Justin Thomas update

[augustabuzz]

Why are you guys wanting JT at a-back? We need a play making qb. He is our best athlete on the offensive side of the ball. We need the ball in his hands every play not 10 plays a game.

The speculation was all in response to the 1st post on this page.

 

[Gojackets55]

I just don't see what some guys are on this board and other boards see in Mathew Jordan. I don't see him as being quick. That's the element we have been missing, even JFN wasn't a home run threat. Every time JT touches the ball he has the ability to take it to the house.

 

[daBuzz]

Misery loves company.

Also, a Cubs game is more about drinking beer with your buds than necessarily the product on the field. Games at Wrigley are great fun. Great food, lots of beer.

 

[GTRanj]

Why are you guys wanting JT at a-back? We need a play making qb. He is our best athlete on the offensive side of the ball. We need the ball in his hands every play not 10 plays a game.

I think it was meant as if we were in short-yardage situations, and Justin had a history of not being able to get those tough yards (4th and 1, 3rd and 2...).

 

[wingsrlevel]

I think it was meant as if we were in short-yardage situations, and Justin had a history of not being able to get those tough yards (4th and 1, 3rd and 2...).

That's why you give it to the BB. He's used to picking up short yardage and has momentum to the line off the snap.

 

[GTRanj]

That's why you give it to the BB. He's used to picking up short yardage and has momentum to the line off the snap.

You are correct, but in theory, the advantage here may be that you would then have 2 options of guys who could get you those tough yards. I highly doubt that this would be implemented anyways, but that was the point of the idea.

 

[PatrickinGa]

If that is indeed a problem, then we could move Thomas to wr, Smelter to ab, and Days to qb. We could use this alignment to establish a tendency in the early games and break the tendency at a crucial time later in the schedule.

Seems to me that we have tried Days at QB before, and it didn't work then.

Days is turning into a real blocking stud, but he is not the answer to our QB position.

 

[AE 87]

Seems to me that we have tried Days at QB before, and it didn't work then.

Days is turning into a real blocking stud, but he is not the answer to our QB position.

I think he was talking just about short yardage situations. We did that at least twice (putting Vad/ JT at Aback) last year.
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[Oldgoldandwhite]

On the positive side, I could see JT staying low and squirting through gaps if the line gets any type of surge. One thing for sure, they had better cover him on the option.

 

[GT Man]

Hype doesn't sell tickets.

Sustained winning is what sells.

Agree with you about winning, but disagree that hype doesn't sell tickets. Check out the Atlanta Braves.
When was our last "losing" season? Chan was fired not because of his record. He was fired because the fan base was no longer excited about the program. Now I'm not saying PJ should go out and tell people that JT is the best thing since sliced bread. I'm simply suggesting he stop poo-pooing every assumption by the media that we might have a special player or two.

 

[D-man44]

I love how everyone is scared about this when although vad was bigger he did not run near as hard and we still scored a td 40 out of our 49 attempts in the red zone

 

[bravejason]

I love how everyone is scared about this when although vad was bigger he did not run near as hard and we still scored a td 40 out of our 49 attempts in the red zone

Out of curiosity, I went back and looked at GT's historical performance. Here are the TD scored and times in the end zone by year. Data is from ramblinwreck.com

YR - TD - RZ - PCT
08 - 18 - 39 - 46%
09 - 40 - 62 - 65%
10 - 31 - 54 - 57%
11 - 40 - 55 - 73%
12 - 43 - 65 - 66%
13 - 40 - 49 - 82%
TD = touchdowns. RZ = times in the redzone. PCT = TD/RZ

According to CFBstats.com, 82% made GT #2 in the nation in scoring TD's from the red zone in 2013. Ohio State was #1 at 84%. Looking back through the CFBstats data for 2008-2013, the #1 team in TD% from the redzone scores a TD in the 77%-85% range, the #10 team is in the 70%-73% range, and the #25 team is in the 66%-68% range.

The lower number of red zone opportunities in 2013 sticks out to me. On a per game basis it is 3.8, which betters only the 2008 season. The next lowest were 2010 and 2011 at 4.2 each. However, the team scored a CPJ era record of 35.1 points per game in 2013. In terms of rankings, 35.1 ppg was #26 and was third best for GT under CPJ (2009 was #14 & 2011 was #21).

