Does Georgia Tech play like it practices?
Greetings-
Sorry for the delay. Blog posts invariably take longer to put together than you think. Anyway, I mentioned in the last post Paul Johnson’s assessment of practice, and how he does that every Wednesday after practice, his last media availability each week.
After he said that he was a believer in the idea that how a team practices usually indicates how it will play after the N.C. State game, I thought it might be fun to re-visit his assessments before each game this season (except for the first) and see how it matched up with performance, along with my score (1-5) for accuracy. Forgive the tangent, but it’s sort of like how market watchers used to judge the size of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s briefcase for clues about the reserve’s impending actions on the interest rate.
When Johnson meets with reporters after practice, Kelly Quinlan of Rivals always asks Johnson how it went and, in cases when he’s not there, Rod Mackenzie of Scout picks up for him. I guess Kelly is our Helen Thomas. For the literalists among you, I wouldn’t take any of this seriously. Onward…
Sept. 7, prior to Middle Tennessee State
“Guys were flying around, acting like they were having some fun. I think we’ll be ready to play.”
Result: Tech jumps out to a 28-0 lead, holds MTSU to seven points through three quarters and rolls to a 49-21 win. The Jackets ding MTSU with two one-play touchdown drives of 73 and 71 yards.
Score: 5. The most confident assessment of the season anticipates a demolition.
Sept. 14, prior to Kansas
“It was O.K.”
“It was a little better today than it was yesterday, so hopefully it’ll be better tomorrow and we’ll be ready to go.”
Result: Tech hammers the Jayhawks with 768 rushing yards and sets an NCAA record for yards-per-carry in a 66-24 rout.
Score: 2. The Jackets prepared for an assault on the school record books with a practice that barely passed muster.
Sept. 21, prior to North Carolina
“It was O.K. Nothing spectacular, but it was O.K. Not terrible.”
“Yesterday was pretty good. Today was just kind of average.”
Result: Against the toughest competition they’d faced to that point (and since), the Jackets pump out 382 rushing yards in a back-and-forth game that they win 35-28 with a 61-yard touchdown drive in the fourth-quarter. Tech’s run-defense issues become apparent as running back Giovani Bernard runs for 155 yards.
Score: 4. A sharp performance overall against a good opponent (particularly by the offensive line) with some holes on both sides. “Pretty good” was one of the more positive phrases used this season.
Sept. 28, prior to N.C. State
“It was good. It was O.K. Part of it was alright, part of it we weren’t dialed in like I’d like for us to be.”
Result: Tech came out firing and led 21-0 and surged again to a 45-21 lead, but the Jackets missed on a number of plays, allowed a 19-play drive (that didn’t result in a score) and got gashed for 195 rushing yards.
Score: 4. Kind of a tough one to grade, given that Johnson assessed practice in four different ways and Tech played hot and cold. Perhaps it’s fitting. But “not being dialed in” was a telling evaluation.
Oct. 5, prior to Maryland
“It was a little better. Practice this week has been a little better. So, hopefully we’ll play that way on Saturday. You never know. We’ve still got one more day to go.”
Result: Tech survives an upset attempt in a 21-16 win over Maryland in a game perhaps most noteworthy for Tevin Washington’s 32 carries and Terrapins defensive tackle Joe Vellano’s 22 tackles. The Jackets miss on a handful of big plays that likely would have changed the complexion of the game.
Score: 3. Another tough one to score, because I think Tech actually didn’t play that badly despite the score. Either way, Johnson’s optimism would have indicated a more decisive win.
Oct. 12, prior to Virginia
“It was all right, nothing great.”
“No, probably it wasn’t as good as last week. Last week we actually practiced pretty good. It’s a concern. We’ve still got tomorrow. We need to clean up a lot of stuff.”
Result: Tech plays its poorest offensive game of the season and takes its first loss, 24-21. The defense surrenders 272 yards and 24 points in the first half but pitches a shutout in the second.
Score: 5. Tech got whaled on at the start, evidence of a lack of necessary intensity. The coach saw it coming.
Wednesday, prior to Miami
“It’s been good. We’ve had two pretty good practices.”
Look back at Virginia
I talked to Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Lazor Tuesday about last week’s game. Not sure how much you care about it anymore, but just in case, a couple tidbits.
