Tevin Washington gets a tune-up
Greetings-
Some notes from post-practice Tuesday. I’ll be back with more Wednesday morning.
1. Georgia Tech coaches are trying to mend what ails quarterback Tevin Washington.
Tech quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon said he has been working with Washington on his throwing technique, particularly his follow-through. Washington has been struggling with falling away rather than finishing throws.
After completing 64.3 percent of his passes in the Yellow Jackets’ first four games, Washington has completed 35.3 percent in the past four. He threw a critical interception on Tech’s first play of the game Saturday in the loss to Miami. The Jackets undoubtedly will need Washington to play more proficiently against undefeated Clemson (No. 5 in the BCS standings) Saturday. Bohannon said Washington’s mindset is good, but that “I’m sure there’s a little bit of him pressing. He knows what to do. Play within the offense and execute.”
Coach Paul Johnson defended Washington’s play at his Tuesday news conference.
“Clearly, he can play better, but the guys around him have to play better, too,” he said.
(Bohannon said Washington probably “juiced” that pass against Miami, that is to say, was a little amped. By the way, I know there’s been some chatter about Synjyn Days replacing Washington in the lineup. For reasons I’ll get into Wednesday, I don’t see it happening. It’s sink or swim with the young man from Wetumpka, Ala.)
2. In an attempt to right his team’s course, team captain Roddy Jones gave the team a pep talk Monday.
“I just told the guys to keep their heads up,” Jones said. “We’ve obviously had a tough stretch, but we still have a lot in front of us.”
The Jackets are on a two-game losing streak after starting out 6-0. Jones, an A-back, reminded teammates that they can still have a great season by winning the remainder of their games to finish 10-2.
“That’s a great year, but it starts with Clemson, so everyone has to be accountable for their jobs and take personal ownership of their job,” he said. “If we do that, we’ll be just fine.”
(I couldn’t fit this in, but he clarified that players weren’t discouraged, but he wanted to be proactive as he realizes the team is taking shots from all sides.)
3. There were 55 Tech athletes among about 340 from five schools who signed a petition urging the NCAA to give athletes a share of the hundreds of millions of dollars in television contract money that goes to schools and conferences, according to an Associated Press report. Denzel McCoy, who is unable to play due to a heart condition, helped lead the drive. Jones was a mildly enthusiastic signee.
“This is my last year playing, so it’s not like I’m getting a whole lot of [the money],” Jones said. “I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and went along with what’s best for the guys here now.”
Johnson said he supported the players. “I’m all for the players getting whatever they can get,” he said.
(I’m not sure what will come of this – perhaps not much – and it’s odd timing that news of a proposal for a $2,000 cost-of-attendance stipend broke on the same day. But it’d be kind of crazy if this came to pass and McCoy was part of the movement’s leadership.)
4. Johnson said that center Jay Finch’s lower-leg injury sustained last Saturday “is not nearly as bad as they thought.” Finch was on crutches Tuesday and did not practice. Backup center Nick McRae and Ray Beno, who rotates at tackle, have been taking snaps at center in practice.
Clemson running back Andre Ellington was listed as questionable Tuesday with a sprained ankle. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he hoped Ellington would be ready to practice fully by Wednesday. Tigers tight end Dwayne Allen is nursing a turf toe injury and reportedly wore a walking boot Tuesday, but said he expects to play Saturday.
(Tech offensive lineman Morgan Bailey, who has been injured much of the year, is getting work at tackle. Clemson losing Ellington would be pretty significant. He zapped Tech for 155 yards last year and has speed on top of speed.)
5. At his news conference, Johnson said that Clemson is probably the most talented team he’ll have faced at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Asked if the game would be a track meet given Clemson’s speed, Johnson replied, “If we play (like we have) the last two weeks, it’ll be a one-sided track meet.”
At his news conference at Clemson, Swinney lobbed bouquets at Tech’s defense and coordinator Al Groh.
“They’re hard to move and they don’t give up a lot of big plays,” he said. “Their linebackers are rarely out of place and they tackle well. It’s a typical Al Groh-type of defense.”
(Kind of an interesting qualifier on Johnson’s statement. Perhaps in he was thinking of Iowa or LSU. In one of the times he complimented Maryland defensive tackle Joe Vellano after his 22-tackle game, he said he was probably the best player he’d coached against at Bobby Dodd.)
Thanks for reading. Please follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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282 comments Add your comment
DawginLex
October 26th, 2011
11:43 am
Why are we still fighting about degrees, majors etc??
Can we talk football anywhere on these blogs??
i spent an hour yesterday with a retard claiming to be a UGA fan.
I’d rather go get a root canal
As far as Saturday is concerned:
I see Tech giving clemson all they want and then some. The problem is they now have a scheme that works and they don’t rely on Dabo to run it.
Advantage Clemson
Johnson coaching with a chip on his shoulder, a frustrated QB backed by a home crowd at night with cold temps.
Advantage Tech
Basic questions to ponder:
How in the world will Tech cover Watkins?
Will Tech rotate QB’s?
