Tech’s Paul Johnson: The best playcaller in the business
PJ's adjustments haven't included sending this guy in motion -- yet. (Brant Sanderlin, AJC)
It was the night of Oct. 3. Georgia Tech was playing Mississippi State in Starkville. With 9:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jackets punted.
I mention this for a reason. That was more than a calendar month ago, and the Jackets haven’t punted in a second half since. Not at Florida State. Not against Virginia Tech. Not at Virginia. Not at Vandy.
Eight quarters of football. Not one second-half punt. And you know what this says?
Paul Johnson is the archduke of adjustments.
We hear announcers talking about them all the time. We hear Erin Andrews and her sideline-reporting ilk ask, “Coach, what adjustments will you make at halftime?” Ninety-five percent of the time coaches wind up doing the same thing in the second half as they did in the first.
Not PJ. He tweaks. He brings a guy in motion from a different angle. He splits a guy a tad wider. He runs the same stuff, only slightly differently. And Tech’s offense goes from powerful in the first half to unstoppable in the second.
You might ask Willie Martinez about this. Last November Georgia went from leading 28-12 at halftime to trailing 35-28 — in the span of seven minutes and five seconds. The Bulldogs had the game in hand, and suddenly they were chasing it. (And once PJ gets ahead, forget it. Tech is 8-1 the past two seasons in games decided by five or fewer points.)
“He’s not really coaching,” says Wayne Hogan, the pithy Tech associate AD. “He’s playing a video game!”
And that’s it exactly. Johnson figures stuff out on the fly. Even if the opponent seems to havee a handle on his stylized offense, he performs his little ju jitsu. He wears a headset on the sideline, but it’s just for show. He could make the same mid-course corrections wearing earmuffs.
We’ve known for a while he’s an outstanding head coach, but what sometimes gets lost is that he’s the best playcaller in the business. Hogan again: “Our coach is pretty cool.” And that’s it, too. To borrow Bob Greene’s description of Frank Gifford, PJ of GT is always the coolest guy in the room — even if the room holds 80,000.
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451 comments Add your comment
Jordan
November 5th, 2009
2:17 pm
Tracy Ham (with only 1 m) didn’t run that offense. It was a variation of that offense, what they called the ‘ham’-bone and was run out of the flexbone and included much more passing. He passed for over 400 yards in the 1985 or 1986 championship win. Granted it was a similar offense, and led to what PJ runs today, but don’t fool yourself, it wasn’t the same thing.
WTH
November 5th, 2009
2:17 pm
Yea, thats right there are no adjustments, Nesbit just got better in the second half and hung 33 points and 300 yards on UGA last year.
They run the option only about 50 percent of the time and in some games less than that.
RAMBLE ON!!!
November 5th, 2009
2:18 pm
WTH, sure about that? Check out this Tool.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrBigDawg54#p/u/3/6kg0tHgTno0
Mark Bradley
November 5th, 2009
2:18 pm
To the person claiming Tech has indeed punted in the second half since the Mississippi State game …. Sorry. It hasn’t. All the games you mention came prior to State. A check of the schedule would reveal as much.
WhiteAndGold
November 5th, 2009
2:20 pm
Thanks UGA Grad for your contributions. It is refreshing to have a UGA fan that offers insight without being aggressive or immature. If only there could be more of you that roam these blogs.
GO JACKETS!!!!!
Jordan
November 5th, 2009
2:22 pm
Mark, as you can tell I am a Georgia Southern fan, but I would love to see a peice where you sit down with PJ and talk about how his offense has evolved from when he started at Georgia Southern with Erk til today. Any chance you could put something like that together?
WTH
November 5th, 2009
2:22 pm
Ramble On,
Yea he is pretty dumb but there may be drugs or alcohol involved.
Tech Tony
November 5th, 2009
2:23 pm
Did I see someone say that Georgia was going to compete for a national title next year? Either another uniform change has been planned and they’re going to be calling themselves West Georgia in 2010 or they’ve hired a great new gymnastics coach. That’s the only way.
Is RogerDawg Roger Thomas from What’s Happening? What up with Rerun these days?
Nativebird
November 5th, 2009
2:25 pm
So by that measure, I suppose Vince Dooly is the all time best “play caller”: Herschel right, Herschel left. Cmon guys, get real. CPJ is a fine coach, a real winner, a leader, tough, expects excellence, and has an incredible offensive scheme and knows how to execute it. But pure “play caller”? No. Offensive minded attack? Sure, probably non better. But lets get real, it’s more about EXECUTION than calling any particular Play with this offense, (of which their is a total of probably 5). Precision and execution, no doubt. but PLAYCALLING in and of itself is quite the non-issue with this offensive.
