BarrelORum
Mediocre Poster
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2002
- Messages
- 16,266
Wow!!! I really don't know what else to say. The game yesterday may have been one of the biggest gut checks I've ever witnessed by a Yellow Jacket team.
First let me tell you all that many of the fans at the game, including me didn't seem all that worried that Maryland had a 6 point lead 20-14 at the half.
The first half and then some seemed like an aberation. The 100 yard return, Calvin's fumble that led to a TD. The horrible 3rd and 1 play call and the 4th and 1 fake field goal call... all led to a score that just didn't seem indicative of the game.
We moved the ball at will on the first TD drive. When Maryland lined up against Calvin in single coverage many of us expected a huge day from him. Maryland did do a great job of letting him have his 10-12 yard catches as long as he didn't break one for a big gain.
The team didn't play bad, it just seemed to have huge mental lapses on certain plays and it cost us. We did everything in our power to give a win to Maryland. Maryland is also a much better team than anyone expected. We got Maryland's A-game and it was evident.
My seats are directly behind the Maryland bench and I can tell you their players were some of the most animated on the sidelines I have seen. They were focused and determined. Hollenbach is a big QB. I remember him being this skinny kid we abused two years ago, but he is a big prototypical type QB and he was constantly talking too his bench and getting them in the game. Lance Ball is a nasty RB too.
Like everyone has already said, this is a game that your ordinary team would lose. A great team finds a way to win. We did that. The entire stadium felt we had this game in the bag as soon as UM fumbled the ball which set up the go ahead TD. Everyone was high fiving and talking good things int he stands about what would become of this season when all of the sudden Maryland's receiver took the pass down to the 7 yard line. I didn't have a good angle on the play but it seemed we had a couple of terribly missed tackles and at first I thought they scored, but was at least somewhat relieved to find out they were only on the 7.
At that point the whole stadium went dead silent and were in complete disbelief. NOT AGAIN!!! NO WAY!!! It was agonizing. The crowd came to the rescue. BDS was Rocking loud!!! You could sense it was the Tech faithful's dty to WILL this team to victory. On 3rd and goal you could see MJ bust off the line and was chasing Hollenbach, you knew we were down to one play when he started dragging him down. A sigh of relief. One more play, against our stout Defense from the 15 for all the marbles. MJ, again. You DA MAN!!!
I haven't celebrated like that at BDS in a long long time. This team despite not playing its best against a Maryland team that was bound and determined to win, having made costly mistake after mistake, dug down deep and in the midst of a serious gut check... came through.
One of the best wins I've seen from a GT team. Kudos go to Calvin who made big catch after big catch on 2nd and long, 3rd a long to keep the chains moving. Offensive Game ball goes to Tashard Choice who showed today why Bob Stoops traveled all the way to the state of Georgia to recruit a 3 star runningback that was overlooked by the Big state school and passed on by GT after we locked down another runningback. Choice is a great back. A truly GREAT BACK who made run after run today.
Michael Johnson... He's a baller. I've been wondering why this kid isn't starting and I think he answered all of that yesterday. MJ can flat out play and for those who were not paying attention, he was having a monster game despite the blown special teams coverage before the last two downs. He's constantly in the play on special teams, he tackles well, gets could push on the line, and really can embarress an OT on pass blocking.
I took a family friend to the game with me who is a huge Michigan fan, and he was asking me a lot about MJ. "Whose that guy?" "He's freakish tall!" "That guy is a beast". "They play him on special teams too!" "He's only a sophmore??!!!" My section and I had some interesting conversations about MJ lining up as a TE and doing some double duty. With a tall athletic guy like that, you would think he would keep a defense honest and Calvin would see more single coverage. Everyone said despite his awesome ability on defense, that they would ALSO (not instead) like to see him on Offense. I agree. I cannot imagine having a secondary cover a team with a 6-5 Calvin and a 6-7 MJ. Can you?
