AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > November
November 2007
No grace period for new coach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The decision has been made as expected.
Chan Gailey’s a class guy and he held things together through some tough times, never slipping into a losing season or out of bowl contention.
That’s no easy task considering Flunk Gate, injuries to guys like Hollings and Gathers, and probation restrictions on scholarships.
He was ultimately, in the end, doomed by his inability to defeat a UGA team that is enjoying a historic period of success.
And make no mistake, this is not the same UGA program that O’Leary defeated three years in a row.
Still…It doesn’t really matter now. It’s all water under the bridge. It’s time to look forward and move on.
I’m really curious to see who the next coach will be but don’t have any real preferences.
I do know the next coach at GT will have even less margin for error than Gailey did. He’s going to be expected to win immediately, maintaining the winning seasons and the bowl streak.
Why?
Because you don’t fire a coach who won more than he lost and kept you in the post season and then give his replacement a few years to “rebuild” or “recover.”
The program is in better shape today than when Gailey took over, based largely on the last recruiting class and a new Athletic Director.
Gailey’s successor has to win…there will be no grace period. None.
Tech was motivated, but maybe Chan is cursed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m beginning to think that Chan Gailey is simply cursed when it comes to facing UGA. There’s no other reason to explain how a series coached by two devout Christian men ends up so lopsided. How else do all the breaks go one direction for six years running? It just doesn’t make any sense.
I mean…really…Tech wasn’t outcoached or out-athleted yesterday. I laugh when the local media tosses that explanation out for general public consumption. UGA didn’t play harder, they weren’t more motivated, they weren’t better coached, and they didn’t have better athletes that hit harder or ran faster.
They simply got all the breaks…again…while Tech left 20+ points lying out there on the field…because we couldn’t catch them or fall on them.
Consider…
A wide receiver with two steps on a burnt toast corner back drops a beautifully thrown deep ball that hits his hands…in stride.
Two fumbled kick returns bounce into the endzone…GT players are all over them…but they turn into UGA touchbacks.
A lateral is picked up and returned to the UGA goal line, where its fumbled into the endzone and touched by a UGA player on its way out of bounds…another UGA touchback.
If Tech catches that pass on the first possession, falls on just one of the fumbled kicks, and doesn’t fumble that lateral return…we’re looking at 21 points up on the board fairly early in the game. UGA is then forced to throw the ball while Tech is able to grind yards and clock with Tashard Choice. UGA never gets the chance to grind our defense down with Thomas Brown. Moreno remains the non-factor that he was for the first three quarters of the game.
What became a 14 point UGA victory could have easily been a Tech blow out…if we grab the points that were waiting to be seized.
In the end…I walked out of that game sad more than anything, because it became another chapter in a Tech vs UGA series that has seen the Jackets play hard and inspired…yet fall short because of some strange mistake, a late turnover, a missing referee whistle, or a weird bounce.
I wasn’t upset with Chan Gailey last night. The team played inspired. They were motivated and prepared. They just couldn’t get the free points that were bouncing around in the endzone three times last night. Chan can’t go out there and fall on a loose ball for them. The players have to make that happen.
But…I think this loss may shut the door on Chan Gailey’s tenure on the Flats. The losses at UVA and Maryland set the stage for this game…well earlier in the season. If the team had played as hard (for four quarters) in the early games, as they did last night, then we’d be sitting at 9-3 right now instead of 7-5. We’d be griping about bad luck against UGA more than we’d be talking about a return to the “mediocre” status quo of 7-5 and a west coast bowl game.
Chan…quite simply…burned up his margin for error in games we had no business losing…well before UGA came to town.
And it may cost him his job…
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Thoughts on playing UGA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Perceptions
Some internet football pundits are calling UGA the hottest team in the nation right now. People are saying that Tech is sliding and playing poorly down the stretch. I’m not entirely sold on either statement, after looking at the details a bit more closely.
Lets consider Tech first. The Jackets have won 4 of their last 5 games. The loss to VT left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, but the truth of the matter is that VT is arguably a legitimate Top 10 team with its only losses to LSU and Boston College … two teams who have been in the national title picture this season. Tech went into that game without Tashard Choice or Reshaun Grant … starting the third and fourth string running backs. Five INTs and a lost fumble sealed the Jackets’ fate in that game as much as anything.
Now lets consider UGA. Since getting dominated by Tennessee, the Bulldogs have defeated Vandy, Florida, Troy, Auburn, and Kentucky.
