Part of Georgia Tech’s solution for better third-down efficiency on defense needs to be more negative-yardage plays, coach Paul Johnson said Tuesday at his weekly news conference.
The Yellow Jackets are averaging four tackles for loss per game thus far, tied for 108th in FBS. (They’re also tied for 20th in fewest defensive plays, 61 per game, limiting opportunities.) Tech is tied for 110th in third-down efficiency after two games, at 50 percent. Johnson has said the solution to better third-down performance starts with defending better on first and second down, leading to more third-and-long situations. In the game against Mercer, the Bears were in 3rd-and-5 or less 10 times out of 18 third downs, and converted seven of them. They picked up 10 of 18 overall.
“What we’ve got to do is create some third-and-longs,” Johnson said. “You can’t survive on 3rd-and-2 to 5 all the time. You’re not going to get off the field. We’re not creating enough negative plays on defense.”
It has been a weak point of the Tech defense. In 2013, defensive coordinator Ted Roof’s first season, the Jackets were 42nd with 6.39 tackles for loss per game. In 2014, Tech was 118th at 4.36. Last year, the Jackets were 128th – last in FBS – at 3.92. He noted that the 2015 defense had six players who signed NFL contracts.
“There’s guys playing over there on defense right now that will be in the NFL,” Johnson said. “We’ve just got to make plays. We sound like it’s the scout team trotting out. I can promise you, they all came highly recommended in recruiting.”
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