Georgia Tech is no longer untested, but it’s still undefeated
The biggest play: Roddy Jones down the sideline. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Georgia Tech hadn’t been tested, so it decided to test itself. It watched North Carolina score three second-half touchdowns and override a 14-point deficit, and suddenly serious stuff had arisen. The nation’s No. 25 team was tied at home, 7:22 to play.
“We thought we’d try to make a game a little more exciting,” Paul Johnson would say afterward, half-smiling but not nearly laughing. That said …
Johnson mightn’t have enjoyed every detail of this game — the two turnovers, the missed field-goal attempt, the never-ending run of lousy special-teams play, the dropped touchdown pass by the otherwise ascendant Stephen Hill, even his own loss of fourth-and-1 nerve — but he had to be tickled by its outcome. A coach can’t know about his team until it’s forced to make plays for the express purpose of game-winning, and Johnson’s Jackets aced that exam.
Tied with 7:22 remaining, Tech led with 5:20 to go. Nice kickoff return, long Roddy Jones run down the sideline — shades of Sanford Stadium, November 2008 — and a Tevin Washington duck-in touchdown. No poor pitchouts or muffed catches here. Just two minutes of precision at the moment precision was required.
“I’m kind of glad it happened this way,” Hill said. “It shows the team it’s not going to be easy.”
Tech’s first three games had been varying degrees of days at the beach. It hadn’t trailed since the Independence Bowl. It hadn’t failed to lead 7-0 after its first snap. It was amassing silly numbers even by Johnson’s standards, but you knew full well that September wouldn’t pass without silliness yielding to cold reality. Reality arrived Saturday wearing powder blue.
North Carolina isn’t a great team, but it takes football seriously enough to have committed so many indiscretions it was impelled to vacate two years’ worth of victories. The Tar Heels seized the lead here, forcing Tech to react, and sure enough Tech scored 28 of the next 35 points. But then Al Groh’s defense, which had limited Carolina to 30 yards over the final 27 minutes of the first half, started to perform like the Tech D we’ve come to know and bemoan, and the usually roaring Tech offense wasn’t quite at high tide.
Which sounds strange, given that the Jackets finished with 35 points and 496 yards. But when you enter averaging 59.3 points and 675.3 yards, you’ve set an impossible standard. Matched finally against an opponent capable of punching back, Tech missed just enough chances to keep this close.
Said Johnson: “We’ll have to look at the tape and clean up the stuff we didn’t do great, and there’s a bunch of it.”
A bunch? Not really. But enough to render this the Jackets’ first close game of 2011. And even after the go-ahead-to-stay surge, Tech couldn’t run out the clock. Carolina got the ball and one final chance. Would Groh’s defenders go belly-up?
Nope. Tech halted the Heels before they could draw close enough to throw into the end zone. The defense incapable of making any plays last season made several this time — linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu had three sacks, including one on the game’s final snap — and that’s an upgrade.
“Thirty-five [points] is better than 28,” said Johnson, voicing a familiar and incontrovertible theme. “That’s what I was pleased with.”
There was, however, a single greater point: We’d seen how sleek Tech could look against token opposition, but against the Heels we saw it being forced to make plays — and then making them. No team scores 66 every given Saturday, and the rest of the schedule will resemble more of what we saw in Week 4 than in Weeks 1-3. This outcome should give the Jackets even deeper faith in themselves.
And there’s hay to be made in this conference. Nobody looks impregnable. The Jackets don’t play Florida State, and they’ll get Clemson and Virginia Tech here.
“Our goal is always to win the ACC championship,” Washington said, and a month ago those words might have sounded fanciful. Four victories later, this season bears the look of a real opportunity. Tech has positioned itself to do something, and that’s all you can reap from any September.
By Mark Bradley
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368 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
10:34 pm
OJF, I’m sure we will tighten up the defense; at times today they looked awesome. They have got to learn to cover that screen pass though. I hate to say it, the special teams may be a lost cause.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
10:35 pm
OJF, any idea yet what game or games you might make it down for?
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
10:37 pm
Short passing game defense is still an issue but I looked back and realized we haven;t been beaten on a deep ball. Punt teams is fine just the kick offs that drive me nuts! I was impressed with Quayshawn Nealy’s play late and what can you say about Attaochu!
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
10:39 pm
Supersize, right now we’ve got the Clemson, VT and GA games on schedule to be down for.
Can any of the dawgs read and write? Well, that would be a resounding NO.
