Paul Johnson says Vad Lee could see expanded role
When Georgia Tech fans have called for freshman quarterback Vad Lee, coach Paul Johnson has noted that starter Tevin Washington has played well and Lee hasn’t been good in practice.
Lee had a good week of practice so he got to play more against Boston College on Saturday. He ended up playing so well that Johnson sounds as if he’s considering expanding Lee’s role.
Lee led the Jackets to touchdowns on two of his three first-half possessions and flashed the talent that made him a top recruit for Johnson in 2011. Washington, who is well-versed in Johnson’s triple-option offense, also played well during Tech’s 37-17 victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Johnson said having two effective quarterbacks is “a good problem to have.”
“We will see how we go,” Johnson said after Tech’s 37-17 victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium. “Tevin is the guy and as Vad comes along, he comes along. He has a lot of ability If he continues to practice well he will get more opportunities. It’s not the end of the world to have two good quarterbacks.”
Johnson said he used two quarterbacks when he was the offensive coordinator at Hawaii. He said the strategy can allow the starter to get a breather while the second quarterback has fresh legs against a tired defense.
Washington said he “felt fine the whole game” and believes coming out of the game disrupts his flow.
“I feel like it does get you out of rhythm when you go in and out of the game,” he said. “That’s with any position. When you are in a rhythm, when you get pulled out you kind of lose that rhythm and the flow of the game.”
Lee led Hillside High School to a 16-0 record and earned the AP North Carolina player of the year in 2010. After sitting out as a red shirt in 2011, he had played in four of Tech’s six games before Saturday.
Johnson has said he wants to give Lee more playing time but, in addition to citing Lee’s poor practices, he didn’t want to put Lee in situations where there’s pressure for Tech to score. Tech led Boston College 14-3 when Lee first entered the game Saturday and he promptly led them on a 10-play, 57-yard touchdown drive.
Lee converted a short third-down run during the drive and finished it with a play that showed off his athletic talent. Facing a third-and-11, Lee weaved through the left side of BC’s defense for a 24-yard touchdown run.
Lee faked out Eagles defensive end Kieran Borcich, ran around cornerback Bryce Jones, and sidestepped tackle attempts by linebacker Tim Joy and safety C.J. Jones to get in the end zone.
“At first I was just thinking get enough for a first down to keep the drive going,” Lee said. “Then I saw it was wide open to the outside and all I had to do was beat one man. Then a bunch of people tried to come tackle me.”
Lee played two more series in the half. The second ended with a touchdown and the third was thwarted by a dropped pass and a missed field goal.
One play after a short Boston College punt, Lee lofted a soft pass to Anthony Autry along the right sideline fort a 45-yard touchdown and a 28-3 Tech lead. It was the second touchdown pass of the season for Lee, who also had an 82-yard score against Presbyterian College.
Later in the period, Lee started a drive with a 44-yard pass to Tony Zenon that set up the Jackets at Boston College’s 15-yard line. On the next play Lee passed to wide receiver Darren Waller in the front of the end zone but Waller dropped the ball.
Lee played two series in the second half and didn’t fare as well. He fumbled on first down of a three-and-out series late in the third quarter and loss three yards on a third-down run in the final period.
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97 comments Add your comment
SSI Oldtimer
October 20th, 2012
8:29 pm
Let’s build on this victory in the second half of our season. Congratulations to our team.
The operative word in this article is...
October 20th, 2012
8:56 pm
…COULD…
Hopefully, he will not play any more than he did today…”Lee played two series in the second half and didn’t fare as well. He fumbled on first down of a three-and-out series late in the third quarter and loss three yards on a third-down run in the final period.” – D’OH…
www
October 20th, 2012
9:03 pm
justin justin thomas, y’all.
OH NO
October 20th, 2012
10:28 pm
Vad has the talent CPJ just needs to let him play more. The future of Tech’s offense looks good with Vad running the show. GOOOOOOOOOO Tech.
Vroom
October 20th, 2012
10:29 pm
VAD LEE comes in and in 2 series we have 2 touchdowns the CPJ puts captain numb skull back in. I dont get it Washington can’t pass and Vad is our future so why not play him all the time.
Jacket Detective
October 20th, 2012
10:36 pm
Duke acts like they won they national championship by becoming bowl elligible and beating UNC.
LOL.
I won’t be laughing if they beat us too though.
chuck
October 20th, 2012
10:38 pm
Damon Mitchell, Yall!
Tech4Life
October 20th, 2012
10:47 pm
Vroom: Vad was also put in during the second half and wasn not affective. Tevin led us down the field and put the game away late. Vad is unquestionably an amazing athlete and gifted thrower; however I have not seen him make good reads under the center, running the ball. He hasn’t pitched the ball much, and doesn’t get much yards running under center. Bottom line, Tevin is our best QB and Vad has some learning to do, and considering this season can still be salvaged, we have to put in the QB who gives us the best chance to win. While he has flaws, it is undoubtably Tevin.
yeller bug
October 20th, 2012
10:53 pm
We need to improve to win next week, but this was a good rebound game.
Come on TW: 1. Be a team player and 2. Don’t let a reporter lead you by his/her question. Get out of rhythm? You should have been out of rhythm the whole game because our D actually made stops on 3rd down and forced 5 punts. Normally your rhythm would be standing on the sidelines watching our opponents drive down the field. I like playing two QBs—still should play Vad out of the pistol as his primary formation–he has next spring to get better on the TO. Short passes to A backs where they can make a play shows promise.
We have no pass rush—I guess a simplified D means we took out any and all blitzes.
