Tech vs. highly ranked run defenses
BYU is ranked eighth against the run, at 93.1 yards per game, along with 2.9 yards per carry. Georgia Tech has three games in a row against teams with highly-rated run defenses, as Maryland (sixth at 87.6 yards per game) and North Carolina (25th at 116.5) follow the Cougars.
How has Tech fared against top 25 run defenses?
Year Team Rank Avg. Total GT avg. Result
2011 Utah 20 113.5 326 316.5 L, 30-27 OT
2011 UGA 11 101.2 264 316.5 L, 31-17
2011 VT 14 104.1 281 316.5 L, 37-26
2010 NCSU 14 114.3 282 323.3 L, 45-28
2010 UNC 22 125.6 393 323.3 W, 30-24
2009 UNC 10 95.6 346 295.4 W, 24-7
2008 LSU 17 110.2 180 273.2 L, 38-3
2008 VT 14 104.4 289 273.2 L, 20-17
2008 BC 7 91.2 200 273.2 W, 19-16
A few things – One, the 3-6 record isn’t inspiring, though I’d attribute only a couple to an inability to run the ball. Two, Tech’s total in all instances but one (LSU) at least doubled the average. In some instances, particularly when Butch Davis was involved, Tech surpassed its own average.
Three, Tech’s poorest rushing games haven’t always been against top-ranked defenses. In 2011, Miami’s 68th-ranked run defense held Tech to 150 yards. Same deal in 2009, when the Hurricanes limited Tech to 159. That defense was 32nd against the run.
In 2008, Al Groh-coached Virginia held Tech to 196 rushing yards with a defense that finished the season ranked 72nd at 149.6 yards per game. (I’ve wondered if that game planted seeds in Paul Johnson’s head about Groh’s defensive ability. As I recall it, Tech had all manner of trouble moving the ball after the first quarter.)
That same year, Tech ran for 121 yards against Gardner-Webb, which finished 30th in FCS in rushing defense. The infamous Gardner-Webb game. If you’re wondering, and I’m sure you aren’t, the Bulldogs finished 5-6 that season. The Tech game was their best in terms of points (10) and yards allowed (199). The very next week, Presbyterian hit up Gardner-Webb for 492 yards in a 47-21 loss.
2. In the all-telling (that’s sarcasm) “How has Tech’s opponent done vs. similar offenses” category…
BYU played Air Force in 2010, losing 35-14. The Falcons rolled up 477 yards of offense, including 409 on the ground (nine of them supplied by Darius Jones, Roddy’s brother). Air Force was aided by three Cougars turnovers and held the ball for 36:59. That same Air Force team, you may recall, also defeated Tech in the Independence Bowl. BYU finished the season ranked 45th against the run.
Coincidentally, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall fired his defensive coordinator midway through that season. Mendenhall acts as the team’s defensive coordinator.
3. I read the Salt Lake Tribune game story from BYU’s loss to Notre Dame and was particularly amused by reader comments about quarterback Riley Nelson (who missed a pass that would have appeared to be a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter) and backup James Lark. Perhaps you’ll notice something familiar about them.
Thanks for reading.
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132 comments Add your comment
taco
October 22nd, 2012
4:52 pm
Yes and no
Same Old
October 22nd, 2012
4:54 pm
We might beat Maryland, but they’re getting better too.
We aren’t, sad to say. It is what it is, no use hoping for anything better.
5150 UOAD
October 22nd, 2012
4:57 pm
I will CARE about most of you posters opinions when you actually come to the games.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
5:00 pm
If you go to the games, you can’t get the replays, multiple angles, and commentary.
Going to the games puts you at a disadvantage, if you actually care about game analysis. Which is why I take CERTAIN posters’ comments with a grain of salt.
But for the emotional side of things, it’s great to go to the games.
Ken Sugiura
October 22nd, 2012
5:00 pm
please don’t post under someone’s handle. come on. bannable offense.
