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
Hunker Down
November 28th, 2010
5:46 pm
I felt good going into the game after UF got whipped. Made me think God was smiling on the Dawgs. Give credit where credit is due. CPJ knew he was outmanned and like a general used everything in his control to try and make a difference. He almost did. Georgia needs help on Defense I think that is clear. However, I feel that the team is better than their record indicates. I do not know watching Tech go all out how they did not fare better this year than they did. The game was hard fought with battles won by both sides. In many regards everything a football game is meant to be with the exception of the many turnovers. Good luck to the Bees when you go bowling. Go Dawgs!
Old Gold and White Fan
November 28th, 2010
5:48 pm
Typical mutt fans! Tech put up over 500 yds of offense including over 400 on the ground against a good rush defense (as measured nationally), we keep the game that was supposed to be a blow out tight and make it a one point game all the way down to the end, we spot them 14 points TWICE by fumbling the ball and STILL they think they beat us. We beat ourselves. Why do you think CPJ said, “let ‘em score”? Because he KNEW, and the night had shown, that we could move the ball up and down the field at will. We did so allllllllllllllllllllllllll night. Mutts get the W because the Jackets gave it to them, end of story. You’re WELCOME mutt fans for the bowl. You can thank us when you get over your hangovers!
JB
November 28th, 2010
5:49 pm
I’m tickled for any win, but we just barely beat a bad Tech team, Under sized without their best player. Yes, Many Tech fans on here have admitted we should of won, and we did, but we are suffering from a very average defense syndrome that is costing us games. With a typical UGA D, we win Saturday by 3-4 TD’s…Good effort Tech, and the game could of gone either way.
tex dog
November 28th, 2010
5:51 pm
Mark B thanks all of you for continuing to respond to his articles. You keep the $$$ flowing
into his pocket. Keep staying agitated and keep the $$$ coming. The editors love it. All he has to
say is. what I write may be sh*& but look at the blog hits. PAY ME.
SuperB
November 28th, 2010
5:52 pm
With all due respect to Taz Anderson– if Johnson was such a good coach he would have BETTER PLAYERS. He won with Chan Gailey’s recruits, not his own. A loss is a loss and theya re not handing out awards for giving it that old college try anymore.
Dave
November 28th, 2010
5:53 pm
Whatever you say, Mark. You know you are just trying to start spinning BS because Randy Shannon was fired. Not to you ole’ novice of UGA vs GA Tech football games, this is a rivalry game. You always have to throwout EVERYTHING when that happens. Heck, look at last year!! Who was “suppose” to dominate that game!!
Dumn and obnoxious article.
Go Dawgs!! State champs AGAIN!!!
heeldawg
November 28th, 2010
5:54 pm
Dawgs got outcoached. I’ll give y’all that. Johnson got outcoached by Richt last season in the same game–gotta admit that one,too.
Next season, who knows about the Dawgs, but I know this–the talent level at Tech is not going to get much better overnight. For Tech to win more than seven games next season–even in the ACC–will require a lot more of the Paul Johnson smoke and mirrors act. It sure ain’t going to be coming from the talent.
macrotech
November 28th, 2010
5:54 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”. GO TECH!!!
TechRedNeck
November 28th, 2010
5:59 pm
I gotta admit I just accepted that our guys were gonna get beat by 2 or 3 touchdowns. Tech is no powerhouse but UGA isn’t either, and UGA is in a powerhouse conference. Run your mouths mutts, you won from a very weak team who gave you all you could handle.
ZUMADAWG
November 28th, 2010
6:00 pm
Insects 34; “that other state school” : 42!!!I I’ll consede PJ’s genius when his 10 year record is 9-1.
Stealin, Cheatin, The Auburn Way..try it UGA
November 28th, 2010
6:01 pm
Enter your comments here
We will be glad to show UGA HOW IT is done…for a fee..please feel to contact any Auburn staff member at the appropriate numbers. Do not be surprised if CECIL Newton answers the phone and request a donation…gift, support..he is part of the Auburn Family…
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Surprised
November 28th, 2010
6:03 pm
We’re looking at another 6-6 season for the Dawgs next year.
Maddawg
November 28th, 2010
6:04 pm
Well, if you wish to use this situation as an example of how Tech “outsmarts” UGA, then go for it. Bragging about how Tech “outsmarted” UGA on one play and going home blubbering about it……lordamercy.
Why not mention how UGA outsmarted Tech the rest of the game by winning with half the number of plays that they ran on the field, eh???? Duh!!! Guess the Yekkies just don’t get that one, huh?
