Meet Jonathan Dwyer, unannounced Heisman candidate
Pretty good ballplayer right here. As good as C.J. Spiller. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
Theoretically, every collegiate football player in the land is “a Heisman Trophy candidate.” But we tend to attach that label to a player only when the player’s school first attaches it. And Georgia Tech, being practiced in the lost art of understatement, hasn’t gone wild over Jonathan Dwyer just yet.
He’s billed on the cover of Tech’s media guide not as an “HTC” but as something a tad more tangible — the ACC player of the year. Which he was in 2008, and which he was just voted by the league’s media, assembled in Greensboro, N.C., to be again this season. And that if that doesn’t make someone an HTC … well, my name’s not George P. Burdell.
In Sporting News Today, Matt Crossman noted that Dwyer met the media in Greensboro from the seat “previously occupied by C.J. Spiller, the blazing-fast Clemson running back. Clemson brought with it life-sized posters of Spiller to hype his Heisman candidacy, a perfectly valid endeavor. But Dwyer will thrust himself into that conversation before long.”
Before long? Spiller rushed and caught passes for 1,065 total yards in 2008. Dwyer’s total yardage last season — 1,604. I’d say he’s there already. (Clemson, as we know, has never been shy about tooting its players’ horns. This is the school that, in 1982, sent out cereal boxes boosting Terry “Special K” Kinard.)
Loading ...Dwyer might get cast as “a system back,” but he’s no more a product of Paul Johnson’s system than Tim Tebow is of Urban Meyer’s. They’re both tremendous college players. And I’m not suggesting Dwyer is going to win the Heisman — quarterbacks always have the inherent edge, and there are two previous winners (Tebow and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford) still playing as amateurs — but I will say this:
If Jonny Dwyer — that’s what Paul Johnson calls him — doesn’t finish in the top five, I’ll be surprised. And if C.J. Spiller finishes ahead of him, I’ll sit myself down and eat a bowl of Special K.
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218 comments Add your comment
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
11:56 am
Yeah, somehow I missed those classes at Tech- Tact 100, Class 101, and Character 2000. I’m sure those classes are in the curriculum at UGA. Those were probably classes that Harrick Jr. taught to the likes of Odell Thurman and Quincy Carter.
Why are you here if you keep crying like a little girl about all the “personal attacks?” Take off your skirt and grow a pair. I thought you said you were leaving anyway.
Guys Big Bite | All Days Long
July 28th, 2009
11:58 am
[...] Meet Jonathan Dwyer, unannounced Heisman candidate Atlanta Journal Constitution All bark and no bite, come and get it. If you paid attention to the UGA sports news, you would notice that our AD is upgrading our OOC schedule in the … See all stories on this topic [...]
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
12:01 pm
Show me some names for 2010 and beyond as far as UGA’s OOC schedule. My point is that the 2009 schedule is an anomaly for UGA. And you have yet to provide any rationale to prove otherwise.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
12:01 pm
Gerald Ball,
do you really believe that crap? You must have been really steaming to type 500 pages of BS.
MSYounker
July 28th, 2009
12:01 pm
J. Dwyer vs. Spiller – JD not only exceeded Spiller with stats but he did what all great FOOTBALL players do . . . he put the team on his back and personally reversed the 7 year skid with a key rival . . . UGA. Remember the second half of the UGA game? TECH was behind. Dwyer takes it to the house in one play, the first pplay from scrimage. That lifted his team, the fans, ad turned the corner for the program. Spiller is a geat athelete, Dwyer is a great PLAYER.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
12:03 pm
Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, Clemson……and you play? Gardner Webb, Charleston Southern, Samford.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
12:04 pm
PS- i bet Damon Evans didn’t think Oklahoma St would be good when you booked the game originally. Face it- you booked it thinking cakewalk and the fact they appear to be good in 2009 is just pure coincidence. And its not like they are a sure thing to finish in the top 10. Just look at that “big” OOC game last year at Arizona St.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
12:14 pm
ummm, snore, how about Auburn, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ole Miss, Kansas and Georgia as far as past/future GT OOC opponents? Its funny how you left the Ragin Cajuns, Coastal Carolina, New Mexico St., Ga. Southern and the Chippewas off of your list of UGA OOC opponents. We all have our cupcake games.