GTfan2012
October 22nd, 2012
5:03 pm
GT Joe,
I said the same thing a coupe weeks ago, before I actually analyzed the stats. I really thought they were a legit defense. Figured out pretty quick they were just a a decent defense. ND exposed them. Now, I am in no way suggesting that GT is guaranteed to beat them. We’ve shown that we can struggle against anyone this year. Even our BC game showed that we are playing like a middle of the road ACC team. I’m just less impressed with BYU’s defense statistically when I dive into the stats. I think we will be able to move the ball on them fairly easily.
5150 UOAD
October 22nd, 2012
5:08 pm
GT JOE you are a LOSER then. You can DVR the game and see it all. You can watch the Replays during the week on CSS. You are a JOKE.
Why should we listen to you?
Do you drop a bunch of money to TECH?
You sit at home and play with yourself and that is about it.
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
5:09 pm
GTfan2012,
BYU’s QB is mistake prone, too.
After watching BYU in person vs. Oregon St. then seeing where ND had two 100yd rushers vs. the Cougars, I’m much more optimistic that PJ will see something in BYU’s last 2 games which his TO can take advantage of. In the pass game too!
BYU’s D in the past 2 games was facing, although experienced, a backup QB in ND, and vs. Oregon St a QB who hadn’t taken an in-game snap since 2010. ND was obviously going to run, and BYU still gave up 270 yds rushing to the Irish. Oregon St is a pass-1st O but still gained 118 yds on the ground with a few nice up-the-middle runs. And that “rusty” QB for the Beavers? He threw for 332 yds & 3 TDs.
5150 UOAD
October 22nd, 2012
5:10 pm
KEN your words are MEANINGLESS unless you actually BAN the name thieves.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
5:11 pm
Well, I wouldn’t say ND exposed BYU. ND is a GREAT team. And you mention that the teams BYU held to few rush yards can’t rush. But that’s because they aren’t rush teams. Which is why I posted “total yards” and “offensive scoring” ranks.
It wouldn’t be a good comparison to judge a team’s passing defense if it only played option offenses, would it?
Now sure, ND ran all over BYU. But ND also has a passing game. BYU will be more focused on the run vs. GT (unless Vad starts), so who knows what will happen.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
5:12 pm
Ken, please ban UOAD 5150. Name calling has no place in the ajc blogs.
GT Joe
October 22nd, 2012
5:15 pm
GT Fan: Hawaii lost to BYU 47-0; of course they aren’t going to be running the ball when they are down multiple TDs.
TechApp fan
October 22nd, 2012
5:15 pm
Joe, you surely doest wax enthustacially about the QB. I too was glad to see him play against some 1st team. Just my opin, both were inconsistent. How to change that is not up to me.
Some have mentioned the option and the amount Tech actually runs the option. How do you know?
The distance between the line when the QB is belly feeding the B back prior to making a decision is so short that it seems impossible to determine if there actually was an option or a predetermined play. Too fast for me to make a determination. Does it really matter?
TechApp fan
October 22nd, 2012
5:32 pm
ps…I understand that if the opposition moves a herd of LB’s into the middle, the QB would naturally would not give the ball to the B back but would pull it back and either keep it for himself or do something else. But under normal conditions, I cannot tell if the QB really made a decision.
Can you guys see that?
George Stein
October 22nd, 2012
5:36 pm
Maryland just lost their second QB of the season to a knee injury. We should win that game.
As for BYU, if you feel so strongly that we are gonna lose, guess what? Have I got a deal for you! For the low, low price of only $110, you have the opportunity to put you’re money where your mouth is and place a wager on the Cougars. As Tech is a favorite, perhaps you’ll place a moneyline wager on the game instead. Either way, you have the chance to fatten your bank account without doing any labor. What could possibly go wrong!!!
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
6:05 pm
Hawaii, GT Joe?
