Tech’s Orwin Smith seeks pinnacle
Orwin Smith’s personal goal for the season is flavored with boldness and hints of audacity.
The Georgia Tech A-back wants to lead the country in all-purpose yardage, which would require him to assemble one of the greatest seasons in school history. Smith, whose chiseled 6-foot-0, 205-pound frame contains ample boldness, is game.
“I thought all-purpose was something that was unique,” he said. “(I) haven’t really heard anyone set it as a goal before, so that’s kind of how it came.”
Whether he achieves it or not, Smith has placed himself in position to make an earnest attempt. He is running without problems after surgery to repair turf toe. He has an experienced offensive line to open alleys and a familiar quarterback to deliver the ball, both on option pitches and in the passing game. His likely A-back partner is a sound blocker.
Smith said he wanted a goal “that’s going to take hard work (but) I feel like I can still reach it at the same time.”
Tech’s most dynamic ball carrier, Smith is reaching into the statistical stratosphere. Recent NCAA all-purpose yardage kings have averaged around 200 yards per game. Last season, Smith led the Yellow Jackets with 106.1 yards, split up among rushing (51.2), receiving (25.5) and kickoff return (29.3). Eddie Lee Ivery, Tech’s single-season record holder for all-purpose yardage, averaged 170.8 yards per game in 1978.
“I have no problem with him setting big goals, as long as he understands that, with that comes responsibility, and that’s what I expect from him every day,” A-backs coach Lamar Owens said.
Tech’s offense complicates Smith’s pursuit. While Smith’s speed and explosiveness make him a logical candidate to rack up carries, Tech’s option-based spread offense can’t be effective by repeatedly giving him the ball. A defense determined to keep Smith from receiving option pitches can do so by sending defenders at him. And, while the offense includes plays that can get him the ball on direct handoffs and passes, an overemphasis on getting the ball in Smith’s hands could unbalance the offense.
Finding Smith’s maximum utility would seem to require a delicate touch.
As coach Paul Johnson is fond of saying to those who gape at Smith’s career 9.7 yards-per-carry average and call for him to get the ball more, “The guy’s not going to average 10 yards a carry if you hand him the ball 40 times, I promise you. We’ve got to find ways to utilize him in the system.”
Smith’s productivity will also depend upon how much B-back David Sims can draw heat, how accurately quarterback Tevin Washington can deliver him the ball, how well A-backs like Robbie Godhigh and Deon Hill and the wide receivers can block downfield.
“It’s going to take an entire team effort for us to be successful offensively for him to even have a shot at that,” Owens said.
Smith is not obsessed by the goal. As defenses will devote attention to him, Smith figures he can be an excellent decoy. In fall camp, he focused on improving his blocking – a weakness. But it isn’t for Smith’s knack for baiting defenses that Smith is featured on billboards around metro Atlanta, an honor that led Sims to campaign for a change Smith’s nickname from “Big O” to “Billboard O.” Within Tech’s pursuit of an ACC title, Smith wants to deliver.
Smith trained furiously over the summer, adding pool workouts, yoga and exercise with resistance bands to the daily team training sessions. (Parts of it can be seen on a Youtube video Smith made with former Jacket Elris Anyaibe, titled “How Bad Do You Want It?”)
The only player in Tech history in gain 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game (Kansas last season) and the holder of the highest career yards-per-carry average (9.7) of any ACC player with 1,000 rushing yards won’t get the ball 40 times a game. But he’ll get it enough.
“Last year, I didn’t end like I started, so I’m really eager to start off like last year again and just keep it going this year,” he said. “It’s my last year, and I want to make it my best.”
In case you missed it:
T.J. Barnes kicking it into gear
Wednesday’s practice notes: Days to play ’somewhere’ for Tech against Hokies
Smith goes for 265 yards against Kansas
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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143 comments Add your comment
BartBuzz
August 24th, 2012
10:12 am
I hate to be negative…but Dawgs can KMA.
Burdell
August 24th, 2012
10:17 am
How can a high school offense be so complex?
Tech Man
August 24th, 2012
10:19 am
dawgfan:
“Despite the championship, Auburn’s defense struggled that year against the more traditional offenses of the SEC.”
