Georgia Tech Football

This past Saturday 16th-ranked Georgia Tech dominated its FCS opponent as expected, defeating South Carolina State 41-10 in the season opener for both schools.

What seemed like an easy victory for the Jackets, was not as pretty as the scoreboard appeared.

An overall lack of energy combined with an ultra vanilla game plan, and a new somewhat hesitant looking defense gave fans reason to speculate on the promising forecast for the remaining season. Does Georgia Tech have any chance to repeat as ACC champions?

The answer to that question will be found soon.

The Jackets hit the road this coming week to face the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence. The Jayhawks were embarrassed by North Dakota State in their opener losing 6-3 before their home crowd.

Head coach Turner Gill will be eager to prove that the opening game was a fluke and without question have his team fired up to prove that they can play better. Do not be surprised to see a closer than expected game with two teams looking for an identity this season.

Kansas' anemic offense will look to redeem itself against Tech's lackluster defense, which yielded nearly 300 yards of offense (178 on the ground) in Week One. The Ramblin' Wreck option offense will look to continue their great start against the solid defense of the Jayhawks, which only allowed two field goals and only 168 yards in total offense.

One thing is for certain, Georgia Tech's coaching staff will be working hard to keep its young players focused on the task at hand.

Looking ahead to Week Three, the Yellow Jackets will stay on the road and begin their ACC schedule against UNC. The Tar Heels have the benefit of a bye week to prepare for the Jackets option attack and hopefully get some of their starters reinstated.

After its gritty performance in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic, UNC will be looking to showcase a more complete team in conference play. That game might very well be the key game in the race for Coastal division champion.

In general, Week One did very little in giving away who the 2010 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are.

Chances are fans will see a bit more energy and focus this week in Kansas. Paul Johnson will look to have his option fully cranked up and in rhythm by Week Three in what is sure to be an epic battle against two programs who truly believe they are the best the ACC has to offer.

As expected, the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech scored an easy victory at home against FCS opponent South Carolina State, 41-10.

Joshua Nesbitt had 130 yards on the ground to go along with three rushing touchdowns. He was only 1-for-6 for eight yards with an interception, but was efficient enough with his legs to keep the offense going. 

Roddy Jones had only four carries for 45 yards, but had two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Tevin Washington scored on a 10-yard run in mop-up duty.

Here are a few observations I had from Saturday's game:

• It seemed as though the SC State defense was keying on B-back Anthony Allen. He only had six carries for 28 yards. He was not needed this week, but I wish they would have given him more carries. If the Jackets are going to be an elite team this year, Anthony Allen is going to have to have a great year.

• With the Bulldogs keying on Allen, that gave way for the Tech A-backs. They had a combined 16 carries for 112 yards. Roddy Jones broke free for a couple of long runs. Orwin Smith looked very good running the ball and BJ Bostic got a few carries. With Smith and Bostic being used more often in the running game, look for Embry Peeples to get a decrease in carries this season. He could still be a threat in the passing game, but he seems too small and easy to bring down, while Smith and Bostic and bigger, stronger backs to go along with solid running abilities. I think this is a very talented and deep group of A-backs. 

• Nesbitt looked uncomfortable throwing the ball. The interception wasn't his fault, but his other throws were way off the mark. Maybe his receivers weren't getting separation, but Nesbitt has to be some kind of a passing threat if Tech is going to contend for a title. 

• The defensive line looked bad. There was no penetration and it seemed like the line was pushed back every single running play early in the game. This led to 178 yards on the ground for South Carolina State and a big game for their starting running back. In their defense, South Carolina State had a huge offensive line. Logan Walls seems too small to play nose tackle, and it would have been great if TJ Barnes or one of the other massive nose tackles would have stepped-up in fall practice, but apparently, Walls is the best guy. They played better later in the game, but big offensive lines are going to scare me all year long. 

• The linebackers and the secondary weren't bad, but there were a lot of missed tackles. Cooper Taylor's missed tackle that should have gone for a loss went for a big gain. Fans shouldn't be too worried about it. It seemed like the players were in the right position most of the time. The defense will get better. 

