Al Groh might trade his kingdom for a magic puree.
Instead, as Georgia Tech prepares to face Utah in the Sun Bowl on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets’ second-year defensive coordinator leads a unit still trying to gain traction. Implementation of a new defense is a three-year process, he said.
“I wish it wasn’t,” he said. “I wish I could throw everything into a blender and have it come out five minutes later.”
Statistically, Tech’s 2011 defense didn’t show much variation from the 2010 version, Groh’s first season with the Jackets. Tech has given up 25.8 points, compared with 25.2 last season. Opponents have gained 361.0 yards per game after averaging 371.6 in 2010. The third-down conversion rate has increased from 39.0 percent in 2010 to 43.8 this season.
“It doesn’t say anything to me,” he said of the similar numbers. “Different opponents, different players running their schemes, different players running our schemes.”
In Groh’s opinion, measured by what he has seen on video and in each game from the sideline, the defense has moved forward.
“It’s certainly been progress rather than regress,” he said.
Groh had five returning starters and a completely new secondary this season. Of the starting 11, two were players that he recruited for his defense, outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu and cornerback Louis Young. Inside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy, who also signed weeks after Groh’s arrival, started seven games.
“Usually, it takes awhile to get the personnel that you really want and then to get them taught,” Groh said.
Broadly, performance against the run improved after a disastrous stretch in the middle of the season. However, the pass defense, in part because of a back-loaded schedule, declined. The last three quarterbacks that Tech faced in the regular season — Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, Duke’s Sean Renfree and Georgia’s Aaron Murray — had a combined passer rating of 171.5. Their combined season passer rating was 135.9.
Notably, Groh has made progress in his stated objective at the start of the 2010 season, that “elimination of big plays is what has to be accomplished.” Tech allowed 4.7 plays per game of 20 yards or more in 2009, part of the reason for former coordinator Dave Wommack’s dismissal. The number fell to 3.8 in 2010 and 3.4 this season, though Groh might say the drop, accomplished by different players against different schemes, is meaningless.
It bears mention that Groh may be doing more (or perhaps the same) with less. While the NFL futures of Tech’s 2011 defense have yet to be determined, the 2009 defense included a first-round pick (end Derrick Morgan), a third-round pick (safety Morgan Burnett) and three more who made NFL camps (linebacker Brad Jefferson, safety Jerrard Tarrant and cornerback Mario Butler, who made the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad).
Groh acknowledged that the pass rush needs improvement. After a seven-sack game against North Carolina on Sept. 24, Tech had eight sacks total in the last eight games. Tech’s problems against the pass often have stemmed from the time that opposing quarterbacks had to stand in the pocket.
“What we’d really like to do is if we can improve the individual pass rush so we can get more out of that rather than just depend on schemes all the time,” Groh said.
Of pass coverage, Groh said breakdowns in execution were at fault. The secondary occasionally showed inexperience with slow route recognition or not playing in proper position. There also were missed opportunities for interceptions.
“We’ve had some young guys that have done some good things,” secondary coach Charles Kelly said. “We’ve just got to keep getting better.”
Tech will lose four starters from the defense, linemen Jason Peters and Logan Walls, outside linebacker Steven Sylvester and safety Rashaad Reid. As is often the case with bowl practices, Groh used the initial sessions to devote time to their eventual replacements.
“We have the opportunity to do a lot of things that aim towards player development, whether it’s with a player who started 12 games this year or a player who was redshirted this year, to get a little head start for playing in the spring,” he said.
About the Author
