AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USRushing will determine Tech’s fate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so it took a while, like two games and three quarters or so, but Georgia Tech’s offense finally began looking like it might make some sense to me roundabout the fourth quarter against Troy. That’s a good thing.
After a four-quarter lull that spanned parts of the Notre Dame and Samford games where Tashard Choice and Rashaun Grant combined for 27 yards on 13 carries, the Jackets have figured out how to run the ball with somebody other than Reggie Ball, who’s obviously run the ball himself. These are good things. Jamaal Evans is no slouch, either, by the way.
I’m still not going to call this “the” spread. How about a thin spread? There’s not quite as much misdirection as in some acclaimed spread offenses, nor does Reggie roll out on as many run-pass option plays (which is not to say he doesn’t do that at all, just not as much as, say, West Virginia).
Anyway, bottom line, I think the running game will be the barometer for how good Tech’s season will turn out. Whether Reggie’s more in tune as a passer is not yet clear, in my opinion, so for working purposes here let’s assume he’s the same as in the past, or perhaps a little better.
So the defense sure looks capable of holding its own. If Patrick Nix keeps mixing in the run the way he did against Troy, especially with the occasional reverse, and keeping defenses off-guard while guessing what’s going on with the Grant matchup (my two cents: he’s the wildcard in all of this, whether he ends up with big stats or not in a given game because of the matchups he can create for himself and teammates), Tech’s chances are better.
Then, if those matchups continue to be there, and the run game continues to produce, the passing game has to improve almost by default, right?
I’ve said before, and I say again, Greg Smith is good. And he might one day be very good. James Johnson’s not bad. We know about Calvin. I think it’s much less about having very viable targets as it is finding them. That’s where Reggie comes in, of course, so long as he has protection enough to search. Sure, it’s a simplifcation, but if the running game’s clicking, the passing game had better as well because the opposing defenses is going to compromise itself trying to slow the run. Basic football there, huh? Ball needs to be da man.
Other thoughts: The ACC’s not as bad as everybody thinks, even if it’s not so great. Just wait.
—Michael Johnson’s a complete freak. Likely a legitimate difference maker. Better hope his groin doesn’t pop.
—Mike Cox is the most under-rated player on the team. He’s real, real good, diverse, and smart as a whip. Who knew how important a fullback could be to this offense? Strange, but true.
—The kickoff team remains in psychoanalysis. A change in method did not necessarily put the demons to rest.
—And lastly, I’m working on a story for next week about road trips from Hades, or to Hades, or, well, you get the picture - maybe you even have some! I’m going to talk to coaches and players, present and past, about road trips gone sour, you know, socked in by weather, bus broke down, stuck in a train station (old timey stuff there), plane’s A/C didn’t work, got lost on the way, racked by food poisoning, you name it. Bet some fans have some tales, too. If you’ve got a real good planes, trains, automobiles and rickshaw story about attending a Tech game on the road, let me know at mwinkeljohn@ajc.com. A few might fit in the paper.
—That’s going to be a fun story.
Comments
By GREG
September 19, 2006 04:32 PM | Link to this
GLENN AND HIS INVESTIGATION!!!!!!LOL!!!!!GO JACKETS!!!!LOL!!!!
By realityman
September 19, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this
The ACC is not so bad as everyone thinks?
Me thinks thou doth protest too much…
By Davey
September 19, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this
We need to win big against Uva and that is the biggest understatement of the year.
35-7 TECH
Also matt if you think our running game is good now wait till next year with all the RB’s coming in.
By dk
September 19, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this
realityman - it’s methinks not me thinks idiot
By ARTC
September 19, 2006 08:20 PM | Link to this
I bet we won’t see Tech on a Wheaties box anytime soon.
By Elijah
September 19, 2006 08:58 PM | Link to this
I am glad that someone else has seen the logical truth since the preseason hype is over with. Calvin is great, but who cares. We got to keep executing. If we can focus on the run and getting the ball to other recievers, then we can use Calvin, but not until then.
