GT vs University of Miami

I thought about making this entry into a referendum on poor officiating but as the game continued, it dawned on me that the referees did their job, the Tech team did not. The team just did not show up, not in the "we were tired" but more like the "we got off on the wrong bus stop" kind of of not show up. At no point in this game did Tech even come close to creating any bit of momentum or forward movement to speak of.

Score a touchdown? Now turn around and let the other team score on the first play from scrimmage. Run a couple of good plays for positive yardage? Follow that up with a nice fumble. Stop them on 1st and 2nd down? Ok, now let them get about 20 yards on 3rd.

It just kept adding up until it was over.

Less Videos, Better Play

I do want to say that I liked the videos, specially the one about the Georgia Tech weight room. It was inspirational but with a great punchline. It was really well done. Maybe Daron can find it online, I can't seem to.

What I did find disjointed was the number of videos. It seemed that nearly every football player had a video going at one point or the other. Whether it was the desperate call for us to chant "Defense!" or just ones to play while waiting through a timeout, there seemed no end to them. They kept asking us to yell and scream and support our team. Listen Tech players, I will always support my team. I will always cheer for them whether they be 1-11 or 11-1. I will wear my Tech gear with pride. I will get others to join the cause.

However, if you want me to roar during the games, then you better give me something to roar about! Give me a defense that knocks people down and challenges them to get up and try again. Give me an offense that runs the other team over. Show me the heart and and the determination that I know you guys have. So what did I see against Miami? No fire, falling down from ankle swipes, slumped shoulders, defense being pushed around. More of that and you will have to turn up the volume on the video board to resemble crowd noise.

Defense is Painful to Watch

I think the defense has made gains this year. Young players in a new system takes time and there will be issues. No one expects there to be miracles performed. We saw, on this particular day, the inconsistency that is beginning to define this team. Many of us hoped that the effort at Virginia Tech would give this defense more confidence to go out and put on a show. That did not happen. What made this even more apparent is that during the special ceremony celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the National Championship. They played a great video showing their accomplishments. In that video, we saw a dominant defense playing with aggression and intensity. Compare that with the Miami effort and it was evident that there is a significant drop off.

I don't want to come across as negative but I see a defense that is always playing backwards. The defensive line is being pushed back, the linebackers play side to side never forward and the secondary leads the team in tackles. I honestly believe that this team has the talent and ability to be a tremendous defense but I don't think we will see it this year.

The two good things that did come out of that day were UGA losing and Low Country Boil. I will let Daron talk about that one.