In this Tech-Tech slugfest, the Jackets are undone by a punch
Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington scored three touchdowns. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Technically speaking, this wasn’t the ACC championship game, but you can’t go wrong assuming the winner between the Techs will play for the conference title. It has happened every year the league has staged a championship game, and it figures to happen in 2011, too.
But which Tech might it be this time? The one that was ranked in preseason and is ranked still, or the one that began play unranked, worked its way to No. 12 in the polls, fell out after two ugly road losses but wedged its way back after upsetting No. 5 Clemson? The former is officially known as the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the latter as the Georgia Institute of Technology. For purposes of space, we’ll call them Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.
For a series only in its ninth installment, this has become a corker. The past three meetings — those since Paul Johnson arrived here — had been decided by a total of 15 points. What transpired Thursday night at a not-quite-full Bobby Dodd Stadium was more of the same. One Tech got ahead. Then the other Tech did. Then the first Tech scored 16 consecutive points to retake the lead. Wild, wacky stuff.
Details? Sure. Georgia Tech led 7-0. Then Virginia Tech went ahead 14-7. Then Georgia Tech kicked a field goal to draw within four points. Then — shades of the Miami game — the Jackets allowed a touchdown inside the half’s final minute. The Hokies led 21-10 and seemed to have taken control. But no.
Georgia Tech drove 61 yards in 44 seconds to a catalytic field goal as the half expired. Then the Jackets, aided by a Virginia Tech personal foul, opened the second half with a drive to one touchdown. The Hokies’ lead was two points. Virginia Tech moved inside the GT 20, at which point Julian Burnett smacked the ball from David Wilson’s grasp. Soon Georgia Tech was ahead by five points and poised to throw a hammerlock on the proceedings, whereupon linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu threw a punch.
The Jackets had stopped Virginia Tech. Attaochu was about to complete a third-down sack of quarterback Logan Thomas. But Thomas, who weighs 254 pounds — 31 more than Attaochu — didn’t go down, and Hokies linemen rushed to his aid, and Attaochu wound up taking a swing at an opponent. He was flagged for a personal foul; he was lucky he wasn’t ejected, and he might yet face a suspension.
To his credit, Attaochu didn’t t dabble in denial afterward. “It was an overdose of adrenaline,” he said. “There’s no excuse for it.”
Said Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech’s coach: “The big penalty kind of changed the game.”
Handed its mulligan, Virginia Tech did what a good team is supposed to do. It fashioned a drive that changed the careening game yet again. The massive Thomas scored on, of all things, a 12-yard quarterback sneak, and the Hokies were back ahead. Then Paul Johnson did the Paul Johnson thing and went for it on fourth down on the wrong side of midfield — at the Tech 31, to be exact — and Tevin Washington was halted.
“Maybe we could have called a better play,” Johnson said. “But we didn’t execute the play that was called very well, either.”
Why had he gone for it? “I felt like we needed to score. From the second possession of the game, we couldn’t stop them.”
Again the Hokies took their windfall and cashed it in. A Thomas touchdown pass made it an eight-point game. Washington slipped and fell trying to pass on third down, and Georgia Tech had to punt. By now Virginia Tech’s offensive line was pushing the Jackets’ defense backward, just as had happened over the final 10 minutes of the first half, and a field goal with 3:02 to play pushed the Hokie lead to 37-26.
And that was that. A crackling game had, at least for the home side, fizzled at the end. The winning Tech is again in playing-for-a-championship mode, while the losing Tech has been eliminated from the division race. To be blunt, Virginia Tech seemed the more talented team for much of the game, but Georgia Tech will long wonder what would have happened had Jeremiah Attaochu kept his hands to himself.
By Mark Bradley
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534 comments Add your comment
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:39 am
Gt will loase to duke and ugh and saint nudes Christian academy in the dirt bowl
CPJ must go is an idiot
November 11th, 2011
12:39 am
You act likethe non-athletes don’t do stupid stuff. Get over yourself.
CPJ - the next Chan Gailey??
