Offense transition

[takethepoints]

Everyone wants the tall agile guys , so i was rezdy to see our o t be more like DE .
Zakk looked like a smaller more agile o t.

Oh well go luck to Zakk

I thought this looked off so I dug out my Tech/Clemson program for 2018. Zakk's program height/weight = 6'4", 294.

So you could use a lot of words to describe him, but petite isn't one of them.

In fact, he was one of the new breed of OL that Paul was bringing in. The height/weight of the newer OLs was significantly higher in the last two years (or would have been if Tech had taken the two OL commits in 2019). I think he was anticipating that cut blocking was going to be even more restricted and wanted to be ready for that when it happened.

 

[iceeater1969]

I thought this looked off so I dug out my Tech/Clemson program for 2018. Zakk's program height/weight = 6'4", 294.

So you could use a lot of words to describe him, but petite isn't one of them.

In fact, he was one of the new breed of OL that Paul was bringing in. The height/weight of the newer OLs was significantly higher in the last two years (or would have been if Tech had taken the two OL commits in 2019). I think he was anticipating that cut blocking was going to be even more restricted and wanted to be ready for that when it happened.

Yes we were no longer getting very tall o t like chamberlin and stickler who were truely 6 -5 . I saw chamberlin twice and stickler numerous times. ( I know they were 6'-5" because my son is 6'5" and played at 310#). Supposedly better at pass blocking but very awkward in space. Also met Erin Joe after ND. These are truly big men.



After the 20q5 nd game , I never believed gt published heights and weights. I saw our team mingle w nd as they both exited the stadium. Program was not close.


While the program height / weights u saw at 294 is the same that Zakk was in high school program. Last year he was at 284 on the gt roster. Watching from 6 rows up it sure looked like Zakk was closer to 270 ish (Remember we had a real get lean quick program).

I really like that we were no longer trying to get very tall tackles ( note we had lots of injury and attrition) and were getting guys that had played defensive tackle in hs.
Quinney is tall and pretty lean. He moves very well in space but may be so tall he cant handle bull rush.
Zakk could easily handle 290 ish and still be agile in space. I was thinking we would go at 280 ish w him as a more natual weight. By his junior year he could have been an asset.
.
Not sure where i described him as petite, but yea he is pettite for a tackle.
Here a friend of mine - byron bell 74 playing at gb . A few years he was w titans after he lost 40 lbs (380-340) so he could be agile. I offered sewak to fly byron to gt to meet him and try to explain to Shamire how a very big person has to exercise. Yea, old zakk is pretty petite compared to the tackles we will be seeing.

Damn i miss our offense.

 

[takethepoints]

Damn i miss our offense.



View attachment 5853

Yes. I do too. We'll see if Coach can do better or as well directly. Let's hope so.

 

[iceeater1969]

Yes. I do too. We'll see if Coach can do better or as well directly. Let's hope so.

Wont be the same.
Loved the 1969- 70 u of h under center bb and passing.
Then the wishbone at aldine hs then texas and then texas AM. Those were some big blocking ol. Add Nebraska.
Then SMU( billy sims) and ou .
Then Earl at UT and herschel and bo.
Luv ya blue w the tyler cannon ball.

Saw the air raid at cycreek hs in 93 as we mimicked stephenville under brilles.
We ran the power i and air raid. We were like gt - when we ran it, we smashed u and when we passed it was to score.

Was at baylor when they gradually stopped sucking and the air raid took off. ( glad i moved to Florida and missed the ugly.)
Then rode the last half of the gt bus. The line play was so fun to watch. Lots of great coaching.

That was a long long story to get to my point. No matter what dink and dunk passing we do, i will be homesick for smash mouth running.

Hope the defense can step up the pace.

 

[orientalnc]

Yes. I do too. We'll see if Coach can do better or as well directly. Let's hope so.

I have spent time in last few months watching replays of the Johnson era games. Except when we were outmanned, that offense was a thing of beauty.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Yes. I do too. We'll see if Coach can do better or as well directly. Let's hope so.

It may be a vain hope but I sure want the new offense to keep at least one option package that is not RPO. Watched too many teams going for 3rd down shot yardage last year where the QBs and the backs were 5 to 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Unless you have a line like Clemson or Alabama you are just asking for trouble when you have to cover 9 yards to make 2.

 

[Ibeeballin]

It may be a vain hope but I sure want the new offense to keep at least one option package that is not RPO. Watched too many teams going for 3rd down shot yardage last year where the QBs and the backs were 5 to 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Unless you have a line like Clemson or Alabama you are just asking for trouble when you have to cover 9 yards to make 2.