And, Real fans are unafraid to discuss anything that doesnt result in their own nose up their own-teams butt’s…which most on these boards apparantly cannot handle.
betweenthehedges
November 5th, 2009
2:26 pm
If UF wins out along with Tech, could an ACC champ tech play for a national title against UF? Or would the weight of the poor ACC allow a 1-loss big12 or pac10 team? Frankly, being a Dawgs fan, that would be tough to root for in the case of UF-Tech. The matchup seems appealing nonetheless.
Theresa
November 5th, 2009
2:26 pm
Coach Paul Johnson looks like a mean person who would beat and abuse women, just like that Tom Cable of the Oakland Raiders.
VegasGT
November 5th, 2009
2:27 pm
We need to worry about Wake and only Wake. Take care of business one game at a time. The Wake game scares me, not because of anything with the current team I can point to, but more because of our history to lose one we shouldn’t. I then have to realize that CPJ is a very different coach. I love the fact that he makes no excuses and tells it like it is. He reminds me alot of Bobbly Ross personality-wise. I have to say, I feel less unsure of this team the further down the road we get with CPJ.
And for all you people that think this offense is just option left, options right, I only hope that each and every one of our opponents think the same thing.
To the UGA fans that come on hear spewing their vitriol, you need to really ask yourself why you feel the need to do this. There is something deeply wrong with you folks.
To the “sidewalk” fans that have chosen to join us, welcome, those with class can stay, those that act like most of the UGA sidewalk fans can leave though, have no use for any disrespectful chatter.
Like I stated earlier, we need to worry about Wake and only Wake. Winning this week is all that matters right now. FOCUS and EXECUTION are cliche words for a reason.
Go Jackets !!!
re: DirtyDawg
November 5th, 2009
2:28 pm
http://thebirddog.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/other-peoples-rivalries-and-the-futility-of-defending-against-the-wishbone/
Read that, watch the linked videos, and then come back and tell me what the adjustments are… It’s not just what the QB is doing that can be tweaked…
Jordan
November 5th, 2009
2:29 pm
Except nativebird he spreads the ball around, knows the perfect time to call a pass (most of the time the WR’s were open on in completions, and it was just poor execution) and it’s a different play almost every time, just run out of the same set time after time.
YES, that makes him a great play caller.
WTH
November 5th, 2009
2:33 pm
Jordan, you know what really kills Dawg fans, Erk is responsible for allowing CPJ to develop his offense.
Bryan
November 5th, 2009
2:33 pm
Tech can get to the National Champ game. If clemson wins out the reg season and is 9-3 and likely ranked around 15th. Gt beats them and that helps the SOS a lot.
Then texas loses their conf champ game or a late game possibly to a&m. They are out. Lose late when another team rides a 10 game winning streak, they go.
SEC will only get one team in the Nat champ. So bama lsu or fla..only one can go.
Oregon likely needs to lose. They still have 4 tough games and at Stanford this week won’t be easy.
Iowa loses to OSU.
Tcu is a big ? I don’t think they would vote them over GT. Esp since if GT beats clemson in the acc title game, it will mean we beat clemson twice. Tcu narrowly beat clemson.
Boise has no shot.
So for GT to get there, you just need to win out, have texas, iowa, oregon lose. And maybe tcu but i doubt it. It’s not farfetched at all. In fact, it very well could happen.
Now how hillarious would it be if we did get there against UF and beat them. Dawgs have lost 17/20 against the gators and we play them for the NC and beat them. That would be damn funny.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
November 5th, 2009
2:34 pm
Shoot there goes our shot of recruting a five star punter…I am sure they exist.
Bryan
November 5th, 2009
2:35 pm
Ooops I forgot about Cincy. They need to lose also which won’t be a problem. WV or Pitt will knock them off if Uconn doesn;t this week.
Stingem84
November 5th, 2009
2:36 pm
Nativebird – You don’t seem to have a clue about football…Did you ever play? I think you need to do a re-count of the offensive plays (you say there are only 5)…I bet there are at least 15 running plays alone. You need to notice the several small mis-directions invloved. Also, play calling ability has more to do with when to call a certain play…not just how many plays there are to choose from. And besides, the variety of plays within conventional offenses is not that great…the main difference being the pass routes.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
November 5th, 2009
2:37 pm
I spelled recruiting wrong. Thats sad.
