AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 12
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Can Tech adjust enough for Troy?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pressed a little for time right now as I’m working on a story about Chan Gailey’s time at Troy State, but after talking with him and some players today, I’ve formed a few thoughts:
If the kickoff team continues to struggle, Tech might want to think — eventually — about trying a couple of offensive or defensive starters out there. Chan didn’t say the Jackets would do that, or that they wouldn’t. But he sure didn’t hesitate to say something’s gotta change, and fast.
Nobody will confirm my theory that it’s harder to get the running game in sync while operating so much more out of the shotgun, but that’s what I think. So far, the Tech offense hasn’t exactly looked like the spread to me, but it’s got elements of it. Gailey admitted the offensive line has been asked to execute a lot more different stuff on game days so far than on game days in the past. I still think the Jackets have all the pieces to run the ball quite well, once they get calibrated.
Don’t think safety DJay Jones is going to play Saturday, but DE Michael Johnson probably will.
Troy’s a lot faster than Samford, but similar in that they run a lot of passes. Gailey said they run an empty backfield a lot, but with four WRs to one side, and one to the other instead of 3-2, like most teams when they go empty. As he said, where many teams try to gain a man advantage inside, like by double-teaming a DE or something, Troy tries to get a man up on the edge. Interesting.
While some theorize that Troy playing FSU so well might be good for Tech, in that the Jackets will be more on their Ps and Qs because of it, I wonder if Troy didn’t max out against the ‘Noles? Maybe not. They’re not I-AA, remember. They’re Division I now, with more scholarship players.
More tomorrow.
