Middle Tennessee 49, Georgia Tech 28: What’s left to say?
These are the Blue Raiders. They won. By 21 points. On the road. (AP photo by Rich Addicks)
Were Georgia Tech outrageously lucky, all its fans would be as circumspect as Dave Miller of Atlanta. Miller, a 1977 Tech grad, sat above the South end zone as Middle Tennessee was driving to Points No. 43-49 on Saturday, whereupon he rose without ceremony and moved toward the exit.
“We’re just young,” Miller said. “We had some injuries on defense. And Middle Tennessee is a good team.”
Miller’s summation: “We’ll get better.”
Not 20 feet away, another Tech fan watched the same game end and drew a different conclusion. “This was ugly,” said Jerry Kenney, also of Atlanta. “No pass rush, no tackling. I’m sure Clemson [Tech's next opponent] will be licking its chops.”
Kenney was asked if this had just been a bad day for the home team. “It’s not one bad day,” he said. “It’s two bad days in the week [the first being the overtime loss to Miami], and hope is going out the window.”
Here we offer the boilerplate disclaimer: In sports, things are rarely as bad (or as good, for that matter) as they seem. Indeed, that’s a pet phrase of Paul Johnson’s. That said …
Favored by 27 points, Paul Johnson’s team lost to Middle Tennessee. By 21. At home.
“Probably the worst,” Johnson said, speaking of losses his teams have suffered. But this coach only arrived in December 2007, and this was the worst defeat Georgia Tech has known since Sept. 17, 1983, when Bill Curry’s Jackets lost to Furman 17-14. (Three years later, another Curry team would be tied by the Paladins.)
Yes, Middle Tennessee is a Sun Belt team, and yes, the Sun Belt is an FBS conference. But still: On Aug. 30, the Blue Raiders opened their season by losing at home to McNeese State.
“Embarrassing,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there’s any other way to describe it.”
Chan Gailey’s teams were infamous for alternating stunning victories and stump-the-band losses, but Gailey never lost to Middle Tennessee. (Did lose to Duke, though.) Heck, even Bill Lewis — known around Tech as He Whose Name Must Never Be Mentioned — never lost one like this. (Did lose to Duke, though.)
It would have been bad enough to lose to Middle by a point on a 65-yard field goal that glanced off a pigeon and bounced through the uprights. But Tech lost to Middle on a day when it led the 27-point underdog for all of five minutes, nine seconds. A week after yielding 42 points and 609 yards to Miami, the Jackets were gashed for 49 and 510 by the Blue Raiders.
Said Johnson: “As bad a game tackling as I’ve ever seen.”
Said linebacker Quayshawn Nealy: “In the first half we missed 25 tackles.”
Johnson again: “It was like we were running in mud.”
Tech has played five games, losing three. It already has lost twice at home, marking the first time the Jackets have lost on consecutive weekends at historic Grant Field/Bobby Dodd Stadium since 1988, which was Bobby Ross’ second season. And now we have to ask What This All Means for this abashed coach and this humbled program.
Check the schedule, and you’ll see more than a handful of winnable games remaining. But Miami looked winnable, and Middle Tennessee was deemed a given. By losing both, Tech has fallen to 2-3 with games at Clemson and Georgia to come. By losing both and looking helpless on defense, it makes us wonder if Tech has either the scheme or the personnel necessary to prosper in the ACC, a conference it ruled not so long ago.
Will defensive coordinator Al Groh be in place tomorrow? (For this game, he was moved upstairs to the press box, and those 49 points and 510 yards suggest that perspective isn’t the issue.) Middle’s first five touchdown drives spanned 75, 78, 88, 68 and 75 yards, and here we have to pause to ponder the first part of the sentence.
Middle’s first five touchdown drives. The first five of seven. On the road. On a day when it was a four-touchdown underdog. Against an opponent from a Big Six conference that has graced a bowl for 16 seasons running and was the ACC champ (since vacated) in 2009.
Whatever was working for this program works no longer. Johnson’s prized offense can’t score enough to override his defense, which looked stout at Virginia Tech on Labor Day night but has fallen to pieces. And the excuse made after the Miami game — that Georgia Tech was two plays from being 4-0 — no longer holds currency. There are no excuses when you lose by 21 points at home to Middle Tennessee.