1. Going into the game, he had thought Tech was doing a better job stopping the run with “seven guys in the front and playing Cover-2.” That answer might sound bogus, I imagine, and perhaps so will my assertion that I thought the run defense was better against Maryland than the N.C. State game with the very glaring exception of the 77-yard run by quarterback C.J. Brown. Regardless…
2. He thought it was important to start fast, as is always the case, but especially so against an explosive team like Tech. He said he thought the offense did well except for the third quarter, when it only had the ball for one possession due to Tech’s 9:31 drive to open the quarter.
3. On the game-ending possession: “We were huddled on the sideline as a group and I think our guys were very determined that we were going to drive the ball. We threw a couple passes, but the way it was going, the run was really working.”
4. On Virginia at this point: “I think we’re at the point, our team is maturing, so as an offensive unit, we’re maturing and that’s part of where we are. We’ve got some returning linemen, we’ve got three backs who are all coming into their own. It was probably good timing for us to have an opportunity to finish out a game like that. Just everything kind of worked together. It was a day when we were running the ball well. I thought the guys executed the plan very well. … It just all came together. It was the right time to have that kind of situation come up. The guys were really ready for it mentally and emotionally.”
5. Just by the production, he couldn’t argue it wasn’t the line’s best game of the season. During the team’s bye week, coaches drilled hard on the running backs hitting the holes hard and blocking scheme and technique.
“So a lot of things that probably didn’t have to do with Georgia Tech came together. That’s the nature of football. You play a team in a certain moment, sometimes they’re up and you’re down. We were on the way up.”
6. I don’t think Virginia’s coaches thought the offense would have the day it had. “When we watched them, we said, ‘They’re better now at running their defense,’” he said. “That was our opinion watching and preparing.”
It was in response to a question about the Tech defensive line, which he sort of deflected with this answer. Obviously, he wasn’t going to say that he thought Tech’s defense was worse, but he also could have gone in different directions with his response, and I didn’t get the sense he was saying it just to say it.
One conclusion: For several reasons, Tech ran into Virginia on the wrong day, as often seems to be the case in Charlottesville.
Links
Stories on the one-game suspension of Miami defensive tackle Micanor Regis from the Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A Post profile of Hurricanes wide receiver Clive Watford, who started playing organized football as a high school senior and one from the Sun-Sentinel on wide receiver Tommy Streeter, who has five touchdown receptions and an 18.4 yards-per-catch average.
From the Herald:
“The suspension hurts the Hurricanes (3-3, 1-2) in more ways than one. The UM defensive line has been severely hit by injuries, and will face the vaunted triple-option attack of the Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1). The loss of Regis, the only healthy veteran tackle, means that the Canes have Adewale Ojomo (who was converted a couple weeks ago from defensive end) and junior college transfer Darius Smith as the remaining players with any real experience. Olsen Pierre, a freshman, is on the depth chart backing up Ojomo on the right side. Freshman Jalen Grimble, listed as an end, can also play tackle.”
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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239 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
October 20th, 2011
4:52 pm
Born2Buzz, I am pretty sure we have, but it was a long time ago.
19
October 20th, 2011
4:53 pm
1Jacket7, It was more of a rhetorical question. Miami is depleted on the d-line with Regis suspensed (I’m glad Tech does not have that bundle of joy to deal with). The article mentions JUCO transfer Darius Smith as one of the players with experience needed to replace Regis’ presence.
I completely agree with your post at a 4:37 pm. GO JACKETS!!!
Focus on the Hurricanes!
1Jacket7
October 20th, 2011
4:54 pm
The last JUCO’s we enrolled were during the O’Leary years.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
Ken, any idea why the filters won’t let me type the name of the county in which last week’s incident took place. I tried several times, and the only way to get it past the filters is to misspell it……like Hancuck County or Hanclock County. The “c” word is not necessarily a bad word, after all it’s the mascot for USC. The filter is a bit oversensitive, don’t you think?
5150 UOAD
October 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
what is up with the filters?
19
October 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
1Jacket7, it was a rhetorical question. LOL
I agree with your 4:37 pm post 100%
Go Jackets!!!
5150 UOAD
October 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
SUPER the article is on the A.J.C. home page at the top.
Born2Buzz
October 20th, 2011
4:55 pm
Super, I think the guys that go the JUCO route are recognized talents but can’t qualify. The ones that aren’t recongnized talents either try to walk on where they want to go (if they can qualify) or they go to lower division schools. But that’s just my opinion.
