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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > September > 30 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USJohnson better than Gailey for Tech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Under Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech loses on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium against a significantly improved Duke team that nevertheless shouldn’t beat this group of Yellow Jackets.
Under Paul Johnson, well, let’s just say his streaking players will continue their rise in his first season at Tech with a 4-1 record by the end of the evening.
You can feel it.
You can hear it.
You also can see it.
That’s because Johnson is the epitome of whatever “it” is that gives the Yellow Jacket Nation the confidence that one of his teams won’t get smacked into embarrassment by a foe that should just get smacked.
It’s the little things that make Johnson better than Gailey in these types of games. Take, for instance, Johnson’s thoughts on Tuesday at the Edge Center regarding Duke playing his Navy teams for six years before joining Tech. “Those kids [on Duke] have seen this [triple-option] offense a lot, so it’s going to help them,” said Johnson, easing into a quick smile. “I’ve also seen them, so I think it will help me.”
It will. Despite new philosophies on offense and defense, Johnson has watched his young Jackets manage victories against Jacksonville State, Boston College (on the road) and Mississippi State. They also dropped a close game in Blacksburg against surging Virginia Tech.
Whether Gailey does all of that and then beats Duke is questionable.
Now don’t get me wrong. Contrary to the opinions of Gailey’s slew of detractors, he wasn’t overmatched during his six years at Tech through the 2007 season. He was a decent-to-good college football coach. It’s just that Johnson is a good-to-great college football coach. That means his Jackets usually will have the focus they need for these types of games instead of whatever they had under Gailey.
“The difference is, Paul wills them to win, and he won’t tolerate them not playing to perfection,” said Dorsey Watson, 68, a Tech fan since the late 1950s. He drives to games with his wife in a 1976 Dodge RV that he calls “The Buzz Mobile.” Added Watson, shaking his head over the clunkers for Gailey in these types of games, “There were thousands of them. Well, maybe not that many, but it seems that way.”
How about Gailey’s first season in 2002, when the Jackets fell to that Wake Forest of awfulness before it became this Wake Forest of significance? There was the Duke fiasco two years later when that Duke was the antithesis of this one. No way the Jackets should get hammered at North Carolina in 2004 after surviving Clemson in Death Valley the week before. In subsequent years, there were silly losses for the Jackets to underdog teams from North Carolina State and Virginia.
Plus, although Boston College entered last year’s game with Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ eventual No. 3 pick in the NFL draft, Tech was ranked 15th in the nation at the time to Boston College’s 21.
Tech lost by 17 — at home.
We’re back to Johnson, who was asked about whether he discussed goals with his Jackets during their just-completed off-week. “My big picture is the Duke game. That’s the only picture [Tech players] need to worry about right now,” Johnson said. “You better take care of your business at home. It’s a conference game. It’s a team that’s 3-1 that’s coming in. That’s more than enough for us to worry about.
“When you start looking ahead, you’ll be looking back in misery.”
Ask Gailey’s Jackets.
Permalink | Comments (44) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech/ACC
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Comments
By Chan Gailey
September 30, 2008 6:14 PM | Link to this
Why’s everybody always pickin on me???
By Mark Richt
September 30, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
We will be wearing our Pink Jerseys for the UT game.
I love Coach Johnson
By OLD MAN
September 30, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this
I say again, Johnson looks like “the real deal” to me. He can coach and he can motivate. It also helps that he’s got some good to great athletes on the team.
GO JACKETS!!!!
By Carter
September 30, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
Now if we could only get our “fair weather” fans to fill our stadium to show this guy some support. Everyone raves about our new coach so come SHOW HIM. Tickets are cheap….no excuses.
By Tokyo jacket
September 30, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this
Exactly right…I’m looking forward to snapping the “streak.” Not the bowl streak but the streak of consecutive seasons with losses to unranked teams. Give ‘em he!! CPJ!
By Michael
September 30, 2008 7:06 PM | Link to this
Spot on Terence. With Gailey it just felt like he was there for the paycheck. Johnson is there to win!
By AlabamaRamblinwreck
September 30, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this
Coach Gailey: Treat kids like they are already mature men, without need of discipline or motivation.
