A sobering truth revealed: Georgia Tech just isn’t very good
Oh, no! Zach Laskey after fumbling away a punt. (AP photo)
Miami — Georgia Tech has messed up its season, and not in the way you’d think. The losses these past two weeks haven’t been examples of a gifted team losing to its inferiors; they’ve been cases of a team that, on talent, shouldn’t have been 6-0.
Yet 6-0 Tech was, ranked No. 12 the land as late as eight days ago. Now it’s 6-2 and perhaps bound for 7-5 and another holiday in Shreveport. Which is another way of saying: Water seeks its own level.
We see now that Tech isn’t very good, and the schedule, which seemed to have done it a favor, might not have been so favorable after all. Had Tech lost a couple of games early, it might have had cause to deploy Vad Lee, the freshman quarterback who might be the most talented player on this roster, as opposed to letting him sit out as a redshirt.
Who makes major changes when a team’s 6-0 and climbing in the polls? Nobody. But now, his team climbing no more, Paul Johnson was asked Saturday if there was a chance Lee would play this season. “Probably not,” Johnson said.
What happened here Saturday wasn’t a failure of effort, as had been partially the case at Virginia the week before. The inspired Cavaliers hit Tech hard at the start and held on. Miami didn’t seem long on either inspiration or execution, managing just 262 yards and two offensive touchdowns, both of those on mini-drives of 46 yards. But Tech, which gained 768 yards against Kansas in Week 3, was held to 211 in Week 8 — by a team that entered with the nation’s 81st-ranked defense.
“I think our kids played hard,” Johnson said. “It’s just frustrating we couldn’t find anything to do on offense.”
What worked earlier this season against lesser opposition — the pitchouts to the A-backs, the downfield throws off play-action — works no longer. The plays are the same; it’s the size and speed of the opponent that has changed. Where’d the wide stuff go? Said Johnson: “We can’t get to the perimeter.”
Does that mean quarterback Tevin Washington, whose efficiency has diminished in recent weeks, is making the wrong reads and keeping or handing to the B-back when he should pitch? Johnson: “He’s making the right reads. We’ve got five blocking four, and the four are winning.”
That’s not scheme. That’s talent, or the lack thereof. And it’s a huge deal. In 2008 B-back Jonathan Dwyer had nine 100-yard games; in 2009 he had seven; last season Anthony Allen, Dwyer’s successor, had six. Know how many 100-yard games David Sims, the new B-back, has had this season? None.
The much-lampooned defense hasn’t been so laughable. It yielded no second-half points last week, three this time. But a Johnson-designed team can’t win if it doesn’t score, and over the past two second halves the Jackets, in comeback mode both times, have managed one touchdown.
“We can’t overcome bad plays,” Johnson said, “because we’re not hitting big plays.”
Yet again, gaffes in the kicking game undid Tech. Freshman Zach Laskey waved teammates away from a bouncing punt, then tried to field it himself and saw Miami wind up with the ball in the end zone. And then, with a minute left before halftime and Tech having just gone 92 yards in 20 plays to halve Miami’s lead, a squib kick spawned a crushing Hurricanes touchdown. And get this: “It was supposed to be a deep kickoff,” Johnson said.
Not for the first time, we need ask: Why does a man as clever as Johnson not hire a special-teams coordinator? Instead, the kicking game is left to various Tech coaches to oversee piecemeal, and the result has been an ongoing farce. “We couldn’t overcome the special teams today,” Johnson said, “and that’s a reflection on me. Something we’re doing ain’t right.”
And now you wonder: Is there time — with a schedule that includes Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia — for Tech not to finish with five losses in the final six games? Is there any way to salvage a season that got so far ahead of itself?
Said Johnson, speaking of Washington: “We just have to find something he can do.”
At this late date, all the stuff Tech can’t do outnumbers the things it can. This is a team of limited means. Limited means, and not much time.
By Mark Bradley
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498 comments Add your comment
tgreenery79
October 22nd, 2011
10:26 pm
My mistake I meant won’t go to the Toilet Bowl
CarolinaJacket
October 22nd, 2011
10:27 pm
Damn is Clemson good. They could have beaten UNC (a pretty good team) by fifty if they hadn’t called off the dogs. Now its time for us to surprise the world and beat them. We have a pretty good record against them.