How did they do against y’all? If I recall correctly, y’all jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter, then got more or less shut down for the final 3 quarters. Fairley was blowing up offensive lines all year long, not just Oregon’s. Didn’t Murry get triple suplex’d by that guy?
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
10:19 am
“Everyone except Paul Johnson. Its just funny to me. That’s all. I think its really holding Tech football back and I’m enjoying every minute of it. Keep up the good work.”
He’s holding us back by averaging more wins per year (8.5 per year) than his predecessor CCG (7 per year)?
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
10:25 am
If the Tech offense is so simple, how come most people can’t explain a load option?
I’m not trying to be difficult, dawgfan, but how do you know where we are versus other teams in terms of our rate of progress in preparation? How do you know our offense damages our defense? All offenses (and defenses, for that matter) require precision.
As for Oregon, Auburn’s offense (the same one that ran roughshod over all those vaunted SEC defenses, so maybe – just maybe – there is another issue at play. Perhaps it has something to do with the five weeks between games, but I don’t know.
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
10:28 am
Sorry, I screwed up the parenthetical in my last comment. I intended to say that Auburn’s offense couldn’t do jack against Oregon, either, so there may have been other issues at play.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
10:33 am
” I know you think Paul Johnson wakes up in the morning and farts excellence.”
This coming from a moron who complains about middle-school toilet humor. What a hypocrite.
Paul in NH
August 24th, 2012
10:40 am
“I love watching Oregon by the way. Probably my favorite team out west, but how’d they do against Auburn? They couldn’t block Fairley and it blew up EVERYTHING. One guy wouldn’t be able to wreak that much havoc against a more traditional offense.”
Yep – Fairley did nothing agains UGA.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
10:43 am
“One guy wouldn’t be able to wreak that much havoc against a more traditional offense.””
I also recall one Shaun Cody completely stuffing the middle in Athens at the infamous “Blackout” game…
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
10:43 am
“One guy wouldn’t be able to wreak that much havoc against a more traditional offense.”
dwagfan you moron, you forgot to tell that to Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma.
juvenal
August 24th, 2012
10:44 am
neener…
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
10:45 am
Paul…how’s it going? Where’s Dempsey going to end up? Liverpool? Arsenal? ManCity? Toffies?
If this hubub all along has been playing for a CL team, I don’t see the advantage of leaving Fulham’s side to go to Everton’s side. With RVP going to Old Trafford, Arsenal seems like the best fit now. It will be interesting to see with Aguero’s injury, if he’s an option there…
WnE
August 24th, 2012
10:56 am
re:
GTfan2012
August 24th, 2012
10:10 am
Dwagfan,
wait, I’m confused. Are you saying our offense is too complex and requires too many moving parts to be consistently successful. Or are you saying its not complex enough and defenses have “figured it out”. Because that doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of nuances that make CPJ’s offense successful. The base plays appear simple, but there are many variations off of them, which can keep the defense on its toes. And I would say that winning 33 games in four years of running this offense is quite a few wins.
____________
The 34 wins in 4 years came vs. weak schedules.
The last 2 yrs. we were 14-12 vs. the 76th & 69th toughest schedules.
That is a poor job by CPJ no matter how you slice it.
14 wins in 2 yrs is very Chan-esque, but as long as CPJ talks tough then GT Fans like you are mesmerized.
I don’t fall for tough talk on radio call-in shows with Wes, I look at results on the field, and as CPJ’s Recruits have populated the depth chart we have gotten noticeably worse.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
10:58 am
^ Please Ignore The Barkjng Dwag Troll ^
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
10:58 am
that’s Barking……another drillbit thru the finger
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:07 am
14-12 over two seasons is also very Mark Richt-esque, you clown. I’m no genius, but your darling’s record in 2000 (8-5) and 2010 (6-7) totals to 14-12. And then they won ten games last year. How’d that happen, Einstein?
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:08 am
*2009
WnE
August 24th, 2012
11:30 am
re:
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:07 am
14-12 over two seasons is also very Mark Richt-esque, you clown. I’m no genius, but your darling’s record in 2000 (8-5) and 2010 (6-7) totals to 14-12. And then they won ten games last year. How’d that happen, Einstein?