Eddie
November 28th, 2010
6:05 pm
I’m not sure what to think of this article. It seems, no matter what Georgia does, they looked down on. First, Georgia isn’t closing games … then, when they close out a game against Tech, really making the plays when they count, you write that somehow Georgia was out-coached? Tech has the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the country … they didn’t do anything different or special. They run against everyone with success. Georgia played a solid game and made plays when they needed to and won. They made their extra points. They did the little things and took advantage of turnovers … Tech didn’t. I can’t help feeling if the result was reversed, you would write how Georgia was out-coached in that scenario. I think it would be wise to say both teams played well and Georgia deserves credit for winning.
Rusty
November 28th, 2010
6:06 pm
There’s a new Sheriff in town.
Billyboy
November 28th, 2010
6:08 pm
Mark, you must have missed the game. There were about 140 plays in the game. Tech did out coach and out play the Dawgs on some of the plays, but, the key to football is who wins the key plays. UGA won 12 key plays GT won 5 key plays, UGA wins. Next time I hope you can see the game.
Tech cant block Rudy
November 28th, 2010
6:09 pm
IF IF IF IF grandma had BALLS grandma would me GRANDPA. Georgia won, end of story.
russ gata
November 28th, 2010
6:10 pm
Only the tech nerds who giggle aqt dirty words made by calculators saw this as a victory.-by quitting. Thats like bed wetting to make your mattress fire retardent-yes probably been done on the flats.
Stay Awhile
November 28th, 2010
6:12 pm
How much longer are tech fans going to put with up johnson–a 6 loss season in a cupcake conference? They are paying millions for that?????
urbain64
November 28th, 2010
6:12 pm
Talking about academics: 2010 Rhodes Scholar UGA 1- GT 0. Go Dawgs !!!
CDAWG
November 28th, 2010
6:15 pm
Mark are you trying to up your readership from the Nerds? In case you didn’t know there were only 15 nerd fans in the whole stadium. They don’t support their team anywhere close to how UGA fans support our team. Tech can’t even sell out their 15,000 seat stadium but you are trying to write a feel good story for them. They still lost!
Stealin, Cheatin, The Auburn Way..try it UGA
November 28th, 2010
6:16 pm
How many Bulldogs have walked on the moon?
I asked walked on the moon, not done the moon walk. or eaten a moon pie.
Now that is funny!
Stealin, Cheatin, The Auburn Way..try it UGA
November 28th, 2010
6:16 pm
Rudy….have you been looking up Grandma’s skirt again?
Stealin, Cheatin, The Auburn Way..try it UGA
November 28th, 2010
6:18 pm
Can a UGA spell Space Shuttle…..I know they can spell WAFFLE HOUSE…
\
Now that was funny….
Burgess
November 28th, 2010
6:18 pm
Gailey lost in overtime to the Steelers today. If it had been Paul Johnson, Bradley would be pushing him for NFL coach of the year.
Class of '98
November 28th, 2010
6:21 pm
Didn’t Nesbitt play last year? Didn’t Dwyer and Demarius and Burnett and Morgan play too?
Johnson didn’t seem like such an Einstein 366 days ago.
Only Tech fans can be giddy with losing. Again.
Nerds.
9-1
November 28th, 2010
6:26 pm
UGA won, the myth that we should have blown Tech out is a joke, we have struggled all year.
And to answer the question about coaching see 2009, that was a mismatch..ACC champs etc. lost to a mid level SEC team…sounds like a good game plan from the UGA coaches. 2001 would be another good example… CMR first year, surprise a win over GT.
I am 45, history bears it out UGA wins 7-9 games a decade against the bugs..nuff said…HBTD, crawl back under your rock Tech fans, see you in a year. GEORGIA IS,HAS AND WILL BE BULLDAAAWG COUNTRY.
Northern sympathizer
November 28th, 2010
6:31 pm
I think Bradley is making too much of the Johnson decision to let UGA score. OK. Strategically, it made sense and gave GT a chance- With no timeouts, a remarkably low chance.
Truth is, Tech blew the game way more than UGA won it. Two key fumbles and a missed PAT is nothing to leave “giddy” about. Not really following the premise.
Dan
November 28th, 2010
6:31 pm
))))))))))))))))))42 – 34((((((((((((((((((((((((((
Wrecks-N-Effect
November 28th, 2010
6:32 pm
I’m embarrassed by your article MB, and I am a GT Alum and I could care less what Taz says.
I’m not giddy about anything that CPJ has shown this season.
If CPJ were a “Genius”, then he would have used the previous 36-months to develop some sort of passing game so that we would have a chance to win Games with 80-yds.-to-go and less than 3-mins. on the clock, there’s no Genius at getting your Team in a situation, and then having NOTHING to go to that will work, IMO that is more like Chan Gailey FB than “Genius FB”.
If CPJ were Genius, then he would not have 2-OL-coaches to teach our OLine how to dive at kneecaps all game long, instead he would have only one full-time-OL-Coach and one full-time STs Coach, an area that has repeatedly cost GT Games over his 3-yr-tenure despite a good yr. from our PK.