Dublin Dawg
October 22nd, 2011
10:29 pm
HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH
CarolinaJacket
October 22nd, 2011
10:33 pm
Dublin, you outdo yourself. Maybe momma can teach you a larger vocabulary if she works real hard. Is this really all you have to do?
SC Jacket
October 22nd, 2011
10:34 pm
B-Back -No Size and Power
QB- No passing skills
A-Backs- Can really run when they have blockers
O-Line – Can’t Block
Wideouts- Can’t catch (b/c) QB can’t put the ball in the right spot
D-Line- OK. but need a REAL NT. Sorry 6′1″ 290 doesn’t cut it! No Push
LB- Look good
CB and S – Look fast and hit hard
Special teams – Well, I close my eyes everytime we kick off
gt4ever
October 22nd, 2011
10:38 pm
My arse, he is making the right reads….. Any numb nuts can watch the game and see that this QB misses a large majority of the reads… He runs entirely TOO much…. He runs when he should pitch,,, I mean, does this coach really think we are all that dumb! We are absolutely TERRIBLE! Period…
CarolinaJacket
October 22nd, 2011
10:40 pm
Oh, how can our special teams do us in any more? This has to be the worse in the country.
CarolinaJacket
October 22nd, 2011
10:44 pm
Well, I shall go to bed and dream of ways we are going to beat Clemson.
Mad Tech Fan
October 22nd, 2011
10:46 pm
Bottom line tech is not very good and to be honest the defense is better than the offense.PJ needs to get his act together because his offense is struggling plus special teams suck!!!
I own you
October 22nd, 2011
10:47 pm
Suck it, nerds!
gt4ever
October 22nd, 2011
10:47 pm
Kinda Funny,
Mad Tech Fan, who would have thought that the Offense would suck worse than the Defense….
BOB
October 22nd, 2011
10:48 pm
YOU HAVE TO BENCH WASHINGTON 20 CARRIES FOR 36 YARDS — 7 BACKS 27 CARRIES FOR 99 THEN 6 FOR 12 WITH AN INT. THIS GUY IS TERRIBLE!!!!!
Cane Fan
October 22nd, 2011
10:48 pm
Why can you just admit that the canes kicked your behind all over the field….
James
October 22nd, 2011
10:49 pm
@1980 was a long time ago
1980 may have been a long time ago but when was the last time Georgia kicked your butts?
OkieDawg
October 22nd, 2011
10:50 pm
Clemson is coming to play in Tech’s high school stadium. I hope Clemson brings a crowd or it will be an embarrasment to the institution that no one is in attendance. Maybe a promo such as 4 tixs, 4 hotdogs and 4 cokes for $25 (Total), will get a few spectators in the house to see Tech’s high school offense. Maybe a half time hot dog eating contest between CPJ and Charlie Weis could raise a crowd. That would be more entertaing that watching Tech get schooled by Clemson.
TurkeyNeck
October 22nd, 2011
10:50 pm
CPJ is an arrogant, redneck PE major from Western Carolina…..he is not a genius….the TO is NO MO.
Doc
October 22nd, 2011
10:50 pm
well mark you did change your mind from 1:30. it also is apparant cpj better start recruiting talent that he can build on not walk on types or players ready for military ball or the next level down.
RedandBlackDawg
October 22nd, 2011
10:51 pm
ramblin Man,
Instead of trying to find ways to amuse yourself by trying to insult UGA, you might take the time to try and seriously think about what is wrong with your own team. You are in some deep trouble as far as winning your division goes, much less getting a decent bowl game. Something is wrong with Tech. As for Boise, yes they did beat UGA. Play like you did today and with your defense and they would humiliate you, even at this point in the season. I know it gives you great pain to imagine it, but UGA has steadily improved throughout the season and tech. has just as steadily declined in performance as the season went on. A couple of weeks ago you came onto a UGA blog and bragged about your undefeated tech. team and how you were going to kill UGA this year. Reality is a B**** now isn’t it. If UGA has such a cupcake schedule and the SEC is so bad, words can not adequately describe your opponents and the season you are now having, after beating up on the poor sisters of the FBS world for the most part. The SEC east has only one team that you would beat and that is UK. The rest of the teams including UGA, could and would, and in the case of UGA, will hand Tech. their lunch in a game. It is not totally your coaches fault. Teams have now seen the TO long enough to figure an effective way to stop it. Your QB at present, doesn’t have the arm strength to throw a good pass, and it can be easily picked off. Your defense has not risen to the occasion under Groh, and to make matters worse, your school is having trouble recruiting athletes. This is techs. fault, not UGA’s, so your team needs to address it’s problems and if you are such a loyal fan of your team, you need to spend less time trying to disparge UGA, and think about what the future of Tech. football looks like.