How is that any different than a option pitch or a rocket toss

 

[Northeast Stinger]

How is that any different than a option pitch or a rocket toss

QB and backs start a yard or so off the line of scrimmage and blocks don't have to hold blocks as long.

 

[iceeater1969]

How is that any different than a option pitch or a rocket toss

Because the under center has quick hitters by qb and bb which cause the defense to congregate near the line and inside the tackles.??

If we have a qb and receivers who read, stop/cut, pop/catch , is not going to be an issue. Need to learn the new offense and make it ours ( yes we should have some run wrinkles).

Hope we get on to running the plays with skilled players making big plays.

,

 

[stech81]

How is that any different than a option pitch or a rocket toss

On short the old QB follow. On rocket it doesn't work good on a fast defense and the back has to gain 5 or 6 yards to get back to the LS

 

[Milwaukee]

I have spent time in last few months watching replays of the Johnson era games. Except when we were outmanned, that offense was a thing of beauty.

I will forever miss the offense and Paul. I'm a football enthusiast but didn't know the intriquiesies of the flexbone before he arrived. That **** works. I've said it before but if a factory would have hired Paul he would have multiple D1 nattys.

 

[Ibeeballin]

Option package and having HB Blast/Dive are different

 

[LibertyTurns]

Option package and having HB Blast/Dive are different

I don't really care what it is but there’s something wonderful about having 3-4 plays nearly guaranteed to get you 2 yds. You can just sense the anxiety on the other sideline when your team’s offense goes back to the huddle & they know you’re not faking. They know you’re going to run the ball right at them & they have little to no chance of stopping you even if they put all 11 guys between the tackles.

 

[ATL1]

Man, those blue unis are nice.

 

[Milwaukee]

Man, those blue unis are nice.

Tacky af.

 

[awbuzz]

I will forever miss the offense and Paul. I'm a football enthusiast but didn't know the intriquiesies of the flexbone before he arrived. That **** works. I've said it before but if a factory would have hired Paul he would have multiple D1 nattys.

I'd be willing to bet that if he'd go to Alabama, Oklahoma,and the I'll he'd be able to rack up a couple within 6 years.

 

[Techster]

Man, those blue unis are nice.

That kid looks more like an OL than a TE. BIG dude.

 

[ncjacket79]

I will forever miss the offense and Paul. I'm a football enthusiast but didn't know the intriquiesies of the flexbone before he arrived. That **** works. I've said it before but if a factory would have hired Paul he would have multiple D1 nattys.

If you have Alabama talent it doesn’t matter what you run. But that’s a big “if”. Clearly factories had/have no interest in the offense and it would have been interesting to see if they would have stayed factories and could have still pulled in the same level of talent.

 

[Southpaw13]

I'd be willing to bet that if he'd go to Alabama, Oklahoma,and the I'll he'd be able to rack up a couple within 6 years.

I just don't think so... 4 and 5 star kids want to play in a system that will get them ready for the NFL, they all believe they are headed there... the option doesn't do that. I just don't think elite talent would go to Bama if CPJ were there just because it's Bama. Same with anywhere else.

 

[jacketup]

I just don't think so... 4 and 5 star kids want to play in a system that will get them ready for the NFL, they all believe they are headed there... the option doesn't do that. I just don't think elite talent would go to Bama if CPJ were there just because it's Bama. Same with anywhere else.

There's a reason Bama quit running the TO. Same for Texas and OU (although OU ran a variation for a long time). And they didn't immediately go to a wide open passing game. The early to mid 80's (post wishbone era) was feature back time--Walker, Bo Jackson, George Rogers. Bama, Texas, OU couldn't recruit the feature back with the TO--or the supporting cast for it. Neither could GT.

Why certain big money guys thought the TO would work at Tech is beyond me given our other issues with recruiting. And we lost the recruiting benefit of Megatron and Bay Bay and their NFL success in the process. I don't blame Paul Johnson--I blame the GTAA they knew what they were getting and were willing to pay him double what they paid Gailey to get it. It just never made any sense that Tech could somehow recruit for the TO when other P5 programs knew they could not.

And to those who say it was a strategic advantage, well, not much of one. Any success had more to do with Johnson's ability with blocking schemes than the TO per se.
Just like Ralph Friedgen's ability to create matchups and design and install game plans was an advantage, and not some "scheme". Any advantage from the TO was lost in recruiting, as the overall record of the last 9 years shows. If we had a recruiting class close to 2007 every 2 or 3 years, then the last 9 years would have been more like 2008 -2009, but it wasn't going to happen running the TO.