Georgia Tech looking for pass rush
The next move belongs to Al Groh.
Two Saturdays ago, the Georgia Tech defense harassed Virginia quarterbacks Michael Rocco and Phillip Sims, accumulating 16 pressures, by the Tech defensive coordinator’s count and two sacks. Saturday, Groh and his defense were plundered.
The Yellow Jackets gave up 609 yards in the 42-36 overtime loss. It was the most yards that Tech had given up since 1997 and the most that a Groh-coached team had surrendered in his nine years as Virginia’s head coach followed by two-plus seasons at Tech.
Wednesday, Groh didn’t address the game at length, saying that he was done talking about Miami. It was the first opportunity for news media to speak with Groh, as he is not made available following games and defensive coaches and players speak on Wednesdays.
“I haven’t thought about that in a few days, so I’m ready to move on,” he said.
What Groh did address was that Tech’s pass rush was negated by Miami’s protection scheme, in which the Hurricanes often used as many as seven players on passes to block for quarterback Stephen Morris.
“Unless you rush eight, they’ve got more than you’ve got,” he said. “The numbers game comes into effect that way. Usually where those seven-man protections get beat is if you have some awesome individual pass rushers who can win the one-on-ones.”
Without such pass rushers on the roster, perhaps with the exception of outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, Tech can expect to see plenty more of such strategies in games to come, starting with Tech’s game Saturday against Middle Tennessee State. Future opponents may not be able to duplicate the success of the Hurricanes, who have a young but talented lineup. However, many games may not require 42 points or 609 yards of total offense, either.
“We’ve got some interesting stuff to deal with on the third-down package, and it’s shaken some guys free (in pass rush), so that causes other teams to say, ‘We’re not going to deal with this stuff,’” said Groh in explaining opponents’ opting for a “maximum protection” scheme.
Groh may have to continue to dig for more interesting stuff. Tech has six sacks in four games with a rate of one sack per 26.3 pass attempts. Even before failing to register a sack despite Miami’s 52 pass attempts, the rate was 17.7 passes per sack. Duke, which ranks third in the ACC in sacks, has managed one sack per 11 pass attempts.
Should the lack of pressure continue, Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins would appear to be a strong candidate to run wild through the Tech secondary Oct. 6. Attaochu, who led the team last year with six sacks, has one-half of a sack thus far. Through the first three games, Attaochu did have the most quarterback pressures of anyone on the team “by far,” Groh said.
Both Groh and coach Paul Johnson have acknowledged the obvious fact that it was a poor game all-around for the defense. The percentage of times that defensive players executed their assignment “went way down,” Groh said.
Groh was asked if, at the end of the season, the Miami game would be looked at as an outlier.
Replied Groh, “I think that, when you evaluate things on a whole body of work, I think what you might look back on at the end of the season is that Miami’s got a pretty good team.”
Time will tell to what degree Saturday’s game was an aberration or the trigger of a landslide. Could the game have merely been the confluence of a hot quarterback, poor pass rush, an injury-depleted defense and poor tackling – a forgettable game that bears no similarity to the defense that Tech ultimately becomes?
It would have to be a pretty big confluence.
In case you missed it…
Trials challenging Louis Young
Lee, Snoddy angling for playing time
Tech rebounding after Miami loss
The meaning of Tech giving up 609 yards
After Miami loss, Tech tries to regroup
Mark Bradley: Johnson’s approach hurting Tech
Thanks for reading.
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
218 comments Add your comment
Jacket Detective
September 27th, 2012
10:05 am
@www. Agreed.
How does CAG not know this?
U use blitzes and the home crowd to intimidate the other team’s QB.
Instead we provided a home away from home for their offense.
With time, a good QB can pick apart most D’s.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:08 am
I know enough about college football to know that Spurrier can coach circles around Richt. USC WILL beat UGA. Count on it.
- Supersize
This from the same guy who told us Tech would DEFINITELY beat Miami
Forgive me if I dont take his predictions all that seriously. My 6 year old niece could pick them better.
In fact the thought crossed my mind to get Supersizes predictions for all the games for a particular week. Then go to Vegas and bet the exact opposite.
Could be quite lucrative.
Jacket Detective
September 27th, 2012
10:09 am
Miami game of 2012 = North Carolina State Game of 2010.
Gerald Tarrant’s pick 6 prevented a home blowout loss which it nearly was anyway.
Where is the improvement in year 3 of Al’s system.
BTW the Miami game was the big game of this year’s schedule.
The final 4 games will make it easy to stay home.
George Stein
September 27th, 2012
10:10 am
Glass houses, headley. I’m pretty sure you were lecturing us about how we’d only won six games last year because that’s what Vegas said.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:28 am
Meh. It was an outlier.
