At Georgia Tech, where run-pass balance is something to be laughed at, the Yellow Jackets have gone full bore.
Tech attempted five passes against Syracuse (the third-fewest in coach Paul Johnson’s 75-game tenure) before throwing caution (and footballs) to the wind with nine against Virginia on Saturday. It was Tech’s lowest two-game total since two of the more significant wins of Johnson’s Tech career — the 2008 wins over Miami and Georgia, when Tech threw a combined 13 passes.
“Whatever it takes to win the game, that’s what I’m going to do,” Johnson said Tuesday at his news conference. “So if we’re running the ball for 400 yards, we’re probably not going to throw it as much (as) if we’re running for 200.”
Abiding by the run has served Johnson and Tech well. In Johnson’s tenure, the Jackets are 16-4 when throwing fewer than 10 times, including both wins over Florida State and the only wins over Georgia, Virginia Tech and Miami.
The decision to stick to the ground the past two games is a break from Tech’s patterns in the first six games of a season. The Jackets averaged 17.7 passes per game in the first half, which itself was a considerable jump from Johnson’s first five seasons, when they averaged between 12.0 (2009) and 13.9 passes (2012). However, Tech completed only 43.4 percent of those passes, with issues with protection, route running and passing accuracy contributing.
After the 3-0 start, Johnson said that “we’re doing too much stuff, and we’re not good at any of it,” and vowed to improve the offense’s execution of its option plays.
The offense’s efficiency at option plays has boosted the running game. Perhaps the most prominent reason that Tech didn’t pass much against Syracuse or Virginia was that it didn’t need to do so.
The Jackets pumped out identical 394-yard rushing games against both Syracuse and Virginia, averaging 5.9 yards per carry against the Orange and 7.6 against the Cavaliers, both higher than the season average of 5.5 yards per carry. The yards-per-carry rate against Virginia was Tech’s highest since last year’s game against the Cavaliers (9.2).
“It’s nice to finally get the ball rolling like it should be,” guard Shaquille Mason said.
Syracuse and Virginia practically invited the Jackets to keep it on the ground. Neither defense committed the secondary to stopping the run in a way that other teams typically do, likely wary of getting burned by play-action passes.
“You’re going to do what’s working,” Johnson said.
Likewise, you avoid what’s not working. Following the game Saturday, Johnson said that he would call more pass plays if the pass protection were better. Left guard Trey Braun and right tackle Chase Roberts have been inserted into the starting lineup in the past three games and are more adept at run blocking than pass blocking. The same could be said of the entire line, as well as the running backs.
The passing game has contributed in its limited opportunities. In the past two games, quarterbacks Vad Lee and Justin Thomas are a combined 8-for-14 for 201 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Two of the bigger plays of Saturday’s win were fourth-quarter passes by Lee — a precision third-down throw to wide receiver DeAndre Smelter to extend a drive and then a play-action pass to A-back Robert Godhigh. Lee said that he has committed himself to more of a playmaking mindset on pass plays.
“When I get those (pass) plays, I want to make something happen because I know there aren’t going to be many,” he said.
Pittsburgh, Tech’s opponent Saturday, may bring the Jackets to the next step in the process — being forced to put the ball up.
On Saturday, the Panthers limited Navy, which runs an offense similar to Tech’s, to 220 rushing yards, which was 84 below its season average. Pitt is strong up the middle with defensive tackle Aaron Donald, whom Johnson touted as likely All-American, and middle linebacker Shane Gordon.
Has Tech’s line become proficient enough to allow Lee time to throw?
“We hope so,” Johnson said. “And we’ll throw it if we have to, or if we feel like it gives us a chance. Who knows? This week, we might come out and throw it 40 times. You can’t ever tell.”
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