Tech offense effective in scrimmage
Notes from Saturday morning scrimmage. It was closed to public and media, so this is all based off of accounts from coaches and players. It’s like Rashomon.
1. Even without its two starting offensive tackles and the starting B-back, the Georgia Tech offense put in an effective morning of work in the team’s Saturday scrimmage.
In the Yellow Jackets’ first full-team scrimmage of fall camp, the first-team offense twice drove 70 yards for touchdowns and reached field-goal position on a third possession.
“They were pretty good at doing what we do,” coach Paul Johnson said. “When we started in the auxiliary stuff, not so good.”
Charles Perkins and Zach Laskey subbed for David Sims at B-back. Sims, who had surgery in the summer to repair a stress fracture in his shin, has been held out. Tackles Ray Beno and Morgan Bailey were replaced by Bryan Chamberlain and Tyler Kidney.
“First drive, we opened up and kind of ran the ball down the field at will, but after that, [the defense] started adjusting and started doing some new stuff and kind of slowed us down,” guard Will Jackson said. “All in all, that was probably the best first scrimmage we’ve had since I’ve been here, in terms of both sides.”
Quarterback Tevin Washington made some plays throwing the ball, hitting receiver Jeff Greene on the opening drive for a 15-yard gain and later setting up A-back Tony Zenon for a 27-yard reception across the middle. While he drove the team to two touchdowns on the first-team defense, Washington conceded he wanted to be more patient in the pocket.
“We executed a couple drives running the ball, running the option,” quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon said. “We still want to improve in the passing game a little more, (be) more efficient when we do throw it.”
2. Defensive coordinator Al Groh deemed the scrimmage “a positive day,” noting three forced turnovers, crisp tackling and further evidence that his players have a deep enough understanding of the schematic concepts to “mix and match some of them to solve the issues that the offense presents you.”
Groh gave a positive report on nose tackle T.J. Barnes, whose fitness level was one of the questions going into the scrimmage.
“He’s trained very hard and his stamina, there’s been no indication in training camp of any real stamina issues, and there did not seem to be [Saturday],” he said.
Outside linebacker Nick Menocal made one of the plays of the morning. He chased down quarterback Justin Thomas about 50 yards to strip him of the ball and force a turnover. Thomas, a freshman, is one of the fastest players on the team.
“It took three to seven points off the board, so that’s pretty significant in terms of what the scoreboard looks like,” Groh said.
Thomas did not have the ball secured close to his body, Bohannon said.
“Hard lessons to learn when you’re the young guy,” he said.
3. The star of the scrimmage was B-back Zach Laskey, the third-stringer behind Sims and Perkins. Johnson praised Laskey for a strong fall camp and a few big runs on Saturday. Laskey and Perkins, both sophomores, contributed to the two touchdown drives. Laskey had runs of 25 and 16 yards to help take the offense to the end zone.
“Zach Laskey made a lot of plays,” Johnson said. “I thought he did some good things.”
Asked if Laskey is pushing Perkins on the depth chart, Johnson responded, “I’d say yes, definitely.”
Johnson also noted the play of center Jay Finch and wide receiver Micheal Summers, who caught a 49-yard pass from quarterback Vad Lee. Washington pointed out defensive end Euclid Cummings for his work causing problems on option plays and safety Isaiah Johnson.
Johnson, Washington said, was “just disguising coverages better, giving me a hard time, not giving you a clear look at what they were going to do.”
4. A number of key players were held out of the scrimmage with injuries. Cornerback Rod Sweeting and quarterback/A-back Synjyn Days did not participate, along with Beno, Bailey and Sims. Johnson disclosed only Bailey’s injury, a concussion. Bailey, who has been in the lead to start at right tackle over Kidney, also suffered a concussion in spring practice.
Johnson said Sims is considered day to day.
5. Kicker David Scully, in competition with Justin Moore for the placekicking job, missed in the team’s only field-goal try of the morning, from 41 yards. Both made extra-point tries.
Said special-teams coordinator David Walkosky, “We have to finish the drive, and we didn’t do that.”
6. The team will have Sunday off after practicing nine consecutive days since Aug. 3, a total of 10 practices. The team has 29 total before the season opener Sept. 3 against Virginia Tech. Said Johnson, “You’d always like to be better, but I think we’re making progress.” … Lee “didn’t really have a great day altogether,” Bohannon said, having some challenges with the option and not passing as well as normal. … Behind Sims, Perkins and Laskey, B-back Marcus Allen is a likely redshirt. … As in the spring, the offense did a little work out of the “Pistol” formation. … … A team movie was scheduled for Saturday night. “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell, was a candidate.