Was Days hurt? WHY WHY WHY do we have a converted QB to A back and not use him for the A back pass—we had two receivers open–one by 10 yds, the other by 5 and Zenon (who played well) throws a pass that was almost end over end.
CPJ blames a backup holder for our kicking woes? That’s another thing that 5 people can practice and become proficient at. We need a special teams coach—oh we got one—this should never be an issue. We do this next week, we lose.
Finally, we need some focus in the 4th QTR. Try to bury your opponent. Don’t let off the gas—mash it hard. We outscore our opponents in every QTR but the last one—let’s try to change that.
1 4 GT
October 20th, 2012
11:13 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with yeller bug. Especially the keep your foot on the gas stuff. When you’ve got your opponent down & your foot on their throat, smash ‘em, kick ‘em & stomp ‘em until they no fight left in them. If anyone wants to call it running up the score, who cares.
D
October 20th, 2012
11:19 pm
Bostic needs to used as a reciever more offten since he is under used as a back (should start). He seem to be able to adjsut to the ball in flight and make the catch. better than some of the others
Stumpknocker
October 20th, 2012
11:19 pm
If we don’t start getting more pressure up front on the D line, we’re gonna get lit-up by QBs in future games. The one at Dook and A Murray are two that come to mind.
JD
October 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
I believe it was Bostic who threw the A Back pass.
Jp
October 20th, 2012
11:43 pm
Who cares what Paul Johnson has to say…other than “I’m quitting”.
stony
October 20th, 2012
11:54 pm
I know I’ve said this before, but the problem with our team has less to do with lack of talent than lack of character. Their focus(when they show focus), seems to be misplaced. They seem focused on winning when what they should focus on is playing to a standard of excellence. Winning should just be a pleasant byproduct of playing to the absolute best of the ability that God gifted them with. That is a character deficiency that was most likely developed long before they came to Tech. If Johnson can correct this misplaced focus issue, the lapses that show up whenever they get a lead will stop, or at least, occur much less often. And since the overall goal of the Institute should be to turn out the best young men, not just the best football players, this change of philosophy would benefit them in whatever field they find themselves in after they graduate.
yeller bug
October 21st, 2012
12:06 am
My apologies to Zenon then—the greater point was we have a player tailor-made for that play that we’ve run twice and have not used him. Bostic did make a great clutch catch—all the more reason to have him receiving and not passing.
BYU played ND tough—BYU had only 69 yds rushing so they don’t have much offense. They will be the toughest Defense we play all year. I think ND is overrated—we’ll see next week as they play OK.
If we score 28 points next week, we’ll win the game. Gotta fix the FG team.
North Avenue Rules
October 21st, 2012
4:49 am
Can someone please answer this? Why not configure the offense to leverage Vad’s skill set? What would be the problem with this? Would it be that difficult for our offense to run some sort of pistol formation with options embedded?
ToeMeetsLeather
October 21st, 2012
7:26 am
North Avenue Rules, I agree and think CPJ will have to do this to some extent in the future to have long term success at TECH. Not only will it produce a more balanced offensive attack, it will also allow the defense to prepare better for what they will see in opposing offenses during spring and preseason practice.
Lee looked pretty good huh? He definitely brings electricity to the game atmosphere.
William Casey
October 21st, 2012
7:44 am
Vad Lee’s talent is evident. I’m excited about the future with him at QB. That being said, learning good practice habits and showing leadership there is important to a QB’s development. It’s good to see Lee coming around.
Wrecker
October 21st, 2012
7:53 am
We have installed the pistol and ran it twice yesterday. Our pistol implementation also has multiple options to run/pass.
BigTimeTECHFans
October 21st, 2012
8:17 am
Gotsis looked real good the last series.
Vad was asesome, that soft passs was a bullet compared to what we are used to seeing
Autry is a nice WR, very smooth.
Big Ol Stinger
October 21st, 2012
8:19 am
No way TW gets in to the end zone like Lee on that 25 yard run yesterday. And Lee’s passes actually have some zip on them, spirals and on target.
William Casey’s right, his talent is evident. The season’s over, these are just scrimmages with uniforms now. Let’s see more Vad, CPJ.
Like the old SNL skit, “We need more cow bell”, except “We need more Vad Lee”.
ramblingbuzz
October 21st, 2012
9:18 am
Somehow I get the feeling that CPJ would just rather line it up and try to run over people than run anything flashy or throw the ball. Why else did he go into that ball control offense in the 3rd quarter and keep the ball on the ground? He may be able to do that against BC or Presbyterian, but that aint gonna work against BYU, UNC, Duke or UGA (well maybe it will against UGA). Overall I think this team has a decent aount of talent, but man we stil are making a lot of mistakes in the games.
Flak Jacket
October 21st, 2012
9:45 am
Stumpknocker hit the nail on the head.Better get busy working with this defense or the season could get uglier.Vad Lee looks like a real QB that could really help this football team.There is no need to feel sorry for TW,he should graduate from GT,so lets get rolling in the right direction.
Same Old
October 21st, 2012
9:45 am
Bottom line… Our players always quit when they get 21 points ahead.
Johnson has paid no attention to the defense in over two years.
He’s more interested in his Titleist than an ACC Title!
No more wins this year! Duke is having the year we want.
They’ll beat us to. Too bad!
Bring in George Godsey as HC next year!
Crazy Robert
October 21st, 2012
9:54 am
It was good to see the O have long sustained drives which kept the D on the sideline, so when they were in they were fresh and somewhat rested. Sure seems to make a difference.
GO TECH, STOMP byu!!!
Geori
October 21st, 2012
10:00 am
Tevin should have been benched LAST YEAR. Paul Johnson is a numbskull. This is like Chan playing Reggie Ball for four years.
