Bulldogs, Jackets seeking a boost from their defense
Todd Grantham's Georgia defense ranks among leaders nationally in several categories, but struggled last year against Tech. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Two years ago, the head coaches at Georgia and Georgia Tech, both with offensive backgrounds, fired their respective defensive coordinators.
So ended the frequent lampooning of Willie Martinez in Athens and the most often heard question at Tech, “What idiot is coaching Paul Johnson’s defense?” (His name was Dave Wommack.)
As Georgia and Georgia Tech prepare to face each other again Saturday, it’s easy to see that the biggest difference between the programs is defense.
The Bulldogs rank fourth nationally in total defense, 11th in scoring, ninth in takeaways and second in third-down percentage.
The Jackets, in those respective categories, rank 43rd, 56th, 52nd and 89th.
Now, it would be an oversimplification to say Todd Grantham is succeeding in his job and Al Groh isn’t. Grantham has better players. But after seeing some progress on defense, Tech has allowed 68 points and 827 yards in the past two weeks against Virginia Tech and Duke, which doesn’t equate to a gold star on Groh’s late-season resume.
Saturday’s game could go a long way toward affirming direction for both coordinators and, it follows, both programs.
It’s easy to diminish the Bulldogs’ defensive accomplishments because of a soft schedule. That won’t be an issue against Tech. The Dogs may have won two of three against the Jackets since Johnson’s arrival, but they really haven’t stopped his option offense.
Al Groh's Tech defense has looked solid at times, but allowed 68 points to Virginia Tech and Duke in the past two weeks. (AP photo)
Consider last season. Georgia won 42-34, but the Jackets rushed for 411 yards and had 512 total. They nearly doubled the Bulldogs in first downs (32-18) and offensive plays (92-48). They held the ball for over 38 minutes. The difference in the game: Tech’s three fumbles (all leading to touchdowns) and a missed extra-point attempt (allowing Georgia to hold a 35-34 lead until Washaun Ealey’s touchdown with 1:29 left.)
When Mark Richt left the field in Athens, you could hear him exhale in Bogart.
It follows that when Richt was asked if he expected Grantham’s defense to fare better the second time around against Tech’s option, he responded, “I don’t know. I just wouldn’t predict it. If you saw that offense week after week after week after week and not just once a year, I suppose we could get pretty good at it. But to think all of a sudden that we’re going to hook it up and be good at defending it, I wouldn’t bet on that.
“Their offense is just extremely difficult to stop. It makes every possession so much more precious than normal. … The quarterback is a runner, so everybody on our defense has a very strict responsibility. If you make a mistake against this team, that’s when the really big plays happen. Against other teams, you can make a mistake and have a free safety there to clean up the mess.”
The Dogs have held seven of their past nine opponents to 16 or fewer points. But Tech’s offense has averaged nearly 37 points and has been held under 21 just once (24-7 loss at Miami).
Groh has two problems: 1) His defense has been dented in two games since an upset of Clemson; 2) Even if Georgia plays without (or with a hobbled) Isaiah Crowell, quarterback Aaron Murray is playing his best football of the season and effectively spreading the ball around.
Groh signed a two-year contract. He hasn’t yet spoken publicly about whether he plans to come back next season.
Grantham signed a three-year contract. His agent already is pushing for an extension, earlier than athletic director Greg McGarity would like, and is making noises about other opportunities.
So in a sense, the futures of both are uncertain. Maybe one is looking for a sign and the other is looking for leverage. This game could provide either.
By Jeff Schultz
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560 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
6:33 pm
48……….Supersize left to go eat. That is not Supersize posting at all on this page.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
6:13 pm
have a good one, 19 & UOAD. Later!!!
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
6:36 pm
Some of you need to realize when a person’s blog name has been Hi-Jacked. SUPERSIZE left at 6:13 and one of the UGA butt holes his using his name to get you mad.
Dawg48
November 25th, 2011
6:37 pm
5150
I know, seems to me if you highjack some ones name you would try to do it correctly.
The guy said “all uga fans are like this” should have said all uga fans are like “that”
BBQ MAN
November 25th, 2011
6:37 pm
children!
Dawg4Life
November 25th, 2011
6:39 pm
Why post all this degree info….the degree that matters will be the temp at kickoff when the Dawgs start the destruction of the joke by the coke version 2011. Go Dawgs
3rd generation TECH Man
November 25th, 2011
6:43 pm
5150, it is posters like you that give all TECH fans a bad name. Grow up.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
6:43 pm
48………….for some people on the blogs Hi-Jacking a blog name is like what children used to do when making Prank Phone Calls. They can’t do that now with caller Id and *69 so they steal blog names. The AJC needs to get it fixed. 1 blog name/ email address and nobody can be Banned permanently.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
6:45 pm
3rd gen………….I don’t care what you think.
