Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson fires back at Pitt's Pat Narduzzi

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson didn't appreciate the accusation by Pitt's Pat Narduzzi last week that the Yellow Jackets use illegal and dangerous chop-blocking techniques.

After Georgia Tech's 35-17 victory Saturday, Johnson responded with sarcasm and a back-handed comment on the quality of the opponent he had just defeated.

On his radio show on 93.7 FM on Wednesday night, Narduzzi wondered how Georgia Tech can get away with illegal chop-blocking.

“They do a lot of high-lowing,” Narduzzi said. “It's dangerous football, I can tell you that. You watch inside, if you watch our nose tackle, there's times when a center is kind of hitting him up high and there's a guy coming in from the other side, which is really illegal, but they never call it. I don't quite understand how that happens.”

In his postgame news conference Saturday, Johnson made it clear he didn't like the charge, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“As a conference rule, we have to have, like, four ambulances at our games because we hurt so many people,” he said tongue-in-cheek. “Come on. Played 10 years, I can't remember anybody that's ever gotten hurt out there playing. That's just trying to get the officials to call something that ain't there.”

Without making a specific reference to Pitt, Johnson added, “You want to know what's dangerous? Dangerous is teaching your defensive linemen to hang onto offensive linemen when they're trying to get to the second level, and then they get cut off. That's dangerous.

“If that was my kid, I'd be upset if somebody told them to do that.”

When the coaches shook hands after the game, Johnson said he didn't say anything to Narduzzi other than to wish him luck.

But Johnson had plenty to say to reporters.

Asked to comment further on Narduzzi's accusation, Johnson said, “I'll take the high road on that one.”

That was in reference to Narduzzi's response to Penn State coach James Franklin who said earlier this season that beating Pitt felt just like beating Akron.

Said Narduzzi at the time, “They went low. We went high.”

Actually, what upset Johnson more than anything Narduzzi said were his team's four lost fumbles in the game.

Johnson said the Yellow Jackets have to eliminate those mistakes “because against a good team, we won't be able to survive.”

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.