Shotgun option play shines in scrimmage
Greetings-
Hope all are well. This is the top of the notebook that will go in the Sunday paper. Brief observations of the scrimmage: Offense played better, defense didn’t tackle well. Synjyn Days ran the ball well but had trouble throwing. Vad Lee looked pretty good but had a bad fumble. Enjoy the weekend.
Last Saturday, in its first open scrimmage of spring practice, Georgia Tech unveiled the work it had been doing in the shotgun. Saturday, the Tech offense rehearsed repeatedly what could be a productive play out of that formation.
In a scrimmage at Bobby Dodd Stadium, a read-option play with a motioning A-back routinely broke for big gains against the Tech defense. Quarterback Synjyn Days used it for several productive runs, as he led the offense to three touchdowns on possessions starting on its 30-yard line. He did have a bad giveaway, throwing an interception under heavy pressure.
“They couldn’t tackle him,” coach Paul Johnson said. “He had a good day. He made a lot of people miss. He needs to improve on his throwing, though.”
The offense has been working on the play over the course of spring practice, quarterback Tevin Washington said.
“[Saturday] was the first day we really got work with it,” he said. “It looked good. I think we did a good job of executing and doing what the coaches asked of us.”
On one touchdown drive led by Days, the offense ran it three times for 46 yards. A-backs Robert Godhigh, Tony Zenon and B.J. Bostic had runs of 27, 21 and 17 yards, respectively, off the play.
“It just worked,” Johnson said. “They blocked it correctly most of the time, and if you get the read right, it’s pretty hard to play.”
As has been the case this spring, coaches gave most of the snaps to Days and backup quarterback Vad Lee, who drove the offense to two touchdowns. Lee threw the ball accurately and mixed in a few positive runs. He did have a little trouble on center-quarterback exchanges and ended one drive in the red zone with a lost fumble.
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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329 comments Add your comment
dry dirt road
April 15th, 2012
8:58 pm
5150, I corrected myself w/second post; but the understatement of this article is that CPJ finally concedes that the qb cannot be tackled in a shotgun
dry dirt road
April 15th, 2012
9:00 pm
man that was like pullin’ teeth with CPJ
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
9:03 pm
He used it in Hawaii. He has used the passing game.
dry dirt road
April 15th, 2012
9:05 pm
I think we can win more now. The burden of winning against Logan Thomas this year will be on Groh, not on the Tech team. Plugs will be required to prevent qb sneaks up the middle, which we already know will not be sneaks at all, but will be expected with high probability. Maybe we will need Godhigh out there since we already know about repeat performance attempt in Blacksburg.
dry dirt road
April 15th, 2012
9:14 pm
He might have used it in Hawaii, but has he ever needed to use it in Atlanta, and he has not. Now, though, I think all good things will come to Tech, like when Hamilton was qb passing it, and when Shawn Jones was qb passing it. We need to plug up holes on d against VT and double and triple team tackle Logan b/c we know he runs it like a qb possessed. We need to talk to Lucious Sanford about advice tackling Logan. He’s available to talk to as Director of Player Personnel.
chas_jacket
April 15th, 2012
9:22 pm
HighTech, Weenie has never been a tech fan or alum – he is a UGA troll pure and simple. He “stalked” Vad because he knows that his dawgs couldn’t stop CPJ’s offense without a semblance of a passing game and will be in trouble now that we have someone who can throw a decent pass..
While the defense remains an issue, we are in better shape at QB than any time in the last 4 years. I fully expect to see some hurry up offense with rotating QB’s for the VT game. Should be interesting.
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
10:10 pm
Must have created a lot of enthusiasm in the Ghetto…GT has one recruit in the bag…well kind of.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:13 pm
troll hard, Okie
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
10:19 pm
HI Super…I admit to being a little behind on GT recruiting for 2013…but how’s it going? Traffic at the Masters was horrendous, how do locals get around?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:24 pm
Okie, you probably know just as much about recruiting as I do. None of it really matters right now anyway, other than it apparently makes the dwags feel good. Nothing matters until the names go on the dotted line, and that doesn’t happen for another 9 months. I’m sure Tech is looking hard, just like every other school does; it’s just a matter of finding the right fit.
