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
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:50 pm
Hey super?!!! How is your 11-1 or at best 10-2 prediction looking??? Moron.
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:50 pm
U need vangorder…….
JAdams
September 29th, 2012
9:51 pm
Things I need to see
1. Improved defense starting with the pass rush. Its pathetic but I dont know how to change it cause there is zero talent up front. Rush 8 I guess.
2. A normal rotation in the backfield. Smith, Bostic, Zeenon. I want snoddy he is explosive and I dont care he is young.
3. Vad Lee. Season is only worth getting some snaps
GT Fan
September 29th, 2012
9:51 pm
Close game today and the Jackets should have won it. We will get better as the season goes on. Go GT!!!!
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:51 pm
Chan Gailey NEVER had a loss this against a team non bcs school team and that was an underdog by 27!!! FIRE PAUL JOHNSON!!!
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
9:52 pm
Stay classy, Scott.
Jack G.
September 29th, 2012
9:53 pm
George Stein—haveing a little Jack Black here
As a matter of curosity do you know a Milton Stein??
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:53 pm
Stay Ignorant George
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:54 pm
You always do. I’ll give super this. He does have some ability to reason with logic. You? Never.
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:54 pm
bring back pepper rogers
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:54 pm
bring back bill curry
GA Tech is a 4th rate high school team
September 29th, 2012
9:54 pm
Enter your comments here
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:55 pm
hire bobby petrino
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:55 pm
Wne has been SPOT on against all you a hole cpj pumpers. Now you attack when your savior’s regime is crumbling. Just like the media does with Obama. Pathetic you are!!
JoeFan
September 29th, 2012
9:56 pm
The players have quit on the coaches, that’s evident. Not saying they don’t need to be quit on after the way this team has been prepared. The questions now are how soon does Groh get shown the door and how quickly does Johnson follow him? Will enough vacant seats get the message across to DRad or will his buyout be to sizeable to send CPJ packing? Tech football is in a world of hurt. It will be really interesting to see if DRad has the answers or whether he is another over paid CEO.
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
9:56 pm
I don’t, Jack.
It’s not like Chan got blown out of San Francisco by Fresno State, Scott. But don’t let facts get in your way.
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:56 pm
It is george w bush’s fault on your defense. Obama says so.
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
9:57 pm
I’m embarrassed by the idea that I’m going to vote for the same guy as Scott.
mike
September 29th, 2012
9:58 pm
It’s ok to lose when you just don’t have the athletes that can measure up to your opponents. It’s a different story altogether when you lose because you don’t have heart, or you quit, or you don’t play smart. Look at UGA. Of course they have better athletes, but even when they lose, they never quit.
macrotech
September 29th, 2012
9:58 pm
Wow….we’re REALLY not that good. Being a Tech fan is RARELY easy….watch us beat Clemson like a drum! GO TECH……PLEASE?
Scott
September 29th, 2012
9:59 pm
I’m embarassed that Stein is a gt fan and I am too. Effing pathetic to have a clueless pumper like this.
Nix from Flowery Branch
September 29th, 2012
9:59 pm
This takes me back to 2002 when, watching from UGA’s student section in my white and gold, witnessed Ricardo Wimbush and the entire tech defense give up against Georgia and lose that game 51-7. People say “Don’t blame the offense, it’s the defense” and I say that is part of the story. It’s the lackluster play by our senior quarterback who can’t seem to get a yard when it matters only 1 out of 10 times and then puts our defense back on the field. And CPJ is too stubborn to do anything about it, after all, he’s a genius and will call plays to the quarterbacks strengths and away from his weakness… right. CPJ has a few plays called “dead duck pass for interception” that seem to work every time. And another thing, we’re like most teams who can afford to redshirt our 4 star talent, I mean it’s best to sit our defensive freshman talent and let them learn ALL the facets of the game (like losing) before they take the field… we don’t need them, particularly this Kallon kid who can only rush the quarterback and Gamble who is likewise a stud. They can use their redshirt year and learn to lose like the rest of the team right now. CPJ and Groh are such geniuses ….
Out by the Pond
September 29th, 2012
9:59 pm
If Tech had a really good day could they beat Georgia State?
billydawg
September 29th, 2012
9:59 pm
clemson offense will score 100
De'Rick Dooley
September 29th, 2012
10:00 pm
I like the direction gtu is goin. They need a couple of more years to work on that option thing.
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:01 pm
Hey stein. How can you even show your moronic ideas on here and have the nerve to say PJ is the answer??? You’re soooooo effing delusinal.