Now back to the other issue, I’m curious as to what others would do with Walls and Barnes if they were the coach. Does a guy get the bulk of the playing time even though he is the lesser talent just because he tries harder in practice? If that was the case Rudy would have been a starter for ND. If Groh were their DC he might have been the starter.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 20th, 2011
4:56 pm
I’m out for the night, guys. Probably won’t be back till 10PM, and maybe not even then. Have a great night.
19
October 20th, 2011
4:56 pm
Yep, had a much better post but it went away…
Go Jackets!!!
5150 UOAD
October 20th, 2011
4:56 pm
SUPER look on the home page
Born2Buzz
October 20th, 2011
4:57 pm
I’d like to know for sure about the JUCO’s, but I don’t think we’ve EVER taken one. Not even in the O’Leary years. Tell me who one was and I will believe it happened. I just don’t ever remember one.
Ken Sugiura
October 20th, 2011
4:57 pm
delbert – i did deliberate on the thomas comparison for the reason noted. please note kelly embraces all faiths. (my apologies for the detour into the political realm.)
19 – one JUCO, a walk-on kicker by the name of Ty Rawlings. i was told something by a staffer on the team that for some reason, it’s hard to find big nose tackle types who qualify academically than most other positions. on top of that, big nose tackles are hard to find, period.
Ken Sugiura
October 20th, 2011
5:00 pm
super – it isn’t necessarily vulgar, but i’m guessing it was used enough as a vulgarity to necessitate it being placed on the filter. it’s aggravating, i know.
19
October 20th, 2011
5:10 pm
Thanks Ken, just as I suspected. Good work covering GT.
Go Jackets!!!
Tech75
October 20th, 2011
5:29 pm
I’ve been curious as to why TJ has not won the starting role as well.
I focused on watching him whenever he got into the game last year, and he struck me as overmatched, even again linemen that he outweighed by a good bit.
It strikes me that the starter is being chosen based on the “effective” weight that they play at; Walls plays like he’s a 290 pounder (and is overmatched against double-teams), Barnes seems to get blocked as though he was playing at 290 – his weight seems not to translate into strength. Maybe he’s too tall to get the leverage he needs.
So given that (based on what I saw last year) it’s not surprising to me that Groh goes with the more experienced guy with a better power-to-weight ratio and the better motor.
Big Ed
October 20th, 2011
5:30 pm
Johnson is NOT a “genius” his offensive “scheme” will NOT work in D-1 Football. Don’t hang this all on Al G. Yes the D is weak…BUT Clemson gave up 49 last week and WON. Why? because they scored more points! Our piss poor offense scored 14 on Va for Gods sake.
I would like to see a W-L stat when a team has 2 weeks to prepare (not counting Cupcake 1st games). 3-6 maybe??
Opponent D Game Plan: “8-9 men in the box”, done.
You will NEVER NEVER win in this league with 400yds rusing and 0 passing! NEVER!!!!!
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
5:35 pm
Some of the coaches of the 3-4 in the NFL say it’s easier (cheaper) to get good 3-4 type LBs than is is to get good 4-3 DEs. Also, the 3-4 is more flexible for dealing with pass-heavy offenses. Not that many schools run the 3-4 in the FBS. Alabama does, and both Grantham and Groh have connections with Saban along the way (much closer than the 6 steps from Kevin Bacon stuff.) That is interesting, because Georgia runs a 3-4 based on Bum Phillips’ version, and Tech runs a 3-4 based on Bill Parcell’s version. On the surface, it seems backwards for each team’s talent at the 3 O-line positions, but Grantham started last year with Abry Jones at NT.
the voice of truth
October 20th, 2011
5:43 pm
Offense,, MUST execute, minimize errors,,penalties,,busted plays,,negative plays,,turnovers,,PJ this is YOUR offense Yours ,,you built it,,you installed it,,you control it,,if you can’t get the ball to Orwin Smith more than a handfull ot touches a game,then your offense isn’t worth a damn,You should be the one who is dictating to the opposition,,NOT the other way around,,,Defense,,from the NFL to Pop Warner the best defenses play like their hair is on fire,,time to look in the mirror guys,,Have we seen any of that this year ? A series or 2 ,,a play or 2 ,,it must be Every man Every play, PERIOD
Tech75
October 20th, 2011
5:45 pm
Delbert, I think the 3-4 is smart. Everyone says that the pro game is a passing game now; the college game is following.