We’ve got a RG3 look alike who is behing benched in favor of the teacher’s pet. Change the damn offense to the pistol, start Vad and we’ll score 50+ per game.
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
10:25 am
I agree most with Tech4Life at 10:47 PM yesterday.
I think what I like most concerning what Johnson brings to the table is his handling of QBs.
His handling of Vad is masterfull.
He is allowing our future star to show his skills while also showing (2nd half) why Tevin is the man for now.
The cries for Vad decreased when BC pulled to within 14.
I disagree with all willing to tank this season to develop Vad.
But I am not against at all more and more auditions for next year.
These disagreements in fan bases are common.
I remember one (1970?) between the senior Jack Williams who was the better QB and Eddie MacAshan who was the greater talent but not ready.
Then coach Bud Carson handled the two QB problem with much less skill than CPJ is now.
dry dirt road
October 21st, 2012
10:25 am
Reason he got tackled at L O S and fumbled there was because he took snap and ran to side where traffic is. If he took pistol snap, that would have been similar to his high school plays where he made long bombs downfield. Just imagine QB receiving snap already in pocket, as if he was teleported there from L O S.
dry dirt road
October 21st, 2012
10:36 am
Tech really looked clean yesterday with the unis nice and light looking. With the field nice and green on HD tv, and mid 70’s temps or a little lower, it was ideal conditions for a Tech game. Maybe Tech played better because of the cooler temps. Look at how well Boise State is now. Scenic state, potatos grown there and cooler temps, attractions to hs players or anybody who likes the outdoors and needs realistic temps.
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
10:37 am
Vad might put up 50 vs terrible BC D but I doubt it.
Had Vad started vs VT up there, we lose big and his confidence hurt.
Much easier to look good against crummy defense when u come into the game with a lead and have very good field position.
CPJ is not going to drop his offense, few if any head coaches will unless they bring in a new O coordinator.
Vad has three more years here.
There is no need to rush the young man and risk hurting his confidence.
Uga may have gotten a mental edge on Reggie Ball when he started the archrival game as a freshman without the star RB to depend on.
Reggie was not as terrible as some like to pretend now.
He had the job for 4 years because we had no one better.
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
10:42 am
I think both Reggie Ball at Tech and Chris Wix at FSU were done a disservice in having to start their freshman years.
Boo birds and critics abounded by their senior years though no one had beaten either out during the 4 years.
Yea keep telling yourself coaching bias got them the job.
C'mon, guys...
October 21st, 2012
10:45 am
“North Avenue Rules’ is just another name for Vad’s MOTHER, otherwise known as GT Joe…just a new moniker on this site…
dry dirt road
October 21st, 2012
10:45 am
I sure do sense improved play now that Tech said bye to Groh on bye week, a bye bye, approach approach conflict, where Tech got to approach both byes as favorabble and able to be approached. Also, recalling when Rock Perdoni carried Ann Margaret in his arms when she visited Rose Bowl field during practice, and photo taken of him carrying her in AJC. She was star of “Bye, Bye Birdie” back then in about 1971. Perhaps coincidence of bye bye means Tech should hire Perdoni as D Coordinator. He also played in Canada where there are cooler temps, and might be able to bring cooler Canadian temps to Tech again like in ‘71-2 season when he played.
dry dirt road
October 21st, 2012
10:46 am
favorable; approach approach conflict in Social Psychology taught at Tech in my major then from ‘69-73
uafuneman
October 21st, 2012
11:19 am
we couldn’t put pressure on a statue!
gt life
October 21st, 2012
11:29 am
Vad may not practice good so what………He seems to me to be one of those players who is a game time (players)…to not see another Tevin lob pass or floating under throw pass is a great plus…..Vad throws bullets and gives us both passing and running options….not to mention he will be here next year….Lets get aboard the VAD LEE TRAIN……bout time
1 4 GT
October 21st, 2012
11:30 am
NAR….you need to CPJ about that VL option you asked “us” about! Sounds good to me, and many others I’m sure, but we can’t do it. As Vad gains confidence & playing time, I hope & imagind CPJ will implement something like what you ask about.
gt life
October 21st, 2012
11:32 am
hey Jacket Detective have you even watched any games….Tevin Chokes about every game with mental issues…..Vad has always been a winner…..unlike Tevin
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
11:48 am
@gt life.
season tickets for 4 years and long time fan.
Vad not ready to run the offense and that was obvious in the 2nd half.
Momentum changes due to CPJ’s terrible hire of Groh who won’t blitz.
Groh’s D cost us bowl game, VT and Miami’s games.
The demoralized team that lost to MTSU was the result of the three blown games.
With a relaxed opponent QB from lack of blitzing, the other team is rolling in OT and we are not.
Did Bartkowski choke vs Dallas in 1980 playoff game?
No just like TEch did, the Falcons took foot off the throttle and the team proceded to fall apart from just the one failure, not the three we have had.
Vad is very good when allowed to throw.
CPJ will not toss his offense to tun all passing offense.
Question remains whether that approach would work against better teams.
BC is the ACC cellar dweller and Vad looked good after the lead was established and given very good field position.
I am eager for his next three years but no need to rush him this year.
CPJ bringing him along slowly to build his confidence.
Rather than turn him into A Murray.
Why doesn’t Murray have confidence in the big games?