Vandy coughed the ball up on UGA’s 7 yard line while going in for the winning score and UGA was able to escape with a win. Florida was down when UGA caught them, suffering multiple injuries and playing an obviously hurt Tebow. Troy gave UGA more fight than expected and scored 34 points. Auburn threw an INT on their first possession and then three more in the second half to blow a tight halftime game wide open for UGA. And Kentucky, who has been on a major slide the last four weeks blew a 10-0 lead in Athens.
The way I look at it … these two teams are a few fumbles away from BOTH being 8-3 right now. If GT doesn’t fumble a punt return against UVA and Vandy doesn’t fumble inside UGA’s 10 … we’re looking at a pair of 8-3 teams that are both ranked in the Top 25.
Stafford vs Bennett
A well known internet analyst recently opined that “Matthew Stafford gets better and better with each start.” Stafford went 12 of 22 for 99 yards and 2 INTs against Kentucky last weekend. He amassed a monstrous 99 yards through the air.
Comparatively, Taylor Bennett went 13 of 24 for 196 yards and a touchdown.
On the season, Tech’s passing offense is ranked #100 nationally with 183 average yards per game. UGA’s is ranked #85 at 199 yards per game. So…essentially…UGA gets about 16 more yards per game in the air. That’s right…SIXTEEN more yards per game.
Beyond the QBs
UGA has the edge at the quarterback and wide receiver positions. GT has the edge on the offensive line and at running back. (Yes…Tashard Choice is better than Knowshon Moreno, even hobbled and playing hurt. His veteran experience and vision give him an edge.)
The Jackets have the #18 rushing game in the nation, despite missing Choice for large parts of four games. It’s reasonable to expect that Tech would be a Top 5 rushing team if Choice hadn’t missed parts of the BC, UVA, Army, and VT games on top of being pulled from the Samford game after 11 carries. It’s also arguable that the UVA game would have been won with Choice running more than 5 times.
UGA has the nation’s #36 rushing offense and have played well down the stretch as Mark Richt has finally learned to stick with a running game when its working without getting cute while trying to channel his pitch and catch FSU days in Tallahassee.
Two Excellent Defenses
Both teams have played excellent defense over the course of the season.
UGA has the #22 total defense and #28 scoring defense with 21 points allowed per game.
GT has the #7 total defense and #16 scoring defense with 18 points allowed per game.
Both teams defend the passing game about the same. It’s too close to consider one defense better than the other. Both are good…as long as they don’t give up a homerun play…
So what is the key defensively?
Well…Tech has a Top 10 rushing defense and the leads the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss. And honestly…this is the key to the game for the Jackets. Stop Moreno and pressure Stafford into having a game like he did last week against Kentucky.
How GT Can Win
Run the ball…stop the run…control the clock…win!
Old school, smash mouth, football…its the only way.
UGA “Dawg Walk” Furor?
I don’t get the angst I’m seeing in GT circles over the fact that Richt wants the UGA fans to be there when UGA gets off the buses and heads into their lockerroom. It’s going to be on the opposite side of the stadium from our Yellow Jacket Alley.
I’ve been involved in similar GT oriented “welcomings” for our team at FSU, Clemson, Auburn, and etc. Lots of teams do it. And lots of GT fans have done it for our team in the past.
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Thanks for nothing, Nick
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Up until the point that your Crimson Tide team let Lousiana-Monroe take their lunch money in a 21-14 mugging, the Music City Bowl in Nashville was angling for a match up between Tech and Bama.
That possibility had been flying around Tech message boards for the better part of the week. That would have been a ton of fun!
We knew that if GT and Bama both won their games this past weekend, we were pretty much assured a New Year’s trip to Nashville … regardless of the outcome of the Georgia game … worst case scenario.
We took care of business. You let us down. Maybe they should ship your team off to San Francisco eh?
Clean Old Fashioned Hate
The game this weekend is not only for bragging rights now … it’s for the seniors, it’s to end the drought, it’s to end UGA’s BCS hopes, and it’s to keep our guys on this side of the Mississippi so that we can enjoy another road game and cheer for the white and old gold once more before the season is over.
More to come as the week progresses …
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Jackets don’t give up, but watching is brutal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sitting at my PC with the TV playing the background.
I’m disgusted. No other word will suffice at this point.
Tech has the ball in the shadow of our own goalline and we try to throw our way out of the hole…resulting in a sack and fumble which turns into the go ahead score for UNC.
So then we get the ball back and we drive down the field and we get into scoring range and we start using that direct snap play…bog down…and miss a field goal!
What the heck is our coaching staff thinking? I mean…I can’t make any sense of it.
