Coach Paul Johnson doesn’t pull any punches.

Johnson was asked on his Sunday teleconference about his decision to go for it on 4th-and-7 from the Georgia Tech 34 with 2:24 left. The Jackets trailed 20-17.

He said that while watching a replay of the game, he heard the TV announcers questioning the move, too.

“I think you’ve got to try to win the game,” he said.

“The guys who do the game, they’re morons…I don’t worry about what they say.”

Josh Nesbitt was sacked, and Virginia Tech took over.

The Jackets got the ball back on their 5 with 25 seconds left. They had no timeouts, having used their last one before the fourth-down try, and could not get into field-goal range.

Johnson said he would have done it differently only if he had “crystal glasses” to foresee the Jackets could pin the Hokies deep on a punt, force a three-and-out, and get the ball back in great field position.

Johnson said he also heard skepticism on the broadcast about his decision to go for two with 9:28 left. The Jackets had just scored to cut the deficit to 17-15.

“What good does one point do you?” he said.

After a false start on left guard Cord Howard pushed the ball back to the 8, Nesbitt rolled out and hit Lucas Cox to tie the game.

MSU brings tough D

Mississippi State brings to town the 20th-ranked defense in the nation. The Bulldogs allow 244 yards per game and an average of 2.8 yards a carry.

Defensive tackle Jessie Bowman (6-1, 305) is the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after making eight tackles, 3 1/2 for losses, and forcing a fumble in the Bulldogs’ 3-2 loss to Auburn.

“They’re big, they’re physical, they run well,” Johnson said. “They’ll be right up there or better than the defenses we’ve seen the past two weeks.”

Like every coach preparing for Johnson’s offense, the Bulldogs’ Sylvester Croom called it a unique challenge.

“It’s extremely difficult because of your gap responsibilities, your discipline on who takes the dive, the quarterback, the pitch,” he said. “Our defense will have a good plan but discipline is going to be the key thing. Guys are going to have to do exactly what they have to do on every play.”

Beamer praises Tech

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose Hokies visit North Carolina this week, called the Tar Heels “the best football team we’ve played.”

What about Georgia Tech?

“I think they’re good. We were fortunate to get a couple of turnovers. That quarterback I think in person is even better than you think watching him on video. I think he’s a player. That’s just a player. He’s got quickness, he’s got good football sense and the defense, the front four, they’re stout.

And I think they’re going to win a lot of football games….They’re just going to keep getting tougher and tougher.”