It’s a conspiracy theorist’s dream come true.
Georgia Tech’s opponents are the least penalized in the ACC, and it has been that way since coach Paul Johnson arrived. Given that Duke is the second-least penalized team in the ACC, averaging 34.2 penalty yards per game, chances are the Blue Devils will win the penalty battle Saturday in Durham.
On its face, the Jackets’ death grip on 12th place in opponent’s penalties is puzzling. Among other ACC teams, only Miami has exhibited anything resembling a pattern, finishing 10th, ninth and ninth in the past three seasons and seventh this season. Duke is more typical, ranking 11th, fifth and eighth 2008-10 and second this season.
“I think they go out there, and they do the best job they can do,” Johnson said of game officials earlier this season. “I don’t think it’s intentional. It’s just kind of worked that way. But it is kind of strange that, by a mile, the teams that have played us are less penalized.”
This season, Tech opponents have received 24.3 penalty yards per game, compared with 35.5 for Tech. Opponents of ACC teams (nonconference opponents and other ACC teams) have averaged 42.3 yards, or 18.0 more yards per game than Tech’s opponents. The average for all ACC teams is 41.8 yards, 6.3 more yards than Tech’s.
“Our officials are graded in a system that provides full accountability,” ACC officials coordinator Doug Rhoads said. “I’m satisfied with the way that Georgia Tech’s games have been officiated, along with the other 11 schools in the league.”
If the possibility of a league-wide conspiracy to stick it to Tech can be laid aside, the natural assumption is that the explanation lies somewhere in Johnson’s spread-option offense. Duke coach David Cutcliffe theorized that perhaps Tech’s offense is so quick and multi-directional that officials have a hard time watching the defense at the same time.
“I think you would admit that most of the penalties are on special teams or on the offensive side,” Miami coach Al Golden said. “Because [Johnson] holds the ball so well, and because he goes for it so often on fourth down, I think there is less opportunity [for penalties].”
The offense and Johnson’s strategy reduce three oft-called penalties — defensive pass interference, holding and illegal blocks in the back, a penalty typically called on kickoff and punt returns. By throwing the fewest passes in the league, Tech benefited from defensive pass interference just four times last season. There were 93 such penalties last year in the ACC, an average of 7.6 penalties per team. Tech has drawn only one pass interference call this season.
Because the Jackets typically play fewer possessions per game and also go for first downs and fourth downs as much as any team in the league, Tech has had the fewest punts in the league since 2009 and had the second fewest in 2008.
However, an area of significant disparity apparently has little to do with the Tech offense. Last season, there were 243 offensive holding calls — 20.3 per team. It was the second most frequent penalty after false starts (251). Last season, Tech opponents were called for six offensive holds despite passing 28.1 times per game.
In 2010, it might have been explained by a weak pass rush (17 sacks in 13 games) that perhaps didn’t require opponents to hold. The 2011 team has produced more pressure, but there have been only three offensive holds called against a Tech opponent.
Johnson said that before the Virginia game, he asked officials to watch for holding by the Cavaliers.
“We’re not as big,” Johnson said he told officials. “If you let those big guys hold us, we’ve got no chance.”
Virginia was called for one hold, and the Cavaliers ran for 272 yards in their 24-21 defeat of the then-undefeated Jackets.
“You just go on,” Johnson said. “You can’t worry about things you can’t control.”
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