Georgia Tech Post Game Plus/Minus

[Consigliere]

...2. Defense adjusted well and made big plays when it mattered. That pick six was pretty cool (when was the last one of those?) and that McCord hit was excellent. DP was making a bunch of plays too.

Perryman against BC last year. Last time a DB did was Armstrong against FAMU in 2010. Last time a corner did it...I could be wrong but I think it was Rolle against Louisiana Tech in 2003.

Good call on DP. I think Sharpton had one as well.

 

[Notsince1985]

...2. Defense adjusted well and made big plays when it mattered. That pick six was pretty cool (when was the last one of those?) and that McCord hit was excellent. DP was making a bunch of plays too.

Perryman against BC last year. Last time a DB did was Armstrong against FAMU in 2010. Last time a corner did it...I could be wrong but I think it was Rolle against Louisiana Tech in 2003.

Good call on DP. I think Sharpton had one as well.

He did against Duke in '09 and Cain had one against Bethune in '11.

 

[CaneCounty]

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Down by 10 points, the largest deficit faced by Miami in nearly a full year, there was no panic coming from anyone on the Hurricanes' sideline.

And once they erased that deficit, everything started going their way.

Stephen Morris threw three touchdown passes, Duke Johnson finished with 325 all-purpose yards and the 14th-ranked Hurricanes shook off a problematic opening quarter to beat Georgia Tech 45-30 on Saturday, extending their best start in nine years.

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"You really don't have any leadership until you have a bead of sweat and the crap hits the fan," Miami coach Al Golden said, borrowing a phrase from something his team was told over the summer. "And that's what happened. I think we learned a lot about our team. We had great leadership through that, we had great poise, but it did look bleak."

Not for long, it didn't. The Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) outscored Georgia Tech 38-6 over a 37-minute stretch, more than enough to erase an early 17-7 deficit -- even while turning the ball over four times for the second straight week.

Morris shook off the lingering effects of a bone bruise in his right ankle to complete 17 of 22 passes for 324 yards, Dallas Crawford ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the win, and the Hurricanes averaged 10.4 yards per snap against a defense that was giving up 4.7 per play coming into Saturday.

"I'm proud to say that we're on the right track," Morris said. "But we've still got a lot of things to do."

Phillip Dorsett, Clive Walford and Allen Hurns caught scoring passes for Miami, and Ladarius Gunter added a 30-yard interception return for another touchdown with 1:08 left.

David Sims had two rushing touchdowns for Georgia Tech (3-2, 2-2), which wasted a double-digit lead against Miami for the second straight year -- plus missed a fourth-quarter extra point that would have tied the game. The Yellow Jackets controlled the first quarter, holding the ball for nearly 14 of the 15 minutes, and still lost to Miami for the fifth straight time.

"It's frustrating," Sims said. "The last couple of years we feel we had them on the ropes and we let them off each time."

Georgia Tech came out with a formation that Miami hadn't seen, which the Hurricanes described as a sign of respect. It also was a sign of trouble, since the Hurricanes were scrambling like mad against it early.

That, combined with the fact that each of Miami's first three drives lasted exactly two plays apiece -- the results were touchdown, fumble, interception -- meant the Hurricanes' defense was put to a big-time test early.

"It was like World War III out there," defensive end Anthony Chickillo said.

Because Miami's drives were ending so quickly, there was no time for the defense to make any adjustments on the sidelines. That didn't happen until halftime, when defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio drew up a few fixes.

"It was as hard as can be. ... They fought through it," D'Onofrio said.

Sims' 7-yard run opened the scoring, marking the first time since the Virginia game last season -- 47 calendar weeks ago -- that Miami faced a deficit, one that wound up lasting a mere 32 seconds. Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff to the Miami 27, ran 33 yards on the Hurricanes' first snap, and Morris found Dorsett for a 40-yard score on the very next play.

But with the score 17-7 after Charles Perkins' 31-yard scoring run, Miami was in a two-score hole for the first time since facing Florida State last Oct. 20.

"No one was worried," Johnson said. "We had confidence."

They also got a break, provided by Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee, who fumbled the ball away early in the second quarter. That led to a Miami drive capped by Morris finding Walford for a score, and the Hurricanes were on their way.

"You couldn't have scripted a better start," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We were holding the ball, keeping the ball away from them. Had a couple of turnovers early and felt we had a lot of momentum. Then we turned it back which really hurt us."

Georgia Tech is now 34-4 under Johnson when scoring more than 28 points. Two of those four losses have come in the past two seasons against Miami.

Hurns' 69-yard catch-and-run late in the third Miami on top for good. After Dorsett fumbled a punt away to open the fourth, Georgia Tech answered with Sims' second score of the game, and seemed poised to tie the game at 24-all.

But Trevor Stroebel's snap on the point-after attempt was low, Harrison Butker's kick went left, and Miami was energized -- scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the first time since Oct. 8, 2011.

"We came out fast," Lee said. "But they just finished."

 

[RyanCane26]

++++Renfrow

 

[HurricaneU]

+ Dorsett for great catch for first TD and ++ for an even better sustained block to pave the way for Hurns TD.

 

[MAGIC CITY CANE]

+ OL: those guys were scrambled all over the place and did a great job in the running game and in protecting SteMo.

 

[Sandman211]

I imagine I might get negged by some of you for what I'm about to say but...Is it just me or is our offense very streaky? Every few drives they will be on point, can't miss a beat. Then for the next few drives, they turn the ball over, can't make a catch or hit a receiver, make a decent block to open a hole...etc. For us to break into the top 10 we need to be WAY more consistent.

I do feel we needed this test today and although we didn't look 100%, it did show the team they need to be way more disciplined, but more importantly, they have the talent and ability to come through and pull it together in the end. Just my thoughts.