Tech4Life
October 21st, 2012
12:01 pm
@gt life: Our offense is affective because defenses have to respect the dive, QB keeper, pitch, and pass. With Vad in under center they only have to respect the run and pass. Vad has showed that he is an amazing athlete and will be a star over the next three years. He’s also showed that he needs the spring and summer to work more on his reads. If you honestly watched the game, you’d see his three big plays were thanks to his feet and broken coverage. Also, the big plays he had were not read plays. In the second half, he had to make reads and didn’t make good ones. Tevin is our starting QB.
...Take The Wheel
October 21st, 2012
12:16 pm
Good win! I got everything I wanted!!!!! They tried my flee flicker!!!!!!!!!! …although he didn’t use Days for the pitch throw. Hopefully he’ll try it again using someone else! In fact I don’t recall seeing Days? Is he out?
Vads throws we’re like lasers in the first half!!!!! Still a few missing pieces – but a couple of his drives were really exciting to watch. Still wanna see JT next year before I get on the Lee train. But I think PJ should stay with this plan. Rotating QBs, added a few plays, went for more field goals (WHATS UP WITH OUR KICKERS). TW managed the clock effectively in the last quarter and had an overall good game. But we need to work on maintaining momentum with the lead. Keeping our foot on their necks! Of course BYU will be a bigger test next week. We’ll see how we (including Lee) really match up against a tougher team. .
Defense was still wobbly down the stretch. But they too looked better overall. We will see next week!!!!!
…..guys brace yourselves for the revenge of GTJoe! He’s definitely going to be on steroids this week!
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
12:42 pm
I’m braced.
Tevin Washington just joined Joe Hamilton in extremely select company.
That would be the 2000 yards rushing, 2500 yards passing club.
No one else made a comment about it.
Of course not.
Thanks Ken for the info.
And thank you Tevin for your steady QB play (proved by the numbers or else Tech just sucks at producing QBs huh?)
You should sue your defense for lack of support.
Not to mention the special teams that has missed three FGs in both the BC game and the last bowl game.
I know u r too much of a team guy to think that way.
However I am not.
U folks want Tevin under the microscope?
Well then everyone, coaches and players past and present, go under it too.
Oh yes Tevin’s first game thrown into a tough situation, he rallies the team against a top D (certainly not BC wimps of yesterday but VT) to tie.
If our ST’s are not missing FGs, they are allowing long returns.
VT returns kickoff for TD.
Guess u forgot that one too.
Buddyroe
October 21st, 2012
1:20 pm
I really don’t think you can say Waller dropped that pass from Lee. The pass was low and thrown too far out in front of him. Could he have caught it? Yes, but it would have been a great catch. He barely got a hand on it and it was a hard thrown pass about a foot off the ground.
1 4 GT
October 21st, 2012
1:55 pm
I find myself more in agreement with JD than GTJ!!!
Jacket Detective
October 21st, 2012
2:26 pm
Thanks 1 4 GT.
Ken has handed me this 2000 yard rushing 2500 yard passing club (meant both ways) to use on Tevin’s critics.
The lack of respect he gets is why top recruits pick Bama and all the football factories.
Go to Tech and have defense and STs take turns losing games and then the dumb fans blame u.
At Bama, LSU, Florida and others, u can have bad games and with very good Ds, no one notices.
5150 UOAD
October 21st, 2012
2:53 pm
What VAD doesn’t do well is the TO down the line to short-side of the field then make the pitch.
Vad doesn’t arc well to keep a good space to the A-back to make a pitch and allow the A-back to make a cut up field. Vad runs it so flat to the line he often runs too far forcing the A-back to catch the pitch on a bad angle sending him out of bounds. The A-back is left little space to make a move and stay in bounds to head up field.
That is what I’ve seen.
Jmonty
October 21st, 2012
4:02 pm
I would just like to start seeing some quick slants develop with the offense. I would stop all those LB’s from creeping up to the line of scrimmage. A few of those and they will stop. The running game with benefit. The “D” played a little better. I was disappointed with the lack of pressure on the QB still. I would like to see some stunt blitzes and blitz disguises. But considering you have asked to players to change up the defense scheme in a matter of a week.. It’s getting there.
ramblingbuzz
October 21st, 2012
4:02 pm
TW is a good technician for running the TO. Doesn’t usually make too many mistakes. Lee has more raw potential, but as a RSF, the potential to make more mistakes also. I don’t fault CPJ for bringing him along slowly. TW doesn’t deserve to be benched. Regardless of the record, he has played his guts out for this team. And with even an average defense, TW would have won a lot more games than he has.
MaconGTFan
October 21st, 2012
4:11 pm
Ramblingbuzz and Jacket Detective have both said it perfectly. Yes Vad is talented and can make plays, but he’s not ready. Vad had the chance yesterday to quite possibly bench Tevin for the remainder of the year when he came in during “crunch time” as Joe and others would say, and instead went three and out. Then Tevin came in ended all debate on who should be the starting QB.
GT Fan
October 21st, 2012
4:55 pm
“Lee lofted a soft pass”
Ken, I think you meant to say Tevin lofted a soft pass (that had some wobble to it). Vad Lee’s passes are much more on a line, tight spiraled, and get to the target a whole lot quicker.
North Ave Killer Beez
October 21st, 2012
5:21 pm
For all who keep saying Vad isn’t ready, what do you call TW? Is he suppose to be ready? Still wating on him to make a fourth and 1. @JDetect you keep pointing out Vad’s 3 and out in the 2nd half, how many 3 and outs did your boy Tevin have and VT?? When does Tevin ever produce against good teams?? I guess TW will NEVER be ready as you say. Check out our record in a weak ACC conf… other than Clemson & Fsu. Blame the D all you want and they are bad but the O & Tevin clearly lost that game. Vad is better and the more we see him play the better he keeps looking. Good recruits go to BAMA, LSU because they win man, wake up!! lol at MaconGT is there such a thing as crunch time when your 2-4 and playing BC, you guys are funny. We suck start VAD!!