Will Tech run more true TO?
I still believe Clemson will win unless they decide to turn it over a couple of times, then it could get real interesting.
We better win our game, regardless of who plays QB or the U-Hauls are coming to Richt’s house.
Later
DawginLex
October 26th, 2011
11:44 am
Ken your filters truly suck
Thomas Brown
October 26th, 2011
11:54 am
“I believe baseball is considered a major sport, and Tech has owned the mutts in baseball the last 2 years, and held things pretty evenly overall prior to that.”
UGA in Baseball is 14-7 in regional games, 6-2 in super regionals and 6-6 in the CWS, with the vast majority of those wins coming at the cost of Georgia tek in Baseball. The two baseball teams have met since 1898. Georgia holds a 197-154-2 all-time advantage in the series between the two schools in Baseball with the 7 UGA wins to only 2 Georgia tek wins at Turner Field.
http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/042511aai.html
Maybe you need to inform the Ramblin’ Wreck ?
GT Joe
October 26th, 2011
11:54 am
Of course UGA has better graduation rates. School is a joke. Hell, they threw a diploma in my window as I was driving through Athens.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
11:54 am
Thomas Brown, before you go bringing up former Tech athletes charged with murder, which incidentally is totally irrelevant to anything, maybe you should check into the former UGA football player facing similar charges….I can’t remember his name now, Terriance B—something.
GT Joe
October 26th, 2011
11:55 am
GT football players have the HIGHEST average SAT score of all public, FBS schools. Period. We don’t accept idiots.
So, we have the smartest football players, and only half graduate. That tells me the school is HARD.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
11:56 am
Thomas Brown, I was referring to the past couple of years in baseball. I didn’t claim that we owned the mutts in baseball, just that we have been holding our own recently.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
11:56 am
GT Joe, GOOD POINT
GT Joe
October 26th, 2011
11:58 am
um actually we do own UGA in baseball. 2-1 vs. UGA last year.
We run this state.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
11:59 am
Thomas Brown, that former UGA athlete was a safety named Terreal Bierria
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
12:00 pm
GT Joe, and 3-0 in 2009
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 26th, 2011
12:01 pm
Super, did my mail get there?
GT Joe
October 26th, 2011
12:03 pm
Final 2011 baseball rankings: GT #20.
UGA? check the back of the milk carton.
GT Joe
October 26th, 2011
12:05 pm
GT absolutely OWNS UGA in basketball. 101-85.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
12:14 pm
GIVE ME….., got it and responded. Off to lunch now. TTYL
Thomas Brown
October 26th, 2011
12:16 pm
Maybe you are thinking of Reuben Houston ? Football player. But, he was not charged with murder. He was charged with selling 52 lbs. of drugs on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in a van with his child on his lap; before he jumped out of the van to escape the 7 police vehicles trying to pull him over. He admitted to the AJ-C that he indeed was taking the 52 lbs. of drugs to sell them. The very next game, vs The Georgia Bulldogs, he was played against us almost the entire football game. Reuben Houston. That the one you are thinking of ?
Delbert D.
October 26th, 2011
12:16 pm
Enter your comments here
Delbert D.
October 26th, 2011
12:18 pm
@Thomas Brown
Reuben Houston’s Head Coach, Athletic Director and President: All gone.
Jerry Kendall
October 26th, 2011
12:50 pm
I think our downfall was when we lost the assistant coach that was such a great recruiter to a head coaching job. Tech just does not have the athletes to compete. Duke looks like our only hope for another win this year. Oh well, I still like Paul Johnson as our coach.
Calvin Johnson
October 26th, 2011
12:56 pm
I admitt that Sammy Watkins is better than me. The kid has so much potential. I truely feel like he will dismantle GT this weekend.
Thomas Brown
October 26th, 2011
12:58 pm
Georgia tek student-athletes are not fit for the purpose for which they are intended, either in the classrooms or in the games, compared to their UGA counterparts. Basketball recently ? Recently in basketball ? We are so far ahead in women’s basketball that you have no hope. Basketball men, your charged with murder basketball players in your 1 and done program of Paul Hewitt LOST to UGA’s worst men’s basketball teams ever. Paul lost at home, and he lost on the road to us in men’s basketball and even with the NCAA not counting against Georgia tek in men’s basketball to those who went pro – whom we BEAT when they were there – who are now charged with murder – Georgia tek just simply does not graduate your men’s basketball players. Yes, Georgia tek is ahead in men’s basketball against us all-time, but you said recently and recently you have not done well vs us in men’s basketball. You also got an NCAA PENALTY of 1 lost scholarship because you do so poorly in graduating your men’s basketball players : those charged with murder, those who LOST to us when they were here. It is an absolute embarrassment to Georgia tek the way you LOSE to us in the sports, do not graduate your athletes in the major sports, spend your days in the UGA blog all day long bragging about your SAT and your # 37 national university ranking and try to ignore that you LOSE the games in those major sports to us, do not graduate them, and then make up excuses for charges of murder, selling 93 lbs. of drugs on your campus and now try to bring up Baseball where 1 of your students died of heroin overdose; bragging you are holding your own against us all-time. You are not holding your own against us all-time at anything except ahead in men’s basketball; and that thanks to Whack Hyder – whom none of you know anything about. Nothing. None of you. Shameful for what passes off at Georgia tek anymore around there in the slums of downtown Atlanta in graduating your major sports, beating us in the major sports, having horrible APR in major sports, having no one attend your games in major sports and spending your days trying to say otherwise in the UGA blogs every day, all day long.