 

[CaneInHeelCountry]

I imagine I might get negged by some of you for what I'm about to say but...Is it just me or is our offense very streaky? Every few drives they will be on point, can't miss a beat. Then for the next few drives, they turn the ball over, can't make a catch or hit a receiver, make a decent block to open a hole...etc. For us to break into the top 10 we need to be WAY more consistent.

I do feel we needed this test today and although we didn't look 100%, it did show the team they need to be way more disciplined, but more importantly, they have the talent and ability to come through and pull it together in the end. Just my thoughts.

I really don't know what you expect.

We punted the ball one time today. Once. That means that we scored on virtually every possession other than the TOs. That's pretty freaking consistent.

Morris completed 78% of his passes. That's pretty freaking consistent.

Duke balled out...consistently.

The OL consistently blocked well in both passing and rushing situations.

Aside from the TO's, this was by far the best and most consistent performance we've had all year against a decent team. We were able to move the ball with ease, all throughout the game.

 

[CaneMutiny06]

Is it just me or is our offense very streaky?

Outside of the turnovers, not really. We only punted once.

The 'streaky' description was more of an issue last year. We're much better about sustaining drives this season.

 

[Caneandrew]

Was it me or did GT get away with 4-5 false starts, especially on that first drive.

I saw it, drove me nuts.

 

[Ispyin]

The biggest plus for me is the continued destruction of the premature tagging of players with the JAG moniker. Crawford, renfro, wheeler, walford and others who were dismissed coming through. Player development, what a concept. Letting sophomores become juniors and seniors. Having right players with the right position=JAG No more.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Big plus was using Linder at right tackle and running in that direction often and without apology. Fisch would have found excuse to deviate and ***** up a massive edge. I had -5 points and then I pressed the issue at halftime after we failed to cover the -2.5 first half by settling for a field goal on the final drive. That would have been a miracle first half cover but in first halves I'm accustomed to miracle victories. Once it was 31-23 I was nervous we'd allow a touchdown and stop the two point conversion, winning by 2. Fortunately Coley knew enough to keep it on the ground and blow open the game at 38-23.

Big minus is still our defensive tackles. We're kidding ourselves there. Our dominance of Oklahoma in the '80s was largely based on athleticism and disruptive ability at defensive tackle. This Georgia Tech offense is only a fraction of what that Oklahoma team was capable of but since we're pedestrian at defensive tackle too many plays and possessions unfold as scripted.

Offensive play calling the past two games is a major plus. James Coley has relaxed and figured out what he has. We're still a bully offense in that we pick on vulnerable defenses while somebody like Florida would always be more physical than us and stifle much of what we do. But when you're a bully, flaunt it.

Florida State is legit. That's a minus. I have no idea how people obsess over strength of schedule and want to pretend Florida State is a fraud. Their defensive statistics have been phenomenal for 3 seasons now. That's never a fluke. You only get to those levels via terrific personnel and intensity level.

 

[MIA42178]

Did we even punt?

 

[The Franchise]

Was it me or did GT get away with 4-5 false starts, especially on that first drive.

I saw it, drove me nuts.

They also got away with punching McDermott in the head right in front of an official who just ignored it. It wasn't a push or anything like that either. It was a hard right cross thrown with bad intentions.

 

[The Franchise]

Is it just me or is our offense very streaky?

Outside of the turnovers, not really. We only punted once.

The 'streaky' description was more of an issue last year. We're much better about sustaining drives this season.

Not streaky at all. We were very streaky last year. We have consistently dominated this year aside from turnovers, which don't have anything to do with streakiness.

 

[The Franchise]

After watching the game again, Duke needs to get his conditioning on point. Every time he has a nice run he taps his helmet to come out. If he has two good runs in a row it looks like he's ready to fall out dead. Someone who knows him said his diet is terrible, so I hope he is working on that.

 

[Notsince1985]

Did we even punt?

Once I think

and to answer the streaky debate. Last year our offense was streaky. Against FAU it was streaky. Today it wasn't streaky. Streaky is scoring a TD, going 3 and out twice in a row, scoring a TD, scoring a TD, going 3 and out three times in a row, scoring 3 TDs in a row, going 3 and out three times in a row, etc.

Even on the drives that ended in turnovers, the offense was moving the ball and probably would have up with points. The other times GT could not even think about stopping us. That's not streaky.

 

[Sandman211]

Is it just me or is our offense very streaky?

Outside of the turnovers, not really. We only punted once.

The 'streaky' description was more of an issue last year. We're much better about sustaining drives this season.

Not streaky at all. We were very streaky last year. We have consistently dominated this year aside from turnovers, which don't have anything to do with streakiness.

You guys are right (you and the two others above who posted on my comment). I think I was looking mostly at the first qtr where we went 70+ yds on two plays, then turn the ball over on the next two series. After that for the most part they were on all day. I don't expect all the drives to be 2 plays and 7pts. The miscues on the offense that created the TO's I was considering as streaky. Looking great one drive and coming back on the next drive, fumble/int.

Thanks for not crushing me for my post. Haha

 

[Consigliere]

Duke Johnson had 139 rushes for 947 Yards and 10 TDs last year.

He currently has 84 rushes for 572 Yards and 4 TDs. He is on pace for 201 rushes for 1373 Yards and 10 TDs during the 12 game season.

I want 8 straight 100 yards games against ACC play, now he is 1 for 1.

 

[niuvalleycane]

After watching the game again, Duke needs to get his conditioning on point. Every time he has a nice run he taps his helmet to come out. If he has two good runs in a row it looks like he's ready to fall out dead. Someone who knows him said his diet is terrible, so I hope he is working on that.

Salty food and sweets I heard