North Ave Killer Beez
October 21st, 2012
5:54 pm
@JackDetect: Those are some nice stats on TW but you left out the most important one. Tevin’s record as a starter 12-12 Here is a article written by Chuck Oliver. Boy did he hit the nail on the head, only I don’t think we will reach six win’s with Tevin.
The biggest argument for having Washington return as the starter is that he is the most experienced quarterback of the three competing for the starting job (Synjyn Days being the other.) And normally I would have to agree that experience beats out youth. But here is what experience has gotten Washington so far. Washington has an overall 9-8 record as a starter overall and 6-4 against ACC opponents which is unacceptable. Zero wins in two opportunities in bowl games and neither was against an opponent that was ranked. And he is winless against the University of Georgia and actually played better in the 2010 contest. Yes, Washington started the 2011 season 6-0 but he is also the same quarterback that led his team to a 2-5 finish once the schedule got tougher in the second half of the season. And three of those loses came against opponents the Jackets will face this September-Virginia Tech, Virginia and Miami.
All things considered, Lee and Washington appear to be at the same talent level and have equal abilities to run the offense. After watching the spring game numerous times, Lee seems to be the more polished passer and is fully capable of running the offense at the same level as the incumbent. Most “experts” peg the Yellow Jackets to finish the season at 8-4 while I have the team finishing 6-6. I believe Lee can produce those same results with the pieces and parts that surround him. The offensive line is very strong. The running backs have depth. And while the wide receivers are young, they will need the better passer, Lee, to help them progress and catch better thrown balls to be more productive.
The ceiling for Lee is much higher than that of Washington and is essentially the reason I would go with the younger player. At best and this is a stretch, Washington’s experience gives him a one game edge in win total over Lee. So does eight wins make any real fan feel better than seven for the 2012 season? Neither number puts the Jackets in the hunt for an ACC crown. Neither number gains national attention. But a seven win Vad Lee season should inspire for the future and for things to come. An eight win Tevin Washington season does nothing but makes the fans, students and alums go ho-hum for another off-season and offers no inspiration for the future. This is because of Johnson’s plan to give Lee limited playing time this season in mop up roles and insignificant situations will not gain Lee the proper experience needed for future success in 2013 and beyond.
If Lee were the starting quarterback, it would bring more energy to the position and to the offense. Lee would then gain the experience to head into the immediate future, let’s say 2013, to make a run at an ACC crown rather than Lee having his learning curve in 2013 and hoping for the best in 2014. Now is the time for youth to prevail over experience at the quarterback position in Atlanta.
say what?
October 21st, 2012
6:18 pm
re the ball control o that we run.
now if we had a good d than scoring quickly is one thing…. but when your d allows an average of 45 points a game over the last 3 in spite of our ‘ball control’ o scoring an average of about 35, it seems to me that we need even MORE ball control not less.
are you ignorant sluts
or what? up until yesterday the less our o was on the field meant that the opposing o was scoring at will…. scoring at such a prodigious pace that it put pressure on our ‘ball control’ o to score quickly to even keep up. and to compound things you want to put in an inexperienced qb that could possibly fold under the pressure of trying to score quickly. huh?
folks until we have the d problems fixed it is to our advantage to keep our d off the field as much as possible.and win with our ‘ball control o’.
btw if you didnt notice, we still sucked donut holes in the 2nd half AGAIN!
yeller bug
October 21st, 2012
6:18 pm
I hope this doesn’t become a QB controversy. TW and Vad each have different strengths and we should utilize both to help the team win. I am completely against the myth that you should only have one QB otherwise you get rhythm and/or leadership problems. Does a RB or WR lose his rhythm when he comes out for a few plays? The TO is very demanding on the QB position and having lots of depth is critical—the players are not droids or carbon copies—they both have strengths and weaknesses so the offensive sets and play calls need to be tweaked to maximize the skills of our personnel on the field.
We have an opportunity to use the skills of TW in running the TO and maximize Vad’s raw athletic skills to make plays in a spread formation. It presents a great challenge to opponents to prepare for different styles of attack. This can be a great positive for us, but it needs to be positioned as a positive. This is nothing against TW or Vad—let’s use their different skills to confound our opponents through the use of our myriad of offensive weapons in the personnel that we have.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
6:28 pm
NAKB hit the nail on the head. You can keep throwing those “pretty” stats out there as much as you want, but the most important stat is wins. As an aside, I’m a Steelers fan. For years, all I hear is how Big Ben doesn’t put up the good numbers, is a sub-par QB, blah blah blah. But you know what? He wins games. When it is crunch time, and the game is on the line, he wins games. Tevin doesn’t do that. Have we all forgotten about VT? He throws the ball out of bounds like he was “supposedly” trying to do, and who knows how that game eventually ends. Instead, as he does so often, he made a boneheaded mistake, forced the ball into triple coverage, and ended the game with an INT. Nesbitt didn’t always put up the prettiest stats, but he won games for this team. And let’s not forget that he had a terrible defense and special teams for a great deal of his career here at Tech as well.
I always refer to the FSU game to point out what a winning QB looks like. Seeing Nesbitt rip that ball out of the defenders hand, never giving up on the play. He made a mistake, and then did everything he could to atone for it. I don’t ever see Tevin taking responsibility for the mistakes he makes, like a true leader would. As my knowledge goes, if you remember the OT WF game in 2009, CPJ was ready to kick the field goal in overtime, when Nesbitt went to the coach, and told him point blank: “I can make this play.” That is the attitude of a winner. That is what I want in a QB again, and TW doesn’t deliver that.