I didn’t say anything about Hawaii ……. I’m feeling more optimistic about GT vs BYU today than I was 3 weeks ago not b/c of what GT did vs. BC, but b/c of what Oregon St & ND did to BYU’s D.
PLUS, like BC, it’s BYU’s 2nd consecutive road game. Hoping BYU will show a bit of fatigue.
I won’t be shocked if GT loses, just as I won’t be shocked if GT wins by 14+.
fuzzybee78
October 22nd, 2012
6:11 pm
@TechApp fan
I dont believe Tech runs a straight handoff to the B back ever. I think every B back dive is a TO until the QB reaches the line of scrimmage, sees the D line and backers, and then gives or keeps based on his reads. The decision is made on the fly in the “mesh” unless the dive is open at the snap.
Somebody correct me if you know different–
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
6:15 pm
Stein,
With Maryland’s strength being D it could be another 21-16, or less, kinda game??
jeffjacket
October 22nd, 2012
6:18 pm
TECH = 42 BYU = 24—–> REMEMBER, WITH VAD’S COMING OF AGE , ALL TEAMS MUST NOW PREPARE FOR BOTH QB’S , THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING!
HAS ANYONE HEARD AN INJURY UPDATE ON LASKEY????
COME ON GUYS , PICK IT UP , WE ARE COMING BACK , I FEEL 7 & 5 COMING ON!!!
GO JACKETS!!!!!! THWG — GO GATORS!!!!!
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
6:18 pm
Well….is Joe the name thief. Joe is calling for 5150 to be banned for calling Joe a loser & a joke. Joe, I hardly think a grown man of reasonable intelligence would be sp offended ay being called a loser & a joke, joke of a loser that you are. Have you also been posting as me & Delbert D. & maybe you are even the now Barry’s Uncle. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
GT Fan
October 22nd, 2012
6:21 pm
Stein,
Accidentally hit enter …..
I’m not cheering b/c a kid got injured, but GT can use all the advantages they can get.
After looking at GT’s remaining schedule, I don’t feel good about UNC or Duke as each has their bye week before playing GT.
GT needs 3 more wins to get to a bowl … i.e. more PT for Vad Lee, I’m starting to think, if they win the next 2, that it’s going to take a win over UGA to reach a bowl. And UGA plays GA Southern the week before GT … nice!
Supersize that order, mutt
October 22nd, 2012
6:22 pm
@ 1 4 GT…….check your email
jeffjacket
October 22nd, 2012
6:24 pm
LASKEY??? UPDATE??? ANYONE???
Big Crimson 75
October 22nd, 2012
6:25 pm
If anyone needs a laugh, might I suggest reading a few posts on the dwag blogs by this Clown named “Sammy”!!
Some of it will bring tears to your eyes!!
fuzzybee78
October 22nd, 2012
6:25 pm
@GT Fan–
I agree on that score with Maryland — that DL Joe Vellano at Mary had 20 tackles against us last time at BD and Im sure CPJ will have somebody dialed in on him every play.
GT Lee
October 22nd, 2012
6:27 pm
BC75, Bad dawg is funny also….
Reformed Toady
October 22nd, 2012
6:30 pm
I’m reformed now. BYU played ND tough and could have won the game. I don’t know if that means anything this Saturday. I suspect nothing. Here’s hoping their QB throws some picks and maybe a pick 6.
I did like seeing Vad in the game. I believe a good bit of the crowd liked it too. I don’t have anything against Tevin and I believe he’s better with the mechanics of the TO but CPJ is using some different formations other than the TO which make the argument less valid. I cringe when I see him throw a wounded duck. Those ducks will be interceptions from here on out. Too much hang time and the wobbly flight pattern is predictable. I really would like to see 4 complete quarters of football from the Jackets.
Reformed Toady
October 22nd, 2012
6:36 pm
Anyone see the UNC LB hit the Duke WR? Really sad and disgraceful! It happened on UNC’s side of the field and not one person from the UNC sideline came out to help. Need to watch that team closely when we play them. That was coached.
