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
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318 comments Add your comment
BLT
August 12th, 2012
6:10 pm
I guess I could chase my truck, but it’s parked and I might hurt myself. LOL
BLT
August 12th, 2012
6:12 pm
I remember Jon Koncak. Chirp, Chirp, Chirp
BLT
August 12th, 2012
6:17 pm
A link to prove your “logic” please. No “linkie” you look like a “dinkie”. Other than that it’s an opinion. Everyone knows about “opinions”. If you want I’ll provide a “linkie” for you.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
6:35 pm
Is Jon Contract back in town?
HighTech
August 12th, 2012
9:20 pm
Bow, wow, wow, wow. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.
What does that mean? Did Timmy fall into the well, Lassie?
ToeMeetsLeather
August 12th, 2012
9:50 pm
I think Koncack logged off, he had a couple of weapon serial numbers to scratch off for his team.
Ken Sugiura
August 12th, 2012
10:46 pm
don’t know if Bailey has had concussions before, but it obviously warrants concern. as we’ve grown increasingly aware, a concussion is not to be trifled with.
I think Lee just had a bad day. He still needs to get better at the option, evidently. it’s something that’s only going to come with reps.
i don’t know the balance of carries between laskey and perkins. both worked with the first team, i’d imagine on separate drives. both were in on scoring drives, perkins the first and laskey the second.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
10:52 pm
the name thief is back as Ken—-poor little foolish troll sure is brave—–& stupid
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
10:57 pm
And smart—smarter that the folks trying to stop him. Computer smart anyway. I notified the AJC about it for the LAST TIME. And turned around & told them this was my last time to notify them.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
10:59 pm
Or is the blue marker on the blogmeister not working??
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:01 pm
Why would Ken still be worrying with this blog @ 10:46 PM?? If that is Ken, put your work to bed for today.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
11:03 pm
@ 1 4 GT………I agree with you. I don’t think that’s Ken
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:11 pm
Could be. Ken doesn’t use caps to start sentences. Only cap is “I”.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
11:13 pm
Ken’s posts are always highlighted. These are not
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:15 pm
Yeah, that’s what I meant by blue marker. At 1st glance, that’s not Ken. At 2nd glance, doubts. At 3rd glance, well maybe it is.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
11:22 pm
Without the highlighting (or blue marker as you call it), pretty sure it’s not Ken
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:25 pm
Could be not working–or he forgot–it’s late.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:26 pm
My mind came with blue marker—highlight never did. Brain fart!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 12th, 2012
11:30 pm
If he’s at the office, I imagine the highlighting is automatic. I doubt that he posts from home. He DOES have a life…..LOL
gt40pinhd
August 12th, 2012
11:38 pm
i don’t recall ken ever using his last name.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:39 pm
That’s true gt40! Hadn’t realized that.
gt40pinhd
August 12th, 2012
11:44 pm
he said he wasn’t at the scrimmage, so the ramblings are just speculation. at least, i hope so. i want vad lee to play (he can pass!).
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:50 pm
V Lee will get his chances, I’m sure. But until he learns the option REAL good, TW will play, unless he just stinks up the place.
1 4 GT
August 12th, 2012
11:52 pm
In spite of the naysayers, CPJ wants the best players at each position on the field. He wants to win as much as we want him to, if not more so,
gt40pinhd
August 12th, 2012
11:55 pm
i looked up the “if then(?)” website someone posted here once before, cpj’s offense is very complex. i can see why it takes a while to learn!
gt40pinhd
August 13th, 2012
12:01 am
1 4 gt oops, i just noticed on a previous post, ken does use his last name. my bad….
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
12:03 am
@ gt40pinhd……that’s why when the haters refer to the offense as gimmicky and high-school, they are showing just how stupid they are. It’s probably one of the most complicated offenses there is.
gt40pinhd
August 13th, 2012
12:06 am
i’ve read it twice and … well, still working on it. not like darrel rogers wishbone (Texas).
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
12:07 am
not like Pepper Rodgers’ wishbone at Tech either
1 4 GT
August 13th, 2012
12:39 am
12:30 AM. Bedtime. Ya’ll will see this tonight or tomorrow. It is probably the most complex offense around. It takes time to get a real handle on it. But when you have the hosses to run it, it is very explosive. I’ve been keeping up with football for about 60 years, and I still don’t begin to know all of the intricacies of the offense. I just know that when the guys grasp it, it sure is fun to watch. I like the passing game, but I like rock ‘em sock ‘em smash mouth football best. It’s what I grew up playing. See ya!!! GOOOO JACKETS REMEMBER 9/3 THWGeorgie
1 4 GT
August 13th, 2012
12:40 am
Darryl Royal
gt40pinhd
August 13th, 2012
12:45 am
i never professed to know how to spell!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
12:59 am
LOL @ gt40
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
12:59 am
g’nite, 1 4 GT. See ya tomorrow
red&black
August 13th, 2012
5:42 am
Enter your comments here
lkmantsk
August 13th, 2012
5:48 am
Tech Football…….Somehow those two words just don’t seem to go together.
old_eagle
August 13th, 2012
6:06 am
CPJ: “When we started in the auxiliary stuff, not so good.” Glad to see CPJ is concerned about and working on some “auxillary stuff”. I love the base, but you’ve got to have several diversions from it to get to get in the minds of opposing defenses. Otherwise, they will load up on you at the base points of attack
I hope the defense and special teams play is looking better than last year at this time,
Good to see Michael Summers doing well. This kid comes from very good stock. His Dad was a beast at RB for SC State back in the 80’s and besides that, you won’t meet a nicer guy than Michael Sr. .
