A canny loss to UGA leaves Tech fans giddy about their coach
Paul Johnson thinks of something. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
This we know: Georgia Tech folks obsess over Georgia. (An unkind reference to UGA is included in the song “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech.”) And it’s beyond dispute that the Jackets lost to the Mutts (another unkind reference) in Athens on Saturday. And yet …
Tech people walked away from that game feeling good about themselves, which never happens when Tech loses to Georgia in any sport. But it happened this time. It happened because Techies, who pride themselves on brainpower, were tickled at having outsmarted Big Brother.
OK, I know what you Bulldogs are saying. I’ve read the responses to this little missive from late last night. To paraphrase the stance of (some) Georgia folks: “If Paul Johnson is such a genius, how come he lost to Mark Richt again? Isn’t the name of the game to win?”
Well, yes. But there can be honor in defeat, especially when the defeat is so hard-fought and cleverly wrought. There can be no denying that the Jackets were the aggressor throughout and the stronger side up front. Those 411 yards rushing weren’t wisps of smoke. (Fun fact: The Jackets ran for two more yards against Todd Grantham’s million-dollar defense than they had against the one misguided by Willie Martinez in the epic upset of 2008. And this time they did it, as I’m guessing you’re aware, without Joshua Nesbitt.)
Urban Meyer, my role model in all things, believes the measure of a coach is how his team fares “when the checkers are equal.” The checkers weren’t anywhere close to equal Saturday night — even Tech people fully expected their team to get blown out — and the Jackets were a PAT from a tie inside the final five minutes. Georgia made three mistakes (two turnovers and a botched kickoff) that yielded no Tech points, while three Tech fumbles spawned three Bulldog touchdowns … and still the Jackets kept coming.
Full credit to the Bulldogs for making the requisite plays at the end, but fuller credit must go to Johnson and his Jackets: They got nearly the maximum from their diminished resources on a night when Georgia’s best player, the sublime A.J. Green, could be seen running out of bounds three yards short of a first down when the score was 0-0. (Georgia scored on the next play, Kris Durham’s catch-and-run, but still.)
And when the careening game finally seemed lost, that rascal Johnson conjured up one last way to make it winnable. He ordered cornerback Jerrard Tarrant to tell the other Jacket defenders, “Let ‘em score.” A Tech employee standing on the sideline heard this exchange and was terrified the Bulldogs would catch on to this strategic bit of jujitsu, but they didn’t. Washaun Ealey burst through the line and kept going and everyone in red and black got really excited — for five seconds. Then they realized they’d been snookered.
Said Richt: “We didn’t coach very good there. We got outcoached right there. It was good strategy by Coach Johnson. I thought [when it happened], ‘He got us there. He got me.’ ”
Said Johnson, almost shrugging: “It was the only way we could win the game.”
In the end his team lost, but the same Tech man who’d told me after the Jackets’ uninspiring defeat of Duke that he fully dreaded Saturday night in Athens was positively giddy in this losing aftermath. And another Tech man, the former captain Taz Anderson, sent this e-mail 18 minutes after the final whistle: “Tonight you saw a great football coach take a group that has little talent and keep them in a game where they were clearly overmatched.”
OK, I know what (some of) you Bulldogs are saying to that: “They’re Techies and they lost– who cares what they think?” And under other circumstances I might agree. But after this wild night I’d suggest both sides saw the same game, which is to say an on-paper mismatch that became an on-field white-knuckler. And I’d also ask this: When was the last time Georgia’s coach worked a game that good?
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791 comments Add your comment
gunter
November 28th, 2010
8:09 pm
Enter your comments here
Tech
November 28th, 2010
8:10 pm
Tech-Buzz may be a Bug but your Mam’s a Dog!
