ATHENS, Ga. --- The extraordinary scenes played out simultaneously on opposite sidelines at Sanford Stadium -- and epitomized a tale of two seasons.
Georgia's players dropped to a knee and gathered in a semicircle around coach Mark Richt, who appeared to give everyone quite a tongue-lashing. Across the way, Georgia Tech's players crammed against each other for an impromptu celebration, hopping up and down in joyous unison.
"We just wanted to show that we came to play," Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt said.
Those contrasting displays, midway through the third quarter of Saturday's game, offered a revealing look at how the season went for both teams.
The Bulldogs came up far short of expectations. The 15th-ranked Yellow Jackets performed better than anyone could have imagined.
Georgia Tech (9-3) ended a seven-year losing streak to its state rival with a 45-42 victory that set off a raucous celebration between the hedges. The Yellow Jackets will await a bowl invitation, but the debut season of coach Paul Johnson is already an unqualified success.
"Once everything gets in, Georgia Tech is going to be a team to contend for championships," defensive tackle Darryl Richard said.
No. 17 Georgia (9-3) was supposed to be a championship contender. The Bulldogs started the season ranked No. 1 in the country, but crushing losses to Alabama and Florida ended those hopes. Now, they aren't even the best team in their own state.
"It's not a season where we reached the goals we set for ourselves," coach Mark Richt said. "A victory could have put a little salve on the wound, but it didn't happen."
The third loss of the season was much like the first two. Georgia's defense simply couldn't stop the Yellow Jackets' triple-option in the second half, a nagging reminder of its performances against Alabama (the Tide led 31-0 at halftime) and Florida (the Gators romped to a 49-10 victory).
Trailing 26-12 at the start of the third quarter, Georgia Tech scored on its first play from scrimmage when Jonathan Dwyer broke off a 60-yard touchdown run, followed by a two-point conversion. After the Bulldogs went three-and-out, the Yellow Jackets ripped off a 10-play, 56-yard drive capped by Roddy Jones' 8-yard TD scamper and two-point conversion that tied the game at 28. Finally, after Richard Samuel fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Georgia Tech scored on its very next play, Dwyer's 23-yard run.
That's when Richt gathered his players around him on the sideline, hoping to turn the momentum. But it was the Yellow Jackets who stepped on the gas and never let up.
In all, Georgia surrendered 409 yards on the ground -- its worst showing since 1994. Jones ran for 214 yards, averaging a school-record 16.5 every time he touched the ball. Dwyer added 144 yards on 20 carries. Georgia Tech rallied from a big deficit despite completing just one pass the entire game.
It wasn't a total victory for the Yellow Jackets. Virginia Tech beat Virginia 17-14 to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.
The Yellow Jackets still had plenty of reason to celebrate, and that's just what they did in front of a small contingent of gold-clad fans. They danced. They sang the "Ramblin' Wreck" fight song. They broke off branches of the famous Sanford Stadium hedge to keep as souvenirs.
Who knows where Georgia Tech will end up next? There are all sorts of bowl options, though the most likely ones would seem to be the Chick-fil-A in hometown Atlanta, the Gator in Jacksonville, Fla., or the Champs Sports in Orlando, Fla.
Georgia will probably accept a spot in the more attractive Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., then await word on whether its two best offensive players, quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno, will return for another season or enter the NFL Draft.
No matter what they decide, the Bulldogs hope to learn from a season that will be remembered for what they didn't do.
Comments
I love my DAWGS! But...what they didn't do is play good defense. There's a reason for that. Willie Martinez. Sure, we may get another 10 win season. Something most teams would envy. But...if we ever want to join the Gators & Bama as the elite in the SEC...somebody has got to teach our kids how to play great defense. It will never be Willie. GO DAWGS!!!
Now thats a good dawg fan.....with a reality check....a .670 avg team, one that is good for sure, but never great. Ok, Hershell was great.
ps, why yall the blame the coach for some sloppy tackling...coach had them in the right place; heck they had two weeks to practice...its the thug players who messed up.