Overall, it was a solid win. But Jacket Nation shouldn't get too excited yet, as I'm sure they are not. They were very vanilla on both sides of the ball, which was expected.

They did what they were supposed to do against a lesser opponent, and I am expecting a game like that this weekend at Kansas.

If the passing game can improve along with the defensive line, Tech will be a force in the ACC this season. 

Recently, former Rutgers linebacker Morgan Carter transferred from the Scarlet Knights to the Georgia Tech  Yellow Jackets. The Jackets have had success with Big East  transfers, namely Anthony Allen. Allen was a former Louisville player that averaged nearly 10 yards a carry last season for the Jackets. He's going to be a starter at B-Back in Paul Johnson's triple option offense .

What did Gregg have to say about Morgan?

"Morgan Carter is a big linebacker from the state of Virginia. While he did play in two games last season, Carter likely would have seen limited time for Rutgers again this season.

"At 6'3", 225 pounds, Carter has the size and athleticism to play the linebacker position. For whatever reason, he was not able to gain serious playing time early in his career at Rutgers. With the linebacker depth limited at Georgia Tech, once he sits out the required one year, Carter may be able to help the Yellow Jackets.

"Carter claims his main reason for transferring is that Georgia Tech offers his desired major of bio-medical engineering. The schools engineering program ranks number one in the nation for African Americans.

"He is familiar with the Yellow Jackets coaching staff. Head coach Paul Johnson recruited Carter when he was at Navy and current defensive coordinator Al Groh wanted the linebacker when he was the head coach at Virginia."

Thanks Gregg!

There are a couple of things I found interesting in Gregg's comments. At 6'3", 225 lbs. Carter fits in perfectly with Johnson's and Groh's recent recruiting trend on the defensive side of the ball. Take a look at the Jacket's 2011 verbal commitment list. Do you see a defensive or in fact any player under 6'1"?

Carter will walk-on at Georgia Tech, and while Carter isn't likely a future All-American, he does appear to have the ability to provide some quality depth at the LB position. I think this is a pretty good pickup for the Jackets.

This article is also featured at All About Sports

Georgia Tech fans hoped that Jonathan Dwyer would stay for his senior year. The Steelers running back rushed for an identical 1,395 yards in both his sophomore and junior season.

But, the Yellow Jackets won’t be hurting for talent or depth in 2010. 

Anthony Allen will move from the starting A-back position to starting B-back, the featured back in Paul Johnson’s spread option offense. Allen is more comfortable running between the tackles than on the perimeter as an A-back. The 6’0”, 229 pound senior ran for 618 yards on 64 carries with six touchdowns in 2009. He won’t run away from defensive backs the way Dwyer did, but Allen is a bruising back with good enough speed to breakout in 2010. The Yellow Jackets won’t miss a beat at B-back.

Depth is an issue at B-back. Behind Allen, the number two spot is seemingly still up in the air. Lucas Cox, Preston Lyons, and Richard Watson are all trying to be the guy that totes the rock when Allen needs a breather.

Lucas Cox saw his playing time decline is 2009 after starting in 2008 as an A-back. Cox is a prototypical fullback that runs with power and is hard to bring down. He will be a good change of pace for the Georgia Tech offense. The 5’11”, 245 pound senior is one of the best blocking backs on the team and will be utilized in that way once again.

Preston Lyons was Jonathan Dwyer’s backup last season and did very well in limited action. The junior is a former transfer from Colgate that is not a dynamic back, but averaged nearly five yards per carry in 2009 and rarely lost yards. Lyons missed the entire spring with an injury and will need to perform well in fall practice to solidify the number two spot that was rightfully his a year ago.

Richard Watson is another big back who is in the mold of a fullback. Watson will likely see limited action once again.

The A-back position is, and always will be the deepest position on the team as long as Paul Johnson is the head coach. The Jackets can go six deep with guys who are speedy and elusive. Roddy Jones, Embry Peeples, Marcus Wright, and Orwin Smith will be the four guys getting most of the snaps out of the slot.

Roddy Jones is back for his third year after a disappointing 2009 campaign. Jones injured his wrist in the preseason and was never quite right last season. He is looking to be the guy that gashed Miami and Georgia at the end of the 2008 season. A dynamic player with big play potential, Jones has averaged nearly eight yards per carry is his career.