Said Jerry Kenney, the Tech fan: “There was a basketball player named Micheal Ray Richardson, and he once said, ‘The ship be sinking.’ ” He nodded toward the field.
By Mark Bradley
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561 comments Add your comment
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:48 pm
Why is CPJ such a poor bowl coach?
He doesn’t seem to have an answer when the other side shows up fired up.
MTSU knew we would be down and took advantage.
DC
September 29th, 2012
7:49 pm
I’ve followed Tech since the early seventies and I’m really at a loss for words. I was very excited when Johnson was hired. I really thought he would do well. I couldn’t wait for him to get his players in house. Now, I can’t wait for them to leave and this most certainly includes Johnson. I’m not sure who does the recruiting at Tech but whomever it is isn’t doing a good job. I will not continue watching this crap. I’ll be back when things change, I mean really change.
Habersham Dawg
September 29th, 2012
7:49 pm
This really hurts me to say it, but you Techsters deserve better than you’ve got this season. I hope that whatever you need to get the ship turned around, you find.
George
September 29th, 2012
7:49 pm
Just a bad year for football. Things will get better. Basketball season is on the horizon and baseball will soon follow. Cheer up.
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:50 pm
MTSU was ready for our QB draw.
I think it’s called coaching.
spider
September 29th, 2012
7:50 pm
PLEASE, PLEASE dont fire your coach. i love going to college football games and being able to see a div 1 college football game for 10.00 week after week is great for my wallet.
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:52 pm
Now that the Falcons are getting very good, those few sidewalk fans the Jackets have not already lost may be reconsidering how they spend their money.
Louisville Slugger
September 29th, 2012
7:53 pm
I’m tired of this offense…it just doesn’t fit big-time college football.
T-Bone
September 29th, 2012
7:53 pm
Before today’s game I thought that this was a good team with a couple of bad losses. Now I think it is a bad team with a couple of good wins.
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:56 pm
What are we worrying about anyway?
The nation is over 15 trillion in debt and hemorraging cash.
If we cut spending, we also will cut jobs.
And many European nations are somehow worse off than us.
Got to revolution?
um
September 29th, 2012
7:56 pm
Tech fan for 34 years; I’m completely done with the triple O and our current staff… Clean house and let’s get this and the entire athletics program turned around.
Whopper Dawg
September 29th, 2012
7:57 pm
This can’t be happening!!! Paul Johnson is a genius, I tell you, a genius!!!!!!!!
Just ask him, you’ll see.
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:57 pm
@T-Bone.
Not a good or bad team.
This is clearly a demoralized team.
And they have been demoralized by dumb coaches wasting their efforts.
Rufus
September 29th, 2012
7:57 pm
“Helpless,” Mark? How about “hopeless.”
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
7:59 pm
CAG and CPJ should sing:
“Hey hey we’re the dumbos.
And people say we can’t coach.
But we’re too busy raking in the millions.
To do our jobs worth a flip.”
(apologizes to the Monkees)
Fans were at Mcdonalds
September 29th, 2012
8:00 pm
Great game GT fans really made Tenn tech feel at home just 32,876 show up where are the students at…No one can find Grant field again was the GT band blockin the ticket line…remember virginia n clemson and Miami n florida state can find it…..Man Notre dame be lickin too Old CPJ moto: If u just blow at us we just blow back are fall down….No class no Fans at tech maybe they will kick GT out of ACC n put Notre dame in there place….and Tech can play in Pastsy Sun Belt confernce in 2014!
Jacket Detective
September 29th, 2012
8:01 pm
SS You’re right.
But he won’t do it.
Either won’t admit the mistake or won’t embarrass him though he deserves to be embarrassed.
P B Orr
September 29th, 2012
8:04 pm
It was pointed out on some radio show that no good defensive star is going to come to Tech and practice against this high school offense. That seems to be so.
MTSU really?
September 29th, 2012
8:05 pm
ummmmmmmmmm……………………………………….nevermind
Tech is a joke
September 29th, 2012
8:06 pm
Lose by 21 points to MTSU!!! Enough said
Burgess
September 29th, 2012
8:07 pm
Here’s what is left to say, Bradley. Paul Johnson said it best last week…….and I quote “It just wasn’t meant to be.”
sandiegodawg
September 29th, 2012
8:08 pm
glad I didn’t bet on this game- ouch. Is it basketball season yet?