Coach Johnson: Treat kids like they need discipline and accountability so that they can become the men they can be!!
That is the difference, and that is why we won’t lose this game because of lack of motivation or discipline. Without us sleepwalking through this one, we should win fairly easily.
Coach Johnson is in the infancy of something very significant on the flats. I agree we need to support him and this team with great fervor. Let’s fill BDS every week, and this will not only help our current guys, but it will also help CPJ with recruiting even more great players!
Go Jackets!!
By GT82
September 30, 2008 7:23 PM | Link to this
Could we please stop the trash talk about UGAG. We haven’t beat them in 7 years, so we have no room to talk right now. Hopefully, that streak will end this year…..until it does, it makes you appear ignorant.
By Blue Fox
September 30, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this
The only disagreement with Terence is the statement that Gailey was a good college coach. Maybe a good pro offensive coordinator, but never a college coach that had the “it” factor necessary to be successful. In particular, with his passive personality, he never generated any loyalty or passion in his players. Sadly, Reggie Ball would have been an All-American (or at least a Joe Hamilton clone) in this offense with CP riding herd on him.
By John
September 30, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this
I went to the Jax St game and was shocked at how crowded it was. Everyone out to see the new coach. Also went to the MSU game and again crowded. I think the fans are coming and if the team continues to play great, we can only hope to come to the day where we don’t have to sell 15,000 seats to our opponents!
By George
September 30, 2008 7:33 PM | Link to this
Tech will emerge as one of the top 25 teams in the country after this year. Beyond that, it depends on how long Johnson stays with us. Sad to say but Tech is looked upon as a stepping stone and not a final destination in the coaching ranks. We need to win while we can.
By Paul Johnson
September 30, 2008 7:52 PM | Link to this
Way to go, Captain Obvious…
By GreenJacket
September 30, 2008 7:53 PM | Link to this
I think Johnson plays to win and Gailey plays not to lose. No way CPJ would have continued to play Reggie although Ball would have probably played better in CPJ’s system. I do credit Gailey for the talent that is here. If he would have won the ACC Championship game and beat the Dawgs once he would still be here. We are blessed to have Johnson as Tech’s coach!
By Brewer
September 30, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this
Understatement of the century…
By YellowSpines
September 30, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this
Everyone knows Tech is where good coaches go to die. The Fridge was smart in getting the heck out of Dodge before he was offered the head job. I mean, guys even lie on their resumes to get out of that place. Tech has been in one of the most over-hyped, pathetically weak “major” conferences and can’t even compete for the title. Nerd nation needs to face the harsh reality that you’re a middle of the road team, in a good year.
By firechangailey.com
September 30, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
Great article. And you are absolutely right. Duke would beat GT on Saturday if we still had Failey.
By Casey
September 30, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
Gee, once again, thanks for citing the obvious moron. Obviously you have been reading articles by everyone in the journalism profession for some months, and decided to basically copy what everyone that has followed Paul Johnson is saying.
I’m a Georgia fan, and am glad at what Tech has coming to them. Mr. Johnson is a remarkable coach and is going to produce with the talent he has inherited and turn these guys into great people. I have a ton of friends at Georgia Tech, and that are alumni, and I’m happy that they’re gonna have a lot to cheer about, even this year.
But my main point here was to bash you, and call you an idiot, cause personally I am sick and tired of your butt kissing and crappy writing. I have a great feeling that the City of Atlanta and others around the state hate your articles. I don’t even read them anymore, just knew what you were gonna say, after being suckered into reading a few of your articles when I was younger. All you do is bash one team, write good about another to gain their praise, and chase your own tail. I would advise no one to listen to what you have to say.
In the meantime I apologize to Tech fans for writing all the negativity on y’alls blog. Best of luck till November.
By helluva
September 30, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
Nice article terrance. Thank you for not mentioning notre dame.
By Frank Dreben
September 30, 2008 8:24 PM | Link to this
Dude, didn’t you write this same exact column like a month ago?
By Pat
September 30, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this
Thank you, Terence “Master of the Obvious” Moore
By RG
September 30, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
Speaking of great athletes, why are there no quality RBs, QBs, or WRs committing to GT? Maybe this is the year we have to get it done with Gailey’s recruits.
