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
calvin
November 28th, 2010
3:02 pm
Where was Bradley after the Virginia Tech game? Tech came even
closer to a winning comeback, much closer, after Nesbitt had
been lost before the half.
GT fan in MS
November 28th, 2010
3:03 pm
Boy Mark Richt is sooo smart.
Him and Grantham had that D ready to play against GT’s sorry High School Offense. Those 2 weeks of preparation and film study really showed last night.
They really shut it down. Holding it to only 410 yards rushing.
Harold
November 28th, 2010
3:03 pm
How in the word Richt got his team to 7-6 after starting out 1-4 is amazing.
Best coahc in the country.
Bye-Bye Mark
November 28th, 2010
3:04 pm
Mark Richt to be new Head Coach at Miami, his alma mater. He is the number one target and money is the discussion. Mark to leave the dawgs. Mike Bobo begs for change to be head coach.
Dawg Paws
November 28th, 2010
3:04 pm
Richt to Miami – Bobo as head coach!
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:05 pm
Paul Johnson, “That Dawg Uga just punched me in the mouth. I’m telling!”
Jamie
November 28th, 2010
3:05 pm
Georgia had 2 defensive players that couldn’t go in the 2nd half, and that’s where G Tech got most of their yards. I think Rambo went down, and maybe Dobbs?
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:06 pm
Oh, and you Nerds thinking…. or should I say, DREAMING, CMR is not leaving UGA. BANK ON IT!
The Alpha Male
November 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
Congratulations to Coach Johnson for his moral victory. How pathetic a program has Tech become when near-misses against Georgia are celebrated?
***GEORGIA OWNS TECH…. FEEL OUR OWNAGE***
GT fan in MS
November 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
That Mark Richt sure is smart. Him and Grantham really coached up that D to shut down GT’s High School Offense. They really took advantage of the 2 weeks off to prepare and watch film on shutting down GT. Holding GT to a measly 410 yds rushing. Well done UGA coaching staff.
Dawg Paws
November 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
$5MM signing bonus for Richt? Bobo gets Ford 150.
Jamie
November 28th, 2010
3:08 pm
The reaosn no NFL team runs the triple option?
The QB can get injured and end your season as you get stuck with a back up QB.
How’s that for brains?
IDJacket
November 28th, 2010
3:09 pm
I can’t see how any fan can be happy about losing to UGA. But at least it is clear where the problems with the team lie, and there is reason to hope they can be fixed.
I also fail to see how any UGA fan can feel very good about their program. For the true UGA fans (not the obnoxious bloggers here) I feel some sympathy for what it looks like you will have to face over the next few years. At least you have that satisfaction of still owning this series and we will look to change that.
I guess we can all be happy to find that the state of Alabama now has internet service. I suppose that means they have indoor plumbing and other “modern” conveniences as well. Great Job Alabama, we are so proud of you, and we knew you could do it!
ramblinman
November 28th, 2010
3:10 pm
Well put, Mark. I love how CPJ made CMR look like an absolute idiot there near the end! “Georgia gets all these players; what happens to them?”. Well, it is becoming increasingly clear that they simply fall into the hands of subpar coaching for the collegiate level.
macrotech
November 28th, 2010
3:10 pm
It was a GREAT game to take in…neither team showed ANY quit! I don’t think there is a single Tech fan that is ‘giddy’ with this loss. We have EVERY reason to be optimistic for next year (no offense to uga fans), though. We ran for 411 yards and passed for over 100. Washington is going to be really good as he matures. He still makes some REALLY bad reads out there. In time, he’ll wise up. Our redzone scoring needs to be more consistent and I’d like for CPJ to call for a field goal attempt from time to time. We left nine points out there on the field, assuming (He’s a better kicker than the missed extra point) Blair hits them. It was fun watching all the fans leaving the stadium after the game trying to figure out uga’s last score…most of them seemed to get it. I won’t say the best team won last night, but I can say, “Congrats on the win, Bulldawgs”.
Perry
November 28th, 2010
3:12 pm
Paul Johnson got outcoached.
His team is ranked last in the NCAA in passing.
Didn’t think he’d need to pass.
Dawg Paws
November 28th, 2010
3:12 pm
Nine and one. You can be sure that the “U” would never hire a head coach that had BoBo and the G man as coordinators.
