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Home > Mark Bradley > Archives > 2008 > August > 28
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tech tuned up without Tenuta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech debuts tonight, and the focus is on Paul Johnson’s offense. Relatively little has been said about the defense, which will, for the first time since 2001, be coordinated by someone other than Jon Tenuta.
Or, as I like to call him, Jonny One-Note.
Some Tech people considered Tenuta a wizard. I regarded him as the most overrated coordinator in recent collegiate annals. His defense could do one thing — blitz. If it worked, Tech would look great. If it didn’t …
It didn’t against Boston College last season, and Matt Ryan threw for 435 yards. It didn’t against Virginia Tech, and the offensively challenged Hokies mustered 481 total yards. It didn’t against Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl, and the Bulldogs amassed 286 yards rushing and 285 yards passing.
Tech’s D looked pretty good statistically last season — first in the nation in sacks, 20th in total defense — but those numbers were padded against lesser lights. (Notre Dame, Samford, Miami, Army, Duke.) If you had an offensive line that could protect and a quarterback who could stand and deliver, you could beat Tech and beat it badly.
Because the blitz by definition jams the line of scrimmage and because sacks are counted against a team’s rushing total, Tenuta’s teams usually did well against the run. But here, pun intended, was the catch: In six seasons under Tenuta, Tech’s defense finished above 40th in pass defense only once.
He’s now at Notre Dame, where every game is televised and the Irish fans will expect something more substantial. The Jacket defenders are guided by Dave Wommack, who has none of the aura that strangely attached itself to the aloof Tenuta but who, in the grand scheme, might just be an upgrade.
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