In honor of Paul Johnson being at the game tomorrow... what's your favorite memory from his time as coach?

[IM79]

Not my absolute favorite, I don't have enough time to pick one from all the above great ones, but here's a fun one: Orwin Smith on Tech's first play from scrimmage against Kansas. 95 yards. Got revenge for the weird loss the year before

 

[stinger78]

Beamer Bawl.

 

[bobongo]

Not my absolute favorite, I don't have enough time to pick one from all the above great ones, but here's a fun one: Orwin Smith on Tech's first play from scrimmage against Kansas. 95 yards. Got revenge for the weird loss the year before

I was there. He was gone before he reached his own 10-yard line.

 

[IM79]

I was there. He was gone before he reached his own 10-yard line.

Their defense parted like the Red Sea and there was nothing but green grass ahead of him.

 

[Techster]

2014 when JT broke a dudes ankles en route to a butt whooping to probably the best Miss St team of all time with guys still playing in the NFL. I swear that team would’ve beat anyone that year

How good was that team? Our Defensive FEI was #63 (my how it looks decent in retrospect), but our offense was so good our OVERALL FEI that year was #11. Offensive FEI was #2 that year.

Give that team a little better defense, and we beat FSU in the ACCCG, and have good chance of being undefeated and headed into the BCS. We lost 3 games by a total of 13 points that year.

 

[stinger78]

How good was that team? Our Defensive FEI was #63 (my how it looks decent in retrospect), but our offense was so good our OVERALL FEI that year was #11. Offensive FEI was #2 that year.

Give that team a little better defense, and we beat FSU in the ACCCG, and have good chance of being undefeated and headed into the BCS. We lost 3 games by a total of 13 points that year.

Yep, it was a great team. Then again, we won three others by a total of 13 points... all off TOs created by our D.
GA Sou: 42-38
VPI: 27-24
UGA: 30-24 (OT)

 

[TromboneJacket]

2016 in Athens. I yelled so loudly on defense that I lost my voice. Then whispered to my RAT “You have to yell loud enough for both of us.” And then a few minutes later I played 3rd Down Chords so loud that I busted my lip. And then had to whisper to my RAT “Now you have to play loud enough for both of us too. I’m depending on you.” And sure enough, the young lad rose to the challenge and made me proud. Great win. I hope we get another one soon so that a new batch of Tech students can enjoy the sheer giddiness of beating the dwags.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Because of the memory of attending with my son, the FSU game in 2008 will be my most special moment. Cooper caused the fumble inside the 5 yard line to save the game.

The win over VPISU at night when they were ranked was also awesome.

Lastly, I can remember the relief when we finally beat the DWAGS in Paul's first year. It was glorious.

I wish we would have supported this man with all of our resources available, and I really think by now, we would have already had another special year or 2. I know everyone doesn't agree with me, but his genius always gave us a chance when our talent did not.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Not my absolute favorite, I don't have enough time to pick one from all the above great ones, but here's a fun one: Orwin Smith on Tech's first play from scrimmage against Kansas. 95 yards. Got revenge for the weird loss the year before

Which reminds me that one year we had several games where he scored on the first play of the game. Explosive plays like that one as well as hitting an A back with a pass in a seam or hitting one of our faster B backs on a wheel route. Vanderbilt was one of our victims. I vaguely recall an announcer wondering aloud if we were going to score on the first play of every game that year.

It was that kind of stuff that reminded me what a student CPJ was of opposing teams game films.

 

[bigrabbit]

You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.

I always thought we’d move the ball. I also thought a one score lead was never safe unless there was no time left on the clock. We’re ahead by 6, the other team gets the ball back with 55 seconds left and I’m a nervous wreck. Can you imagine the PJ era if we’d gotten a top defense, or even a solid average defense? We’re talking powerhouse.

 

[Techastrophe]

When he hit the high note in Di Quella Pira and held it as easy as a throwback lake trout.

 

[iceeater1969]

Jonathan Dwyer taking it to The House fresh out of the locker room.

My favorite regular game thing about coach is coming out of halftime. Cant go get coke armt half time and risk missing the genius adjustments and the score.
So whats to like? I could count on our defense to bend for about 2 minutes till they are in red zone. Like clock work after we score and i get to concession w no line and get back for the red zone stand.

 

[southernhive]

This has been one of the most enjoyable threads to read in a long time. Thanks for posting these memories.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

When he hit the high note in Di Quella Pira and held it as easy as a throwback lake trout.

Ha! Cue the Diva jokes!

 

[Northeast Stinger]

How about just watching him on the sideline glaring at the line of scrimmage until he notices some small technique, tendency or tell by the defense. He sends in a play that includes a blocking adjustment. Then he runs a play guaranteed to exploit a glaring weakness, but a Tech player misses an assignment, or a running back cuts outside when he was supposed to cut inside, and the play gets a yard or so. So what does he do? He runs the play again with the players now clear about what he’s asking them to do and it picks up 35 yards.

How many times did we see him basically say keep running it until you get it right ?

 

[bigrabbit]

I’ve wondered if players outside the academies would take the holding face mask screaming coaching technique now.
Guess it might still work through self selection at GT. The players who weren’t ok with it wouldn’t come.

I’ve also wondered (and posted this already once) about hard it is to do cohesive game day coaching with these large staffs now. Obviously it can work (Saban) but maybe that’s some of the rookie HC development we’re seeing.

PJ had his finger on everything, obviously so on offense calling every play…simple.

One last thought, I miss going for it on 4th and being pretty sure we’d get it, while opposing fans helplessly watched our 9 minute death march.

 

[SOWEGA Jacket]

I loved watching Days and Laskey just have defenses foaming at the mouth because they weren’t the biggest, shiftiest, or fastest, but all they did was pick up 4 yards a pop. It was funny watching the defense celebrate a stop and then the announcer would say “it’s 2nd and 6” when it looked like all they did was hit the hole and fall down. The overtime drive against UGA after Butkers kick was just beautiful. Laskey could not be stopped.

 

[GTech63]

Jonathan Dwyer taking it to The House fresh out of the locker room.

Mine as well. I was at a Baylor game with my daughter and family. No could beleve Ga Tech beat Georgia.

 

[buzzed]

2014 uga was an all time classic. I loved watching the offense and went into every game feeling like we had a chance to pull off a win. I tuned in to every radio show because they were always entertaining, full of humor, endless insights into football, and classic stories. So many funny comments, but my favorite might be his rhetorical question regarding Steak Shapiro: “Why should I care what some B-level radio personality says?”. It was an all time blunder by GT not given more support to a HOF coach who could have taken us even further. He was exactly the kind of coach we need at GT. I wonder if not for our little brother complex if the fan base could have seen past the “gimmick” comments and fully supported a legend in college football. I was a student during O’Leary and I’m a big fan of his too, but CPJ is my all time favorite coach of any sport.

 

[jgtengineer]

My favorite moment was uga 2010... Johnson lets them score and the entire stadium goes quiet realizing we now get the ball with a chance to tie it up. The fear.