Dawg48
November 25th, 2011
6:46 pm
5150
Yea I know what you saying.
I will catch up with ya later have fun at the game tomorrow!
Go dawgs
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
6:48 pm
Dawg48………..be safe and TT you later.
WHAT'S THE GOOD WORD
November 25th, 2011
6:53 pm
TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!!!!!!!!!!
Junkyard Mad
November 25th, 2011
6:56 pm
Tech fans on here talking about beating CMR”s Dawgs..really? If you were able to beat the Dawgs for the next 8 years in a row, you would just be even.
Coach Richt=9 wins
Yeller Bugs=1 win
Really?
Good luck tomorrow but don’t bet your 4 story house!
Dawgs roll!!!
Top Dawg
November 25th, 2011
6:59 pm
It’s also safe to say that Grantham’s defense has faced much better offenses than Groh’s defense has faced.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:06 pm
Top Dawg………….names please and proof?
Clemson 38 Auburn 24
Georgia 45 Auburn 7
GT 38 Clemson 17
Those are the only schools that we can compare UGA against GT with IMO.
Top Dawg
November 25th, 2011
7:08 pm
5150 UOAD: SEC. Period. Booyah
Soon to be SEC East Champs
November 25th, 2011
7:12 pm
If GT has less than 1 turnover, GT wins easily. UGA will be overconfident and Gt will take advantage. Jackets jump on the Dogs early and UGA will not be able to catch them.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:16 pm
Top Dawg if you are going to wave the SEC banner, then don’t you think the dawgs should play and beat an SEC team first?
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
7:37 pm
Well I see the 12 year old child went and hijacked my blod handle and said I was gay. Oh the horror LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s news to me, married to high school sweetheart and 4 children later it would be hard to be closeted that long.
Fortunately those who know me on these blogs aren’t taken in by such childish actions.
Onto talking about THE game, Tech has to take care of the ball to have a chance to win. If Tech plays a turnover free game then I like Tech’s chances at winning. If they turn it over and don’t play smart ball then GA will take it. Regardless of the outcome I will continue, now and forever, to be a Jacket FAN!
GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
7:37 pm
“blog”
Snoop Dawg
November 25th, 2011
7:38 pm
The only thing worthy about Georgia Tech is the Varsity. Even the Varsity moved to Athens after just three years in the North Avenue ghetto.
Georgia will lay a smackdown on Georgia Tech just like they always do. It’s tradition, you see.
The techies make fun of UGA, but engineers are really just technicians who work for the managers. Most of the managers and executives are UGA grads.
This year, the average SAT score for the UGA freshman class was actually higher than Tech’s!
Tech grads will always be jealous of the UGA. and they should be… We took their women. Which women choose the nerds over the guys in Athens Town?
Their fight song sucks.
They live in a ghetto.
Their mascot is silly.
They quit the SEC because it was too tough for them…
Snoop Dawg
November 25th, 2011
7:39 pm
PS.. GO Georgia Bulldogs!
hey sec east champ
November 25th, 2011
7:39 pm
When was the last time Tech won easy…they might win the game-never know with that crazy option game.But the odds are not good.GA has better players.Seems they have a much improved D..heck it is a fact..the stuff about ranking 4 in the land-or whatever- is silly.
Dawgs D has stuffed a lot of teams that are not very good.GT is not very good.If tech wins- well;that means the dawgs are not very good
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
7:45 pm
Last 7 games between GT/GA, largest margin of victory…………..8 points. Yes, GA has won 6/7 but hardly in a dominating fashion. Looking forward to kickoff tomorrow!
Jonlanz
November 25th, 2011
7:45 pm
Go to he’ll tech
Dawg48
November 25th, 2011
7:46 pm
5150
Georgia has not played a hard schedule I agree but……
You can see that they are very fast,tackle well and do not miss assignments.
Now were I think tech will get big plays is on trickery……… Georgia plays great assignment defense and most of the td they have given up were on trick plays if tech can expose that y’all will get some big plays.
Jonlanz
November 25th, 2011
7:46 pm
UGA will beat the hell out of tech.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:47 pm
Well, I see that Schultz deleted all my imposter’s posts. Did he get the others too?
