Opponents scheming to stop Jackets

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Several players at the ACC media day on Sunday said their teams spent time in spring working on defending the option.

One player said he thinks they have found something.

Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor said that during a film session he think he has figured out what Tech is going to do, just from the blocking schemes.

“I can tell run, pass, who’s getting the ball,” Chancellor said.

“If they keep it like that, then we’re all good.”

Georgia Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer was skeptical.

“I can’t even figure that out,” Dwyer said. “So he’s got me on that one. If he thinks that, we’ll see when we play.

“He’s about to read offenses, he’s an experienced guy. I think that we’ll see when we play how much he knows and how much more experience we come out as an offense.”

North Carolina’s E.J. Wilson said they watched tape of Tech’s loss to LSU in the Chick-fil-A bowl game.

Asked what he learned about Tech from the LSU tape: “If you keep it going all game, every game, I think we will be all right.”

The Jackets will play UNC on Sept. 26, and Virginia Tech on Oct. 17. Both will be at Bobby Dodd.

Interestingly, Miami’s Randy Phillips and FSU’s Dekoda Watson said their teams haven’t worked on defending the option this spring. They said they spent most of the spring trying to fine-tune their schemes, without worrying what about other teams may do. Tech amassed 861 yards in offense against them last year, both wins.

HEISMAN HOPES

Clemson’s sports information department was giving out posters featuring a life-size version of C.J. Spiller to promote the running back’s chances of winning the Heisman Trophy.

But there’s one ACC player who said he thinks Dwyer could be in the mix by the end of the season for the award, given to college football’s best player.

“C.J. has gotten all the hype and talk, but I wouldn’t be surprised, depending upon what happens with Georgia Tech and how good of a year they are having, that Jonathan doesn’t get stuck in there with the Heisman talk as the season progresses,” Wake Forest defensive tackle John Russell said. The Deacons will face the Jackets on Nov. 7 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

An unofficial survey of defensive players, including Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan, Boston College’s Jim Ramella, Clemson’s Ricky Sapp, Duke’s Vince Oghobaase, Watson, Phillips, Wilson, and Chancellor found that most said the conference’s best running back came down to either Spiller, who had 1,065 total yards and 10 touchdowns last season, or Dwyer, who rushed for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns. Players weren’t allowed to vote for their own teammate.

“I think Jonathan’s the workhorse kind of guy and C.J.’s the speed demon,” Russell said. “They love handing Jonathan the ball 30 times a game.

“Hopefully his cleat doesn’t become too familiar with my back.”

A few of the players joked they were going to get Spiller to autograph a few of the posters before they took them home.

CHOP BLOCK CLASS

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson will be one of 15 speakers at a football officials’ clinic in Greensboro, N.C. next week, according to Doug Rhoads, the ACC’s supervisor of officials.

The topic: the chop block.

The chop is a block in which a defender is engaged above the waist by one player on offense, while simultaneously being engaged below the waist by another player. Tech was penalized for this several times last season, much to Johnson’s chagrin.

Rhoads said the call can be difficult to make because it’s often impossible to tell who is engaging who. Did the offense player engage the defensive player, or was the offensive player simply trying to get into the secondary to block, only to be engaged by a defensive tackle or end first, and then hit by another player on offense.

“That’s where we struggle as officials and coaches,” Rhoads said.

Rhoads announces several rule changes for the season:

● Both teams can wear dark jerseys now, as long as both teams agree in writing and the referees agree that the contrast is sufficient.

● The tackle box is now defined as being 5 yards from either side of the center.