aztec
July 28th, 2009
12:28 pm
da, the heisman is lock between 3 qb’s, really no one else has a chance at it so tech should not waste any money like clemson did promoting him
Bigtymer
July 28th, 2009
12:28 pm
Will someone look at this defense and tell me why cooper taylor is not a starting free safety? Look at the stats. He gives gt a much more viable option from safety than he does the wolf (essentially a nickel package linebacker position). Cooper was 2nd on the team in tackles, played more than reese, was ACC freshman of the year runner-up, and has proved his big game worth by his goal line work in the fsu game, and hawking the field during the bowl game. CPJ and Womack, give this kid some love.
JoeV
July 28th, 2009
12:29 pm
Clemson did not waste money; posters were paid for and distributed by sponsors.
Tech75
July 28th, 2009
12:36 pm
I think that it is impossible to plan enough to stop Johnson’s offense. Regardless of how you practice, I think the following is true:
1. The offense will line up in a balanced formation where they could go either right or left, eliminating the possibility of the defense overloading to one side or the other “without risk”.
2. The prevailing theory is that defenders have to play in lanes, and have to be disciplined to defend their lane. This reduces the instances of the defense flooding a lane to blow up a play. You guess the wrong lane, the QB makes the right choice, TD.
3. If the offense executes properly, it seems designed to create one-on-two situations where a defender has to cope with a blocker and the running back, almost simultaneously. The defender will have to defeat the block, then make a tackle. The frequency with which this happens determines the success of the offense.
4. I think the way CPJ calls plays is, he tries to sucker the defense into flattening itself in order to cover all the lanes (essentially the safeties have to move up to try to create 2 yd gains instead of 7-8 yd gains); you then have a situation where if the blocker gets a defender on the ground, it’s a footrace to the end zone for the RB against probably a DB, because the safeties may have taken themselves out of the play.
All other things being equal, how do you scheme against this? I don’t think you can. I think the DCs will try to figure out which matchups they are likely to win and lose, and adjust their lane coverage models to accommodate those guesses.
I think that if Tech is executing well on offense, it comes down to whether each individual defender can hold his ground successfully. They may be able to do that if they are truly a superior talent, and they might do that if a block is missed; the offense’s advantage is that they know which way they’re going, and can double-team linemen in order to create even more leverage against the defenders.
People who think LSU provided a model for stopping this offense do not give enough credit to the factors already cited in this blog for that particular loss – special teams play, Tech not being really ready to play, and the physically superior OL and DL folks LSU had. Special teams dug us a hole, but we did not come close to controlling the line of scrimmage, separate and apart from that.
third quarter fan
July 28th, 2009
12:38 pm
Mr dogginLex…UG cannot be criticized this year for their cupcakes…first time in a long time!
We’ll see how that works out for ya.
Diesel 21 would have to have results way beyond expectations to beat our Tbow. And he just might!
As posted already, those two Thursday night national games might just open the door.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
12:38 pm
Exactly Steaming Login….you said to show you some of Georgia’s future OOC schedule. I named BCS OOC games moron. Then you come back and show me Tech’s old schedules. You are a typical Gnat- you have to have “Dawg” or “UGA” or steal a Dawg’s name in your little handle, otherwise you would be nothing. It sure sounds like you are VERY jealous of the fact that UGA is national and your beloved insects are resorting to play on Thursday nights (what a joke!!) so as to be seen by more people.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
12:41 pm
Tech75 and Gerald Ball need to write novels together. You guys could bore even Snore to death with your drivel!!
Tech75
July 28th, 2009
12:43 pm
Hey Snore – I apologize for wasting your valuable time, which you seem to have so much of that you hang out on this blog.
Learn to use the scrollbar on the right hand side of the window.
Another suggestion: if you see a post by Tech75, just ignore it.
