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September 2008
Off Week Ramblings…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With no game scheduled for this weekend, its a good time to step back as a GT fan and relax and get some yardwork and chores done.
Personally I find mowing the lawn to be a great opportunity to let my mind wander while I mechanically go through the motions behind the ‘ole John Deere.
A few of the topics I’m likely to think about might come from the following list:
1) Josh or Jaybo?
I was blown away by the competence and focus that Jaybo Shaw showed as a true freshman thrown into the game against MSU…cold and without any real warm up. He obviously has the understanding and the vision to make the reads and the pitches in Paul Johnson’s offense and he gives me great comfort from the knowledge that we have a TRULY capable backup quarterback. That’s right…backup quarterback. Because that is what he is for us this season…the backup. Josh Nesbitt is the solidified starter and should be taking the snaps as soon as he is healthy. He simply has more big play potential and more physical tools than Jaybo has as a true freshman. As badly as Jaybo beat up on MSU this past weekend, I think that Josh would have worked them over even worse.
That said…I think Jaybo needs to start against Duke and Gardner Webb. We should save Nesbitt until mop up duty against Gardner Webb so that he can heal up and then run some series full speed before we make the trip up to Clemson that follows the next two home games.
2) Dwyer or Moreno?
This is a tougher call for me. Both are superior talents that play in different offensive systems. Dwyer is a bigger, more physical runner with true sprinter speed if he gets in the open field. Moreno is more of a slasher, with great vision and elusive moves that show up in highlight reels. Honestly, if Paul Johnson had them both right now…you’d see Dwyer playing B Back and Moreno playing A Back. And boy it would be fun to watch!
If forced to pick one of them…I’d go with Dwyer. Dwyer is a big, durable player who can run away from defensive backs from any position on the field. He won’t hurdle a defender, he’ll stiff arm him or run through him.
Comparatively, Dwyer has 389 net yards on 48 carries for an average of 8.1 yards per carry against defenses that included Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State. Moreno has 455 yards on 69 carries…an average of 6.6 yards per carry against defenses that included South Carolina and Arizona State.
3) Pass Defense?
What did it mean when we gave up almost 300 passing yards to Mississippi State this past week?
Not very much, in my opinion.
Mississippi State surprised us a bit when they started flinging the ball around in the first half but we adjusted nicely and played good defense in the second half. The Bulldogs only really moved the ball against defensive configurations that consisted largely of backups, freshmen, and walkons.
We’ll get tested again when Duke comes to town with Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley. But I think our defensive line will be more than up to the task and will disrupt the Blue Devils. Cutcliffe will need a few more years there before Duke will be a serious threat to the upper teams in the ACC.
4) White Out Against Miami?
The game will be November 20 at 7:30pm EST and its being billed as a “White Out” game. I can already hear people whining and complaining about how its going to be cold and they only have dark colored coats and its going to be hard to find warm clothes for that game, if they have to be white.
News flash people…wear layers and find a white sweatshirt or hoody. Its not rocket science. Personally I plan to drag out my old cold weather mountain biking gear and layer myself up and wear my white / gold coach’s shirt over the top. I’ll be nice and toasty warm without needing a jacket or coat.
The rest of you guys have something like 2 months to figure out wardrobe concerns…no excuses! Wear white and show support for the effort. Its going to be a huge game and we’ll need all the home field advantage we can muster up…
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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Mississippi State - Post Game Thoughts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How much can you really say about a 38-7 woodshed beating?
Actually, you can say quite a bit when your opponent and the recipient of the beating is an SEC team that had just gotten done battling well respected and Top 10 Auburn to a 3-2 “standstill” the week before. I’m still not sure Mississippi State knew what hit them…the game wasn’t as close as the 38-7 score implies…which is saying something.
The day set up perfectly. I was able to get down to campus in time to catch Yellow Jacket Alley and visit some friends over in the AMC lot. I then wandered back towards our spot on West Campus where I had a bacon wrapped filet and some hashbrowns with my name on them waiting on me. By 10:30am I was settled in at the tailgate with my plate piled high and our normal crowd of usual suspects gathering round to discuss the upcoming game.
The feeling going into the game was that we’d be competitive and pull out a defensive battle that might be decided on turnovers or special teams plays. Noone was talking about a big offensive breakout or blowout. We were just happy to be back home after two weeks on the road.
The crowd was slow to fill in as kickoff rolled around. (Noon kickoffs STINK!) But we had close to 50 thousand by the time the game started and the sky was crystal clear and there was a light breeze to keep things crisp. It was the sort of fall morning that keeps guys like me paying the seat license fees and buying season tickets.
