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
Jeremy
November 28th, 2010
2:29 pm
Who else saw Samuel L. Jackson on UGA’s sideline decked out in Dawgs gear from head to toe? Bulldawgs rise up. Bottom line = bumblebees lost again. UGA won the game and nobody will remember Paul Johnson allowing them to score late, the win is what will be remembered. “You play to win the game” – Herm Edwards
Old South Dawg
November 28th, 2010
2:29 pm
It wont be long until Tech must worry about losing to Kennesaw st. in Football as well. LOL
Monkey Business
November 28th, 2010
2:30 pm
Steve..i said we suck, but we still beat UGA….
The Blair Miss Project
November 28th, 2010
2:32 pm
<————- WIDE LEFT <—————-
I think this win is sweeter than last year.
It got us bowl eligible, and the Techies are SO bitter that they act like they won.
HILLARIOUS!!!!!
(((((42-34)))))
Gold Helmets
November 28th, 2010
2:33 pm
Thanks Mark for the nice article. Proud of the Jackets and CPJ and his staff. Just fix a few things and next year could be special.
Steve
November 28th, 2010
2:34 pm
And what else is new???
The Blair Miss Project
November 28th, 2010
2:34 pm
<————– WIDE LEFT <—————–
Sure, Tech fans will remember the "geniusness" of Manboobs Johnson for a week. Then it is realized that it's just ANOTHER loss to the Dawgs!!!!
Enjoy Shreveport!!! Karma SUCKS doesn't it!!
Steve
November 28th, 2010
2:37 pm
Gold Helmets you are kidding right? Next year could be special? Tech will be 7-5 AT BEST before a bowl. Obviously UGA is a loss. They will lose to VA Tech, Miami, Clemson, and someone who they should not lose to.
dobearsbare
November 28th, 2010
2:38 pm
At my postgame tailgate of UGA fans, there was very little in the way of celebration, because Georgia leads the nation in stupid. We all repeatedly acknowledged that UGA got away with one. Part of me is loathe to quibble over style points, and I’d rather gnash teeth over an ugly win than seethe over any loss. Still, this win was hard to enjoy.
It has become a conundrum that UGA’s coach of undisputed character presides over a program so devoid of character, which is why Georgia is lucky to be 6-6 and has struggled so mightily since the beginning of 2009.
Hire Mark Richt
November 28th, 2010
2:38 pm
Hey you Auburm fans ,hope you enjoy this year. Because you will be staring down the barrel of NCAA Sanctions after Cam Newton for hire scandal plays out.Hope you can beat the”Old Ball Coach or you will have sold your souls for a trip to the Capitol One Bowl.Enjoy your stay on NCAA probation.
Exley DAWG
November 28th, 2010
2:38 pm
Pathetic is when you feel good after a loss. GT is pathetic. Case in point, even a turd like Bob Davie joked Tech about not being able to sell out a home game. Tech couldn’t even sellout an ACC championship game they played in.
The Dawgs had the worst season in 15 years, it happens. We still beat tech. So all of you nerds, starting with Bradley, go ahead and feel good about losing. Thats so pathetic.
destin dawg
November 28th, 2010
2:39 pm
my PHD ( goes by Dr.. not a medical Dr.. ) brother works (????????) for NASA… that’s a Gov’t job… tax payer revolt !!
Oh how the mighty have fallen
November 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
The mighty Ga bulldogs, legends in their own minds, reduced to bragging about beating a 4th rate high school team (barely). The junkyard dawg defense gives up over 400 yards to a high school offense against a team without their starting QB, and they want to brag. The only state they can run is Ga cause they sure can’t compete in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, even Arkansas and Colorado. Down go the dogs, down go the dogs! 4 and 5 star recruits and yet, off to another loser bowl.
nats love Swinging Richards on Northside...
November 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
It’s gonna be next year for a long time nats. Face it, CG’s recruits are gone. Fish fry’s recruiting sucks. Your can’t complete a pass “O” & Depends wearing “D” will be a perennial 6-6 team in the worst conference in America for the foreseeable future. ‘09 was a fluke, you’re 7-8 in your last 15 games and are going down hill fast.
35-13 in the last 48…consider yourselves our biotch…
layinlow
November 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
Im just not buying this whole brilliance thing and celebration of PJ because he let Georgia score to get the ball back. In hindsight yes we could have ran the clock out and it was the best thing for tech to let us score. But an 8 point lead on an option team with only 1:29 left in the game is not exactly a bad situation. Did Tech drive the length of the field and score, go for two to tie, and then win in overtime? NO. Now that would have made a great story of brilliance but they didn’t even come close. And this is not the first time a team has let another team score to get the ball back. Heck it happened in the Super Bowl when Mike Holmgren let the Broncos score so Green Bay could get the ball back with a chance to win. They also failed to capitalize. So its not like PJ invented the concept of letting someone score to keep the clock from being run out. How brilliant was PJ when Miami cleaned their clock? So now Tech fans are going to celebrate Paul Johnson after losses?
