AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > September > 29 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USChoice is right as Jackets find their cure
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
First, there was Notre Dame. A wipeout in South Bend. Georgia Tech’s stock rose like a bull market. Then Samford, nice little Samford, an easy means of giving bulk to the team stats. Then came Boston College, a worthy foe, but at home, couldn’t the Eagles have been had? Then news arrived that Michigan had wiped out Notre Dame, too. Maybe the Irish market had been overvalued.
Next came Virginia in Charlottesville, not one of Tech’s favorite places to hang out. But wait a minute, this wasn’t supposed to be a Wahoo year, and here they came. This was getting serious, from 2-0 to the bottom of the Coastal Division of the ACC. The silence was deafening, and meanwhile, Clemson was rolling along unbeaten, 4-and-0, and flexing its muscles. Clemson used to come to town for Bobby Dodd’s personal amusement, and that rankled Frank Howard. But those days are gone. The Tigers are no longer a delicacy on the plate of the big-city Yellow Jackets. They could slug it out with anybody, and here they came.
Second in total offense and passing in the ACC, leading scorer, leader in third-down conversions. If you had suggested to anyone with all his marbles that Clemson would kick a field goal in the first quarter and never score again, he’d have suggested a mental examination.
Mike Knobler had set forth his prescription for the Clemson cure in the Saturday paper, not that Dr. Knobler had it right on the nose, but the vitals were there. Tashard Choice had to be fired up, and he was an infernal flame the Tigers couldn’t put out. Taylor Bennett needed to improve his passing rating, and while that’s still in need of attention, he still kept order and managed to connect on seven of 15 launches for 67 yards. Then there was the order to keep the drives going and the Tigers backing up.
But this was the big one: Play defense early, and onward, and in the long run, this was defense’s day. This should not detract in any way from Choice and how much he contributed to the most vital stat of ball possession. Against the Wahoos, he was only half-Choice, not nearly physically ready to carry the load. This day, he simply ran the Tigers until they were out of breath and full of frustration. Thiry-two times the ball was his, and he delivered 145 of Tech’s 256 offensive yards and scored the only touchdown, which, in essence, put the Tigers away for the day. He made the most out of third downs and contributed mightily to that important figure of possession time.
In fact, Chan Gailey himself said he was shocked that Choice went as far as he did after a hamstring injury. “But if you stood in the locker room and heard him before the game and during halftime, it wouldn’t surprise you.”
Choice is an unusual young man, anything but a physical beast, 6-feet-1 and a trim 205 pounds. Frequently transfers don’t always work out this efficiently.
He had played behind the Heisman-hoopla-ed Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma, far removed from his home in Riverdale, and his mother, who was unable to travel. So, home he came, and it was no academic burden. He is on the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll, majoring in history, technology and society. On the field, he is what the old guard used to call a slashing runner, and apparently knows no fatigue.
Clemson kept its third-down efficiency high, but came up short on offensive consistency. And the field-goal kicker, Mark Buchholz, was 1-for-5 at his specialty. The thing was, Georgia Tech took charge of this game and never lost track of its purpose. Last year the Tigers’ James Davis had a track meet against Tech, 216 yards on foot. This Saturday at Bobby Dodd-Grant Field, the whole Tiger team was held to 34 yards on the ground.
There is new breath in the body, a thrumping spirit, and all this sandwiched around a day fraught with the interruption of something misconstrued as entertainment, during which we learned that Georgia Tech has an “official burrito.” Ole!
Comments
By snapshot
September 29, 2007 11:54 PM | Link to this
Any team can beat any other team on any given Saturday. GO YELLOW JACKETS!
By Go Jackets!
September 30, 2007 12:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Fisher - You continue to be my all-time favorite sports writer, and not just because you gave my Jackets a good article today. This was huge. On the brink of 0-3 in the conference, this was a must win if every there was one. And yes he defense gets all the kudos today! Go Tech!
By Go Jackets!
September 30, 2007 12:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Fisher - You continue to be my all-time favorite sports writer, and not just because you gave my Jackets a good article today. This was huge. On the brink of 0-3 in the conference, this was a must win if every there was one. And yes the defense gets all the kudos today! Go Tech!
By Go Jackets!