Thanks for reading. Back Monday morning.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
318 comments Add your comment
HighTech
August 12th, 2012
10:44 am
Enjoy your weekend, BLT, what’s left of it. If Ken followed your suggestion, the blog would be redundant to the Bill King and Chip Towers blogs.
Ol'JacketFan
August 12th, 2012
10:50 am
@ Dawg’88 and you know this how? I assume you were at the scrimmage since you’re able to provide such a detailed analysis?
HighTech
August 12th, 2012
10:54 am
Ol’JacketFan…do not feed. The school the trolls supposedly support have unresolvable problems, much like their personal lives, so they feel the need to lash out here.
Wilson Pickett
August 12th, 2012
10:55 am
Tech has to throw the ball better to take that next step. If Paul can ever get that QB that is a decent passer then GT can make it difficult for the teams to stop both the run and pass. There can be no double coverage for the most part with the Bone if executed.
Ol'JacketFan
August 12th, 2012
10:56 am
HT I know
razorjacket
August 12th, 2012
11:40 am
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/
undergrad B-school GT #37 UGA #50
MBA GT #23 UGA #36
DUGOOD
August 12th, 2012
11:40 am
How do the defensive players stay interested in practice? How do they get better going against this O? What is summer practice with no coaches allowed like? You need more than single player drills to develop as a defensive player. PJ has to stay at GT because when he leave they will be left with 1-AA offensive talent.
Ol'JacketFan
August 12th, 2012
11:57 am
I’m not going to feed the trolls, just got to keep remembering that………..
BIrmingham Jacket
August 12th, 2012
12:02 pm
All but the most poor offenses are effective against our “DEFENSE”. And I use the word “DEFENSE” loosely.
Thanks for covering the off-season Ken. But the truth is, we won’t know anything about this team until Labor Day.
And I’ll join Vegas as they predict the inevitable… Va. Tech beats the snot out of us.
I’ve said it once. I’ll say it again.
THIS COACHING STAFF DOESN’T GET IT DONE IN FEBRUARY. AND THAT’S HALF THE BATTLE!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
12:17 pm
@ OJF……Just TRY. If I can do it, you can too
BigTimeTECHFan
August 12th, 2012
12:30 pm
I’m just fired up for the 1st Tech game. Sound like practice he starting to take form, offense is starting to click, defense is getting better, special teams are motivated, GT is ready to shock the world
Ol'JacketFan
August 12th, 2012
12:32 pm
@ SS I’m trying, trust me
ToeMeetsLeather
August 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
B…Jacket, you need to just give it up and become a fan of one of your local “win at all cost” SEC programs. (see the most recent stories coming out regarding their recruiting) TECH is a different type of program and CPJ is the perfect fit. I hope he retires at The Institute.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
12:57 pm
@ OJF…..it really is surprisingly easy. Instead of posting any kind of retort to the garbage they post, just think of them sitting there waiting and hoping to get into an argument, and nobody even acknowledges their presence. Has anybody ever ignored you? It is very frustrating and often depressing. So by ignoring them completely, you have won a battle without ever even firing a shot
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
12:59 pm
@ ToeMeetsLeather……I TOTALLY agree with you. If CPJ’s recruiting were so bad, then why is it that so many players this year whom he recruited have been awarded pre-season accolades. Sure, there are lots of other players at other schools similarly honored, but if CPJ doesn’t recruit good players, then one would think that nobody from Tech would be so honored.