Josh Smith For 3
November 28th, 2010
2:41 pm
I’m still not impressed Mark. Even though I’m biased for UGA, Johnson displayed glaring similarities to Mike Bobo on the most critical drive for Tech’s offense. With just under three minutes and a timeout, I would’ve run the option until the cows came home, not QB keepers and passes. Maybe that’s why I don’t coach college football, but why try to change a strategy when it worked for 95% of the game? I kinda doubt our D would have kept them out of field goal range.
Dawg_Central
November 28th, 2010
2:43 pm
Bradley….you just explained the difference between UGA and Tech…..UGA would never be giddie over a loss. Tech fans wanna believe Paul Johnson is a genuis and sports writers keep saying it, but the proof is in wins. Paul Johnson runs the triple option, that should prove he is an idiot, when is the last time a team running the triple option won the national title???? Point proven !! Richt owns Johnson, UGA owns Tech, Nobody wants Paul Johnson as a head coach but Tech and maybe Ga Southern.
Herschel Talker
November 28th, 2010
2:43 pm
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.’ ”
THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO READ TO KNOW THAT MARK RICHT SHOULD BE FIRED. HOW MANY MORE TIMES DOES THIS BUMBLING IDIOT HAVE TO BE OUTCOACHED BEFORE MCGARITY WILL SAY THAT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Oh how the mighty have fallen
November 28th, 2010
2:44 pm
Blessed with so much, yet off to another loser bowl. But hey, we are the best of the lest.
UGA isn't happy about this victory..
November 28th, 2010
2:45 pm
They are really proud of their Fulmer cup championship!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats!
Dawg_Central
November 28th, 2010
2:46 pm
UGA is gonna get to play a conference champion in a bowl, Tech goes to play Air Force…..LOL remember Shervport………karma is a mofo.
greg
November 28th, 2010
2:48 pm
Wow! Now MB is giving out moral victory trophies. That is funny. Last year CMR outcoached and pulled CPJ’s pants down on national tv. This year UGA did everything they could to lose the game and still won. I guess what we learned is regardless of if CMR is outcoached or not his team will still beat GT most of the time. The only thing that matters is 9 out of 10, and 42-34. Suck on that nerds. Enjoy the trophy you received from MB for not losing too badly (geez, what is this? 7 and under soccer?. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha)
Steve
November 28th, 2010
2:48 pm
“Oh how the mighty have fallen” who is your team? Another loser bowl??? Would you like me to list the bowls UGA has gone to from 2001 – 2008?
The Blair Miss Project
November 28th, 2010
2:48 pm
<————– WIDE LEFT <—————-
"but, but, but…. we uh….. uh…. we won in 2008!!!!"
You Nerds are PATHETIC!!!! "giddy" over a loss!
(((((42-34))))) A LONG, LONG 364 days awaits you on these blogs!!!!
fair and Balanced
November 28th, 2010
2:50 pm
I really don’t understand this “Well we played a good game. We have inferior players and so to stay close to GA is great for us.” You play the game to win. You can’t be happy with losing. Show me a good loser – and I’ll show you a loser! Pitiful. But the truth is that Johnson gets more done with less while Richt gets less done with more. Fact. Indisputable! The best coach in the state of GA at the college ranks is not CMR. And btw, how on earth can UGA be considered the state champs? Neither Tech nor GA played GA State or GA Southern.
DawgsRule
November 28th, 2010
2:50 pm
We gave you every opportunity to win – muffed punts, turnovers, Caleb King, multiple failures to convert 4th down, and an offense playing not to lose instead of playing to win. The WORST UGA team in two decades and you still couldn’t beat us. We beat your sorry coach, your players, and your referees for the 9th time in 10 years!
Good luck in Shreveport, we left the light on for you!!
JayBee
November 28th, 2010
2:51 pm
Funny how this article seems to think that this game was going to be a UGA blow out when Tech had a better record than Georgia. A quick read of the Georgia blogsites would also reveal that almost all Ga. fans thought this would be a well fought game just like all the other ones we’ve had the past 3 years.
Tech has a good coach, that’s for sure, but I believe completely that Tech came believing they would win. They didn’t, the effect of the loss was evident in the fan’s faces at the end of the game. They have a year to prepare to beat us again, and I’m sure it will be another battle in the trenches regardless of the records. But it’s never fun to lose to your instate rival.
Oh how the mighty have fallen
November 28th, 2010
2:51 pm
Ga’s new motto Give us your 4 and 5 star recruits, and we will do less with more = 6 and 6 record = another losers bowl.
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
2:51 pm
OK, Taz……..if this coach took a group with little talent, shouldn’t ya’ll get a coach that can recruit BETTER talent ?
Steve
November 28th, 2010
2:53 pm
Not going to answer me “mighty have fallen?” What a loser.
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
2:54 pm
I hope Paul Johnson doesn’t take a sharp right…….Bradley will break his neck. Why is he kissing the ass of a coach that won the ACC with Gailey’s players and is now a .500 coach ?
A coach that refuses to take any responsibility for HIS team’s failures ?
SoCal Dawg
November 28th, 2010
2:54 pm
“Fun Fact” PJ had to let a 5-6 team score a TD with a minute and a half in the game for a 1 to 1,000,000 chance of winning and GT is about to pee themselves over it. (Oh yeah, by the way… Tech lost.)