reality check
October 22nd, 2011
10:53 pm
Dawgs will finish 10-2
Jackets will finish 6-6
James
October 22nd, 2011
10:54 pm
@RedandBlackDawg
Vey well said..
reality check
October 22nd, 2011
10:55 pm
What is wrong with Tech being no good?
Emmett Merchant
October 22nd, 2011
10:56 pm
the Triple Option is exciting football!!!! Dives to the B-Backs…..pitches to the A-Backs….QB runs of three yards…..4 forward passess a game!!!!! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! It’s Stingtime!!!! It’s the Perfect Option!!!!!! It’s exciting ACC Football!!!! It’s a stadium of 45,000 fans!!!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!! All the way turnt up……all the way turnt….up……..
I mean….alll the way…..b*&^ch slapped……all the way b*&^ch slapped……
Tubby
October 22nd, 2011
10:56 pm
Tech is winning!
Uh… Texas Tech.
We’re up 21-7!
reality check
October 22nd, 2011
10:59 pm
Kind of reminds me of that line on a Seinfeld episode…. “Tech is loosing, not that there is anything wrong with that”
Mad Tech Fan
October 22nd, 2011
10:59 pm
Yeah gt4ever but that’s the truth.The offense sucks!!TW is another Reggie Ball!
wild'n
October 22nd, 2011
11:00 pm
going to be a lot of clemson fans at bobby dodd next saturday…
Scott
October 22nd, 2011
11:03 pm
Looks like winning the ACC game a couple of years ago and sending players to the NFL has not helped Tech recruit new talent. I don’t see many good players coming here in the future due to:
The offense – top players don’t want to play this style nor does good defensive players want to practice against it.
Game day experience- Tech does not compare to the UGA, Clemson, Auburn, FSU programs that recruit in this state.
I have been a Tech fan all of my life and was hoping a coach like CPJ could coach up the talent and run a disciplined team but week after week stupid mistakes (especially special teams) put them behind. He also has not helped the Offense get into good position to succeed with horrible play calling the last two games. I was hoping he would continue the success he had at Navy but it does not look good right now. I have high hopes that Lee will be the answer next year.
OkieDawg
October 22nd, 2011
11:04 pm
Any coach who runs the Triple Option should be required to wear a lime green leisure suit. The fans who watch should be required to wear double knot and listen to the Bee Gees. Tech deserves better. But they have allowed themselves to become the laughing stock of the FBS. Why would such a progressive school that is on the leading edge of post graduate reasearch (AAU member) allow their football team to run an offense that went out with Barry Switzer?
ty webb
October 22nd, 2011
11:05 pm
but I don’t understand…the brainiac did it at georgia southern with the same caliber of players, what’s different?…and where’s my hot dog?
Toilet Bowl Commitee
October 22nd, 2011
11:09 pm
Looks like a Freudian Slip, tgreenery79….The Toilet Bowl it may be. UGAg may play in the SEC Championship (losing by 20 or more), but we’ll be glad to put you in our bowl against another powerhouse..THE OSU.
Fire PJ
October 22nd, 2011
11:10 pm
Run to a spot and wait for the play to come and u nullify Johnson ball….time for Turkey neck to take a hike and take No-show Groh with him.
Mack
October 22nd, 2011
11:10 pm
Hey whopper dawg, would you say coach Johnson is more Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel? Just wondering since you keep calling him a “Genesis”
Emmett Merchant
October 22nd, 2011
11:11 pm
Scott….Tech did not win the ACC a couple of years ago…..they lost it due to cheating and playing Bay Bay Thomas…..
