Paul Johnson and His Players

[GTNavyNuke]

Staying relatively healthy and team chemistry made a difference this year. Let's carry it into the years to come.
Next may be a better team, but we may have a worse record. Sometimes that is just the way that it is.
Here's to the D being better next year and a 10 win or better season in 2015 (and of course beating UGA at BDS@HGF!)

Playing hard to the end and great team chemistry helped. But the lack of injuries till the end helped a tremendous amount. If the DL had lost Gotsis and Green and the OL was as banged up as last year, it would have been different.

Next year, I'll evaluate the team as I do every year, based on power rankings. That helps take into account who you play and where. So we could be a 9 win team with a higher power ranking. (Just as long as we hang 100 on Fluke and beat the dwags.)

 

[Dave.S]

What this season showed in spades is that you must have the right QB to run this offense. That and an improved OL were the difference IMO.

Hit the nail on the head, you also need at least one big threat receiver that can make plays.

 

[redmule]

Next year will be different. CPJ probably doesn't want me to tell y'all this, but WTF. We're going to average about 250 yds passing next year. Did you not see what JT did on that last drive against FSU? Didn't he have a 4 TD passing game this year? The OL has this pass blocking thing down pat now, and JT has a Godsey type arm. The TO will still be effective and we will avg 325+ rushing because that's what the TO does. New A Backs means problems blocking the edge, so don't make 'em block. Send them out on pass patterns. If the CB's and S are back peddling on the snap, you don't have to block them as well. Snoddy will be added to our list of 1000 yd rushers.

The point is, CPJ has shown us that he will have a very good offense. Our short comings have been primarily three areas: Special Teams sucked for 2-3 years, Defensive coaching sucked for 2-3 years, and strong DL's could over power our smaller OL. Those have all been fixed, and looks like they will stay fixed for a while. Just as important, those returning know what it takes and how to win close games.

In College football, you generally lose many of your good players every year. That happens to everybody. You think Clemson isn't worried about what they're losing on the DL. FSU loses most of the OL and the QB, Miami loses Duke, Duke loses almost everything, VT has no offense to lose, uga has lost their delusions. We have a coach that has demonstrated over and over that his teams will score bunches of points. We are on the edge of having a defense that will get our offense more possessions per game. Where we are now looks to me very much like where we were in 1984, 1989, 1998, and 2008. Each of those years we lost amazing players (Lavette in 84, Mays in 89, Rogers, Brooking, and Middleton in 97, our DL in '08), and got better each time because we had reached a critical mass. I think we are there again.

 

[Fatmike91]

I look forward to seeing this updated for the 2014 season.

Unfair to compare anyone to Dodd...but, coach Dodd's second group of six years (years 7-12) were his best.


/

 

[Yaller Jacket]

This is something I think about a good bit too, Body. We had a similar rise to prominence under Ross and O'Leary. A short time after each left GT. The first priority toward keeping it going this time is in order -- Paul John and Ted Roof are happy where they are.

There are a number of other aspects that need to either stay good or improve. Need to keep finding good offensive linemen and teach them well. Need to keep getting better on D, especially in the area of pass rush. But the biggest thing to me is we need to continue to find Justin Thomas quality quarterbacks. I have a fear that after Justin leaves, we are going to be in the same position with QB as we are with B back after Jonathan Dwyer.

 

[UgaBlows]

we are recruiting WAY better at QB (and everywhere else) than when CPJ first got here, i don't think we'll see another dropoff anytime soon like we experienced after Nesbitt

 

[Bogey]

Indeed. A true home run threat at B back is such an unbelievable weapon. Watch those 98-01 Southern teams and see how defenses were petrified of AP on every play. Then you get a Greg Hill on the corner, and it's over. JT is PJ's Tech version of Greg Hill. Dwyer and AA were about as close to the Tech version of AP as PJ has gotten so far.

I think a lot of our late success was when Days started playing more. This offense needs a B back that can maneuver when he breaks through the line. I love Laskey, but he was all down hill runner. Though Days lacked speed, once he broke through he would cut it to the outside. And I think Laskey started doing some of that when he came back. Was fun to watch both our B backs become a true weapon again.

 

[ATL1]

Average 250 yards passing??? OK..

I actually lack the talent at the skill positions coming in and getting their shot.
Blocking will be a concern but Messick and Jeune should be good. Summers is one of the fastest guys on the team.

Andrews and Snoddy should make a nasty combo at Aback.

Three headed race at bback and they all have more breakaway speed than the current bbacks. