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
GT71
September 27th, 2011
6:14 pm
No one is saying H2H isn’t serious – we all know it is. What we’re saying is it was a very bad call. I didn’t play college ball, but you know right away when an INTENTIONAL H2H happens – and that should be a penalty and ejection, maybe suspension. But in the heat of the moment, lot’s of stuff just happns and the refs should be good enough to know the difference and react – or not. This particular play happened within a few feet of the guy. He had the best view – and he just got it wrong.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
6:19 pm
2006 jacket grad – It’s both. Repeated concussion brain injuries can eventually cause early-onset dementia, Parkinson’s-like symptoms, depression and other disorders. The compression of the spine is the immediately disabling injury, certainly. There has to be some change in the technology. My full-face motorcycle helmet protects against both, to some extent, since it not does the shell crush on impact, the shoulder muscles (and my padded jacket) help reduce the axial compression load on the spine.
There surely must be multiple studies and experimentation ongoing with the problems. NASCAR adopted the HANS devices for all of their race cars, and it has been effective.
Paddy
September 27th, 2011
6:20 pm
Delbert D…….you are right. He may draw plays in the dirt like Blanton Collier used to do but they are not trick plays. He sees the whole field and reacts. Not a Tech fan but his teams are fun to watch.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
6:25 pm
Correcting my previous post – “since it not does the shell crush on impact” should have read “since not only does the shell crush on impact”
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
6:27 pm
Guys—I too played starting in the 5th grade and as I recall our helmets were much the same in HS. Suspension webbing with semi soft rubber padding the edges and the ear holes. We were not coached to head slap like Deacon Jones did. NFL even made a penalty for it to “honor” Deacon. I played O & D tackle & had to stop in my sophomore year due to injury. I had 2 dreams–to play for Bobby Dodd or be a “Chinese Bandit” for Paul Dietzel.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
6:32 pm
The only times I’ve been KO’d was a head-to-head collision at 1st base in a Pony League and being thrown from a bicycle down the side of an elevated road where my forehead met a very large rock. The most serious (so far) injury from football was having my head forced down in a head-to-head collision which injured my neck at the top of the spine. Still have problems with that. I had a spinal tap and brain CT scans about 25 years ago for it.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
6:34 pm
1 4 GT – The White Team, the Go Team and the Chinese Bandits! Paul Deitzel was brilliant with those moves during the limited substitution days.
George Stein
September 27th, 2011
6:36 pm
Can headley please explain to us all what exactly constitutes a “gimmick offense” and why exactly it’s so derogatory?
superDawg
September 27th, 2011
6:40 pm
I wish UGA played gt every saturday!
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
6:41 pm
The only time I was KO’ed was a concussion from my face/head making the windshield look a 1/2 a basketball from the inside in a wreck in a Corvette. The front end was destroyed. A police “expert” accident investigator told me I probably would not have lived thru it in a metal car. I was only going about 45mph.& it took them an hour to get me out of the car. I have wondered if they couldn’t make a football helmet that would do something similar or maybe be like the safer barrier at the NASCAR tracks.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
6:47 pm
Delbert D. Yeah he was. I listened to “the Game” Halloween night when Billy Cannon returned a punt very late for a TD at a family friends house who later after my injury stopped my playing that he had brought Bobby Dodd to see me as a sophomore, they were big friends & big hunting & fishing partners. I’ thinking you, & maybe some of the others here know what game I’m speaking of.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
6:53 pm
1 4 GT – You bet.That was one of the most famous plays in college football. I heard it on the radio as well. They said back then that Cannon ran the 100 yard dash in 9.6 seconds in football cleats.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
6:58 pm
Delbert G. I wasn’t aware of the speed. I saw an old film of it a few years back, on ESPN I’m sure, and it was quite a run back. He was a terrific college ballplayer. Don’t I recall him winning the Heisman that year?
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:00 pm
George, headley can’t explain anything. That’s why he always disappears when confronted with facts or questions that require intelligent answers
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:01 pm
I THINK I heard that play live on the radio too. But it’s been so many years ago, it may just be that I heard about it. Regardless, like Delbert said, it is one of the most famous plays in college football history.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:02 pm
He di win the Heisman his senior year. He was the #1 pick by the NFL and the new AFL, and him signing with the Oilers gave the league immediate credibility. Houston became my favorite team for those pre-merger years.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:04 pm
Why it was just the other day—1959
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:06 pm
LSU had some great teams back then. They had Jim Taylor at Fullback, and he was the top pick for the Packers in 1958, I think. Taylor was the only player in the NFL other than Jim Brown to lead the league in rushing, one year, during the time Brown was playing.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:07 pm
I actually remember listening to the 1956 Tech – Tennessee game, which for a long time was considered one of the greatest college football games ever played
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:10 pm
That,s right—I loved the pack back when & Hornung played. I could all 22 starters then. I loved seeing the Packers play the Colts. Do ya’ll recall Hornung winning the Heisman as a QB for ND with a 2-7 record?
