Monday brought a positive progress report for the Georgia Tech defense.
At the defensive team meeting every Monday, coaches give players a score for the number of mental errors committed in the previous game. After a particularly high count two Saturdays prior against N.C. State, Tech had its season low Saturday against Maryland, inside linebacker Julian Burnett said. He did not share the score.
"I guess you could say it was just us maturing in the defense as the season progresses," he said. "But also, it just had a lot to do with everybody just putting it in their mind that we're going to get it right this week. We're not playing around."
In the 21-16 win, the 12th-ranked Yellow Jackets had a season low in points allowed overall and had one of their better total defense efforts (333 yards) despite allowing a 77-yard touchdown run. The Yellow Jackets played without starting linebackers Jeremiah Attaochu and Daniel Drummond and backup linebacker Brandon Watts. Groh applauded the players who filled in -- Malcolm Munroe, Quayshawn Nealy, Christopher Crenshaw and Nick Menocal -- but added they can do better.
The improvement is timely for Tech, which next takes on a balanced Virginia offense, the first of several rigorous tests for Tech in coming weeks, among them eighth-ranked Clemson on Oct. 29.
"As of last Saturday, we're back on the right track with [improvement]," defensive coordinator Al Groh said.
Injury report
Coach Paul Johnson said Watts returned to practice Monday and Drummond should return Tuesday. Johnson wasn't as hopeful about Attaochu, who did not practice Monday. Johnson rated him questionable for the Virginia game. All three did not play in Saturday's game against Maryland.
Pitch count
After quarterback Tevin Washington had a career-high 32 carries against Maryland, Johnson said Washington seldom made the right read on option plays and "needs to learn to pitch it once in awhile." He offered further explanation Monday.
"There's a lot of things that go into the mix," Johnson said. "If [defensive players] are back in your face, it's hard [to make the pitch]. We just didn't play very good."
At his Monday news conference, Virginia coach Mike London said it appeared that Maryland schemed to force Washington to keep the ball.
Said London, "I think part of it is rather than letting your [A-backs] and the [B-backs] wreak havoc, that if you're going to gamble maybe as Maryland did a little, you gamble on maybe letting the quarterback carry the ball and maybe letting someone from the secondary come down."
Honors
Coaches named A-back Orwin Smith and safety Rashaad Reid as players of the game. Smith had 78 yards on six touches, including a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Reid had four tackles. His blitz pressure hurried a third-quarter pass by C.J. Brown, helping Rod Sweeting intercept him in the end zone. No special teams player was recognized.
For the second time this season, no Tech players were named as ACC players of the week. Maryland defensive tackle Joe Vellano was named defensive lineman of the week. Johnson said Tech coaches gave him 22 tackles after reviewing the game.
"The guy's a really good player," Johnson said.
Etc.
Johnson said coaches will make an evaluation on the punting position but that Sean Poole will likely punt Saturday. Chandler Anderson took the first two punts on Saturday but was replaced. Poole hit a clutch 47-yarder late in the fourth quarter that pinned Maryland back to its 19-yard line. ... Burnett said cornerback Louis Young had the biggest hit of the game, putting it on wide receiver Ronnie Tyler on a catch on the sideline. "We made a [point] about hitting somebody every time you get a chance, so he definitely made that happen on that play," Burnett said. "I congratulated him on that." ... ESPN took a six-day option for declaring the game time for its broadcast of the Oct. 22 Tech game at Miami; rather than announce it Monday, ESPN has until Sunday to reveal the kickoff time. The possibilities are noon, 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
