Paul Johnson will defend Tech’s offense, but not defense
Al Groh must know: Whatever he's doing, Paul Johnson is watching. (Johnny Crawford)
There are at least two things Paul Johnson has committed to memory. One is his offense. The other is his counterattack for anybody who questions his offense.
It’s like the other day, when I mentioned to Johnson that his team needed significant improvement on defense and his run-run-run-run-run-oh-look-it’s-third-down-run-run offense needed some semblance of a passing threat for Georgia Tech to move up to the next level. (I never claimed either observation was a stunning revelation). Johnson’s response was expected: both amusing and unrelenting.
“Well, the second part I’m not so sure of,” he said. “We beat Clemson last year, and they were ranked fifth, and we didn’t throw the ball. We beat Georgia in my first year throwing for 19 yards. Would it help if the other team has everybody committed to the run and we could throw it over their heads? Sure. But we’re not going to throw it 30 times a game. And we’ve won national championships [at Georgia Southern] without throwing the ball at another level [I-AA]. And didn’t Alabama win a national championship throwing for 58 yards?”
OK! Stop! I surrender!
(Not really. I’m convinced some opponents are starting to catch up with Johnson’s option offense. And while that doesn’t necessarily differentiate it from any other offense that has obvious tendencies, the Jackets would benefit with something outlandish like the threat of a completed pass to keep defenses honest. That said, I’m willing to explore our common ground for the sake of this column. …)
Johnson’s position is accurate in this sense: The biggest thing that has stopped Tech from ascending isn’t the Yellow Jackets’ lack of a passing game. It’s defense. In Johnson’s four seasons, the Jackets have finished (chronologically) 25th, 54th, 64th and 44th in total defense; and 24th, 68th, 78th and 66th in rushing defense; and 28th, 56th, 57th and 60th in scoring defense; and 57th, 82nd, 52nd and 83rd in third-down defense; and 18th, 72nd 101st and 77th in sacks; and 13th, 93rd, 108th and 94th in tackles for loss.
In the final four games of 2012, Tech allowed 37, 31, 31 and 30 points. (The only win in that span: 38-31 over Duke, which was driving until an interception with two minutes left.)
Feh.
“To have a championship-caliber team, we have to play better on defense,” Johnson said. “And we can also be better offensively, no question. … When you play a good team, you’re not going to score every time you have the ball. At times I think [people] act like we’re going to score every time. Sometimes you have to shut the other team down.”
Johnson wasn’t throwing defensive coordinator Al Groh under the bus. But, yes — he is driving the bus.
Johnson already has fired one defensive coordinator (Dave Wommack after 2009.) He never considered firing Groh after last season, saying, “I have confidence in him.”
Groh ran defenses with the New York Giants and New England Patriots. He should be good enough for the ACC Coastal, but he hasn’t made an impact yet. Blame Tech’s shortage of talent or a slow transition to the 3-4, but ultimately Groh is the one who will be judged.
Tech blew a 24-10 lead to Utah in the last seven minutes of the Sun Bowl and lost 30-27 in overtime. Johnson’s offense had four consecutive punts after a third-quarter touchdown and missed three field goals. But the loss was more about a defensive collapse.
“We gave up two fourth-down touchdowns,” Johnson said. The second: a 28-yard touchdown on fourth-and-14 to send the game into overtime.
Maybe the most implausible stat of all was that Tech’s defense allowed 16 of 24 fourth-down conversions last season, which ranked 111th nationally.
The Jackets’ should be solid in the secondary. But the key to most defenses is up front (where they’ve been thin), and in a 3-4 it’s in the middle at nose tackle (T.J. Barnes).
We’ll learn pretty quickly whether this group has improved. The opener is at Virginia Tech. Johnson said, based on practices, he believes Tech will be better, but quickly added, “I don’t know if that’s worth a flip. That’s why we play the games.”
It’s Year 3 for Groh. The games need to look better.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Some selections from the jukebox
– Countdown: Vandy’s she-QB, ESPN’s ‘power,’ creepy bobble
– Video blog: Talking Georgia, Georgia Tech, ‘Sack Schultz’
– College football, Week 1: Somehow it keeps getting better
– Predicting Georgia Tech’s season, game-by-game
– Isaiah Crowell ‘happy,’ seeking fresh start at Alabama State
– “Sack Schultz 2012″: Hawaii, tickets, gift cards … I want it all!
