In their scrimmage Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, some Georgia Tech players will try to advance their cases for starting jobs. Others will try to demonstrate that they should make the travel squad and not serve on the scout team. Coach Paul Johnson will measure all with an additional scale.
Following the team’s first scrimmage Aug. 9, Johnson told the team that its conditioning level needed to be better, an assessment echoed in an interview by defensive coordinator Ted Roof. Johnson blamed a fumble by quarterback Tim Byerly at the end of an up-tempo drive on his fatigue. Earlier this week, offensive line coach Mike Sewak said he was disappointed with the conditioning level shown in the scrimmage and that, on offense and defense, “I don’t think anybody’s happy with how that went.”
The comments could be interpreted as ominous warnings for a team without an abundance of standout talent, with inexperienced players in key positions and, not surprisingly, that was picked in a media poll to finish fifth in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Johnson, though, is not quite ready to call it a season.
“We seem to be able to go for a little bit,” Johnson said, which for him qualifies as meaningful praise. “Still got to get better.”
This preseason, the Yellow Jackets have devoted practice time to working at an up-tempo pace in anticipation of using it on offense and to better defend against it on defense. It is a new wrinkle for the offense, which has steadfastly huddled and played at a methodical pace. But to run the offense at that speed, quickly returning to the line of scrimmage and receiving the play call from the sideline without huddling, requires more fitness.
“I tell you, it’s been tough,” wide receiver DeAndre Smelter said. “You go out there and you practice hard for 20-plus periods and then, you know, the conditioning at the end. But all that stuff’s going to help us out in the long run.”
Besides post-practice running, the conditioning work centers on running through plays at an up-tempo pace.
“You just practice that,” Johnson said. “That’s about as good a conditioning as you’re going to get.”
The consensus thinking seems to be that while the fitness level needs to improve, it’s where it should be at this point of the preseason. Coaches conceded, also, that players’ legs have grown heavy from the grind of camp.
“The last thing you’re going to do is evaluate that right now because everything’s a little bit slower,” Johnson said. “A guy sits out three, four days, he comes back, he looks like a speed merchant.”
Regardless, the Jackets have done more up-tempo work than in previous preseasons. To whatever degree the offense ends up using the faster pace, the extra conditioning figures to benefit Tech’s defense.
“Tempo was probably our downfall last season, going against a few tempo teams,” defensive tackle Adam Gotsis said. “We’re trying to pick that up.”
BYU, Clemson, Georgia and Ole Miss all beat Tech using no-huddle offenses, although the Jackets defeated North Carolina, perhaps the fastest tempo team the Jackets faced. The defense did not prepare much in the preseason last year to play at a faster tempo, Gotsis said, focusing on it during the season.
Particularly given the lack of depth on the defensive line, where only Gotsis is a returning starter and three of the top eight have not played a college snap, an edge in fitness is imperative.
Tech will find out quickly how effective its conditioning efforts have been. The first team on the schedule, Wofford on Aug. 30, has no-huddle in its arsenal, the first of several opponents that employ it.
“I feel like that’s going to be a big improvement, our tempo and conditioning because we’re really working on it,” Gotsis said.
Etc.: Saturday's scrimmage will be closed. … With scholarships available, Johnson awarded scholarships to three walk-ons — defensive lineman Adrian Gardner, A-back Sam McNearney and linebacker Joshua Rogers. … Single-game tickets for the Miami (Oct. 4), Duke (Oct. 11), Virginia (Nov. 1) and Clemson (Nov. 15) games went on sale Friday. Tickets are already on sale for the first two home games, against Wofford (Aug. 30) and Georgia Southern (Sept. 13). Prices range from $40 to $75, depending on game and seat location. Tickets are available online at ramblinwreck.com or at 1-888-832-4849.
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