From the scrimmage: Washington, Cross, Days
Greetings-
Preseason camp is finished and we’re less than two weeks from the first game of the season. Not much doing, but I had some leftover stuff from the scrimmage that didn’t make it into the notes.
1. Quarterback Tevin Washington made one of the highlight plays from Saturday morning, faking an option pitch to A-back Embry Peeples to create an open lane and score on a 36-yard touchdown run. To me, it shows a comfort with the option and that perhaps the speed of the game is slowing down for him.
Washington used an option term I was unaware of: “slow playing.” It refers to a linebacker assigned to the quarterback who overplays the pitch. In such a situation, a fake pitch is an ideal move. Washington said the defense had been slow playing the offense a lot.
“They’re trying to really play the pitch, but they’re trying to string it out, (and) give the inside linebacker time to run and make the play,” Washington said.
(A-back Tony Zenon used another term: “Pitch relationship,” meaning the proper distance and angle between quarterback and A-back on an option play.)
Washington’s most improved defensive players of fall camp: Safety Jemea Thomas, cornerback Louis Young, inside linebacker Daniel Drummond and defensive tackle Logan Walls. (More on Walls in a minute)
2. Defensive end Izaan Cross had a productive day, with one forced fumbles and other disruptive plays. He said he has been focused on playing each snap with effort. You might remember that he came into camp lighter than last season and was one of the team’s best-conditioned players.
“I struggled in [consistent effort] last year,” he said. “I’d do three or four good ones and then you wouldn’t see me for another quarter.”
Also, Cross said backup end Euclid Cummings has progressed “tremendously” and that end Emmanuel Dieke and tackle T.J. Barnes are getting better. I may have mentioned it before, but I think defensive line depth is one of the more important factors of the season.
“We’re definitely going to need them all to contribute,” he said.
I asked Cross who was the defensive line MVP of camp and he demurred, but acknowledged that “Logan’s our warrior in the middle” and the group’s leader.
Walls is a guy that likely won’t make a lot of tackles, but if he’s playing well, it’ll free up linebackers to get to the ball. I imagine if coaches made a list of players they’d least like to lose to injury – somehow I’m guessing such a list doesn’t exist – he’d be close to the top.
An interesting observation from Cross about the offense:
“They’re just clicking a little bit more, have more chemistry. I feel like Tevin’s a lot more comfortable in what he’s doing.”
3. Backup quarterback Synjyn Days ran well with the ball. His running, a lot of it on quarterback draws, fueled his only touchdown drive of the day. He had a few fumbles, though, some on center-quarterback exchanges, which has been his downfall in the past. In response to a question about where he needs to improve, he replied, “Ball control, just keeping control of the ball,” he said.
To his credit, he accepted all of the responsibility for fumbling the exchanges.
“We should know each other by now,” he said, “and that’s on me, me, me alone, really.”
That’s it.
Thanks for reading. Please follow on Facebook and Twitter.
By Ken Sugiura, AJC
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126 comments Add your comment
GT Anchorage
August 22nd, 2011
5:33 pm
RamboDog is the stereotypical georgia fan. He probably gave up trying to get into school there after he found out that you have to have a GED.
BigTimeTECHFan
August 22nd, 2011
6:47 pm
oh come on man
Optimistic But......
August 22nd, 2011
7:14 pm
DawginLex I think Murray is the best young QB I’ve seen in a long time and I believe next year he’ll lead UGA to the SEC crown. I also believe CPJ is building a solid team that can make some noise in the ACC. He recruits like he’s building a team through the draft and signing kid’s that fit his scheme and needs. I think he’s already got more talent on this team than Chan Gaily had overall. If he could only get a couple of cornbread,taters, and pinto bean fed 4 star lineman to sign come Feb. Tech could really be good. CPJ is putting together a pretty good nucleus of players thus far. GOOOOOO TECH.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 22nd, 2011
7:28 pm
But Optimistic…., don’t you know that CPJ can’t recruit??? Yeah, right !!! I wish too that he could find another Tracy Ham. Nesbitt came close, but from what I have always heard about Ham, he was just plain spectacular in leading the Eagles.
Tech Fan 76
August 22nd, 2011
9:12 pm
Uga Trolls: You must know that when you post on here you just prove the point that you are not an UGA grad and are probably under 18 years old. So go get a whopper and Pepsi you deserve it!
Tech Fan 76
August 22nd, 2011
9:17 pm
I think that Tech and UGA will improve this year. But Tech has a shot at the Costal and UGA in the East not so much. I think Lee will be #2 QB and Perkins and Sims will rotate at BB. Defense will be stronger and fumbles will be reduced. A somewhat better passing game all of which adds up to 9 or more wins and a good shot at the Costal.