If CPJ were Genius, then he would realize that his lack of attention to GT’s STs causes headaches for his DC since we have to pooch kick and give Teams good Field-Position at their 35-40yd. line after each score, rarely do we ever pin teams inside their 20.
Finally Mark, if CPJ were such a “Genius” he would not have lost to Turner Gill, Randy Shannon, and Daboo Swinney in the same season, in fact “Genius HCs” might not lose to those 3 within a 10-yr. time period, yet CPJ managed that feat within a 2-month stretch.
Unlike the majority of GT fans, I actually follow CFB and I am not close to being giddy about what CPJ has done, the ACC is a very weak Conf. and he had 15-starters back and yet found a way to lose 6 games against the 66th toughest schedule in all of CFB, the computer polls have us as the 70th ranked Team.
Does that sound like a Genius HC to you Mark?
If CPJ is such a Genius WHY can’t he recruit like another HC that has tough Academics to deal with, that would be Jim Harbaugh @ Stanford?
The truth is Mark, is that any GT Fan that is giddy about what CPJ has done doesn’t know a d@mn thing about CFB, and that includes Taz Anderson even if he did play for Bobby Dodd.
Don Gill
November 28th, 2010
6:33 pm
We, Georgians don’t deserve good teams. When our teams do well nobody seems to notice. The Media, especially ESPN tries to bury us. Started wi the CNN wars. There is a conspiracy. I felt it for a while. I heard it stated by someone only recently. Going all the way back when TBS and Ted Turner ruled American baseball with the Braves playing in every city in the US. Rupert Murdoch didn’t help at all. How much criticism have the Braves reaped? Didn’t UGA finish 2nd in the nation 3 years ago and Knowson Moreno warped Florida’s and the Gator Nation’s minds? Was that the year that Willie Martinez’ defense ran undefeated Hawaii right out of the Sugar bowl. But hardly anyone noticed. Have you noticed how hard it is to get Braves, Hawks, UGA, Tech, even Falcons scores and coverage on TV. Last year the Hawks had a great year. A year of many miracles. But every sportswriter in ATL complained. Notice that it has taken Orlando quite a few years to get really good. Same wi LA, Chicago, Cleveland and last but not least Boston. Yeah, Salt Lake, Dallas and a few more out West. I was brought up that only sissies (and girls) complain. Apologies to all the great women out there. I think we should be saying “Thanks Atlanta. Hawks, Braves, Falcons, Bulldogs and Jackets, who had a fabulous (I’m a Bulldog) year last year. (and now Bill Curry, who’s one of the world’s great guys). Bradley obviously is a Paul Johnson supporter. If GA had lost he would have crucified Mark Richt. Who in my opinion is the finest overall coach. Ever. Where was Bradley during the Ray Goff years?
Doggone
November 28th, 2010
6:34 pm
u don’t get points for yards less you get it those last few by kicking or carrying looks like engineers could at least figure that out….. hahahaha till next year…
jsmuga
November 28th, 2010
6:34 pm
Isn’t Johnson responsible for recruiting??? He has done a terrible job after losing all his good (CG) players. So he is the reason for for having lesser talent to UGA. So I do get the praise or optimism.
When you can't win them on the field....
November 28th, 2010
6:38 pm
TEK obsesses about UGA, read all the blogs and it is obvious. look at the score then look at the record. That says it all… now tek can continue with the “we out played you but we lost”….by the way check out how many 5 star players are at Alabama, Florida and Texas…. doesn’t always mean a lot…. David Pollack and David Green were like two star recruits. They never lost to tek and were our best players at the time.
BullDawgBenny
November 28th, 2010
6:38 pm
WOW! I have respected Markster article’s for years. Can you believe that TECH has actually lost a game under Paul Johnson? A great coach at GSU, a super coach at Navy and the best coach in the ACC. There is no doubt that his system works great, except at the Championship level of Division 1. The year he won the ACC, he lost to Georgia? Tev Washington will make you forget about Mr. Nesbitt, he showed that last night, but he lost to Georgia. Turnovers, Missed Tackles, Injuries THAT IS FOOTBALL GUYS. ASK MARK RICHT, our team this year can do all the afermentioned and finish 6-6. I will take it, especially a 9-1 record against our NO.1 RIVAL
As the great Admiral Johnson says, it is all blocking and tackling, executing, and effort. Once again, ole Mark Richt and his dastardly Dawgs won again. GOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS, SICEM!!!!!!!!!!!! BEAT TECH EVERY CHANCE YOU GET!!!!