Why not pound the ball out from under your goalpost and use the nation’s best punter if you get stopped, to clear things out?
We didn’t…and we coughed the ball up and UNC scored and went ahead.
So then we have a great kickoff return and we get into scoring range…and you pull both QBs and start snapping to Choice instead of trying to get in the endzone?
And then Bell shanks the field goal…par for the course…
….
Ok…the defense stopped them…we’ll get the ball back.
…
Oh my…we’re gonna get another kick.
Stand by while I go rub my daughter’s head for good luck…
…
So we’re sitting on the sofa and she’s praying, “Please God let Georgia Tech make the field goal”
We make it…
…a flag?!?!?
You have to be kidding me?
On UNC!
We can’t decline it?
We have to kick again?
The football Gods HATE us.
….
Daughter and I are praying again, “Please God let Georgia Tech make the field goal.”
Its up…it looks like crap…but its good! Tech leads!
…
UNC is trying a 63 yarder….its partially blocked…Tech wins.
…
I’ll be honest…this team is brutal to watch and cheer for…but they don’t give up. They never give up.
More later…its time to go play with the kids and cheer for Kentucky.
Taking on the Tar Heels
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Tar Heels are 3-7 on the season with wins over James Madison, Miami, and Maryland. Their losses are to East Carolina, Virginia, South Florida, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, and NC State.
What does this tell us?
Well … not a whole lot. The Heels beat a Maryland team that GT narrowly lost to. They played Virginia about as close as we did. They got stomped badly by Wake Forest … but also beat Miami and played Virginia Tech a lot closer than the Jackets did.
The UNC offense is ranked #102 nationally behind a woeful running game and marginal passing game. Defensively they aren’t horrible … ranking #33 in total defense and #50 in scoring defense. They seem to defense both the pass and rush similarly. This isn’t a team you obviously run or pass against.
Looking a little deeper, they have a tendency to turn the ball over and give up sacks. So I would expect that Tech’s defense will blitz early and often and try to force mistakes or turnovers.
UNC only averages 20 points a game over the course of the season … no reason to expect they’ll surpass that against the Tech defense. Still … we have to remember that Duke put up points on the board off Tech mistakes and miscues.
Tech
Speaking of mistakes and miscues … GT can’t allow anything like a big kick return, fumble, INT, or stupid penalty to derail what should be the 7th victory of the season.
Tech’s total offense is ranked #63 based largely on the running game. The scoring offense is ranked #63 as well … at 27 points per game. Combined with a #6 ranked total defense and a #14 ranked scoring defense … there’s no excuse to see UNC put alot of offense.
The Jackets are #1 in the country in sacks and tackles for loss. The D needs to keep that pressure up and eliminate the big play, which has been the Achilles Heel of the defensive backfield this season.
Morgan Burnett
There’d been rumors within Tech circles for a few weeks that Morgan Burnett was pushing for playing time and it appears those rumors have born fruit this week as Burnett has been named as one of the starting corners against UNC this weekend.
Avery Roberson has played excellent in run support this season but has been burned a few times in coverage. I’m hoping that this move allows Tech to play a little tighter with the UNC receivers on Burnett’s side of the field.
Burnett is a big time player and will likely hold down his corner for the remainder of his career at GT … now that he’s stepped up and been tapped as a starter.
Tashard
I hope Choice wraps that hamstring up this Saturday. We need him in the game early but I’d rather not see him break a run and pull up lame. And we certainly need him 100% against UGA next weekend.
I’m seriously looking forward to watching Choice and Moreno go at it. I’m a bit biased … obviously … but I think Choice is the better runner of the two. Moreno is good, no doubt, but he’s no Deuce.
Hoops
By the time anyone reads this blog, our game against Charlotte will likely have already been decided. Miller got dinged up in practice yesterday and Matt Causey is playing through pain in his knee. That means that Bell will get some minutes as the #3 point guard. With Dickey and Peacock out we’re limping through the early season here a bit. We are going to need to get healthy quick despite playing four games in four days while down in the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam.
Bowl Odds
Insiders on various GT boards seem to think that a win over UNC would put Tech in very good shape for the Music City Bowl against an SEC team … potentially Alabama. I’m not sure about everyone else … but I’d take that bowl in a heartbeat. Nashville is a close drive and a really fun town … and ‘Bama would be a great opponent. GT fans would show up in good numbers for that game.
Chan
No excuses … take care of business … no letdown against the Heels!
Go Jackets!
THWG!
Between Duke and UNC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Duke
Well…we won 41-24…but it shouldn’t have been that close honestly.