GB's Hamburgers
September 29th, 2012
8:09 pm
Tech is stuck with Johnson. It would take years for a new coach to get the right players on campus for a normal spread or pro offense.
Mark
September 29th, 2012
8:13 pm
I have never understood coaches who come in (Al Groh to Tech) and implements a system that does not match the players. We have tried to play a 3-4 with a squad full of 4-3 players. You just don’t get enough of the 3-4 type players to Tech and Groh has been too stubborn to adjust. He should never have been hired in the first place, but now PJ has kept him a season too long. We could switch to a 4-3 tomorrow and play better than this.
fbGuy
September 29th, 2012
8:13 pm
CPJ isnt going anywhere. Unless he cannot shake this team out of its funk. Groh must be replaced regardless.
gy6
September 29th, 2012
8:17 pm
I think coach Lardass has lost the team.
Go Jackets
September 29th, 2012
8:17 pm
My only question is why did we hire a guy who has been fired from his last two jobs to run the D? Whats wrong with an up and coming coach? And for you CPJ apologists I’ll say this. Johnson’s offense DO get lots of yards….only NOT when they need them. Tell me the last clutch yard TW got……didnt think you could. And as for the future, Vad cant supplant Tevin, so he must not be any good either.
TechLB
September 29th, 2012
8:23 pm
@P B Orr – does that P B stand for Peanut Butter as in what your brain is made of? (hmm peanut butter…) The offense puts up yards and points in GAMES! The Defense practices against the 2nd team who mimics the opponents offense.
Seriously, this idiotic “we can’t recruit for defense because of the offense” is not just ignorant it’s dumb. If you knew anything about the way team practice and prepare you’d know that.
El-Toro GATA
September 29th, 2012
8:24 pm
I hope the bugs keep Johnson & Groh forever !!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! idiots!
Go Dawgs!!
MikeInValdosta
September 29th, 2012
8:26 pm
No reference to Johnson being the better coach? Inadvertent journalism taking place at the AJC?
collegeballfan
September 29th, 2012
8:27 pm
“We know it would be tough to be a perennial top 10 program, it’s just not the kind of school we are but a consistent top 20-25 is the level we should demand! ”
Gentlemen,
Here is Georgia Tech’s record for the past 52 years: 328 – 266 – 10. What in those numbers says top 20 – 25 program?
Bobby
September 29th, 2012
8:30 pm
The team was totally inept and lifeless today. That is a coaching problem, both on defense and offense. It’s not looking good on the flats. GT could realistically run the table from here and out and have no wins. Even Duke and UNC have chances against Tech. Let along what Clemson and UGA are going to do with us in their home stadiums. Today’s game is as much a total collapse of a program as I’ve ever seen in over 35 years of watching GT football.
Nick
September 29th, 2012
8:32 pm
Mark Bradely said that GT should NOT fire CPJ. I guess you now know what needs to happen. Maybe AD Drad should have guaranteed CPJ’s termination money with Greek Euro Bonds much like CPJ trusted GT’s defense to CAG.
Da Man
September 29th, 2012
8:33 pm
Here is the inside scoop: D-Rad is in trouble. Bud Peterson already dislikes him because he got us on probation. He was lucky to keep his job after the NCAA ruling came down. Removing D-Rad sends a clear signal to CPJ: When your $12mm buyout is reduced to $4mm (two years from now), you are gone.
Al Groh will be lucky to survive the season, but the problem is that there is no viable alternative to coordinate. CPJ will have his wings seriously clipped next year… the plan is already in motion. Trust me.
"" HOT SEAT ""
September 29th, 2012
8:35 pm
……… nosedive.
