GEORGIA TECH KEYS THE SEASON
Defensive line produces. Having lost three starters who rarely ceded snaps to backups, the Tech defensive line is unquestionably the biggest question mark on the team. A considerable priority of the preseason has been spent developing inexperienced players to replace defensive ends Jeremiah Attaochu and Emmanuel Dieke and defensive tackle Euclid Cummings, who were either drafted (Attaochu) or signed rookie free-agent contracts (Dieke and Cummings).
Consider that Tech defensive linemen made 188 tackles last season. Aside from defensive tackle Adam Gotsis’ 38 tackles, the other returning linemen accounted for a total of 19. Coaches are hopeful in the development of players such as KeShun Freeman, Tyler Stargel and Francis Kallon and are counting on nose tackle Shawn Green to stay healthy for his senior season.
“We’ve got a lot of inexperienced guys,” defensive line coach Mike Pelton said at the start of preseason camp. “But we can look at it as inexperience or we can look at it as opportunity.”
Hone the option. If Tech has to do anything well, it may be the offense's series of option plays. That would seem to fall in the category of "remarkably obvious observations," given that the offense itself is commonly called the "triple option." However, Tech strayed from the offense's roots last season, in part because of coach Paul Johnson's attempt to feature quarterback Vad Lee's passing and also because the offense wasn't effective running option plays.
“What I want to do is get back to where we’re better at (the triple-option play), so things come off that,” Johnson said. “That’s the way the offense was built.”
He’ll have to do it with a quarterback and B-back (Justin Thomas and Zach Laskey, respectively) who have experience but will be first-time starters and two offensive linemen who have yet to take a college snap. But the offense figures to be quicker than in the past, which is one critical ingredient of successful option play.
Solve the questions. More than any team since the 2011 team, and perhaps dating further than that, the 2014 Jackets face a torrent of questions. Many stem from several key players either graduating or transferring and a number of relatively unproven players taking their places.
Can Thomas be a consistent big-play threat? Can one or two of the veteran A-backs turn into a playmaker along the lines of Orwin Smith or Robert Godhigh? How will Tech’s shift in its base defense to the 4-2-5 from the 4-3 impact its play? Will a young crew of cornerbacks be able to hold up in the ACC?
Will the defensive line be at least moderately effective at creating pass rush and stopping the run? How often will the offense go at an up-tempo pace, and will it work?
If most or all of these questions are answered favorably, it could be a surprising season for Tech. If not, it could be a rough ride.
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