Attention to detail paying off for Tech’s Smelter
As often is the case, Georgia Tech wide receiver DeAndre Smelter’s success this season can be found in the details, wide receivers coach Buzz Preston said Monday. Smelter recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season Saturday against Virginia. Smelter is more consistently doing the small things necessary to make big plays. His 23.7 yards per catch average is fourth in the country.
For instance, on his 65-yard reception in the first quarter, Smelter didn’t veer off his route as cornerback Maurice Canady tried to jam him with his hands, instead clearing Canady’s attempt while not breaking stride.
“Whereas last year, he might have looked back (to quarterback Justin Thomas), got himself hung up and not been able to execute it,” Preston said.
Smelter is also blocking better, Preston said, creating lanes on the perimeter for the running game.
About the Author
Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.