Big T
September 29th, 2012
8:35 pm
Mark you guys could do the normal media blast and help us out… new coachs, offence and defence.. Its not going to get any better. You have been around enough to know this. I will not buy another ticket nor any memorabilia as long as tech keeps these coachs. I will not watch them on tv or listen on radio.. anything that helps them generate any money I will not be a part of. He used the last of the gaily talent… these are his guys and al groh what a joke.
doug dawg
September 29th, 2012
8:37 pm
i am really sad for the state of gt football. i’ve always pulled for tech, except for the ONE game, of course. i used to go to grant field as a kid; it was always sold out. as a high school musician i used to play ‘ringer’ in the gt band, lots of us talented kids did because gt had no real band. i loved the experience. but, i went to uga, and found out first hand just how arrogant gt folks were. well, now the worm has long since turned. tech cannot pull 20k folks, while uga sells out at 92k. and now this defeat to mtsu? tech used to play the likes of notre dame, auburn, tennessee, alabama, etc at grant field — and beat them. now this. no wonder no one shows up to see it.
Da Man
September 29th, 2012
8:37 pm
Supersize… Bobby is just telling it like it is. CPJ should go, but we can’t get rid of him because of the $12mm buyout. He is a lame duck from here on out though. The people that matter on the Flats have already weighed in and the verdict is… he has to go.
Al Kayda
September 29th, 2012
8:41 pm
Kirby Smart ? be in line for his 1st headcoachin’ job…….a juicy idear……………
You must be kidding…my side is still killing me from laughin so hard…BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Da Man
September 29th, 2012
8:41 pm
All the CPJ apologists are wrong… it would not take years to be better than we will end up this year. We are staring at 5 wins at best. A new coach with a good system could accomplish that. The real issue is money. That said, the wing-clipping is coming. CPJ may stay in his role, but he will have a lot of “helpers”.
K
September 29th, 2012
8:41 pm
The heat is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wild Bill
September 29th, 2012
8:44 pm
After last week’s game, I said I would not be purchasing my seasons tickets if Groh was still with the team next year. I changed my mind, if he is not gone before the end of the season, they can try to sell my tickets to someone else. I’ve been going to games for 62 years and today was the worst effort that I’ve ever seen from a Tech team.
Rico
September 29th, 2012
8:46 pm
Lord people…it’s pretty easy to figure out the problem.
Nesbitt vs Washington
Dwyer vs Smith
Allen vs Zenon
Bebe vs Green
Do I need to go any further? Recruiting has failed, period. Our O-lineman are not as bigh as our opponents LB’s. Giff Smith was a huge coaching loss a few years ago. Coach Johnson must fire Groh before midnight tonight. CPJ will keep his job for at least one more year.
wrecked again
September 29th, 2012
8:46 pm
The mighty offense mustered 7 points vs Mid Tenn States defense in 2nd half.Its not just the defense its the team as a whole. The head coach is responsible for poor recruiting and even worse player development and management. The program is is shambles with no relief in sight.
Buzzman
September 29th, 2012
8:47 pm
I really don’t know what to say. This is the worst game I have seen Tech play since 1964. This is truly a embarrassing moment. You can say fire Big Al, you can fire CPJ, but really is this going to help. Look at our team, the players themselves are playing like a bunch of high schoolers….. I think you could have the best coaches in the world and it would not help this team. Washington for example is playing his worst he has ever played. The defense looks like they have just quit playing. I think they are revolting against Big Al, I would too. But Tech needs to get their heads back on or it is going to be the worst season we have had in many years. One other problem, I am going to the Tech/Clemson game and I am thinking about wearing Orange and Purple just so I’m not embarrassed.
Bamajacket
September 29th, 2012
8:47 pm
Dabo can name the score.Clemson has really good skill players. He can name the score. This team at Tech has no leadership, no playmakers, and no heart. They have quit. Why, I have no idea, but they have quit on these coaches. The stench of despair is an ugly thing. The players should have as much love and respect for the school as the fans, all 20,000 of us, but they don’t. I stopped buying season tickets in 2010. There is no reason to pay good money to watch this. Disheartening.
fan
September 29th, 2012
8:48 pm
I’ll retract my statement that the blowflys belong in Diviosn 2…they belong in Divsion 3, pathetic.
McDonoughGator
September 29th, 2012
8:48 pm
Hire Charlie Strong while you guys can. I hate this for Tech.
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
8:48 pm
Everyone saying you won’t buy tickets or attend games is part of the problem. I know I wouldn’t want to play at a school with a bunch of no-show, fair-weather fans, either.
Ironically, they are the same folks wondering why we don’t recruit better.
Herschel Talker
September 29th, 2012
8:50 pm
HAHAHAHA!!!