I appreciate everything he’s done for the university, but it’s time to plan for a greater, brighter future for the program by getting Vad Lee ready right NOW.
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
6:29 pm
Has Lee ever actually ran an option play during a game?
I know he drops back to pass, runs a called pitch or a called run, or most of the time improvises a QB sneak/broken play.
Sure if you hate the option, I think Lee is your guy. But I get a strong feeling that he has no shown CPJ that he understands the option.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
6:34 pm
And just mentioning passing, it is so, so clear that Vad Lee is a much better passer already. It was apparent to me at the game, but I was honestly curious as to how it looked on screen and went back and watched the game again last night. My goodness the difference is beyond clear. Every pass Vad threw had a tight, crisp spiral. Even on passes he missed, you could see how much arm strength the guy had. Off his back foot he was blazing the ball 30, 40 yards down the field with ease. And the TD pass was a beauty. Then I watched all of Tevin’s passes. Wobbly, off target, and just generally ugly passes. Those third and long passes we converted were more due to great catches by our backs than anything Tevin did . . .
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
6:35 pm
SansWorld, the reason he got more playing time yesterday was because he supposedly had two great weeks of practice. So I get the feeling he is adjusting fine to the offense.
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
6:44 pm
GTPhenom,
But did he actually run a triple option play? I know Lee has a lot to offer, but I am not sure running the option better that TW is one of them.
Really CPJ did not call many option plays when TW was first starting. It does take some time to learn to run it effectivly.
I know that many don’t like the option at all. Thats fine, If so I think Lee is your man.
I don’t think that as long as CPJ is coach, we will succed without being able t run the option effectivly.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
6:49 pm
I’m pretty sure I saw him run it a few times. Still basic, but he’s also still a redshirt freshman. Tevin Washington still makes boneheaded mistakes with the option, and he’s been in this offense for five years. I’m not worried about Vad Lee with the option yet, he’s still got a lot of time to adjust.
so gt phenom
October 21st, 2012
6:54 pm
you point to wins as a criteria? how many games has vad won? i promise that if cpj put vad in and we lost you would be at the head of the line whining about not putting tw back in.
this same crap has been going on now for … forever. the most popular player on a mediocre team is ‘always’ the back up qb and the most knowledgeable fans are always ‘fans’ of that backup qb.
we pay cpj a couplea bucks to coach. until YOU show me you know more than cpj ill trust his judgment. after all, using YOUR very own criteria for performance. cpj has won 2 national championships… made navy a very competitive team when he was there…. won an acc championship… coaches one of the top 3 rushing teams in the country year in and year out. never mind that our problem is our DEFENSE not our offense.
YOU on the other hand ….. your only claim to fame? your a fan of that back up qb. meh.
no offense but ill trust cpj over YOU any day.
no offens
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
6:55 pm
Actually I don’t even think we have run much true Triple option since Josh Nesbitt was here.
I am not sure that even TW has run many plays with where there was a real option to/or to-not had off to the B Back. When the B back gets the ball now, I think it is always a called play.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
7:13 pm
Bothered much by my opinion? I’m one of the lead proponents who has believe that this season was over as soon as we lost the Miami game oh brilliant one. Seeings as I believe we are going to lose games even with TW at the helm, why exactly would I jump on Vad if he lost a few?
See, here’s the difference that you are clearly missing. Tevin has been in this program for five years. He’s a redshirt senior who has no excuses for the the mistakes he continually makes in this offense. Vad Lee is a redshirt freshman currently in the middle of his second year with the program. If he starts as a redshirt freshman, then why in the hell would I be worried if he struggled a bit?
Next, where in the hell did I complain about CPJ? I’m one of the few sane fans still saying he is exactly what we need for this team to one day be at a high level once more.
My only comment was that I felt that Vad Lee needs more experience and play time so that next season, when we return NINETEEN starters, we can potentially have a great year and put the bad memories of this season behind us. Nowhere in my comments have I clamored to only start Lee and/or questioned what CPJ is doing with this program. So next time you decide to take offense to my OPINION, which I guess I need to make clear from now on, at least make sure you have half a damn clue as to what you are talking about. Have a good night.
MaconGTFan
October 21st, 2012
7:17 pm
And Stephen Hill’s still dropping passes I see.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
7:52 pm
Saw that too. Nothing new there.
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
8:46 pm
I am often surprised by the amount of emotion GT football generates.among it’s fans
North Ave Killer Beez
October 21st, 2012
9:00 pm
Phenom, hopefully Dwyer can get the steelers running game going.
North Ave Killer Beez
October 21st, 2012
9:02 pm
1st career start, he needs to make an impression tonight.
Jacket Man
October 21st, 2012
9:24 pm
It looks like Tevin takes a little nap at half time and comes back on the field in the second half like he’s still sleepy. Just check GA Tech’s stat’s the 2nd half of games Washington has been the starting QB. And he’s there whining about having his “timing” thrown off? He’s rarely completed 50% of his passes, so I’m not sure what that timing issue might be. When he does pass, they usually come off his hands like a wounded duck anyway, so I’m not sure how timing really helps the Jacket receivers even if he had all day (Bostic made an unbelievable catch on a horrible pass when Washington had been in before any substitutions). Perhaps Tevin needs some cheese to go with that whine.
