AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 28
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tech seeks multiple cures, or answers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For all of the considerable fuss about a new face at quarterback for Notre Dame and the fact coach Charlie Weis isn’t tipping his play sheet as to who it will be, Tech’s not having any easier a time preparing for the Irish defense.
The problem has much less to do with personnel, and a lot more to do with scheme. Notre Dame is switching to a 3-4 this season under new defensive coordinator Corwin Brown, most recently the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets.
Chan Gailey said this makes a big difference, and here’s just a snippet of his comments on the subject from today.
“It changes a lot of the thought process,” he said. “It changes protection schemes, running game thoughts, secondary disguise, etc. You wouldn’t think it would have that big of a variable, but it does. Because of the spacing on the line, who can rush and who can drop, there are a lot of the positives that come out of the 3-4.”
(please insert transition here)
Not that this is a good or bad example, but I’ve only been around for one Tech football season prior to this, having covered the NFL and Falcons for eight years previously, so maybe it’s too early for me to say this. But it seems to me like Gailey is more comfortable this season than last.
He didn’t strike me as uptight last season for starters, although more edgy late in the season for obvious reasons, but he’s been a little more chatty this summer than I remember last, more agreeable in talking about certain aspects of the team (though not necessarily as transparent as I’d like).
Some folks who’ve been around much longer than me seem to think that Gailey has grown considerably more comfortable with each passing season. I think the strength of this year’s team, the strength of the current freshman class, the reduced (at least for now) teeth-gnashing with regards to the quarterback position, it all adds up.
Finally, in answer to yesterday’s question concerning my thoughts on Mike Vick; can’t answer, not that I don’t have some thoughtgs. But it creates a monitoring problem in the office as all items Vick tend to lean toward explosive in blog commenting, so … sorry.
And finally, finally, postponing The Cure tour until next spring really stinks.
Matt