By terry montonya
September 30, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this
Can he coach basketball too?
By Joshua Barlowe
September 30, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this
This headline is the biggest “Duh” of the year.
Gailey is gone - we’re all glad - let’s move on.
By TechCrybaby
September 30, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this
Good article, Terence Moore, and timely, because it gives me an opportunity to confirm my cry-baby status. Agreed that Tech will probably stomp the bejabbers out of Duke, even with Thaddeus Lewis throwing for the Blue Devils. Agreed that Johnson will probably see to it that Tech does, whereas with Gailey it would have been iffy. But the more we talk about this, and assure ourselves, and the Tech team, of a sure victory, the more I’m haunted by the specter of what happened to Georgia last Saturday night. No game is a sure thing. Let Tech go out there full of confidence, with no focus, lose a couple of fumbles, with Lewis red-hot, making multi-completions, and the Jackets go down. Are you concerned yet?
By JASPERJACKET
September 30, 2008 9:27 PM | Link to this
Excellent insight into what has been happening at tech for the last 7 years.
It is getting more interesting every week for jackets fans.
By GM
September 30, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
Blue Fox: Please don’t use Reggie Ball and Joe Hamilton in the same sentence, for any reason whatsoever.
Anyone heard from Old GT Nut lately? I miss his posts about how we are going to crush our next opponent by 50.
By GT96
September 30, 2008 9:37 PM | Link to this
I agree with GT82. Lets please stop the trash talk about UGA. The Dawgs looked good Saturday. Alabama got lucky. He he… .
By ga_tech_92
September 30, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
Easy to see why Georgia Southern and Navy hated to see him go…
We love you Coach Johnson. Thanks for helping make the Flats Tough again!
THWG!!
By I Bleed White and Gold
September 30, 2008 9:50 PM | Link to this
I’m not sure what good it does to compare a coach no longer at my beloved Institute to the coach now active.
Should we compare Johnson to Bud Carson, Bill Lewis, Coach Heismann, Coach Dodd???
Johnson is our coach and to find him better or worse than those who came before strikes me as a senseless waste of time!
By GT Rich
September 30, 2008 9:54 PM | Link to this
Under Gailey, we would’ve lost to Miss State after Nesbitt went down on the first drive. If he had managed to win against Miss State, then Duke would’ve been a loss. Our 1st team was always competitive for 3 qtrs in the Gailey era, whether we could win the game depended on how strong the opponent was down the stretch.
Having witnessed summer practices myself, Johnson was actually spending practice reps and individual coaching to two deep. GT is much better prepared to play 4 qtrs and two deep nowadays. Can’t wait for the two deep talent pool to get better….
By The Black Knight
September 30, 2008 10:04 PM | Link to this
Gentleman tech fans…..I will from here on out say nothing negative about you guys……..we suck…….I’m pi$$ed….I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out. If we don’t get our sh!t together……we will lose 2 to 3 more games. If we do…..I’ll still be here….gotta stay with your team, no matter what. I expect that from any fan in the NCAA…….and if you don’t….you’re just a jumper and have no clue about college football. So let’s play this thing out on the field and see how things work out….!!!!!!
By Calvin
September 30, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
In all this Gaily bashing, he should at least be given credit for those big wins; the two Auburn games, the big one at Miami, and more. Johnson’s full of promise, but come on, he hasn’t played Clemson yet, much less Miami and Georgia.
By OldGold
September 30, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
If we don’t beat Georgia this year all is lost. Since they gave up the ghost to Bama, beating us is all they have to look forward to, and I can’t go another year hearing these idiots talk trash.
By ROCHELLE
September 30, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this
I like your story because you had a ture story and i liked it and it is ture and thats why i like it.Ilike your story and it is so cool becuase you are telling every one your story and you are telling every body they thaink it is good to them because you are telling evry body yor story and that is what i like about your story so much that it bring happy to me i like this story.
By dawg92
September 30, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this
Sorry Tech. Looks like the kiss of death from ol’ TM.
