Georgia Tech: Justin Thomas turns on the jets
Practice report from Tuesday afternoon:
1. Georgia Tech put on the pads for the first time Tuesday. Among the standouts was freshman quarterback Justin Thomas.
“There were some kids that did some good things,” coach Paul Johnson said. “Justin Thomas had a couple long runs for touchdowns, so that was good.”
In his next breath, Johnson played down the possibility of him playing this year. With Tevin Washington, Vad Lee and Synjyn Days ahead of him, a redshirt seems likely.
“He’s lost right now,” Johnson said. “But he’s very quick and fast. He’s got ability like we thought.”
Tuesday was also the first opportunity for coaches to see how Days, who has also been taking snaps at A-back, could block. Johnson said Days took more reps Tuesday at quarterback than A-back and didn’t watch him that much.
“It wasn’t glaringly bad or it wasn’t anything that caught my eye,” he said.
There wasn’t a great deal of full-contact work, defensive end Izaan Cross said, mostly formation recognition work. The most contact was in an option drill.
“We’ve got a ways to go,” Cross said, “but a good start.”
After four practices with no pads or just shoulder pads, “everybody was ready to hit,” said nose tackle T.J. Barnes, who hailed the play of cornerback Louis Young. “I was impressed by what I saw [Tuesday], but we’ve still got to get better.”
Defensive coordinator Al Groh’s assessment of the freshmen: “A lot of them are like a ball in high grass. You know what that is? Lost.”
2. Groh’s breakdown of defensive end Anthony Williams, who is pushing for playing time behind ends Cross, Emmanuel Dieke and Euclid Cummings. “This is Anthony’s third year. He’s certainly got some muscles on him that he didn’t have two years ago, (and) a better sense of the techniques that he plays. That’s the key thing, the development of the techniques, because they’re all fairly similar from defensive scheme to defensive scheme. … In the early going, added on to the 15 practices of the spring, you can see some progress in that area.”
3. It’s been a good camp so far for kicker David Scully. The junior, who came to Tech as a walk-on, was placed on scholarship on Monday. He has taken an early lead in the competition with kicker Justin Moore. And he likes new special-teams coordinator David Walkosky. While he is spending more time with the specialists, Scully and his fellow kickers are actually kicking less.
“He makes it a point not to over-kick us,” Scully said. “I know this time last year, we were all (spending time in the) cold tub, sore, stretching, just dying. And he makes a really good point to make sure, when we start getting fatigued, he shuts us down. Just really kind of taking care of us in general.”
4. Cross’ roommate at the team hotel is walk-on freshman A-back Isiah Willis. It’s seemingly the ideal situation for a senior like Cross to pull rank. He said he has yet to do so.
“I just want to go to bed when I get back to the room,” he said. “I’m exhausted after Coach Groh’s meetings.”
5. The team will have its first double practice session on Wednesday, going at 9:30 a.m. and again at 5:15 p.m. The Jackets have a scrimmage scheduled for Saturday morning. It has not been determined if it will be open to the public.
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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207 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
10:43 pm
Funny as hell Shaq Mason v Bryan Chamberlain dance contest just an hour ago.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=401548573227566
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:44 pm
damn, crimson…..lol
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:44 pm
ESPN.com
I want to set the record straight about something. It was General Neyland who said, “When you throw the ball, three things can happen—and two of them are bad.” He doesn’t always get credit for the quote, as it is often attributed to Woody Hayes. But it was Neyland.
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
10:46 pm
Whoever said it, most coached has reiterated it
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
10:46 pm
coaches have…………..arrgh
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:47 pm
Crimson you will like this quote from the Bear —- “It’s kind of hard to rally around a math class.”
Big Crimson 75
August 7th, 2012
10:48 pm
y’all are dinosaurs…the first Michigan St Coach I remember is George Perlis…with Lorenzo White @ RB & Percy Snow playing D!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:48 pm
I always liked this quote by Heismann —- “Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football”
Hayseed Dixie
August 7th, 2012
10:49 pm
“I just want to go to bed when I get back to the room,” he said. “I’m exhausted after Coach Groh’s meetings.”
That’s not good.
Them older fellas, they tend to get less visceral, more cerebral as they plod along. A good balance is what’s required.
Sometimes, thinking is the worst thing a football player can do.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:50 pm
Crimson, Duffy didn’t quit coaching til 1972. That’s not THAT long ago. He won 2 MNC’s while at Mich State.
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
10:50 pm
Michigan St that is Magic Johnson’s school do they play football?
Ask a dWag!
ole yeller
August 7th, 2012
10:51 pm
Well, Dodd took his old coaches philosophy to heart. He believed it and was in most of his game plans. Anyone old enough to remember the old belly series he ran in the late 50’s? He and Bud Wilkerson ran it to perfection. Not much different than the offense you are looking at with Tech now.
Big Crimson 75
August 7th, 2012
10:51 pm
Supe — Did you like Bryant…or were You in the Furman Bisher camp??
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
10:54 pm
@ ole yeller, the ball handling was something to behold!
and another great quote from Bear about Dodd. he could take his and beat you then take yours and beat you
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
10:54 pm
Crimson, because of the 1961 Darwin Holt – Chick Granning incident, that Bear never even acknowledged to have happened, much less reprimanded Holt for, I had no respect for the man. But he WAS a good football coach; I can’t deny that.
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
10:55 pm
LOL@ 5150 !!!!!
Big Crimson 75
August 7th, 2012
10:55 pm
51 —- The dwag bloggers are acting stupider than usual lately,
I think their a little worried about the Season coming up!!!
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
10:58 pm
Big Crimson my 18 year old sone is watching the 1997 FSU/FL game on you tube right now
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
10:59 pm
Did any of you look at the Video of the dance competition?