Embry Peeples will start on the other side after having a solid 2009 season. Peeples has great speed and athleticism and is very dangerous on the outside. He has the best hands out of all the A-backs and is the returning leader in receiving on the team. If the rumors about using the A-backs more in the passing game are true, look for Peeples to have a strong year.

Marcus Wright returns as one of the top back-ups once again. The Texas high school football legend is a small back that has the speed to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. The junior played in the Army All-American bowl in high school and amassed over 3,000 yards his senior year. Wright carried the ball 33 times for 190 yards and three scores in 2009.

Sophomore Orwin Smith will see his playing time increase this year after a nice inaugural season. Used mainly as a kick returner in 2009, the 6’0”, 202 pound Smith displayed potential as a strong runner. Unlike the other A-backs, Smith does not possess breakaway speed, but has good vision and is very good as a slashing type back. Look for Paul Johnson to get the ball in his hands more often in 2010. 

The 2010 version of the Georgia Tech backfield includes speed and guys who are dynamic with the ball in their hands. Add Joshua Nesbitt, who is essentially a running back in this system, and you have a deep, talented stable of backs. Look for these runners to keep Georgia Tech near the top of the nation in rushing. 

I will be doing a position by position preview of the 2010 Georgia Tech football team and today, we'll start with the quarterback. 

For the third season in a row, Georgia Tech will have Joshua Nesbitt under center to open up the season. The 6'1", 218 pound senior is considered a dark horse candidate for the Heisman trophy. In his third year of Paul Johnson's spread option attack, Nesbitt will be even more comfortable with the system. That could be scary for ACC foes as the Yellow Jackets signal caller rushed for over 1,000 yards and threw for another 1,700 along with a gaudy 28 touchdowns. 

Many worry about Nesbitt's accuracy as he completed only 46 percent of his passes a year ago, a slight increase from 2008. Pundits also believe that number could drop now that big play receiver Demaryius Thomas is now playing on Sundays.

Nesbitt will have to spread the ball around to different guys if one of the receivers fails to step up as a go to target. He missed the entire spring with an ankle injury which could have been an opportunity to work with his receivers and A-backs to improve his accuracy. 

For two years, Jaybo Shaw was the unquestioned number two quarterback on the depth chart behind Joshua Nesbitt. After his departure, the number two spot was up for grabs.

With Nesbitt sitting out in the spring, fans were able to see what could be life after Nesbitt. It was a three man race for the number two job in the spring with Tevin Washington, Jordan Luallen, and David Sims battling for the spot. Once the buzzer sounded in the spring game, it was clear that one man stood out above the others. 

Tevin Washington emerged as the backup to Nesbitt this season as he ran the offense to perfection in the spring game. The 6'1", 203 pound sophomore showed that he could not only run the ball well, but also had the ability to be accurate with intermediate routes along with a nice deep ball.

Washington connected with fellow sophomore Stephen Hill for a 70 yard touchdown pass that Hill caught in stride. He accounted for all four touchdowns (three rushing) in the first half of the rain-shortened spring game. He completed six of seven passes for 122 yards along with 35 yards on the ground.

While Nesbitt is a tough, physical runner, Washington is more of a quicker, shiftier type runner. The only issue is he has basically zero game experience. But as Georgia Tech fans have seen in the past two seasons, that could change in a heartbeat. 

It was basically a tie for the number three spot with redshirt freshmen Jordan Luallen and David Sims. Both talented and athletic, the two will be competing with each other again next spring along with Tevin Washington for the starting quarterback job.

Luallen was a four-star recruit out of high school and was ranked as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. Breaking the mold a bit with Paul Johnson quarterbacks, the Indiana native is 6'4", 217 lbs, and is very solid as a pocket passer. But he has the speed and quickness to be a very good option (no pun intended) for the future of this offense.

David Sims is very athletic, but struggled in the spring which kept him from moving up the depth chart. The 5'1"1, 219 pound redshirt freshman is hard to bring down and has the ability to be a solid runner in this offense. Sims had a tough time throwing the ball and making reads in the spring, but should get better with time. If he doesn't make it as a quarterback, Sims is a good enough athlete to switch positions. 