– Da’Rick Rogers suspended, and Dooley still cleaning up
– Now on Internet: It’s Mike Vick Injury Bingo! (ouch)
– MLB’s drug policy too soft — teams should be docked wins
– NFL is damaging its own product with replacement officials
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167 comments Add your comment
mountain_jim
August 28th, 2012
5:01 pm
I misspelled the next word also, so what?
What a trollish thing to point out in a football discussion.
George Stein
August 28th, 2012
5:03 pm
I believe that’s called being a grown up, Dawglasville. Regrettably, many didn’t have the same lessons, or they choose to ignore them.
George Stein
August 28th, 2012
5:05 pm
Your football discussion offers no facts, mountain_jim; it’s a bunch of feelings. Perhaps you’d be more comfortable in a feelingsball discussion.
Jason
August 28th, 2012
5:07 pm
Johnson said, “You can’t score everytime you have the ball.” However, that was what Tech’s opponents were doing in 2010. It got better in 2011, so if that trend can improve just a little, then I think that Tech will look like a much better team. I can’t complain about the Tech offense given how much they averaged scoring under Johnson. I do believe that Johnson’s teams have averaged more points per game than Chan Gaily’s teams. However, I don’t think that Tevin Washington is the right quarterback for Johnson’s sytem, though I hope he shows improvement this year.
BLT
August 28th, 2012
5:10 pm
Some folks don’t know the difference between a “Chop” block and a “Cut” block. Every team does one of them….genius.
BLT
August 28th, 2012
5:15 pm
“The Techies are ready to erect a statue of him outside their stadium though. That should be good for some comic relief.”
News to me. Never heard this before, please provide some sort of factual information or maybe just shut up.
Now UGA should erect a statue of Jan Kemp. She did more for UGA than your mind can actually grasp. dawgfan, that’s called an opinion…
BTW, everytime you post is “comic relief”.
Dawglasville
August 28th, 2012
5:23 pm
George, glad to hear from you. Sadly, I haven’t always been this mature about sports either. Good thing there wasn’t the blog option when I was at UGA. It wouldn’t have cut into my study time. It probably would have cut into the thing I still value most – sleep.
Alfred Jenkins
August 28th, 2012
5:23 pm
Its always every bodies fault
Except CPJ.
The fact he cant get along or do interviews with the Radio Station that is the ” Home of Yellow Jacket Football ” tells you how much of an arrogant jerk the guy is.
As a Bulldog fan … here is hoping he is at Tech for a long long time.
Atlantan
August 28th, 2012
5:29 pm
Defense should be improved this year – just a few tackles away from winning at least 2 more last year.
For the Dawgfan – no one can imitate Logan Thomas. Uga will continue to recruit great (on paper) lose half the guys to legal trouble and finish with a mediocre record as their SEC brethen continue to embarrass them. But you can beat Tech in the “Mickey Mouse” conference and live vicariously through SEC West teams………
Alfred Jenkins
August 28th, 2012
5:32 pm
Uga will continue to recruit great (on paper) lose half the guys to legal trouble and finish with a mediocre record as their SEC brethen continue to embarrass them
When has that happened. ?
Rich has a winning record against Arkansas Alabama and LSU.
Not afraid of them at all.
Dawglasville
August 28th, 2012
5:36 pm
BLT – Jan Kemp impacted college football, not just UGA, much deeper than I think you would admit. She and Harrick are our self inflicted wounds, granted. Harrick was pure stupidity (ego) on Adams part. There were hundreds of profs afraid to stand up to big time football all across the country. There were a lot more Dooleys, Fords, Halls, Dyes then there were teachers with courage like Jan Kemp. I hate that it was us that got busted, but if it cleaned up football (at least by those standards), I’m glad it happened.
GTBob
August 28th, 2012
5:37 pm
Its always every bodies fault
Except CPJ.
What is it you would like for him to say? The defense is the problem. He never blamed anyone, it is as much his fault as it is Al Grohs.
just saying
August 28th, 2012
5:42 pm
I just hope that CPJ will seriously take a look at a new recruiting coordinator who can get the better players like Dwyer, Morgan and Burnett on the 09 team. Or better yet, call Giff Smith and offer him more money than the Bills are paying him. At least get more involved in recruiting if that is possible or shift coaches around and appoint a new recruiting coordinator. Where’s the NFL quality? GT has always had a few despite academics. Just saying
markie mark
August 28th, 2012
5:49 pm
wow…and I thought Dooley was ground game happy….when he was the Dawgs coach, we had a saying that when you throw the ball, 3 things happen. And two of them are bad. Apparently, Tech thinks 3 out of 3 things are bad.