IDIOT!!!!!!
ramblingbuzz
September 29th, 2012
10:03 pm
Johnson and Groh may stay, but this team has given up on them. You don’t play like GT did against VT and UVA and then suddenly fall apart unless the coaches have lost the team. Don’t know what the players are being told behind closed doors, but they ain’t buyin it.
Jack G.
September 29th, 2012
10:05 pm
George Stein—-Speaking of Fresno State, their ex coach is an asst. with the Falcons this year
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
10:05 pm
Stealing someone’s handle? I’d say the potential for a rational discussion is out the window.
George Stein
September 29th, 2012
10:06 pm
I have to say, he seems to have fixed Sam Baker, Jack. For that, he’s been worth his salary.
Coats
September 29th, 2012
10:07 pm
This “ship be sinking” the day Giff Smith, former recruiting coordinator left to coach with Chan Gailey in Buffalo (ironically, another ship that will sink). PJ and Groh do not possess the personalities to recruit. I don’t think Gailey was particulary grand at it either, but he had Smith. It should be no surprise that we lose to MTSU when we compete with them in recruiting—instead of Clemson or UGA. I bought seasons tix because of the Johnson hiring. But, I think the last two weeks proved this experiment has failed. Ultimately, Johnson needs to coach for an underdog, a midmajor Div. 1 team, maybe one of MTSU’s rivals.
problems/solutions28
September 29th, 2012
10:08 pm
if DRad doesnt demand Grohs firing now , PJ shouldnt be the only one fired at the end of the season
GT just GOT EMBRASSED I can handle loosing to UGA every year but a loss to a non BCS team at home by 21 is untorable
De'Rick Dooley
September 29th, 2012
10:12 pm
Tech sucks bad…lol.
edge770
September 29th, 2012
10:14 pm
I don’t see PJ gone this year, but I would imagine that it would be soon. I think a total analysis is that while we don’t expect to be in the top 10 every year, there is a expectation of being competitive, and that includes being able to beat UGA two or three times a decade. We need solid football fundamentals, that can play the speed and pro sets. Young coaches that will be here and have energy levels. DRad is all about money, he is not about winning. Which we do need money but his skill sets don’t meet the real needs of GT. We also need to avoid the Curry/Rodgers/Lewis eras.
Big L
September 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
Ya know the difference between a bad SEC team and a bad ACC team? See, when Joker Phillips and Kentucky lost to Western Kentucky, EVERYONE knew Joker’s days at Kentucky were over. The Trade School loses BADLY to Middle Tennessee an they talk about a new coach after next season. Next year, Kentucky will be trying a new hand and Tech will be doing the same thing.
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
@ Super..are you brain dead or just ignorant? How’s your 11 win season prediction looking now retard?
Delbert D.
September 29th, 2012
10:15 pm
I can’t handle people talking about “loosing.”
scope
September 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
Are we coming to the realization yet that PJ is a really good offensive coordinator? (only)
Jack G.
September 29th, 2012
10:17 pm
Enter your comments here
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:18 pm
Hey Super? How much did gt pay MTSU to play them today and then kick the living s**t out of gt? How much of your season tickets went to fund that? And how much is CPJ making for this eggregous outcome?
Jack G.
September 29th, 2012
10:19 pm
George—-I dont know why Fresno State fired him. He always had a wining team
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:19 pm
Ahh someone confronts the wonderful SS and they must be banned!!
pathetic like Paul Johnson. What a disgrace to make 2 mil and give us this!!! And even more pathetic that you support it.
Greg
September 29th, 2012
10:21 pm
Nah Supersize, mark bradley supports the first amendment. It’s that simple.
Billy (not Martin)
September 29th, 2012
10:22 pm
Groh is not the problem. CPJ and his ridiculous offense is the problem.
People forget, a defense has to practice against an offense that simulates its opponents. Defending PJ’s offense all week is not getting them ready for the next opponent. Plus they are overmatched because the real blue chips do not want to come here and practice against those cut blocks all week. Neither do the blue chip offensive guys that might have NFL aspirations. If he could get Gailey’s players here, yes he might start winning again.
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:23 pm
49-28 and STILLLLLL imbeciles on here like super and george
support the pathetic coach. How much are you paid to post this garbage????
.25 per post????
Daniel Webster
September 29th, 2012
10:23 pm
I saw the definition of “worser”
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:24 pm
Mark Bradley is the best and most honest journalist this paper has. So STFU!!!!!
Jack G.
September 29th, 2012
10:24 pm
Delbert—-Loose means not tight. Lose means not win
GTPak
September 29th, 2012
10:25 pm
The Edsel defense during the BL years and now the Groan defense during the CPJ years. Sad indeed.
Scott
September 29th, 2012
10:25 pm
Supersize quote
GT will win at least 10 games and probably 11!
You cant make this crap up!!!