Paul Johnson on uniqueness of 2011 offense
Greetings-
A few points from Paul Johnson’s news conference.
1. Johnson said he was thinking this morning about the nature of this year’s offense, and how it’s “kind of unique” because there isn’t a player that needs to have the ball like Jonathan Dwyer or Anthony Allen. The team is more athletic across the board, but Johnson doesn’t feel the need to scheme the offense to get one particular player a lot of touches.
“If they want to take away David Sims, then, O.K., we’ll give it to Orwin Smith,” he said. “If they want to take away Orwin, we’ll do whatever. It isn’t so much tweaking it to get the ball to certain individuals as it is kind of running the system.”
2. Johnson noted that Tony Zenon didn’t get many snaps Saturday against North Carolina, calling it an oversight.
“We need to get him in some,” he said.
3. In response to a question about the Russell Wilson situation over the summer that led him to transfer from N.C. State to Wisconsin, Johnson said he has had players who played for the baseball team (Roddy Jones played for the Tech baseball team in 2010) but never one who wanted to play minor league baseball over the summer. He said he didn’t know what he’d do if the situation arose.
“I’m not touching that one,” he said.
4. Johnson stressed that the team hasn’t accomplished anything yet, a message players I’m guessing players have heard.
“All they have to do is look and see we’ve played a third of the season,” he said. “You’d better have laser vision, tunnel vision, one game at a time. That’s the way you’ve got to play the game.”
5. Johnson said guard Omoregie Uzzi is moving better and is lighter than a year ago, but is also simply stronger, more mature and more knowledgeable in the offense.
6. Jeff Greene, who sat out Saturday’s game with an injury, practiced Monday and will play Saturday. The kickoff specialist spot between Chandler Anderson and Justin Moore will be determined again in practice this week. Johnson wasn’t happy with the kicking game in general, as well as the kickoff return team.
7. Johnson said quarterback Tevin Washington has played well and done a good job of distributing the ball. Johnson said that quarterbacks “very seldom” audible. They occasionally will change the direction of a play and sometimes have an “either-or” call. Said Johnson, “He’s dine a nice job on that.”
Johnson also pointed out that the offense hasn’t run the triple-option play much because defenses are geared to stop it.
Thanks for reading. I’ll post practice notes 9-ish.
Please follow on Facebook and Twitter.
By Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech beat
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293 comments Add your comment
Gorilla Biscuit
September 27th, 2011
2:31 pm
Fumble!!
Gorilla Biscuit
September 27th, 2011
2:34 pm
Hey Ramblin Man, don’t take it personal. Get your pointy-headed misanthropes from posting stupid drivel on the Dawgs blogs and I’ll quit posting stupid drivel on yours.
reebok
September 27th, 2011
2:37 pm
I think Miami is still a pretty good team…so they let down after the Ohio State game and lost to Kansas State…I’m pretty sure K-State has 80-something scholarhship players, a coaching staff, and scouting reports. I’m pretty sure they play in a BCS conference. Weaker teams sometimes updump stronger teams…happens every Saturday…that’s why they are called ‘upsets.’ MTSU over GT was plenty of people’s upset pick of the week in week 2, and Tech destroyed them…a couple of the ESPN talking heads picked UNC over Tech, and Tech was clearly the better team, although our mistakes kept it closer than it needed to be. But I like the way our schedule plays out…Miami is btetter than Virghinia, Clemson is better than Miami, and V-Tech is the best team we will play this year.
Max Sizemore
September 27th, 2011
2:39 pm
Johnson is being disingenuous when he says he’s not running the triple option as much this season because teams are geared to stop it. He simply doesn’t trust Washington to make the quick reads which are necessary (he did the same thing with Nesbitt, for the most part). The primary theory behind Johnson’s offense is, whatever the defense does, he has the antidote. So far this season, he’s trying to make Washington’s job as easy as possible.
FullMetalJacket
September 27th, 2011
2:39 pm
One of the things I like most about Coach Johnson is that he doesn’t mince words and speaks honestly and directly. It helps when you have a regular beat reporter (thanks, Ken) who knows the team and the sport, because CPJ doesn’t suffer journalistic fools nor does he tolerate reporters’ games. We’re lucky to have Coach and Ken, too.
Ken Sugiura
September 27th, 2011
2:41 pm
GT71 – for what it’s worth, i think he gets a good bit of help from his assistants in the press box, Buzz Preston, Brian Bohannon and Todd Spencer. they’re feeding him information on how the defense is reacting to certain plays, which helps him to know how to tweak or counter.
ha
September 27th, 2011
2:41 pm
Gorilla biscuit is just bored because he married a buffarilla and gets no sex without puking.
