Tech's punting game needs improvement

By DOUG ROBERSON

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson smiled after he said it, but even he was a little perplexed with punter Chandler Anderson during Saturday’s game against Jacksonville State.

“There were a couple of times I thought we would have to wait until Sunday for him to kick it,” Johnson said.

Anderson did take a while to get rid of the ball. Though he averaged 51 yards on two punts, they weren’t conventional. Instead of graceful high lobs, they were low line drives that didn’t travel in the air very far.

It wasn’t what Johnson expected to see, and he had a warning for his punter ahead of Thursday’s 7:45 p.m. game against Clemson.

“He invited everyone we play to come and try and block it by standing back there and holding the ball,” Johnson said. “They are coming. He just might as well get used to it. He better learn to get it off, or he will not be out there.”

Clemson’s special teams had an outstanding day in beating Middle Tennessee State last week, including punt returns of 50 and 61 yards, and kickoff returns of 96 and 39 yards.

Johnson laughed again when noting that at least the line drives gave his team one advantage.

“They don’t know how many guys they have to put back to get a punt return because they don’t know where the ball’s going,” Johnson said.

Defensive tackles weren’t ‘challenged’

Johnson didn’t seem too upset that his quartet of defensive tackles totaled three tackles Saturday. He said there weren’t a lot of tackles to make because Jacksonville State was bouncing plays to the perimeter.

He said he’ll learn a lot more after Thursday’s game.

“They’ll get challenged this week,” Johnson said. “We will find out what we’ve got.”

The foursome of starters Jason Peters and Ben Anderson, and backups T.J. Barnes and Logan Walls, did a good job of canceling gaps and letting the linebackers make plays, Johnson said. The two leading tacklers were linebackers: Julian Burnett (nine) and Sedric Griffin (six).

Peters said he can see his group’s potential, but they will have to play much better against Clemson.

“[The Tigers] are big, strong and fast. We have to have perfect technique because they are a great team with great athletes and great power,” Peters said. “We have to be ready for them.”