TXDAWG
November 28th, 2010
8:10 pm
DAWGS….suck. Horrible argument. In one statement you say ” I will say that GT played better than georgia because you have to consider their main QB is out with an injury”…and then later you say ” Falcons lost their main QB and now the 2nd stream QB has helped lead them to leaders of the NFC South.” So the Falcons play better because their 2nd string QB is in, but GT can only play better with their 1st string QB in? Sounds like a double standard.
Besides, 511 yards with the 2nd string QB. I’m not buying that GT would have done better with Nesbit. They might have done worse. After all, GT only gained more than 500 yards once WITH Nesbitt this year against 4-8 Virginia.
Dennis
November 28th, 2010
8:11 pm
Who gives a rip! I am wondering why we could win with walkons and freshmen two years ago against a Moreno and Stafford team and now we cant beat a poor bullpup team. This is not a ringing endorsement for PJ. He needs to recruit some defense.
NC Brave
November 28th, 2010
8:11 pm
I’m very happy PJ is there. The boring football version of the “Princeton” style offense will never work on a consistent basis and UGA will continue to beat them. Go Dawgs!!!!!!!
Glenn
November 28th, 2010
8:13 pm
If I was one of those 100 recruits on the UGA sideline and witnessed the game Saturday evening, and then read Mark Richt’s comments that said Paul Johnson had outcoached him, it would sure cause me to rethink whether the Georgia Bulldogs were a program worth investing in if I had an option with, let’s say an Alabama, LSU, or Auburn…
Butler made the this Point Mark...
November 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
Yes, last night on Kenvin Butler’s after game radio show, butler stated that Tech letting UGA score the fouth quarter Touchdown shows that Paul Johnson is a losser which makes Tech a losser. We all know that Butler knows more about Football that Mark Bradley.
St. Clarkston
November 28th, 2010
8:17 pm
Tech, 1-0 in moral victories.
Ponte Vedra Dog
November 28th, 2010
8:18 pm
Hopefully Tech will feel this “giddy” for the next 10 years too!
CMR
November 28th, 2010
8:19 pm
So Techies feel all warm & fuzzy about their coach? Who gives a damn, the name of the game is to get a W, not feel good about losing,thats what all losers say, we got a character win! Nerds, thats all you CAN say 9 out of the last 10 years, we suck this year & still beat you Bumblebees & we have NO defense, but we have enough to beat the Nerds! Go Dawgs
Coach Johnsons Paul
November 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
MB-When you review that 2009 UGA-GT game please note that GT “HAD” Josh (2009 it was Josh, not Joshua) Nesbitt, and BayBay, and Morgan Burnett, andDerrick Morgan and STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LOST!!!
What was Cumberlands excuse the day they lost to GT 222-0???
Go get a job at Disney because your imagination is just what they need for their fantasies.
Rodney Dangerfield
November 28th, 2010
8:20 pm
The only thing that would have made this awesome would be Tech scoring at the end to tie it up and then win in OT when all UGA had to do was kneel on the ball.
And, yeah AJ is going to the NFL. He showed that when he nonchalantly ran out of bounds 2 yard short of a defender and 3 yards short of a first down.
TXDAWG
November 28th, 2010
8:21 pm
WOW1979 – Good job of putting words into others mouths. The real fans don’t think UGA is a great team this year. They don’t feel thrilled over the way the GT win happened. If Tech had one by 1 point instead, would you still call GT pathetic? They are’t good, neither is UGA. Don’t take things so personal and call people ignorant that you know nothing about….and PS. See my comment on the GT “backup” QB vs Nesbitt.
hawksfan
November 28th, 2010
8:21 pm
42 to 34. That is all the matter bradley..
San Francisco Dawg
November 28th, 2010
8:22 pm
Mark Bradley, moral victories mean nothing…that’s laughable! Tech lost for the ninth time in ten tries and that is all that counts…it was a devastating loss for Tech because they should have won the game..when the game ended, Georgia had the better offense, defense and special teams…Richt won, Johnson lost…Tech fans have another year to think about the game that could have gone their way, just like so many times before…
woodie
November 28th, 2010
8:25 pm
Great article Mark. I agree with you.
