Tech defense comes out of hiding in second half

By Dean Fox

For the AJC

NASHVILLE -- For at least one half, serious questions arose about Georgia Tech’s simplified defensive scheme Saturday night.

Facing the Yellow Jackets, Vanderbilt’s offense -- one of the nation’s shakiest -- quit sputtering in the first half. As a result, Georgia Tech couldn’t breathe easily until late in its 56-31 win at Vanderbilt Stadium.

The good news for Tech: It shut out Vandy the final 25 minutes.

“We tackled so poorly in the first half, it was unbelievable,” Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. “We had people look like they were diving for quarters on the ground in the first half. It was that bad. We were missing a lot of tackles.”

In the Commodores’ first six losses, the offense had scored only three touchdowns and averaged 247 yards per game. On Saturday, it had three touchdowns and 257 yards in the first half. And that was in spite of losing starting quarterback Larry Smith.

Wommack said Tech’s adjustments weren’t strategic -- just emotional.

“We really didn’t do anything adjustment-wise,” he said. “We just got in their face and told them they needed to get in football position.”

Or, as Tech coach Paul Johnson said, “we really, really, really limited what we did in the second half.”

Vandy scored on its first drive, but the next drive was, in many ways, even worse as the Commodores drove 89 yards for a touchdown -- their longest scoring drive of the year. Smith scrambled down the right sideline for a 35-yard gain before pulling a hamstring. Senior Mackenzi Adams replaced him and, four plays later, threw a pass in the flat to Zac Stacy, who rambled 46 yards to Tech’s 5.

Stacy, another true freshman, scored two plays later.

After Tech took a 28-14 lead, Tech’s defensive woes quickly re-emerged. After Warren Norman’s kickoff return for a touchdown cut the margin to 28-21, Stacy took an inside handoff, ran around the right side, then outraced a pair of Tech defenders to the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown.

Tech’s defense still couldn’t catch a break early in the second half. Linebacker Brad Jefferson tipped a third-down pass up in the air, but receiver Udom Umoh came back to catch it and ran for 41 yards to Tech’s 24. That led to a Vanderbilt field goal -- the Commodores’ final points.

“It started to feel like one of those nights,” Wommack said. “I think when we stopped them down there [and held Vandy to a field goal], that was a turning point.

“When the ball gets tipped up like that and another player catches it, you start to think, ‘Well, maybe it’s not your night,' ” Johnson said.