Comments from Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson following the Yellow Jackets’ 25-24 loss to No. 11 Miami Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Opening statement:
“Just really hurting and really disappointed for our guys. It was a tough football game, hard-fought game and in the end, they made one more play than we did. Disappointed. We had our opportunities on offense, defense and whatever to ice the game and we couldn’t get it done.”
On having chances to win the game in the final minutes:
“We make a high throw and we can’t catch it and they catch it off two deflections. That was the game. We had the ball and couldn’t hold onto it and on fourth-and-10, their kid makes a hell of a play. You’ve got to give him credit. He made a play. I thought A.J. Gray was going to knock it down. I’m not sure if he tipped it or if it hit Lamont (Simmons’) head, but I know it hit one of our guys and then it bounced again, and then the kid caught it.”
On runs to the perimeter not being as effective in the second half:
“In the second half, we didn’t do much offensively, but we didn’t necessarily go away from it. They were closing the thing in and when we got the ball pitched – it was still pitches – I think the first or second series of the second half, there was one when we should have pitched the ball and he didn’t.”
On the difficulties running the ball in the second half:
“The lane was getting closed. We weren’t getting a linebacker sealed. It was the little things. Then when you try to do something else, if it doesn’t work, you get behind.”
On the play of the defense in the second half:
“It’s the same way they played in the first half. There wasn’t any adjustments.”
Comparing this game to the Tennessee game:
“They almost ended the same way. This one was different because we weren’t ever in control offensively in this game like we were in the Tennessee game. We struggled on offense in the second half especially.”
On going for it on fourth-and-6 in the first half at the Miami 27-yard line:
“Our guys who coach the kicker said he couldn’t make it from that far.”
If the humidity or Miami’s physical style were factors in the number of injured players:
“It was probably some of both. There were a lot of guys that got banged up. We had to play a lot of guys. I thought our guys went in and tried to play hard and, like I said, you’re one play away. The guy doesn’t catch the double-batted ball, we win. That’s football.”
On what could have been done better in one-minute defense:
“Well, you can make a play at the end on fourth-and-10, and they don’t catch a double deflection and you’re not talking about it. The bubble screens, they just blocked us and we didn’t come off (blocks). We needed to get a linebacker out wider into the boundary and we probably needed to roll the corner sooner than we did. Having said that, the bubble screens wouldn’t have mattered if you make a play on fourth-and-10.”
