AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > June
June 2008
Earls’ intent, Richt’s predix & Donley’s dilemma
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A couple leftovers from the Pigskin Preview, and a detail or two beyond.
Correy Earls, whom you might remember suffered a frightening head/neck injury trying to throw a block for Taylor Bennett on a crucial fourth down late in the Virginia game last season, is penciled in as a starter at WR. I think you can use pen. He and Demaryius Thomas will be the starting WRs unless something strange happens.
He left the field on a board, and was hospitalized overnight after that. “I still remember the situation very vividly. It’s something that will never be forgotten, but I’m not worried at all,” he said. “It won’t be something that I’ll take to the field with me. If I was put in the same situation, I would probably do the same thing again. It wouldn’t make me think twice.
“It’s all in the game of football. You can’t wonder, What if? You have to just play hard, and leave the rest up to God.”
Another WR, James Johnson, suffered a bunch of injuries last season, and may have taken a shot or two that he can’t forget. He left the sport. To each his own. This is not a ringing endorsement, nor an indictment. Football can be a very unforgiving game, huh? Each person processes his experience differently, sometimes very differently.
“They said it was a minor spinal injury and a concussion. I remember they did tests all through the night. All I remember is they were waking me up every 30 minutes or every hour to make sure this was moving and that was moving,” Earls said.
How would you like that to be one of your dominant memories of a game you love?
Moving on …
Georgia coach Mark Richt, who called in via teleconference from the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., said he’s glad the Bulldogs will play Tech last in the regular season to better get a read on coach Paul Johnson’s offense.
“You don’t know what [approach] is going to work for the talent that he has so we’ll have a good idea of what to prepare for, and we’ll have an open date [before the game] that’s going to help us,” Richt said. “We’ll have a chance to see what they’re going to hang their hat on, and I think that’s going to help.”
And on again …
This will be old news for some of you, but I heard a few days ago that D.J. Donley is back, attending summer school at Tech. He still wants to transfer, and needs to get some academic work done at Tech in order to do so. I do not believe he’s working out with former teammates. I don’t think he’s interested in playing for Tech. Simply put, he does not like Atlanta or Tech the way it was explained to me. No significant problem with the football program exactly, just the city and academic environment. He has work to do to become eligible to transfer. It’s no lock.
Going on vacation Saturday until July 7th or so. Then, practice will be three-plus weeks away. Hard to believe.
Matt
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Darryl Richard sings — but not blues — in Macon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Time moves so slowly at this time of year, and after little sleep last night and more driving today than I felt reasonable, I’m in the mood to beat a dead horse some more. So … not for the first time will I invoke and marvel over Tech’s refusal to adequately adjust defensively last season (and beyond). Can we make a song of this?
A look back still boggles my mind, much as nuclear fusion scrambles my gray matter (does it yours?), or the way it baffles to see an extra large, morbidly obese person stuff his/her face in public with no regard for appearance let alone effect.
Twas satisfying this morning when I was at the Peachstate Pigskin Preview in Macon, speaking with Tech DT Darryl Richard — a wizened young man — about upcoming changes to the Jackets’ defense. It was glorious, in fact, when he circled round to my favorite example of this problem without my even asking about it. He was smiling and smiling, clearly delighted at the prospect of what lies ahead, the realization before even playing a game that Tech will be more multiple defensively than in years.
Richard will tell you he loves music nearly as he does football. Tuesday, he seemed at times to sing.
Read on, and you’ll see:
The Jackets haven’t practiced for two months, but forget the layoff and believe me when I say that while the offense may have a way to go before players comfortably grasp what will be expected of them (does that make them comfortably numb?), the defense has a good grip on what’s going on in the mind of new coordinator Dave Wommack. Especially the D-line.
And they like it.
If you were there — and you didn’t expire in frustration — last fall when Boston College and QB Matt Ryan melted Tech’s defense like butter that defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta refused to take out of the sun, then you remember.