FullMetalJacket
September 27th, 2011
2:45 pm
Johnson isn’t running the as much because he hasn’t had to. Last time I looked Tech was 4-0, and for the most part hasn’t even been that closely contested. To say he is being “disingenuous” is simply incorrect. Washington has shown he can make the reads and get it right, though I would agree he’s kept it a couple of times when he should’ve pitched it. That’s the nature of the position in this offense. There is no evidence CPJ is protecting anyone, and the fact that we have better balance and play distribution than we’ve had in years proves the versatility of the scheme and the quality of athletes we’re getting.
Snellville Jacket
September 27th, 2011
2:49 pm
I really like this team. For one reason, its a TEAM. Sure i love having a star player here and there but this team gets it. They don’t have to have that 5 star recruit that gets the ball 100 times a game. I love the way the team is playing. Everyone is getting the ball when they are supposed to get it. And they are all playing super well. How about Stephen Hill? looking like Calvin Johnson out there. and smith and Sims are playing great and of course i love to see Roddy Jones break for a TD out on the edge. and the Defense has really stepped it up but they aren’t quite great yet but much better effort than last year. this team can do great things just depends on how far they want to go. GO JACKETS and Keep up the hard work!!
Ramblin Man
September 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
Gorilla my boredom is getting the better of me here. Taking it personnal would require me to fall to your level and call somebody names or blame other people for my actions. I heard some GT fans just jumped from the top of Sanford stadium so by using your logic head on over to Bobby Dodd and take flight.
BS Patrol
September 27th, 2011
2:57 pm
A Gorilla Biscuit is what you might find at the bottom of a primate cage. (Or the SEC)
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
2:59 pm
“CPJ has also said it is an enigma as to why KOs in practice look good then go to crap come game time.”
It’s the math. Once I started thinking about all of that “as x goes to infinity” stuff my senior year in high school, I could barely reach the 20 yardline. By the end of the season, the coach just had me kick it flat, and hopefully it would squirt by somebody.
harold
September 27th, 2011
3:01 pm
THE OLD GOLD IS BACK. GEORGIA TECH IS TOUGH MAN. WHAT A GREAT JOB JOHNSON IS DOING! A GREAT PLACE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND PLAY BIG TIME FOOTBALL!
Spike 80DF
September 27th, 2011
3:02 pm
Wow, who told CPJ you’re allowed to actually THROW the ball? It only took him 2 full seasons to figure it out. Now if he can recruit some talent they might beat the Dawgs more than 1 of the last 10 games played. Can some smart tech guys can help me figure out the winning percentage for 1 out of 10 games?
beebee
September 27th, 2011
3:04 pm
Ahhhh!
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
3:05 pm
One out of ten. Why ten?
BS Patrol
September 27th, 2011
3:05 pm
CPJ,
We need to put that lob shot onsides kick (a la Auburn) in the playbook. It could could come in very handy.
NorthGaJacket
September 27th, 2011
3:07 pm
we have a score to settle with nc state. ONE game at a time. thanks for the great updates, ken!
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:08 pm
Gorilla Biscuit is an enigma…..Is she a blonde in a monkey suit or a monkey dressed up like a blonde? Either way she obviously is just another dumb blonde.
KB
September 27th, 2011
3:09 pm
How long is Johnson’s contract? What would UGA fans think of their trying to steal him away?
JM
September 27th, 2011
3:10 pm
Great Job Jackets. Keep up the hard work. People continue to notice what you are doing and the opponents are all worried.
Jack Flash
September 27th, 2011
3:12 pm
This offense has a certian WOW factor! GO JACKETS!!!
Big Dog 98
September 27th, 2011
3:13 pm
UGA RULES this State.
The SEC is FIRST Class.
GT and the ACC is second class at best.
Bulldawg78
September 27th, 2011
3:15 pm
GT plays in the ACC which is about the same as Georgia High School 5A.
Yellow Jacket 89
September 27th, 2011
3:17 pm
GT will never be as good as UGA
Golden Tornado
September 27th, 2011
3:18 pm
I saw the NC State- Cincinnati game on TV. NC State played a bad game, but Glennon, their quarterback, threw a pass for 87 yards and a TD. I’m hoping they won’t suddenly get as tough at home as they were weak in Cincinnati.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:20 pm
I guess the trolls have gotten tired of trashing Richt, so they come on here and trash a team they say is irrelevant. Funny how such irrelevancy breeds such obsession.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:21 pm
Golden Tornado, unless the Cincinnati game was a fluke, NC State can not stop the run AT ALL.