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
Pathetic. Did UGA ever trail in this game? All tech has left is to hope cpj is the 2nd coming of God. Im actually shocked by how giddy techies are about a good loss.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
HEY NERDS! No matter how you slice it UGA 42-Nerds 34! CMR out coached Man Boobs again. He mad his sorry team 1 TD better than your sorry team. That makes his sorry team better.
NINE OUT OF TEN!!!!
Ralph
November 28th, 2010
3:14 pm
Brainy engineers can’t figure out a way to beat Mark Richt.
It’s quite simple really.
4 to’s = win.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:14 pm
techies aren’t giddy because of CPJ, they are giddy because they are nerds!
Edward
November 28th, 2010
3:16 pm
rICHT GOT BORED.
HE LET PJ HAVE THE BALL FOR 38 MINUTES.
TIED BOTH HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK.
PLAYED A FRESHMAN QB.
FUMBLED TWICE ON SPECIAL TEAMS INSIDE GEORGIA’S OWN 20.
FUMBLED WITH KING INSIDE THE 20.
AND STILL WON BY 8!!
S Crook
November 28th, 2010
3:16 pm
Again this year, as with last, Coach Johnson seemed to abandon the triple option with sufficient time left on the clock in favor of plays with a lower percentage of succes. Just wondering why.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:16 pm
Dawg Paws
REALLY? Then how come it’s posted all over the “U”’s boards that he is on top of their list? Please check your facts before running your pie hole! NEXT!
Bulldawg Bennie
November 28th, 2010
3:18 pm
We still run this state and Tech is still out “Little Brothers” GO DAWGS!!
Edward
November 28th, 2010
3:20 pm
RCIHT COULD OUTCOACH JOHNSON BLINDFOLDED WITH BOTH HANDS TIED BEHIND HIS BACK.
Tech Man
November 28th, 2010
3:21 pm
UGA Engineer? Try selling that sauce worldwide. It ain’t happening.
CPJ is a great Tech Man. I look forward to his future on the flats.
BeatTech
November 28th, 2010
3:22 pm
Mark, 2 things: 1) yes, I agree that PJ is a really good strategist, but with about 2:50 they got the ball back and he decided to start throwing the ball. Did he panic a bit quickly, sir? I’m just saying he might not be as perfect as you suggest. And, 2) why don’t you and PJ just get a room already. Dang man, you have a real bromance going with this guy.
Edward
November 28th, 2010
3:22 pm
IF PJ KICKS A FIELD GOAL INSTEAD OF GOES FOR IT ON 4TH DOWN, TECH WINS.
SMART MOVE.
Edward
November 28th, 2010
3:23 pm
GO FOR IT ON 4TH DOWN 3 TIMES? DOES PJ KNOW THAT’S CALLED “LOW PROBABILITY’?
1 FOR 3. LOST HIM ANOTHER GAME.
Denial is a mechanism that maybe helps them
November 28th, 2010
3:24 pm
To lose oh so closely to your hated rival ( for UGA that is AU and UT and Florida and SC and LSU and Ole Miss and sometimes Arkansas) is very painful and this year UGA did lose 5 to our hated SEC rivals. Colorado was palatable, given the fact that they were the 1990 National Champions and all.
For GT this same thing happens about every 8, or is it 9? years ……………that is to say, “oh we are awesome because we outgained them” or that” our guys end up as engineers and theirs are just dreadful thugs”. Whatever …………….it is all the same. In fact, GT ought to say our uniforms look better, for all the good that it would do them.
As for CPJ …………………..he must think that to be behind by 8 is better than being behind by 1. What if GT were to get the ball back with no guarantees of scoring and throw an interception??? Gulp, that happened. Dumber than a sack of hammers he is. Dumber than Reggie Ball in fact.
We look forward to beating GT in 2011 in our second most favorite home field …………….Grant Field in front of 32,000 + sceaming UGA fans.
Go Dogs.
GT? Look forward to watching y’all in the Independence Bowl. It “IS the worst one in college history” …………..right? It is” humilating to play in that low level bowl”…………………right??? Bulldogss will be watching and giggling.
PS: that weekend White House photo of Obama and his busted lip is the second funniest in the news. First? oh, that was CPJ’s face when Blair SHANKED the PAT.