Paul does adjustments so well that the announcers should really go ahead and re-do their pre game facts and figures at the start of the second half. You know, impact players, what happened last week, stuff like that. Just so people can kind of restart their engines before the big show.
Starring Peter Graves as Capt. Clarence Over
November 5th, 2009
2:37 pm
Tech Tony: ReRun has passed on.
RAMBLE ON!!!: Is that RogerDawg or buLLdawg?
Theresa: How would you know? Besides, that is a classless comment from a woman. You are evidently not a lady. Go back to your trailer park.
Tech75
November 5th, 2009
2:39 pm
Actually, DirtyDawg, the adjustments are just that – adjustments in blocking patterns on specific plays to neutralize whatever the defense is doing that perhaps we haven’t seen, or is unusual. The decision-making process by the QB does not change.
I actually think that it’s like when I was a kid playing backyard football with my buddies – we’d make up plays to take advantage of whatever the other team was doing.
For instance, if the coaches see that the safety is cheating up and crashing the LOS, CPJ will lure him in even farther with certain play calls (setting him up), then take a standard play and slightly modify it – I can imagine CPJ telling this to Roddy as he gives him the play to carry into the huddle)tell the A-back “OK, this time we’re going to run … but instead of you doing the cut block, fake like you’re going to cut then sprint up the hash. Tell Josh to key on that safety, and if he bites, look for you down the hash”.
How do you beat that?
Chris Broe
November 5th, 2009
2:41 pm
Bark Madly, Wasn’t there even one fake punt in all those quarters? A fake punt is a punt play, generically speaking. And what’s with all the college lineman playing injured? Last week, the Baylor Bears got 15 yards for too many crutches in the nuetral zone. The refs then added another 15 yard penalty for bandaging the cheerleaders. The Bears woulda won the game if it hadn’t been for those two stupid penalties.
The referees are out of control! Aw, I don’t wanna talk about it.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 5th, 2009
2:43 pm
Holy crap! A Tech blog where you guys actually talk football. Not the typical vitriol spewed toward the dawgs on our blogs. Nice really nice to see this. I liked the article a lot. But I have to ask if the play calling was so great and ever changing, what happened in the Miami game? Was their D just to fast to the play? Did they actually play assignment football like the kid said they needed to do? IMO Tech would beat Miami if they played again but that first game was fairly lopsided in Miami’s favor. Give me a good answer so that Willie might get a clue, any clue to make our game a game.
Tech75
November 5th, 2009
2:44 pm
Somebody earlier has asked (paraphrasing here) – “if he’s such a great adjuster, what happened in the LSU game?”
Well, the LSU game is, in fact, a fine example of effective half-time adjustments. Although overall we were not ready to play, etc., compare the results of the first half with the results of the second half – much better, although the hole we dug was far too deep. You could argue that LSU took their foot off the gas, but you’d be wrong – I seem to remember a fake field goal when LSU was ahead 38-3.
WTH
November 5th, 2009
2:45 pm
Tech 75,
The players said that CPJ made up several plays in the second half against UGA last year and the long pass against Vandy was a play that they had never ran before.
AZ Jacket
November 5th, 2009
2:46 pm
I read that a UGA fan said he liked Tech but it was getting harder to do that because of the idiots on this blog. Boy, that is selective reading. I bet if you kept count that the idiot fringe from both programs would be about equal here.
roan st
November 5th, 2009
2:47 pm
You have got to be kidding me, right? I’m a UGA fan and I will admit Paul Johnson is a pretty darn good coach but the best play caller in college football? The knob polishing Paul Johnson has been getting from the AJC lately is getting out of hand. Lets not forget about their pathetically weak schedule thus far. The ACC conference is down about as bad as I have ever seen. Who exactly have they beat other than VT? And even that win was tarnished somewhat after VT lost at home to UNC and their impotent QB play. I will start to recognize Paul Johnson as a great coach when they start winning bowl games. Last year they were stomped by LSU, so before we start plans to build that statue lets see how they do against a big time opponent in a bowl game. I hope UGA beats them of course, but if not, I wouldn’t mind seeing GT get in the BCS just so we have the real litmus test of where there at. I think true Tech fans deep down inside feel the same way.
Bryan
November 5th, 2009
2:47 pm
What happened against Miami. Early road game. Still had some kinks to work on. Botched plays. 3 games in 12 days. Miami had all season to prepare along with 4 days extra rest. But the biggest thing was we were sloppy. And I agree if we played them now, the outcome would be very different.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
November 5th, 2009
2:48 pm
Stingem84 is right on, in Technobowl on my nintendo I only had 4 offensive plays and 4 defensive plays and I totally dominated… its not the size (of your playbook) that counts its how you use it…funny how that statement transends so many things in life.
