Johnson exceeded Richt in developing a quarterback
Georgia Tech's offense is flourishing partly because of Josh Nesbitt (9), who certainly never doubted he could score on fourth down in OT against Wake Forest. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
A year earlier and Josh Nesbitt would’ve gone somewhere else. If Paul Johnson and his run-happy, triple-option offense had landed at Georgia Tech back when Nesbitt was still considering colleges, Nesbitt almost certainly would’ve tossed his Jackets’ recruiting letters into the reject basket.
You say “option” to most high school quarterbacks and they hear “oblivion.”
“Yes,” the Tech quarterback said Monday when asked if he would’ve signed elsewhere had he been recruited by Johnson and not former coach Chan Gailey, who ran a pro style offense. “My mindset was different coming out of high school than it is now.”
When Tech and Georgia meet Saturday, it will bring into focus something even more remarkable than the staggering turns of the two programs. The Jackets’ Paul Johnson did a better job developing a quarterback this season than Georgia’s Mark Richt.
This isn’t meant to be a knock on the Bulldogs’ Joe Cox. It’s just that two years ago when the option came to Tech, it didn’t figure the Jackets would have the better player at that position. Richt has a strong track record for recruiting and developing quarterbacks (David Greene, D.J. Shockley, Matthew Stafford). He runs a traditional offense. He played the position himself and ran the once-powerful Florida State offense.
Jackets coach Paul Johnson said he knew Josh Nesbitt had the ability to run the option. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
Johnson has a controlled passing game: It’s called a pitch.
As a high school senior, Nesbitt threw for 2,256 yards and 32 touchdowns. He neither thought of, nor embraced, the idea of being an option quarterback.
“Uncertain,” he said, when asked how he felt when Johnson was first hired as Gailey’s replacement.
But look now. He has thrown for 1,418 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed for 847 yards and 16 scores. He has thrown only 125 passes, completing 58. But his average yards per attempt, an often telling statistic, is 11.34. (Cox’s YPA: 8.13.)
He also has thrown only four interceptions. Factor that in with his yards per attempt and his college passing efficiency rating is 156.41. Nesbitt doesn’t qualify for the national leaders because he’s averaging only 11.4 passes per game (15 is the minimum). But if he qualified, he would rank eighth in the country, just behind Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen (156.45).
Bottom line: Nesbitt is operating in Johnson’s offense better than Cox is in Richt’s, running the option and keeping defenses off balance with a downfield passing threat.
“Josh has improved a great deal,” Johnson said. “The biggest thing is he’s more comfortable in what we’re asking him to do. The game has slowed down for him. He doesn’t have to think about everything, he can just react.”
Johnson said he didn’t sense any reticence from Nesbitt about the offense the first time coach and quarterback met. “I think he was like everybody. He had some questions. Everybody was asking what he was going to do and not do. He kept an open mind and I guess he eventually said, ‘Hey, it’s not too bad. I can have some fun with this.’”
Nesbitt hasn’t been all run. He threw for 266 yards against Mississippi State, and for just under 200 with two touchdowns against each Duke and Vanderbilt. He said he feels “10 times more comfortable” than a year ago.
“When he came here, he just told me, ‘You can have a great year, but you’re going to take a pounding.’ I don’t mind the pounding, and I thought I could be successful. I like the offense. I like the fact that we can score at any given moment and we have so many threats.”
Johnson’s confidence in Nesbitt was illustrated a few weeks ago when he went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Wake Forest five-yard line in overtime. A chip-shot field goal would’ve tied the game. Nesbitt came to the sideline and said, “I can make it coach.” Johnson replied, “I know you can.” Two Nesbitt runs later — a first down, then a touchdown — the game was over.
Nesbitt was asked about that first meeting with Johnson. Did he ever inquire how many times he would get to pass?
“No, I never mentioned it,” he said.
He bought in early, and it shows.
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594 comments Add your comment
Don
November 23rd, 2009
5:41 pm
Hey cfb fan
You’re an idiot too. It should be easier to PASS in ga’s system BECAUSE you have the o line who BLOCKS AND you have 3-4 receivers plus a tight end to pass too. Idiot.
Windale
November 23rd, 2009
5:41 pm
CFB,
I’ve never been so insulted. I’m just sick of Joe Cox and is preference of throwing to the other team!