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:11 pm
left out he
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:11 pm
a sometimers moment
ANTHONY
September 27th, 2011
7:15 pm
Was anybody at the game last week? The kicking game sucks….real bad. Our pass defense isn’t much better. Offense is top 10….Kicking game is about 110th. pass defense is about 65, punt return is about 115th. We couldn’t run a punt back if the other team ran off the field. Our coverage teams don’t have clue about what they are suppose to be doing. We have players who don’t know weather to down the ball or block on plays or return the ball. Remember..Blewet…his teams couldn’t get the ball in bounds. This team can’t do special teams in any way. The ACC is really a weak conference vs the SEC in football. Look at Georgia, their National Champions….opps…they suck…year after year after year after year. Their supporters actually think they are going to win their division or the national championship every year. If Tech wins 8 games it will be a good season…. 9 games will be exceptional. I just think that special team play will cost us games against good teams.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:16 pm
Supersize – At night, especially in the fall and winter, the stations that could be picked up in the evening were what is is now called “clear channel” stations, who were authorized to run high power at night. Absorption of AM radio frequencies are absorbed by the lowest level of the ionosphere during the day, and it disappears at night. WSB was one, and WLS in Chicago, and WOR in NY, and several other regional stations. New Orleans had one, but I don’t recall the call letters; WLW, maybe. During the day on Saturdays, I used to take my little transistor radio out to the telephone pole in the front yard and hold it next to the steel guy cable to pick up Tech games on WGST. Georgia games were no problem, since they ran high power night and day on WSB.
Brian
September 27th, 2011
7:17 pm
The morons matt and chuck don’t even acknowledge gt’s passing this year. They think it’s just the same run attack. the fluke drop by hill gives us a 14 point win. We are just getting started. By the time we play clemson and vt, the d will be much improved. I think this team can win out.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:19 pm
1 4 GT – I do remember Horning winning it, and him winning is the subject of controversy these days. So much media coverage with instant access. Joe Bellino won it for Navy in 1960. The writers tended to go with nationally-recognized teams in many cases.
19
September 27th, 2011
7:21 pm
I’m looking forward to another win and revenge for last year. Stay focused Jackets! 5-0! Go Tech!
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:21 pm
The filter on the blog ate a post I made on radio stations back in the ’50s and ’60s. Too many 3 letter capitalized “words”, I guess.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:23 pm
BTW—in an earlier post I saw something about some kind of up front fee to be allowed the privilege of buying season tickets. Who can maybe tell me how much that fee is. I am planning on getting some tix next year.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:26 pm
Brian – For the most part, I like to listen to the afternoon guys on 680thefan, Belue and Kincaid as well as Chuck and Chernoff. Matt Chernoff had Paul Johnson on live awhile back, and he kept trying to get him to give a different answer to the same question over and over. I think it was about the “committment” issue. Chernoff wanted Johnson to say he employed a double standard. As you might imagine, Johnson didn’t play along and terminated the interview.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:29 pm
1 4 GT, the fee depends on the section. I am in Section 225 (upper east between the 40s), and I pay $125.00 per seat. Other sections (particularly the west side) are much higher.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:30 pm
1 4 GT – It’s on the Georgia Tech Athletics web site under the “tickets” tab. I believe they started that with basketball back in the ’80s. My good friend and boss at the time had season tickets for basketball, and he had to donate something like a thousand dollars to the Alexander-Tharpe fund. I accompanied him to several games in the early Cremins era.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:32 pm
1 4 GT, I was wrong, I pay $275.00 per seat. It cost me $1250.00 to attend Tech games this year. OUCH !!!!