By old gold engineer
September 19, 2006 10:21 PM | Link to this
My impression at the Troy game was that we waited too long to start running the ball up the middle and off tackle with the running backs. We tried outside stuff repeatedly through the 3rd quarter, and Troy did an excellent job of defending those runs. Once we found a running scheme that worked, our offense looked rejuvenated.
By BuLLdawg
September 20, 2006 04:30 AM | Link to this
.
The difference this season, is that Georgia Tech doesn’t get to beat Auburn again with Tubs replacing Georgia Tech with hapless Washington State who will have their 3rd Losing Record Season in a Row this year instead.
That and of course, the ACC is having a just horrid season this year including the shut-out of Duke by a non 1-A team and the horrible teams of FSU and Miami.
Under Tommy Tuberville, the Auburn Tigers are 63-27 while The Georgia BuLLDawgs are 71-21.
Only once in the previous 7-year period Tommy Tuberville has coached Auburn has Auburn ended up in the Final AP Poll ranked ahead of Georgia and that was 3 years ago now when Number 2 Auburn was for the only time ranked ahead of then Number 6 Georgia.
Coach Richt has 33 Wins against The SEC and Tubs has 32 in this same timeframe.
33-11 Coach Richt compared to 32-10 Tommy Tuberville against The SEC this 6th Season starting when Coach Richt joined The SEC 2001.
Coach Richt is 55-13 Overall and Tommy Tuberville is 49-17 in this same timeframe of now this 6th season.
Coach Richt is 22-2 versus teams not in The SEC, while Tommy Tuberville is 17-7 in this same timeframe starting 2001 when Coach Richt started Coaching in the SEC.
Tubs neither has more wins against just the SEC Teams in this now 6th season since Coach Richt joined The SEC with Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville 32 SEC Wins compared to Coach Richt’s 33 SEC Wins, nor has Tubs done anywhere near as well outside The SEC with Tubs’ 17-7 compared to Coach Richt’s 22-2 outside The SEC.
Tubs has one less SEC Win, 32, than does Coach Richt, 33, starting 2001 when Coach Richt began now 6 seasons ago, and Tubs has 5 Less Wins Outside The SEC, 17, and 5 More Losses, 7, Outside The SEC than does Coach Richt at 22-2 Outside The SEC.
Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville has Neither Won More Games, 32, against just The SEC than Georgia’s Coach Richt, 33, nor has Auburn’s Tubs Won More Games Outside The SEC at 17-7 than has Coach Richt at 22-2; and, overall therefore that explains why Georgia’s Coach Richt is 55-13 while Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville is only 49-17 with 6 Fewer Wins (Tubs Fewer Wins Both against The SEC than Coach Richt and also Tubs Fewer Wins Outside The SEC than Coach Richt.)
This further explains the reason why Tubs in his 12th Season Coaching in The SEC and 8th Season Coaching at Auburn has been ranked ahead of Georgia but once in the Final AP Polls.
Tubs has Won 3 Bowl Games in now his 8th Season at Auburn and therefore does not even have a winning bowl record, while Georgia has Won 7 of 9 Bowl Games since Coach Tommy Tuberville took over at the helm of Auburn University in the same timeframe; and that along with the One Extra SEC Win since Coach Richt started at Georgia (33 to 32 Wins against SEC Teams) which was the 3 Touchdown Stomping of Biblical Proportions against LSU for his 2nd SEC Championship, is the Difference Between Tubs (1 SEC Championship) and Coach Richt (2 SEC Championships) in case anyone wants the facts, all the facts and The Truth on Auburn compared to Georgia both against just SEC Teams and against Teams Outside the SEC, overall, and in The Final AP Poll Rankings.