GT82, you remind me of myself when I used to tell Dawg fans the same thing about giving UF hell. The more you lose to a team, the more hate you build up, the more delusional you get. Hopefully the Dawgs can make the GA/FLA series a better rivalry again. I think Coach Johnson will bring the UGA/Tech rivalry back. Good luck against Duke, I think they’re the Vandy of the ACC this year… and that’s not a slight to them! It’s not a coincidence that UT is not doing as well without Cutcliff. He’s the most underrated coach in America and if UT fires Fulmer, look for Cutcliff to be at the top of their list.
By m
September 30, 2008 10:42 PM | Link to this
Chan Gailey was the worst coach in the history of the NCAA. He should never have been hired. He should have been fired after his first season. Thank God and Greyhound that he is gone FOREVER.
By jabster
September 30, 2008 10:44 PM | Link to this
News Flash! Johnson Better Than Gailey for Tech! Film at 11…
RG: Name the last pro-caliber (NFL, not CFL or AFL) QB that Gailey or anyone else was able to recruit to Tech. And I’m not talking about someone who took a couple snaps in one game. We have to think different—that’s why we have CPJ. Winning is always good for recruiting.
YellowSpines: Ever heard of Bobby Ross, who took San Diego to the Super Bowl after coaching at Tech? Or are you too young?
By Terence Moore
September 30, 2008 10:53 PM | Link to this
To GreenJacket:
You bring up a good point. Johnson plays to win, and Gailey played not to lose. When you have that kind of an approach to games as a coach, it filters down to your players.
So, even when you’re playing against teams you should beat — Duke, Wake Forest in the old days, etc. — when you’re playing not to lose, your players have a tendency to lose their aggressiveness.
Such a thing gets you beat.
By Ed
September 30, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this
CPJ is the real thing, though it has and will take a while to get his system to work at Tech. Consider what #16 Wake Forest’s Coach Jim Grobe said about Navy (Johnsons prevous program) prior to Navy’s win last weekend:
“You’ve got brilliant kids that won’t beat themselves,” Grobe recalled. “You’ve got kids that are tough as pine knots. They’re going to try to get you on the ground every snap of the game.”
“It won’t matter what the score is, whether they’re ahead or behind, they’re going to fight for four quarters. And when the game is over, you’re going to be glad the game’s over.”
Imagine this attitude, disciplineand toughness with the improved talent at Georgia Tech. Should be fun!
By Realist
September 30, 2008 11:33 PM | Link to this
Two questions as the stomp on Chan Gailey week continues: - Aren’t upset losses just a part of college football—in fact what makes college football so great? - When/if Tech loses to Duke, will everyone stomp on Paul Johnson too?
By Bruce Wayne
September 30, 2008 11:42 PM | Link to this
Terrence and green Jacket,
A good illustration the the difference between the play to win attitude and the play not to lose of Gailey is the stark difference between GT in the 2nd half this year compared to last year. The Jackets do show improvement through all 4 quarters (hence the BC win). At least they do this much more under CPJ.
I loved his comment going into halftime of the MSU game that despite a 31-0 score the team must get better in all facets of the game the 2nd half and that the defense had done fine “when they through the ball right at them.” Then he challenged the defense in the locker room (again score was 31-0) and they came out fired up and showed improvement.
What his halftime comments indicate and Terrence is pointing to is that the attitude with CPJ is that you ain’t won squat at halftime, or after 3 quarters but only at the actual end of the game therefore there is no logical reason to ever stop playing to win AND improve.
By Falcon Heat
September 30, 2008 11:47 PM | Link to this
I thought Larry and Ken write about GT football.
I hate when T-Moore trys to write about sports!!!
Bring back the real beat writers please
By 1Jacket7
September 30, 2008 11:48 PM | Link to this
Great article. It is a great article because it is true. I am willing to go out on a limb as TM did and claim that those games we should win will be won. That’s the change in attitude that TECH is now under. A expect to win attitude not to be mistaken for cockiness or conceit. If you don’t believe you can before you try you will never accomplish anything. It’s time to speak what we want and go out there and take it. GO Jackets!!! It’s great to be a Yellow Jacket. It’s great to be a Yellow Jacket. Sing it with me… LOL.
By Vince Dookey
September 30, 2008 11:56 PM | Link to this
I guess the Dawgs’ will be spending more time with their defensive coordinator from here on out and less time with their fashion coordinator!