In an offense-happy era, Georgia Tech accomplished something rather rare Saturday in holding Virginia to 22 rushing yards on 16 carries.
The Yellow Jackets became one of just 13 teams this season to hold a power-conference team to 22 rushing yards or fewer. (Avert thine eyes, Demon Deacons fans — four of those teams did so against Wake Forest.)
It was a particularly remarkable performance for a defense that had been one of the least imposing run-stopping outfits in the country. The Jackets had given up an average of 189.1 yards per game this season and 209.7 in the previous three games.
“That’s the way I expect them to play every week,” coach Paul Johnson said. “I was proud that they bounced back. I know they weren’t happy with the last two performances themselves.”
The next question for the Jackets is to what degree they can meet Johnson’s expectations and approach or even replicate the performance on Saturday at N.C. State and beyond. Given the track record that the Jackets established in the first eight games in all facets of their defense, it would be a lot to expect such drastic improvement on a consistent basis, but even moderate gains will give the Jackets a boost as they try to keep pace with Duke in the ACC Coastal Division race.
The improvement demonstrated against Virginia is “very important, because (Saturday) we showed ourselves that we have so much more left in our tank,” defensive end KeShun Freeman said. “Compared to some of our old games, we know we can do so much better.”
The task will heighten in difficulty. N.C. State coaches will be able to digest the changes Tech made for the Virginia game. At least on paper, the Wolfpack have a better running game than Virginia. N.C. State also has a quarterback in Jacoby Brissett who appears more capable of exploiting blitzes than was the Cavaliers’ Greyson Lambert. The game also likely won’t be played in the blustery conditions like Saturday’s.
And Saturday’s results, while stunning, do not mean the problem is solved. The Jackets need only look back to last season to learn that lesson. In the ninth game in 2013, like this season Tech’s homecoming game, the Jackets held Pittsburgh to minus-5 rushing yards, the eighth-best total in Tech’s modern era. But in the Jackets’ next game, after an open date, no less, they gave up 168 rushing yards on 37 carries to Clemson in a 55-31 defeat, the most points the Tigers had scored on the Jackets in the 79-game series since 1903.
No one will mistake the 2014 N.C. State offense for the 2013 Clemson Tigers. By the same token, this year’s Tech defense is a considerably different group than last year’s. For that matter, it’s unclear if defensive lineman Patrick Gamble, whose move from backup tackle to end was one of the big contributors to success Saturday, will be available after a left-leg injury. Johnson said an X-ray was negative.
“We know what we’re capable of,” defensive tackle Adam Gotsis said. “Up until now, we really haven’t played our best defensive ball. I felt like (Saturday), we played with energy.”
