On fourth down, Johnson will likely go for it

Call it fourth-and-4. Football is at Boston College’s 35-yard-line. The game is tied with 8:37 left in the third quarter.

Paul Johnson has a decision to make, believe it or not.

Does the Georgia Tech head coach go by the book and send out the punter? Or, does he play, “I gotta be me?”

If this hypothetical situation presents itself Saturday in the Yellow Jackets’ ACC opener, don’t be shocked if the book goes flying.

On fourth downs last season, when Johnson was coaching Navy, he went for it more than all but four Division I teams. The Midshipmen tried 29 do-or-dies.

From afar, it appeared to be a merger of Johnson’s personality (gambler?) and predicament (his defense ranked 12th-worst nationally, giving up more than 36 points per game).

So sure, he’s confident. But he also had a good idea Navy was going to need to score a lot because the Middies were going to give up a lot.

“Part of it is doing what it takes to win games, the type of team you have, the type offense you run,” he said. “With our offense, which is a hard-nosed running offense, we felt like we could get a yard and a half. If I feel like they’re doing something on defense that gives us the opportunity to make it, why punt and give you the ball back?”

Tech went for it on fourth down three times in Thursday night’s 41-14 season-opening win over Jacksonville State. The Jackets made the first, failed on the second, and flunked the third when reserve lineman Zach Krish jumped offsides and moved Tech back. That led to a field goal try, which Scott Blair missed.

And then Johnson barked at Krish when he came off the field.

Asked after the game his logic in going for it on fourth down three times, Johnson said: “Because I thought we could make it.”

There, you have a mindset minus pretense.

Tech made 7-of-17 fourth-down tries last season.

Only Notre Dame (35), Texas Tech (31), Idaho (30) and New Mexico State (30) tried more than Navy.

Navy’s 19 conversions tied two teams with mitigating circumstances for the national lead. Texas Tech (19 of 31) was pass-happy and Notre Dame (19 of 35) was usually behind.

Neither template explains Johnson.

Even when he coached Georgia Southern to two Division I-AA national titles and the Eagles were blowing out opponents, he went for broke frequently. And not always with a pass play.

“The triple option plays … we had so much confidence we felt like no defense could stop that play even on fourth-and-5,” said Mike Williams, who played offensive line for GSU from 1995-99.

Johnson, confident?

“My personality will dictate that if I’ve got fourth-and-six inches, and you’re not covering the center, why do I want to punt?” he said. “I’m not going to punt it just because the book says punt it on fourth down from your own 35.

“It depends on the situation, personnel, how it’s going. If you’re having a hard time stopping the hard dive, you’re going to have to show me you can stop it before I’m going to punt.”