@razorjacket
August 12th, 2012
1:02 pm
Since this is a football forum Coaches poll UGA # 6 GT unranked. 2011 AP poll UGA 19th Tech Unranked ZERO votes. ACC Champs 22nd, ACC runners up 21st
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
1:22 pm
2007 preseason polls — UGA # 1, Tech unranked. Enuf said
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
1:22 pm
oops, I mean 2008 preseason polls
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
1:53 pm
WnE(Rexie) this is why you were run off BBuzzoff. You are just not objective about PJ and what he brings to the table. His first year he beat your beloved Dawgs and Mark “the saint” Richt. With I might add a bunch of kids not recruited to run the TO. Then he goes and wins the ACC in just his second year. I know it was stripped due to some minor infractions but that does not tarnish Johnson’s coaching prowess. The plain fact of the matter is it’s not PJ offense that has been keeping Tech from winning with more regularity, it’s that paper thin defense and breakdowns on ST.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
1:54 pm
Once again I am way behind with the timeline with regard to the post I am commenting on. There is at least one guy that comments here most every day that could answer his own question. He has asked the question, “can anyone name a QB that CPJ recruited that could be considered an NFL ‘polished passer’ that could be trusted to run a 2 minute drill”? He answered that himself. About 2 years ago. On twitter. Trying to talk a QB commit from North Carolina out of coming to GT. Telling him he was ruining his NFL prospects. If the questioner thought he was ruining his NFL prospects, then it stands to reason that HE thought this commit was a “polished passer” and could be trusted to run a 2 minute offense. Selah!!
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
1:57 pm
Anyone that has to proclaim himself analytical and devoid of trolling is a troll. If it looks a duck, waddles like a duck, smells like a duck & quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck!!!!
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:19 pm
Washington might not be tall enuf to be a pocket passer. Eddie McAshan was a tall pocket passer WHO WORE A WHITE GT HELMET 2 years. Have TW talk to him. Both guys are black, too.
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:25 pm
article says “a little work out of the pistol”; why not alot of work? why not conform to the ofenses run by the best teams in the nation, the teams who run the pistol/shotgun/wildcat? why not keep the trip op off also, AND MIX IT UP(I tell ya, I hate to give opposing teams the secrets, but if I don’t speak up, Tech does not seem to hear)
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:29 pm
was looking at ESPN College Football list of recruits and potential recruits, and looks like most for Tech are 3 out of 5 stars, whereas the 5 star boys don’t want to go to Tech; if 3 stars, then coaches will have to make up for lack of talent by improving plays and configurations such as 3-4 defense, etc.; Oregon impresses as a college with complex offenseive plays
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:31 pm
“offensive”, or offense
George Stein
August 12th, 2012
2:33 pm
This time of year is a troll’s paradise. If the offense is good, it means the defense will suck. If the defense is good, it means the offense will suck.
The offense is going to score. We have four seasons of proof that this high school offense is a bear to stop. Unfortunately, as good as the offense has been, the defense has been equally poor. It’s time for that and the special teams to improve. If they do, we will have the chance to win every game (we won’t, but we will have the chance to do so).
Until then, stay healthy, Jackets!
HighTech
August 12th, 2012
2:42 pm
1 4 GT…when a troll posts on Ken’s blog, you need to read it a certain way. Here’s an example:
atlxman
August 12th, 2012
10:21 am
BarK, bark bark ,bark bark bark bark bark, bark bark bark bark bark bark? bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark. bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark bark..bark bark bark bark bark bark..pantpant
When you read it like that, there is no way to respond to it. I don’t speak dog, or dawg, or dwag, so it makes no sense to me.
In other words, it’s just noise that has no bearing on intelligent conversation.
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:44 pm
To GSUStud: which GSU, Ga Southern or Ga State? Listen, a Heisman team always has potential to win all their games, whether Tech, Auburn or Clemson
GTpack
August 12th, 2012
2:46 pm
Jury is still out on Groh’s D. Will it come through this year? Will TJ be the NG we thought he could be? A lot of answers will be made clear during the month of September.
I think by the end of the year Laskey will be the B Back. I think he is really good. Orwin staying healthy will be key, and TW needs to play all 12 games like the first 6 from last year. Also, some playing time needs to be given to TW’s heir apparent so he won’t be totally green when he starts next year.
Can’t wait for the season to start. I think the Jackets will be fired up for the Hokies, but the Hokies are going to be fired up too.
Go Jackets, be prepared and beat VT!!
dry dirt road
August 12th, 2012
2:47 pm
I could envision the Heisman coached colleges of Ga Tech, Auburn and Clemson to win every game that particular season, then play each other in a post season playoff game.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
3:03 pm
HT—-You’re right about that. But the guy I am talking about, IMO, left himself wide open. I don’t expect a refutation. He has never responded to a direct question. And I intended my comment to be a question for him anyway. Oh well.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
3:24 pm
Guys, even if they are not online when you post remarks referring to them, you are still acknowledging them and their generally stupid and often offensive remarks. Let it now be the credo of these blogs — IGNORE THE TROLLS AND WnE !!!!!