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:48 pm
Snoop. sorry to disappoint you, but I know quite a few UGA women who married Tech MEN. And that’s always been the case.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:50 pm
Supersize How was you dinner? Leftover from yesterday? That was me saying talk to Gordon Muir at the Varsity. He is married to one of Mr. Gordy’s grand daughters. He and I went to school together.
Dawg48
November 25th, 2011
7:51 pm
Yea took mine off as well….. Thanks jeff
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:53 pm
Snoop, Tech’s fight song is one of the most famous and most recognized fight songs in the country, along with those for Notre Dame and Michigan. Our mascot, Buzz, currently is leading in the Capital One annual contest of college mascots—-Hairy Dawg got eliminated; he had less votes than anybody else in the contest. Our other “mascot, the Ramblin ‘Reck, is one of the top symbols of any college in the world. And we quit the SEC because of Dodd’s misguided dreams of being the Notre Dame of the south and because of lax recruiting rules in the SEC which he would not use at Tech.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:53 pm
Supersize that was a long time ago. If you want a UGA girl now you have to get her before she spends too much time at UGA. I would not want to be just another passenger on that MARTA bus if she has been at UGA for more than a year.
Jeff Schultz
November 25th, 2011
7:53 pm
Dawg48, others — Just getting back. Trying to clean up but finding duplicate names can be tedious. If you want to let me know of others, I’ll take a look. Thanks.
All Saints
November 25th, 2011
7:54 pm
This is a reminder that we’ll be having our regular tribute and moment of silence on Saturday for Saint Jan Kemp, the courageous martyr who exposed UGA and Vince Dooley’s “remedial studies” fraud, a shameful scam that Mark Richt carries on today, almost thirty years later.
Please approach this special moment with awe and reverence as we honor her sacred name.
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
7:54 pm
Supersize, to your question earlier. Yes, same son we were all talking about and who I would love to come to Tech next year
GaDawg
November 25th, 2011
7:55 pm
go Dawgs,we win this for the State and the SEC Championship for Munson,look at the sugar falling from the sky what a geat man. UGA where legonds are the best thing the state of georgia means to everybody have a geat thanks giving everybody LET THE BIG DAWG EAT.Has anyone heard that Model Middle school is trying to hire PJ to coach it’s Team next year.He’d be good at that level?
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:55 pm
UOAD, dinner was excellent, and yes, it was leftovers, actually from Tuesday when I cooked the turkey (I ate with family last night). So that WAS you on the other blog??? The way it was worded didn’t sound like you.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:55 pm
Supersize Dodd left the SEC because Tech couldn’t have a major in Coloring Books like UGA.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:56 pm
Jeff, I don’t know if you can, but since Ken is apparently not posting today, you might check his blog on injuries. Somebody was in there posing as 19.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
7:57 pm
Just the post about putting it on my tab. I think I was hi-jacked on a few post too.
D Rules
November 25th, 2011
7:57 pm
Ga’s 3-4 D will shut down Tech’s mickey mouse option O–mark it down! Ga 33 Tech 13. Dawgs will upset lsu next week!!!
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:57 pm
OJF, could his coming to the game tomorrow have an effect on his final choice? I HOPE I HOPE. lol
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:58 pm
D Rules, UGA MIGHT win tomorrow, but I guarantee you, Choke’s D won’t shut down Tech’s offense
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
7:58 pm
Supersize, one never knows
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
7:59 pm
UOAD, there were so many fake posts going on an hour or so ago, it was impossible at times to know which were real and which were not.
hey sec east champ
November 25th, 2011
7:59 pm
Another thought-as a dawg fan I hope for a GA blowout of GT-might getit.I must say tho CPJ is a heck of a coach.Best you have had in years.Best hire I have seen in a while.
Tech is not a football factory.Not gonna beat GA 4 outta 10-but this guy gives you a shot w his crazy O to win more games than u have in the past.VS GA.and anybody else on shed-
Gotta love him picking up on the wmart line-crass tho it be; it was funny. GA 38 bugs 19
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
8:00 pm
Well, OJF, if I could meet him, maybe I could twist his arm. LOL
Ol'JacketFan
November 25th, 2011
8:02 pm
Supersize, be careful twisting his arm, he’s a right good size young man
Supersize that order, mutt
November 25th, 2011
8:02 pm
champ, we disagree on the result tomorrow, but thanks for everything else you said.
5150 UOAD
November 25th, 2011
8:03 pm
Super…………Pitt (our new enemy) is beating the UGA of the Appalachian mountains 14-0.