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:33 pm
Delbert D. Pardon me for this, but his name is spelled Hornung. I Googled him that their spelling & I learned there is an award named for now. The Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile major college football player.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:34 pm
Until last year I also bought basketball season tickets and I had to pay $125.00 per seat for those. I just can’t afford that anymore, especially since I have to add in the travel expenses in getting to Atlanta from Augusta.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:35 pm
Darn I’ve got to stop leaving out words makes me look like a thuga buttsniffer slow down & proofread 1st
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:39 pm
I just went upstairs to my treasure chest and found some old ticket stubs. The seating designations were different back in 1990:
2 tickets to Ga. Tech vs. Virginia Lower West Aisle 31 Sec 3 Row 12 $15 each
1 ticket to Ga. Tech vs. Clemson Upper East Aisle G Sec 44 Row 12 $12
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:42 pm
Delbert, those were the days, huh? lol
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:43 pm
However, you didn’t pay 12 bucks apiece to see Tech play Virginia in 1990, because that’s the year we beat them in Charlottesville and went ahead to win it all.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:44 pm
14 – That’s right, Hornung was a kicker, among his other abilities. I watched a game between the Packers and the Bears, I believe, and it is the only time I’ve ever seen the NFL “Free Kick” rule applied. With less than a minute left in the 1st half, Chicago was backed up near their goal line and punted. The Packers fielded the punt with a fair catch around the Bears 45. They elected to free kick, and Hornung set the ball on the kicking tee, backed up several yards, and he made it for a field goal.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:45 pm
Thanks all for the ticket info. I looked on line last year when I could still walk pretty good and saw ticket prices, but didn’t go any further. Just wanted to try to avoid sticker shock next spring. I had tickets for the Falcons their 1st few years and went to several Tech games Hawks & Braves. Tech & Falcons were 6$ per seat.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:46 pm
1 4 GT, hate to be nosey, but what do you mean by when you could still walk pretty good?
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:51 pm
Super – you are right, of course. I had 2 tickets I was looking at for 1990, the other being Tech vs. Temple in basketball in January 1990 face value $12. My friend had that one as part of his season ticket pair.
The Tech vs. Virginia football tickets were 1985. I’m surprised I didn’t catch that error, since UVA was #1 the year when the game was played in 1990. I bought a pair of tickets for the Va.Tech final ACC game that year, and my wife and I sat in the drizzle to watch the Jackets pull it out 6-3 on a FG.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:54 pm
Yeah, Delbert another Scott Sisson win for the Jackets. I was there too. Also went to Chapel Hill that year (UGH!!!!) and Athens (SWEET!!!!). Capped it off by going to Orlando with several friends and family members—-AWESOME trip, to say the least.
1 4 GT
September 27th, 2011
7:54 pm
Don’t apologize—you’re not nosey at all. Life has finally caught up with me. Back surgery April, 2010, right hip replacement April this year, defective from birth aortic valve replacement May this year & left hip replacement coming October 6, Thursday week. Been tough sledding, but I am still better off than so many others & God has blessed me mightily in other ways. Was pretty healthy through my adult working most productive years, Drink coffee on nice mornings overlooking the lake & don’t owe anyone a single dime.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
7:56 pm
The 1990 UNC and VT games were typical of way too many Tech teams—-playing down to the competition and keeping us all on edge. Even the game in Athens that year started out very slowly, before the Jackets finally took care of business. I hope CPJ can keep the players’ heads screwed on tightly for all the games this year. We need to take it to whomever we are playing from the time toe meets leather on the opening kickoff and never let up.
Delbert D.
September 27th, 2011
7:57 pm
I found 2 stubs for the 1986 NCAA Southeast Regional in the Omni, March 20, Admission $18.
Also from when 2 was living in southern new Jersey, 2 tickets for the 1977 NLCS at the Vet in Philadelphia. Face value, $7 each. I was able to get those because I had 2 seats in a 13-game season ticket package.
Somewhere, I have the really old stuff, probably with my baseball and football cards.
EX GEORGIA FAN
September 27th, 2011
7:59 pm
“Johnson also pointed out that the offense hasn’t run the triple-option play much because defenses are geared to stop it”.
“It isn’t so much tweaking it to get the ball to certain individuals as it is kind of running the system.”
Paul Jonson has single handedly evened the playing field with the university of Georgia. His first 3 games with them have been decided by a TD or less. I CAN NOT wait to see the game in November!
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2011
8:01 pm
Good for you, 1 4 GT. I gather you, Delbert, and I are all relatively close to the same ages. I am still in great health, but I DO owe a few dimes….LOL. Are you completely ambulatory now, or do you require wheelchair or crutches. Not trying to be even nosier, but thought you might like to know about handicap access for the games, if you need it. I take a wheelchair bound friend to some of the games. He doesn’t mind at all “climbing” up to my seats on row 26, so we don’t bother with the handicap seating areas. But we do use the handicap parking spaces over by the student center. In the past they have provided free shuttle service with golf-carts. This year they have buses with wheelchair lifts, and they run them to gates 1 and 10, free to all who need them and for whoever is with them…..VERY VERY good arrangement. Parking in that area, like just about every other place, is 20 bucks, although they offer a season parking pass which may be cheaper per game.
Stephen CC
September 27th, 2011
8:01 pm
Great attitude, 1 4 GT! Wish you all the best!