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
HelluvaEngineer
November 28th, 2010
12:22 am
Cobb, if it’s not a rivalry, why are you on here beating your chest boasting of the outcome of this game?
by simply looking at the preposterously idiotic comments from the uga fans on this forum shows me why i’m so proud to be a ramblin’ wreck from georgia tech.
Hire Mark Richt
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
South Beach is calling will CMR take the call?
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
you should try the free hotdogs… otherwise the UGA fans will be at the BP in line for the free Skoal
Laces Out Finkle
November 28th, 2010
12:23 am
Hey Taint Simon
SCOREBOARD
LOSER
BBBBWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAA
bood sam
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
tech 8 in a row.
cobb dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
love it Dawg Man!!
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
Richt says: I’m taking my talents to South Beach. Better for my tan….
HelluvaEngineer
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
lacesOutFinkle – sounds like you have a lot going for you in life. why do you invest so much energy on the accomplishments of others?
Miami Beach
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
CMR needs to finally get smart and get out Athens and the SEC as fast as he can. He has zero of a chance to win the East in the next 5 years and at Miami is guaranteed to compete year in and year out for the ACC title. Look at the talent in Florida, plus he can avoid The Florida Gators yearly.
BTP
November 28th, 2010
12:24 am
I realize it is very difficult for the large majority of thUGA fans to put this game in the proper perspective. GT was a 15 point dog and not expected to compete. However, if not for a missed extra point and the GT defense not giving up the last TD on purpose, the outcome may have been different.
Your supposed superior athelets and recruiting classes may help you you rationalize the marginal victory but the bottom line remains that you were outcoached on all fronts. Say what you will about CPJ, but he coaches up the players in his program, not down.
I raise these issues so that you may use them as talking points when you report for the midnight shift at the poultry plant or convenience store.
It must be a miserable existence to watch the game in your trailer with the knowledge that you have to dress in your car to punch the time clock.
The Sheriff has spoken.
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
I have to say, dogs look big, strong, fast, AJ is great… how does this team only win 6? Richt.
tech sucks
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
more poor excusses by pissed of tech fans yall just half to deal with it were the best team in the state and always will be yea yall played a great game but yall didnt win so shutup and deal with the independece bowl now. oh and what was tht stat uga has won 9 of the last 10 another example
WE STILL OWN TECH
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
tech sill sucks
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
9 of the last 13 moron.
Laces Out Finkle
November 28th, 2010
12:25 am
SCOREBOARD
Custodial Engineer
42-34
BBBBBBBWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Jim Donnan
November 28th, 2010
12:26 am
I hope my Dawg brethren realize the incredibly poor game management tonight by CMR. If Tech kicks a winning field goal after the 4th down attempt he would be on a plane to Miami now! And take 2 knees and the game is over but we score a meaningless TD and give them new life! Did we not realize they were letting us score? Shades of Jasper Sanks.
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:26 am
grantham for HC… or better yet, Bobo
Laces Out Finkle
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
61-39-5
BEE(YATCHE)S
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
Empty seats at sanford and son stadium. Free Skoal at BP. Coincidence? I think not.
Akita Dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
This is the same Nick Saban team that blew a 24 point lead against Auburn. It can’t be can it. Not Nick Saban, He has the best 2 running backs in the conference the second best wideout, a supposed invincible defense and he loses 3 games this year and he has the number 1 recruiting class 2 out of last 3 years?
go dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
Tech still needs help…………..ha ha ha ha and i love it
Ducks Fan
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
For some reason I never get tired of watching rednecks brag about their pathetic team that hasn’t been good in 2 decades beating their in-state loser rival. Go Ducks!
B.T.P.
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
I realize it is very difficult for the large majority of thUGA fans to put this game in the proper perspective. GT was a 15 point dog and not expected to compete. However, if not for a missed extra point and the GT defense not giving up the last TD on purpose, the outcome may have been different.
Your supposed superior athelets and recruiting classes may help you you rationalize the marginal victory but the bottom line remains that you were outcoached on all fronts. Say what you will about CPJ, but he coaches up the players in his program, not down.
I raise these issues so that you may use them as talking points when you report for the midnight shift at the poultry plant or convenience store.
It must be a miserable existence to watch the game in your trailer with the knowledge that you have to dress in your car to punch the time clock.
The Sheriff has spoken.
Laces Out Finkle
November 28th, 2010
12:27 am
Anyone’s better than MOOBS
42-34
BBBBBWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA
Miami Beach
November 28th, 2010
12:28 am
UGA loses its best 5 players and playmakers, and OL, DE, LB. At Miami he has 17 Freshmen and Sophomore starters back plus another 14 underclassmen with as much talent at UGA has returning in its first 35 returnees…..
Cobb Dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:28 am
3-4 is not for college football. Grantham can coach other schemes though. He’s a good football guy. CMR needs to get his house in order. Bobo thinks too much. Get rid of him. CMR really should be OC and someone else HC. But that ain’t gonna happen. So CMR should do like Johnson and call offensive plays from the sidelines.
St. Mark
November 28th, 2010
12:28 am
bo, yes it is PJ’s 3rd year and we dont need to make excuses. We put up 500+ yards against you, held the ball for 38 mins and ran almost twice as many plays as you did with our backup quarterback in his 3rd career start. St. Mark is in his 10th year and you and all of your Ugag brethren are beating your chest over beating a 6-5 team from the supposedly weak ACC. The difference in this game was Ugag scored 21 points off our 1st 3 turnovers and we scored 0 on your 3 turnovers.
HelluvaEngineer
November 28th, 2010
12:29 am
techsucks – we all didn’t play a great game. in fact, we didn’t play any game. and neither did you. that is one of the most fundamental differences between tech and uga fans…. the former live on their own accomplishments. the latter rely on the accomplishments of others. so don’t say “yall played great”… and in fact, if you want any semblance of respect from your post rife with idiocy, use real words.