September 24th, 2011
10:43 pm
The dawgturds are sooooooooo jealous of Tech. It’s pathetic watching the poor illiterate trolls trying to cobble together a decent paragraph, bless their wretched hearts.
Buzz 2011
September 24th, 2011
10:44 pm
Yellow Jackets at 4 -0
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
10:46 pm
OJF, macrotech will be with me at the Clemson game, so that will be a chance for several of us to meet, if time permits. Do you know where your seats are? 5150 is in Section 223L and I am in 225 (both upper east).
Rwreck77
September 24th, 2011
10:47 pm
Just an opinion but Techs attendance issue is rooted in the demographic of its student body over the last few decades. We attract a lot of out of state and international scholars. This is good for the academic side of things but many of these students do not stay in the Atlanta area after graduation and thus aren’t in the market for attending games. Also many of Tech”s international students do not come from cultures that hold American football in high regard. It’s my contention that that Tech could do a great deal to drum up more interest in the school to potential Georgia students. This could be done by not only marketing the Institute but also marketing the advantage of getting an engineering, technical or management degree to Ga high school students. In addition football traditions such as the Ramblin Wreck Parade need to be rejuvenated and marketed to the community. D Rad seems to be taking marketing of the Tech brand more seriously than past ADs All this said nothing fills seats like wining !
Just an aside, does anybody have any opinions regarding what damage Joe Pettit and David Braine did to the football program. Petit with his opinion that an academic institution of high standards need not be bothered with athletics and Braine with his opinions that we could not have a first class football program and should be content with less than first tier!
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
10:47 pm
Oh, btw, I also met btgt69 today while trying to find 5150.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
10:51 pm
Rwreck77, Petit wasn’t the first Tech president in history to have that attitude, but Tech survived and thrived. Braine, however, is one of a kind. I don’t know that he hurt the program, but he certainly hurt the perception. Good riddance to both. Rwreck77, can you answer this for me? In the past several years, the students filled their sections for the big games, although not so much for others, Well, today was a BIG game, and I think there were less students there today than there were for the WC game. I was stunned and appalled that the student sections never filled up.
North ave. faithful
September 24th, 2011
10:55 pm
This is almost as much fun as listening to this bunch of trailer park,cousin marrying,ignorant red necks arguing with each other on their on blog. pure entertainment! GO JACKETS
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
10:58 pm
Supersize, we’ll be in Section 109
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
10:59 pm
This game is pretty much what I expected out of this team – basically that if we get anything out of the defense, we are going to win 90% of the time. The offense played well today but left at least 13 points out there (missed FG, turnover inside the 10, and the dropped TD), but because the defense pitched in today, we won.
This offense is something to watch, though. I’ll never understand why more teams don’t run it.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:00 pm
I have nothing to say about Braine and his………………….time at tech. As my mother taught me, if you can’t say something good…………………;-)
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:01 pm
OJF, we’re on opposite sides of the field. Maybe we can meet somewhere before the game, if only just to say HI. Plenty of time yet to figure that out though
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:04 pm
OJF, I didn’t always listen to my mom (LOL), so I will say it……..DB was a worthless P O S
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:04 pm
@George Stein, Bib Davie addessed that today during the game. His take was that the offense wasn’t “fresh” or “up to date” for most fan bases that look at the spread offense of FL or Oregon and it isn’t “sexy”. He is big advocate of the offense, he was just saying publicly what others have voiced. If Tech continues to be sucessful with it I suspect tha attitude will change. After all, in my mind it’s an easier offense to recruit for at the skill positions.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:04 pm
I might wander over there and introduce myself as well, Supersize.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:05 pm
Supersize, absolutely! and……………I agree with you about Braine
I just didn’t say it!
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:05 pm
That is Bob not Bib LOL!
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:06 pm
Damn, LSU is impressive!
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:07 pm
It’s an offense that requires players of which there is ample supply, OJF. I think that’s the big trick of the system. Well, that and the fact that our coach is simply one of the ten best in the business.
As to the relative “freshness” of the system, that may be true. I would think winning would temper that concern, though.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:07 pm
Hell yeah, George. The more the merrier. I mean we’ve all been chatting for months now (or even longer); we NEED to at least meet.
I bet the AJC staff didn’t know they were running a social network now. LOL
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:08 pm
I’m thrilled I didn’t have to watch the game on TV, OJF. Davie is almost as brutal to listen to as Jesse Palmer. Neither of them even come close to being as horrible as Craig James.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:09 pm
George, so you were there today too? Where are your seats?