The offense was clicking pretty well there on the first drive but then we lost Dan Voss at center and Josh Nesbitt at quarterback. I remember thinking to myself, “Great. We get to play a true frosh quarterback and a walkon center against this vaunted Mississippi State defense.” But then a few plays later we’re up 7-0 and Jaybo Shaw is looking like he was born to make option reads and pitches. And then we observe the strangest looking bad snap in the history of Georgia Tech football and we have a short field and Shaw makes a few more plays and we’re up 14-0. After that, the game was never in doubt again as Shaw continued to drive the Yellow Jacket offense with a proficiency that seemed misplaced in a true freshman.
The final score was 38-7 but the game wasn’t even that close. It could have easily been 60-0 if Paul Johnson had desired it. We played upwards of 70 players in this game…pretty much everyone who was dressed out and wasn’t off limits because of redshirts or injuries. We treated Mississippi State worse than we treated Jacksonville State earlier in the season, not something we expected to see happen against an SEC team.
There were many, many highs to discuss from this game but I’ll reduce the list down to the ones I consider the most important or worthy of discussion:
1) We played a ton of depth and got everyone some playing time. This bodes well for depth deeper into the season and does great things for morale. Our third and fourth string guys were out there running the defense and moving the ball. It was outstanding!
2) Greg Smith had a really good game and may have finally turned the corner on what has been a lackluster season for him so far. We needed this to happen.
3) Jaybo, Jaybo, Jaybo…’nuff said!
4) We won the turnover battle! This may be our most crucial stat in games against teams like Miami, FSU, or UGA. We cannot give away free points and put ourselves in a hole.
5) Michael Johnson finally had the breakout game we’d been waiting for. All the double teams on MJ have given Derrick Morgan a chance to really stand out. And now that teams have to also pay attention to Morgan, MJ will pull more one on one matches…which he will almost always win.
All of the game specifics aside, the biggest factor right now may be how Tech’s schedule sets up in the next few weeks. We get a week off to heal and rehab various injuries. This will give Jaybo more time taking practice snaps with the first team offense if it looks like Nesbitt will need sometime to rehab his hamstring. And we follow the off week with home games against Duke and Gardner Webb before we go on the road to face Clemson. Essentially, we have the opportunity to stay at home and get healthy before we go to Clemson…and we could be 5-1 and Top 25 ranked when we face the Tigers.
Regardless of what happens the next 3-4 weeks…know one thing…Paul Johnson is a heck of a coach and this “rebuilding” project may turn into “reloading” sooner rather than later. I’m going to enjoy the ride. Its a great time to be a Yellow Jacket!
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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Focus: Mississippi State!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bulldogs Inbound?
This weekend we’ll get to watch the Yellow Jackets play the first of three different “Bulldog” teams on the schedule. And while the Gardner Webb and UGA teams are examples of two competitive extremes, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are a bit of an enigma.
While Sylvester Croom’s 2007 team went 8-5 (4-4 SEC) and won a bowl game over George O’Leary and UCF, the 2008 MSU team has stumbled out of the gate losing to a Taylor Bennett led Louisiana Tech team and Auburn while notching a lackluster win over Southeastern Louisiana.
The general consensus seems to be that Croom’s guys can play some excellent defense but I would submit that they haven’t truly been tested like they will be this coming Saturday. Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, and a woeful Auburn offense are nothing like Paul Johnson’s triple option that has functioned and improved while facing the stiff defenses of Boston College and Virginia Tech…on the road.
Josh Nesbitt has looked better each week and Demarius Thomas will be returning to the field. Thomas is a difference maker in his ability to both block and provide a legitimate passing threat to stretch the field. If we’d had him against Virginia Tech we’d have won that game, in my opinion.
The only way Tech loses this game is via turnovers or special teams snafus which give MSU easy points. The MSU offense will not be able to sustain drives against our defense.
I see this game playing out in the 27-10 range…in favor of the Jackets.
Luuuuuuuuke
The next time Lucas Cox rips off a long run or gets into the endzone we need to make some noise. Anyone else remember the “Luke Schenscher Has a Posse” shirts? If Lucas keeps it up, he may be the next adoptive student body favorite. He’s an old school, hard nosed player who brings it every play. I personally enjoy watching him quite a bit.
Yellow Jacket Alley & Visiting Recruits
It sounds like we could have somewhere between 50-80 prospective recruits at this game and many of them will be present in and around Yellow Jacket Alley. Not only is it imperative that our fans get down there to greet the team as they return home with a 2-1 record but we need to show these recruits how much we appreciate and support this team and coaching staff.
Get down to the stadium by 9:30am and show your colors and cheer on the white and gold. This is our real home opener against serious (SEC) competition. We need to take it seriously and step it up at YJA and in the stands.
