Tech

By GT

March 25, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this

You take that ex tight end at the A back and let him slid out over the middle like a tight end and you have got a first down. A little height and a lot of size, maybe a little speed. The other smaller back may take a toss and head up field.

By Buzz Belle

March 25, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this

I am really anxious to see these guys. I will be there on the 19th!!!! Go Jackets and THWG!

By m

March 25, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this

The good news is NOW the team can achieve all they are capable of, instead of being held back by the worst coach in the history of the NCAA. Thank God and Greyhound he is gone.

By Ted

March 25, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this

Sounds like the new staff is full of energy & enthusiasm. Can’t wait to see Jefferson & Jackson knockin’ heads @ LB. They are both beasts! Opposing DL’s are gonna hate going against this nasty OL.

By MDawg

March 25, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this

The more I hear the less worried I get as a Dawg fan about Johnson. I expected him to modify his system slightly & incorporate at least some of the spread option attack from the gun.

Johnson said. “You do what your guys can do. Our guys [at Navy] could run. They were pretty good at it.” “We got really basic,”

Johnson said. “We have to. I was talking to Josh, he hasn’t taken a snap from center since his 10th grade year in high school.”

OK it seems like those statements contradict each other if the latter is true. He said before the spread option teams have there QB’s do a lot of the same things his offense does. If that’s the case then why is forcing Nesbit under center? I’ve also read where he said they’ll recruit QB’s then move them to other positions. So instead of seeing Nesbit running a spread type attack we might see a position change. To me a strict triple option attack & tacking that tact with QBs will hurt Tech in recruiting. So bring in DIAA QB prospects who run there mouth, paint “Beat Georgia” on thing all you want then don’t adjust your system to your player skills all you want! Maybe he will but as of now I’m not too worried about the “genius” Tech just hired.

By Mike Knobler

March 25, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this

MDawg

There’s a difference between emphasizing the parts of his offense that suit the players he has and totally scrapping the offense. His offense is an under-center one, not a shotgun one.

I predict he’ll recruit plenty of quarterbacks who aren’t classic dropback quarterbacks who would fit better in another system. I think he’ll have a tougher time recruiting the elite, Calvin Johnson-style receivers.

By RAMBLE ON!

March 25, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this

Fire Coach Johnson, Mdawg’s not worried!!!!!!!!!!

…whatever

By CarolinaJacket

March 25, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this

A slight change of topic. Does anyone know if Donley has made a decision on where he will go to school next year? Thanks.

By RAMBLE ON!

March 25, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this

I heard Donley, was speaking with the GT coaches recently, hopefully for all the right reasons

By Karl

March 25, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this

So bring in DIAA QB prospects… all you want then don’t adjust your system to your player skills all you want!

Don’t deride fast, athletic option quarterbacks who go to I-AA schools. Many of them love to play the position and refuse to go to I-A schools where they will be turned into cornerbacks.

This is why it’s so great that Johnson is sticking with his system that he ran at GSU and Navy instead of trying to placate fans by copying Urban Meyer or Rick Rodriquez: Johnson is going to recruit guys that would have never had a chance to play quarterback in I-A even though they are great athletes and are winners.

Think Tommie Frazier or Brooks Berringer or Scott Frost or Eric Crouch. None of these guys would’ve played quarterback at a major school other than Nebraska. Yet every single one of them either won a national championship or a Heisman trophy. They were big-time players who succeeded at the highest level only because they got a chance.

Johnson is going to recruit the type of guys that haven’t had the opportunity to play quarterback in I-A since Nebraska ditched the option. And Tech will better for it.

By KugelBuzz

March 25, 2008 5:49 PM | Link to this

Can’t wait until the Sping “T-Day” Game! I plan to BEE there along with 7 other family members! The coming years are going to be very exciting for Football at GT. As for MDog not being worried about Coach Johnson and his new style of offense…. well, interestingly enough, neither am I! :o) The attitude on this staff, on this team and in our fanbase is exciting and contagious. And, if a proper attitude is the first step toward a consistently winning program, then I think that we are well on our way! Thanks Coach Johnson, for making GT your new home!

Go Jackets and God Bless!!

By surfrider

March 25, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this

The Big picture here is the pressure this offense can put on a defense. Where we had a say two dimensional attack offense the TB and one WR, with the other skill players being role players we now have 6 players who can bring pressure to a defense, many of which would’nt have played as much. Second, our recruiting universe expands. We can now recruit the bigger lineman and more QB/athletes/RB’s who can play numerous positions. The players should have fun with this.

By GT4EVER

March 25, 2008 8:23 PM | Link to this

I really like the sound of whats going on at Bobby Dodd. This year will probably be a tough year, but look out for the next several! I have a feeling that we will finally field a competitive team! I will be there watching either way!

Go Jackets

By AlabamaRamblinwreck

March 25, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this

GT4EVER: We’ve been competitive for the most part, but we have been outcoached, both in stategy and motivation!!

I am also excited about our new coach. This is the start of a very exciting era of GT football. Even though I agree with GT4EVER about this coming year probably being difficult, I still think this team will be FUN to watch. I couldn’t say that about Chan’s teams.

One more thing: Fire Paul Hewitt. There are plenty of good coaches available this year!!

By gt88

March 25, 2008 9:24 PM | Link to this

Why no word on M. Braman at LB? He appeared to be the heir apparent to Wheeler under Tenuta.