Vegas did say 6 last year. You beat the spread by 2.
Frankly I think you guys over performed.
Vegas said 8 this year.
Wanna bet they are wrong two years in a row ?
Paul in NH
September 27th, 2012
10:29 am
“In fact the thought crossed my mind to get Supersizes predictions for all the games for a particular week. Then go to Vegas and bet the exact opposite.
Could be quite lucrative.”
I thought headley was still avoiding Vegas after his big bet on the under on GT in 2011.
Paul in NH
September 27th, 2012
10:31 am
headley seems to think that “Vegas” comes up with a betting line by making a prediction on how the teams will perform on the field.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:32 am
Looking at the Tech schedule.
Account for loses to Clemson and UGA ( Tech will be a big dog both of those )
And its 8 wins assuming Tech doesn’t slip up in A She She play. Not counting bowl game.
BTW that’s exactly what I predicted about a month ago for Tech’s season.
Of course I was immediately ridiculed and Supersize made his prediction for an 11-1 season.
To summarize. your argument of glass houses really doesn’t hold water.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:33 am
headley seems to think that “Vegas” comes up with a betting line by making a prediction on how the teams will perform on the field.
No they do it to get even money on both sides.
That way they win either way.
Its still a pretty good indicator though.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:35 am
I thought headley was still avoiding Vegas after his big bet on the under on GT in 2011.
Didn’t bet it. I thought 6 was low too.
Especially considering the god awful “conference” you guys play in.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:42 am
BTW this was my prediction for the season posted back on Aug 7th. Pretty good so far.
Va Tech ( Loss )
Blue Hose ( Win )
Virginia ( Win )
Miami ( Loss )
Middle Tenn ( Win )
Clemson ( Loss )
B.C. ( Win )
BYU ( Win )
Maryland ( Win )
N.C. ( Win )
Duke ( Win )
UGA ( Loss )
Bowl ( Loss )
I have Tech with 8 wins as well. Seems about right in the ACC.
George Stein
September 27th, 2012
10:42 am
Your point was that because SS was wrong once, he’ll be wrong this time. You’ve done nothing here to prove that. Further, I think you’re engaging in a little revisionist history.
Also, if you think Vegas is in the business of making predictions, I would suggest you not gamble. As the saying goes, if you’re at a table and you don’t know who the sucker is, it’s you.
juvenal
September 27th, 2012
10:42 am
i love everybody….bunch i don’t like, though…..maybe an Aussie would of got mad by being held so much and gone all mad max on them….
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
10:51 am
He was wrong about Va Tech 2
He is wrong quite a bit.
Tech special teams not great | Georgia Tech
September 27th, 2012
10:51 am
[...] Looking for a pass rush [...]
Al Bundy
September 27th, 2012
11:12 am
I hope we aren’t taking MTSU lightly… It won’t shock me if they beat us. They have a quarterback who can throw.
GT Lee
September 27th, 2012
11:24 am
A fat lady must have come into the shoe store again. Al, you are really letting Peggy, Bud Kelly and Buck down with all this negativity. A few weeks ago you promised to start being more positive. One more negative post and I’m sending Officer Dan and Griff over to your place. Now pack up the Dodge and head to Bobby Dodd this weekend.
JoeFan
September 27th, 2012
11:37 am
Tech will find a pass rush when and if they recruit better and compliment that with a DC that can orchestrate a credible defensive scheme.
WnE
September 27th, 2012
11:58 am
I see that Mr. Rumbleseat (FL Jacket) has decided to show up AFTER things have died down since the crappy performance vs. Miami.
I was one of the few that warned everyone how pedestrian our DL was before we logged no sacks in 52 pass attempts vs. Miami.
Stephon Tuitt, 6-6 300lbs. give or take, with 6 sacks vs. top flight competition, Tr-SOPH., vs. Dieke 6-6 270lbs. and built “skinny” with zero sacks vs. crappy ACC competition and is a RS-JUNIOR, both are 3-4 DEs, although you couldn’t tell by looking at Dieke’s on-field performance.
We’re not losing games in the fall, we’re losing these games in Feb.
Some of the 3-4 DEs that we rotated in vs. Miami were 6-4 265lbs. and 6-3 256lbs., when those guys came off the ball at the snap they just “stuck” to Miami’s 6-7 320lbs OTs like they were made out of Velcro.
Our pass rush is non-existent, because our talent on the DL is severely lacking.
Next year it will be WORSE, our experience level will drop greatly.
Where are all those GT fans that LAUGHED at UGA hiring CTG in the same time frame we hired CAG and claimed that “we got the better of the deal”?
