Re-evaluating second half of Tech’s season
Until Saturday, Georgia Tech could take inspiration from the faint hope of an ACC title. Following the Yellow Jackets’ 47-31 loss to Clemson, they’re still not mathematically eliminated, but it might be wise to start looking for other sources of motivation.
“You’d rather be winning going into a bye, but clearly, the first half of the season’s not what we hoped for, not what we wanted,” coach Paul Johnson said. “So we’ve got to try to atone for that, reset some goals, reset some things and see if we can’t come back and do a little better.”
If the Jackets are looking for suggestions for objectives, they could pursue the following, some more measurable, some less so.
Improve pass defense. Weak pass rush, soft coverage, poor pursuit angles and broken tackles have tacked on dozens of yards to Tech’s total defense, which now stands 90th out of 120 BCS teams at 431.0 yards per game. The Jackets’ pass rush was more forceful Saturday, but Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was still able to escape pressure or scramble downfield for drive-extending runs, not to mention throw for a career-high 397 yards.
One metric that needs improving is third-down conversion percentage, an area Johnson wanted results from before the season started. Opponents are extending drives on 47.8 percent of third downs, 103rd in the country. Even becoming average – Rutgers is 60th at 37.7 percent – would be a giant improvement. Tech’s rate the past three games has been 67.4 percent.
Restore confidence. Given Tech’s repeated failures with its third-down defense and its misfires at crucial times on offense and on special teams, something is amiss.
“We’ve just got to find a way to get the guys to believe in themselves and keep going hard,” A-back Orwin Smith said. “It’s not over.”
While hardly a given at this point, beating Boston College on Oct. 20 would end Tech’s three-game losing streak and return some confidence. For that game, Tech will be at home, with two weeks’ rest against a team that could well be 1-5.
The Jackets might do well to remember that they’re still doing some things well. Tech is averaging 331.0 rushing yards, which is third in the country and above the school-record average.
Win in the fourth quarter. Last season, Tech was outscored 117-73 in the fourth quarter, including 48-14 in the final six games. This season, the Jackets have been outscored 71-48 in the fourth, including 17-3 Saturday. Of Tech’s 48, 28 were scored against Presbyterian and Virginia, when the Jackets had already secured victories. In both seasons, it’s the only quarter Tech has been outscored.
The Jackets have played well enough to hold fourth-quarter leads against Virginia Tech, Miami and Clemson, but somehow constrained enough on both sides to have not protected them.
“I consider it bad luck when you’re doing the right things,” Smith said of breaks going against Tech. “But we’re still making mistakes. It’s self-inflicted, the reason we’re losing.”
Get Vad Lee more playing time. Johnson has planned to play the backup quarterback more, plans that have gotten scuttled the past two games when Johnson has found it necessary to keep Tevin Washington in the game to have a chance to win.
Tech may not play as hot an offense for the rest of the season, which should give the Jackets’ offense more breathing room to accommodate snaps for Lee.
Qualify for a bowl game, win bowl game. One of the most concrete ways that this season can still be re-claimed would be to end the seven-game bowl losing streak. At this point, it most likely won’t be a dream ending for the 2012 season, but a win is a win.
Beat Georgia. The ultimate season-saver.
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134 comments Add your comment
GT Islander
October 8th, 2012
12:10 pm
So nice to have a Saturday coming up where I don’t have to worry about being embarrassed by Tech’s so called football team!
GT Joe
October 8th, 2012
12:13 pm
Tevin’s screw up on 4th down in the 1st quarter is no different from a fumble.
4th down, 4th quarter, OT, TW is a complete failure.
Ryan
October 8th, 2012
12:18 pm
Hire Pat Hill (exFresno State coach) to run the D! He’s out of a job and was a hell of a coach.
JoeFan
October 8th, 2012
12:18 pm
The best thing going for Paul Johnson is that apathy has sunk in on the Flats. How long DRad can stomach this situation is anybody’s guess. But to say Tech can’t recruit is wrong. Recruiting is dependent on the head coach and his staff and with the right combination Tech can get quality players, Gailey, O’Leary and Ross in restrospect are proof of that. So lets see if DRad is capable of making a better decision on a new head coach and how long it takes him to see that the status quo needs changing.
Ryan
October 8th, 2012
12:20 pm
Ok so Pat Hill isn’t jobless. He’s on the Falcons staff. O line coach….
