AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 25
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
What about the game plans?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Shooting, or at least writing, fast here …
Georgia Tech’s going to have to be a lot better Saturday against Miami than the Yellow Jackets were against Clemson. Miami’s not nearly as good as Clemson, but good enough that if Tech plays exactly same this week, the Jackets will lose.
Specifically, Patrick Nix needs to call a better game, Jon Tenuta needs to come up with a game plan much-better tailored to the opponent than last week, players need to ramp up their intensity and execute better, and double-top priority — Reggie Ball needs to get back on his horse.
He was lousy against Clemson. I’ve heard some dispute on this. I disagree. He was on the run, yes. He’s been on the run a lot this season. I’ve heard his pass protection is better this season. He’s been sacked seven times in the past four games versus eight times all of last season (I admit some of this is because of a re-designed offense, but not all of it). His decision-making was sub-standard, and his execution was, too
Ball needs to look at Calvin Johnson more, AND throw that way more. Period.
Coach Gailey has said more than once, “we tried a number of ways” to get the ball to Calvin, while also crediting Clemson’s double teams. He’s also said he doesn’t figure Miami will copycat a lot of what Clemson did defensively because the ‘Canes have been so successful playing defense their way.
Well, riddle me this: EVERYBODY throws a lot of double teams at Calvin. If credit goes to Clemson for taking Calvin out of the plan with some SORT of revolutionary double-team scheme, why wouldn’t somebody else copy that?
If you don’t buy the idea that Clemson’s double-teaming scheme was so special, and I don’t, then it goes back to Nix’s play calling, and the execution of the entire offense, chiefly by Ball. His timing was poor the other night, he fumbled at least one snap, he threw poor passes, he ran out of bounds on aborted passing plays rather than throwing the ball away. He did a lot of things poorly.
I don’t know whether Tenuta’s game plan was more the problem on defense, or players failing at it. I’ll say this: If a Clemson back broke the first level, meaning got through the line, he was gone, or nearly gone. Look at the play-by-play. At one point these were consecutive plays on four consecutive drives in the second half:
Run for 30, run for 4, INC, INC, FG, run for 8, run for 12, run for 6, run for 3, run for 9, run for 8, run for 3, INC, sack, punt, run for 22, run for 50 (touchdown), run for 4, run for 2, pass to sideline and ensuing run for 50 (touchdown).
That can’t all be gameplan, but it can’t all be players stinking, either.
Regarding Avery Roberson taking over at cornerback in place of Jahi Word-Daniels, yes, Roberson - not Word-Daniels - started at CB at Clemson. But Roberson started at safety. Tech opened with three safeties and one cornerback (Scott) because Clemson opened with just one wide receiver, two tight ends, a fullback and a tailback.
Miami has used a lot of two-tight end stuff over the years, but Gailey said the ‘Canes aren’t using that kind of personnel grouping as much these days.
I wonder: in nickel situations, will Jamal Lewis continue moving up from safety to nickel? If he does, who’ll play that safety spot? Roberson? That would mean Word-Daniels would probably move back to the outside CB spot.
Or, does Roberson stay at CB, Lewis at S, and does Pat Clark, nickel back at the beginning of the season, move into the nickel spot. Or, does freshman Laurence Marius crack the rotation this week?