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
11:00 pm
5150 not yet but I’ll have to check it out
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
11:01 pm
OJF is it the 1st FSU/ UF game or the rematch?
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
11:01 pm
what video, UOAD? The FB link you posted earlier? I couldn’t open it if that’s what you mean
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
11:03 pm
5150 I think it’s the first one. My son just texted that Spurrier is already throwing his visor!
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
11:05 pm
Super yes from FB. You should get it since you are on FB that is odd.
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
11:06 pm
It s the 1st one, FL was ranked 10th and FSU 1st, FL won 32-29
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
11:06 pm
It says it may have expired
Ol'JacketFan
August 7th, 2012
11:07 pm
I’m outta here, y’all keep it between the white lines
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
11:09 pm
Night, OJF
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2012
11:10 pm
Super I just sent it to you on FB.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
11:11 pm
ok, UOAD
Supersize that order, mutt
August 7th, 2012
11:13 pm
Nothing yet, UOAD
AJC GT Camp Update 8/07
August 7th, 2012
11:24 pm
[...] [...]
5150 UOAD
August 8th, 2012
12:28 am
Supersize that order, mutt…….and make it a Birthday Cake!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 8th, 2012
12:35 am
AWWWWWW
Thanks, UOAD
playmaker
August 8th, 2012
2:09 am
Justin Thomas ia a playmaker but CPJ will find some logic not to play him, just like Perkins and Bostic. They have game changing ability but GT will bog them down in technique and terminolgy. Sometimes you have to let wild horses run. But I know “They are not ready yet.”
Few new names mentioned in Practise Report
August 8th, 2012
6:54 am
[...] new names mentioned in Practise Report Georgia Tech: Justin Thomas turns on the jets | Georgia Tech Reply With Quote [...]
Wilson Pickett
August 8th, 2012
7:23 am
Darwin Holt (all 165 pounds of him) help the facemask companies get rich!
“Bryant was a good Coach”….LOL…you have some high standards sport if Good is the best Coach Bryant could reach on your scale.
As the man said GT sheet the bed when they left the SEC and the bills are still coming as of today. Denial isn’t a great plan but that is about all you have ever 50 years.
asdf
August 8th, 2012
7:31 am
regarding dodd: he left so that tech could keep its integrity. if you want to know what it looks like when you put wins before integrity, look at psu.
Paddy
August 8th, 2012
7:37 am
Ole Jacket Fan……Believe that quote was from Woody Hayes.
BartBuzz
August 8th, 2012
8:13 am
I keep waiting for Vad Lee to break out. Wasn’t he highly praised when he signed at GT? What happened?
gt4ever
August 8th, 2012
8:14 am
WnE was either drunk or on heavy drugs when he denigrates Dodd’s coaching ability, but he is dead on about the absurd logic used in taking us out of the SEC. I mean we all have the luxury of hindsight, but GT football has never been the same…
WnE, Just get some help, son!
gt4ever
August 8th, 2012
8:16 am
BartBuzz
Give the boy time. If we all remember Hamilton just didn’t walk out on the field and become a superstar. He had one of the best OC’s in the game as a coach, and it took him a couple of years…
Tokyo jacket
August 8th, 2012
8:22 am
I don’t understand how people can say CPJ is too stuborn to make a good decision. Do you REALLY think that Justin Thomas will win more games than Tevin Washington? An 18 year old who knows nothing but is fast vs a senior player with game experience who knows the system like the back of his hand, generally makes good decisions, and has played in hard fought losses and wins alike?
Most hold Michael Vick as the gold standard for a freshman QB (attended Heisman ceremony as a sophomore), he wasn’t as good as TW. Vick had 1840 yds passing and 580 yds rushing his frosh year. TW had 1,652 and 986 respectively. Also, in his sophomore year, Vick only had 1,439 and 636.
The gold standard for option QBs: Eric Crouch. His Heisman year he had 1,510 and 1,115 or almost exactly as many yards from scrimmage as TW. If TW improves AT ALL, he will put up numbers that in past years would have qualified for a trip to Manhattan. I expect his completion % to get upwards of 55% with personal improvement and a slight improvement in pass blocking by the offensive line.
Remember, incoming freshman and the backup qb are always the most popular guys on the team.
Indyjacket
August 8th, 2012
8:24 am
Your quote attributed to Dodd “three things can happen when you pass and two are bad” was a Woody Hays quote Mate. Look it up.
Alabama Jack
August 8th, 2012
8:29 am
WnE – sure would like to see you posting on the obit page.
5150 UOAD
August 8th, 2012
8:33 am
Indyjacket
August 8th, 2012
8:24 am
Your quote attributed to Dodd “three things can happen when you pass and two are bad” was a Woody Hays quote Mate. Look it up.
===============================================
You look it up and keep reading the blog and you will continue to learn. It was attributed to MANY people.
NP
August 8th, 2012
8:33 am
He’s lost yet he’s running for two long td’s??? Sounds to me he’s exactly what’s needed. Someone who’s “lost” PJ is an idiot
gt4ever
August 8th, 2012
8:36 am
@Tokyo Jacket
He would get killed, and everybody would hate the kid if CPJ was foolish enough to put this kid on the field this soon… I mean, if we had no other options, maybe, but you have Vad Lee, Days… No reason to put a freshmen QB on the field… Give him a year or two to get seasoned and then let him loose.
@ Alabama Jack
That’s a little tough don’t you think… As obnoxious as WnE is, the Obits… LOL
Joe
August 8th, 2012
8:41 am
Sounds like another 6-6 season at best
5150 UOAD
August 8th, 2012
8:45 am
Joe put your money on that 6-6.