The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3. Bulldogs win in overtime
Georgia defeated No. 21 Saint Mary’s 83-81 in overtime to take third place in the Wooden Legacy tournament in California. Reserve guard Tyree Crump scored five of his team-high 17 points in overtime for the Bulldogs (5-1).
Could Roof be next to fall at Ga. Tech?
As Paul Johnson left the field at halftime Saturday, with a last-minute Georgia field goal drive still fresh in his mind, he stopped for a radio interview with the school’s broadcast partner.
“I tried to run the clock all the way down. I guess 40 seconds was too long,” he told Wiley Ballard of the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network.
Take that as a subtle shot at defensive coordinator Ted Roof. Or maybe not so subtle.
It’s easy to understand Johnson’s frustration. Even if one field goal obviously was not the difference in a 38-7 loss to Georgia on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Jackets had scored a touchdown with 48 seconds remaining in the half to cut Georgia’s lead to 14-7 and Johnson had had his offense bleed as much time off the clock as possible.
But the Bulldogs’ offense got the ball back with 42 seconds remaining after a kickoff return to the Georgia 30 and drove 50 yards in only four plays, including a 23-yard pass from Jake Fromm to Javon Wims. Fromm then spiked the ball to stop the clock to set up a 37-yard field goal.
Georgia scored three touchdowns in the second half — and that might have ended Roof ’s tenure at Tech. He is in his fifth season under Johnson and the Jackets did not make progress, despite a starting defense with six seniors and five juniors.
The level of talent on Tech’s defensive side of the ball can always be questioned. But there’s no excuse for poor tackling and a consistently anemic pass rush.
Better defense might have enabled Tech to win its season opener against Tennessee (lost 42-41 in double overtime) and beat Miami and Virginia.
Roof has lasted longer than his two predecessors as Johnson’s defensive coordinator: Dave Wommack made it through two seasons and Al Groh 2½. (Charles Kelly, interim replacement for Groh, finished the 2012 season after Groh’s firing and could have stayed but left for FSU after that season.)
Johnson was evasive in the postgame when asked about Roof. Via AJC Georgia Tech beat writer Ken Sugiura: “I think Ted Roof ’s coached a long time. He’s a good football coach. He’s coached at places that have won a lot of games. Just like everything else, we’ll look at it all and evaluate it. We didn’t exactly set the woods on fire on offense in the second half.”
Just their own team. — JEFF SCHULTZ
Key Auburn injury starts conversation
Kirby Smart won’t have to answer any questions about facing Nick Saban. Georgia’s coach will, however, have to answer questions about facing a team that just beat his Bulldogs 40-17.
Some, perhaps most, Georgia fans will regard Alabama’s Iron Bowl loss as a break. I’m on record as saying, “Not so fast, my friends.” Auburn was clearly playing better than Alabama over the regular season’s final month. Auburn might be playing better than any team in the land. Saturday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be no day at the beach.
It won’t, however, be as rough as the setting on Nov. 11 in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The intractably roofed stadium will be climate-controlled and split, fan-wise, down the middle. Georgia will have the advantage of having just seen Auburn’s A-game. Georgia might also get Auburn without Kerryon Johnson. (And Kamryn Pettway was already hurt.)
I’m not surprised that the Tigers won. I’m more than a bit surprised that Alabama played so badly. You don’t expect that of any good team, and Alabama has, over the past decade, been the absolute best. But Bama spit the bit Saturday in a way it never does, rendering moot something I’d had semi-planned for next week had today’s result been different: “Why Georgia will beat Bama.”
That’s gone now. So is the teacher-pupil angle. The Kerryon Johnson angle, however, just assumed immense proportions. Georgia is one step from the College Football Playoff, and the team it’s about to face saw its best player get hurt Saturday.