I think it will be easier to recruit pro-possible players to a 3-4, since that will be what they may likely run in the pros, and it apparently is not easy to pick up. So playing a 3-4 in college should give a pro prospect 3 or 4 years head start over other players coming out of a 4-3 school.
For a pro prospect, I think that would be important.
5150 UOAD
October 20th, 2011
5:57 pm
Thanks Big Ed post all you want and SEND some Checks to GT so we can afford a better coach if that is what you think.
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
6:01 pm
Tech75 – A good example: the Chiefs switched to A 3-4 in 2010 under Romeo Crennel, and they drafted Justin Houston for 2011. He was an undersized DE until Georgia switched to the 3-4.
19
October 20th, 2011
6:06 pm
LMAO! 5150
dburns2100
October 20th, 2011
6:11 pm
The “D” comes to the line of scrimage and waits for the ball to snap. How about we have the line backers move around a little, show blitz and try to give there opponent something to think about before the snap????? just a thought Mr. Groh.
George Stein
October 20th, 2011
6:14 pm
Based on Big Ed’s grammar, I’ll go out on a limb and say he’s not a genius, either.
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
6:28 pm
The ILBs don’t blitz very much in the 2-gap type of 3-4 that Tech runs. In the 1-gap 3-4, the ILBs do a lot more twisting and stunting, as well as blitzing. The 1 gap is easier for the D-linemen reads, as they line up in a gap. If flow is to the left, immediately attack the blocker to the left.
Here’s an oversimplification: In the 2-gap, the NT in particular has to occupy the Center and cover both Center-Guard gaps (the DEs have 2-gap responsibly as well, playing head-up on the OTs). If he gets hung up by the center and steered away from the run, he can’t effectively cover the gap, nor can he keep the guard off the ILB.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 20th, 2011
6:52 pm
Tech has had JUCO transfers before:
Remember John Dewberry
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
6:58 pm
Hah!
19
October 20th, 2011
7:07 pm
BigTimeTECHFan, LOL!
Go Jackets!!!
George Stein
October 20th, 2011
7:17 pm
Awesome, BTTF.
K
October 20th, 2011
8:38 pm
The reason a player goes to a Jr. college in the first place is because of academic requirements.
You can bet one of these players would never be able to get into Tech.
Maybe never, but certainly not likely.
GTFan478
October 20th, 2011
8:42 pm
Come on people lets not forget one of our most important and recent (at least that I can remember) juco transfers, Mr.All World punter himself Durrant Brooks. He just happened to come from GMC.
1 4 GT
October 20th, 2011
8:51 pm
Cane 1….take your obnoxious butt back under your rock & die
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
8:53 pm
Allen transferred from Louisville, and that’s like a junior college.
5150 UOAD
October 20th, 2011
8:57 pm
Thank God after failing at baseball Q Carter went to the Athens Jr College.
1 4 GT
October 20th, 2011
9:08 pm
I tried to tell Jerry Jones that Q Carter would never win him anything big….and Tony Romo too.
westcoast techie
October 20th, 2011
9:13 pm
I certainly don’t know 3-4 defensive techniques like Delbert. However, it is obvious that when our D-line does the “chuck and read”, the new line of schrimage is reestablished about 1-2 yards back. Our linebackers continuously have the D-linemen in their laps. Chuck and read works if the lineman can get off blocks and move to the ball. Unfortunately, our lineman are not quick or atheletically enough to accomplish this. Based on our lesser talent level, I’d like to see us be more aggressive and fire out into the gaps. I also like the idea stated above about having the linebackers moving around, faking or actually blitzing more.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 20th, 2011
9:31 pm
UOAD – yea, If Q Carter would have come to Tech, UGA fans would be dogg’n us for years. We lucked out, he knew he wouldn’t start at Tech after baseball so he went to UGA. Was JH14 the QB at the time?