Snore Loser
July 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
Snore- I mentioned team’s that Georgia Tech has played and WILL play in coming years. You have to mention future opponents because like I said, you’re OOC schedule has been laughable until now. And by the way, the schools you reference aren’t exactly powerhouses.(Oregon, Arizona, Clemson, and Colorado) Its not the 1980’s any more..
BLAZER
July 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
TECH HAD MORE YARDS RUSHING THAN LSU!!!
YES AND UGA IS FINALLY OPENING AWAY FROM HOME (WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME)
AND EVEN IS PLAY A TEAM OUT OF THE SOUTH. (I KNOW ABOUT ASU LAST YR)
FOOTBALL-PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO BLOCK AND TACKLE EVEN IF THEY HAVE
“FIGURED IT OUT”. THAT IS WHY THEY PLAY THE GAMES. 45-42
Huh?
July 28th, 2009
1:17 pm
Do Tech fans really want to talk about OOC schedules? You know that miracle 9-4 season you had last year that apparently is the best season your pile of crap program has had in years? Two of those nine wins came against D-1aa’s you effin’ goobs. TWO. What kind of a joke football program plays two D-1aa’s in one year? The Georgia Tech effing Yellow Jackets. That’s who. What kind of fan base talks trash about another team’s OOC schedule when their pile of crap team just played two D-1aa’s the previous season? Georgia Tech effing Yellow Jacket fans. That’s who. The absolutely dumbest group of people I have ever encountered when it comes to football. Hands down.
Alum
July 28th, 2009
1:34 pm
Tech had two D-1aa schools last year because Army dropped out and we needed a replacement. I agree, it was a weak schedule, and I hope it doesn’t happen again. Tech has signed contracts in the coming years with Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Kansas, and South Carolina. We also play 3 SEC teams this year OOC. And if 14 straight bowl games is a pile of crap program then that’s fine with me.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
1:39 pm
Steaming LogIn,
you can’t even stay on topic. You said to name some FUTURE OOC games for UGA, and I did. And now you cange your topic. Which do want, past or future? Dummy!!!
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
1:52 pm
Okay, give me some past OOC games for UGA in the last 5 years. Quality teams year in and year out, which wouldn’t include Arizona State or Colorado. Still thinking?? Pot, meet kettle.
bt
July 28th, 2009
1:52 pm
Why did the spread option fall out of favor? Because the triple option is easy to beat with a fast AND disciplined defense (See Defenses at Clemson, LSU, VT and UVA; Do not see UGA which 4 teams score more than 35 points last year).
I love all the Tech hype as it helps Clemson get ready for a big upset. Clemson played Tech very close last year, despite having just fired the head coach and being -4 in turnover differential.
Snore
July 28th, 2009
1:53 pm
for your reference, Steaming LogIn…”Show me some names for 2010 and beyond as far as UGA’s OOC schedule. My point is that the 2009 schedule is an anomaly for UGA. And you have yet to provide any rationale to prove otherwise.” Logic obviously is not your strong suit. I bet you could tell me what character was killed off in episode 24 of Star Trek: Future Generation though.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
1:54 pm
And did you REALLY think that Oklahoma State was going to be a top 10 team when you booked them as an OOC opponent? I don’t think so..
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
1:56 pm
The names you gave me for future opponents aren’t all that impressive. So I was giving you a chance to come up with quality OOC opponents in years passed. I guess you’re having a hard time doing that.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
1:58 pm
bt must stand for “bong toke” – take another one you delusional Clemson fan. GT owns the Tigers.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
2:01 pm
Alum has listed our quality opponents in years to come. Still waiting on a revised list from you.. Still waiting..
Jaded Jacket
July 28th, 2009
2:04 pm
Last year Dwyer sat on the bench in the 4th quarter for several games and if that trend holds true this year he could be done by the 3rd quarter. There’s too much depth this year to leave him on the field the whole game. He’d have huge numbers if got 30 carries a game.
Huh?
July 28th, 2009
2:12 pm
“And if 14 straight bowl games is a pile of crap program then that’s fine with me.”