I assume you were in town for the Masters? Locals know how to avoid the traffic. There are short cuts if needed, but depending on the time of day, traffic on Washington Rd is no different than any other time of year. I always go to the Kroger on Washington Rd, between the course and I-20 on Wednesdays. It didn’t take me any more time last week than it does any other week. The bad times, at least for me, from where I live, are in the mornings, about an hour either side of the time the gates open, and in the afternoons, starting about 4PM. During those times, locals either avoid Washington Rd completely, or use the shortcuts, of which there are plenty.
LG
April 15th, 2012
10:26 pm
Vad Lee is not the answer!
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:27 pm
Incidentally, just to give you some perspective, I live about a mile east of the course, in a subdivision at the eastern end of Washington Rd.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:28 pm
@ LG, how do you know? Have you seen him in a game situation yet? I think I can answer that for you……NO!!!
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
10:32 pm
Super, I was in town for the Masters. My Dad took me to my first Masters in 1959 and apparently that was Jack’s first and won by Art Wall. But I was too young to know…Dad told me when I was older.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
10:36 pm
Did ANYBODY ever ask LG a single freaking question for him to give an answer too?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:37 pm
Okie, my first Masters was in 1956. I have been every year since then except for 2007, when I rented out my house and my tickets. I sold my tickets this year and would not have gone at all, but my annual house guest had an extra ticket on Friday, so I went then. I’ve pretty much lost interest in it and only watched it on TV this year, except for Friday. Of course, I will still get those tickets every year; I can either decide to go, sell one, or sell both; there’s a lot of money to be made in selling them.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:37 pm
@ UOAD, I don’t think so; just another stinking troll who thinks he knows everything.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:40 pm
@ Okie, you seem like a decent guy, able to carry on a conversation. So why did you start things off with a troll-like remark. You can do better than that.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
10:41 pm
LG I will ask a question you can answer.
The Offense isn’t really the problem IMO
What and How can we fix the Defense? If we had a pretty Good Defense I am sure we would be playing in the ACC CG almost every year.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:54 pm
UOAD, I guess both Okie and LG left. I think I will to for awhile. I might be back later, but then again, I might not.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
10:54 pm
too, that is, not to.
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
10:56 pm
Super…Sorry…but it’s Good Ole Fashion Hate. I was born a Dawg (became an alum) and have a long family tradition of Dawg Nation attendees. My wife’s family and my family are deep in UGA tradition. I will admit that 2 nephews are GT grads but because of that are kind of considered “outsiders”. So, I just come off as a troll…because I’m a troll. But I do appreciate your perspective on all things GT football. (Keep your friends close but your enimies…)
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:00 pm
Okie…so now you are Hyman Roth?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:01 pm
Okie, I didn’t leave yet, hoping for some kind of response from you. Good Ole Fashion Hate is fine as long as it’s intelligent. Some of my best friends are dwag fans, but ALL of my immediate family are Tech fans, and that included my late brother in law, who was a UGA alum but was a life-long Tech fan, even while he was in school in Athens. My nephew graduated from Tech, and my nephew in law ALMOST graduated from Tech, but he couldn’t make it and finished his degree at Augusta State.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:03 pm
Okie, just leave off references to “the ghetto.” Actually, although it was safer back then, the area around Tech was more of a ghetto in the 50s than it is now. The problem is not the people who live in the area, but those who come into the area, and there’s not much Tech can do about them, and the APD DOESN’T do much about them
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
11:04 pm
No Fl Jacket…I’m a real person.
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:04 pm
Okie…
Do Dawg fans realize that CMR has to sign these kids this early to be able to get enough of them in by January and keep the 2013 number at 25 or less right?
Are any of your brethren realistic enough to think that a few of them might flip?