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
5:43 pm
CFB Fan
I wonder what would happen if Cox was pulled from an offense and asked to run one that he has never done before as complicated as this gimmick offense is? Crap he couldnt even hand off Saturday
CFB Fan
November 23rd, 2009
5:44 pm
Thanks Don!
It’s alot easier to throw when you have 7 dropping back into coverage to cover your three recievers.
Shows how bright you are!
Windale,
You should be insulted by GT trying to pose as nothing other than the cellar.
You wil be back in the Toilet Bowl next year.
Clemson won’t be as easy this time around.
Clemson for ACC Champions
Realist
November 23rd, 2009
5:44 pm
Seriously, not a single mention of D. Thomas? Because of the offense, Thomas gets one-on-one coverage all day against inferior ACC corners, and Johnson’s pass offense is “Thomas fly route left” and “Thomas fly route right.” That’s not QB development and it’s not coaching genius. It’s a mismatch that gets exploited half a dozen times a game, and voila, Jeff Schultz thinks Nesbitt is a good QB. Schultz, you could throw those passes.
Douglas
November 23rd, 2009
5:46 pm
Jeff: this only makes sense if Richt was still developing QB’s — he is no longer doing that — he is only the HC. The question is: who is the QB coach at UGA?
Dawg Whisperer
November 23rd, 2009
5:46 pm
I heard a rumor that Johnson once had more buggars in his nose than Richt but when challenged he fell short a couple.
The pitch
November 23rd, 2009
5:47 pm
Josh Nesbitt may not have the passing stats, but as an option quarterback, its up to him to make the right pitches at the right time. He’s reading the defense from a different perspective, and if he makes the wrong desicion, disaster strikes. Josh has been making the right decisons and limited the turnovers. That is why Josh Nesbitt is a better quarterback than Joe Cox. Its all about the pitch, and if you ever watched a GT game, you would notice how well Josh does it.
SCJack
November 23rd, 2009
5:47 pm
I’ll accept your comments concerning Nesbitt (being a Dawg fan I generally don’t keep track of Tech players’ stats, etc.) However, I totally agree with your Cox-Richt assessment. Having teenagers usually teach parents that you cannot be the overly protective parent and then one day have to ‘set the teenager free’ without paying a dear price for not carrying out your parental duties of allowing/strongly encouraging the teenager to gain experience along the way. Richt has done this injustice to Cox; kept him from any semblance of experience for 4 years then ultimately had to set him free as leader of the team. Act this out with a teenage driver and watch the highway carnage. Act this out with a quarterback and watch the season carnage.
Windale
November 23rd, 2009
5:47 pm
Is CFB Fan Joe Cox?
Fools Gold
November 23rd, 2009
5:48 pm
UGA’s fixing to fall?
But speaking just for me
and some people from AJC,
we got a thing or two to tell you all.
This Dawg may have stumbled
but he ain’t never fell.
And if the Techies don’t believe that
they can all go straight to hell.
We’re gonna put UGA’s feet
on the path of a Winning streak
and then God bless UGA nation again.
And you never did think that it ever would happen again.
In Georgia, did you?
You never did think that we’d ever get together again.
Well we damn sure fooled you.
We’re walking real proud and we’re talking real loud again
In UGA Nation.
You never did think that it ever would happen again.
NOW WE MAY HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF FIGHTING AMONGST OURSELVES,
BUT YOU OUTSIDE PEOPLE BEST LEAVE US ALONE.
Cause we’ll all stick together
and you can take that to the bank.
That’s the Gators and the Jackets and the rebels and the yanks.
You just go and lay your hand on a Georgia BULLDAWG fan
and I think you’re gonna finally understand.
And you never did think that it ever would happen again.
In Georgia, did you?
You never did think that we’d ever get together again.
Well we damn sure fooled you.
We’re walking real proud and we’re talking real loud again
In UGA Nation.
You never did think that it ever would happen again.
Thank you Charlie
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
5:48 pm
CFB Fan
In my book a QB is a guy that runs your offense and the other players look at him as the leader…a guy that can just throw is called a PITCHER and thats baseball..
BTW thanks Horner
U-no
November 23rd, 2009
5:49 pm
You are right on the mark, Jeff.
