Nesbitt nails it in Tech scrimmage

By Matt Winkeljohn

For the AJC

Even as a grown man, Joshua Nesbitt writes on himself.

At least Georgia Tech’s senior quarterback pegged his thesis statement Saturday when he wrote on tape on his left wrist before a scrimmage, “If we want to be great it starts here.”

Tech’s 22-year-old senior, a first-team All-ACC quarterback last season, looked great in his most substantial action since undergoing postseason surgery to repair debris in an ankle. He also sat out spring practice to heal.

No player will be more central to the Yellow Jackets’ fortunes, so it was a good sign when Nesbitt completed half his six passes, including a 6-yard touchdown to Stephen Hill with cornerback Mario Butler in tight coverage, in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

More important, in limited action Nesbitt scored a touchdown and ran with great purpose and zip. If he runs as he did on his first carry -- a 24-yard burst to the left when he turned the corner and took off as if he had a turbo on his back -- there will be more applause than what rose from the crowd of 2,000 on that play.

“I’m getting downhill quicker,” Nesbitt said in explaining that he can accelerate faster. “[I’m] better overall, quicker and faster. It’s like now I don’t have to worry about anything. I can just play. I used to have to worry about my ankles, or making certain cuts.”

In defense of the defense

The scrimmage began with the first-team offensive working against the first-team defense, and Nesbitt ended a 70-yard scoring drive by diving for a score from three yards out between right guard Omoregie Uzzi and tackle Austin Barrick.

Early, the offense carried action to the point where coach Paul Johnson said that after that first possession, “I felt like we could run the ball down the field, [so] I wanted to do some other things.”

So the offense worked more on perimeter runs and a passing game that will require yet more attention.

While Johnson and most of the offensive staff stood in or near offensive huddles, new defensive coordinator Al Groh and his staff were on the sidelines. Both Johnson and Groh ran their schemes rather than adjust to what the other was doing.

This was a big change from practice routines.

“Actually, the majority of our practice time even now is spent against [an offensive] look that we’re going to get during the season,” Groh said. “The offense is the same way. Our offense is working [in practice] against a lot of looks and fronts that our defense [the 3-4] doesn’t present.”

Starting inside linebacker Brandon Watts said, “We weren’t running anything [specific] to try to stop them; we’re just trying to learn our defense to stop everybody else. We’re running [against] more traditional offenses in practice instead of the Tech offense, so we can prepare for the season.”

A look at lineups

The starting offense was Nesbitt, B-back Anthony Allen, A-backs Embry Peeples and Roddy Jones, wide receivers Tyler Melton and Hill, left tackle Nick Claytor, left guard Nick McRae, center Sean Bedford, right guard Uzzi, and right tackle Barrick. On the second pass-through, Phil Smith moved to left tackle, and Claytor moved to right tackle.

On defense: nose tackle Logan Walls, ends Jason Peters and Izaan Cross, outside linebackers Anthony Barnes and Anthony Egbuniwe, inside linebackers Brad Jefferson and Watts, cornerbacks Butler and Dominique Reese. At safety, it was difficult to discern, but Cooper Taylor, Mario Edwards and freshman Isaiah Johnson were on the field the most in combinations of two.

Redshirt news

Speaking of safeties, sophomore Jemea Thomas did not play much at perhaps the deepest position on the team. Johnson said the staff is looking to redshirt him. Thomas played in all 14 games as a freshman before the arrival of Isaiah Johnson and the move of former starting corner Jerrard Tarrant to safety. Plus, last season Taylor was lost for the season in the third game, and he has returned.

Former Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler, now with the Indianapolis Colts, played as a freshman and redshirted as a sophomore.

Hang on, Jordan

Reserve quarterbacks Tevin Washington, Jordan Luallen, David Sims and Synjyn Days all had good moments, mostly running the ball. Luallen threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kevin Cone, who out-fought safety Jon Lockhart down the right sideline for the score.

Luallen fumbled three times, losing two. “It was not really what I wanted,” he said. "[On the fumbles, defensive lineman Robert] Hall bore down on a mesh [handoff to a B-back], and I was trying to pull it. On the other two, me and [reserve center] Jay [Finch] had a mishap, and me and Zach Krish, who I don’t think has played a down at center, had an issue. I still should have got them.”