Yellow Jackets see room for growth after blowout

ATLANTA --- Georgia Tech got plastered on New Year's Eve, leaving Morgan Burnett worried about a hangover.

"It's a bad way to go out," the Jackets sophomore safety said after Louisiana State University crushed No. 14 Georgia Tech 38-3 in Wednesday night's Chick-fil-A Bowl.

"It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You always remember the last loss, so this will be on our minds for a long time."

The bowl loss before Georgia Tech's hometown crowd knocked some of the warm and fuzzy feel off a nine-win season. It also reminded the Yellow Jackets they have more to learn.

Added Burnett: "There are a lot of things we have to work on in the off-season."

Burnett's last comment should make coach Paul Johnson smile. If there's anything positive to gain from a lopsided loss in a bowl game played about two miles from a school's campus, it's the lesson delivered to the players.

There were some concerns voiced before the bowl game that the Yellow Jackets heard too many compliments after their emotional 45-42 win over Georgia to close the regular season. The win ended Georgia's streak of seven consecutive victories in the series, and Georgia Tech players had the score engraved on rings made for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The Yellow Jackets trailed only 7-3 before being outscored 28-0 in the second quarter by LSU. They were overwhelmed by three turnovers, including a lost fumble on a punt return.

Georgia Tech (9-4) fell short of its attempt for the program's first 10-win season since 1998. Johnson said he won't let the ugly loss spoil the accomplishments of his first season in Atlanta.

"I'm proud of them for the season," Johnson said. "I'm not going to let this put a damper on the season.

"Clearly we weren't ready to play, so that comes back to me. Clearly they were bigger and faster than us."

Johnson has reason for optimism. Georgia Tech started 16 freshmen and sophomores on offense and defense against LSU. There were no senior starters on offense.

Johnson's most difficult offseason task will be finding replacements for senior defensive linemen Michael Johnson, Vance Walker and Darryl Richard, who served as game captains against LSU. The only other senior who was listed as a starter, cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels, was held out with an injury.

One of the top returning players on the defense will be Burnett, who had seven interceptions to tie for the national lead in the regular season. The three seniors and sophomore defensive end Derrick Morgan gave Georgia Tech a strong defensive line, but Johnson said the defense faded late in the season.

"We struggled at the end of the year," Johnson said.

Quarterback Josh Nesbitt, top running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Roddy Jones and top receiver Damaryius Thomas are expected to return to an offense that was on a roll before being shut down by LSU.

"We were trying to start a new era in this bowl, the Paul Johnson era, but we'll have 16 of our 22 starters back next year and we'll definitely be using this as motivation in the off-season," Dwyer said.