The Blue Devils picked up 21 points on a fumble return, a blocked punt (converted into a TD), and a 64 yard bomb. The defense held a hapless Duke offense to 146 yards of total offense.
We can’t give up 64 yard bombs to UNC or UGA the next two weeks and expect to win. Both are better teams than Duke…by a large margin.
Offensively we scored 41 points but once again the passing game struggled and we squandered excellent field position on more than one ocassion.
Consider the following:
GT gets the ball at the Duke 17. We move to their 11 and kick a field goal.
GT gets the ball at the Tech 47. We move to Duke’s 46 and punt.
GT gets the ball at the Duke 37. We move back to their 40 and punt.
GT gets the ball at the Duke 49. We stall at their 15 and kick a field goal.
GT gets the ball at the Duke 47. We move to their 32 and lose the ball on downs.
Those 5 possessions started at midfield of better and resulted in 6 points.
Tech must capitalize on good field position against UNC and UGA to achieve victory.
Its not all negative though, when considering that three of the GT scoring drives began at or near the Tech 20 yardline. Those three drives were 2 plays for 80 yards, 7 plays for 76 yards, and 7 plays for 81 yards.
This game should have been somewhere in the 51-10 range, realistically. The offense still needs to execute better…catching balls and converting third downs where the Jackets went 7 of 17 on the day.
Game Balls
Tashard Choice came back from his injury and ran for 173 yards despite obviously being less than 100%. This game was a sterling example of Tashard’s vision and how his running style is based on running smart instead of simply running fast.
Corey Earls, who was injured and carted off the field earlier in the season, arrived on the scene and caught 5 balls for 86 yards. Earls may be the best receiver on the team right now considering Thomas and Johnson are dinged up.
Adamm Oliver rang up 6 tackles (2 for a loss) and 2 sacks. Oliver is the unsung guy on the defensive line since Darrell Robertson and Michael Johnson have been getting a ton of publicity at the other end position. Oliver is relentless and never takes a play off. They call him “The Machine” for a reason.
Bowl Eligible Again
We’re now bowl eligible for the 11th straight season. At the end of 2006 we were one of six teams in the nation that had been to 10 straight bowls. UGA was tied with us and we trailed Virginia Tech (14), Florida (16), Florida State (25), and Michigan (32).
This is a big deal despite what some people may say or write in the national media. It doesn’t matter that there are more bowls now. It doesn’t matter if you go to a “good bowl” or a “bad bowl.”
There’s really no such thing as a “bad bowl.” They don’t exist. A bowl is a chance for the seniors to play another game. It’s a chance for the underclassmen, coming back the next season, to get in more practice. It’s a chance for the fans to get in another road trip, tailgate, or watch party. And it’s a chance to recruit … utilizing the geographic area of the bowl and the additional television exposure.
Some people may argue that “bad bowls” don’t mean anything. I would suggest they talk to fans from Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Southern Cal, UCLA, Bama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Nebraska, Penn State, and/or the rest of the NCAA schools. I would wager that most of the fans polled would have gladly gone to a “bad bowl” than no bowl at all.
You have to ask yourself … if bowl streaks are so easy to maintain, why don’t programs with recent National Titles (Miami, Southern Cal, LSU, Texas) have longer streaks than Tech does?
The streak DOES mean something … and it’s evident in our recent recruiting success.
Hoops
I’m a big fan of Paul Hewitt. I still have the Sweet 16 hat that he signed the night the team bus returned from the big win over Boston College. We were just happy to advance that night and had no idea we’d be playing for a title. Those were happy times.
But since then … we’ve struggled and the honeymoon is over. Hewitt has arguably performed worse since that title run than Gailey has. We can’t buy a win on the road, regardless of the competition, and we have a losing record in the ACC. And all this comes with recruiting classes that are supposed to be national calibre. Gailey has maintained post season play and a .500 or better record in the ACC despite recruiting classes that were considered to be subpar and despite a divided fan base that doesn’t give him nearly the support that Paul Hewitt has received.
Hewitt must do something positive this season … or his seat will begin to get warm.
Bad memories from Duke ‘03
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was at the Duke game in 2003 when we lost 41-17.
I’d just bought a new Jeep and was looking for a good reason for a roadtrip in my new wheels. Duke didn’t sound like a compelling opponent, but the Blue Devils did provide a destination. So I grabbed one of my old college buddies (and his new girlfriend) and we hopped in the Jeep and headed to Durham.