Oh how the mighty have fallen
November 28th, 2010
2:55 pm
9-4
7-5
6-6
down go the dogs, from playing for SEC championships to bragging about beating a 4th rate high school team which ran for over 400 yards on the mighty junk yard dogs
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
2:56 pm
Yeah, CMR is an awful coach!!
2-1 in BCS Bowls
2 SEC Crowns in 3.
The big kicker 9-1 vs the Nerds!
3-1 overall against Man Boobs! Great coaching job. You can say Man boobs is better if it makes you feel better. Gave us the TD at the end was smart??? Seriously? This makes a young inexperienced QB have to throw the ball, go 80 yards for a TD in 1:25. YEAH, SMART COACH. If you ask me it’s not knowing the potential of your players. teks D should have stopped UGA, get the ball back and continue to run it in the middle. There was plenty of time left the way tek was running the ball. Man Boobs got nervous and decided to make a running QB a passer. I knew the game was over as soon as they started trying to throw the ball. Here’s to another long off season for the techies!!!
9-1 CMR GO DAWGS!
Mike
November 28th, 2010
2:56 pm
Coach Richt outcoached Georgia Tech for the 8th time out of 9 attempts.
Thought the gameplan by Grantham to strip in the red zone, especially off to’s, worked perfectly. Georgia forced 4 fumbles and recovered 3. Tech players said in post game Georgia’s players were excellent at stripping, in the red zone, and off to’s.
Then you have Richt outsmarting PJ on the last drive by dropping his best passrusher into pass coverage. BRILLIANT.
Also, knowing which way the swirling wind would blow in the 2nd half proved to be a smart move by Richt as their extra point got caught in the swirling 10 mph winds and went a little left.
Forcing Tech to pass at the end was another way Richt outcoached PJ, as Tech ranks last in passing in the NCAA. Richt forced PJ, just like last year, to try and win, doign what he did the worst, passing the football.
Richt won the TO battle, had better kick off returns, better special teams, that was the difference.
V Dawg
November 28th, 2010
2:56 pm
After another UGA win, how much longer are tech fans going to put up with Johnson’s mediocrity? Losing 6 games, in a weak conference like the ACC? Not good. He won with gailey’s recruits but can’t win with his own. The Dawgs will beat them worse in 2011—which is the year of the DAWGS—SEC title next year—count on it!!!
The Blair Miss Project
November 28th, 2010
2:56 pm
<————- WIDE LEFT <————–
I'm glad you Techies are giving yourself the "we didn't play as bad as we thought we would play" Trophy.
Enjoy it….. while we enjoy holding onto the Governor's Cup….AGAIN.
(go ahead Tech, insert Fulmer Cup Joke here __________________________)
Game Over. DAWGS Won
November 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
Mark,
Where was the genius CPJ during the 6 losses this year? UGA is not a good team(6 LOSES LAST TIME I CHECKED) and you act like it was this huge talent mismatch. Remember we lost to Colorado
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
Has CPJ got pictures of Bradley or what ? What a crock ! Ya’ll talk about Tech’s mistakes……UGA’s mistakes kept Tech in the game.
LOL @ UGA Dawg
November 28th, 2010
2:57 pm
I absolutely bet that I beat you at W2 time !! THAT.. I am sure of !
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
2:58 pm
If Paul Johnson is such a great coach, how did they lose to Kansas ?
Mike
November 28th, 2010
2:58 pm
Also thought PJ messed up by calling the pitch to Houston’s side.
Boy was that a bad call.
Cost him the game.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
2:58 pm
“Florida and South Carolina beat you”… sniff, sniff sniff. You bunch of cry babies it still does not take away from the fact that UGA beat you….AGAIN! 9 out of 10.. Oh, it hurts sooooo bad!! HA!
GO DAWGS!. We may suck this year, but you suck worse than we do…. And that is bad.
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
2:59 pm
As bad as Georgia was this year, they could have won the ACC .
Scott
November 28th, 2010
2:59 pm
Tech faced the worst team Richt has coached in 24 years, and couldn’t beat him.
That’s hilarious.
Paul Johnson simply cannot coach.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:00 pm
Mike
Perfectly said!
Jeremy
November 28th, 2010
3:01 pm
If G Tech can’t beat a 5-6 Georgia team, who couldn’t even beat Colorado, should Paul Johnson be fired?
Rest of the SEC
November 28th, 2010
3:02 pm
Is UGA still celebrating beating a 6-5 ACC team? Georgia fans never cease to amuse me.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:02 pm
tek fan, “Well, our coach has bigger boobs than your coach.”
I’ll give you that one!
Matthew
November 28th, 2010
3:02 pm
For the past month Bradley has willfully taken a dump on Georgia. Yeah, we get it – its been a bad year. But even in a bad year, Paul Johnson can’t beat Georgia… and it has nothing to do with Nesbitt.
The Option-Gimmick Tech runs completely dismisses a QB’s ability to pass, which came to fruition in the fourth quarter. Period.