The bad: Special Teams were awful again. We must must must must correct this and fast. I was disheartened to see that Lance Ball averaged 5 yards a carry against our defense. I knew he was a solid back, but that has to be the best individual performance by a running back against Tenuta's defense. We are going to be going up against the best running back in the league vs. Clemson and I hope the defense proves that this game was an aberation.
CB play. Kenny Scott and Jahi didn't have their best game despite Kenny's INT. In Kenny's defense, the long pass play on 3rd and ten, he was in perfect position and you have to give credit to Hollenbach and the receiver for making the perfect throw and catch. Somethings you cannot defend and that play was one of them. Ok, now for the serious criticism. Our CB's sometimes play so aggressive they put themselves in horrible shape to make the play after a catch. And you cannot have a guy run a ball almost for a TD in the waning minutes from a catch in the flats. Poor tackling. That said, I still think we have a great secondary.
My criticism of the stupid penalties made by one particular OLineman remains. When the flag is thrown for holding, its gotten comical that you can guess who it is when he's the first player walking back down the field with his head down.
I thought the game plan was excellent. Nix called a great game. However, the decision to pass on 3rd and one continues to piss me off. It concerns me we dont have the confidence to line it up and run the ball between the tackles for the 1st down. It also bothers me we even brought the field goal team on the field on 4th and 1 when its clear WE NEED A TD. This might have been the dumbest one=two play call I've seen in a long time. We had the ability to correct our prior brain fart on the 4th down play and we just shut down mentally by bringing on the field goal unit. This cannot happen in a big time game. It almost cost us the game.
I am very happy about where we stand overall going into the Clemson game. But this game will make a big statement as to if we end up in Jax or not. The score yesterday had all things gone right should and could have been 40-9 GT. Which is why I think the fans got complacent almost waiting for GT to win this game.
Bottom line, we got it done and these kids reached down deep. So did the fans for that matter. There are no questions or concerns on offense. We have a real contender, but they can't fall asleep during the game, because everyone is beatable including us.
It was one of the best games I've been to at BDS. Ranks up there with the 2003 Auburn, 1998 UVA, 1999 UGA, 1992 NCST, 1995 Maryland, etc. etc. Just a great great day. Its great to be a Yellow Jacket.
First let me tell you all that many of the fans at the game, including me didn't seem all that worried that Maryland had a 6 point lead 20-14 at the half.
The first half and then some seemed like an aberation. The 100 yard return, Calvin's fumble that led to a TD. The horrible 3rd and 1 play call and the 4th and 1 fake field goal call... all led to a score that just didn't seem indicative of the game.
We moved the ball at will on the first TD drive. When Maryland lined up against Calvin in single coverage many of us expected a huge day from him. Maryland did do a great job of letting him have his 10-12 yard catches as long as he didn't break one for a big gain.
The team didn't play bad, it just seemed to have huge mental lapses on certain plays and it cost us. We did everything in our power to give a win to Maryland. Maryland is also a much better team than anyone expected. We got Maryland's A-game and it was evident.
My seats are directly behind the Maryland bench and I can tell you their players were some of the most animated on the sidelines I have seen. They were focused and determined. Hollenbach is a big QB. I remember him being this skinny kid we abused two years ago, but he is a big prototypical type QB and he was constantly talking too his bench and getting them in the game. Lance Ball is a nasty RB too.
Like everyone has already said, this is a game that your ordinary team would lose. A great team finds a way to win. We did that. The entire stadium felt we had this game in the bag as soon as UM fumbled the ball which set up the go ahead TD. Everyone was high fiving and talking good things int he stands about what would become of this season when all of the sudden Maryland's receiver took the pass down to the 7 yard line. I didn't have a good angle on the play but it seemed we had a couple of terribly missed tackles and at first I thought they scored, but was at least somewhat relieved to find out they were only on the 7.
At that point the whole stadium went dead silent and were in complete disbelief. NOT AGAIN!!! NO WAY!!! It was agonizing. The crowd came to the rescue. BDS was Rocking loud!!! You could sense it was the Tech faithful's dty to WILL this team to victory. On 3rd and goal you could see MJ bust off the line and was chasing Hollenbach, you knew we were down to one play when he started dragging him down. A sigh of relief. One more play, against our stout Defense from the 15 for all the marbles. MJ, again. You DA MAN!!!