Lets talk about those bowl games, shall we Techie? First of all, your pile of crap program only won 5 of them. Secondly, not a single one of them was anything that even resembling a major bowl game. You were playing other middling pile of crap programs and couldn’t even crack .500. Georgia Tech football is the freaking poster child for the argument that there are too many damn bowl games. So you went 6-5 and played in some crap Decmeber bowl game. Whoopdeefreakingdoo, lets make some rings Techies. That is the most meaningless accomplishment in all of college football. The fact that Techies point to it as some kind of validation of their football program is absolutely hysterical and sad at the same time.
I’m so sick of big mouthed Techies I don’t know what to do. Nothing another Old Gold chokejob couldn’t cure though. Have fun falling flat on your faces in 2009. You knows it coming. You are Georgia Tech. That’s your lot in life. Good day.
Sully
July 28th, 2009
2:30 pm
I love how you all don’t take in to account that the clemson team last year is so much different from the one this year. And I love how you just think CJ will do just the same as last year. I think CJ will do a lot better this year because of three big points. Number one the offensive line this year is two times stronger, better prepared, and experienced from last year. Second, clemsons offensive will basically revolve around CJ Spiller which means he’ll get more running attempts. Lastly, and the main point is that CJ won’t have to share the ball with James Davis anymore which means more carries and more yards. So don’t go ahead and assume that CJ will be the same as last year.
JaxDawg
July 28th, 2009
2:32 pm
Dwyer is a great back, and will definitely suit up on sundays, but this year unless your last name is Tebow, Bradford, or McCoy, chances of winning a heisman are slim. For the first time we have the two previous winners returning as well as the number 3 vote getter. The media loves all 3, all 3 are on national championship contenders, it will be hard for any player to break through and win it over all of them.
Tech should have a good season, but the stretch of Clemson, @Miami, NC, @ Miss St, @FSU, and VT will be tough. If tech can go 4-2 during that stretch, then they should only have 2 losses when they meet the Dawgs.
Grubb
July 28th, 2009
2:38 pm
I’m a little disappointed in the comparing of total yards to total yards. Dig a little deeper. Dwyer got 200 carries last year; Spiller got 116. Dwyer averaged 7 yrd/carry; Spiller averaged 5.4 ypc. But who had the better O-line? At one point Clemson started a Junior and 4 Freshman on the O-line. That Spiller got 5.4 ypc is a testimony to his skill. I’m pretty sure Dwyer didn’t run behind 4 FR on the O-line last year. When Spiller ran behind an experienced O-line in 2006, he averaged 7.3 ypc. So simply comparing stats can be deceptive. I’m content to let the season play out and hope both backs stay healthy.
Should Clemson hype Spiller? This might be Clemson’s way of saying “thank you” to a young man who chose to stay for his senior season when he didn’t nead to. Plus, schools use all kinds of tactics to recruit. Some twitter. Some put pictures of recruits on websites. Isn’t it smart to advertise “We’ve got Heisman-quality talent at our school” in hopes that it brings more quality players in? Plus, it’s hard to break the top 6 if no one in the top 6 has a bad game; so it’s best for Spiller if he can start in the top 5 or 6. Promoting him early will help that.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
2:42 pm
Sully, Spiller is a stud. I don’t think anyone is bashing him, but we’re all sick and tired of the “watch out for Clemson this year” talk. It got old several years ago. And haven’t we been hearing about the new and improved Clemson line for years now? And you’re new coach is named Dabo. That can’t be good.
Matt Stafford
July 28th, 2009
2:42 pm
Uhh, derrrrrrrrr! Duurrrrrrrrr. Go dawgs, durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Tickler
July 28th, 2009
2:47 pm
Hey m, Ramble, Steaming LogInLex,
when exaclty is the sleepover at Pi$$ on a Dawg’s parent’s house? I call Darth this time, so there!! I also just got some Coach PJ pj’s!!!Yeah!! You guys leave UGA alone. You know they are just a football power with pretty girls and not the intellects like us!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA…..45-42.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
2:51 pm
Good one, Tickler, thanks for contributing. Come and get the state title belt from us in atlanta, chump. To be the man in the state, you gotta beat the man.