Bobo
August 28th, 2012
5:54 pm
The BIGGEST holes in our defense are a direct result of committing to the 3-4 scheme. Not that we approached anything close to awesome in the Chan Gailey era, but if everyone remembers at the tail end of that (and Johnson’s first year) we had a dominanting D-line where every guy made the NFL. We seem to be able to recruit D-linemen to Tech (and we can’t seem to get more than one or two dominating safeties or corners), so WHY do we build around a scheme that emphasizes what we can’t recruit?
We have had good linebacking corps before, but NOT because we had great pass coverage LBs. We had guys that blitzed and knocked the daylights out of QBs and RBs. To me, the 4-3 is an obvious scheme choice. I hate the 3-4 for any team that isn’t loaded with speed. You also have to have INCREDIBLE D-lineman who can manhandle their man quickly and escape the double-team. Anyone who has played D-line knows that penetration is hard enough with 4 of you, let alone taking a guy away. Did anyone notice that we COULD NOT stop any run before the back got 3 to 4 yards. It took that long for the D-line and backers to wade through the 340 pound linemen.
PLEASE go back to the 4-3. If that means Groh has to go…so be it.
dawgfan is obviously unemployed
August 28th, 2012
5:56 pm
@dawgfan
Elite QBs never been at Tech, huh?
Heard of Joe Hamilton? Google where he finished in Heisman voting.
Its cool you’re a homer, but your ignorance is offensive. You represent your fanbase well.
BLT
August 28th, 2012
5:56 pm
Dawglasville, you are correct sir. Good luck to the bulldogs this season. Except around Thanksgiving.
b
August 28th, 2012
5:57 pm
I hope they win every game except for one.
BLT
August 28th, 2012
5:58 pm
Too bad you don’t suit up and play Bama or LSU Alfred Jenkins.
Paul in NH
August 28th, 2012
5:59 pm
dawgfan’s comments about GT not having a scout team QB who can imitate Logan Thomas are amusing – who did UGA use as the scout team QB imitating Cam Newton?
Paul in NH
August 28th, 2012
5:59 pm
dawgfan’s comments about GT not having a scout team QB who can imitate Logan Thomas are amusing – who did UGA use as the scout team QB imitating Cam Newton?
dawgfan
August 28th, 2012
6:00 pm
Please do not waste precious seconds of your life defending UGA’s SEC record to a freaking Tech fan of all people. We owe them no explanations and no apologies. Until they’ve walked in our shoes then then they can pop off at their fat mouths about SEC records. Until they’ve beaten us more than once in 11 freaking years then they can pop off about SEC records. This is a program that has not won a bowl game, ANY bowl game, in 6 freaking years. Yet, their fans feel like they are authorized to run their big mouths about UGA’s record in the SEC? Its just laughable and not even worthy of a response.
Thanks.
Paul in NH
August 28th, 2012
6:04 pm
“Rich has a winning record against Arkansas Alabama and LSU.”
That has to be news to the folks in Baton Rouge. According to their records (and the NCAA’s) they are 4-3 vs UGA with Richt as coach.
I love how UGA homers just make things up.
dawgfan
August 28th, 2012
6:07 pm
I’m sure we found someone better than a 5′ 10′, 170 lb. true freshmen if I had to guess. The only players that we have at that size are usually found over on another practice field practicing their place kicking and extra points.
Thanks for playing.
Gorilla Biscuit
August 28th, 2012
6:14 pm
Georgia 35 Georgia Southern 10
Georgia 48 Georgia Tech 21
GTBob
August 28th, 2012
6:15 pm
Until they’ve walked in our shoes then then they can pop off at their fat mouths about SEC records.
You sound like a crying woman who thinks no one understands her. Nobody cares about your shoes or your inability to fill them.
GTBob
August 28th, 2012
6:19 pm
Georgia 48 Georgia Tech 21
You will probably win, but UGA isn’t capable of a 27 point victory over GT.
5150 UOAD
August 28th, 2012
6:19 pm
dwagfan…..IF he had to GUESS? Hahahahaha………….all he does is GUESS and make things up.
UGa just used a Tight End because that all Richt & Bobo thought Cam was good for anyway.
'"Explosive Defense"'
August 28th, 2012
6:37 pm
Enter your comments here
GSUStud
August 28th, 2012
6:39 pm
How in the world do you have the patience to keep Johnson as a coach? How? You know what record you are going to get every year. You are just too afraid to put it in writing that you would rather have another coach. He sits in his golf cart and doesn’t even look like he cares anymore. And I wouldn’t brag about beating Clemson too much….West Virginia scored 70 on them last January.