GT Joe
October 8th, 2012
12:21 pm
CPJ could easily lose his job because of his choice of QB, not his offensive scheme. Sad.
techbuzz
October 8th, 2012
12:24 pm
Is John Tenuta available? If memory serves, under his tenure as DC at Tech, we may have had an anemic offense but our defense was in the top 10 every year he was here.
The Tower
October 8th, 2012
12:24 pm
Face it guys! There is 0 talent on the defense! What’s the old saying? You can’t fix stupid! Well, you can’t fix a defense with zero talent! That fall on CPJ for crappy recruiting. It’s not about X’s and 0’s, but the Jimmy’s and Joe’s! we don’t have any Jimmy and Joe’s!!!!!
Empty Seats
October 8th, 2012
12:27 pm
Didn’t Tech have a pretty nasty Defense in the 80’s? The “Black Watch” – or something like that, due to the black uniforms at the time?
What scheme was it and can one of those guys come run it for us again, if it is still relevant?
Someone who can communicate with the players, and has done it before, has a vested interest in Tech, etc.
UGA = Yawn
October 8th, 2012
12:35 pm
Under Curry – Black Watch but named after a group in England or Ireland I thought?
JoeFan
October 8th, 2012
12:36 pm
No guarantee that Vad will turn things around but Tevin, based upon past performance sure doesn’t seem to be the person that will reverse this season. Except for a lone victory against Clemson, Tevin’s resume is full of losses except against the lower rungs of the competition ladder. CPJ, may or may not loose the team if he changes quarterbacks, but on the flip side, he may infuse new energy into a dreadful season, and maybe turn this season around. At the worst, Lee will be gaining experience for 2013.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:25 pm
Ken, your first comment to bloggers had the following statement:
Regarding Groh, I agree with Hayseed Dixie. I think you’d risk losing the defense if he were to be dismissed now.
———————————–
Risk losing the defense? Seriously? Have you seen the defense the past 3 games? Please explain how they are not lost already?
I’m 44 years old. I love sports. I’ve played a lot of football, and watched infinately more, and I have NEVER seen a D, particularly 3rd down D, perform as bad as AG’s. It was mind-numbing watching that drive by Clemson after Shawn Green’s int that TW and the O FAILED to produce points on. 3rd & 7, 37yd gain…3rd & 10, 23yd gain….3rd & 13, 15yd gain. Mind-numbing.
On 1st & 2nd down it looked like GT’s D had 15 players on the field. On those 3rd downs it looked like they had 6 players on the field. It was so atrocious I was actually laughing.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:33 pm
I agree with the poster on page 1 that PJ’s arrogance, and refusal to be 2nd-guessed, will keep Vad Lee on the bench this season. Only way VL gets SIGNIFICANT snaps is if TW gets injured.
Also love PJ’s genius ability to get the player that’s “too good to be standing on the sidelines” (Synjyn Days) into games. GT is 6 games into the season and SD is tearing it up!
My faith in PJ has begun to wane.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:39 pm
And how about those quick passing plays to WR (taking advantage of Clemson’s “knifing” DBs) on GT’s 1st scoring drive Saturday … 53yds to Autry, 12 yds to Waller, 16yds (TD) to Greene? Never saw those again. That was an 83yd drive that consisted of 4 plays, 3 of them passes.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:41 pm
GT – BC is a 3pm kickoff………..
And for those thinking BC is a W for the Jackets, think again. BC is 16th in the nation with 310.8 yds passing / game.
Their QB will have his best career game vs. GT.
Smyrna Gold
October 8th, 2012
1:45 pm
I don’t see how any changes would be detrimental to this team. Goodness, we’ve already lost to MTSU, and we’ll probably lose to Duke and UNC. UGA will beat us worse than Clemson did. Everyone is calling for DRAD to do something but I think he’s part of the problem. Reminds me of a deer in the headlights. This program is pathetic and I see no light at the end of the tunnel with the current leadership. So Sad.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:47 pm
What SHOULD help GT vs. BC is that it will be BC’s 3rd consecutive road game with no off week.
Army this past Saturday….FSU, 10/13….then GT. Should be tough on BC having to travel all the way down South two weeks in a row.
Similar situation with BYU …. the Cougars have Oregon State this coming Saturday (I’ll be attending in Provo), followed by @ Notre Dame, then even further across the country to the Flats. BYU has a GREAT defense though.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:53 pm
IDK if he’d be interested in leaving the West, but the best coach nobody has heard of is GARY ANDERSON – Utah State.