CPJ is getting what he deserves a sorta CFB karma if you will, when Wommack was the DC he brought in CAG “as a guest” to observe practice , the truth is he was interviewing CAG when Wommack was still on the job which is bush league in every way.
You do enough bush league stuff, you end up getting yours in the end. (no pun intended).
Once again hindsight proves WnE to be a lot closer to being correct than are my detractors!
Al Bundy
September 27th, 2012
12:08 pm
@GT Lee I know I promised to be more positive but my gosh a shoe salesman can only take so much! I live in Crimson Tide country and take a considerable amount of abuse for being a GT fan. I started wearing my Dad’s Rat Hat back in 1966 and have proudly wore the GT colors every since. So you can imagine the abuse I endure.
I haven’t been to a game this year but I’m hoping to make a game before the end of season.
If you look at MTSU’s stats for this season they shouldn’t be taken lightly. They are a much better team this year and could give us all we want and then some. I just hope we don’t look past these guys and get embarrassed.
Born2Buzz
September 27th, 2012
12:16 pm
I just don’t trust AG to come up with a scheme to get to the QB. It’s been 3 years and it’s the same old stuff. I feel like he has that bend but don’t break, or actually bend but break D, similar to what B VanGorder had with the Falcons. You have to attack, and AG has said his philosophy is for the DL to “build a wall to contain”. Look at what the new DC for the Falcons has done. It’s not a read and react D, it’s an attack and make plays D. That’s what you need to get sacks & get turnovers.
Maybe these DL’s don’t collapse the pocket and get sacks because they are instructed to “build a wall”.
I know we have better talent on D this year, but we still have the same coaching philosophy. Especially when the game is on the line and all we need to do is get one stop. It’s always sit back and try to contain them. Happened in VT, happened with Miami.
And it blows.
Good AJC/Ken Sugiura Auticle on Tech's Defense
September 27th, 2012
12:16 pm
[...] Defense Good article I thought, Ken Sugiura is best Tech reporter since Furman Bisher…. Georgia Tech looking for pass rush | Georgia Tech Reply With Quote [...]
Jmonty
September 27th, 2012
12:17 pm
After reading quite a few comments…
1. TW is the reason for the “D” collapse. While I do understand ball control. You have to understand that when you have a 17 point lead in the 4th quarter, the D should be able to maintain that.
2.. CAG is a serious issue. I saw comments about a good QB being able to pick apart any defense. While that may be true. Miami’s QB isin’t that good. If he picked GT’s defense apart… I really hate to see what Murray for UGA is going to do.
3..Please stop blaming the players.. These are 18-22 yr old kids.. They do what the coaches tell them. If they aren’t given assignments on the “D” they don’t know. As I’ve said in many previous comments, missed tackles happen… In fact, our offense thrives on them. However; when players are not lined up right and the “D” looks like chaos. That has to be a coaching breakdown.
and 4. Other than CPJ’s hiring of CAG. He hasn’t made too many mistakes. Just CAG was one HUGE one. I don’t know why he feels so attached to CAG. But, he had better lose that attachment before it costs him his job. CAG is horrible. He was a loser at UVA and he is still a loser.
Jmonty
September 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
@ Born… I agree 100%
When you got the other team down… You don’t play soft… You go for the finishing blow. In neither game GT did that. It does blow.
Jmonty
September 27th, 2012
12:24 pm
By the way Ken??? All us Tech fans are looking for a pass rush… Just sayin’
Supersize loves Bush
September 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
We haven’t had a pass rush since Derrick.
Gorilla Biscuit
September 27th, 2012
12:55 pm
“Georgia Tech looking for pass rush”
Good luck with that.
JaxF
September 27th, 2012
1:04 pm
Is it just me or were the refs overlooking a lot of Miami offfensive line holding. 50+ passes and no holds / no sacks. I had to go back and look at the game to see why. On one play there are three holds (my eyes) on the screen at one time alone.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:06 pm
@ the poster at 12:41PM…….why do you find it necessary to use my name in what you post? Ken asked you last night to keep politics out of the blogs, and not to take swipes at other bloggers. If you don’t like me, fine; that’s your prerogative, although, since I have no idea who you are, I also have no idea what I have said to tick you off. But please pick a name that does not involve me or politics or anything which you might think of me. Thank you
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:08 pm
@ JaxF……it’s not just you; they held on almost every play
Supersize loves Obama
September 27th, 2012
1:09 pm
Sorry
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:12 pm
If you were sorry, then you would do what Ken asked you to do, even if you choose to ignore my request. You are behaving as bad as the UGA trolls.
Supersize loves Obama
September 27th, 2012
1:14 pm
What can I do to make it up?
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:15 pm
get a real name that doesn’t make use of my name or your PERCEIVED ideas of my political views, or of politics at all.