5150 UOAD
October 22nd, 2012
6:41 pm
Bi Cri try the Obama Truth page on Facebook. It is better than anything on Comedy Central. http://www.facebook.com/truthteam2012?fref=ts
fuzzybee78
October 22nd, 2012
6:45 pm
Posted earlier—
In an effort to improve the pass rush in passing situations, would CPJ consider a 4th D lineman ie DE and pull an inside linebacker. Leave Attacho and Watts to cover and pull one of the inside backers.
Lets see what Dieke and Cummings or Cross at DE could do with Barnes and Gotis at DT in a pass rush in a standard 4-3 or add a nickle back to boot.
Big Crimson 75
October 22nd, 2012
6:46 pm
51 — that page is funny and yet scary at the same time!!
The AJC and Cox Media Group are really swell
October 22nd, 2012
6:46 pm
The problem is, when they upgraded the look and feel of the AJC.com website, they decided to postpone the really crucial part: changing the blog so that real log-ins would be required. But hey, they have priorities. The fancy new look will appeal to viewers, and money from ads will increase a lot.
By deferring the upgrade to the blogging environment (due to re-prioritization and reallocation of precious resources (bucks, in plainspeak) they made the choice that certain features are going to continue as before. This means that somebody with Cox Media Group-Atlanta will have to manually remove offending posts when requested by users.
That means that
- racist
- misogonistic
- obscene
- homophobic
- threatening
- name calling
posts, as well as trolling creeps posing as other users
will be allowed to continue.
This is business-as-usual for Cox Media Group-Atlanta
and the AJC.com, I guess. That promise of enhanced customer experience falls real short for some dedicated users, doesn’t it?
Don’t bother to complain to me. I won’t read the blog comments. I am anonymous. I can’t be tracked by IP address and banned. I won’t appear under the same handle twice. I travel a lot, and right now, I’m in an outdoor cafe in Amsterdam enjoying the evening with a hot mocha. You got a problem, call Cox Media Group-Atlanta and beg them for help.
Oh, and Go Jackets!!!
wreckmaniac
October 22nd, 2012
6:56 pm
Notre Dame ran grind-it-out, run-only plays in the 4th qtr Saturday to take the lead late against BYU. Its not only running throughout the game but at what point in the game the running is done.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 22nd, 2012
7:15 pm
@ The AJC and Cox Media……..I know all too well of what you speak. For more than a year now, the NEEDED login procedures for the blogs have been put off and put off and put off. It is obvious that the AJC and Cox Media don’t give a damn about integrity on the blogs.
Reformed Toady
October 22nd, 2012
7:34 pm
I tried to respond to the 4:30pm post but it was block. The reason is simple. People go to a sporting event to enjoy pregame festivities and the game. That’s hard for opposing fans in Athens. $75 is nothing compared to replacing property, repainting your vehicle, explaining to young children why some people say such things to them and the feeling that you may need to defend the lives of your family at any moment. That’s what you got in Athens on gameday. I don’t think it’s the UGA Alumni but the other people that call themselves fans of UGA football. That’s not just Tech fans going to Athens but any opponent going to Athens.
Examples: Vehicles keyed and tires punctured, tailgate equipment destroyed, being spit on, being threatened, children and women being called horrible names. Too much and over the top.
You guys buy those tickets and hopefully you’ll fill up the Stalinistic Megalith.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 22nd, 2012
7:39 pm
@ Reformed Toady…..I can attest to that from personal experience. I was spit on once by a UGA fan after a Tech win in Athens. Fortunately, I saw him coming and was able to get in my car, so that his spit only hit my driver’s side window, but he DID spit at me.
TechApp fan
October 22nd, 2012
8:00 pm
@fuzzybee78….if the QB actually does run the option on every dive play, could one duduce that if the play gains yardage, the QB made a good read. But if the play gained no yards, did the QB make a bad read? Is that how a QB is graded by bloggers that indicate one QB runs the option better than another? There surely is more than that required to be a good option QB.