Alabama (Number 26 in the AP Poll today, 22 USA Today Coaches’ Poll) and Florida are the only teams Auburn plays this season now besides Georgia (Number 7 USA Today Coaches’ Poll, Number 9 AP Poll) and the next best game Auburn faces is Number 47 Arkansas; while UGA faces Number 18 Tennessee vols Auburn doesn’t, Number 5 Florida whom Auburn does play, Number 3 Auburn (Southern Cal jumped Auburn in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll this week), and Number 28 Georgia Tech.
Summarizing this, then, UGA has up-coming games against:
Number 3 Auburn.
Number 5 Florida.
Number 18 Tennessee.
Number 28 Georgia Tech, On Probation all this year and next.
Summarizing this, then, Auburn has up-coming games against:
Number 5 Florida.
Number 7 Georgia.
Number 26 Alabama.
Therefore, Georgia’s Coach Richt who has both Won More Games against The SEC and Outside The SEC than Tubs has in the same timeframe, also has more games to play and against More Higher Ranked Opponents both in the SEC and Outside the SEC than Tubs has to play.
The Difference in the 2 Schedules this season, is that Coach Richt plays Georgia Tech whom he has beaten 5 times in a Row who is Number 28 in the Polls this season despite being on Probation, while Auburn’s Tubs has Lost to Georgia Tech twice in a Row; and while Tubs’ best Out-Of-Conference Game this season is instead Washington State the Number 75 Team in the nation this year who will have a Losing Record for their 3rd Consecutive Season in a Row.
Nice swap-off of that hapless “program” for Georgia Tech, Auburn.
Auburn is 17-13-2 in Bowl Games All-Time, behind in Bowl Wins by 5 fewer bowl games won than Georgia, and Worse therefore in Bowl Winning Percentage too at .563 Auburn Bowl Winning Percentage than Georgia 22-16-3 with a Bowl Winning Percentage of .573. And, overall, Georgia has 12 SEC Championships to Auburn’s half our total at only 6, while Georgia is Number 6 in the timeframe Tubs has been at Auburn at 71-21 and Auburn under Tubs Number 20 instead in the nation at 63-27 :
http://football.stassen.com/cgi-bin/records/calc-wp.pl?start=1999&end=2005&rpct=1&min=1&ss=on&se=on&c1a=on&pt=on&by=Wins
And, while :
696-375-54 Georgia All-Time Winning Percentage .641
we find instead :
660-381-47 Auburn All-Time Winning Percentage .627
There is not a damn thing that Auburn’s Program does better in Football than Georgia’s, including especially not having the Quarterbacks, Defense, Recruiting, and Coach Georgia has.
Nor being therefore neither on The Wheaties Box nor on the ABC Coaches Challenge this Saturday at 2 p.m.
.
By GREG
September 20, 2006 08:13 AM | Link to this
TECH FANS ARE PUMPED ABOUT THERE HUGE GAME WITH 1-2 VIRGINIA!!!!LOL!!!!!
By GREG
September 20, 2006 08:36 AM | Link to this
TECH’S IS GOING TO SHOW THE NATION TOMORROW NIGHT…THERE FOR REAL BABY!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!CHAN GAILY LEFT THE DOLPHIN OFFENSE IN GOOD SHAPE WHEN HE LEFT!!!!!!GO JACKETS!!!!!!LOL!!!!LOL!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!
By GREG
September 20, 2006 08:40 AM | Link to this
WHERE’S FUNKY WHITEBOY AND HIS NATIONAL CHAMPION SENIOR LADEN 2006 IRSH SQUAD????????LOL!!!!!LOL!!!!!GO SPARTANS!!!!THIS IS THE YEAR BABY!!!!!LOL!!!!LOL!!!!!
By jackets fan
September 20, 2006 09:04 AM | Link to this
I like what Tech is doing so far. I think they need to do more practicing of the play action fakes and how Ball operates the read option fakes. They should put in tapes of VYoung with Texas, Pat White of WV, and actually Vick and the Falcons. Ball needs to put the ball in Choice’s stomach and hold for just a beat before he decides to let Choice take it, or pull it out and rollout. Right now they are simply running draws out of that shotgun formation. That won’t do it alone. Running the reverses they did against Troy helped loosen things up. But doing the read option like those guys above will lead to huge yards and gash their opponents. Tech has the personnel to do it.
