFL teams start looking at tape.
Just sayin’
Tech Alum
November 28th, 2010
9:46 am
I cannot believe that anyone thinks Johnson is a good coach. Who is so stupid as to not kick a field goal when you get an early turnover and put some points on the board? That is coaching 101, but his huge ego won’t let him see it. He belongs with Charlie Weis. Remember, if we had those 3 points all along, the PATwould not have mattered. No more money or season ticket purchases until Tech fires Johnson.
Danbo
November 28th, 2010
9:47 am
Damn I hope this ugly win does not save MR’s job.
Real Dawg Fan
November 28th, 2010
9:47 am
I’ve been a true Dawg fan for many years, and I am happy that we had the most points on the board when the game ended. That said, I have not seen a worse game played by UGA this entire year, and that says a lot. Our defense looked lost against their running game. Embarrassing!
Tech played a strong game and UGA is lucky for the win.
I was so impressed at the end of the game to see both teams kneeling in the middle of the field. That is what college football is all about.
Both teams represent the state of Georgia well. I am proud to be a Georgian and say that.
Tech Sucks and Always Will
November 28th, 2010
9:48 am
I can’t believe the pathetic Tech losers come on here and claim some sort of moral victory. If Johnson outcoached Richt then Tech would have won. They didn’t. Deal with it.
Fan of the Game
November 28th, 2010
9:49 am
john galt – I am glad you are concerned about Green. Did you see the Fla. game? I saw nothing that would indicate he was soft. I agree on the running out of bounds when he could have gotten a few more, but he is not soft and will make millions if he can stay healthy. Don’t judge him by one game or one or two plays. He will be a top 3 pick.
Andy in Blairsville
November 28th, 2010
9:50 am
ESPN is reporting Mark Richt called Jimbo Fisher this morning asking for Jimbo’s advice on how to not only throttle Florida but on how to hold them to 7 points as well.
Charles M
November 28th, 2010
9:51 am
New Defensive Coordinate $750,000.00 same results no defense. What is it going to take to get Georgia to get some players who no how to play and coaches who know how to coach.
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
9:51 am
I agree about those quick turns to the sideline by AJ, however I havent noticed it before last nights game. I think he is waiting on his payday.
Doggoneit
November 28th, 2010
9:55 am
With all the advantages we had going into the game, it shouldn’t have been that close. Georgia should have won easily, but when you HAVE TO SCORE A TD ON EVERY OFFENSIVE POSSESSION because your defense can’t stop Tech from scoring a TD every time they get the ball, that’s asking a little much. I, for one, do not think Todd Grantham is a competent college defensive coordinator. Someone please tell him that when your opponent runs the ball 95% of the time, you really should be more concerned about the run than the pass, and that you really shouldn’t play soft on the corners and drop your safeties deep on every down. We lose our best receivers, several offensive lineman and Justin Houston probably goes pro after this season.. If coach Richt doesn’t make RADICAL changes with our defense, next season looks bleak for us. I’m a huge supporter for coach Richt, but if we don’t win at least 9 games next year, I’m afraid he’s gone.
Max Supernova
November 28th, 2010
9:55 am
Hey Mark you have something around your mouth you need to wipe off.
Jerry watson
November 28th, 2010
9:55 am
Both teams deserve credit for playing an entertaining game and not giving up. I was proud to be a Tech alum and of the Tech team and coaches for the manner in which the team maintained their intensity and determination throughout the game. To augment the caption under the picture stated -”One coach coached a winning game with a team with class and the other coach won”.
dt4c
November 28th, 2010
9:56 am
Yeah, that was brilliant. Like there was any chance in hell that with no timeouts and no ability to pass he could drive 80 yards. Better chance in not quitting and forcing a fumble. Waste of time IMO.
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
9:56 am
What is up with all the cpj man love? If he would punt the ball or kick a field goal sometimes this year tech might have won another game or two.
john galt
November 28th, 2010
9:58 am
FOG – saw the FL game. Highlight reel stuff, all of it. Particularly liked that last field goal, by the way.
Thanks for proving my point – Greene is not a 60-minute guy. He’s solidified his goal of being a top pick (let’s not get crazy, can we agree on Top 10?) and decided that he’s not going to do anything else that will jeopardize his big payday.
Good coaches get good players. Great coaches get great performances out of good players. Why wasn’t Bobo or Richt giving Greene an earful on the sidelines after the first few plays he took easy?
the real Old Gold
November 28th, 2010
10:00 am
This is the future for Tech! Johnson needs to seek the Miami job!
Buzz 2010
November 28th, 2010
10:00 am
Good post Mark Bradley..GT is on the rise and CPJ is one of the main reasons we win big in 2011.
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
10:01 am
I did notice AJ making a dash for the sideline last night, but Ive never noticed it before. Nice shot at cmr about babying him. I guess cpj would have him chewing nails .
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
10:05 am
After that great comeback tech made in 08 all I heard was how tech was going to win the next 6 or 7 straight. What has happened?
RC
November 28th, 2010
10:08 am
I have been searching for a forum where I might find people expressing opinions without the insults that are appropriate for a grammer school playground. I thought that maybe a forum that is comprised mostly of University students and alumni might carry on a dialogue at a higher level. I was wrong. One question guys. When you are 80 years old will you still be calling people dumba***s and peck**s and so forth? Don’t you want to come across as articulate adults or is this what amounts to articulation and adulthood these days? Kudos to all of you who post comments and opinions sans the childishness.