WnE
August 12th, 2012
3:24 pm
re:
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
1:53 pm
WnE(Rexie) this is why you were run off BBuzzoff. You are just not objective about PJ and what he brings to the table. His first year he beat your beloved Dawgs and Mark “the saint” Richt. With I might add a bunch of kids not recruited to run the TO. Then he goes and wins the ACC in just his second year. I know it was stripped due to some minor infractions but that does not tarnish Johnson’s coaching prowess. The plain fact of the matter is it’s not PJ offense that has been keeping Tech from winning with more regularity, it’s that paper thin defense and breakdowns on ST.
__________________
You’re absolutely right!
But guess what Sherlock?
CPJ is also responsible for those aspects of HIS TEAM also!
He the HEAD 3ffin’ COACH!
He doesn’t get to say it was “the defense” that made us lose, while “my offense” is doing great.
That first yr. that he beat UGA, CMR was about to get fired because of his DC (Willie Martinez), you didn’t hear any UGA fans say, “CMR is OK it was the Defense that caused us to lose”.
You don’t realize how far off base your ideology is!
CPJ is the HC, he is not a glorified OC, if he wants to be the OC-only and only be accountable for the Offense he needs to be paid a lot less than $2.6 mil per year.
At the end of the day CPJ is accountable for the entire FB program.
RECRUITING is 70 to 80% of what makes a BCS HC successful, disagree all you want, but it is, what it is.
Until GT & CPJ embrace that, then the only success we’ll have is vs. Cupcake City or vs. underachievers like Clemson or UNC.
The final tally remains the same, 5 years in, no game changers at B-Back, no polished passers at QB.
This is CPJ’s legacy so far.
WnE
August 12th, 2012
3:46 pm
re:
ToeMeetsLeather
August 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
B…Jacket, you need to just give it up and become a fan of one of your local “win at all cost” SEC programs. (see the most recent stories coming out regarding their recruiting) TECH is a different type of program and CPJ is the perfect fit. I hope he retires at The Institute.
____________
So if CPJ “retires” at GT, what will his record be vs. UGA?
1-14?
2-13?
With his record vs. UGA and in bowl games , I’m not sure what you see that would make you want to have CPJ around so long.
In case you hadn’t noticed, wee aren’t closing the gap on UGA, the gap in raw talent is getting wider, and even with their out of control attrition, they are still loading up on difference makers while we are recruiting guys that are lucky to produce by their RS-Jr. or RS-Sr. yr (Dieke & TJ Barnes for example).
What happened to Lance Richardson, when I criticized his signing as a reach, I was criticized, but here we are in his 3rd or 4th yr. out of HS and he is living up to my prediction as a “dead-weight Recruit” that will never help GT on the field.
If you were to go back and look at many of my old posts on bbuzzoff or GT sports-talk, you’ll see that I was accurate about how CPJ’s recruits would pan out, way more than I was wrong.
The proof that CPJ is recruiting poorly, is that every year “we seem young” and folks are hoping that RS-Fr. and T-fr. can break into the lineup because the upperclassmen haven’t had “the light bulb go on yet”.
Lots of dead-weight RS-sophs & above, the reason I use RS-sophs.is that they have been out of HS for 3 yrs.., and if they haven’t proven themselves by now then they aren’t likely to ever be big time game changers.
I think GT’s main problem as a FB program is that our fanbase is not very well versed on the finer points of what makes a CFB team successful, our fans just don’t know a lot about CFB, and this is the root of so many arguments & disagreements, this is also why so many GT fans think of CPJ as some sort of genius, they just don’t know a lot about CFB.
It makes guys like me look evil, when all I am doing is opining with good “CFB Logic”.
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
3:47 pm
WnE you are absolutely right in that CPJ is responsible for all area’s the football tam and I believe he is making strides to improve the team in all areas. Oh and when you want to bring up pay how much do your stinkin Dawgs pay just for a DC. Geez give it a break Tech can’t have the same unrealistic expectations as teams like UGA that have a treasure chest of money available at their football disposal. Look at how many grads UGA has each and every year. It’s not apples to apples but our little 2 and 3 stars give those mighty Dawg 4-5 stars a pretty decent game every time they have played since Johnson has been there. Maybe it has a little bit to do with coaching, Just sayin.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
3:49 pm
@ lewis……obviously you make good points, but you know you are wasting your time. JUST IGNORE HIM!!!! He is not worthy of the time you take to make responses
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
3:51 pm
@ lewis…….I doubt that he will ever go away, but if nobody acknowledges anything that he posts, then he’s just whistling into the wind.