GT Dude
September 27th, 2011
3:21 pm
Ken,
Nice recap, Keep em coming!
Much better coverage than I can ever remember.
and
Big Dog 98 you better get off the computer and get back to sweeping the floor, the librarian is coming over to see what you are doing…
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
3:29 pm
Maybe half of the SEC is first class. The rest are in middle seats between 2 fat guys.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
Its a gimmick offense.
Plain and simple.
Its actually the best thing for Tech. They will never have the talent to line up and beat good teams str8 up.
So its in their interest to run trick plays and have a gimmick offense.
Sort of levels the playing field considering the obvious lack of talent.
Hey if you cant beat em. Trick em.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Can some smart tech guys can help me figure out the winning percentage for 1 out of 10 games?
Its .100 or 10 %
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
Ramblin Man & “Chan Gailey” it gets worse than cold up there & the snow gets chin deep on a giraffe—been there in the winter & it is no place for a southern boy—hope
joshua Nesbitt does well with the Bills but I don’t envy having to live there–if he’s still on the practice squad
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
I’ll ask again: One out of ten. Why ten?
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:43 pm
headley ALL offenses rely on some kind of “gimmicks” or tricks. That’s what the game is all about—-trying to trick the other team into not making the appropriate play on defense to stop you. And if the “trick” doesn’t work, then it usually boils down to a battle of wills, agility, speed, and power. For instance UGA “tricked” Boise State on the TD run by Boynton (or whatever his name is) and then he turned on the speed to finish it off.
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 27th, 2011
3:43 pm
GEORGIA TECH leads the nation in total offense. Hill’s dropped pass kept him from leading the nation in receiving yardage. When does UGA start playing? ” ROCK ON JACKETS “
311GTFan
September 27th, 2011
3:44 pm
Headless lamer – go back to your crib…don’t foregt your rattle.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
3:46 pm
I have found from living through a total of 9 winters in northern Illinois, Massachusetts, and northern New Jersey that people stay indoors a lot when it is cold, and wear parkas and stuff outdoors. Sometimes we would get out and ice skate, ride snowmobiles and watch iceboat racing.
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 27th, 2011
3:47 pm
GEORGIA TECH leads the nation in total yards rushing. Is UGA playing ,yet?
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:48 pm
Delbert, you seem to have lived all over the place. Are you back in Georgia now?
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 27th, 2011
3:50 pm
It’s sad for UGA to turn out like this. I bet Dooley is turning over in his grave. ” LET’S ROLL JACKETS “
Stinger 2
September 27th, 2011
3:51 pm
Ken: I tought you were going to ban those who post comments like Gorilla Biscuit made about CPJ at 2:25.
Since Bobby Dodd Retired
September 27th, 2011
3:51 pm
Unique in the fact that it has yet to play a decent defense, Virginia had 470 yards offense against UNC in Chapel Hill.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2011
3:52 pm
When does UGA start playing? ” ROCK ON JACKETS “
In November. When we beat you. … again.
Amazing how you nerds take a little success in the ACC and think its some sort of big deal.
Then when you have to play an SEC team ( UGA ) or a bowl team with time to prepare for the gimmick ( Iowa ) you get an unholy beat down.
Enjoy your success in the minor leagues of football.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:53 pm
GIVE ME…..Dooley isn’t in the grave………YET. CMR may put him there though, especially after little Vince beats the mutts.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
3:54 pm
Super – Yes, home based again back here since Jan.1, 1980. I stilled traveled on extended assignments a lot, including a 6 month stint of November-May in the East Midlands in England. I kept a thermometer on the nightstand because my frugal landlord controlled the flow to the radiators. I woke up one morning and it was 44 degrees. Usually, it was in the more moderate low to mid-50s, ideal for English room-temperature beer.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:55 pm
headley, although Iowa definitely had the discipline on D to beat us, it wasn’t because of the time to prepare. They would probably have done the same with only one week off. They had the best overall defense of any team Tech has played since CPJ arrived. The deal with the “time enough to prepare” though is hogwash. The problem with too much time between games is that the offense loses their rhythm. This offense thrives on continuity and too much time off destroys that.
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 27th, 2011
3:56 pm
They must have put computers in the Athens jail.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
3:56 pm
Delbert, do you remember mentioning Hazel O last week. I tried to post something to you about her, but it never got through the filters. I’m going to try again, because I think you will get a kick out of it.
She came to the plant for some kind of tour while I was still working there. In one of the labs, an operator while demonstrating something to her mentioned the male to female connection. She went ballistic, saying she never wanted to hear sexist terminology like that again. And she was the Secretary of Energy!!! PATHETIC!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK
September 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
Super, he probably wishes he was.