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
November 28th, 2010
10:09 am
UGA has a real star at QB, running back and of course AJ. Georgia did not beat Tech, Tech beat Tech. I can see why Georiga lost to everyone in the SEC except for Kentucky and Vandy. Memphis is a little closer to Athens than Shreveport!
Atticus
November 28th, 2010
10:12 am
Mark, how about talking about how PATHETIC both defenses were. This wasn’t about Paul Johnson, the weren’t good WITH Josh Nesbitt. This game was about how two defenses hires for both schools have come up empty and were bad hires. Grantham has about two games (Boise and SC) to salvage all their jobs. Not sure about Groh but this was BAD on both sides and to me are a reflection of both head coaches philosophy, Richt coaching a violent sport with no emotion or demands and Paul Johnson’s ego not allowing him to realize you have to recruit playmakers and focus some on defense, this aint Navy anymore.
Katherine
November 28th, 2010
10:12 am
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
November 28th, 2010
10:09 am
UGA has a real star at QB, running back and of course AJ. Georgia did not beat Tech, Tech beat Tech. I can see why Georiga lost to everyone in the SEC except for Kentucky and Vandy. Memphis is a little closer to Athens than Shreveport!
Seriously? the dawgs practically gave the game away with all their turnovers. Georgia absolutely beat tech, sorry you are so bitter. It is nice to go out on a win after a bad season. Where the bowl game is doesn’t really matter at this point. Getting the program better for next season does.
Paddy
November 28th, 2010
10:13 am
burgess, that HS offense, as you called it, just ran up over 500 yrs on our Dawgs. Wait till we do something right and good before you pop off. Unbelievable how some folks can watch a football game and never really see what is happening on the field. If you never played the game it may be hard to follow the game. WOW!
Atticus
November 28th, 2010
10:14 am
Add up how many games GT has won against GA in the past 20 years…. It is a joke and it continues just like GA-FL there is no rivalry.
tech is very bad
November 28th, 2010
10:14 am
It seems letting UGA score was PJS strategy the whole game. PJ is the head coach responsible for all facets of the team, Tech has a fine running game, defense sucks, special teams suck, passing game sucks, brilliant move at the end hope a passing attack develops
in the last 1 minute of the final game of season. Brilliant 1-aa coach.
My DAWGS are not that good
November 28th, 2010
10:14 am
@John Galt
Top 2 or 3 not just 10……… Nothing crazy about it…… go look it up
Pope UGA XXIII
November 28th, 2010
10:16 am
No reason to be doing cartwheels about this game. UGA was
fortunate to beat a team that had a lot of trouble beating Duke !!!
Please note that Tech also runs a 3 – 4 defense and did a decent
job with our rushing attack. UGA runs a 3 – 4 against a team whose
QB is, at best, a marginal passer and gives up 400 + yards on the
ground. W T F ?????
The only positive thing to say here is that a “W” is nicer than an
“L” which we could well have been munching on this morning. Don’t
have very good vibes about this program any longer.
A terribly disappointing year full of embarrassments such as a
loss to Colorado, another loss to an anemic Florida team, and the
general impression that we get outcoached every week. I guess
we can look forward to the “Who Cares” bowl, but I hope that CMR
starts prepping for Boise State ASAFP. I simply cannot understand
why we recruit top-notch talent every year, but 5 years later seem to
be trying to figure out what went wrong.
Let me close here so that I can mosey on down to the interstate
exit ramp to start my annual spare change fundraising drive so that I
can make my contribution to the Athletic Fund to have the pleasure
of buying 4 tix to the future Charleston Southern game !!!
Dawgfan12
November 28th, 2010
10:17 am
Mark- No mention of Aaron Murray and the GREAT game/ season he has had. I am so surprised!
john galt
November 28th, 2010
10:17 am
My DAWGS: Really? Really? Where do I look up the future? Please tell me, because I’ll stop spending time on this board and start picking stocks that will be up the most next Spring.
Greene is a very good player. But once people start looking closely at his performances this year, and realize he is NOT the kind of guy to go over the middle and take that extra hit on every play, he’ll drop like a rock.
Atticus
November 28th, 2010
10:18 am
Buzz 2010—-SERIOSULY….you think GT is on the rise? That is a good one. They hired a DC who is clueless and they recruit no playmakers. You beat a pathetic defense, this game wasn’t about Paul Johnson as much as how bad Grantham and Mark Richt have prepared UGA. GT will stink again next year because Paul doesn’t commit to recruiting or defense. GA will stink again next year because Richt doesn’t understand football is a violent sport and he doesn’t demand execution or accountability of his staff nd players.
Kenny Rogers.
November 28th, 2010
10:20 am
Got any autographed jerseys for me?
Al
November 28th, 2010
10:21 am
BUZZ UGA is the one on the rise. They will win 9 or 10 next year and will compete for it all in 2012. Tech is never on the rise. They have a good season once every 10 years or so and then go back to their normal 7 or 8 win seasons. Pretty sad that for 2 years in a row, Tech lost to a bad UGA team. Won’t change next year either.
'80 Tech Grad
November 28th, 2010
10:22 am
We were clearly outmanned at most every position but we knew that going in. WOW, most people didn’t realize just how bad UGA really is.
Murray is already good and headed for greatness. the rest of that UGA squad has big problems. Don’t look for this to turn around any time soon.
Nice win for the dawgs. Congrats.
Ted M
November 28th, 2010
10:23 am
GT special teams really suck and they have really sucked all year long. I wish I knew what was going on with that. When you look at all the coaches listed on GT’s website no one is assigned to special teams. How could that be? Does CPJ directly coach special teams? What actions, if any, did CPJ take after the 3rd or 4th game of the season to try and correct them.