Tech takes different approach to bowl practices

Before the start of bowl practice, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said that he treats bowls as rewards. That included the way he ran practices — as normal game-week practices, not as a precursor to the heavy-duty work of spring practice.

As the Jackets closed up their pre-Christmas practices Saturday in advance of the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl, his players had noticed.

“Bowl practices here used to be hell,” defensive tackle Darryl Richard said. “It was like going to camp again.”

Players said that under then-coach Chan Gailey, there was more scrimmaging and practicing the first-string offense against the first-team defense during bowl practices. Gailey also devoted time to work with players who either were redshirts or did not get much playing time.

“We were doing some things that you might see football factories doing, but we just never had the bodies,” Richard said.

Johnson also shortened practice to about 90 minutes, where typical practices during the season ran about two hours. Further, while there is no limit to the number of practices that can be run to prepare for a bowl, the Jackets took two weeks off for final exams and will practice nine times.

During practice, players have worn full pads and the workouts have been typically intense.

“It’s a little easier on the body, but it’s still football,” guard A.J. Smith said. “We’re still going full speed in full pads, so it’s still tough.”

Camp-style workouts may serve a benefit in preparing younger players, but players said they feel fresher, which could be beneficial against LSU.

“Sometimes, the fresher, the better,” guard Cord Howard said. “It makes you more explosive.”

Johnson ended practice after about an hour Saturday. Some players, clearly giddy to end six days in a row of practice, swapped jerseys. Howard wore B-back Quincy Kelly’s No. 38, he said, in hopes that he might get some snaps in the backfield.

At one point, Johnson put Howard at B-back and wide receiver Willie White at guard. According to Smith, White cut-blocked scout team defensive tackle T.J. Barnes.

“He got him on the ground,” Smith said. “It was pretty funny.”

Healing time

Johnson said that, aside from players out for the season, he expects to have every player who has been dealing with injury available. That would include wide receiver Andrew Smith, who tweaked his hamstring, and guard A.J. Smith, who re-injured his elbow.

Linebacker Sedric Griffin is probable with a sprained knee ligament and expects to start.

Back to basics

In addition to planning for LSU, defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said he used the week to work on basics such as tackling and preventing big plays. Tech gave up a season-high nine plays of 20 yards or more against Georgia.

“It’s things you have to work on constantly throughout the year, just stay focused on it,” he said. “Part of that, too, is that Georgia’s got some pretty good athletes.”

Wommack was headed to New Orleans to watch his son, Kane, play for Southern Miss in Sunday’s New Orleans Bowl. Wommack coached there last season. The Golden Eagles will play Troy.

Recruits in town

Tech players hosted recruits for the second weekend in a row. Among the hosts were A-back Roddy Jones and Howard. Jones hosted Luke Swift, an undecided receiver from Indiana who is likely to play A-back. Howard was paired with running back Orwin Smith, as both are from the same neighborhood in Phenix City, Ala. Smith has committed to Tech.

Howard said he took Smith to a Hawks game Friday night, showed him around Atlanta and then hung out with teammates.

Said Howard, “I showed him [Atlanta] is a lot bigger than home.”