September 30, 2007 12:54 AM | Link to this
Mr. Fisher - You continue to be my all-time favorite sports writer, and not just because you gave my Jackets a good article today. This was huge. On the brink of 0-3 in the conference, this was a must win if every there was one. And yes the defense gets all the kudos today! Go Tech!
By surfrider
September 30, 2007 2:39 AM | Link to this
Good article. I’m wandering if the stff will give D. J. Donley some plays at wr, maybe he is a game player more than a practice player. The receivers will get better in game conditions with experience but it will help if one can catch now, verse later in the year. Maybe Donley is that player. Maybe Grant can move to a wr at times aka, Charlie Rogers for the Fridge in the 90’s.
By Huskdawg
September 30, 2007 5:46 AM | Link to this
Good job Jackets. Please let me be the first Bulldawg to congratulate you. I really didn’t see that one comin. I also didn’t see Auburn beatin the gators(sweet). I’ll talk football with anyone as long as they’re respectful. But I can talk smack as well, I just choose not to most of the time. Anyway, good win and we’ll see you in November. Hey, White and Gold, yes you did win, but didn’t you say it would be an absolute smack down? Put this one in the W column, but come on man…Clemson is no girly team.
By Jerry
September 30, 2007 6:50 AM | Link to this
As you say quarterback is still an issue.It appears we will stick with ours for the next two years and not give a talented freshmen a chance.Once Chan settles on a quarterback it is a done deal.
By cheer up Jerry
September 30, 2007 7:52 AM | Link to this
Tech WON!
By GT71
September 30, 2007 7:58 AM | Link to this
My favorite AJC columnist still doing well and covering the Jackets. Thank you, Mr. Bisher. As for the Jackets, trouble is still out there. A defensive ‘high’ every week and special teams’ wizardry can’t cover up the offensive doldrums when Mr. Choice choses not to run and the O-line doesn’t block. And PLEASE come up with at least one more QB, this one’s proven himself to be just OK but not ready for prime time. Gonna need more by the end of November.
By Dr. Jacket
September 30, 2007 8:22 AM | Link to this
Furman: Do you think Bobby Dodd was sitting up there in heaven smiling? That was Bobby Dodd football yesterday - play great defense, have a solid kicking game, and do just enough on offense to win. The only thing missing was that Tech did not punt on third down!
By elijah
September 30, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this
I was at the game,and I was fired up the whole time. That was one of the best defensive performances I have ever seen. Alot of people are saying Clemson would have won if they didn’t have that penalty when they scored, but there was a play when they fumbled on a pass and ruled it incomplete-the truth was a fumble and it looked as if we would have scored on it. Our offense was terrible. Instead of working on our passing game in the second half; they ran straight up the middle three downs and punted. If they don’t let this kid play and learn from mistakes, we are going to have another reggie ball. CAN CHAN
By destin
September 30, 2007 8:35 AM | Link to this
Good win, but the VA loss ruined any ACC or national aspirations. So, I guess we can shoot for that bowl game on the blue grass again. Bennett must learn to get rid of the ball quicker (while the receiver is still open). Play the other QB’s some and see what they can do in the passing game. Hell, FSU went to their 3rd QB in the same game to get the needed spark against Bama.
By Tech'42
September 30, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
Tech’s defense against Clemson was reminiscent of the ‘42 Tech team, except for the disastrous last game of the ‘42 season. Let’s not let that happen in ‘07!!!
By wes
September 30, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this
Glad we won. Good article Mr. Bisher.
Travis Bell and Durant Brooks are All-American caliber.
Choice is too.
By Mrs. Buzz
September 30, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this
I think Clemson lost because their colors are U-G-L-Y! Orange makes people look fat!
More importantly, Tech won because of their awesome defense who was definately on it! Glad to see Choice back in the game, but I wish we would see more of Dwyer. Great job Jackets, can’t wait to see ya’ll STING the turtles!
By Mrs. Burdell
September 30, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this
It was a good win! I was there and Taylor should have been at least 10 for 16 with at least 50 more passing yards. He put 3 balls right in the receivers hands and they dropped them. One was a long post route where he hit the receiver in the hands on stride…not Taylor’s fault!!!
By brent
September 30, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
Great win, jackets!! However, please mix up the offense. The whole stadium knew what was coming. 1st down= TS run right, 2nd down= TS run left, 3rd down TB pass. Every single offensive series.