Not Don Waddell
November 28th, 2010
8:25 pm
I think that Mark Bradley wrote this same article about Mark Richt after the 2001, Cocktail Party.
10 years later, the Dawgs are still waiting for the momentum to change in that series.
Gtu is to UGA as UGA is to UF. Makes no difference what kind of platitudes are thrown Paul Johnson’s way, this game is going to end the same way 8 out of 10 times.
southernfan
November 28th, 2010
8:30 pm
The only Georgia college football team worth getting giddy about is Georgia Southern-headed to the league finals. 41-16 in the playoff with their star quaterback injured and out after one quarter. Maybe they need to show UGA and Tech how the game is played. Maube mark B. can focus on their success and not the 6-6 bunch of losers.
Gotta Go
November 28th, 2010
8:34 pm
Mark
I usually agree with you but this article is a bit of a reach. We UGA fans know we had a terrible season, are disappointed in our coach, etc. However, we still beat Tech and their brilliant coach who went for it on 4th down on their first possession, passing up a sure FG. That was a critical decision that would have made the difference in their SECOND victory in the past decade. Let’s not equate the two programs. It is not close, and this opinion is supported by our continued dominance during the worst two-year span we have experienced in over 15 years.
Rich
November 28th, 2010
8:34 pm
Bradley,
Where do you come up with this inane idea that Tech fans are ‘giddy’? One email from Tax Anderson?? He doesnt speak for all Tech fans. The Tech fans I know dont feel that way at all. Yes, Georgia was the better team…because they have out recruited Tech. And that is a problem…if Paul Johnson is such a great coach – why cant he get better talent? And CPJ doesnt pay a bit of attention to defense, special teams or a passing game. He is so arrogant about his triple option offense that he ignores every other phase of the game. Yes, he beat UGAg 2 years ago….with Chan Gailey’s recruits….his own recruits are a different story. And last year, Tech was the more talented team against Georgia and lost…there are no moral victories..losing to Georgia always sucks.
From a Tech perspective, having lost 9 out of 10 to CMR, including 2 out of 3 under CPJ, Richt must be doing something right
GT man
November 28th, 2010
8:35 pm
PJ is becoming like Gailey, being intimadated by Richt. Allen is making all those yards, why at the end does Washington run the ball? Just like last seasons 4 bombs and incompletions–why? Bring Shannon from Miami to be our defensive coach.
UGA FAN
November 28th, 2010
8:37 pm
woohoo go DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we win again even though we cant beat the rivals that really matter in sec play. We constantly get outcoached and outplayed by teams with half of the talent, because we bring down talent, and half of our team has an alternate uniform of a orange jumpsuit. we constantly underachieve. I guess well just get drunk again and chant 42-34 all year long while our a** is getting handed to us by AU, UF, and SC.
GO Dawgs!!!!!!
Glory Glory
November 28th, 2010
8:41 pm
SUCK IT, NERDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Old AU Fan
November 28th, 2010
8:43 pm
Hey, UGA, congrats about now being bowl eligible. I just got up after reading an article about the game in the AJC, flushed and now the bowl is ready for you.
All kidding aside, I hope you beat the snot out of the smurfs next year!!!!
Techbuzzer
November 28th, 2010
8:44 pm
How the hell can you feel good about the tech team when the special teams was on life support?
Not one highschool level play on a kickoff return. I thought I was watching a first year middle school practice team.
ie”Bostic gets ball; then “Bostic runs ten feet straight into UGA defense; then Bostic is at bottom of a heap on the ground” – that scenario got real old and showed zero coaching.
Dawg Gummit
November 28th, 2010
8:46 pm
MB, why don’t you write an article about how in year 3 a program goes from ACC champs to the lofty status of 6-6. Most brilliant coaches actually improve with the program in year 3. At least the so called idiot CMR went 10-2 and the SEC title game in his third year. UGA needs to fix defense in a bad way before next year, but GT also has serious problems next year.This was two mediocre teams playimg but at least 9 out of 10, and 2 out of 3 since CPJ came to town.
