Tech coach Johnson wants to see improvement next week
After what could be described as an uneven performance during Saturday’s practice, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson challenged his players to pick one thing and work to improve it during next week’s final spring practices.
The offense scored eight touchdowns, including a 70-yard run by B.J. Bostic, and the defense scored three of its own during a scrimmage on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Not satisfied, Johnson wants improvement before next week’s T-Day game.
“We did enough to lose on both sides,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to do better to be more consistent and more focused.”
Johnson was pleased to see a few individual players make improvements on Saturday, including Bostic, an early enrollee from Jefferson County.
Toward the end of Saturday’s practice, Bostic took a pitch to the right from his spot at A-back and saw a crease between the cornerback and the linebackers – he said it’s the first one he’s seen in a while – and scored the offense’s last touchdown.
“I think I helped to show the coaches to see that I can be a weapon,” Bostic said. “Overall, I’m just trying to get better. Coach [Lamar] Owens and the older guys are helping me out.”
Other players that Johnson said stood out included quarterback Tevin Washington, B-backs Lucas Cox and Anthony Allen, middle linebacker Brad Jefferson and defensive end Jason Peters.
Highlights and lowlights from the scrimmage, which unofficially had six penalties:
- Inside linebacker Steven Sylvester came in untouched to sack Washington on the first play.
- Peters stopped A-back Roddy Jones for a loss with another big hit, something he’s done consistently all spring.
- Wide receiver Tyler Melton made a circus catch over cornerback Mario Butler to sustain a drive on a fourth down. It was one of the few down-field throws that Tech’s quarterbacks attempted.
- There was a bad snap on a field goal attempt, but on the re-kick Scott Blair hit a field goal of approximately 40 yards.
- A reverse to wide receiver Stephen Hill was called back because of a penalty, the first of three big plays that were called back because of flags. Peters stopped Hill on a reverse to his side later in the day.
- A-back Orwin Smith took a pitch left, broke a tackle and scored the offense’s fifth touchdown of the day. Smith has looked better at A-back as the spring has progressed.
- Outside linebacker Anthony Egbuniwe put a big hit on Washington as he rolled away from Egbuniwe’s side.
- Tech experimented with some unbalanced lines on offense, and used the 4-3 on at least one play on defense.
- The defense returned three turnovers for touchdowns.
“It’s coming along,” Jefferson said of the transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4. “We’re still trying to get the defense as a whole down. It’ll just take time for us to get it all in.”
Jefferson said some of the mistakes made on Saturday were because players forgot to change their responsibilities from the pro-style offenses they face during practice to the spread-option offense Tech uses in scrimmages.
“That’s the big thing we’ve got to work on,” Jefferson said.
Injury update
Middle linebacker Brandon Watts missed Saturday’s practice because of a mild stinger. Johnson said he will be fine. Middle linebacker Julian Burnett didn’t play on Saturday. Johnson said on Friday that Burnett’s participation would be decided on Saturday by the trainers. He may return next week.
Practice switch
Tech will not practice on Monday, as originally scheduled. Instead, the team will practice on Wednesday and Friday. The T-day game will be at 12:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday.
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65 comments Add your comment
The Dude
April 18th, 2010
12:46 pm
There’s a big difference there, “vahokie”. I’m guessing there’s nothing entertaining happening in the VPSU camp. Otherwise you would be occupying your time there. We welcome you here, though. Well welcome all intelligence deficient fans (notice all the “dawg” fans who visit).
vahokie
April 18th, 2010
12:55 pm
its a beautiful day on campus by the way .i use to root for GT when they didn’t play VT ,but you guys have become arrogant like you are the ACC’s savior .And to top it off im not a big UGA fan but they have own you GT for years and you guys win a few games and in the words of Denny Green you want to crown there asses .
PN
April 18th, 2010
1:13 pm
Hahahahaha, I love the Hokie fan pulling out the Reggie Ball. Last time Reggie Ball suited up against the Hokies IN BLACKSBURG, remind me of the result? A raping actually. Reggie Ball tore your defense to shreds with his arm. Nice try though. Yes, Georgia Tech cheats yet is rarely ever penalized for its “illegal” blocking. It is also cute how the VT fans are bringing up how UGA has dominated GT over the years. Good point. I guess hiding behind someone else’s success is easier than admitting VT’s deficiencies. VT fans calling GT fans arrogant?? HAHA. HAHA.