WTH
November 5th, 2009
2:48 pm
Kalamazoo, I don’s want to make excuses but it could have had something to do with 3 games in twelve days. No luck for the doggies there though since GT has the bye week before the UGA game.
Tech75
November 5th, 2009
2:49 pm
gdawdinkalamazoo – In the Miami game we just didn’t execute on defense or offense. Very poor execution.
Like many have said before – if the players execute, the only way to stop this offense if with PERFECT defensive execution, where every defender plays their responsibility without fail and defeats their blockers every time.
Guess what – that’s not going to happen. More often than not, on any given play, more mistakes will be made on the part of the defense than on the part of the offense – after all, the offense knows what it is trying to do.
Therein lies the secret of the success of this coach and this offense.
Tech Mom
November 5th, 2009
2:50 pm
Harry B – why are you on a Tech blog? Not too much to talk about when it comes to the Dawgs?
As a mom of a Tech student AND a UGA student, I can tell you that they are both fine institutions of learning….just depends on what you want to study.
Plus, I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying…what does a UGA grad call a GT grad? Boss.
Kidding aside, I hope you understand that the the Dawgs are so confused these days, they won’t know what to do when they show up at Grant Field later this month, Dwyer, Allen, and Nesbitt will have their heads swimming in those “lucky” black helmets!
Go Jackets! Take it all the way!
AZ Jacket
November 5th, 2009
2:50 pm
gdawginkalamazoo, the Miami game was poor execution not the play calling. Assignments go both ways and the Tech offense in that game, as with part of the Clemson game, was not hitting their assigned areas. Miami was very fresh for that game. They had not played since they opened with FSU and Tech had played 3 games in 13 days. No excuse but for some reason the block were not being made. I think the team learned from that game more that anyone understands, especially Josh. He has been a totally different player since then.
Stingem84
November 5th, 2009
2:53 pm
Tech75 – Great point about the LSU game. Believe it or not, I’m such an optimist that I was still hanging in near the end thinking that we somehow had a chance. The LSU game was a game like no other in that we were flying high, coming off the win against UGA, and LSU was coming off a disappointing season. Everyone was counting LSU out, all the commentators kept talking about how tough it was to stop this offense. Our guys just werent ready mentally for that game. You can’t win em all, so you have to look at the body of work, and this year it is pretty good…with only the stumble at Miami.
Jordan
November 5th, 2009
2:53 pm
Haha, you guys are funny. Play calling only goes so far (as you dawg fans should realize so much)….execution is key as well. During Miami the plays were there, the execution was not, you also do need to realize that was the 3rd game in 12 days for the Jackets. Anybody who doesn’t think it takes skill to call this offense, needs to come over to the Georgia Southern boards. We had the offense for 25 years, and only won 1 championship when Paul Johnson or Erk wasn’t there, and that was because Erks’ players basically took over.
Don’t fool yourself, this offense is just like any other, it can be beaten without getting the right play calls in there. Luckily PJ holds the best play calling in America, and because of that and his just overall great knowledge of what works and what doesn’t, the Jackets will continue to win.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
November 5th, 2009
2:54 pm
Is anyone else turned on by Tech moms “leave it to beaver” trash talking….I find it hot. There is just something about a Mom old enough to have two kids in college trashing talking that is awesome…freaking awesome…
Tech Tony
November 5th, 2009
2:56 pm
Capt. Over—I feel bad now making jokes about Fred ‘Rerun’ Berry. I had quite forgotten he had moved to the other world.
I’ll ask Roger instead “what up with Dwayne Wayne?” C.mon, Dwayne, still be alive…..
“I was over under while you were under done”.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 5th, 2009
2:58 pm
AZ Jacket thanks. As I mentioned I think you guys would beat them if you played again. Too bad your side of the conference is loaded with the all the good teams in the conference. Your championship game will be a breeze.
Are you retarded?
November 5th, 2009
2:59 pm
To the moron who keeps posting:
More over-reaction and deception by Bradley. To Quote:
” It was the night of Oct. 3. Georgia Tech was playing Mississippi State in Starkville. With 9:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jackets punted.
I mention this for a reason. That was more than a calendar month ago, and the Jackets haven’t punted in a second half since. Not at Florida State. Not against Virginia Tech. Not at Virginia. Not at Vandy.”