Supersize loves Obama
September 27th, 2012
1:17 pm
Ok no problem. See you at the BUS.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:18 pm
I don’t go to the BUS
Supersize loves Obama
September 27th, 2012
1:20 pm
Sure.
headley lamar
September 27th, 2012
1:21 pm
Hey Supersize
Would you be willing to pick a few games for me?
College and Pros
That way I can bet on the other side. Seems like a pretty safe bet.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
Well, I can see you are still unwilling to comply with what has been requested. I can only hope that Ken sees your posts and simply bans you for failure to comply.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:24 pm
@ headless…..that was actually sort of funny
GT 4 Life
September 27th, 2012
1:37 pm
We have to beat the big boys to be able to enjoy these cupcake wins. My crystal ball tells me that we’ll beat MT pretty easily and assume all of our defensive problems are solved. Then the following week
GT 4 Life
September 27th, 2012
1:41 pm
The best thing that happend during last week’s game was Gangnam Style playing during a time out. Other than that the crowd looked like they were at a funeral.
GT Fan
September 27th, 2012
1:44 pm
I see Headly has taken all of the information I gave him about Vegas & gambling, and is trying to use it as his own.
Pretty sad, Headly. I figured a man of your education would be better than that. But then I remembered … your education is from Troy. That says it all.
As many other GT fans on these GT BLOGS have said …. Troll hard. You’re a winner in my book.
Supersize loves Obama
September 27th, 2012
1:52 pm
When was the last time we had a tight end catch a pass?
fuzzybee78
September 27th, 2012
1:52 pm
Derrick Morgan was a talented D end playing in a 4-3. Our D ends in a 3-4 are IMO more D tackles than D ends. If we played a 4-3, I expect you would see better production out of our existing D ends but probably not the level of DMorgan.
We have 4 talented LB, if you pull one out and play a 4-3 you might improve the rush but you lose another cover guy who can run. CAG is rushing Watts or Sneezy some and a CB or SS some. Miami to there credit picked it up. I think the answer if there is one this year is to take chances with tighter coverage ie press on the 3rd and longs but you could get burned for a big play.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
1:53 pm
I don’t play games, bubba
GT Fan
September 27th, 2012
1:58 pm
What Groh did address was that Tech’s pass rush was negated by Miami’s protection scheme, in which the Hurricanes often used as many as seven players on passes to block for quarterback Stephen Morris.
———————————–
Now this is REAL scary, fellow GT fans!
Unless I’m missing something, I don’t think I read anywhere that UM’s O was so dominant & deep with TALENT before last Saturday??
The Canes used 7 of their 11 offensive players to block GT’s D, whether it be 4,5 or 6 rushers. That leaves 3 receivers for the QB to throw to who are covered by 5,6 or 7 defenders. And this subpar QB still passes for 436 yds!?
Miami just gave GT’s remaining opponents a blueprint for beating the Jackets. It’s scary to think what good passing teams (Clemson, BC, Duke, UGA) will be able to do vs GT knowing they only need 3 receivers running routes, and can overload on pass protection.
Supersize that order, mutt
September 27th, 2012
2:02 pm
well, the name thief is back again. Something tells me he is the same person as the one using part of my name as his blog name and interjecting falsely perceived political views at the same time.
GTfan2012
September 27th, 2012
2:03 pm
Only WnE would take a victory lap on saying we should’ve gotten Stephon Tuitt. Classic. I wish we would have gotten Tuitt and Tomlinson from last year. Tuitt would be starting and Tomlinson would probably be playing quite a bit. I also wish we had a 6′5″ 240lb strong armed QB who also runs a 4.5 40 (how about Cam Newton). While we are playing the wishing game, I’d really like to have a circa 2000 version of Champ Bailey at CB… actually I’ll take 2, one for each side. And could I also get a Troy Palomalou at Safety. At A-back, I’d like a CJ Spiller, while at B-Back, I won’t be greedy, I’ll just take Jonathan Dwyer back.
OF COURSE I WISH WE HAD NFL TALENT AT EVERY POSITION! What a stupid thing to bring up.
GT Fan
September 27th, 2012
2:08 pm
Fuzzybee78 et al who think Derrick Morgan’s sack # were b/c he played in a 4-3 …. put down your crack pipes!
I’ll say it s-l-o-w-l-y this time:
DMorgan, in only 3 seasons recorded 19 sacks. Wikipedia didn’t mention sacks in 2007 (his freshman season) but said he played in 12 of 13 games, registering 9 tackles (sacks??).
Izaan Cross & TJ Barnes are both in their Senior season…meaning in ‘09 they too played in the 4-3 D…and COMBINED the two have 4.0 career sacks, FOUR (4)! That’s bad no matter what D they play/played in.