By Navigator
September 30, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
My only complaint is strategy. At the half Chan Gailey said to the audience that he would play the second half close to the vests. He said that he would run two downs and pass on third and long. Are you kidding me? This is 1960’s football, and had Clemson got untracked, a probable loss. I watch the development of a national power, USF, a coach who started with nothing. He is known by his action to be fearless and innovative, and his strategies are paying off (beating two very good teams). Why is GT strapped to this archaic coach, who is afraid to be successful, and constantly pulls into a shell, failing to adjust during the game. The AD is jest as inept to allow this to go beyond this year. The outcome of any game is based on Tenuta’s defense. A few years ago, Tech’s offense was one of the feared in the country, and now they inept, if not laughable.
By WFC
September 30, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this
HUSKDAWG: thanks for your thoughts. I’m a hard core GT fan since 1960 and a retired HS football coach. Most of my friends are UGA fans and I love talking football with them without all the BS and smack.
DR.. JACKET: I was thinking exactly the same thing about Coach Dodd. The game yesterday reminded me so much of one of the first Tech games I ever saw, a 6-2 victory over LSU in the early 1960’s… classic Dodd.
By fred
September 30, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
Thanks, Furman Bisher! I am a ‘59 GT grad and have strong ties—-especially with classmates.It was my pleasure, as asst. sports editor and scoreboard operator(from field) to “soak up” our athletic successes, the conservative challenges (at that time) of a 50% survival at Tech and the absolute pride of being a Jacket then and NOW! We won yesterday with a D and one-play fumes. Good, but that’s not a map to milk ‘n honey. QB, play-calling and consistent coaching “fire-in-the-belly” are OBVIOUS weaknesses.
I’m not being a wise——,but these “fixes” are not rocket science—-ARE THEY?
GO TECH!!!
By GODAWGS
September 30, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
lol to the comment that this defense reminds someone of the Tech ‘42 defense. WTF?
By Law and Order for All
September 30, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
Clemson will hand South Carolina their collective butts very soon.
By Jerry
September 30, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this
Being a long suffering Clemson fan I want to congratulate the Techsters on their victory. That being said, why didn’t Bowden and his staff study the BC and UVA films and watch what they did to neutralize the Tech blitizing schemes. It was awful, add in the missed FG’s the stupid penalties, and untimely dropped passes it all equals a big fat loss. The defense was equally bad in stopping Choice, he’s good but the Tiger defense made him look like some kind of super runner. Load the box and stop the run, goodness knows that Taylor Bennett isn’t going to beat anyone with his arm.
By yellowblood
September 30, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this
Give me a great defense and a mediocre offense any day. Defense wins games. Bennett did throw an intercept from the 11 yard line and that was poor but he managed the game well when it counted by picking up the necessary first downs. I was quite surprized that Tech rushed for approx. 200 yards which means that we did not have to rely upon a passing game. From the outset it was obvious that this was a game to be decided by one teams defense. When you realize what kind of game you’re in you adapt to it and thats what Tech did.
By Poetic Justice
September 30, 2007 7:16 PM | Link to this
did anyone notice that our recievers dropped three perfectly thrown balls in the first couple of series?? The lack of a passing game isn’t entirely on Bennett’s shoulders.
By John
September 30, 2007 7:48 PM | Link to this
Yes - I was at the game and saw all the dropped passes by GT. What is even more odd is that our great freshman, DJ Donley who blocked the crucial punt, IS a wide receiver and supposedly very good! He is only seeing time on special teams because the other wide receivers were already penciled in. Well….get the eraser out - duh! When pressed to explain why not play him as a weide receiver, Gailey said, ‘it’s not like the other guys are doing bad’. Ah….what?! He is and always will be clueless to what is really going on in the real world.
By BJohnDAWG
September 30, 2007 10:17 PM | Link to this
Well I talked smack about Clemson would roll over Tech.I am big enough to admit I was wrong.
Good game. Bowden was outcoached( and that is saying a very little)and their kicker must have had something else on his mind.
Tech’s defense looked good and on offense Choice ran the ball well and did what was necessary.So credit where credit is due.Tech D had the Clemson offense wondering what was next.
Good game Tech. See you guys at the end of the year.