Cox at times has had the classic “deer in the headlights” look on his face, particularly when the game gets tight or the Pups fall behind. He has not handled pressure very well and has not developed a mind for the game. That is where coaching comes in, helping to develop the thinking and keeping focused on what is important. Throwing into coverage that is thick as fleas on a dogs back is something that by the time you are a senior quarterback you should not still be doing. Forcing plays that would be better ended for little or no loss, but instead resulting in a turnover are freshman mistakes. Forgivable when a freshman… not so as a senior.
CPJ has turned Nesbitt into a gamer, a player, a thinker, and one who reacts with poise and usually in a manner that results in positive yards or more. The maturity of Nesbitt has been evident this year and it has been a joy to watch the results on the field.
Change is the only way a player, team, program, or organization can continue to grow and get better. CPJ does a much better job at initiating change and leading it in the right direction, even during a game. CMR is consistent to a fault. He needs to make some changes and there needs to be more change made during the game to adapt to opposing teams adjustments.
It is not necessarily a testament to the quality of players on each team as to the results seen on the field in Atlanta and Athens. The quality is essentially the same. The coaching is definitely different and seemingly headed in opposite directions between the two programs. Tech is a rising star, and CPJ is leading the ascension. UGA is struggling to maintain, and losing the battle. CMR is at the helm and needs to make the hard and necessary choices to right the ship.
Whopper Dawg
November 23rd, 2009
5:49 pm
Talk about kicking a man when he is done – low blow Jeff.
Of far greater concern is how Richt et al is handling development of QBs in the program as a whole. Last year we signed two QBs. The year before – none. This year, so far, with 18 verbals, once again, NO QB.
I hear that Logan Grey wants out and I don’t blame him. So, next year we could be left with only 2 QBs on the entire roster and both will be red shirt freshman. WTF????
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
5:51 pm
Nesbitt should be a legitimate heisman candidate
Blah ah ha ha hah ohooh hah hoaha haaa ahha haha
He can barely hit a barn much less a moving target
Heisman blah ha ha ha ao aoa hhaaa ahahaaa aahhaa
GTPhenom
November 23rd, 2009
5:59 pm
Wow, you pups are funny. Face it, you guys will lose by 50 this weekend, you have a QB who throws the ball to the opposing team more often than not, a defense that couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn, and are facing one of the top 10 offenses in the nation. Have fun getting run all over this weekend UGAg.
DUMB DUMB DUMB
November 23rd, 2009
6:03 pm
Who is the QB with the most wins in SEC history and who “developed” him? End of discussion Jeffy…
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
6:06 pm
Boy you tech losers are some big trash talkers
You win a game then you win in a sorry conference
Now you all think your a national powerhouse and you have moved ahead of UGA now
Blah ha ha ha ha ho ho ho
Even Santa Claus thought that was so funny he crapped his pants
HO HO HO HO HO FART
AdMan
November 23rd, 2009
6:08 pm
If Joe Cozx was any better than he is he would have been playing long before now….he was a good back up QB and nothing more. Tech woulde be nothing without Nesbitt and so far he has dodged the injury bullett. Let’s see how good they are if he goes down with an injury. Jaybo Shaw?….I don’t think so….The good thing about the Georgia football future is…it will eventually get corrected…new coaches, scheme etc. its going to happen…the alumni will demand it and once again order will be restored to the football world in Georgia and Tech will once again be looking up at the program in Athens and dog cussing them as they have done for the last fifty years. Have fun while you can Tech fans…it won’t last more than a year.
Big B CH 99
November 23rd, 2009
6:08 pm
I’m a Tech fan, & I’ll admit that a lot of Josh’s completions are just jump-balls that the 6′3″ BayBay Thomas brought down, but hasn’t Joe Cox thrown up several jump-balls that the 6′4″ A.J. Green brought down.
And yes, one of the reasons that Josh’s completion % is so low is b/c our passing game is extremely vertical, at least 60% of our passes are 20 or more yards down field. The best QB’s will only complete 50-55% of passes that travel 20+ yds in the air. The QB’s that complete 65-70% of their passes are less than 10 yds in the air.
