Johnson: 4-3 ‘our defense’

A day after the updated depth chart arranged the Georgia Tech defense in a 4-3 alignment rather than the 4-2-5 that the team has been calling its base defense, coach Paul Johnson said that “we base out of a 4-3. That’s our defense.”

The defense had worked extensively in the 4-2-5 in spring practice and made it its base, or standard, defense. The change from the 4-3 was made after last season, when the Yellow Jackets ended up using their nickel defense a vast majority of the time as several opponents favored three- and four-wide receiver formations.

It is something of a matter of semantics. The defense will use whatever defense best matches up the offense that it is playing, regardless of which defense is considered the base. Against Wofford in the season opener, for instance, a 4-3 might be more favorable, as the Terriers use a run-heavy offense similar to Tech’s. It bears mention that the updated depth chart specifically anticipates the opening game, as suspended players are not included.