As usual, Tech blitzed, and blitzed, and blitzed. And Ryan kept completing pass after pass after pass. He got knocked around a little, but when he didn’t, he just speared the Jackets. It was a clinic. But on what? What to do offensively, or not to do defensively? On pass protection? How to pass your way to being a top 5 pick in the NFL draft? Or sheer bullheadedness? (Multiple choice; pick two)
Two ways generally, in my opinion, to slow a passing attack: throw the quarterback out of rhythm or defend the ball at the target. That night, Tenuta kept throwing the kitchen sink, and BC kept shutting them off, completing passes even though the Eagles were only sending two or three out per play in most instances.
It blew my mind last fall when I asked coach Gailey if he ever would call upstairs to his coordinator and insist on a philosophical change defensively in a game going poorly. He said no because Tenuta had too much experience and he didn’t want to meddle with his DC.
I’ve asked Johnson about this, and he has answered differently, as you know if you read some of the interview I did a couple months ago. In sum, he doesn’t want to meddle either, but if the defense is wetting the bed and it’s obvious part of the problem is schematic, somebody’s going to get an earful on the headphones.
So Richard is talking about the pure joy of change, the unburdening of souls (I’ve heard of similar sentiments in coaches’ offices), etc. “Our front four has been freed up to make plays,” he said, almost singing. “In the past, we pressured by scheme, not by winning personal battles.”
So he’s tickled at the prospect of challenge, apparently relieved that the new schemes count on d-linemen to do more than chew up blockers and space: “I think when you have a unit that has three seniors who have played a lot of football (Michael Johnson, Darryl and Vance Walker), you can show these younger guys how to play the game. It’s almost an expectation. It’s not, can you get it done?”
And then it just came out:
“In the past, you had teams that set up their blocking schemes for that [hells bells pressure, non-stop]. When you have a Boston College — and we took a lot of criticism for this — that said, ‘Let’s do some max protection, and hold in seven or eight guys, and run two-man or three-man routes … that doesn’t happen a lot in college football.’ Now, we’re going to tell a team if you do that to us, we’re going to have five or six guys back there waiting on you to throw the ball.”
Ah, the summation, the freeing of a songbird: “Now, instead of only offenses attacking us different ways, changing to see what works or doesn’t, we’re going to change what we do, change the way we attack you as we go.”
Tech’s linebackers will be OK. The secondary has questions I can’t answer, but I bet they double their interceptions. And the D-line is going to rock.
Bet they all have more fun, too, freebirds of a sort.
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Who’s a better bickerer? D-Rad extends
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK then, moving on …
by looking back. To yesterday’s blog, which has me wondering:
Who is more defensive about the reputation of their school’s academic posterity, particularly as it relates to student-athletes? Is it the Tech fan base, or the UGA fan base? You people slay me with the way you carry on about that stuff.
Or, should I write up something about Dan Radakovich signing a five-year extension?
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Paul Johnson’s summer: setting a template
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credibility King here …
Sat a spell this morning with Paul Johnson. Much of our discussion will run in a Q & A that should be online soon (longer version online than in tomorrow’s paper). More if it will be in a Sunday notebook.
Plenty of material about recruiting in-state that I think Tech fans will embrace.
The only player he could say who will be knocked out by injury this summer (and all season) was Tyler Evans. He suffered a shoulder/collarbone injury in the spring that has required surgery.
We talked some about walk-ons. He really wants to ramp up Tech’s walk-on program, and said walk-ons were very, very good to him at Georgia Southern.
That relates, somewhat, to the idea of redshirting. Ideally, he said, you’d get to where you could redshirt all freshmen, but then again you’re going to have some who are so talented that they have to play as true freshmen, in part because there’s a chance they’re only going to be on campus three years.
Adrian Peterson once redshirted, and Johnson said of the former GSU running back, “I guarantee you he was better as a fifth-year senior than he would have been as a freshman.”
Well, if you put it that way, I can hardly disagree.
This fall, though, not as much redshirting to happen as Johnson would one day like. Why? Simple. Numbers. He said Tech will play with 74 scholarships this fall, and 54 or 55 will be freshmen and sophomores. There’s simply a shortage of bodies in the upper classes because of attrition, injuries, transfers, [EDIT ADD HERE ON BEHALF OF QUAILDAWG], NCAA infractions, etc.