Josh Nesbitt > Pat White
I’m sitting here watching Colorado and West Virginia and I’ve come to the conclusion that Josh Nesbitt is already as good or better than Pat White. He has comparable running ability and a bigger arm. All he needs is experience and seasoning. Its scary how good Nesbitt could be by the time he’s a junior or a senior and is surrounded by players that Coach Johnson has recruited for his system. The future is bright!
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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Virginia Tech - Post Game Thoughts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While I feel a little heartsick from the loss today, I can still take comfort and feel positive for a variety of reasons.
Going on the road to face the past two ACC champions was a daunting task for Paul Johnson and a young GT team. It would be difficult even without implementing a completely new offense and without the injuries on both offense and defense which are forcing the Tech staff to play freshmen and walkons for extended numbers of snaps. (We’re really feeling the impact of our recent probation in our lack of depth right now…)
I told my tailgating and season ticket buddies that my hope was that we’d split the road trip and come home 2-1 to face a Mississippi State team that we should be able to compete with and beat. We’ve accomplished that, although the win over Boston College had lured me into the hopes that we’d be 3-0 instead. Maybe that’s why I am heartsick right now…even though we’ve met my expectations from two weeks ago.
Watching the loss today, a few things struck me as important:
1) Once again, our team showed extreme mental toughness and never gave up. Rather than pulling out a win like we did at Boston College, we went down swinging till the end. That bodes well for the future of this season and is evidence that the coaches have the team motivated and cohesive and ready to play.
2) Despite being offensively one dimensional today, we were still able to move the ball and put points on the board against an EXTREMELY solid defense in an EXTREMELY hostile stadium. We really missed Thomas at wide receiver and our ball handling problems seemed to make Coach Johnson reluctant to attempt many pitches and outside runs until later in the game when we had no other choice.
3) Josh Nesbitt is going to be a big time national level player by the time he leaves Georgia Tech. He can do it all…and he’s only started three games so far. I’m really excited to see what he can do as he progresses. I believe big things are on the horizon.
4) Coach Womack continues to do a great job and our young defenders are playing very well. The Hokies offense gained a grand total of 247 yards in 61 plays and were only able to put up the game winning field goal after questionable personal foul penalty was called on Cooper Taylor after the Hokies were stopped on 3rd and 7. (The penalty on Michael Johnson later in the drive was legit.)
5) Lucas Cox is a player. He’s a beast at the A Back position and with his recent performance, I look forward to Coach Johnson making more and more use of him.
So now we need to get Dwyer and Thomas healthy and get prepped for Mississippi State next weekend. We’re 2-1 and our next three games are very winnable at home. There’s no reason we can’t go up to Clemson with a 5-1 record and a potential Top 25 ranking.
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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Hokie Expectations
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Boston College game played out pretty much as I’d expected.
But with Virginia Tech, I have absolutely no idea what to expect.
The Hokies have more big play potential than Boston College did on offense and their defense has more speed.
The outcome may ultimately come down to two factors:
1) Can the Tech defense rattle Glennon and contain Taylor?
2) How badly do we miss the blocking and deep threat of Demarius Thomas?
I don’t expect the team to get rattled because of noise up in Blacksburg. I think this team is extremely mentally tough and our coaching staff will have them focused. Its just going to be a matter of whether or not we have the horses and the talented depth to get the job done on the road.
This is a HUGE game…win today and we’d go into the Mississippi State game next weekend at 3-0 overall and with two ACC road games. We’d be flirting with Top 25 recognition and we’d be in the ACC driver’s seat with our hardest conference games behind us.
Today’s game will be a defensive brawl…something in the 20-14 range…
I’m picking the Jackets to gut out another one.
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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790 the Dawg?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s been some recent “noise” on the various GT message boards regarding the recent hiring of David Pollack as talent on 790 the Zones afternoon drive show.
Alot of emails and phone calls and various complaints have found their way to the powers that be at 790 and they’ve reacted in a manner that can only be described as defensive. They went so far as to pick out a few over the top emails that they could read on the air, painting the GT fan base in the worst possible light.
Their stance is that David Pollack was hired simply because he’s a local guy who played football at both the NCAA and NFL levels and as someone who can contribute to the show.
What they fail to understand, to be completely honest, is that the hiring of David Pollack is simply another straw tossed onto the backs of GT fans who are trying to understand how 790 is supposed to be considered Georgia Tech’s “flagship” station.
By all accounts, David Pollack is a good guy. But lets consider the following as factors that have agitated the Georgia Tech fanbase in the past week.
1) David Pollack is interviewed several weeks ago and calls Georgia Tech “irrelevant”.
