51-7 no longer an issue.

A

ALlives

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Every time I saw Chan, watched a game, attended a game, or got into a coaching discussion, there was one fact always in the back of my mind. "51-7"! Even when we were winning, beating AUB, MIA, or VA TECH, I could not let go of "51-7". Even after enjoying the greatest of weekends in South Bend, I could not forget "51-7"

"That team laid down" was one of the many negative quotes about that 2002 game in muttville, and ex TECH players and coaches were the owners of those quotes. Our boys had just suffered the worst embarrassment in the history of the program on national television to our hated rivals. It was obvious to just about everyone who watched, that the team quit, gave up, laid down! Chan's reaction? He had none.

It spoke volumes about things to come. It convinced me we had taken a step back. The lingering question was..."How far back"?

I compared the teams reaction to a similar drubbing one Thanksgiving weekend on "The Flats" under the direction of George O'Leary when we were receiving a similar drubbing at the hands of the mutts. We reacted a little differently toward the end of that game, the way I expected a well-coached team to react under the stress of an embarrassment.

I can now jettison that thought from my mind. I can now look toward a future with hope, with light at the end of the tunnel.

My faith has been restored.
 
Are you sure it is not an issue? I mean PJ has not coached a game in the ACC yet. We don't know if his system works in the AC/SEC level...
 
techlb-- Good point. But, the way I see it, The originator of that issue is gone. I BEElieve that subconsciously there are hundreds to thousands of TECH fans and potential TECH fans that remember that game as the reason they couldn't support Gailey and thus the program. With him gone it's a new beginning, a reason to BEElieve.
 
ALlives said:
I BEElieve that subconsciously there are hundreds to thousands of TECH fans and potential TECH fans that remember that game as the reason they couldn't support Gailey .....
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You can count me as a consciously aware lifer that lost all faith in Gailey during and after that game. Felt the same way but worse about Braine after receiving "The Letter".
I thought Braine had to fire him after 51-7 (or 6:09 for all the gleeful rednecks).
When he supported him, I felt sure Braine would be fired by Clough. Then I found out about Clough.

Good Gracious and Sakes Alive! We may not deserve this blessing of Dan and Paul, but am thankful for it.
 
Let's not forget that Chan coached up RB to throw the ball (pun?) away if it's not there. Heck if it's 4th down, and you're closing in on the winning score in a rivalry game. Just don't take a loss. Or, was that one purely on RB (math major?).
 
techlb said:
Are you sure it is not an issue? I mean PJ has not coached a game in the ACC yet. We don't know if his system works in the AC/SEC level...
Click to expand...

He's put his teams on the field with ACC, SEC, and other BCS schools. He just hasn't been the head coach of an ACC, SEC or other BCS school . . . till now! :thumbup:
 
If the former hc is credited with the good wins (auburn, auburn, ncsu, um, vt, and even nd-07), then he gets the blame for the bad losses (uga, uga, uga, uga, uga, uga, clemson, duke, unc, nd-06, nut bowl, svbowl, vt, vt, vt, acccg-06, etc, etc, etc). Had he stayed for 10 more years at 7 wins and brand x bowls each year, I would never have forgotten or forgiven the two 51-7 losses, the 5 other uga losses, or his inability to put the best interests of the team above his stubborn and misguided loyalty to certain team members, certain assistant coaches, and a philosophy based on the premise that we can kick a field goal and then hold them on defense as a game wining strategy. My comment when his dismissal was announced was, and continues to be, "Oh Happy Day!"
 
51-7 was due to GOL's players giving up and not playing for Chan. That UGA team would have beat us 9.5 out of 10 times anyway, finishing the season ranked #3. But it was Chan's lack of discipline which let it get so out of hand. PJ shouldn't let that happen no matter the talent we have.
 
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