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:11 pm
George, here in TN a lot of high schools are running a variation of the wing t and as we know at the a back position an athlete 5′9 to 6′ is close to ideal. Those kind of backs are all around the southeast. For some unknown reason people still seem to think this offense is 3 yards at a clip. That’s why I say of tech continues to run it like they have it will change a lot of minds.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:11 pm
I sit in the west stands toward the north endzone. We sit in the section above families.
Oddly enough, last year I bumped into Tim Hudson at one of the games.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:13 pm
Do you go to all the home games, Supersize? I do and I typically pick one or two away games to go to as well. This year, the lucky lady and I are gonna head up to the House of Horrors in Charlottesville. Hopefully it’ll be a fun drive home.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:15 pm
Who is Tim Hudson?
5150 tailgates with a group on Techwood in front of the dorms there north of Bobby Dodd Way. I was supposed to meet him there today, but he was late so I didn’t get to meet him until he came to my seat in the stadium. But while looking for him at that tailgate spot, I did meet btgt69, who comes from Columbia, SC to the games.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:16 pm
George, I’ve never been a fan of Bob Davie but as a former defensive coordinator his does know a lot about Tech’s offense.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:17 pm
As good a back as Craig James was he is that bad as a color guy LOL!
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:17 pm
I’m perfectly happy being one of only a handful of teams that run it, OJF. But it just seems to me that schools that don’t recruit on elite levels (I’m looking at you, Ole Miss) would be wise to try it or anything else that everyone else isn’t doing.
Truth is, I don’t care if you run the Mike Leach system or the Paul Johnson system, just do something different.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:17 pm
George, yes, I go to all the home games (season ticket holder since 1967). I don’t go to any away games anymore, but used to periodically. I DID, and hopefully will again, go to the ACC championship game and the Orange Bowl game in 2009, and the CFA bowl in 2008.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:19 pm
Pitcher for the Braves, Supersize! Not a baseball fan?
I was blown away when I met him. He is NOT a big dude. That he can throw 90 MPH blew my mind.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:20 pm
I was at the OB, too, Supersize. It was so cold that night, as was the ACCCG in Tampa a month earlier.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:21 pm
not really a fan of any sports except college football and basketball, and a little college baseball, and of course golf, since I live in Augusta…..LOL
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:22 pm
George, I agree. There are just not that many 6′4 225lb rocket arm qbs! For those schools who are not it the top tier of football programs you’d think they would look at other type of sucessful offenses.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:22 pm
George, I am almost exclusively a college sports fan (football, basketball, and some baseball). I just don’t care for pro sports at all, although hockey is fun in person. The only pro sport I really like is golf, but I guess that’s because I am from Augusta…..LOL
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:23 pm
Tim Hudson is a heck of an athlete! Tremendous DH at Auburn
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:24 pm
OJF, I think some of those other schools (or coaches, at any rate) are just too proud to admit they can’t play with the “big boys” playing the same style of football that they do. If they would get over it and realize that there are other ways to play with the “big boys”, then the entire world of college football would be better and more fun.
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:24 pm
The only reason I can think of is that a lot of coaches cut their teeth in environments that don’t encourage creativity. They think there’s only one way to do things and they are either unwilling or unable to change.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:25 pm
filters are acting up again, dammit
North ave. faithful
September 24th, 2011
11:25 pm
Offense looked pretty sharp again today. But we need to get our D more consistent,and maybe work with punt team a little more this week.Bring on the wolf pack. P.S. Great post by the intelligent UGA grad. my son is also a freshman at tech, i know u are proud
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:26 pm
George, that’s pretty much what I tried to post but got blocked. I think they are too proud to admit they can’t do it the same way the others do and thus lose out on some exciting chances to take on those other schools successfully
George Stein
September 24th, 2011
11:26 pm
Fair enough, Supersize. The Braves are my other addiction.
Huddy is a terrific athlete and he was about as nice as he could be to several people that approached him.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:26 pm
George, could be but I always thought the objective was to win
I do know that a lot of high schiil coaches attend seminars with CPJ and staff.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:27 pm
school not schiil whatever than is lol!
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:27 pm
George, I’ve tried to agree with you, but the filters have blocked me
Supersize that order, mutt
September 24th, 2011
11:27 pm
I think many of those other coaches are just too proud to admit there are other viable ways to get it done
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:27 pm
86Dawg is a class act