Your Breath Smells like Fish Fry Tacos
November 28th, 2010
8:47 pm
Did PJ make any comments like punch a UGA fan in the face this year?
Ponte Vedra Dog
November 28th, 2010
8:49 pm
Mark, Tech fans should feel proud. Their team played hard all night and never quit, well maybe on 1 play. And yea, CPJ outcoached CMR on one play. Feeling pride for a great effort, sure, but giddy, come on. I hope not for their sake. I don’t care who UGA loses to or how they lose. I have never felt giddy in a loss. I feel sick, and yes, I’ve felt sick more times than I would like in the last two years. Great effort by Tech, but in the end the better team won.
Sautee Dawg
November 28th, 2010
8:51 pm
Gamecocks fans talking trash, Bama folks talking trash, Tech people proud they put up a good fight.
To the Gamecock fans 1 out of 4 is not very much to boast about. Auburn won this year for the 1st time against UGA in 5 years. Bama is 2 and 2 the past 4 years. Tech 1 out of the last 10..
Pretty sound coaching if you ask me Bradley.
When’s the last time you had a good article???
Who outcoached who??
Lets give them a touchdown so we can keep playing, are you serious?
Your Breath Smells like Fish Fry Tacos
November 28th, 2010
8:51 pm
Gtu fans – I understand you are projected to Shrieveport. You all are dumb as you look.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
November 28th, 2010
8:56 pm
I doubt many GT fans are giddy after the game – I know DAWGS were not even though we won in spite of an ugly game (was it 8 fumbles total).
GT had good efforts from their QB and RBs last night. UGA has a lot of work to do to rise above what is now a mid-level SEC team.
bitter coach donnan
November 28th, 2010
8:57 pm
sure dont miss coachin, haha, da–n what a crazt football year, fla looses 5, ga 5, texas 7, s.c. wins east with 3 conf loss’s. well murphy’s law yaaaw. so one thang did’nt change on this webb pg. so much bitc—in with bringing little to nothing to the table in the form of quality football talk. richt and bobo and gratham are our coach’s and yes they will win in the future, so hit the books loossers and start bringing some solid TAKES. P.S. mark my word 10 years probation coing fo those war eagletts, hahahahahahahahahah punks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SWGADAWG
November 28th, 2010
8:58 pm
Glad you are enjoying your “victory”….that makes 9 out of 10 of those doesn’t it???? “Winners never consider a loss a victory” That goes for us too……
Dan in the keys
November 28th, 2010
9:00 pm
UGA says “we still run this state”. Let’s see. The state economy is really bad. There is a crisis of state leadership. The Dogs go 6 & 6 with really great talent. Tech has ‘dropsy”. Hmm, maybe UGA does run the State!
John Galt
November 28th, 2010
9:01 pm
I for one am not celebrating. Tech’s program is too pathetic to celebrate an 8-point victory.
Not a good game for us Dawgs.
But I still thank God that I am a Dawg, in the end.
John Galt
Terry School of Accounting 1979
gt
November 28th, 2010
9:02 pm
haha is the comment on the picture real?
Jaybo Shaw
November 28th, 2010
9:02 pm
The real winners yesterday were Florida State and Georgia Southern- both make UGA look like a freshman highschool team . I feel sorry for the people in Shreveport having to watch a second rate team play.
Sautee Dawg
November 28th, 2010
9:05 pm
Bradley you’ve bashed our coaching staff all year long. “wasn’t playing with an even amount of checkers” Tech had just as many checkers as we did.
Hell the Qb Tech put on the field did a better job that Nesbitt would have. look at last years stats. This years even had a better completion ratio.
