For its $300,000 payment, Mercer not only gave Georgia Tech a game last Saturday, but the Bears also provided some strategic consultation to the Yellow Jackets. Namely, Mercer made clear that Tech needs to improve its response to screen passes.
Expecting to be overwhelmed by the Jackets’ pass rush, Mercer coach Bobby Lamb designed a game plan heavy on short passes and screens. It gave Tech trouble. The Bears earned 11 first downs by pass. Clemson was the only team to gain more passing first downs against the Jackets last season.
“That’s something that’s another point of emphasis this week for us because Vanderbilt runs screens as well,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “Just screen fits, screen recognition. It wasn’t one particular thing of the defense. It was kind of an overall deal that we’ve got to all do a better job against screens this week.”
The screen pass is typically a counter to an aggressive and successful pass rush. On a screen, the offensive linemen let the defensive linemen slip through to pursue the quarterback, who then passes to a back or receiver near the line of scrimmage. With the defensive line potentially out of the play and the offensive line releasing to block, it can be a productive gainer.
Lamb said he was counting on Tech’s defensive line to be aggressive in the pass rush.
“Hopefully those d-linemen at Georgia Tech, they’re playing little old Mercer and they thought they could get some sacks that day,” Lamb said.
Mercer was so successful with it that it called for screens — the Bears have four different varieties — nine times.
“That’s a lot for us,’ Lamb said.
Bears quarterback John Russ completed the first seven for a total of 66 yards before throwing incomplete on the last two. Mercer kept Tech off balance, also, by springing the screens not only in third-and-long situations, but also on first and second down. The plays helped Mercer convert third downs and stay out of third-and-long, enabling the Bears to convert 10 of 18 third downs.
Tech expects to see Vanderbilt test the Jackets’ ability to defend the screen and began working on it in Monday’s practice as part of its error correction from the Mercer game.
“They have it in their playbook,” defensive line coach Mike Pelton said. “Once you put something on tape, you’ve got to show that you’ve fixed that.”
Defending it well starts with recognizing a screen play as it happens.
“You’ve got the mindset of being a pass rusher, trying to get the quarterback, but you have to be conscious of a screen play,” defensive end Rod Rook-Chungong said. “You may think that you had a great pass rush move or you just had a great jump, but the offensive tackle probably just let you go.”
As Mercer continued to throw short passes as well as the screens, Roof moved his cornerbacks up closer to the line to challenge Mercer’s wide receivers. Freshman linebacker David Curry anticipated the last two screens, getting enough of a jump to help force incompletions, one reason why Roof plans to give him more playing time Saturday.
“We were in coverage and I’m dropping off and I look at the quarterback looking out to the No. 1 wide receiver,” Curry said. “In the back of my mind, I know they ran screens a lot, so I saw him curl back in and I just attacked it.”
Screens aside, the Jackets have enough to worry about defensively with Commodores running back Ralph Webb, who has run for 308 yards in two games. Further, Vanderbilt has turned the ball over once. Having more trouble with screens could be a difference maker.
“They’re going to catch you by surprise, but how hard do you want to make a play?” Pelton asked. “You recognize it, you’ve got to run like your hair’s on fire.”
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