Tebow is a much better passes than Josh, both have terrible mechanics.
bp
November 23rd, 2009
6:09 pm
how many qbs this year needed the ball back after a turnover and went and took it away from a linebacker to get it?
buzznsc
November 23rd, 2009
6:11 pm
CFB is an idiot
buzznsc
November 23rd, 2009
6:13 pm
richt is way too classy to be stuck in an armpit like athens
Starring Henry Wilcoxon as Bishop Pickering
November 23rd, 2009
6:14 pm
sneaky dawg: I don’t think I would anoint Stafford ROY yet. Percy Harvey, err Harvin stands a better chance.
buzznsc
November 23rd, 2009
6:14 pm
THWGTHWGTHWGTHWGTHWG
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
6:15 pm
buzznsc
not sure he’s smart enough to be an idiot
buzznsc
November 23rd, 2009
6:20 pm
HEY DAWGS…DOES SHREVEPORT EVEN SHOW UP ON A GPS SYSTEM? will send postcards from miami
Rick
November 23rd, 2009
6:25 pm
Agree with Hershel talker on this one.
Choosing Jox cox as a QB recruit rather than Nesbitt simply shows that CMR is a dumb arse.
But we all already new that. It is not Joe’s fault.. It just really bad coaching.
Barry from Eastenders
November 23rd, 2009
6:28 pm
Jeff — “The better quarterbacks coach” says the url tease. Seriously man, this may be one of your more ridiculous efforts yet. I get it, you are tasked with with drumming up story lines for page hits etc., but come on man. Say what you will about Richt, but he has coached David Greene, DJ Shockley, Matt Stafford and Joe Cox in GA tenure alone (we won’t even delve into Charlie Ward and Chris Wenke). The first set the NCAA record for career wins, won a SECC and spent 4 years in the NFL. DJ Shockley, in his one season at bat also produced an SECC and was able to spend 3 seasons on an NFL roster. Then, we get to Matt Stafford who led GA to a #2 finish during his Sophomore campaign and after 3 seasons was selected as the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Then, we are left with a transition season of a career backup who has struggled. So, by what logical construct do you use that leads you to believe that CPJ is a better developer of QBs? Because he hasn’t “developed” Joe Cox into an SEC championship quarterback, all of his other successes notwithstanding, he is less successful than Paul Johnson at QB development? Really? Really, that is what you are going with here??
At the D1 level, what CPJ QBs have won conference championships? Won BCS games (or even played in one for that matter)? Have won Heisman trophies? Have been drafted into the NFL?
It can’t be professionally gratifying to write crap purely for the sake of ginning up Internet noise. Surely, this is not what you had in mind when you plotted a career path in Journalism and Column writing.
TechMan
November 23rd, 2009
6:29 pm
Josh is a MAN. He takes a hit every play. He’s a great team leader, and he knows how to win. He and the rest of this class have made football fun to watch again at GA Tech. Thanks guys and pour it on Sat nite. Everybody plays
A Rob
November 23rd, 2009
6:29 pm
Nesbitt is one hell of a leader, plain and simple. The way he took the ball back from that FSU linebacker is a play few, if any in football make. His adjustments and decisions with the pitches, keeps, and handoffs has been much better, as has his passing. Yes, he throws it up for grabs a lot, but why not when you have Thomas and Hill. He has also looked significantly better and rollouts and comeback patterns this year. Many of those throws have been on the money of late. Would like to see more short passes and roll outs however.
Hey Lum, cringe all you want, but he’s getting better and better through the air! I’ll take him on my team. Josh is a winner.
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
6:31 pm
What will be hilarious this weekend is Tech will allow Joe Cox to throw all over the field
And make the mighty D coached by Willie Mar T look like a power house
Tech you won’t make to miami sorry Clemson gave you that gave now they will role the tiger and squash the bee
Rick
November 23rd, 2009
6:33 pm
Reposted… Hit submit before I was finished.
Agree with Hershel Talker above on this one.
Choosing Joe Cox as a QB recruit rather than Nesbitt simply shows that CMR is a dumb arse. See the UK team and others loaded with Georgia Players. Look at the all SEC team each year which is loaded with Georgia guys on other teams.
But we all already knew that CMR and Bobo and Willie and Jancek, and especially, the special teams coach are simply real bad.. Man!. It’s not Joe’s fault.. It just really real bad coaching.
No changes will be made as long as the money flows. I was impressed with the fans leaving early Saturday. That is the sort of statement that needs to be made.