More to come on Sunday, including some detail on in-state recruiting strategies.
Matt
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Jumping around on The Flats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thoughts on a few topics like Tech’s in-state football recruiting, the start of Kristi Miller’s pro tennis career and the start time of men’s basketball.
It can only be a good thing when Tech lands more in-state football players, right? Or would you rather have a more talented player even if he’s from out of state? Do you take a certain number of more talented players from out of state, and then try to limit out-of-staters past a point so that a certain minimum percentage of players are from Georgia? What are the benefits of an in-state player versus one from out of state? Inquiring minds wanna know.
And I’m talking about talent here, not stars or ratings, not that anybody can really assess the talent until kids get out on the field and do it.
Hope to sit down and speak a bit with coach Paul Johnson Wednesday morning. More to come on that.
Kristi Miller began her pro career over the weekend in Houston, in a USTA tournament. She had to go through qualifying because she lost her ranking last year when she was out for wrist surgery. There, she won two and then lost the match that would’ve landed her in the 32-player draw.
Former Tech teammate Amanda McDowell is in the 32-player draw. I don’t know how she got in without going through qualifying. Maybe by ranking/points? I’m sort of new to this. She’s playing her first match as I’m writing (if the schedule on the USTA website is correct). It started at 10 Houston time. Amanda’s still an amateur, and will return to Tech as the defending national singles champion for her junior year. Former Marist star.
The two are in the doubles draw together, but haven’t played yet. Can’t find the full doubles schedule.
Paul Hewitt’s speaking this morning, perhaps also as I write as the Knight Commission was to meet from 8:30 to noon in the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., as coaches and administrators look for ways to improve academic performance of basketball players.
He would love to push the start of the basketball season back, ideally to after the first semester. No way that’s going to happen, and he knows it, but he thinks the idea of a couple of weeks has a chance to fly eventually. I say why not? Seems crazy to me that basketball players start full squad practices in mid-October and games in early November. How about a Nov. 1 or so practice start, games to begin around Thanksgiving, as a lot of football teams finish up?
No way the whole season is going to be pushed back in the spring. You think CBS, which holds the uber-gold meal ticket that is the NCAA basketball tournament is going to allow that to be pushed so as to overlap the Masters, which CBS also has the rights to televise? Uh, yeah, and gas prices should be around $1.50 a gallon by July 4th.
Matt
P.S. Hewitt still hopes to add a player for the ‘08-‘09 season, and although the spring signing period is over that doesn’t prevent him from doing that.
Tech got a start on next year’s class with Brian Oliver, a guard from Oak Hill. Committed the other day. Hoping for good news today or tomorrow from Negedu (sp?; Memphis, Tennessee and Indiana I think are other teams still in the mix).
The ‘09 signing class(es) could be HUGE if Tech lands the PG from down south and the big kid from right here in Atlanta.
And here’s a question: would it make sense to consolidate basketball signings into one period (bearing in mind that kids can sign outside the two signing periods anyway)? And how about moving up the football signing date while we’re at it?
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Whither Jamaal, Curry, Kristi and Buzz?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Been a while, like since before Mike Knobler let everybody know he has moved on to cover the Thrashers. That all happened, in fact, while I was outta town on vacation.
I don’t know any more about Jamaal Evans’ decision to leave Tech than the story on-line reflects, at least not in concrete terms. Coach Paul Johnson said it wasn’t his place to go into that kind of detail.
Jamaal had a couple family members in an automobile accident last fall, but I don’t know if his move relates to that or any other family issue.
I don’t think it has to do with the new head coach, or system, or anything like that. I’m not even certain of that, however.
The two incoming A-backs, Peeples and Wright, look like good fits in Evans’ old (new) position.
I’ve worked on a couple interesting stories recently, one at assistant track coach Nat Page, who works with jumpers and hurdlers not only at Tech but some very fine international-caliber athletes as well. Hopefully, that story will run soon. Very interesting guy, with a deliberate coaching/teaching style that clearly is well thought-of.