Smyrna Gold
October 21st, 2012
9:53 pm
Vad, Tevin, Namath, Ryan, Tbow, whoever, won’t make much difference until we learn to play defense, special teams (especially the kicking game) and the fans acceptance of a program going downhill are changed. No matter how much we love GA Tech, the reality is, this program is really really pathetic with nothing to base optimism on. Yes, I remember Bud Carson and Bill Lewis but they weren’t making $2.6 million per year. This program is much worse than when CPJ took over 5 years ago. Recruiting is really in the tank. Duke, under Cutcliffe, has shown much more improvement than Tech. The program is so bad, it is becoming hilarious.
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
10:14 pm
“He’s rarely completed 50% of his passes”
Washington has had one game this year where he compelted less that 50% of his passes. +60% on the year. He is on track to be the first Starting QB at GT to pass for over 50% since Reggie Ball’s first year.
That said, his passes Saturday were not pretty, Otherwise I think his passing looks much better this year.
so gt phenom
October 21st, 2012
10:23 pm
phenom is not exactly the name i have for you guy. maybe you should switch allegiances to coach richt. just saying…..
so you were on the band wagon than off the band wagon after the miami game eh? with your kind of fandom it is a wonder you didnt tp and egg tw’s parents house.
you nah sayers are pathetic. if a loss upsets you so much than go root for bama or lswho or the game…….
btw i am more brilliant than YOU. you can take that to the bank oh witless one!
makes me ashamed that we have fans like YOU.
so gt phenom
October 21st, 2012
10:26 pm
thanks sansworld for setting ‘phenom’ straight. personally i think he is a she….. called debbie downer!
calling you phenom is kinda of like saying W was brilliant. lmao. oxymoronicccccccccc.
SansWorld
October 21st, 2012
10:42 pm
don’t bring me in to this cat fight.
I though we had a rather civil disucssion going for a while there.
GTPhenom
October 21st, 2012
11:59 pm
I thought so too. I’m curious no name troll how many football games you’ve been too so far this season. Cause I’ve been at every single home game over the past two seasons since becoming a student, and also went to the Clemson game this year, and have plans to make the UNC game later this year. How many have you been too? Grew up a GT fan, and regardless of record I will support this team through the thick and the thin. (Oh, and if you particularly care, I can prove being at the games in any way you so please).
Where exactly did I say anything about bandwagon or any kind of being off anything for that matter? All I stated was that after the Miami game, when it became clear to me that we were more than likely out of the race for the ACCCG, that we should start preparing for next year and give our QB of the future more time in games. That is the only comment I have made. I never said anything about not being a fan.
The more and more I read from you, the more and more I wonder about both your reading comprehension skills, and I’m starting to wonder if you are in some way personally related to TW. With the way you are defending him I’m not so sure. Note that we had no problems discussing things until you showed up.
Tech 9
October 22nd, 2012
8:05 am
Washington is definitely the better of the two quarterbacks right now, but the future does look bright for Lee. But why isn’t anybody talking about the true freshman Anthony at receiver runs good routes,great hands, and has nice ball skills he’s going to be a good one.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
9:59 am
Hi folks, it’s me! Did ya miss me?!
You know, after seeing Vad on Saturday, I realized what all you geniuses (Take the Wheel and her other fake handles, MaconGTFan, 1 4 GT) were absolutely right about Vad all along! He is SO not ready to be starter. Why? Because the goal of us tech fans is NOT to win! Let’s check the stats from Saturday:
More passing yards: Vad
More passing yards/completion: Vad
More passing yards/attempt: Vad
More yards/carry: Vad
Vad turnovers: 0
1st three drives: 2 TDs and a missed FG
Nah, he’s not ready!
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
10:08 am
Listening to Vad in the post game interview, his IQ is easily 40 points higher than Tevin. Vad sounds like a pro, says all the right things and has a great attitude.
Maybe he’ll be “ready” to start in a few years. Wouldn’t want to “damage” him for life by starting him too early. They are so so fragile, they’ve only been playing for 12 years. (sarcasm).
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
10:12 am
All this garbage about Tevin’s 2000 yards rushing and 2500 yards passing is just garbage. Are we supposed to be impressed with that?
Passing yards: Tevin is averaging ~100 yards per game. Wow.
Rushing yards: Has any GT QB been in such a rush-heavy offense, aside from nesbitt?
Comparing TW to Joe Ham is ludicrous. Hamilton was a winner, first of all.
gt life
October 22nd, 2012
11:30 am
ok then lets just keep tevin in and get one or 2 more wins this season….I think starting with a red shirt QB next year will work great no wonder the stadium is empty……
T-TIme
October 22nd, 2012
11:37 am
@Jacket Detective….. funny you mentioned Bartkowski, I was explaining to my son a few weeks ago that TW had the nervous dancing feet just like Bartkowski did his last few years.
I hope everyone noticed the o line subs were in when Vad was unable to gain any yards his last series. Different scenario than earlier series.
Coach Z
October 22nd, 2012
11:48 am
I am surprised no one is commenting on Sims rushing touchdown on the dive play. He literally took the ball away from TW and the televison commentators mentioned that as well. I was happy for Sims. I’m guessing most people on this blog go to the games. Unfortunately, I watch them 400 miles away on my couch. Having said all that, I beleive TW runs the TO very good, but he makes selfish mistakes because he doesn’t trust his teammates. With that rushing touchdown, Sims said the opening is up the middle TW, I’m taking the ball!