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
3:59 pm
aye aye “supersize”. Just can’t seem to let his pontificating about Johnson and Tech go without noting he has been on Johnson’s case since he arrived at Tech. I for one am proud of Tech and Coach Johnson. He is heading us in the right direction.
WnE
August 12th, 2012
4:00 pm
re:
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
3:47 pm
WnE you are absolutely right in that CPJ is responsible for all area’s the football tam and I believe he is making strides to improve the team in all areas. Oh and when you want to bring up pay how much do your stinkin Dawgs pay just for a DC. Geez give it a break Tech can’t have the same unrealistic expectations as teams like UGA that have a treasure chest of money available at their football disposal. Look at how many grads UGA has each and every year. It’s not apples to apples but our little 2 and 3 stars give those mighty Dawg 4-5 stars a pretty decent game every time they have played since Johnson has been there. Maybe it has a little bit to do with coaching, Just sayin.
____________
I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree!
I guess we’re just 2 different people when it comes to ideology & psychological makeup.
I would never admit or write what you wrote above!
I DON’T ACCEPT MORAL VICTORIES!
I AM NOT SATISFIED BY MORAL VICTORIES!
Your comments above show how much damage CPJ has done to GT’s FB program & our fanbase, you act as if we should be happy to play a close game vs. UGA.
In 5 years CPJ has lowered the Standards of GT FB such that you think it is OK to publicly “feel good” about GT losing a close game to UGA.
With your post above you just proved that CPJ is not the man for GT, we need someone to raise our expectations, not LOWER them.
WnE
August 12th, 2012
4:07 pm
re:
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
3:49 pm
@ lewis……obviously you make good points, but you know you are wasting your time. JUST IGNORE HIM!!!! He is not worthy of the time you take to make responses
____________
Here’s a novel idea, just simply impeach my comments with solid “CFB logic”, and make me look silly to any stranger that wanders into these blogs by proving me wrong.
Running down every new poster and begging them to ignore me makes it look like you are running scared and don’t want to talk “issues”, but instead would rather name-call and do drive-by personal attacks.
Simply present better reasoning and better logic and make me look silly, but you can’t do that, so instead you take the short cut of begging people to ignore me, when the fact is, is that non-contributors like yourself should be ignored.
lewisbuzzard
August 12th, 2012
4:11 pm
No I will not settle for just playing close and moral victories but more importantly CPJ and the team won’t settle. Really what I am saying is a few favorable bounces and Tech would have split with UGA since Johnson’s tenure. I do humbly agree to disagree.
HighTech
August 12th, 2012
4:22 pm
Sounds like the dog pound in here with all this yapping and barking. Can’t make sense of it.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
I guess have should have named the guilty part in my post ay 1:54 PM August 12th, 2012. Although I would bet he knows, and all the regular guys on here,too, to whom I was talking to. OK! “Carnack” aka gollum aka wrexie aka weenie aka weinie aka WnE
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
at for ay (fat fingers)
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
5:00 pm
@ lewis……I know exactly how you feel, but it just doesn’t do any good. He won’t accept anything any of us say as truth or fact; he thinks he, and he alone, has the truth. He will never respond to questions or challenges that are posed; he only continues with more of the same drivel. So it is pointless even to try. I choose no longer to read a thing that he posts, because as far as I am concerned, it is just the rantings of either a die-hard dwag fan or of a greatly disturbed person. The fact that he would stalk a Tech recruit on Twitter to try to convince him not to sign with Tech could actually validate either or both of those possibilities. So, as I said before, don’t waste your time—-IGNORE HIM !!!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
5:01 pm
And 1 4 GT, I say the same to you, my friend……….IGNORE WnE !!!!!
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
5:16 pm
SS—-You’re preaching to the choir. Just satisfying my masochistic side!! LOL
Jon Koncak
August 12th, 2012
5:44 pm
I love reading how the defense is thought to be improving against the high school offense. Problem is the last time they saw this offense was on Friday nights 1 to 3 or 4 years ago. Play a real offense with real players and you get smoked…….
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
5:47 pm
@ 1 4 GT……..I know, but DO IT !!!!!
BLT
August 12th, 2012
6:07 pm
Ruff, Ruff, Bark, Bark, Woof, Woof!!!
That’s the best dog I can do!
I’m not about to drag my arse around on the carpet! LOL