Heat Check: Hot Braves, booted Honey Badger, #NBCfail | Mark Bradley
August 13th, 2012
8:17 am
[...] TECH YELLOW JACKETS: From reading esteemed colleague Ken Sugiura’s report on the Saturday scrimmage, I note that Tech coaches were pleased with the offense and pleased with the defense. I also note [...]
Jason
August 13th, 2012
9:08 am
Wne=atlxman
Notice they always post in tandem. No one talking to wne so he has to create a log in to talk to himself. What a loser.
GTfan 2012
August 13th, 2012
9:48 am
I’m sorry guys, I just can’t help myself when it comes to responding to certain people on this board. I know I shouldn’t, its feeding the trolls, but I also know that people come here and read his drivel and think that he actually has football knowledge (when its been proven time and again that he knows nothing, he’s a liar, and he’s a manipulator). He’s clearly a UGA fan (proven based on his comments) masquerading as a GT fan, but I not sure everyone that reads these blogs knows that. I personally like to have discussions about GT football and what are our expectations, and I think rational fans can disagree about those. But its clear to me that anyone who claims CPJ isn’t a good and successful head coach at GT is a TROLL!!!! That doesn’t necessarily mean that one day he won’t be fired, lots of good coaches are eventually fired, and if he is fired, it will probably be because GT’s expectations have risen, as they should for any successful program over time. BUT, I think its much more likely that GT goes on a tear and has several very successful seasons, with two or three Coastal championships (and possibly an ACC championship or two) in a row. You’d have to be blind not to see the improvements that GT has made on the OL and DL (and realize how young we are), which are the two key areas (always important for any team, but especially for the TO and the 3-4). I believe this will translate into 2-3 more wins per year over the next two or three years. This year will be a great barometer to see where we are and how much we improve throughout the season.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
11:16 am
@ GTfan 2012…..what you need to do is whenever you see a post, or posts, by WnE, DO NOT READ THEM, and DO NOT ADDRESS HIM DIRECTLY. Instead, whenever you see them, simply post something like the following: “To all those who do not know, WnE does NOT speak for the majority of Tech fans. He claims to be a Tech fan, but he actually hates anything and everything to do with Tech. Please ignore anything that he has to say about anything.”
That will accomplish far more than arguing with him will ever accomplish
WnE
August 13th, 2012
11:29 am
re:
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
11:16 am
@ GTfan 2012…..what you need to do is whenever you see a post, or posts, by WnE, DO NOT READ THEM, and DO NOT ADDRESS HIM DIRECTLY. Instead, whenever you see them, simply post something like the following: “To all those who do not know, WnE does NOT speak for the majority of Tech fans. He claims to be a Tech fan, but he actually hates anything and everything to do with Tech. Please ignore anything that he has to say about anything.”
That will accomplish far more than arguing with him will ever accomplish
_____________
Sorry Pal, but people that actually follow CFB know that there is a lot of truth in what I am writing.
Ask yourself WHY many others have gotten warnings from this blog and others but I have never come close to getting any warning from any blog that I have posted on?
Simple!
I keep it clean, and I talk CFB in a fair and logical manner.
Even you have gotten direct warnings recently Supersize, and your pal 5150 got a little vacation.
People with no “pro-CPJ” bias know that a lot of what I write makes a lots of sense and a lot of the things that I have written have been mentioned on local sports talk radio AFTER I have analyzed or discussed them on these blogs.
You’re trying to silence the truth about CPJ and GT FB.
Oh and WHO ARE YOU to tell another person what they should read and what is not credible?
HighTech
August 13th, 2012
11:29 am
Supersize…here’s a video for you about Orwin Smith and the hard work he is doing to get ready. 9/3!
http://www.stingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65495
WnE
August 13th, 2012
11:33 am
re:
Jason
August 13th, 2012
9:08 am
Wne=atlxman
Notice they always post in tandem. No one talking to wne so he has to create a log in to talk to himself. What a loser.
_______________
Sorry, no cigar!
Ken has already issued warnings about people stealing others screen names and that is something that I have never done.
So no, I don’t use other screen names to carry on a conversation with myself.
HighTech
August 13th, 2012
11:35 am
GTfan 2012…right you are, sir. There is alot to be excited about this season for the Yellow Jackets. 9/3 will be a big test. Can’t really put a limit on what this team can do, provided everyone stays healthy and focuses on one game at a time. 9/3!
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
11:52 am
@ HT…..hell yeah. GO JACKETS !!!!
1 4 GT
August 13th, 2012
11:55 am
Inflated ego??? Claiming sports talk radio commentators are “talking” about the stuff he writes about here AFTER he posts here first. He is now accusing the radio guys of stealing his material. I’d demand payment & credit!!! LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLLOLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLOL
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
11:56 am
@ 1 4 GT……are you kidding me? That is TOO FUNNY !!!!
GTVegas
August 13th, 2012
11:59 am
I stopped reading Weenie’s comments long ago, recognizing they are akin to MSNBC’s reporting on anything Republican. He conveniently selects certain facts and links them to support his own opinions, all of which are formed based on his underlying hatred of CPJ and maybe GT.
All it took for me was to see that he actually badgered a significant GT recruit, trying to make him not choose GT. Just ask yourself what the possible motivation might be for that and ask yourself if any person in their right mind would go to those lengths unless their hatred was so deep as to be self-destructive.
Recognizing this, I skip all comments made by the aforesaid individual. He could start writing how much he supports GT and hates UGA and I would still not give the comments the time of day. He has no credibility no matter what he writes.
Supersize that order, mutt
August 13th, 2012
12:03 pm
@ GTVegas……you are exactly right, and I do the same. EVERYBODY needs to learn just to IGNORE HIM COMPLETELY !!!!