Underestimating a fine offense has cost several Ga Tech opponents. I'm not sure Georgia didn't start believing their press clippings. Two good teams played a fine game and one team lost. The national championship wasn't affected by this game. Go 'Cocks.
Beware the ACC. Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt all lost Saturday.
Guess we'll hear - "Had to let you have one every once and a while". Gee thanks. Preseason #1, pride of the BIG BAD SEC, playing at home, touching Dooley statue and Munson parade. Boo hoo. You got whipped. Can't figure out where in the world all the car flags disappeared....... Typical.
Classy post getsome. Where did you go to school?
As the saying goes...even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile. I'll take 7-1 any time!!! Dawgs still rule!
I love my DAWGS! I hope some of my fellow DAWG fans don't think this was a fluke. Paul Johnson appears to be a great coach and his system works really well. He doesn't have to have the elite skill players either. This Tech program will test lots of great teams for years to come. Weak, undisciplined defenses will lose every time. GO DAWGS!!!
Georgia will never be great until Mark Ritch is gone. He makes too many bonehead decisions during the game.
GO JACKETS!!! The bulldog fans are quiet this morning in my office. Kinda nice.
Mark Richt is not the problem, its his coaching staff. If Willie Martinez is not fired after this season, you can expect less than a 10 win season next year.
Upsets happen every weekend. UGA isn't the first team to get beat by a lesser opponent. Ole Miss beat UF a few weeks ago. Anyone want to bet on Ole Miss in a rematch. UGA took a big lead and relaxed, got a few bad calls by the ACC refs, and lost momentum. It happens every weekend. I would not go firing every coach in sight based on this game.
Awesome job Tech! It was a long time coming...But well worth the wait! What a fantastic game!
Tech was 2-0 vs the SEC and 3-0 against Bulldogs this year... Funny tackling and the weather weren't problems in the 1st half!!! GO JACKETS!!!!
plain and simple -- the overated bulldogs suck as usual! what a shock!
What a stupid comment dale. But, what would anyone suspect. I suspect you are not even a tech fan.
I think the records and rankings prove that georgia didn't lose to a "lesser opponent." GT was the better team this year after all was said and done. They proved it on the field.
Hey, you are intitled to your opinion jc. I certainly don't think a 3 pt victory makes the argument without merit.
The only thing better than seeing the Yellow Jackets win is seeing the Bulldogs lose!
What a winning team! It's nice to see that a school can win at sports and graduate their student athletes too. Tech students have the desire to win both on and off the field - and that makes the difference. Go Tech!!
Ereek, I have always felt sorry for people who took pleasure in seeing other people lose. Kinda sad. I feel for you. I hope that sometime, in the future, you life becomes more fulfilled that you don't have to relish in other people's misfortune. Good luck.
gatechparent. I bet this makes you rethink your comment. I guess both schools have some work to do. Arizona, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma were the only BCS schools to graduate fewer than 50 percent of football players, but only Arizona fell below 45 percent.
Go Georgia Tech, the bulldogs are worthless
Yea, like you went to College.
Ereeka, I'm with ya!!! My 2 favorite teams....GT and anybody that beats those Dawgs!!
Some people just dont know football because these were two good teams but GT didnt play mediocre the second half. I believe there were mistakes on both sides of the ball. GT prevailed because they capitalized on Georgia's mistakes. Besides Paul Johnson players believed in their offense and Georgia did not play good defense second half. And no, I am not a Georgia or GT fan. I just believe in underdogs no matter who the team.
I think it is just as important to win with class as it is to lose with class. In my remembrance of Tech wins over Georgia, there have been way too few since I became a Tech fan. I disagree with you palomino9. If they played again this Saturday, the outcome might very well be different. Georgia has by far, greater depth. Georgia always is a very good come from behind team in the fourth quarter. So we held our breath and Tech held on, thankfully, this time.
Congratulations to Georgia Tech from the Gator Nation......We pulled for you! We look forward to you playing in one of the Florida Bowls. However, please leave the "Dogs" at home.
psl821, are you the biggest idiot on the planet? UF is most probably playing OKLA in the Nat'l Champ game and you want to play Ga Tech? Wow!!
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