Tech4Life
October 22nd, 2012
8:01 pm
So is it bad that I’ll be sitting by the Georgia student section when Tech heads to Athens?
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
8:01 pm
And thus it shall be in Athens until the real UGA fans take control of their idiotic brethren and do what ever it takes to put a stop to such behavior. I am using the respectful proper names now, in deference to the true Georgia fans. If enough true Georgia fans would see this boorish behavior & surround the culprit and smack him around just enough to get their attention, it would soon clean itself up. Just like when the Muslim Imams & their followers start speaking out against the nutcases in their fellow believers & take control, then I will begin respecting their religion. When red & black clothed fans start confronting the red & black clothed heathens, then it will start being toned down.
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
8:05 pm
Tech4Life….I would be very wary coming out, especially if GT wins.
Tech4Life
October 22nd, 2012
8:09 pm
I haven’t been in Sandford in 15 years. Are they really that bad?
ole yeller
October 22nd, 2012
8:10 pm
@Tech 4 life if you are in Athens for anything it is bad. Unless your parents live there or if you have a animal that needs to be treated. Their Vet. hospital is the best in the nation. Other than that be sure to look where you step.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
@ Tech4Life…..you shouldn’t have any problem sitting near the student section. The students are not the problem; it’s those r’neck fans who never attended any college who cause the problems (filters won’t allow the word I am abbreviating, but they allow name thieves). Like 1 4 Gt said, be careful leaving the game, especially if Tech wins.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 22nd, 2012
8:13 pm
What I put in parentheses in my last post shows just how stupid the AJC blogosphere is……I have to come up with a short cut version for r—neck, but it will allow name thieves to come on these blogs and say anything they want. PATHETIC !!!!
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
8:26 pm
YEP!!!!
Reformed Toady
October 22nd, 2012
8:37 pm
It’s not the students or the Alumni. It’s the people that may have a GED but are “Dawgs” for life.
1 4 GT
October 22nd, 2012
8:40 pm
Some of them don’t even have a GED….you can see them everyday @ Wally World…..dressed so stylishly…..
fuzzybee78
October 22nd, 2012
8:44 pm
@TechApp
It certainly starts with that read, but as PJ says “they have guys on scholarship too” and DL can stunt or just beat the block and make the tackle, or the QB makes a bad read. I cant tell until maybe the replay to see what happened and it happens fast. TOp QB have to be good at reading the D based on how they line up, but there is an art to the pitch, the ark, and the spacing and “show and go” with the ball splitting the linebackers. Experience is usually the best teacher and TW is good at all of that. Nesbitt got really good at it and was physically bruising as well. Vad is getting better but he is not a good as TW today. He reminds me Shawn Jones in his running and release. The ball to Autry was as good as it can be thrown, on a rope in stride!
Bloggers have complained about TW “calling his own number” especially around the goal line to much. I think thats a called QB keep all the way with TW picking the hole based on the DLine look.
Ol'JacketFan
October 22nd, 2012
9:07 pm
I went back and watched quite a bit of the BC game as I wanted to pay particular attention to how Vad was handling the base offense. You can see his improvement in many aspects of running the offense but there are still shortcomings. Nothing that can’t be overcomed and as Vad works more with more intensity in practice you’ll see it translate onto his play in the games. It appears to me that the light is coming on for him in understanding just how much hard work goes into learning and, more importantly. running this offense. There is no denying his physical skills and I look forward to the entire package being tuned to run CPJ’s offense. You’re going to see just how diversified the offense can be when you have a QB who is a true dual threat.
Go Jackets!!!!
Reader97
October 22nd, 2012
9:15 pm
Tech only ran for 79 yards against Gardner Webb in 08. Blog says 121, boxscore says 79. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=282850059