November 11th, 2011
12:41 am
How many 3rd and longs did VT convert tonight?? 5 ???? Disaster
Idiot Comments
November 11th, 2011
12:41 am
Frustrating loss but some of these comments are ridiculous. What do you guys want, Houston Nutt? Chan Gailey again? Are you serious? With Johnson, and his high school O that averages 35 or so a game, you’ve got a chance to win against superior talent. If they recruit just a bit better they’ll win even more. But they’re never going to be average with this coach, and they are far better than average now. Some of these comments are worse than the PF by 45. Yeah, was a stupid play by a kid but you can’t let them drive 70 yards afterward. As for PJ going on 4th. His D was gassed. He knew they’d score again, period.
Tossed Salad
November 11th, 2011
12:42 am
That program couldn’t get out of its own way if it tried. So funny watching Tech self-destruct and then hearing Fish Fry blame everyone else but himself.
why did Giff Smith leave CPJ to go to Buffalo?
November 11th, 2011
12:42 am
Are things that bad down on the Flats? We need a recruiter.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:43 am
Agreed Johnson and groh blow…..time to move on this offense is a gimmick how embaraasing were the last ten minutes? Defense sucks as bad as 99% of the time just lame to watch. I hope ugh scores 50 so gt gets rid of these losers
Fish Frying, Turkey Neckin,
November 11th, 2011
12:44 am
TW did have a great fake pitch in the game…..he just throws like a 7th grade QB……
Fish Frying, Turkey Neckin,
November 11th, 2011
12:45 am
Tossed Salad…..I like food names too!!! I was a PE Major at Western Carolina and I like going for it on 4th down.
Smoking with Crowell
November 11th, 2011
12:46 am
What was that ‘tard #45 thinking? About his final exam tomorrow in non linear dynamics? LOL
Attachou???
November 11th, 2011
12:47 am
The adrenaline??? Ah what??? The QB was being tackled and it was going to be 4th down and forever. You made the one big mistake that cost GT a great season. Now we will have a typical average one. Look for less people in the stnads next year….if it can even get less than what it already is.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:48 am
Why do you need lineman if you run a 1 yard qb draw every time! This offense will never compete against good defenses. I’m over it!
Carlton Thomas's Dime Bag
November 11th, 2011
12:48 am
I could have been an A-Back….I’m as small as Tony Zenon.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:49 am
Gt is headed for a duke like football program
I'm Frying Up Fish Later........
November 11th, 2011
12:50 am
Does anyone think Tech was looking past VPI to the big game………..DUKE?????
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
12:50 am
The last time i saw a qb throw it out of bounds on 4th down was………..
Reggie ball!
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:50 am
Gt is Dwight where they should be 4th in the coastal
Chan
November 11th, 2011
12:52 am
Well you all ran me off 3 years ago after several banner recruting classes. Now what do you have? A bunch of good players who can crush Kansas and Middle TN but when it comes to the big game for all the division marbles, lack of recruiting rears it’s ugly head once again.
Hey the snow is great up here in Buffalo.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:52 am
CPU boobs Johnson and grog wheelchair loser suck!
Chanwagon
November 11th, 2011
12:53 am
Why can’t CPJ recruit a QB as good as those he had at Navy?????
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:53 am
Also tevin Washington is a loser and so is thug attaouchu….gt blows
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:55 am
I would take chan back in a heartbeat! Watching the triple one yard run option sucks
Brian Bohanon is the Greatest B-Backs Coach in College Football
November 11th, 2011
12:56 am
The title of Mark Bradley’s Blog Next Saturday evening, “Duke Beats Tech But Paul Johnson Outcoaches Mark Richt and David Cutcliffe”!!!!!!!
All Cupcake Conference
November 11th, 2011
12:57 am
Well after watching Tech, I guess I can go back to my beloved SEC and watch our conference stalwarts such as Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, and Auburn. I’m sure they can all take Maryland into overtime.
Does Cecil have another son? We’ve got the cash ready.
wild'n
November 11th, 2011
12:57 am
stunning just how fair weather so many “fans” are. CPJ should be fired? attaochu kicked off the team? give me a break, folks
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
12:58 am
Paul Johnson should be fired tomorrow we can get Ralph!!!!!
The Forward Pass is a Fad
November 11th, 2011
12:58 am
Tech’s Defense plays well at times, but there is just no depth to last an entire game against a good offense……they were running on emotions against Clem’s Son…..perhaps they can put together a complete game against UGA.
