Georgia Tech opened its Saturday morning scrimmage to the public for the first time this spring practice, a session that revealed a few things.
The Yellow Jackets are trying a no-huddle offense, a break from coach Paul Johnson’s past. Backup quarterback Tim Byerly is closing the gap on starter Justin Thomas. The Tech defense is gaining proficiency in creating fumbles, or the offense has ball-security issues, or both.
“It was ebb and flow, I thought,” Johnson said after the team’s 12th of 15 spring practice sessions. “Starting out, the defense was pretty good. About midway through, the offense got pretty good. (But) it wasn’t good enough for anywhere, really. Got a lot of work to do.”
On the ninth and 10th possessions of the scrimmage — all of which began 70 yards from the end zone — Byerly and Thomas each led drives in which the team didn’t huddle between plays and hurried to the line of scrimmage. Byerly’s drive was jump-started by a 50-yard run by B-back Zach Laskey and created the offense’s first touchdown of the morning. On the ensuing series, led by Thomas, the offense traveled 41 yards on a mix of run and pass plays before a fumbled snap on fourth down ended the drive.
Johnson downplayed the tempo change, saying the offense was “just practicing the no-huddle, practicing the one-minute drill.” While the game is trending toward offenses playing up-tempo, Johnson has chosen to play a methodical pace that reduces possessions. One reason for avoiding a faster pace is that a hurry-up offense, when it can’t stay on the field, puts added stress on the defense. On Saturday, at least, the no-huddle appeared to help move the ball.
“That’s kind of one of the reasons we’re doing it, just change of pace a little bit,” said quarterbacks and B-backs coach Bryan Cook, who coordinated a no-huddle offense at Cal Poly before he was hired at Tech last spring.
It has been a useful exercise for the defense, as well, as Tech has faced and will continue to face no-huddle offenses such as at North Carolina, Clemson, Duke and Georgia. Better play against an up-tempo offense has been an emphasis this spring, defensive coordinator Ted Roof said.
“They’re doing some good stuff with it,” Roof said of the offense. “We’ve just got to keep working.”
Byerly, who led Chattahoochee High to the state title in 2010 and went to Middle Tennessee for one season before transferring and walking on at Tech, led the offense to two touchdowns and a field goal in four possessions. On the last, the offense converted two fourth-down plays, one on a 5-yard run by Byerly, and converted a third-and-10 on a pass to wide receiver Micheal Summers.
“I thought he played well,” Johnson said of Byerly. “I thought he played better than any of the quarterbacks.”
Thomas had eight drives, the last of which reached the end zone, thanks in large part to his 49-yard run to the 2-yard line. (Thomas had to leave the scrimmage with an arm or shoulder injury on the play, but was OK afterward.) But two possessions ended on a botched center-quarterback exchange, one on a toss and another when he was stripped on a downfield run.
Johnson acknowledged that with backs, quarterbacks and centers shuttling in and out, bad exchanges will happen.
“There’s going to be some of it, but there’s way too much of it,” he said. “And the thing that bothers me is not that, as much as just getting it pulled out, when you’re running with it and turn it over. There’s no excuse for that.”
Johnson said that the quarterback competition will be evaluated at the end of spring practice, but “I’d say it’s getting closer.” Thomas’ performance followed a rough outing in the previous scrimmage.
“He hasn’t played particularly as well as I think he can on a Saturday (scrimmage),” Johnson said. “Sometimes during the week he does. Just got to be consistent. He’s got the ability.”
Johnson’s aggravation with fumbles was Roof’s delight. Aside from the offense’s unforced fumbles, the defense stripped Thomas and B-back Travis Custis for turnovers. Linebacker Quayshawn Nealy and nose tackle Adam Gotsis were among the big playmakers for the defense.
“We are getting better” at removing the ball, Roof said. “I think there’s an increased awareness level, and I think you see guys having an awareness of the ball and how to attack it.”
Tech will close spring practice with its spring game at 7 p.m. Friday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
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