Joe's Cox
November 23rd, 2009
6:36 pm
Ya’ll leave me alone. I try hard…
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
6:37 pm
A rust
You must be drinking honey liquor
I guess next year Nesbitt will be drafted #1, win the heisman, and a national title
Hey could you give me some of that honey liquor so I can get drunk and believe Willie Martinez will coach UGA to a #1 defense ranking next year
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
6:37 pm
SMALL JOHNSON
does throw all over the field mean to both teams?
Weebo
November 23rd, 2009
6:39 pm
You gotta be kidding me!! Come talk to me when CPJ has a QB selected #1 overall in the NFL draft!
Bryan
November 23rd, 2009
6:41 pm
Who’s the top ranked one loss team in the country at #7? Who has 5 losses, about to be 6 and not even in the other receiving votes category and ranked 50-60. Nuff said.
Go Jackets!
November 23rd, 2009
6:42 pm
Sweet, sweet leghumper tears! I love it when you fleabags are so distressed about the state of your program that all you can do is show up on our blogs and try to knock our GOOD players.
Please keep it up! I remember when Gailey was here and we had better players on the flats but still couldn’t win the games that counted because we had bad coaching. Now Tech has better players and better coaching, so prepare to be disappointed for the next however many years it takes until you have better coaching. Oh wait, by that time, we will have the best coach AND the better recruits since you guys have sucked the tailpipe for so long. Sucks to be you!
Paul in RDU
November 23rd, 2009
6:43 pm
CFB Fan
November 23rd, 2009
5:35 pm
GT only beat one ranked opponent (#17 Virginia Tech).
Overall, you only beat two teams with a winning record.
CFB Fan – You may have forgotten GT beating NC (8-3, BCS #24) and I can imagine you can’t believe that FSU (6-5) has a winning record, but how the heck did you forget Clemson (8-3, BCS #18)? Isn’t Clemson every Dawgs’s 2nd favorite team this year?
Some “CFB Fan”.
95,000 fans heading for the gates with 3 minutes left
November 23rd, 2009
6:45 pm
Maybe that’s your problem.. your QB’s using you for the NFL instead of focusing on the game at hand. I’ll take my 55,000 and a championship in my lifetime with another sure to come. Be good puppies.. stay out of trouble.
Paul in RDU
November 23rd, 2009
6:47 pm
revwreck – He said that Cox is going to throw it all over the field and I think he will.
However that’s not how you move the ball. You move the ball by throwing it to people who catch it (as long as they are on your own team).
Alabama Jack
November 23rd, 2009
6:49 pm
95,000 Fans – for three/fourths of Every Game!
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
6:54 pm
man who dont love COFH
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
6:54 pm
You tech nerds
Need to whipe the snot from your excited little red noses
You guys aren’t going to make it to miami and what is funny is Richt knows the heat is on
so get ready punks because you better man up and be on here Sunday when the beat down is over
P.S could you get some of those future Janitorial Engineers on your football team to clean up UGA VII’s crap in your endzone at Bubba Dudd field
Richt the Heisman Maker
November 23rd, 2009
6:58 pm
Mark Richt coached 2 different players to Heisman QB’s and 2 Natl’ Championships at FSU.
Johnson 0 Hesiman’s, O Natl’ Champions at Ga Tech.
Not even close.
How does the NFL rate Johnson’s coaching? How many of his players have gone on to the NFL?
revwreck
November 23rd, 2009
7:01 pm
didnt know richt was ever the coach at FSU……
Scott
November 23rd, 2009
7:01 pm
What is Mark Richt’s record against Paul Johnson?
Paul in RDU
November 23rd, 2009
7:03 pm
SMALL JOHNSON
November 23rd, 2009
6:54 pm
You tech nerds
P.S could you get some of those future Janitorial Engineers on your football team to clean up UGA VII’s crap in your endzone at Bubba Dudd field
Small Johnson – Have you spent the last week in a drunken stupor? I’ve got bad news for you – Uga VII had a heart attack last week. They even buried him at Sanford Stadium on Saturday morning. You didn’t notice the empty dog house at the game on Saturday night?
VolNation
November 23rd, 2009
7:04 pm
Can we talk about something important? That young man was cleared of all chargess and should soon be back in a Vol uniform…good things do happen to those that deserve it.