GT12
November 28th, 2010
6:39 pm
Ya know…you dawgs are getting awfully fired up over a team that just two days ago “no Georgia fan even cared about.” Aren’t yall still supposed to be pissed over your loss to Auburn? Just sayin’…
Don Gill
November 28th, 2010
6:39 pm
What happened to my Blog?
eddy
November 28th, 2010
6:41 pm
If Tech is so good, the 500+ yards of offense would have been enough……500+ yards of offense and still lose the game. Now that is something for the plastic pocket protector and slide rule gang to cogitate on…..single wing consumes 5-7 minutes to score. UGA take 1:30 to do the same, repeat as necessary. For the Nerds, it is not how long you control the ball….it is the score!!!!
Millionaire Matchmaker
November 28th, 2010
6:41 pm
Here is an update,
According to a Forbes Magazine article that is 5 years old published in 2005:
Harvard has produced the most Millionaires and Presidents
Yale is right there with them.
They grouped them in 10’s so here it goes:
Georgia Tech ranks in the top 30
The University of Georgia was below the 200 range.
Vanderbilt was the leading SEC school in the top 40
The University of Alabama was in the top 60
The University of Florida was in the top 60
The ACC had 7 schools in the 100
Virginia was the leading ACC school in the top 20
The SEC had 5 schools in the top 100…
What does that mean? Who knows….Rich kids in ACC schools.
Don Gill
November 28th, 2010
6:41 pm
Found it.
LOVETHASEC
November 28th, 2010
6:42 pm
Awsome JAWJA has won again. They beat that region 3AAA school up on North Ave. Next year they’ll be national champs. Several convicted felons have been realeased from jail and all are interested in playong for JAWJA. LOVE MY JAWJA BULLDAWGS!
cattle dawg
November 28th, 2010
6:45 pm
Dear CMR, go hire Giff Smith and fire Rodney Garner.
UGA 92
November 28th, 2010
6:52 pm
Enjoy your 500 yards of offense, nerd herd. We’ll take the actually victory. UGA won with almost half the number of offensive plays. That speaks volumes about your program. Please continue the love affair with CPJ. A man who has no ability to create a passing game and can lay claim to the most one dimensional football team in college football. Any other team would be humiliated to let an opposing play walk into the end zone regardless of the situation. But not Tech fans. Once again, relying on your self-appointed intellectual superiority has left you wanting.
black bee
November 28th, 2010
6:54 pm
CPJ clearly did a great job and has shown what he can do with players but I’m afraid this Staff is not recruiting enough real players. If you look at Stanford’s list they are recruiting more players from Florida then Tech. Did you see all the 4 and 5 Star players on the UGA sidelines. CPJ can do more with less but I just wish they would somehow have 2 back to back recruiting years and lets see what CPJ would do.
Adam
November 28th, 2010
6:56 pm
Let’s gain a bit of perspective here. GA Tech coming off a BCS game and an ACC title returning a fair number of their team and expected to do good things in the ACC this year. Georgia, coming off a bowl game in Shreveport LA, with a new d-coordinator that everyone thought would struggle until we got some real 3-4 talent on the defensive line. And the claim is that Ga Tech was CLEARLY OVERMATCHED?!!?? Yes, you did lose your QB. Yes, our QB is better than we expected….but this is still the best rushing team in the country that did exactly what they were supposed to do against a weak UGA defense. Spare me the….Tech got the most out of an over-matched team mantra. It was a game of two mediocre teams who played one another just like two evenly matched bad teams do…close.
AO
November 28th, 2010
6:56 pm
We’ll see how much trust Tech fans have in him next year now that he’s finally run out of Chan Gailey’s talent.
FishyBusiness
November 28th, 2010
6:57 pm
Mark: Who won the game???
Born2Buzz
November 28th, 2010
7:01 pm
MB, not going to read the 8 pages of comments because I’m sure most are the same old drivel from the woofin dawgs. But you are wrong and I’m sure CPJ would agree. There are no moral victories. While we do love our coach we still lost the game. He is a great offensive coach and we ran up a ton of yards and had a chance to win, but he is the HEAD football coach and thus is responsible for the entire team. He is responsible for a defense that gave up an average of almost 10 yards a play and a special teams unit that continually made mistakes (all season) and ended up costing us the game. CPJ would agree that he has work to do to get this program where he wants it to be. And going 6-6 and losing to UGA isn’t the destination.
MC
November 28th, 2010
7:01 pm
Any team that can run 92 plays and lose is pitiful. How many points would UGA have hung on GT if they’d run 92 plays? 70? 80?
Doug
November 28th, 2010
7:01 pm
I wonder if Tech will keep that defensive genius we hired last year? I haven’t seen a bit of improvement this year. If we didn’t have to score 40 points (or more) every game to win, it might have been a pretty good year. Is our talent that bad?
Someone earlier used the term, “UGA engineer” Now there’s an oxymoron! After perusing the day’s blogs, I am amused at the astounding butchery of spelling and the English language by Dawgs’ fans. Oh wait, I forgot that we are talking Georgia fans, not Georgia grads. YEEHAW!