
Georgia Tech's uniforms. Not much gold in them thar duds, is there? (Photo by M. Bradley)
Blacksburg, Va. — Here’s great news. There’s a flash flood warning in effect here until midnight, with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m. (Kickoff is at 8, or whenever ESPN decides it’s good and ready.) We mention this because …
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech were set to play here on Aug. 27, 2000, which was so long ago that George Godsey was Tech’s quarterback and some guy named Vick was playing for the Hokies. The game never came off. A savage storm that Sunday night forced the game to be canceled, as opposed to postponed. In ESPN lore, the memory lingers because Lee Corso’s rental car was struck by lightning. (Without him inside, let’s stipulate.)
For more on the non-game, here’s esteemed colleagues Ken Sugiura’s recounting of it. But I’m not worried about a repeat of the washout, for these reasons:
1. The forecast — and I’ve been watching — has actually improved throughout the day, and as I type it’s only partly cloudy. (It was, I should note, a weird drive up from Greensboro. It poured in Winston-Salem and was so foggy at 2 p.m. in the Virginia mountains that it seemed like night. Then it got sunny.)
2. My rental car is so small — it’s a compact roughly the size of the water closet on an airplane — that I’m pretty sure any lightning would miss it.
As previously discussed, this seems the biggest game in what stands as a massive season for Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson. As previously mentioned, I like the Jackets to win. I have found absolutely no one else in the media who seconds that emotion, but I’m accustomed to that.
If it should rain hard and/or long, it could well hurt (Ga.) Tech and its pitch-it-around option game more, but those sorts of forecasts are problematic. (Va.) Tech figures to be the better passing team, so inclement weather could curtail the Hokies, too. And if the ball gets so slick nobody can hang on, there’s no real handicapping that.
I’ve liked (Ga.) Tech’s chances all summer because I think this looms as a bigger platform for the Jackets than for the Hokies. VPI, as we old folks used to call this school, is expected to win by a touchdown. VPI is ranked; GT is not. VPI has beaten GT four of the past five years. Give the hunger edge to the visitors.
But really, who knows? Georgia Tech could win, or it could lose, or the game could be rained out. Hey, it happened once.
And whatever happens tonight, I’d appreciate it if you’d hang around for all the fun and frolic. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
1,439 comments Add your comment
List Mama » Georgia Tech’s uniforms are a mesmerizing honeycomb of awesomeness – Yahoo! Sports (blog)
September 3rd, 2012
11:36 pm
[...] …Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech: Michael Holmes, Tevin Washington Among …Huffington PostLive from Tech-Tech: Rain (and an upset) could be comingAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Georgia Tech Vs. Virginia Tech Blog Preview: Gobbler Country [...]
Coach Beamer lost 35 lbs
September 3rd, 2012
11:36 pm
Buh Bye manboobs Johnson!
meandawg in Virginia
September 3rd, 2012
11:36 pm
I’m hanging this loss on Al Groh…he stunk as head coach of Virginia and he hasn’t left any of his odor here in going to Ga. Tech. With 44 seconds to play you’d have thought he’d gone prevent but noooooooo! Scheeech!
Dawg for Life
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
Got one thing to say to you tech loosers…especially you guys harping on UGA being not so good…
UGA=1 win 0 loss
tech=0 win 1 loss.
Get ready for a painful season, and another loss to the “inferior” UGA team that you loose to every year.
North Ave Killer Beez
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
Yaaawn!!! anybody know what time the GT game starts?? what a comical offense!
davidinloganville
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
a terrible play by Tevin but #7 in the end zone has to try to make a play to knock the ball, the player, the mascot, somebody, anybody down to prevent the interception. He’s just standing there watching the VPI player go get the ball.
GSUStud
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
Paul Johnson will be back repairing air conditioners within two years.
Jammers
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
You can’t blame Paul Johnson for this one. This was squarely on Tevin Washington. Total boneheaded play. Throw the ball out of bounds. Unlike Reggie Ball it was 3rd down. Kick the field goal.
doggie
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
IT WAS NOT AN UPSET,VIRGINIA WON AS EXPECTED. YOU WILL LOSE ANOTHER OF YOUR SIX GAMES IN NOVEMBER.
Reality Tech
September 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
Well maybe this will keep the nerd trolls off the UGA blog for at least another week.
Nite Owl
September 3rd, 2012
11:38 pm
@Reality:
Maybe. I would put GT right up there with South Carolina or Georgia, definitely ahead of the rest of the East. I would put them behind Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas. But the other guys? Those other guys are gravy training off the SEC reputation that has been built by Alabama, LSU, and one freak year by the Cam Newton Tigers.
Get Real
September 3rd, 2012
11:38 pm
Throw the ball up for grabs in OT, unfrikinbelievable…..and this from a senior??????
GT Girl
September 3rd, 2012
11:38 pm
We’ve got to put this behind us. We have the rest of the season. I remain an optimist.
Go Jackets!
Brian
September 3rd, 2012
11:38 pm
LOL I thought Reggie choke my Ball graduated. Time out duh its the wrong sideline.
TypicalTech
September 3rd, 2012
11:38 pm
Tech fans, you should worry about your own coach instead of Georgia’s. This whole “Paul Johnson is a genius”, was just a fad that ended a long time ago! His seat just got hotter!
moorman
September 3rd, 2012
11:39 pm
but i thought tech, georgia and the falcons gonna all win their divisions mark………….
Reality Tech
September 3rd, 2012
11:39 pm
If Tech knew how to score, Groh wouldn’t take so much heat.
Hokie Hal
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
Where are you girls????? Choke much?? Hahahahah. Don’t suppose Supersize has the guts to post now! Go Hokies and Tech chokes again!!