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:05 pm
Okie…my bad, Michael Corleone said that line anyway…
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
11:11 pm
Fl Jacket…
Do GT fans realize that CPJ has to sign 1 kid this early to be able to get enough of them in by January and keep the 2013 number at 1 ?
Are any of your brethern realistic enough to think that the 1 may flip?
Fl Jacket…Are you a competent blogger?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:14 pm
C’mon now, Okie, that’s just silly. You know there is more truth to what FLJ said than to what you said.
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
11:16 pm
Please correct me…ow many commits does GT have?
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:19 pm
Okie…
Be realistic…it’s a whole heckuva lot easier to get early recruits when you have to fill 4-5 spots per position for 2013.
People love to get on CPJ lately for not signing any kids early…maybe it’s because he’d rather they take their visits and be sure they want to commit? But then they bring up the commitment thing as a negative too. Tough to have it both ways isn’t it?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:20 pm
only one so far, but so what? How many of those UGA has signed have put their names on the dotted line yet? How many could indeed flip before next February. One thing about those who commit to Tech under CPJ, very few have flipped….in fact less than 5 in 4 years
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:20 pm
Okie…fine it’s the current fact. My question is “why doesn’t even matter?”
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:21 pm
Okie, I might remind you too that Tech only has 14 to give this year, barring any dropouts from the current roster. I think UGA has 30 available for next year. It’s a lot easier to take anybody and everybody you recruit than being forced to be selective based on specific needs.
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:22 pm
Supersize…32-33 I believe for 2013
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
11:24 pm
Fl Jacket…You have a point. I have no problem recognizing a relevant argument.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:24 pm
I don’t see how they have so many spots available, but it is what it is. I WILL give UGA credit for one positive thing though. LIKE Tech, and VERY MUCH UNLIKE Bama, they don’t kick kids off scholarhip in order to make more openings.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:25 pm
scholarship, not scholarhip
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
11:25 pm
How many have graduated to 12th grade or have passing ACT or SAT scores already? There are still the NCAA clearing house issues as well.
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:26 pm
Super…I think it helps the sales pitch to a recruit to tell them “hey, if you commit now and enroll in January by next Spring you might be on the 2-deep…
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:28 pm
amazing how many early enrolees a school like UGA can get. Tech gets a couple every 3 or 4 years. Not trying to push the academic argument here, but let’s face it, it’s tough finishing HS early with the kind of credits that are needed at Tech.
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
11:28 pm
I don’t mind kids committing early but I do hate the Surprises that sometimes come along later. The dawgs had the Chester Brown stuff that I can’t believe they didn’t see coming.
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:29 pm
Okie…no biggies. Tech generally gets 1-2 guys in the spring, 4-5 guys before August, and the rest after November. CPJ gives credence to a kid’s Senior year tape and generally snags a few late bloomers anyway (Anthony Autry, Freddie Burden) so I’m not worried.
OkieDawg
April 15th, 2012
11:31 pm
C’mon Super…1 is 1. You can do the math and if UGA has 15 for 30 spots and GT has 1 for 14 spots…which program is behind the numbers?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:32 pm
Okie, again, I say at this point, it doesn’t mean a thing. Do you really think anybody at Tech is worried? I don’t think so.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:33 pm
@ FLJ…..good assessment there.
FL Jacket
April 15th, 2012
11:34 pm
Super…our only position where we’re remotely behind is B-Back…where we want to sign 2 (and we’ve signed our 1 recruit at this position).
5150 UOAD
April 15th, 2012
11:34 pm
Okie just to poke some fun I bet the 1 Tech has is not going to be a Special Admit. I would also bet that 70% of the UGa commits will be special admits.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 15th, 2012
11:37 pm
@ FLJ….very true. Hell, he might not even fill all 14 spots, saving some for next year. I know the CPJ-haters and mockers like to say he can’t recruit, but I think he’s smarter than the majority of people (including myself) who post on these blogs, and I firmly believe he knows what he is doing, whether others believe it or not.