GT fan in MS
November 28th, 2010
3:24 pm
I’m surprised to see dawg fans so giddy after seeing an “SEC” quality / level D get completely dominated by a High School Offense from the ACC. Really? 410 yards rushing? 2 weeks to prepare? 3 year in a row to have seen it? UGA players attending the Duke-GT game to see it the week before? Superior recruiting and talent at UGA and this is the future of your program?
I’m disappointed in losing but I am really optimistic about Tevin Washington’s future running this O at GT. How great was it last night watching UGA’s D hands on hips play after play knowing they couldn’t do a dang thing to stop the High School Offense. ESPN panning the crowd and seeing it on the fans faces too.
Jamie
November 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
No NFL runs the triple option.
If PJ’s so smart, why doesn’t the NFL run it?
Answer? High probability of losing your #1 QB to an injury then being stuck the rest of the season to try and win with your back up QB.
PJ’s score strategies are ALL LOW PROBABILITY.
Richt outcoached him–AGAIN.
SAINT SIMON
November 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
UGA 42 – GT 34!!!!
UGA 30 – GT 24!!!!
HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA!!!!
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!
Dawgs Dawgs Dawgs
November 28th, 2010
3:27 pm
I don’t care one bit if Mark Richt is outcoached every game as long as UGA wins. Part of coaching in college is recruiting and Mark Richt has out recruited Paul Johnson every year so the out coached on the field is only a small part of college football. A win is a win against your rival period.
Steve O
November 28th, 2010
3:30 pm
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS COACH PAUL JOHNSON THINKING AFTER HE GETS THE OPENING TURNOVER, HAS A CHANCE TO GO UP 3-0, KNOWING GEORGIA’S 0-6 WHEN PLAYING FORM BEHIND, CAN KICK AN EASY FIELD GOAL, AND OPTS TO GO FOR ON 4TH DOWN AND MISSES OUT ON AN EASY 3 POINTS.
THOSE 3 POINTS WERE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE GAME.
JOHNSON OUTCOACHED AGAIN.
All year we Dogs listen to how bad we are, then .....
November 28th, 2010
3:31 pm
I am so confused. I am getting old as I am 62+. UGA man too. All year, year in and year out, GT fans say how bad our coaching staff is ( you might have a point ) and how lousy UGA is ( in 2009 and 2010) you might have a point and how terrible the SEC is or how awful UGA’s recruiting is,etc. Right??
But over the last 10 years, Richt has stomped Chan the Man and now CPJ. Help me please. Richt might not be as great as a Sabin or a CUM, but um, ah, is he not proving on the field that he is better than your last two coaches that y’all hired with good GT money $$$ and invested emotionally in???
Is Mark richt not dominating now both CPJ and historically Chan the NFL Man???
You prove this stuff on the field kids ……………not on your mom’s PC.
Go Dogs. 2011 in our Atl home field. Look forward to it.
Darren
November 28th, 2010
3:34 pm
How Richt found a way to win this game, giving up 500+ yards, giving up 38 minutes in time possession, giving up the ball 3 times inside his own 20 yard line, is a testament to how great of a coach Mark Richt is.
No wonder Richt’s winning % is higher than Paul Johnson’s.
Tweets that mention A canny loss to UGA leaves Tech fans giddy about their coach | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
November 28th, 2010
3:35 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yssel & Son's, GdsPlanet2 and brainzer, Georgia Bulldogs-UGA. Georgia Bulldogs-UGA said: http://bit.ly/WireUG A canny loss to #UGA leaves Tech fans giddy about their coach #NCAA #Sports http://bit.ly/hhmjlP [...]
DogGone
November 28th, 2010
3:35 pm
Atta’ boy, Bark. You got the dawgs foaming and spittin’ mad over this article. Very funny.
GT students are good in math but CPJ??
November 28th, 2010
3:38 pm
I’ll give you techies that you are very decent in math. No doubt about that. Hey, congrats.
Your football coach is dumber than a bag of rocks, however. He must think that to be behind by 8 points is superior to being behind by 1. This is so funny to UGA folks and now replaces Reggie Ball throwing the ball in the stands on 4th down as the funniest GT goof up vs UGA. He still thinks that GT must get 5 or is it 6 downs. AAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
CPJ’s face is priceless when Blair shanked that PAT. It also was funny when GT had to pass to move the ball with the universe’s number 1 rushing team and we picked him off. Funnier than Obama sitting in the WH with his busted mouth. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAHA
Clowns they both are.
