Weed Eater Fest 2010: The Honeymoon is over

At the beginning of the 2010 season, Coach Paul Johnson said this year's team had a chance to be his best yet, but he then qualified that statement with the same trademark cliché he had trotted out prior to the 2009 season:

"We might be a better team, but not win as many games."

Well the 2010 edition of the Yellow Jackets didn't win as many games, and it was most definitely not a better team.

It is what is was

As Johnson noted in the postgame, Monday's Weedwhacker Bowl was in many ways a "microcosm" of the season: A litany of poor blocking, errant and dropped passes, key turnovers, special teams blunders, and overall unfocused and unmotivated play.

More than once during the ESPN broadcast was the striking superiority of the Georgia Tech athletes mentioned by the announcers. Despite this, Johnson was handed his jock by a better-coached and more disciplined team composed of only a minute percentage of players who even received offers from other FBS schools.

The irony is that Johnson dispatched Air Force frequently throughout his tenure at the Naval Academy. Perhaps his coaching style then is best suited to playing the underdog role with inferior players, as there is clearly something amiss in his ability to develop and motivate bigger, faster, and stronger athletes with larger egos and greater aspirations than winning the Commander-In-Chief's trophy and serving in the military for five years.

In Johnson's first two seasons, his teams merely out-talented a down ACC, his 2008 and 2009 squads anchored by premier, Gailey-recruited NFL prospects. Motivation still emerged as a problem on occasion, but was explained away by "believers" as being the "residue" of Chan... games such as Gardner-Webb and UVA in 2008 and Wake and Vandy in 2009, however, warned us of what might come if Johnson were to one day lack a roster with such exceptional playmakers. That day is now upon us.

Weedeater woes

Georgia Tech seemed to be sleepwalking from the beginning Monday evening. After an innocuous exchange of opening possessions, Tech's punt defense resembled a kicked anthill as Reggie Rembert, who had previously gained 8 return yards total this season, glided for a cool 43, setting up an early Zack Bell field goal.

Tech would then briefly awaken with its most impressive sequence of the game, a 12-play, 69 yard touchdown drive, all on the ground, capped by a 5 yard Anthony Allen run, giving the Jackets the lead at 7-3 going into the 2nd quarter. It would be Tech's only score of the game, and one of only three sustained drives for the Jackets on the night.

Meanwhile Air Force moved the ball decently in the first half, but suffered from key miscues by junior WR Jonathan Warzeka, who dropped two wide open passes, one a deep pass behind the defense, and the other to convert a 3rd down. Warzeka then tripped over his own feet on a 4th down rush attempt deep in Tech territory. Air Force actually failed to convert fourth down attempts on three consecutive 2nd quarter drives. The first failed conversion, occurring at the Air Force 36 yard line, was promptly answered with a four-and-out by the moribund Jackets offense.

Both offenses stagnated until under a minute remained in the first half. It was at that point that Air Force executed a masterful two minute drill replete with the kind of accurate passing that surely made Tech fans salivate. Quarterback Tim Jefferson completed 4 of 6 passes for 50 yards on the drive, with one of the incompletions drawing a pass interference call netting the Falcons an additional 7 yards. After a couple of good shots into the end zone, Air Force settled for the field goal, and went into the break trailing 7-6.

Tech opened the 2nd half with what would have been one of its more impressive drives of the year, 18 plays and 75 yards, eating up over half the 3rd quarter. The only problem... ANOTHER red zone turnover, this time Tevin Washington fumbling on a simple QB sneak at the Air Force 7. This was likely the most significant play of the game, though hardly a coincidence considering Tech led the nation this season in fumbles lost and was among the bottom in red zone efficiency.

Mckayhan

Despite an inspired stand by the defense, momentum continued to shift toward the cadets, as little-used Daniel McKayhan, subbing for the injured Jerrard Tarrant, muffed a punt which would have given Tech outstanding field position, but which instead returned possession to Air Force. The Falcons would go three-and-out, but were able to punt once again and pin Tech inside its own 15.

Following another exchange of three-and-outs, McKayhan returned to the field to muff a SECOND punt inside the Tech 10 as the third quarter drew to a close. Air Force swiftly cashed in with a touchdown early in the final period, converting the two-point conversion, and closing out the game's scoring at 14-7.

Following another three-and-out by the Jackets, Air Force would administer Paul Johnson an epic dose of his own medicine, driving 71 yards on 17 plays, incinerating over 9 minutes of fourth quarter clock. The fact that Zack Bell missed a 37 yard field goal at the conclusion was merely academic.

Tech regained possession at the 1:48 mark with no timeouts or hope. However Air Force oddly played a passive cover-2, rushing only three linemen, and allowing the indecisive Tevin Washington abundant time to make plays with his feet and to begin finding receivers. As a result it was actually one of Tech's better two-minute drives since Johnson arrived, as Washington and his receivers did an excellent job of getting out of bounds and beyond the first down sticks to preserve time. However it ended just as so many last minute Tech rallies have under Johnson-- in a desperate last-second lob to the other team, and another loss tallied for the Yellow Jackets.

In all, the game resembled more of a pitcher's duel than the explosion of rushing yardage some had predicted-- the "duel" more the result of bad hitting than of any expertise on the mound. Tech managed only three sustained drives all game, and Air Force only four. Both teams hovered around the 300 mark in total yardage. The difference was most certainly the 10 points handed to Air Force by Tech's characteristically-poor special teams play. Same old story, same old sorry coaching, and mercifully the worst Georgia Tech season in recent memory has drawn to a close.

What now?

It is obviously a pipe dream at this point to outright fire Johnson, as Dan Radakovich was quick to "Hewitt" him a seven-year deal following the 2008 victory versus Georgia. So as Tech fans we must focus on how to make chicken casserole out of chicken you-know-what. Coming soon we will evaluate what we feel needs to be done for Georgia Tech to flourish once again regardless of the stodgy, arrogant ogre to which it finds itself chained in the capacity of its head football coach.

Note: For further I-Bowl commentary from yesterday, click here.