Two quick fixes for Tech
April 18th, 2010
2:15 pm
Get a defense that can play SEC style ball and WITH SEC caliber kids.
Get rid of the wishbone ……….it died in the late 70s. It will not attract blue chips. The blue chips have left already Tech and they were not recruited for the Bone by Chan My Man. Tech will lose more and more games now that CPJ is having to play His kids and not Chan’s.
Since Bobby Dodd and counting Dodd as one coach, over the last 42 years, Tech sees coaches be FIRED or quit every 3.5 years and CPJ is approaching that average ………so he had better win big or he will either quit or be dumped. The clock is ticking on him. Tick, tock, tick, tock.
You must have big time players and NOT JUST a gimmick offense to win it all in big boy ball. See your alst bowl appearances and the game with UGA as clear examples. UGA had one the worst teams in the last 30+ years and they physically whupped up on tech.
Go Dogs.
GT3O
April 18th, 2010
2:24 pm
vahokie,
GT beat VT last year with that atrocious defense GT had which only proves how anemic and simple the VT offense is.
This “high school” offense ran all over Bud Foster’s defense last year and this year Bud Foster is minus 9 on his defense. Al Groh will be looking to stick it to VT this year as well too. Best believe the GT defense is going to up for this game.
Furthermore, I’d worry about VT more than GT at this point. VT lost a lot more personnel on both sides of the ball than GT did. No more Jason Worilds and no more Sergio Render.
GT’s crappy defense last year kept Ryan Williams out of the game save for one play. The GT backfield is 10x’s the backfield VT has because Paul Johnson knows what to do with great runningbacks, unlike Stiney. Stiney will find a way to ruin having Williams and Evans in the backfield because the VT offense sucks.
Have fun, and until November 4th please remember VT got beat by GT last year and keep your mouth shut.
vahokie
April 18th, 2010
2:26 pm
lol you cant really believe you have better backfield .im glad you guys got groh so we can continue our record against him
GT3O
April 18th, 2010
2:31 pm
two quick fixes for tech,
First of all your analysis is off base because GT is NOT running the wishbone. Funny thing about you telling GT what to fix is that in 2008 with a bunch of freshmen, GT put up more rushing yards in Sanford Stadium since 1994, and came from behind to win it. They also just won the ACC and made it to a BCS.
Your a fan of a team coming off a 7-5 season, going to Shreveport, getting their asses handed to them by Kentucky giving advice on a championship, BCS team.
Here’s some analysis for you, stay on the dawgs blog. The Dawgs have their own problems to worry about. Namely:
-Freshman QB’s
-An unproven college DC being this is his first dance in college…did I mention he failed miserably in the NFL as a DC?
Yes, the clock is ticking on Paul Johnson. He just won the ACC, went to a BCS, won coach of the year AGAIN for the second year in a row. Yes the clock is ticking. If I were you I’d worry about Richt.
vahokie
April 18th, 2010
3:14 pm
you lost in the BCS
Tokyo jacket
April 18th, 2010
10:09 pm
Actually, gotta say that VT has owned us since joining the league (4-2, right?). But, 1-1 vs CPJ and should be 0-2 other than a total BS RTP H2H call. Vachokie is not representative of their fans. They’re actually pretty cool and laid back and really know their football. All the opposite of Vachokie.
Oh, BTW, yes, we have the better backfield. Total career yards: GT’s offense has more rushing yards returning than VTPSU’s.
Tokyo jacket
April 18th, 2010
10:16 pm
Oh, btw, what’s VT’s record in the BCS? Did they make it there last year?
Jeckyll Island
April 19th, 2010
8:20 am
On national TV:
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
30-24!!!
Again on ESPN….
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
73-66!!!
Georgia Tech could not win their own state’s title in football or basketball.
vahokie
April 19th, 2010
9:29 am
Tokyo jacket- Im here at Tech and all of us feel the same about your team.GT has replaced Miami as our new hated rival
swd311
April 19th, 2010
11:18 pm
Vahokie….VT sucks get over it!!! BTW VT will finish 4th behind GT, UNC and Miami!!!!! hahahahahahaahahah
vahokie
April 20th, 2010
7:15 am
swd311 a idiot if you really believe that .
Chris
April 22nd, 2010
7:42 pm
Teams I support:
Georgia Tech (Third-year student)
Virginia Tech (My girlfriend goes here)
Maryland (I’m from Maryland)