Wes Durham's Gigantic Bottom
October 22nd, 2011
11:14 pm
Mark, would you do some investigative journalism before the UGA – GT game this season and ask CPJ if he incited the pre-game standoff at last year’s game by yelling at Ben Jones and other UGA players?
We had a week of coverage on the Post Game UGA-Vandy situation but the AJC never bothered to look into last year’s pregame festivities even though several UGA players said CPJ started the whole thing.
Mad Tech Fan
October 22nd, 2011
11:15 pm
PJ’s play calling is our defense worst nightmare!!Need more MEAT on the offense & defense line.
OkieDawg
October 22nd, 2011
11:15 pm
What do Paul Johnson, David Cutcliffe (Duke), George O’Leary (UCF) and Bobby Hauck (UNLV) have in common?
1) They are the only Div. 1 coaches that did not play college ball 2) They all have losing programs 3) They all seem to be hopelessly lost trying to coach Big Boy football.
The One Attractive Co-Ed on the GT Campus
October 22nd, 2011
11:18 pm
This was a disappointing loss…..Coach Johnson should have his guys in place in his fourth year on the Flats.
TomB
October 22nd, 2011
11:19 pm
Because OkieDawg, you and your fellow UGA alumni will not allow Tech to broaden their curriculum on the Board of Regents, that’s why. If Tech could add some liberal arts degrees it would be a different story, but no, UGA can add Engineering and Tech nothing. What are you guys scared of anyway?
If I recall correctly, that same high school offense rushed for 500 yards last year against your great SEC defense. And, that was with our backup QB, so I wouldn’t be running your mouth so soon. I’m less worried about UGA then I am Clemson and Virginia Tech.
Dwayne C
October 22nd, 2011
11:20 pm
I said it last week and I’ll repeat it again: GA Tech finishes 7-5 this season. Their only other win this year will come against Duke. Tech will get invited to a bowl to play another 7-5(or 6-6) team and be defeated by a score of 14-10 or 17-13.
My beautiful blond receding hairline
October 22nd, 2011
11:20 pm
You need to sing “happy birthday” to your recruits coach!
The Great Derrick Steagall
October 22nd, 2011
11:21 pm
They also all have double chins and moobs….Johnson does more pushups in a day than Herschel…..can’t you tell?
OkieDawg
October 22nd, 2011
11:21 pm
And how did those 500 yards work out for you? In case you cant remember, it was a big L.
GTBob
October 22nd, 2011
11:22 pm
Why would such a progressive school that is on the leading edge of post graduate reasearch (AAU member) allow their football team to run an offense that went out with Barry Switzer?
Call me crazy but I doubt the very talented individuals doing advanced research at GT could give two craps about what type of offense the football team runs.
IndyGT
October 22nd, 2011
11:22 pm
Seems to me George o’leary knows how to beat those dawgs though.. Which is good enough for me. CPJ can beat UGAg and all is forgiven.. If not, bring ol’ George back!
Nice Looking Fans Have Nice Looking Coaches
October 22nd, 2011
11:23 pm
Tech and CPJ……not so much.
Tech Guy
October 22nd, 2011
11:24 pm
Dawgs suck and so do most of their so-called fans.
Dan Radacheaterkovich
October 22nd, 2011
11:26 pm
3/4 of our student body is playing Mahjong on Saturdays and has no interest in football.
End of the disco era = last national championship
October 22nd, 2011
11:26 pm
Ahh 1980! some great music came out that year, Buck Belue closed his eyes and threw up a prayer, and Hershel got a b in basket weaving!
Gtjohn
October 22nd, 2011
11:26 pm
Agree with the article but ….
Jackets, sure you have lost acouple of games you may should have won but that is simply life and it happens. Forget it, come together as a team and get on with it. Maybe there are no more wins, maybe there are but you come out as a team, support each other and do your best.
Keep the good memories, forget the bad. Have fun, play hard. You are learning every week and it will come together for you – you’ll see. Just never stop believing in yourself.
Hal
October 22nd, 2011
11:26 pm
It’s not only Tech. Navy, Army and Air Force are not suprising anyone anymore with the their offense.