Also I’d like to see Tech flip Calvin to the other side of the field in goal line situations. They’ve ran the fade jump ball to the left side 4 or 5 times now (including the UGA game last year) and teams are keying in on it, as evidenced by the interception by Troy on that play. Move CJ around to different spots and run the same fade jump play. But it has become too recognizable in their formations.
Oh yeah, Greg is a f*.
By jackets fan
September 20, 2006 09:08 AM | Link to this
That was Greg is a F A G.
By GREG
September 20, 2006 09:15 AM | Link to this
SAMFORD AND TROY HAD NO PROBLEM MOVING THE BALL ON THE JACKETS!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!
By GREG
September 20, 2006 09:16 AM | Link to this
WHO’S Greg!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
By coach
September 20, 2006 09:23 AM | Link to this
Hey Bulldawg, did you post on the wrong blog?
By coach
September 20, 2006 09:29 AM | Link to this
Rushing may or may not be the key. I am glad to see that Chan and Pat are finally starting to give the on the field quarterback the freedom to change plays after the formation is set and after the defense makes adjustments.
Maybe more than the uniforms are starting to be retro. Coach Dodd believed strongly that every defense will give you something and gave his quarterbacks the freedom to change anything after the defense shifted or changed its set up. The game is fast and flexibility is required.
To call a play assuming the defense will be in a particular set and then run the play blindly against a defense that will stuff it is not smart.
By anon
September 20, 2006 09:53 AM | Link to this
haha bulldawg why are you posting here? are you bitter? i know one thing au does better in…head-to-head competition with uga! i know, i know you guys have a tough non-conference schedule. colorado (tough team this year) uab (weren’t they beating you at halftime a couple of years ago?) w kentucky (who?). oh and one stat you left out…uga wins 4 of last 13 vs au. HAHA!
By GREG
September 20, 2006 10:07 AM | Link to this
LOG TOILETS AT TECH!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!
By GREG
September 20, 2006 11:18 AM | Link to this
I GOT MY HEAD STUCK IN A LOG TOILET ONE TIME!!!!!LOL!!!!!THAT’S WHY I’M OBSESSED WITH LOG TOILETS!!!!LOL!!!!THAT’S ALSO HOW I GOT MY NICKNAME $HITHEAD GREG!!!!LOL!!!!!IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE I HAD $HIT ON MY HEAD!!!!LOL!!!!GET IT!!!!LOL!!!!$HITHEAD GREG!!!!!LOL!!!!!
By Red Fox
September 21, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this
This Greg dude is so damned annoying. He is probably like the other hundreds of thousands of UGA fans that even didn’t go to UGA. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had never even been to Samford Stadium.
Go Jackets…
28 - 10
By Red Fox
September 21, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this
This Greg dude is so damned annoying. He is probably like the other hundreds of thousands of UGA fans that even didn’t go to UGA. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had never even been to Samford Stadium.
Go Jackets…
28 - 10
By GREG
September 21, 2006 03:53 PM | Link to this
NO REDFOX.I WISH I COULD GET UP SOME MONEY TO GO TO THE STADIUM…ONLY PROBLEM LIKE LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS SITTING IN SECTION 106 ROW 13..SEAT 3 IS THAT IT’S HARD TO FIND THEM DARN TICKETS.92,750K IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!!!!UGA OWNS TECH AND ALWAYS WILL!!!!I BET YOU CANT WAIT UNTIL THAT PIECE OF S** CAR COMES PUTTING OUT ON THAT FIELD,20K OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS GOING WILD!!!!LOL!!!!MAN YALL HAVE IT GOING ON!!!LOL!!!