2) 790 starts a media blitz of sorts announcing the biggest hiring in the history of the station.
3) David Pollack is introduced as the new member of the afternoon drive show amidst a steady background of the UGA fight song and during a radio show broadcast from Vince Dooley’s house.
What do you think UGA fans would do if Joe Hamilton or George Godsey were suddenly added to a big sports talk show on a “flagship” UGA channel and it was broadcast from George O’Leary’s house? The agitation in the GT fanbase would pale in comparison to the outrage and ugliness you’d see from the “dawg nation”. Just look at the silliness over the Moreno “hurdle” this past week. (You didn’t see GT fans get upset when PJ Daniels hurdled a Clemson defender a few years ago…talk about a thin-skinned fan base…)
During their defensive rebuttal, 790 is trying to have their cake and eat it too. They’re trying to tell disgruntled GT listeners that they hired the guy because of his football knowledge while also pimping out a myriad UGA connections (fight song, Dooley’s house?) in a weak attempt to pull ratings from 680 the Fan’s ‘Buck and Kincade’ show which features former Georgia QB Buck Belue.
If 790 would “man up” and admit they hired Pollack because they want to pander to more UGA fans and improve their ratings, it would be understandable. Its just insulting to be told that GT fans are out of line and that 790 had no ulterior motives.
All in all…the real tragedy here is the loss of Home Team Brandon Leak…unless of course they are going to have David Pollack giving away Papa John’s pizzas at the GT home games…like his predecessor used to do. That might be worth all the aggravation when you really think about it…
Go Jackets!
Boston College - Sound Off!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What a game…the defense kept us in there until the offense finally broke a big play and took control. Then Coach Johnson masterfully managed the game clock and closed out the game without Boston College getting a chance to pull a Doug Flutie miracle out of their back pocket.
I’ll post more later but wanted to get some quick hits posted online while they were still fresh in my head:
Offense: Nesbitt turned a few broken plays into big plays with his legs. He really bailed out the offensive line today and simply picked the offense up on his shoulders when it counted.
Demarius Thomas had a great day with both big catches and big blocks.
Jonathan Dwyer is special…noone had a chance on that long run and he was pounding the short dives as well. This guy is going to be special before he leaves Tech.
Defense: The Front Four of Walker, Richard, Johnson, and Morgan really turned things on there in the second half and took control. The safety was HUGE!
Coach Womack certainly brought a good defensive approach into this game. A few people were upset to see Tenuta go. Personally I was looking forward to seeing our guys play some assignment defense with less all-or-nothing blitzing.
Coaching: This team is extremely mentally tough and that’s a direct result of a mentally tough and confident coaching staff. We are going to be scary good in a few years when we’re executing on both sides of the ball.
What does everyone think? Doesn’t it feel good to start out 2-0?
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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ACC Takes it on the Chin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well…that was a less that exciting beginning to the ACC season. Its bad enough that we’re going to have to listen to ESPN shilling for the SEC for the next several months, but Clemson and Virginia Tech both tripped and fell into the proverbial gutter, giving the national media pundits even more ammunition and reason to pile a steaming heap of criticism on our conference.
I’ll give the Hokies credit since they put up a fight and should have actually won their game if not for a little overdue “Beamer Ball” karma there at the end. I was never quite certain why so many people expected so much from a VPI team that had lost so much from the previous season.
But Clemson? Oh my…how do you show your face after that pathetic effort? Actually, calling it an effort may be a little too generous. Outside of Spiller’s nice kick return the Tigers didn’t do ANYTHING redeemable in that game. They got manhandled and spanked and slapped and essentially PANTSED by Alabama on national TV in a marquee game. Yes…PANTSED…like the poor kid on the grade school playground who stands there whimpering and crying when he’s exposed for everyone to see.
Pathetic! Now we see why their coach is lovingly called “Tammy”. He needs to stop calling his daddies, both Nick (for now!) and Bobby, for advice and man up and get his guys fired up and ready.
Oh…and the NCSU Wolfpack…you don’t get a pass here either. You haven’t scored any points in your last two games. Skunked by South Carolina? Give me a break! Tom O’Brien is in his second year now. If you can’t win some games, at least score some points and make it look respectable!
As an ACC fan I spent portions of Sunday shaking my head in disgust.
As a GT fan I will admit that I spent a little time smiling slyly as well. You see…the complete dearth of coaching cahones (except for Grobe at Wake) in the ACC right now sets itself up nicely for someone like Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech to make a run earlier than expected.
The Jackets may get out muscled or out played in a few ACC games this season, but they won’t be out coached. That much is obvious from this past weekend.
Go Jackets!
THWG!
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