G
November 28th, 2010
3:38 pm
Who cares who out coaches who if you win. Bradley you are a joke as usual….
Where was the great coaching win Tech had the ball with 2:35 left down 1, needing a field goal to take the lead, and had been running it down UGA’s throat all day and he calls a pass play on first down and gets a sack, then throws it again, incomplete?
If we are going to write an article about “great coaching” let’s look at the entire body of work. Oh yea Tech also lost 6 games, whose fault was it the other 5 losses, maybe it was Mark Richts fault Tech lost the other 5 games.
GT fan in MS
November 28th, 2010
3:39 pm
That Mark Richt sure outcoached Paul Johnson this year.
It must have been part of his master plan to keep his D on the field for 38 minutes. Give up over 400 yards in rushing. Maybe he didn’t want Murray getting bored? Maybe he really wanted his D conditioned? They looked like they were really getting a work out… Everytime I saw them they had their hands on their hips.
Didn’t Richt and Grantham have 2 weeks to prepare to shut down this High School Offense? Isn’t this the 3rd time they’ve seen this High School Offense? Didn’t UGA players come to watch the O last week against Duke? They were really well prepared.
dawgfan
November 28th, 2010
3:40 pm
Georgia Tech=Moral Victory U.
Congratulations to Georgia Tech once again for “outcoaching” UGA. Truly a stellar accomplishment. You should put it on rings.
BeatTech
November 28th, 2010
3:41 pm
And all of those that question PJ not kicking the field goal early to go up 3-0 are correct. But, that’s not PJ’s MO. He always goes for it. Not because he’s a great coach, but because he’s arrogant. This is why he is a great fit for GT. Arrogance loves arrogance.
ugahydro
November 28th, 2010
3:41 pm
Wow, another man bites dog story from a newspaper; how original. Here’s Mark’s ploy folks: take a game where the offense we all knew was difficult to stop but will always run the risk of stopping itself with turnovers is, shockingly, hard to stop, forget that when behind the ‘man’ abandons said offense and starts trying to do what it is poorest at, take one play where ‘man’ does something ‘dog’ isn’t prepared for but forget that the end result of that brilliant move was to have to starts trying to do what it is poorest at for a TD instead of a FG, forget that dog has won 9 of 10 against man’s employer, declare a moral victory for man over dog riling up both’s supporters, and attempt to be edgy and relevant. Remember when there were quality sportswriters adding to the post game experience?
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:42 pm
GT fan in MS
9 out of 10….. yes, CMR is an awful coach! Your probably one of the many tech tools wanting him to leave UGA and go to Miami where you tools still play Miami.
CMR OWNS YOU! 9-1!
Keep dreaming about Man Boobs!
Tampa Wreck
November 28th, 2010
3:43 pm
I was far from “giddy” about my coach last night. Perhaps if we kick afield goal on the opening possession instead of “going for it” of 4th and 2, that last missed extra point doesn’t hurt us. Or maybe if we stick with the offense that was marching down the field throughout the second half when we get the ball down by 1 with 3 minutes left to play, we move the ball into position for a game winning field goal. Instead, we try to get cute and lost 7 yards on 2 plays.
Yes, I was far from “giddy” about CPJ last night. What I saw last night were two putrid defensive teams and the dawgs offensive talent winning out over the the grind it out scheme of the jackets. Both teams tried to give it away, but Tech was more successful at aspect of the game, so the dawgs won. However, hard for either team to be proud of what they saw last night.
Hard to believe our defense was that bad, but seeing was believing. Did we just not recruit any defensive linemen or linebackers for 3 years? We had no clue as to how to stop the dawg’s offense. If we can’t do something to improve our recruiting on the defensive side, we are in for more years of mediocrity.
NINE AND ONE!
November 28th, 2010
3:44 pm
Be giddy techies, be giddy while UGA continues to own you!
I’d rather win than be GIDDY!!!!
Tom in ATL
November 28th, 2010
3:45 pm
UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game. UGA never trailed in this game.