What Paul Johnson had to say after the Duke game

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 18:  Head coach Paul Johnson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets argues with the officials during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 43-20.  (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Credit: Grant Halverson

Credit: Grant Halverson

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Paul Johnson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets argues with the officials during their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 43-20. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson’s comments after the team’s 43-20 loss to Duke Saturday in Durham, N.C.

“I don’t know what to say. That was a pretty thorough butt kicking. It was embarrassing. It was like we weren’t even out there. In the second half, we didn’t do much to help ourselves offensively, either. But I think we ran six plays in the third quarter, couldn’t get the ball. By the time you got it, you’re down 17 and we just couldn’t keep up with them. couldn’t keep up.”

On the play of the offense:

“We got out of what we can do. When you get down so much in the second half, the run game kind of goes out the window. You’ve got to try to throw the ball some and we weren’t anywhere close to good enough on offense to match what they were doing. We did in the first half other than the one turnover. We didn’t punt in the first half, either. Both teams scored every time they had the ball except for the guy that batted the screen and so they got one up with a possession in the second half because they got the ball first and I guess – what? – they scored the first three times they had it.”

What he was looking for different from the defense in the second half: 

“A punt. We needed to try to stop them. We needed to try to stop them from running the ball. Because when teams can do both (run and pass), it’s tough. We never really slowed them down running the ball. They kind of did whatever they wanted, really.”

On falling behind in the third quarter:

“The end of the first half killed us again. We scored with two minutes left and they came down and tied the game up and they got the ball first to start the second half. Then the come out and score again. We go three-and-out and that was pretty much it. At least we held them to a field goal the next time. Then we tried to hit a play-action pass because they were firing out of the secondary and we couldn’t make the play and we had to punt and we’re down 17.”