By GTwes

March 25, 2008 10:06 PM | Link to this

I too am very excited about coach Johnsons new and innovative offense. We will no longer have to watch Chans boring pro style crap! We also wont be trying to recruit the same type players that uga is recruiting. I mean really would you have rather played in Richts offense or Chans? Im also concerned about this year being tough,however this offense is going to be very tricky for alot of the teams we play, and theyre only going to see it once a year so I think that makes it even tougher on them. My biggest worry is the D not because of the new DC but the great players we lost…But Ill be there on the 19th excited about our new FOOTBALL COACH…GIVE EM HELL COACH JOHNSON!!!!

By Tokyo Jacket

March 25, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this

Kugelbuzz, attitude is most definitely the most important thing to establishing a winning program. Look at some of the better coaches in history: Bear Bryant, Lombardi, Jimmy Johnson. Those guys were all motivators first, Xs and Os second.

Gailey was actually Xs and Os and pretty good at it (hence the people in the NFL paying him millions to do it). But, he couldn’t get a guy motivated. Those other coaches, any of their players would walk off the edge of the grand canyon for their coach with a smile on their face.

That’s motivation and that’s the key to a long term successful program. It’s the foundation. See PSU, VT, FSU for other, slightly lesser examples.

By yellowblood

March 26, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this

Motivation is the key ingredient in successful spring football practice. Paul has taken care of that by allowing the team to participate in Tickle Piles. They are much more relaxed and less frustrated.

By m

March 26, 2008 8:17 AM | Link to this

It is a beautiful day. What makes it even more beautiful is that Tech no longer has to suffer under the worst coach in the history of the NCAA, Chan Gailey. Thank God and Greyhound that he is gone.

By MDawg

March 26, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this

Karl, you make a good point, but now athletic QB’s are running the option out of the spread. Pat White & the kid from Appalachian State both were recruited by D1 schools to play other positions. I’d argue that now those kids have more opportunities than before with the spread option’s popularity. As the pro sets & passing offenses started to grew Nebraska became one of the few BIG schools to still run it so those types of QB’s had little choice. It remains to be seen but Jaybo Shaw does not strike me as a QB in the class of Tommie Frazier or Brooks Berringer or Scott Frost or Eric Crouch. He could develop into a QB like Riley Skinner or the QB Johnson had a Navy but that’s a big MAYBE! My guess is the kid will have a tough time even making the filed let alone leading Tech to beat the Dogs.

When Jim Grobe took over at WF he ran had run an offense similar to Johnson’s but he changed it up. (Interestingly when they won the ACC he had taken the option package out because Skinner wasn’t ready for it.) He has slowly built the program, redshirts most kids then plays a lot of JR’s & SR’s. Is this the type of plan Johnson is going with? Doesn’t sound like it, I think in time Johnson will have GT playing well but it ought to be interesting watching what he does or does not do on offense.

By GT4EVER

March 26, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

I guess I have higher expectations concerning competitive. Lets face it guys, we are not in a very strong football league. We have come close to beating our instate rival,but we have not. I’m not saying we don’t have a few elite athletes, but as a whole we are behind. We need to compete every year for the best in this state ,and we are way behind our friends at UGAY. I believe the trend can be turned, and I think with a little time our new coach will see that we compete with the best! It would help if we were in the SEC… HAHA, there I go dreaming again!

By GT4EVER

March 26, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this

m

Take a breath man! Chan was not the worst coach in NCAA history. He was very loyal to his players. i.e. Reggie. Reggie was a good example of how a good athlete was used in the wrong position. I can’t fault Chan for standing behind his man. The system eventually worked and we have a new coach. Chan knows a lot more about football than I. He just couldn’t make it work at GT. All that negative karma is going to do you in!

By Ramblin Wrecker

March 26, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this

I think most people get too tangled up in the “offense” that is going to be run and forget to see why GT is going to be more successful under Paul Johnson than it was under Chan Gailey. It is more about coaching than the offensive scheme. For example, if Gailey were a triple option coach and had the job at Navy, does anyone really believe Navy would have been as successful as it was under CPJ? I don’t believe that for a second. I believe that it is about attitude, confidence and teaching/coaching. In those areas I think CPJ has Gailey beat in a thousand ways. Gailey is a great guy, and I’m sure excellent as an offensive mind. But his style is better suited for the pro level, where the players are self motivated and for the most part are as skilled as they are gonna be. These college players need discipline, motivation and more than anything…instruction. I just feel that a guy who can have a dominating program like he had at GA So and then go into a completely different environment like Navy and compete, has that “it” that was lacking under Gailey. And the offense he runs is irrelevant from that perspective. But that being said, I believe the unique style of offense that will be run only adds to what CPJ brings to the table as a program builder to create a situation that could prove difficult for the ACC (and UGA) to go up against every year. Talking about the triple option offense ad nauseum implies that CPJ is only successful because of that and I believe that notion is false.

By NYJacket

March 26, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

MDawg,

See you next November.

M,

Get a life.

Everyone,

Coach Johnson is the real deal.

He is the best coach Tech has had since Bobby Dodd. And, I played for Dodd.

By dawg

March 27, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this

CPJ hasn’t even coached a game at Tech yet. How can you say he’s better than Coach Ross? All Ross did was claim a share of a national title and then take a team to the Super Bowl. I’m a dawg and at least I realize that. Yall are truly ridiculous.