Paul Johnson sets priorities for Georgia Tech’s offseason

Tech did not lack for problems in its 3-9 season. A year after tying the NCAA record for third-down conversion rate, the Jackets fell to 108th at 34.9 percent. The defense, counted on to improve from 2014, was slightly better but still 91st in yards per play allowed (5.82). The kickoff return team averaged a meager 19 yards per return, 106th in the country.

“It wasn’t good,” Johnson said.

With no bowl practice to lead the team through, Johnson subjected himself to repeated screenings of game video from the season. Perhaps his two highest on-field priorities may not come as a great surprise – better pass protection and a more effective pass rush. Johnson said that protecting quarterback Justin Thomas will be his No. 1 priority going into spring practice. This past season, due to miscommunications on the line and poor play, Thomas rarely had time to set and throw. The protection became so untrustworthy that Johnson frequently resorted to sprinting Thomas out of the pocket or keeping in multiple backs to block, significantly reducing the scope of the passing game.

Thomas’ efficiency rating fell from 153.9 in 2014 to 119.4 this season, a fall from top 15 nationally (had he had enough attempts to qualify) to 89th.

Johnson said he wants to inspect the entirety of Tech’s pass protection, including the schemes that are used and how they’re coached. He said he is willing to consider adding protection schemes or eliminating others.

“You just watch it, and if it’s not very successful, you go, ‘Let’s try it a different way,’” he said. “It’s not like rocket science.”

Meanwhile, Johnson sounded desperate for the pass rush to improve. Without consistent pass rush to sack or hurry quarterbacks, opposing offenses exploited the Jackets’ secondary. Tech’s defense was 67th in opponent passing efficiency, tied for 72nd in yards per pass and tied for 85th in completion percentage. The Jackets also tied for 120th in sacks per game at 1.2 per game.

“One, we’ve got to create some turnovers and two, we’ve got to get some pressure on the passer,” Johnson said. “Because I don’t care who you are in the secondary, and I don’t care how many years you’ve played, if they don’t get any pressure and they’re not getting any sacks, it’s hard to play back there. Guys are going to get open.”

Johnson said Tech blitzed 26 percent of the time, but “they weren’t very effective.” He suggested that ramping up the aggression – sending seven defenders at quarterbacks instead of five or six – might be the answer.

The defensive play wasn’t all bad. It might come as a surprise to many that the Jackets held their own in third-down passing situations. On third down, Tech ranked 31st in opponent passer efficiency rating, according to cfbstats.com. Still, he said the defense will require the same self-examination that he wants to give pass protection.

“Certainly,” he said. “I think you do that even if you’re good.”

While citing areas that will go under the microscope, Johnson also was hopeful that better health and more experience will also spur a comeback from 2015. He said that the freshman class was probably as talented as any that he has had at Tech and that he is excited about the upcoming competition at B-back and cornerback.

He also recited the number of close calls that Tech had on the way to 3-9, and how breaks that went against Tech this season had gone for them in 2014 on the way to 11-3.

“The only thing that made (the 2015 season) bearable was the kids kept trying and they kept playing and they didn’t give up or didn’t quit, so it was so frustrating that you couldn’t find more of a way to help them,” he said. “And hopefully we got all our bad luck out of the way in one year. You’d hope.”