___________
I’m not a UGA fan, but they have played much tougher schedules and compete in a much tougher conference,and despite all that UGA fans are NOT applauding CMR’s 34 wins in 4 yrs. like GT is for CPJ.
Many UGA fans want CMR fired, while CPJ is beloved for getting fat on crappy opposition.
BTW, CMR’s 14-12 came vs. the 7th toughest schedule in 09 & the 36th toughest schedule in 10, his 10-4 came vs. the 23rd toughest schedule last season.
In summary GT & UGA compete in difference Universes, which is WHY CPJ has no excuse.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
11:32 am
George you forgot to add that in 2009 and 2010 the UGA depth chart was populated with CMR’s Recruits
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:32 am
Incorrect on so many levels, WnE. But by all means, keep talking to yourself and telling everyone to get off your lawn, old man.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
11:33 am
“I’m not a UGA fan”
That’s gotta be one of your biggest lies yet, blowhard
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
11:34 am
George a little feisty today…I like it!
WnE
August 24th, 2012
11:39 am
re:
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:32 am
Incorrect on so many levels, WnE. But by all means, keep talking to yourself and telling everyone to get off your lawn, old man.
________
What part is incorrect?
The schedules strengths are correct.
The records are correct.
Please explain how I am wrong on so many levels.
GTVegas
August 24th, 2012
11:47 am
UOAD !!!!!
Dawgfan – Your arguements don’t make sense. Our defense suffers because of our offense? I understand the logic that our defense does not perform as well since they have to practice against our offense, but you fail to recognize the flipside, the opposing defense must practice against their opposing offense. Would those two situations not cancel each other out.
Then you have to consider that much of the time spent preparing for a game is spent against a scout team. I would venture to say that it is much easier for a scout team to emmulate a more traditional offense than it would be for that scout team to emmulate the GT offense, especially given the spped with which it is run and the number of times the scout team has to replicate it. Our scout team on the other hand would spend the entire season replicating traditional offenses and, therefore, be much more adept than a scout team replicating the GT offense, which it might see once a year, maybe twice like UGA will this year with Georgia Southern just before us.
Nice try though, but for every step forward you believe you make, you are taking two back.
The way GT gets beaten is either by poor execution or just plain od better talent/execution on the other side of the ball. Let’s face it, overall, GT will never be able to recruit at the same level as many other schools for a myriad of reasons. But, we all know that not every team can execute perfectly every game. That is why they play the games and why the “star” system for recruits is only a general guideline, some recruits are overrated and some are sleepers. That is why the play the games.
GTBob
August 24th, 2012
11:47 am
Many UGA fans want CMR fired, while CPJ is beloved for getting fat on crappy opposition.
What do you think would be an acceptable amount of success for CPJ every year? What would make you not hate CPJ with a passion?
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:51 am
Done with you, WnE. You have no interest in a rational discourse. When you decide to grow the eff up, you let me know.
Until then, keep on posting comments that are heavy on trolling and devoid of analysis.
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Been a long week, GTLee!
GTVegas
August 24th, 2012
11:54 am
GT Lee- That was certainly one of the “levels” and blows his integrity out the window, or at least any little bit he might have had left given his propensity to stalk underage boys via Twitter.
Now, given his history pointing towards him obviously being a UGA fan (maybe even an Alum), would him contacting a GT recruit and trying to coerce him into not going to GT be a violation of NCAA guidelines on UGA’s behalf?
GT Anchorage
August 24th, 2012
12:01 pm
Great quote from Orwin’s workout video.
“When you want to be successful as much as you want to breath, you will succeed.”
“Sleep is for the poor.”
Reminds me of many a sleepless night spent studying in the student center/library. Hopefully, the entire squad is taking this approach.
Anyone know who the speaker was? Sounds like he is very motivational.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:02 pm
Vegas…makes you wonder if WnE was behind the Steven Nelson situation where he got a call from an “overzealous UGA supporter” asking him if he was going to flip to another school…
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
Vegas, not sure we could pin that on UGA….but warrants a restraining order, at least!!!