Another story: Kristi Miller turning pro. Her debut begins Sunday, in a small USTA tournament in Houston, where in addition to playing singles she’ll play doubles with former Tech teammate Amanda McDowell (don’t have to be pro to play in the tournament).
The purse for the entire tournament is just $10,000 so it’s as much or more about accumulating points, and bumping up ranking, as it is about making money. It’s not as simple as just filling out some paperwork and saying, “I’m a pro now.” She’s living with a family in Candler Park. The mother, Molly Croft, works at Tech.
That story should be in the Sunday paper.
Bill Curry as Ga. State’s first coach? Hey, that probably ranks as a coup for the Panthers, right? Name recognition, familiarity with the city, etc. Tough road to hoe long-term.
Buzz, the mascot and 60 alumni will be rappelling off the 36-story Viewpoint tower on Peachtree Street across from Gordon Biersch Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.
Why? I can’t say for sure, but it ought to be an interesting visual.
I’ll be back.
Matt
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Thanks for four great years
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It has been a real pleasure and privilege to have the chance to cover Georgia Tech sports for four years. Thanks for reading what I have written. Many of you have taken the time to share your thoughts, either through conversations, letters, e-mails or blog comments. That meant a lot to me, even when you took issue with something I said or the way I said it.
I will soon begin covering the Thrashers, and I hope many of you will continue to read what I write, just as I will continue to have an interest in Tech sports.
It is somewhat awkward to be moving on to another assignment so soon after I made a point of telling a group of Tech fans I stayed on the Tech beat because I enjoyed it so much. I’d like those people to know I meant what I said.
Tech’s athletes, coaches, sports information staff, athletics department officials, students and fans have treated me well. Those I have interviewed have been generous with their time and almost without exception classy in their willingness to answer questions, even difficult ones asked at inconvenient moments.
Chan Gailey, the Tech coach I covered most, made it a rule not to single out players because he knew he was likely to offend a deserving one he forgot to mention. I could never list even a twentieth of the people I should. From Tashard Choice to Janie Mitchell, Steven Blackwood to Kristi Miller, Gerris Wilkinson to Luke Schenscher, Tech athletes have made my job a pleasant one. And I owe just as many thanks to Tech people whose names rarely if ever appeared in print, people like Allison George, Dean Buchan and Mollie Simmons Mayfield.
I have spent 23 years since my own college graduation covering college sports as a reporter and as an editor. The Thrashers beat provides a tremendous opportunity for me to try something different. It gives me a chance to immerse myself in a game I discovered as a kid watching Butch Goring, Marcel Dionne and Rogie Vachon and rediscovered as a college student fortunate enough to cover three Hobey Baker Award winners — Mark Fusco, Scott Fusco and Lane McDonald. (For you non-hockey people, think Heisman Trophy.)
I am thankful for the people I have met on the Tech beat, and I look forward to continuing as many of those relationships as I can for years to come. Stay in touch.
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One colossal flop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Intimidated? Scared? Whatever word correctly describes the way Georgia Tech’s baseball team played tonight in Athens, it has to go down as one of the biggest flops in the team’s history and in the history of Tech’s rivalry against Georgia.
Tech couldn’t pitch, couldn’t field and, after the first inning, could barely hit against a patchwork pitching staff.
This from a team that won more than 40 games and made big-time comebacks against N.C. State (for a victory) and Miami (in a loss) at the ACC tournament. All of that will be but a footnote. When Tech people talk about the 2008 season (on the field, at least), the memories will be of the last two days.
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41 wins, but it all comes down to this
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech gets to pitch its Sunday starter (Zach Von Tersch) Monday night against a team playing its fifth game in four days, and the winner advances to a super regional. Phrased that way, the Yellow Jackets are in a great position.
Tech has to play the SEC regular-season champion on that team’s home field, and that SEC regular-season champion has won three consecutive games and had to use its bullpen for only two innings on Sunday, a third of an inning less than Tech’s bullpen worked though Tech pitched one game and Georgia two. Phrased that way, the task sounds a lot more daunting.
If Tech wins, this will be a successful season, regardless of what happens in the super regional. If Tech loses, …
This is truly a pivotal game. What do you expect to happen?
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