Georgia Tech lost five of its last seven games in 2011, but also continued its productive running game. In ACC games, the Yellow Jackets gave up the fewest passing yards in the league and had the second lowest opponent completion percentage, but also allowed the third most rushing yards.
As the Jackets start their offseason following their 15th consecutive bowl appearance and seventh consecutive bowl loss, here’s a look at reasons to believe in or despair about the 2012 season.
Reasons for optimism
Increased competition at quarterback. Last spring, quarterback Synjyn Days challenged Tevin Washington, but Days’ ball-security problems knocked him out of the competition. Vad Lee, who redshirted after a promising preseason, will make it a three-man race and push for the starting job, not to mention early-enrollee Dennis Andrews and highly touted commit Justin Thomas.
The offensive line returns intact. Assuming All-ACC guard Omoregie Uzzi — who is considering a jump to the NFL — stays, the Jackets will return every offensive lineman who took a snap this season. The line was good enough to produce the No. 2 rushing offense in the country. It would stand to reason that with spring practice and more hours in the weight room, it will only be better in the fall.
Al Groh’s third season arrives. Some frustrated Tech fans may not see this as reason for optimism, but the defensive coordinator has maintained that implementation of his defense requires three years to teach and recruit his own players. The Jackets didn’t show much obvious progress in 2011, but did reduce the number of big plays allowed. For what it’s worth, when he coached at Virginia, the Cavaliers went from 50th to 26th to 17th in the country in defensive scoring in his second, third and fourth seasons.
Almost all of Tech’s best players will be back. The Jackets’ top offensive playmaker (A-back Orwin Smith) and defensive playmakers (linebackers Jeremiah Attaochu and Julian Burnett and cornerback Jemea Thomas) will return. The secondary loses safety Rashaad Reid, but should be improved. While wide receiver Stephen Hill declared last week for the NFL draft, odds favor Uzzi’s return. Including Uzzi, that’s 15 returning starters.
Help coming. A number of players who were redshirted in 2011 should increase depth in 2012. They include safety Fred Holton and A-back B.J. Bostic, both of whom were injured in the preseason, and freshmen such as running back Broderick Snoddy, offensive linemen Trey Braun and Errin Joe and linebackers Anthony Harrell and Jabari Hunt-Days.
Reasons for pessimism
Special teams hasn’t been solved. The kickoff-return and field-goal teams, in particular, did not inspire confidence over the course of the season. The various units undoubtedly will get plenty of attention again over the offseason, but that also was the case last offseason, with little apparent benefit.
Defensive line graduations. The line wasn’t a strength of the team to begin with, and now will be weakened by the loss of end Jason Peters and tackle Logan Walls, who started a combined 66 games. T.J. Barnes is the presumed successor in the middle, and Emmanuel Dieke and Euclid Cummings will challenge at end. None was recruited by Groh to play in the 3-4, though. The Jackets need a strong pass rush and may not have it next season.
The schedule will be more rigorous. In the even-year schedule, Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia Tech will be road games. BYU will come on to the nonconference schedule for a home game. Further, Coastal Division-rival Virginia (home game) looks like it’s on the way up. At least the rotating Atlantic Division games — at home against Boston College and on the road against Maryland, which were a combined 6-18 this season — would appear to give the Jackets a break.
Wide receiver shortage. Hill’s departure and the end of wide receiver Tyler Melton’s career leave an experience vacuum at that position. No returning receiver caught a pass this season. Freshmen Jeff Greene and Darren Waller showed promise in preseason camp, but will have a lot of learning and proving to do between now and the start of the season.
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