What a miserable … MISERABLE … road trip. Talk about a long drive home. I never want to do that again. There was some debate about whether the new Jeep or the new girl was the jinx on that trip. Surely we’d angered the football Gods in some way and the loss to Duke was a sign of some sort.
Today, the Jeep has about 60k miles on it and my buddy has married the girlfriend … so both are still around. We’re not taking either to Durham for a 2007 replay of the 2003 debacle though. Nope…not gonna do it.
Duke 2007
There’s really not alot to talk about here. We have to beat Duke … period.
There is no need to compare units or stats or records. We have to beat Duke.
‘Nuff said!
Tech ‘Fans’
I’ve come to the conclusion that we have one of the shakiest fan bases in collegiate sports. There’s no resolution, there’s no fortitude, there’s no tenacity in a fan base that leaves a stadium in the third quarter of a game. Boo’ing a public service announcement? You have to be kidding me. It was an embarassment.
Some of our top recruits, a national television audience, and the national media saw a pathetic GT fan base that was willing to give up and leave early while their team was still on the field.
Winning Out
As I said in my earlier blog … Coach Gailey is in a position where he needs to win out. I stand by that statement and I’m fervently hoping that he’s able to do it. An 8-4 record with a win over UGA and a decent bowl game sets our program up to potentially string back to back 9 win seasons together.
If Chan can secure 8+ wins this season there is no way he’s asked to step down or pushed out the door. You simply don’t fire a coach who guides a team to 8-9 wins a season in spite of hurdles like probation, injury, and poor fan support.
If this staff can stay together and weather the probation period while also improving on the recruiting trail … then the future is bright, regardless of how dark and dismal the recent losses have been.
But again … all of my hopes and expectations will be dashed and moot if we lose one or more of the next three games.
We have to get to 8-4 if we’re going to get a chance at that ninth win!
Gailey has to deliver.
Hoops
Looking at the schedule, we have a brutal stretch starting 11/27 that will see us on the road at Indiana and Vandy before returning home to host Kansas on 12/18. We’re going to know a lot about our basketball team before Christmas rolls around.
No excuse for this
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well…not much to say at this point…we’re now 5-4 on the season and when you consider that we ended last year with three straight losses (UGA, Wake, WVU) it makes us 5-7 in our last 12 games.
That’s bad…and there is no excuse for it.
For the past several seasons I’ve spent a large amount of energy arguing with the faction of the fanbase that seems more intent on bashing Chan Gailey than supporting Georgia Tech.
During those past seasons I’ve had legitimate counter points and examples of progress and success…which allowed me to win most debates and maintain a positive and supportive attitude towards Gailey’s tenure.
But after last night…Chan hasn’t left me with a leg to stand on. Any attempt to spin this season’s results would be gold tinted homerism of the highest degree.
We came into this season with a redshirt junior quarterback, the best running back in the conference, the best fullback in the conference, a veteran offensive line, and plenty of talented guys in the wide receiver corps.
I don’t care who is coaching the offense and calling plays…when you return the offensive weapons that Georgia Tech has access to…you move the ball and score more than this 2007 team has been doing.
Defensively we’ve taken 2 steps back despite fielding potentially the best defensive line talent we’ve had in a decade and a solid linebacker corps. Don’t waste time telling me where we rank nationally…I’m well aware of it. It doesn’t matter. Our defensive philosophy remains a one trick, gimicky pony that we’ve ridden into the ground so many times that its become a tired old nag that can’t get the job done when it counts. I’m sick and tired of throwing everything but the kitchen sink in repeated blitzes that leave our corners outmatched deep so badly that we have to give everyone a 10 yard cushion.
The only good things I’ve seen this season have been great special teams improvement and a high level of effort from the players on both sides of the ball. Our guys may not be playing well and winning, but they are playing hard. They haven’t quit or given up and that speaks to the quality of the young men wearing the uniform. They honestly deserve better from the coaches at this point.
Chan Gailey only really has one option at this point…win out or step aside.
Winning out would result in a 8-4 record with a victory over arch-rival UGA. The four losses would be a pair of tight road games and a loss to #11 VT and a national contender in Boston College. The wins would include Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, and UGA. 8-4 would be less than I expected this season…but it would be endurable considering our struggles and challenges. Most importantly UGA’s streak would be broken and we’d also find ourselves in a nice bowl game on this side of the Mississippi that GT fans could travel to and enjoy. The seniors would be able to go out in style.
But…I’m gonna say it (against my better judgement)…a loss to Duke, UNC, or UGA should result in a change in leadership at the end of the season.
Chan has to somehow go 8-4 and beat UGA. That’s it…nothing more to discuss at this point.
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