Which is Bigger, Ralph Fridgen's Gut or Wes Durham's Tuccus??
November 11th, 2011
1:00 am
How many Tech fans would prefer Fridgen to CPJ?
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:01 am
Wildn have you ever heard of overrated? Paul Johnson blows and will lose the last three games of the season….he is just a mediocre coach with a gimmick offense and an absolute embarrassment of a coach on d!
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
1:02 am
Tech needs that big 350 lb nose guard on that 3-4 ( or two of them) it’s hard to run the 3-4 without a big man in the middle.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:03 am
Manboobs is a loser….let’s get ralph!!!!!!
Which is Bigger, Ralph Fridgen's Gut or Wes Durham's Tuccus??
November 11th, 2011
1:03 am
Kevin Battle would have been a good NG for the 3-4……
GTBob
November 11th, 2011
1:04 am
I would take chan back in a heartbeat! Watching the triple one yard run option sucks
Chan had one year in 6 years that he won more games then we have won this year already. People easily forget how bad things were when Chan was here.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:04 am
Dawg48 then why run it?
I wanna fry some fish.....don't call me moobs
November 11th, 2011
1:05 am
Assuming VPI wins out, I like Clemson to beat VPI in the championship….I think Clemson is faster and will outscore VPI.
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
1:05 am
I would love to see ralf at Georgia as O.C…………..
I could not stand him when he was at tech man he could call a good game!
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:06 am
Gtbob chan played against a lot better competition in tha ACC… Man boobs loses to air force and Kansas….
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:08 am
I would take anyone over the gimmick and grohold!!!!
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
1:09 am
@ jacketattack
You got to recruit em!
We did not have one last year that’s why teams including tech just ran right up the middle. Our nose guard from last year is now a DE.
Better fit for him I truly think that’s how our defense has improved it allows our lbs to be more free.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:11 am
Dawg48……recruit first then make the move!
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:11 am
Gts o line blows too!
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
1:13 am
Jacketattack
Sometimes it does not work that way…..
Have you looked at techs recruiting this year are they going after any big nosegaurds?
realist
November 11th, 2011
1:13 am
#45 lost the game.
Are there any fish for me to fry next week? Is Duke a bigger fish than VPI? Could we keep the ACC trophy if we won it anyway because we're on probation?
November 11th, 2011
1:16 am
GT’s DBs played poorly tonight…..it was like a different group than against Clem’s Son….Murray is going to shred that secondary.
Jetbuzz
November 11th, 2011
1:16 am
Attaochu’s PF was huge (and give him credit for full disclosure/ownership postgame), but the ESPN Player of the Game soph QB Logan Thomas was the reason VT won. He was dominating and will be in the Heisman hunt perhaps next year. The Jackets will never be any better than our qb, and with inconsistent TW we’re just good – middle of the pack. Frustrating game.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:16 am
Realist…..no way!!!! The pathetic offense with absolutely no comeback ability, a piss poor defense as usual and a pathetic coaching exhibition lost the game…but attaouchu should never see the field again!
Dawg48
November 11th, 2011
1:17 am
Jacketattack
Don’t be so hard on you team man….. As a Georgia fan I’m more worried about Paul Johnson than chan gaily……… We spanked y’all every year under chan Johnson won y’all a game and has made the series closer….. Just give the defense some time get the players in and it will get better.
lance manion
November 11th, 2011
1:18 am
Most posts here are by idiots and trolls. Last week, Tech and Johnson were heroes, this week they are the scapegoats. We will have 8 or 9 wins this season, ranked most of the time, beat a top 5 team and will give Georgia Hell. I’ll take that anytime. l love coach Johnson and Tech. Go Jackets!
Are there any fish for me to fry next week? Is Duke a bigger fish than VPI? Could we keep the ACC trophy if we won it anyway because we're on probation?
November 11th, 2011
1:18 am
Does anyone remember what CPJ said about Duke’s QB Renfree when he decommitted from GT after CPJ was hired? “Don’t want him….Don’t need him.” Let’s see if Renfree has a big game next week against that dreadful defense.
Jacketattack
November 11th, 2011
1:18 am
Gt will not be in this race again as long as CPU is here!