Joe H was great QB, sometime we forget how good he was
ole yeller
October 20th, 2011
9:33 pm
Double D and west coast, its simple. In a 3 4 the linemen are supposed to take out the offensive linemen so the linebackers can make plays. Nothing more, if you do not have beef at the nose, it’s very difficult to run this defense with a lot of effect. Our linebackers are not very aggressive plugging the holes left by the linemen. Fundamental tackling has hurt this team more than defensive alignments. It appears that college coaches take for granted fundamentals on defense are taught in high school and do not teach it any longer. Quit diving at the knees, wrap it up at the waist. Legs change directions, above the belly button it follows the legs and is a very stable target. Sorry, but poor tackling to an old coach is very difficult to understand at the college level.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 20th, 2011
9:34 pm
I use to play B-Ball with Dewberry all the time growing up, he was a good guy but very cocky when it came to sports but could back it up. He was better then me in Football and baseball, but I had him in B-Ball
IL Jacket
October 20th, 2011
9:34 pm
Mentioning Dewberry reminded me of another JUCO quarterback transfer, Tom Luginbill. So I guess we have some history with quarterback transfers but not Nose Tackles.
I wonder given our challenged passing game if we shouldn’t do a Leak/Tebow rotation. I guess the issue is finding the Leak prototype.
Delbert D.
October 20th, 2011
9:34 pm
We did the chuck and read, although we didn’t call it that in high school. I was a stand-up DE in the Oklahoma 5-4 (called “50″, Okie and a few other designations). It was the forerunner to the 3-4, once teams discovered that passing was effective. In those day, O-linemen were not allowed to extend their arms while blocking. The basically balled up their fists and held them together, chasing D-linemen around, which was quite often ineffective and making pass attempts few and far between.
But I digress. Our DE “chuck” move at the snap was to knock the snot out of the end (there were no “tight”ends, only ends and split ends) with the heel of both hands applied forcefully to the top of his helmet. The goal was to “disorient” him; best case, knock him out cold. Then we were free to try to knock aside other blockers, typically halfbacks, and string the play out and occasionally tackle a runner.
Those were the good old days. If you were the type that seriously wanted to beat the snot out of somebody, DE was the position for you. None of that rassling around inside.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 20th, 2011
9:37 pm
Ole Yeller – Correct about 3/4
One thing I noticed about Tech D the last two years.
Tech LB’s seem to always run and take on blockers, like the run right at OL chest. seems like they would find ball and shoot gaps. Wonder if this is because DL is not forcing OL to take them on??
IL Jacket
October 20th, 2011
9:40 pm
Ole yeller, I agree with you about the tackling fundamentals being a lost art. Having said that, have you noticed how suretackling the Alabama defense is. LSU for that matter also-their secondary is great at wrapping up. None of this grabbing them around the shoulder pads and trying to wrestle them down.
1 4 GT
October 20th, 2011
9:51 pm
ESPN & their highlight reels are hugely to blame for the poor tackling technique in both college & pro football. High impact “hits” get the defensive players on the TV screen.
ole yeller
October 20th, 2011
9:52 pm
Hey Big Time you are correct. The LB’s are trying to shed off blockers that they are instructed to do in this aliment and are also trying to shield blockers for the other LBs to make a play. If you see this you know that the defensive line did not do their job. You would assume that if a LB took out a blocker that another defensive member would step up.. Unfortunately our defensive line does not have the weight or speed to keep the offense line off our backers. Couple this with poor fundamental tackling you have a problem. Anyone out there who ever played the game would tell you that you do not dive at the knees or below and hope to make a tackle. Most players who do this are afraid of getting hurt by taking a full force tackle.
ole yeller
October 20th, 2011
9:58 pm
Even beginning with O’leary I have noticed no one on the Tech team seems to remember to lock it up. How many times have we seen a tackler this miss bringing down the q.b. for a big loss simply because f he did wrap up. Too many times diving. Drives me nuts.
TN Jacket
October 20th, 2011
10:03 pm
I have a theory about Tech’s consistently poor defense and I want the Tech fans to comment pro or con. I think we will always have a mediocre defense as long as Paul Johnson runs the option offense. How the heck is our defense supposed to stop the spread or pro-style offenses on Saturday when they can’t practice against it all week?
1 4 GT
October 20th, 2011
10:06 pm
Enter your comments here
IL Jacket
October 20th, 2011
10:08 pm
Does anyone know anything about this Patrick Flowe, Parkview S-LB and coach’s son that the AJC reported Tech had interest in yesterday? UGA fans were dissing him because the Dawgs had not offered him, but at 6′1, 200 and 4.4 forty, I think he would be an interesting addition to our secondary. Good grades also.