Georgia Tech linebacker Tyler Marcordes bloomed into a forceful playmaker last fall and earned a business administration degree last December. With experience in both blitzing and branding – his concentration was in marketing, and he interned this summer with a software marketing start-up – Marcordes holds a unique perspective on how the Yellow Jackets defense might best be labeled this season.
Two goals are a top 10 ranking and maintained status as a takeaway leader, he said.
“Just be a physical, feared defense,” Marcordes said.
For Tech, which began preseason camp Saturday and continues with its third practice Monday, any identity of the sort would be welcome. With the Jackets looking for a new set of playmakers across the offense, the Tech defense faces a mandate to improve upon its 2014 form. With eight starters back and defensive linemen Jabari Hunt-Days and Kenderius Whitehead plugged into the depth chart after being sidelined last season, the Jackets have the manpower to accomplish it.
“It’s no secret we need to play better,” coach Paul Johnson said.
In the preseason, defensive coordinator Ted Roof will be tasked with developing his unit into one that can provide the offense with margin for error as it matures over the season.
“I think a lot of times, the offense gets recognition here just because of who we are, and I think the defense wants to also get some of that recognition, not be put on the backburner,” Marcordes said.
Tech’s defense a year ago was defined by two traits – an inability to consistently stop opponents unless it took the ball away from them. The Jackets were 111th in yards per play (6.32), but in games against FBS opponents, led the country in percentage of opposition drives that ended in a turnover (22.3 percent), according to fbsdrivestats.com. Tech’s knack for turnovers at the most timely of moments – the two forced fumbles inside of its 5-yard line against Georgia come to mind – helped drive its dream season.
“I know, it was insane,” said Marcordes, who forced one fumble and recovered one of the fumbles against Georgia.
Replicating that sort of takeaway proficiency will be difficult, considering the element of chance involved in securing a turnover. Of the top 25 turnover-producing teams in 2013, nine remained in the top 25 last season. However, five fell into the bottom 25.
It doesn’t mean the Jackets won’t try. In the first practice period of the opening practice Saturday, Roof ran the defense through a turnover drill, safety Jamal Golden said.
Roof is placing a “really big emphasis on that because that helped us out a lot last year, so we want to try to build on that,” Golden said.
However, as camp begins, Johnson and Roof are also bent on recovering the ball in a more predictable fashion – third-down stops. Last season, opponents converted on third down 46.1 percent of the time, 114th in the country.
It would be folly to hope that the Jackets could duplicate their 2014 success without considerably improving the defense, particularly considering the inexperience on offense at the A-back, B-back and receiver spots. Winning big with such inefficient defensive play (takeaways aside) doesn’t happen often. Since 2005, when the NCAA began keeping third-down statistics, there have been 140 teams that have won 11 or more games, including Tech last season. Of the 140, 124 of the teams (89 percent) kept opponent offenses under 40 percent. Tech’s 46.1 percent was the highest of the 140.
To guide improvement, a message that coaches have hammered to players is to play intelligently, a process that should accelerate with eight returning starters.
“Know what’s going on, know what blocks we’re getting, know what the plays are, know where to line up without anybody telling us where to line up,” defensive lineman Patrick Gamble said. “Basically, just understanding the (defense), (being) more cerebral.”
Cornerback D.J. White offered himself up as an example of how the Jackets can do that better. In the first quarter of the ACC championship game loss to Florida State, White said he momentarily shirked his assignment by peeking into the backfield, which allowed Seminoles tight end Nick O’Leary to slip by him. Without White to trail him, O’Leary exploited the gap in coverage for a 46-yard touchdown reception midway through the first quarter.
“So you take that touchdown away, and we win that game,” White said.
In the heat of August, and in the months to follow, it will be up to the Jackets to find that discipline.
“If we want to get back to Charlotte (site of the ACC championship game), we’ve got to play better defense,” Golden said. “That’s our main goal.”
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