I haven't celebrated like that at BDS in a long long time. This team despite not playing its best against a Maryland team that was bound and determined to win, having made costly mistake after mistake, dug down deep and in the midst of a serious gut check... came through.
One of the best wins I've seen from a GT team. Kudos go to Calvin who made big catch after big catch on 2nd and long, 3rd a long to keep the chains moving. Offensive Game ball goes to Tashard Choice who showed today why Bob Stoops traveled all the way to the state of Georgia to recruit a 3 star runningback that was overlooked by the Big state school and passed on by GT after we locked down another runningback. Choice is a great back. A truly GREAT BACK who made run after run today.
Michael Johnson... He's a baller. I've been wondering why this kid isn't starting and I think he answered all of that yesterday. MJ can flat out play and for those who were not paying attention, he was having a monster game despite the blown special teams coverage before the last two downs. He's constantly in the play on special teams, he tackles well, gets could push on the line, and really can embarress an OT on pass blocking.
I took a family friend to the game with me who is a huge Michigan fan, and he was asking me a lot about MJ. "Whose that guy?" "He's freakish tall!" "That guy is a beast". "They play him on special teams too!" "He's only a sophmore??!!!" My section and I had some interesting conversations about MJ lining up as a TE and doing some double duty. With a tall athletic guy like that, you would think he would keep a defense honest and Calvin would see more single coverage. Everyone said despite his awesome ability on defense, that they would ALSO (not instead) like to see him on Offense. I agree. I cannot imagine having a secondary cover a team with a 6-5 Calvin and a 6-7 MJ. Can you?
The bad: Special Teams were awful again. We must must must must correct this and fast. I was disheartened to see that Lance Ball averaged 5 yards a carry against our defense. I knew he was a solid back, but that has to be the best individual performance by a running back against Tenuta's defense. We are going to be going up against the best running back in the league vs. Clemson and I hope the defense proves that this game was an aberation.
CB play. Kenny Scott and Jahi didn't have their best game despite Kenny's INT. In Kenny's defense, the long pass play on 3rd and ten, he was in perfect position and you have to give credit to Hollenbach and the receiver for making the perfect throw and catch. Somethings you cannot defend and that play was one of them. Ok, now for the serious criticism. Our CB's sometimes play so aggressive they put themselves in horrible shape to make the play after a catch. And you cannot have a guy run a ball almost for a TD in the waning minutes from a catch in the flats. Poor tackling. That said, I still think we have a great secondary.
My criticism of the stupid penalties made by one particular OLineman remains. When the flag is thrown for holding, its gotten comical that you can guess who it is when he's the first player walking back down the field with his head down.
I thought the game plan was excellent. Nix called a great game. However, the decision to pass on 3rd and one continues to piss me off. It concerns me we dont have the confidence to line it up and run the ball between the tackles for the 1st down. It also bothers me we even brought the field goal team on the field on 4th and 1 when its clear WE NEED A TD. This might have been the dumbest one=two play call I've seen in a long time. We had the ability to correct our prior brain fart on the 4th down play and we just shut down mentally by bringing on the field goal unit. This cannot happen in a big time game. It almost cost us the game.
I am very happy about where we stand overall going into the Clemson game. But this game will make a big statement as to if we end up in Jax or not. The score yesterday had all things gone right should and could have been 40-9 GT. Which is why I think the fans got complacent almost waiting for GT to win this game.
Bottom line, we got it done and these kids reached down deep. So did the fans for that matter. There are no questions or concerns on offense. We have a real contender, but they can't fall asleep during the game, because everyone is beatable including us.
It was one of the best games I've been to at BDS. Ranks up there with the 2003 Auburn, 1998 UVA, 1999 UGA, 1992 NCST, 1995 Maryland, etc. etc. Just a great great day. Its great to be a Yellow Jacket.
