The differences between Georgia Tech’s assignment Thursday night compared with previous Saturdays are significant.
Tech defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu won’t line up against a freshman making his first start, as he did against Pittsburgh. Rather he’ll match up against Clemson offensive tackles Brandon Thomas and Gifford Timothy, who have a combined 49 career starts.
Linebacker Quayshawn Nealy won’t drop into coverage against Virginia quarterback David Watford, an inexperienced sophomore, but instead will face Tigers quarterback Tajh Boyd, who will soon complete his career as one of the ACC’s greatest quarterbacks.
The Yellow Jackets’ defense has made undeniable strides. However, the purple-and-orange thresher that the Jackets will encounter in Death Valley will give a much clearer picture on the distance those steps have covered.
“We look at it as an opportunity to go in and measure ourselves against a top-10 team on the road and see if we’ve made the progress we feel we’ve made in the last few weeks,” coach Paul Johnson said.
In defensive coordinator Ted Roof’s first season, the Jackets have allowed 18.8 points per game, almost 10 points better than last season’s rate of 28.3 per game. Their third-down conversion rate, 34.2 percent, is a considerable improvement on the 41.0 percent posted last season.
Within the season, Tech likewise appears to be showing improvement. Over Tech’s three-game winning streak, Syracuse, Virginia and Pittsburgh averaged 1.8 yards per carry, a scarcely believable statistic for Tech fans conditioned to seeing opposing running backs gash their team’s front. The Jackets gave up 4.1 yards per carry in the first six games.
Tackling is better, the defensive line has become more productive and Jemea Thomas has become a run-stopping force since moving from cornerback to safety.
“I’m really proud of him,” Roof said. “He continues to improve each week, and I expect him to improve again this week. It’d be a great time for him to do that.”
Attaochu’s non-stop motor has produced four sacks and one forced fumble in the past two games. Emmanuel Dieke and Euclid Cummings, fellow seniors on the defensive line, are likewise in a groove.
“The thing about the kids, really a lot of (the improvement) is just continuing to work the techniques we’ve been doing since Day 1,” defensive line coach Mike Pelton said.
Clemson, though, will raise the bar. The Tigers rank No. 15 in the country in scoring at 39.8 points per game. Boyd is No. 12 in passing efficiency. He has 17 pass plays of 30 yards or more, about one out of every 17 attempts. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins ranks 11th in the country at 109.1 receiving yards per game.
Said defensive backs coach Joe Speed, “We’re going to know where he is.”
If the defense can play well enough to keep Tech in the game, it will be a considerable testament to Roof and the unit, which a year ago was torched for 601 yards in a 47-31 loss to Clemson in defensive coordinator Al Groh’s final game.
Said Roof, “We’ve got a tremendous challenge. At the same time, that’s why you coach and that’s why you play.”
Should Tech, an 11-point underdog, return to Atlanta with the win, it would be an astounding accomplishment for a team that appeared to be teetering after its three-game losing streak. It would assure the Jackets no worse than a share of the ACC Coastal Division title, Johnson’s fourth in sixth seasons.
“It would mean a lot,” Attaochu said. “It would speak to the coaches and the staff and the leaders on this team and how we’ve grinded through the season. We’ve had our ups and downs and things like that, so it would definitely be big for us.”
About the Author