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
1:10 pm
Joe, Why do you insult me? The only thing I recall saying to you that you could construe as being insulting was you were tiresome with your multiple daily rants about how bad Tevin is. and to give “us”a rest. I have said I wanted to see, and was delighted to see, Vad Lee in the game and playing up to what we all hoped he would be. He was very good in the 1st half & somewhat less so in the 2nd half. I’m sure you noticed this too. He is not fully ready yet, but I expect to see him “earn” (you are familiar with the word and it’s definition I’m sure [oops, there I go being sarcastic/insulting, sorry] the starting QB’s job. I believe CPJ will give him more playing time as the season progresses, and may even “earn” (oops, there’s that annoying word again) the starting QB’s job before the season is over. I would be delighted if that is the case, but would have some sympathy for Tevin, unlike you. I will be satisfied either way. As the Head Coach, it rests in CPJ’s hands, and I trust him to make the right decision for the team’s best interests. You can rest assured, CPJ knows what is at stake if he does not begin to turn the program around to a higher level that it is at now. BTW, everyone here knew you would be “gloating” over Vad’s plays, but your boy also made some “bonehead” (your word) plays. How about the good luck he had on a 1st down fumble deep in our side of the field that bounced ahead & was recovered by an Olineman for positive yards (6?). I’m rather surprised you waited a full day before you got cranked up. Vad will get his chance when the coaches think he deserves it & not before.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
1:35 pm
1 4: did i insult you? how/when? I think I sarcastically called you and some other folks a genius, is that the “insult” you are talking about?
Anyways, I missed Vad’s bonehead plays; did he throw a pick? did he lose a fumble? did he cost us the game? did he turn the ball over on downs? Let me help you: Vad has no turnovers in his career at Tech.
I think it should be abundantly clear today that Vad is “ready”; I thought it was clear after the presby game. If you still think he is not ready, after leading us to TDs on his first 2 drives, missed FG on a 3rd, I can’t help you.
2nd half was not great. one 3 and out (Tevin NEVER does that, huh?) and a 6 and out (that apparently had backups on the OL, according to another blogger, I’ll have to verify, but obviously the playbook wasn’t open with a 20 point lead and less than 4 minutes to play).
JoeFan
October 22nd, 2012
2:07 pm
That was an awful second half by Tech that almost got BC back in the game and would have if not for them roughing the kicker. CPJ’s play calling was less than imaginary and the defense reverted back to its full of holes personality. There has to be some major improvement in both areas or Tech will easily loose the last five games.
Honestly
October 22nd, 2012
2:36 pm
“Then Tevin came in ended all debate on who should be the starting QB.” In no way is this a true statement. I will without a doubt agree that there are some things TW does better than Vad and some things Vad does better than TW. I do not agree that TW is a better “crunch time” qb. Can TW complete passes – yes some but with minimal opportunity for the receivers to advance. You had to see the difference on Sat for when a receiver was led vs having to come back to the ball. Will Vad miss some reads on the TO, sure; but then again so does TW. Do I want TW benched, no; but it should be closer to 50/50 now and if TW can’t handle this “lack of rhythm” then that is a problem he needs to figure out. I like TW and believe he is a good young man, but we don’t owe him anything.
AMG
October 22nd, 2012
3:46 pm
I was at the game. For those who watch objectively and do not try to make a case for either. It is clear that more mistakes were made by TW in this game. He caused two fumbles, almost threw two interceptions and missed a wide open touch down. Lee fumbled once and that is it. Also the TD run Lee made TW could not make in his wildest dreams. Lee is clearly a better athlete. He is bigger, faster and has a much, much better arm. The only issue is experience and how much of the play book he has ready to run. TW has him beat there. I agree with starting Lee and teaching him more and more of the expanded play book. TW can come in when and if Lee has problems. This does setup for a great future for Tech.
GTFan
October 22nd, 2012
3:49 pm
Vad Lee should be starting period!! Tevin makes all kind of mistakes, and still plays. He is washed up, and his time is done.
Washington said he “felt fine the whole game” and believes coming out of the game disrupts his flow.
Get over yourself Washington, you suck!
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
3:51 pm
AMG and GTFan: tread carefully, the TW fans on this blog are CRAZY.
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
4:49 pm
Paul Johnson says Vad Lee could see expanded role
Ummm, is this the same Paul Johnson that said Synjyn Days was “too good to be standing on the sidelines”??
Through 7 games the player too good to be standing on the sidelines has 7 carries for 32 yds & 1 TD!
IDK, maybe SD has one of those “undisclosed injuries”
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
4:52 pm
Also, love how PJ has taken advantage of B.Snoddy’s speed ….. 9 carries 36 yds 1 TD.
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
4:54 pm
Chris Milton had a heck of a hit on that one K.O., forcing a fumble and knocking the BC runner out of the game!
Wish the D coaches would give him a shot in #1’s spot. That would be two Jemea’s on D!
so phenom your a student eh?
October 22nd, 2012
6:57 pm
you just made a fool of yourself on this blog and dont even have the sense to realize it yet. phenom is so phenomenal that he hasnt even made it through tech yet.
get back to me when you graduate and hold down a job for a bit. until then your not much to look at!
thank you very much for proving my point! have a nice day!
lmao. phenom indeed!
go jackets
gt joe....
October 22nd, 2012
7:00 pm
another 12 year old fan emotionally. geeez.
Gtech fan
October 22nd, 2012
9:25 pm
For now, i think that Tevin Washington should still start. But i wouldn’t mind seing Vad get more plays. Tevin scores ALL of our TDs and has done a nice job thus far, but defense has let him down. There is no doubt that eventually Vad Lee will become the starting QB next year, but he is not ready yet. Tevin has made very good reads on the option and has done a nice job running the ball. I think Vad has to learn how to fully run the offense.
come on
October 23rd, 2012
11:24 am
TW fumbled 3 times in the game and throws like a girl. so vad fumbled once and that is the reason i have read as to why he is not ready. well nobody has thrown the ball like him at tech since the goose.