 

[SidewalkJacket]

Every time I see posts like these, which break down offensive numbers since 2008, I think the same thing: At the end of the day, no one on this board or any other should ever come to the conclusion that we have a problem with offense. I'm sorry, but those that state that are just wrong. Every good team has ebbs and flows in offensive production, but we have been incredibly consistent with scoring, RZ, etc. The bottom line is that if we want elite seasons, we'll need to continue the improvements on the other side of the ball that we began to see last year.

 

[Techster]

Offense has been a problem at certain times (VT last year, 4th Qtr UGA last year, Ole Miss, etc)....but the vast majority of our problems during CPJ's tenure has been on defense. Roof made good strides last year and hopfully the O will improve this year and we can win the close ones again like in '08 and '09.

 

[Eric]

Agree with you about winning, but disagree that hype doesn't sell tickets. Check out the Atlanta Braves.
When was our last "losing" season? Chan was fired not because of his record. He was fired because the fan base was no longer excited about the program. Now I'm not saying PJ should go out and tell people that JT is the best thing since sliced bread. I'm simply suggesting he stop poo-pooing every assumption by the media that we might have a special player or two.

Here's where the Braves ranked in attendance

2013 - 13
2012 - 15
2011 - 15
2010 - 13
2009 - 15

And why was the fan base tired of Chan....because he was losing and the program was not showing any promise.

Chan was fired back in the 2007...he had some good players that were hype worthy.

Phillip Wheeler
Vance Walker
Michael Johnson
Andrew Gardner
Gary Guyton
Tashard Choice

Then we had young guys like Dwyer, Nesbitt, Morgan, Burnett, Bay Bay, Cord Howard that turned out to be great...so if Chan was hyping these guys then we should have had great attendance... instead attendance was on the decline because of Chans consistent losses to UGA and losing to inferior teams.

 

[GTRanj]

Every time I see posts like these, which break down offensive numbers since 2008, I think the same thing: At the end of the day, no one on this board or any other should ever come to the conclusion that we have a problem with offense. I'm sorry, but those that state that are just wrong. Every good team has ebbs and flows in offensive production, but we have been incredibly consistent with scoring, RZ, etc. The bottom line is that if we want elite seasons, we'll need to continue the improvements on the other side of the ball that we began to see last year.

Hit the nail on the head with the hammer here. This is what I've been preaching for a long time!

 

[ramblinvak]

Here is some quick number crunching I did for points per game against D1 opponents since CPJ has been here

2013- 28.36 (excluded Elon, Ala AM)
2012- 30.07 (Inc. MTSU loss, FSU(ACC Champ Game), Excluded Presbytarian)
2011- 31.92 (incl MTSU, Kansas, Utah)
2010- 23.92 (inc. Kansas, MTSU, Air Force (bowl game))
2009- 33.53 (inc. Clemson x2 (ACC Champ Game), Iowa)
2008- 23 (included Gardner Webb and LSU)

I think you can see the offense can easily average 30 points a game as TW managed in 2011 and 2012 (Vad's game against UNC probably helped push it above 30) and JN did in 2009. I wont harp about 2013. Here is to hoping that we can put the same defensive numbers up as 2013 and get the offense to the 30 point mark against D1 teams.

 

[forensicbuzz]

You can't include G-W in 2008 just because we didn't score many points. If you're going to exclude FCS schools, you have to exclude them all.

Edit: you can really do anything you like. It's not valid to include Gardner-Webb just because we scored well below our season average in that game. There were extenuating circumstances.

 

[buzzinanut69]

Makes me wonder how Tevin would have done with Dwyer, Allen, Thomas, etc.

 

[ramblinvak]

You can't include G-W in 2008 just because we didn't score many points. If you're going to exclude FCS schools, you have to exclude them all.

Edit: you can really do anything you like. It's not valid to include Gardner-Webb just because we scored well below our season average in that game. There were extenuating circumstances.

The only reason I left GW is because they are technically D1. If you take them out our points per game go to 24.18. I think the 3 against LSU that year is what really hurts the averages. Needless to say, I believe the offense is able to put up respectable points against D1 opponents. You may not score as many against uga, or VT as will you against BC per say, but I agree that when the offense is clicked at levels we have seen in the past ala 2009, and 2011, I feel a lot can be accomplished.