Overall, the offense is in good hands in 2010 and beyond. Joshua Nesbitt is the leader of this offense and is arguably the most important piece to this team. The Yellow Jackets are a better team when he is on the field. But if he goes down at some point in the season, Paul Johnson feels comfortable with the talent he has on the bench at the quarterback position. 

The recently released Coaches' Poll has the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets listed at #17 for its preseason rankings.

Yet again, the reigning ACC Champs will have to prove they are better than at least two of their divisional opponents currently ranked higher than them (Virginia Tech #6, Miami #13).

The Ramblin Wreck finished the 2009 season ranked at #14 in the Coaches' Poll after a disappointing loss against a top ten Iowa squad. With the added doubts of NFL Draft defections from four all-star juniors, the firing of their 2009 defensive coordinator (Dave Wommack), and an upcoming brutal road schedule, most are expecting the Yellow Jackets to take a step back this season.

Yet in the face of those doubts, there appears to be a renewed level of respect (albeit small) being tossed Georgia Tech's way; a respect unknown to Tech teams of recent past, a respect of moxy, toughness, and the sheer will to win. A respect earned.

This growing sense of respect can be found maturing in the on-field production of the Jackets two most important men:

Starting QB Joshua Nesbitt - a growing campus cult legend - and head coach Paul Johnson - a coach on the same path as such Georgia Tech luminaries as Heisman and Dodd - have put their "punch you in the mouth" imprint on college football's national conscious.

Even in the face of such overwhelming odds, it would appear many cautiously believe Georgia Tech is a contender.

Coaches understand how a unique well designed system and a Sr. quarterback who completely knows that system can dominate a season.

Are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets there yet?  If the coaches poll is an indication, the answer is a solid maybe.

What Georgia Tech's 2010 Coaches' Poll preseason ranking reveals is that many believe Nesbitt and Johnson's Yellow Jackets are on the precipice of breaking through, but they also understand that this season's immense obstacles might prove too much for such a break through to occur.

Last year’s ACC Champions aren’t resting on their accomplishments from last year hoping to defend their title this season.

The talent losses are heavy, but the Tech faithful are hopeful another year learning Paul Johnson’s system can carry them just as far again.

To get more insight on Georgia Tech, I contacted Barrel of Rum.

Q: Georgia Tech lost two first round draft picks and two other key players. How does the talent level this year compare to last year?

A: Overall the talent level under Paul Johnson, as a team, continues to increase. But will we be as talented on the field this year? Certainly not defensively.

We’ll miss Morgan Burnett & Derrick Morgan. But can we be worse defensively (we didn’t force a punt in five games last season)?

On the offensive side, losing 2009 ACC player-of-the-year Jon Dwyer is a non-factor; Anthony Allen is a terrific player who will emerge this year. Our biggest loss is Bay Bay Thomas at wide receiver. He was our “go to” guy on 3rd & 8 and we’ll miss him this year.

One area we’re clearly more talented this year is the offensive line. Even though we replace three starters, we have better talent coming in that better fits our scheme.

Q: What is this talk of Georgia Tech practicing out of the shotgun? Is Paul Johnson really going to use this?

A: We ran a fair amount of shotgun in spring ball and I expect to see some situational use this season. If we’re forced to throw (a good example is the end of last year’s UGA game) I expect to see some shotgun as it will help Nesbitt see the field and give him an extra bit of time to release the ball.

It won’t be part of any base package but it’s another wrinkle teams will have to prepare for this year.

Q: Anthony Allen is moving from A-Back to B-Back this season and Head Coach Paul Johnson said he would be shocked if Allen didn't get 1,000 yards. Compare Allen to Jonathan Dwyer who had back-to-back 1,300 yard seasons.

A: The only way Allen doesn’t get 1,000 yards is injury. Stylistically, Dwyer & Allen are very different: Allen is a flat-footed, upright runner while Dwyer is shorter & possesses better top end speed. But the results will be the same.

Both are physical & will get plenty of touches at B-back. Of all the positions in our offense B-back is the easiest to master as it simply requires learning the mesh with the quarterback & then hitting the hole as hard as possible.