BLT
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
Hope all you losers bet the line and large amounts! GO JACKETS!
Vampire Bill
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
Tough loss for the bugs. Life is good
Can’t talk too much smack cause my dawgs didn’t show much of anything either.
00mpa L00mpa Dawg
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
Could be worse Tech fans ….. You could have a dwarf for a QB
moorman
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
Mark Bradley a few days ago: ” Why I believe UGA, Tech and the Falcons are bound for glory “
311raiders
September 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
The offense and defense sucks as usual…no imagination no talent gt should move to southern conference….pathetic
Buzz2011
September 3rd, 2012
11:41 pm
Great game Jackets! The Jackets will be heard from loudly before this season is over!!!
east carolina
September 3rd, 2012
11:41 pm
Make we could take this conference by a storm
Buzz2011
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
The Dawgs are really sweating as the Jackets will beat them easily.
Reality Tech
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Are all the women at Tech as ding-ee as GT Girl? You’re just as brainwashed as the rest of the nerds who think GT has a football team.
Skid the Most
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Don’t hang this on Tevin. It was lost once we went to OT….Al Groh and the defense played a good game until the last 44 seconds. If you can’t secure the win at that point, you don’t deserve to win the football game.
meandawg in Virginia
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Man, I thought I had learned my lesson pulling for Tech in all but the UGA game! This one hurt! Thanks Al Groh, you total putz1
Coach Beamer lost 35 lbs
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Man O man Clempson is gonna clean everyones clocks…….
UGA's schedule is a joke
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
Im not sure which is worse, losing to a ranked VT team on the road, or just playing Buffalo?
Virginia Tech : The Latest Fuzz
September 3rd, 2012
11:42 pm
[...] Tech vs. Virginia Tech: Live Score, Analysis and ResultsBleacher ReportSaturday Blitz -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -Mocking the Draftall 168 news [...]
RichmondVaCane
September 3rd, 2012
11:43 pm
The VT kicker was convicted of a crime in the off season, sentenced to 12 months in jail with all but 10 days suspended and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. At any other school in America that would earn said player at least a one game suspension. Not at VT though. Beamer, you are a hypocrite.
east carolina
September 3rd, 2012
11:43 pm
Right Buzz2011,you will be crying 6-7
Nite Owl
September 3rd, 2012
11:43 pm
@Reality:
Louisville? Now you’re just being silly.
@everyone else: All right, good night. Just so you guys know, I don’t root against UGA. If GT is not playing them, I actually root FOR them. Yes, I know. I’m a freak. But the point is I don’t like the idea of either side trolling the other’s blog. But I am one voice, howling against the wind.
Have a good night, folks.
Get Real
September 3rd, 2012
11:44 pm
Defense was much improved considering 3 starters were out, however no excuse letting VT move the ball from their own 25 with 44 seconds left……I think I need to check into rehab…..what a let down after getting the lead so late in the game…
Brian
September 3rd, 2012
11:44 pm
I think Washington just threw another interception LOL
OkieDawg
September 3rd, 2012
11:44 pm
What do the BeeGees, Techno music and Paul Johnson’s Triple Option have in common?
meandawg in Virginia
September 3rd, 2012
11:44 pm
Clemson and FSU the only legitimate college football teams in the ACC: All Clown Conference
WnE
September 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
re:
BehindEnemyLines
September 3rd, 2012
11:26 pm
I’ll credit the D-line for not quitting entirely at the end.
______________
You mean the same DL that got gashed and allowed them to get to the GT 1-yd. line in only 2 running plays right up the gut?
This GT team has a lot of FLAWS mainly due to CPJ’s very poor Recruiting, next yr. will be even worse.
Our B-Backs are supposed to be the featured back in the Offense, and what did they avg………….. 2.9 yds. per carry?
Poor recruiting in Feb. will bite you in the @$$ come September to November!
This game was lost in Feb., Feb. 2008, Feb.2009, Feb 2010, Feb 2011.
You can only coach em’ up so far!
311raiders
September 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
Same song and dance!!! Its never johnsons fault always someone elses!!! Tech sux and just plain blows!! Gt wont win more than 2 conference games….md and bc…duke will neat gt like a drum!
SALT IN THE WOUND
September 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
BURNS DOESN,T IT
Techster
September 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
Shouldn’t a seasoned QB – the unquestioned leader of the team – know better than to heave a dying duck into the end zone in overtime…? Is Tevin related to Reggie?
mark sanchez
September 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
even i wouldnt have thrown that pass..
flagboy?
September 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
Don’t know what Washington was doing on that INT. . . maybe the VT safety knocked him a little senseless 2 plays before. . . that would be the only defense because that was a terrible decision.
Thought tech’s defense played well, but damn, VT made some really stupid calls. . what were they doing on that final drive before OT with the two throws in the flats?? But you give up 17 points, you have to think you should win.
gut wrenching loss for tech.
ERMAHGERD GERGER BERDERGS
September 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
Glad to see my fellow Dwag fans got time off their shifts at Walmart to peruse ajc.com and stick it to the nerds for losing! The nerds are SO PATHETIC!
tim tebow
September 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
me either……
dbc
September 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
Dawg fan here. Sorry Tech fans, hard loss. You’ll bounce back and find this game will pay dividends down the road. And I just can’t help myself — Dawg for Life — the word is LOSE, not loose. It wasn’t a one time slip-up, you’ve used the term loose instead of lose for two days now. You just look stupid and obviously lack any kind of class. Not at all like the UGA fans I know…
Same old thing....
September 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
Coaching. Pure and simple, coaching. This is as good as it gets with Johnson.
Brian
September 3rd, 2012
11:47 pm
Where the hell is GTBob? Must be past curfew at the nursing home