Grubb
July 28th, 2009
2:54 pm
Steaming LogInLex,
GT owns Clemson? Really? In the last 7 years GT is 4-3 against Clemson. That’s hardly owning. Especially when you consider your average margin of victory has been 4.75 points. In Clemson’s 3 wins, their average margin of victory was 21.6.
bb
July 28th, 2009
2:57 pm
I love all the posts saying LSU ‘figured-out’ Tech’s system and that all anyone has to do is watch the tape (ignoring the fact that Tech had more yardage than LSU and gained close to 300 yards total offense). Same goes for the UNC game (Tech had close to 400 yards offense in that game).
I sincerly hope that every team Tech plays this year spends all it’s prep time watching the CFA Bowl video. I also hope that any time they spend actually practicing, that they practice ‘without a ball’. That worked really well for everyone last year and it really simulates real game action.
Tickler
July 28th, 2009
2:58 pm
Why are you angry with me Steaming LogInLex? Is it because I called Darth? You can be Leia and I will make everything OK? (I’ll keep my light saber away from you until the end). What state title do you refer too? The D&D one? You know darn well that I contributed to that one as much as you did. I sure would like to “beat” you. HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!
Huh? is right
July 28th, 2009
3:00 pm
well said Huh? They act like the Humanatarian Bowl and the Emerald Nut Bowl are great accomplishments. And they got walloped in both of those bowls….to Fresno St. and Boise St.
mtraininjax
July 28th, 2009
3:09 pm
Can Tech fans please stop talking about Gailey? He has been gone now over a year, we had a great season under Coach Johnson and this year looks even better. Please do something UGAg fans can never seem to do, let go of the past!
DAWGHATER
July 28th, 2009
3:09 pm
Hey UGA: Joe Phallic for Heisman? Are you kidding me? He will be lucky to last the OSU game. You may want to look at your 2nd stringer, coz phallic ain’t gettin it done. woof woof woof on that UGA: THWG! GO GATORS AND GO JACKETS! 45-42 and the streak of 8 straight victories continues. UGA will lose at least 4 games this year. Count on it!
DAWGHATER
July 28th, 2009
3:10 pm
DAWGS suc azz!
juvenal
July 28th, 2009
3:14 pm
at least they are quiet in person for a full year–& thank goodness the game take place on the field-check “payscale” to see what #21 is really getting…(why can’t duke get the same thing done as ucb, nd, & stanford?)
bb
July 28th, 2009
3:16 pm
uga fans are a hoot. They schedule a decent OOC schedule once in the history of their school and all of a sudden their knocking other teams OOC schedules.
News flash, uga’s once in a lifetime event of 3 OOC games vs BCS opponents is matched THIS year by none other than GT. And since 1996 this will be the 4th time GT has played 3 BCS OOC opponents. And won’t be the last.
Ok
July 28th, 2009
3:39 pm
hey bb,
I’m glad your team has taken the high road….oh wait, they don’t travel out of the S.E. for any of their OOC games. Way to stand up and be accountable. But hey, you got that Thursday night thing going for you.
Coach BooBoo
July 28th, 2009
3:44 pm
Gerald Ball – Well said. Unfortunately the truth has brought more of the leg humpers to the blog…
Funny
July 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
Huh? is a loser!! That is the only real thing you can take from this blog. All the other predictions be decided during the season.
Steaming LogInLex
July 28th, 2009
3:56 pm
Grubb, where have you been? Tech has won 4 of the last 5 and the overall record is 47-24-2 in favor of GT. That is called “owning” despite the margin of victory. Leave it to a Clemson fan to reference margin of victory, which is pretty sad.. Whether its by 1, 2 or 45, it still goes down as an “L.” 47-24-2. Its one thing to have owned you of late, but its another to do so while hearing about how good Clemson is gonna be “this year”, every year. I mean, really, we’ve come to expect a lot of big talk each year from Clemson with not much walk to speak of.
Now go back to your meth lab in the Palmetto state and start planning for who is going to replace Dabo next year.