Expect a big year from Allen, similar to Dwyer’s past numbers.

Q: I think the key to Tech's offensive success is not the running game, but the threat of the deep passing game added on. How much of Demaryius Thomas' production can be replaced?

A: That’s the big offensive question. Bay Bay was just so tough as both a blocker and receiver. True sophomore Stephen Hill has great potential but it will be tough for one guy to replace Thomas.

I expect Hill to be the primary target but I think we’ll throw to the A-backs more this year in hopes of spreading the ball around & being unpredictable.

It will be a team effort to replace Thomas as we don’t have one guy who can do it.

Q: Ga. Tech lost three starters on the offensive line from last season. How does the line look this year?

A: We’ll be much improved. Johnson finally has some guys he recruited specifically for this system ready to play on the offensive line. You can’t under estimate this.

Further, while we lost three starters, by the end of last year both Phil Smith and Omoregie Uzzi were playing more minutes than the guys starting in front of them. Watch out for Uzzi, he’s a beast, just a mauler in our run game.

Having All-ACC center Sean Bedford back at the line’s most critical position is a huge factor for us. What is concerning is we have NO depth. After the first five we’re very thin.

One other interesting note is that there are members of the coaching staff who think incoming freshman Morgan Bailey has a chance to play significant minutes for us this year. It’s rare to see a true freshman play on the offensive line for Johnson so this speaks volumes about his talent & our lack of depth.

Q: Georgia Tech had 67 plays of 20 yards or longer last year, but gave up 66 plays of the same length. In simple terms, what is new DC Al Groh bringing to the table to improve on that number.

A: What Groh brings immediately is accountability & knowledge. It seemed at times last year as if the front seven was playing one defense while the back four played an entirely different scheme. That all stops with Groh’s arrival.

But it’s talent that counts more than anything else and we will have to see how all the pieces fit. Will we be better defensively? I have to believe yes, as we can’t get much worse.

But Tech fans need to be grounded about what Groh brings to the table in his first year. We’ll be better but we’re far from an elite defensive team.

Those expecting a top 20 Defense are setting themselves up for disappointment. Better yes, elite no.

Q: Tech is going to need 4 LBs with the switch in scheme. How does the depth look here and who has taken to the new roles the best?

A: We’re paper thin at LB this year. Anthony Egbuniwe was always undersized at DE last year & has moved to the “jack” OLB spot this year as a pass rush specialist. I expect he’ll play well. The question is who backs him up? As of right now it looks like true freshman Anthony Williams will fill that role.

At the other outside spot it looks as if senior AT Barnes will start. Barnes looks terrific getting off the bus but his head & mental lapses have held him back his entire career. Can he put it together this year? My heart says yes, my head on the other hand says no.

Our strength lies at the two inside spots. Senior Brad Jefferson starts at one spot and perhaps no player will benefit more from the defensive scheme change. Jefferson is imposing physically and I expect him to punish opposing runners between the tackles. He’s very capable of a first team all-ACC season.

The other inside spot will fall to either redshirt freshman Brandon Watts or junior Kyle Jackson, who missed all of last year and the spring with a foot injury. Watts has a very bright future & getting Jackson back would be great for our depth.

Q: Which of the freshman are likely to see significant playing time?

A: On offense, Morgan Bailey could see time at guard or tackle while BJ Bostic & Charles Perkins could see time at A-back.

On defense, redshirt freshman Brandon Watts will likely start at LB & incoming freshman Anthony Williams will likely play some at LB.

Perhaps the name that you’ll most likely hear on Saturdays this fall is true freshman Isaiah Johnson. Johnson, who plays safety, enter school early and went through spring practice where he emerged as a real force, splitting first team reps by the end of camp. With a good fall camp he could well end up starting.

Q: Which is more important this season: Defending the ACC Championship or Beating Georgia?

A: The classic debate on our blog. I’ll say defending the ACC crown for one simple reason: the Coastal is loaded this year & the winner will at worst have only one loss in conference play. So for the continued development of the program I’ll say defending the ACC championship is more important because we’d return to a BCS bowl with at worst 2 losses.