Go Gold
October 26th, 2011
1:21 pm
Tevin has played what is the equalivent of a full season between ‘10-’11. You either show promise and are getting better week by week or you don’t. Clearly it’s time to step up but the reality is that he is on a downward trajectory. Remember that he was recruited by Memphis and Troy no big FBS schools. It’s time to put Vad Lee in. I know it’s Clemson and a big game but it’s time. He has been working with the first team and should know the offense. These are men, I respect young men but men none the less and it’s time to be accountable for your role on the team.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
1:27 pm
Thomas Brown, I hate to stoop to your level in bringing up former athletes indiscretions or crimes, but as I said before, check the case of Terreal Bierria before you go slamming Tech for having former players charged with murder. GOOGLE Terreal Bierria, and then get back to me. And while you’re at it, check to see how many golfers UGA has had on the golf circuit or who have won major titles. Since producing pro football players is such a gauge of talent by you mutts, then let’s gauge the talent of the golf teams using the same standard.
5150 UOAD
October 26th, 2011
1:32 pm
SUPERSIZE……………………DELBERT……………………I posted on the New Tech blog too………………………DAD isn’t going to the Clem&Son’s game. I have a ticket with a staduim seat if you guys know a deserving fan. Hit me back.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
UOAD, I may have a ticket too. macrotech had to cancel, and I’m waiting to hear back from another local friend about going instead. If not, I will have one and also probably end up spending the night in Atlanta, which I definitely do not want to have to do.
5150 UOAD
October 26th, 2011
2:01 pm
Supersize thanks…………I want a FAN to take a seat. LOL. the ATL ain’t THAT bad. I know there are always open beds at the Phi Mu house and the Phi Kappa Pi house. I am a Phi Kappa but i would look to get a bed at the Phi Mu house. LOL
Delbert D.
October 26th, 2011
3:06 pm
“You are not holding your own against us all-time at anything except ahead in men’s basketball; and that thanks to Whack Hyder – whom none of you know anything about. Nothing. None of you. ”
Nonsense. I went to college with his daughter.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
October 26th, 2011
3:08 pm
Sims to QB, Lyons to BB….no more TW
reasons already communicated…
AlabamaRamblinwreck
October 26th, 2011
3:10 pm
Graduating UGAG: Like pushing the “easy” button at Staples
Graduating Tech: Like running the Boston marathon on your hands (and your hands are handcuffed)
like comparing apples to oranges!!
dry dirt road
October 26th, 2011
8:19 pm
I think my alma mater is gonna get the absolute Hell beat out of them Saturday. I recall when Clemson came into town when Charlie Waters was on the team, back in about ‘72, and they beat us by about 21-7 or 21-14. This year we don’t have a shotgun offense, and it seems there’s too much time spent in the backfield faking handoffs. Tev is getting the passing yips, like Nez got, like putters get in golf when they get nervous and can’t putt. If Days fumbles alot, we don’t want him to be another fumble bee like Greg Horne was for Tech in about ‘72. He fumbled so much Coach Carson quit playing him altogether. If we just had a shotgun, Lee could step in where he left off in hs. We need this shotgun stuff like everybody else uses.
dry dirt road
October 26th, 2011
8:38 pm
Tech needs der blitzkrieg on every defensive play against Clemson. The 3 dl rush is leaky roof, have lbs cover in secondary instead of blitz. We need a Tenuta blitzkrieg badly. If you ever focus on our poor ol 3 dls struggling at the los w/no blitz going on, and the qb having all the time he wants to find a re3ceiver, that’s leaky roof defense. LBs aren’t as small as dbs, and are relegated to cover receivers as dbs in Groh’s d. We need de Obercommando der luftwaffe’s blitzkrieg against Clemson, one of Heisman’s old schools he coached. We sure don’t want to be blown out on Grant Field, but I think that might happen. CPJ better watch out or Ratikovich might meet him after the blowout and fire him, the same way Gailey was fired after a Georgia game.
scott
October 27th, 2011
7:19 pm
it’s not just qb, tevin can throw ok, not great but ok however we have no passing game. we need pass routes and we need to cut back a good bit on the option. we need more designed plays and use to option when we need it maybe to fool them sometimes. l don’t care how good a qb throws the offense needs a passing game and we just dont have that yet, we just have few pass plays.
l don’t think its time to call for paul johnsons head yet but l think he needs to know that there is fire under his seat and it is heating up. if we have another losing season he needs to go,we held on to bill curry way to long then chan gailey for to long, we need to be quicker replace coaches that don’t win enough