A.Bishop
August 22nd, 2011
9:39 pm
With the players battling for the QB spot, are there any that is as durable as Nesbitt? For the most part that guy could take a beating and keep on going. Of course that is something you want in a QB for the triple option.
Look forward to playing you guys…Go Dawgs.
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 22nd, 2011
9:51 pm
A.Bishop
If any of these QBs are 1/2 as tough as Nesbitt I will be pleased. We’ll find out in the UNC game – GT’s first game against a really good D. As you noted, Josh could take a beating and keep on going. I swear, if it had been left to him , he would have tried to play against UGA – broken arm and all.
A. Bishop
August 22nd, 2011
10:03 pm
@Paul….I believe it. It was probably killing josh to not play.
GT Fan
August 22nd, 2011
10:20 pm
Nesbitt’s coveted #9, requested by a dozen or so players per PJ, has been earned/won by Tony Zenon. PJ said it would go the player who performed best in Summer camp.
Other # changes………. Jemea Thomas from 38 to 14, and Chris Jackson from 44 to 33.
Looking forward to seeing the new #9 in action!
final score > total rushing yards
August 22nd, 2011
11:01 pm
Any Techies want to accomodate for this Techie fan??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QlyKORe3qg
Referring to your black players as N-words is in no way backing up your argument that all tech fans are classy, and free of rednecks.
GTFan478
August 22nd, 2011
11:15 pm
Really final score, do you not have anything better to do in your life than try to dig stuff up about Tech or its fans? Grow up lil kid.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 22nd, 2011
11:27 pm
Boy, somebody doesn’t have any life at all
Tech Fan 76
August 22nd, 2011
11:30 pm
That is not a Tech fan. Nice try but the apartment is Uga like definately not Tech like- its too cheap! Listen to his jawga drawl that a low class UGA idiot put on like he is a Tech guy. you know you really are a racist. I head that before but it true! Just keep it between you boys down at the sonic.
Tech Fan 76
August 22nd, 2011
11:33 pm
UGA troll trying to fool us! Ha! Why would anybody except a dumb Uga fan video themselves being a total Anal pore!
Tech Fan 76
August 22nd, 2011
11:35 pm
Ken: This guy must have violated some of your rules. Just look at Tech’s advanced race relations compared to the Plantation in Athens.
final score > total gushing yards
August 22nd, 2011
11:36 pm
We know how to use them down here. Suck it Tech!
final score > total gushing yards
August 22nd, 2011
11:39 pm
I have a fleashlight that i use when I’m by myself. It is so much better than billy bob’s…well you know.
UGA Fan 86
August 22nd, 2011
11:41 pm
Final score; you are a disgrace to UGA. you could not be a real dawg fan. sheesh!
A. Bishop
August 22nd, 2011
11:50 pm
As a UGA alumni I declare that we do not claim “final score” as a fan or supporter.
GTFan478
August 22nd, 2011
11:54 pm
Wonder what he means by “We know how to use them down here.”
Buzzzzzzzzzz
August 23rd, 2011
12:15 am
Boise State 222, UGA 0 >>>> The beatdown of the year.
After the game, a UGA player who reads, writes, and speaks at a 4th grade level will be interviewed on TV, and millions of viewers will wonder why Mark Richt recruits these dummies and why UGA admits them.
It makes you long for the days when ethical UGA coaches like Wallace Butts and Harry Mehre recruited literate athletes who actually earned serious college degrees.
If you doubt this, go back and read Caleb King’s farewell tweet. The guy couldn’t even write a coherent sentence. This simpleton should have been sweeping floors somewhere, not enrolled in college.
Mark Richt and the University of Georgia are a disgrace to this state.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 23rd, 2011
12:22 am
Buzzzzzzzz, Wallace Butts didn’t have an ethical bone in his body.
RamboDog Returns!!
August 23rd, 2011
12:38 am
Tech Fan 76
Your posts above are littered with spelling issues and grammatical errors. I believe you discussed those who didn’t have a degree earlier….surely YOU do not have one from GT, do you?? If so….that is truly sad!
I can probably line you up some English tutoring if you can work it in between your interviews. Good luck on the job search.
P.S., I wonder why Supersize didn’t catch those, he likely gave you a pass because you are a Tech graduate and he knows how time consuming it will be to proof read you guys.
311GTFan
August 23rd, 2011
1:39 am
RamboDog Returns ate yow sirousl dawd fun dore?@
jimmers
August 23rd, 2011
8:49 am
Final score –
Superdouche is just in denial. He is still trying to think of a way to excuse 3 barbarian Tech players from the 80’s that attacked a female student, broke her nose and landed her in the hospital. Tech players, students and fans are as trashy and thuggish as you can get.