They have punted in the 2nd half since that game, just not the 4 that Bradley mentions. This year GTech 2nd half punts: Clemson – 3, Miami –1, North Carolina – 1. And 1 against LSU in the 2nd half last year. Wow, this took me all of 5 minutes going to ESPN and looking at game play by play. You’d think “journalists” could do better
It says one calendar MONTH you effing moron! Holy sh!t you are retarded! All of those games you mention (LSU LAST YEAR, Clemson, Miami, and UNC) were BEFORE Miss St THIS YEAR! He was talking about the game with Miss St THIS FREAKING YEAR! You have to be a uga grad b/c your reading comprehension is embarassing. Jesus! You are definitely King Retard or todays blog you a$$ clown. Go kill yourself.
GA Tech Insider
November 5th, 2009
3:02 pm
By the way, when asked during his radio call in show earlier this week about GA Tech’s defense, and whether he has any interaction with that side of the ball as well, Coach Johnson said that as Head Coach, he has faith in all of his coaches, including those on the defensive side, but he’s responsible for the entire team so he goes to both team meetings.
After reviewing defensive defensive films and listening to the discussions, he adds what he thinks might be of help, and in the end of the discussion, “he wins all ties”.
My point is that Paul Johnson is taking personal responsibility of all phases of his team, so it makes sense why the second half adjustments at game time may seem better on that side of the ball as well.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 5th, 2009
3:03 pm
That LSU game would probably have a different outcome today too. Tech was in the first season of a totally different O any of those kids had ever played. They are a lot more comfortable doing what they are suppose to do. Also, still jacked up from beating us too so they may have been a little relaxed.
BigTimeTECHFan
November 5th, 2009
3:03 pm
Yea, I noticed that about CPJ all along, funny how every announcer says how the other team has got tech offence figured out in the 1st half, then wham-o, Tech explodes in 2nd half. Like UGA last year, Va Tech this year. Also defence has played good in 2nd half but man the D’s 1st halfs are crazy. CJP is for sure one of the best game day coaches but he’s not as good a preparing for a team as Urban Myer. Urban Myer is perparred before the game, GT makes better adjustments in game. CMR of Georgia good recruiter, and good overall coach but has to beat you by stait up having better players that pound you. Myer (Utah) and CPJ have proven the can take lesser talent and compete with anybody by there coaching.
Bryan
November 5th, 2009
3:04 pm
kalamazoo
Clemson just beat Miami @ Miami. They are playing really good now. Possibly 2nd best in the conf. Def in the top 3 right now. And if they beat fsu and win out which I think they will, they will be ranked in the top 15. BTW, I think they beat SC easily.
Brad
November 5th, 2009
3:04 pm
Mark – one of the biggest things this year beyond another year of running the option is Nesbitt’s increased performane in passing. When Tech has stepped out of the option Nesbitt has burned people down field. To have one of the top receivers in yards gained in the ACC and Nation in this offense – Johnson has responded to his critics of the offense with action as opposed to words.
It has been fun watching them this year – the next three games are critical to show the program has indeed reached that next level. I will be interested to see how Tech is positioned next year ranking wise as they will return a significant amount of their starters if not mistaken.
Bryan
November 5th, 2009
3:07 pm
Wait until CPJ gets the recruits to run the offense. If we are this good now, watch out. Imagine having Pat white running this. We would be averaging 45 a game.
Heath
November 5th, 2009
3:08 pm
Mark, how long, do you think, before PJ moves on to bigger and better things? Surely no top 10 coach will stay at a school that can’t sell out a stadium with the capacity of a Dixie Cup. Do you think he dreams of coaching at real stadiums?
GTOption
November 5th, 2009
3:09 pm
Before all is said and done Bark Madly may end up being the GREATEST GT FAN OF ALL TIME!!!!!
CPJ can make a believer out of anybody! Ugag fans may start jumping on the bandwagon soon!
Stingem84
November 5th, 2009
3:09 pm
I never been able to figure out how a family could be both a Tech and UGA fan. I used to get so mad watching Tech-UGA games that I shouted that there was no way my sons would be allowed to go to UGA. I’m just glad I moved to Tennesse 10 years ago so that my sons can choose between the two state schools (Tenn Tech and UTK). Speaking of Tennesse Tech, what the crap is Georgia doing playing them this weekend. I thought those games (against lower division schools) were reserved for the first game of the year?
F-105 Thunderchief
November 5th, 2009
3:11 pm
Tracy Ham could take over a football game like Michael Jordan could take over a basketball game. And, yes, he passed a lot to wideouts Monty Sharpe and Delano Little. GSU had three 1,000-yard rushers one season during Paul Johnson’s days as an offensive coordinator.