I’m a transplant GT fan to Utah, so I’m getting plenty of intel on the state of college football in Utah, and plenty of other West teams. Gary Anderson is a heck of a coach. Easily the 3rd best program in the state behing BYU & Utah, with the 3rd best talent, but his Aggies beat Utah soundly, and just lost last Friday @ BYU, 6-3!
BTW ….. if GT had ANY one of these three D (U-St, BYU or Utah) the Jackets would be 6-0.
GARY ANDERSON is the HC to covet!
Al Bundy
October 8th, 2012
1:55 pm
Somebody always has a career day when they play us. We are the laughing stock of CFB.
Miami – Al Golden = $1,500,000
VT – Frank Beamer = $2,500,000
Clemson – Dabo Sweeney = $1,750,000
MTSU – Rick Stockstill = $450,000
What do all these coaches have in common? If you said they all beat GT and they are paid less than Paul Johnson ($2,600.000) then you are smarter than a 5th grader!
I’d take any one of them over what we have now.
GT Fan
October 8th, 2012
1:59 pm
Al Bundy,
You got any nice Old Gold & White pumps in a size “arrogant” for PJ?
macrotech
October 8th, 2012
2:00 pm
This seasons numbers speak for themselves….our D is terrible! I shall be a faithful follower of our team…win or lose! With that said…Groh MAY have to go…until this happens….GO TECH!!!
White and Gold
October 8th, 2012
2:12 pm
The search for a new defensive coordinator does not need to go any further than the Jackets existing staff. The defensive line coach is a proven winner and can step up to the challenge now.
wrecked again
October 8th, 2012
2:24 pm
Giff Smith will never coach under Paul Johnson again.
wrecked again
October 8th, 2012
2:34 pm
Andy McCollum a D coordinator? You want the weakest link to be the coordinator? Isn’t not developing d line talent and botch recruiting enough on “over his head Andys” plate?
reebok
October 8th, 2012
2:55 pm
Would like to scrounge out 6 wins & keep the bowl streak alive, but I’m dubious. There’s not a sure win on the schedule at this point.
ramblingbuzz
October 8th, 2012
2:55 pm
Like GTFAN @ 1:39 I wonder why CPJ suddenly abandons the passing game after we score a quick TD. Either he just doesn’t like throwing the ball or else he figures we’ll score too quick and have to send the D back on the field.
Buzztinloose
October 8th, 2012
2:59 pm
Just announced- Al Groh fired.
Hate to see it, but there is really no excuse for such poor defensive play 3 games in a row. Historically poor defensive play, I might add….
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
3:01 pm
wrecked again….Did Smith & Johnson have a falling out? From Smith’s bio, he was on the staff in Johnson’s 1st year at GT. I believe he could do a good job as DC & recruiting coordinator here. Promo & pay raise & step up the coaching ladder to being HC, maybe here. He is from Cobb Co. & went to HS there. Be Home for him.
1 4 GT
October 8th, 2012
3:02 pm
And be out of the miserable winter weather in Buffalo.
ramblingbuzz
October 8th, 2012
3:10 pm
AL@ 1:55……………..I’m with you. I guess trhe adage “you get what you pay for” doesn’t apply with CPJ. Either he can’t judge talent, players or coaches, or else he’s too dam stubborn to change his approach. And please don’t mention the pistol which he throws in once or twice a game. Seems almost like he’s just tossing his critics a bone. They want a pistol, I’ll show em a pistol.
ramblingbuzz
October 8th, 2012
3:12 pm
Bustin……..You’re just daydreaming, right?
Born2Buzz
October 8th, 2012
3:44 pm
GT Fan, the inability of Groh’s D to get off the field on 3rd down has been a trade mark from day 1. Groh seems so locked into ideas of how D should be played he makes calls based on these ideas and not how the game is actually being played.
Whoa, Al just got canned! Well hallelujah !
techmule
October 8th, 2012
6:45 pm
Head coach Paul Johnson and the option needs to be ran out of Atlanta.
Dacusville Bill
October 8th, 2012
11:25 pm
How did Bobby Ross win a National Title at Tech? With a Defense Coach named O’Leary and an Offense Coach named Friedgen—Pitiful Paul is a good Offense Coach, but a Head Coach, he ain’t—