Paul Johnson wants play-call communiciation simplified for defense
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson wants more from his defense. One way he believes the Yellow Jackets can deliver is to simplify the play calling from the sideline.
“You can’t be doing stuff that you’ve got to have all kinds of communication involved,” he said. “Pretty simple – you’ve got to have some hand signals, and then if you’re relying on things to change (the call) four times before the ball’s snapped, you’re going to have problems. I don’t care if you play in a quiet room. You’ve got to make a call and play it.”
Johnson typically disdains players who use “communication problems” as an explanation for mistakes on the field, but acknowledged that some have existed. On Duke’s final touchdown this past Saturday, for instance, safety Corey Griffin was trying to put two teammates into the right position as the ball was snapped, causing him to lose track of the player he was defending. The player, Duke tight end Daniel Helm, slipped off the line and was wide open for the go-ahead touchdown.
It was part of the trouble that Tech had against Duke, which averaged 7.7 yards per play against the Jackets and converted eight of 13 third downs.
North Carolina, Tech’s opponent Saturday, will make those simplification practically requisite anyway because of the speed at which the Tar Heels move to the next play without huddling.
The Tar Heels’ tempo “makes you rely on your base stuff and do what you’ve done,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “To simplify things so that we don’t make as many mistakes and do a better job playing defense.”
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