GT Anchorage
August 24th, 2012
12:04 pm
You know, if you ignore WnE, he will go away.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:05 pm
GS…I have been writing actively lately…here’s the next article I wrote
http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2012/8/24/3263945/lessons-in-ambition-in-college-football
WnE
August 24th, 2012
12:07 pm
re:
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
11:51 am
Done with you, WnE. You have no interest in a rational discourse. When you decide to grow the eff up, you let me know.
Until then, keep on posting comments that are heavy on trolling and devoid of analysis.
_________
You must not like talking CFB then.
There is nothing more rational than W-L records vs. a Strength of Schedule comparison.
If you don’t recognize that as being rational, then you’re being irrational.
GTVegas
August 24th, 2012
12:08 pm
Yea, I thought about that, but wanted to stick to the “facts”, that being that Wheenie contacted Vad Lee (as an underage high school recruit) and told him how bad GT would be for him. Vad Lee, showing more maturity and insight that Wheenie, told him to go away.
That being said, it would not surprise me if Steven Nelson was contacted by Wheenie, it certainly had his MO written all over it.
HighTech
August 24th, 2012
12:10 pm
GTLee…I think that lie (I’m not a UGA fan) trumps this one…
WnE
August 23rd, 2012
9:41 am
re:
1 4 GT
August 22nd, 2012
9:57 pm
I will give “Carnack” credit for two things. He/she has an agile mind and nimble, quick fingers. I would have tripped over myself so many times, my brain would be in lockdown mode.
____________
Those things aren’t necessary when you’re always telling the truth like I always try to do.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
12:14 pm
another good read from FLJ
JM
August 24th, 2012
12:15 pm
I am glad Orwin has worked hard. It should help him during the season and late in games.
GT Lee
August 24th, 2012
12:16 pm
HighTech…….you, sir, are correct!
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:17 pm
Thanks Lee. I just hate it when people play the Stanford card on us.
1 4 GT
August 24th, 2012
12:18 pm
Hey guys. You have to get their attention first. Dwags and hoodoo that is, and a few others. You know, like an ole stubborn mule. Hit them REEAAALLLL hard right between the eyes with a 2 X 4, swinging from the heels.
HighTech
August 24th, 2012
12:25 pm
Nice article, FL Jacket! The other school we are compared to is Vandy. I would like to see a similar comparison to your Stanford one with Vandy, especially after reading this pile of manure….
http://dev.chuckoliver.net/2012/08/james-franklin%E2%80%99s-success-could-lead-to-paul-johnson%E2%80%99s-demise/
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
12:26 pm
Fans have short memories, FLJ. That’s for damn sure.
The other issue – and, to me, it’s probably the biggest – is that it is too easy to say that Jim Harbaugh did a great job at Stanford. It’s a lot more difficult for critics (to put it mildly) like WnE to name who the replacement should be at another school. For example, it was clear to me that Houston Nutt had to go at Ole Miss. But I have no idea if Hugh Freeze is the right guy to replace him. And ultimately, that’s the issue, and it’s the one the morons won’t go on the record with.
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
Why was James Franklin the OC at a school that went 2-10? Taylor King is exhibit A in what I was just talking about.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Listening to “Kang” is your first problem HT, haha
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
12:36 pm
I actually don’t think Oliver is an idiot, FLJ. I don’t agree with him much, but that doesn’t make him wrong.
Matt Chernoff is as useless as it gets, though. I just wish he’d go into a corner and count RBIs.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
GS…Stanford has never been a destination job for a CFB coach. Bill Walsh, Dennis Green, Tyrone Willingham, and Jim Harbaugh all left for NFL gigs, and the dropoff in wins is pretty pronounced each time it happens.
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
12:38 pm
Yep, FLJ.
FL Jacket
August 24th, 2012
12:41 pm
Chernoff wishes he were Steak Shapiro…which is entirely different statement altogether
George Stein
August 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
Oh, God. The guys on 790 are as bad as it gets. I listen to podcasts in the car now to avoid them.
There really is a market for sports talk that goes beyond “player X knows how to win.”