WE STILL OWN TECH
November 28th, 2010
12:29 am
hey did the dawgs win again? like death and taxes dawgs always win. Get over it techies
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:29 am
Yeah, that Saban. Is there a coach in America that couldn’t take Richt’s talent and win more than 6 games?
Miami Beach
November 28th, 2010
12:30 am
As a coach I would not want to be in Nick Sabans shoes year in and year out at Alabama, a fan base that wants to win, every team in conference setting up their “bye” week the week before you play them, and getting everyones best game each week. Those factors alone will ruin a season in a hurry.
The Sheriff
November 28th, 2010
12:30 am
I realize it is very difficult for the large majority of thUGA fans to put this game in the proper perspective. GT was a 15 point dog and not expected to compete. However, if not for a missed extra point and the GT defense not giving up the last TD on purpose, the outcome may have been different.
Your supposed superior athelets and recruiting classes may help you you rationalize the marginal victory but the bottom line remains that you were outcoached on all fronts. Say what you will about CPJ, but he coaches up the players in his program, not down.
I raise these issues so that you may use them as talking points when you report for the midnight shift at the poultry plant or convenience store.
It must be a miserable existence to watch the game in your trailer with the knowledge that you have to dress in your car to punch the time clock.
The Sheriff has spoken.
Jimbo
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
Heard it here first, CMR is Miami bound. Sunshades, hoodlums and ACC championships. He also will get great suntans.
crap sandwich
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
So Mr. “I just love Johnson”. your great coach’s defense fell asleep and Ealey scored late by getting suckered into a kneel down. Was that great coaching by Johnson or by Richt? Give me a break! The coach cannot coach a passing game, whatsoever. A great coach is well rounded in his abilities. Johnson is totally one dimensional
Cobb Dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{9-1}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
bood sam
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
to miami beach they already have
750k for this!!!???
November 28th, 2010
12:31 am
PLEASE FIRE GRANTHAM RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! HE IS THE WORST DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR IN THE NATION HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!! YOU CANT REALLY CALL HIM A D-COORDINATOR BECAUSE HE NEVER REALLY STOPS THE OTHER TEAMS AT ALL, MY 5 YEAR OLD BROTHER WOULD DO A BETTER JOB—- REALLY GRANTHAM??? 400 YARDS RUSHING TO TECH??? THIS AFTER A 49 POINT TRASHING BY AUBURN…PLEASE DO THE CLASSY THING AND RESIGN ASAP…AND TAKE RICHT WITH YOUR SORRY SELF….
Miami Beach
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
Randy Shannon 28-22 record at Miami,
Even CMR can win 30 games in 4 years in the ACC….
WE STILL OWN TECH
November 28th, 2010
12:32 am
HEY SAINT SIMON GO GET GIRL FRIEND THAT WILL WEAR RED PAINTES, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER SORRY YOU TEAM BLOWS, BUT YOU SHOULD BE USED TO THAT
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{8-0}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Laces Out Finkle
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
Who cares if Richt goes to Miami and wins the ACC, like he did last year?
ternor
November 28th, 2010
12:33 am
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses. Excuses are like Tech coeds…everybody uses them and they all stink!
WE STILL OWN TECH
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
O YEA 9 OUT OF 10…. SUCKS TO BE A TECH FAN!
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
?Richt will leave, he knows there is no shot of winning the SEC… If he couldnt win with Stafford and knowshon, he just can’t.
GTCDV
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
No excuses here, just a sloppy game as usual for Tech this season. Still, I love how some of the biased UGA fans are ridiculing their offense. I tell you, that Dawg defense did an excellent job of stalling this “high school” offense to a miserable 500+ yards. And according to one brilliant fan, it was all done with “2 plays”. Wow, that’s really something to be proud of. It’s comments like these that just make your team’s fans look like morons.
On another note, I’m a CPJ fan and I’m not about to jump ship now. Never have, never will, but that being said, I do wish the man would occasionally think about kicking a field goal on 4th down. Instead of accepting a free 3 points to start the game, he goes for it, Tech gets stuffed and momentum swings back to the Dawgs. It’s hard to win a game when you continually spot your opponent 14 points. And the QB draws at the end of the game were ridiculous. Why? UGA’s D was spent and showed no signs of stopping Allen. Why get cute and roll Washington out on consecutive plays? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!!
Anyway, I too congratulate the “classy” Dawg fans for a hard fought win. Murray’s gonna be a beast in the future.
Cobb Dawg
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Tech’s a Jr. College}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Seriously
November 28th, 2010
12:34 am
As a UGA student first and a fan second…congratz to Tech on a great game. Glad UGA pulled it out.
Miami Beach
November 28th, 2010
12:36 am
CMR has a winning record against the ACC, The Miami job ought to be a cake walk and it is a better job than the Colorado Buffaloes job…..and right now maybe even UGA as he has worn out his welcome and cannot beat Florida, Alabama, USC, etc of late…
dawgster
November 28th, 2010
12:36 am
Mark Bradley…was a classless piece of journalism in your article, is it so hard to give the dawgs any credit instead of making excuses…Coach Johnson has the same opportunity as Coach Richt to recruit players..Neither team is that good this year on defense especially. both have new DC’s and have put in new schemes…they both will be better next season i suspect, but to not give the dawgs any credit and to write some of ther comments you did, just shows what a poor loser you are….Very disappointed to read your comments…excuses are for losers. period…go dawgs and tech in their respective bowl games…
saint simon
November 28th, 2010
12:36 am
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Cobb Dawg couldn’t get into a Jr. College}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}