Why with 1.30 left down by 1 point did the Great Genius Paul Johnson call 4 straight passes like he did last season after running for 400+ yards??
Who’s outcoached???
Bradley you’ve outdid yourself this time/
May want to take a look back at the score.
Paul Johnson doing the same stupid thing he did last season, asking a running QB to pass 4 straight downs, and now he’s a coaching legend. Both of them losses.
Tech fans should be real proud of these accomplishments.
Jekyll Island
November 28th, 2010
9:05 pm
(((((((((((((((((((((((((42-34))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!!!!!!
Ponte Vedra Dog
November 28th, 2010
9:07 pm
gt, the comment under the picture is a classic. I’m guessing he was thinking about dinner. That’s the dumbest caption I’ve seen in a long time.
alpha
November 28th, 2010
9:08 pm
You techies can rationalize the outcome of the game till next year if you like. But when all is said and done, guess what? You still lost!
Jekyll Island
November 28th, 2010
9:08 pm
Bradley, you Tech lovin’ moron! YES, CPJ IS THE GREATEST FREAKIN’ COACH IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIS RECORD SHOWS HIS DOMINANCE OVER EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
42 – 34 = ANOTHER YEAR OF UGA DOMINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THWGT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stachemoney22
November 28th, 2010
9:09 pm
uga had joe cox at quarterback and tech was a top ten team last season and we beat them at their place. great coaching by paul johnson. i guess paul johnson recruits great kickers and doesnt teach laces out. we had a freshman qb this year and won again. 9 of last 10. quit talking about good coaching from johnson and start talking about the dawg’s dominance.
NERDS!!! 42-34!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:09 pm
NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!!
NERDS!!! 42-34!!!
November 28th, 2010
9:09 pm
NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!! NERDS!!! 42-34!!!
Paul's Johnson
November 28th, 2010
9:10 pm
Tech’s offense was UNSTOPPABLE…hence the reason Richt went for it on 4th down in the 4th quarter rather than taking a sure field-goal and four point lead…he knew UGA couldn’t stop GT from scoring another TD while milking the clock to zero.
So Tech gets a gift, a fumbled exchanged (let’s be honest…Tech couldn’t stop the Dawgs either), and thus a chance to march down the field and win it with a field goal.
The “genius” abandons (like last year) what had been working all night and calls a series of head-scratchers.
And like every year other year tech chokes up against UGA…they’ve given away at least five out of the last ten.
Until Tech beats UGA down…by more than 14pts…and then wins the following year…they’ll always play like the nervous younger brother.
Charles
November 28th, 2010
9:11 pm
Taking moral victories from losing to a 5-6 club. Ah, must be great to be a Jacket.
Put it this way…roles were reversed a year ago. Tech was the favorite. UGA playing without its best player…on the road. And won, taking an actual victory home. That’s the difference in the two programs. That and 22 head-to-head wins.
Jekyll Island
November 28th, 2010
9:13 pm
MB, YOU ARE SUCH A DUMB A$$! I AGREE WITH CHARLES, THE TECHIES CAN TRULY REVEL IN THEIR MORAL VICTORIES!
Larry Bowie - No. 15
November 28th, 2010
9:13 pm
I actually think it is refreshing for a coach to admit that he did not make the right call…..Richt admitted that he should have told his players to take a knee rather than scoring….does anyone think CPJ would admit that he should not have called a QB draw, then two passes on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd downs with 2:50 left in the game? He was asked about the same thing last season and would not consider the fact that he might have done something different….he obviously did not learn his lesson…….ego over humility…..but, CMR over CPJ two years in a row.
tech fan
November 28th, 2010
9:13 pm
the jackets played hard the whole game for coach johnson and they will continue to play hard for him and as far as the commit about his offense what does it have to prove not one thing they have led the nation in rushing all year and it has already won national championchips coach has nothing elese to prove so just set back enjoy the ride and lets see how it unfolds go gettem tech keep right on rolling