But I want both. No matter how many we win, beating Georgia is a priority. We really need to accomplish both for it to be a successful year.

Q: Describe a successful season this year in Atlanta. Describe a disappointing season.

A: Well, beating Georgia is paramount. This is where someone always talks about the “intangible barometers” used to measure the growth of a football program. Wins almost always determine your success/growth as a program.

To that end I’ll say 9-3 would be a successful year, if we beat Georgia.

If we lose, 10-2 is the mark. We must continue to win if we’re to be thought of as a successful program and not just a successful team every couple of years.

Now’s the time we need to follow up last year’s success & ascend to the next level.

Q: What is your prediction for the season?

A: 9-3 is the number in my mind. Best case 10-2, worst case 8-4.

We play all our big games with the exception of Miami on the road (UNC, Clemson, VPISU, & UGA) so the schedule is tough. The ACC Coastal is tough this year with four very good teams.

Running that gauntlet will be difficult, certainly more so than winning the SEC East. That ought to stir the pot…

My take on Georgia Tech…
When most people look at Georgia Tech this year, they look at the talent losses and how bad the defense was last year. Despite the losses, Johnson’s offense will still be a bear to prepare for.

Many mention the loss of Dwyer which, like Barrel of Rum, I see as almost a non-factor. The biggest talent losses by far in my opinion are Derrick Morgan at DE and Thomas at WR. Replacing those two will be paramount to a repeat title.

As long as the defense can improve some, Tech can be just as good because they couldn’t stop anyone after September last season.

The schedule the Yellow Jackets face in 2010 is very similar to the one they faced in 2008 when Johnson went 9-3. Why can’t he do that again when he does not have to teach a completely new system?

If Ga. Tech was in the Atlantic, I think they win it by a full game, but they are in what could be the toughest division in college football this year (SEC West probably a little tougher).

Prediction
9-3, T1st in Coastal Division

Thanks again to Barrel of Rum for their insight.

The One Great Season College Football Countdown continues Thursday. We'll be counting down the preseason Top 25 teams in 2010. Today's No. 17 is Georgia Tech.

Coach Paul Johnson is back for his third season at Georgia Tech, as is his triple-option quarterback Josh Nesbitt.

So two key parts return for a Tech team that hopes to at least match last year's first 11-win season since its National Championship season of 1990. But there are definitely holes to fill.

Running back Anthony Allen also returns, and he'll handle the bulk of the rushing load, as 1,400-yard back Jonathan Dwyer did last year. But like Dwyer, wideout Demaryius Thomas is gone leaving the Jackets with RB Embry Peeples as the team's most prolific returning pass-catcher. He had only eight receptions in 2009.

EXTRA: Images From 2009 Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech Game

The triple-option offense that yielded 10 wins in Tech's first 11 games before two late-season losses doesn't need stat-heavy wideouts as other offensive schemes might. It sure would't hurt, though.

Tech's top-two defensive players are gone from a group that yielded 347 points last year. Enter new defensive coordinator Al Groh, who brings a 3-4 set that Tech hopes will be stronger against the run.

With at least six guys with some level of starting experience in the secondary, Tech's pass defense should be better in 2010.

Tech won five games by five points or fewer last year, so it's important to note that the Yellow Jackets' kicking game returns largely intact. Kicker Scott Blair is back, as is punter Chandler Anderson.

Jerrod Tarrant, a starting cornerback, is one of the ACC's top punt returners. He scored all four of Tech's non-offensive touchdowns a year ago.

Who's back?

QB Josh Nesbitt, RB Anthony Allen, C Sean Bedford, LB Brad Jefferson

Who's gone?

RB Jonathan Dwyer, WR Demaryius Thomas, DE Derrick Morgan, S Morgan Burnett

Why they'll win: T

The rushing game should pick up right where it left off, and the defense makes a seamless transition to Groh's 3-4.

Why they'll lose:

A very daunting road schedule (Kansas, North Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia) could just be too much for the Yellow Jackets.

Get your tickets:

at Clemson (Oct. 23), at Virginia Tech (Nov. 4), vs. Miami (Nov. 13), at Georgia (Nov. 27)

Prediction:

8-4 (5-3, third place ACC Coastal)

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season