1 4 GT
August 28th, 2012
6:47 pm
Georgie trolls say CPJ is shirking his duty in not pontificating about team defense. Why should he?? Yes, he is HC & as such, defense is “his”. But defense is CAG’s “baby”. CPJ lets his assistants speak for themselves. CPJ does put words in their mouth. If I were a Georgie guy, I would be concerned about “my” dwags and not be so trusting of the “experts” predictions. Oh well. I’m thankful God gave me enough brain power to be a GT guy & not be a “Dwag”. Hallelujah!!!!
1 4 GT
August 28th, 2012
6:48 pm
HEEERRRREEEEESSSSSS GSU 2 X 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5150 UOAD
August 28th, 2012
6:49 pm
2×4gsu……hahahah knows what CPJ looks and acts like from personal experience.
If you know the record already then why are you not RICH from betting on TECH the last 4 years?
Since you have been to the closed practices please tells us how the new passing scheme is working? Is Gotsis really looking good on D like some of his teammates have said.
What color is the Golf cart CPJ is sleeping in?
1 4 GT
August 28th, 2012
6:55 pm
5150….How is your Mom doing?
Ekim
August 28th, 2012
6:59 pm
Please do not waste precious seconds of your life reading any of troll dawgfan’s posts.
BigTimeTECHFan
August 28th, 2012
7:21 pm
GT’s defense is going to be good this year.
5150 UOAD
August 28th, 2012
7:24 pm
1 4 GT not great. Sleeps a lot and is not going out at all the last 2 weeks. No Church or Niece’s Volleyball games so she is not doing too well.
Thanks for asking.
1 4 GT
August 28th, 2012
7:29 pm
Sorry to hear that. I know it’s tough. Can’t imagine!! Prayers for y’all!!
5150 UOAD
August 28th, 2012
7:30 pm
Thanks
Doug the Jacket
August 28th, 2012
7:49 pm
dawgfan: idiot
FL Jacket
August 28th, 2012
7:54 pm
George Stein, GT Bob, UOAD, and the people I know who know better…just find a different place to congregate your discussion.
It’s obvious that Schultz and Bark Madley have done the research, have rationalized their expectations about how often the TO should succeed (no one lambasted Chad Morris when we shut down Clemson last year – they looked absolutely horrible in their “high-school” offense) against top-notch defenses. Yes the passing game needs to complete at a 60% clip (even with the NCAA-leading YPA that GT usually attempts) as opposed to chucking it 30 times.
This is starting to get comical…
DawgNole
August 28th, 2012
7:56 pm
George Stein
August 28th, 2012
4:54 pm
I contend that no one should pay any attention to someone who doesn’t know the difference between it’s and its.
__________________
We’d have hardly anyone left to whom we should pay attention.
ScoutDawg
August 28th, 2012
8:46 pm
Jeff, your tickets for the first Tech game are ready for pick-up. Seat 37-F.
SatchelBuzz
August 28th, 2012
8:46 pm
God bless CPJ,…..so thankful that he’s our head coach. Schultz,…..you’re an idiot.
THWG!
slydog
August 28th, 2012
8:56 pm
“GTBob
August 28th, 2012
3:56 pm
Is it possible the defense has been bad because they practice against the triple option and play against more traditional offenses?
Our defense doesn’t practice against the triple option.”
So what exactly does your defense practice and/or scrimmage against? The Falcons scout team perhaps? Really, I’m curious about the answer. How does Tech’s defense participate in a scrimmage against the 2nd and 3rd teamers if it’s not against the triple option? or spread option? or whatever it is. I’m not trying to be sarcastic or act like a jerk, but let’s keep it real. While I do agree that the “seeing the triple option at practice” argument is a little weak, it’s not as if the 2nd and 3rd teamers are practicing an entirely different offense. So I guess that would leave the scout team and the walk-ons….lol
SEC Fact Finder
August 28th, 2012
8:56 pm
CPJ’s offense is going to lead to his downfall. His Defensive Units failures will lead to losses.
GT will need to fannies in seats and draw enthusiasm back to the Jacket Nation.
I just think We all see a disconnect in the program now, while others are seeing their programs on the rise.
Good Luck GT, but Go SEC!
SEC Fact Finder
August 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
“Put Fannies in Seats” errrr
Dawglasville
August 28th, 2012
9:24 pm
BLT – That was kind. And to your Jackets. Can’t wait until Monday.
flagboy?
August 28th, 2012
10:07 pm
Jeff. .not to be a jerk. . but. .
5th paragraph in parentheses. . . competed should be “completed”
jocrazy
August 28th, 2012
10:11 pm
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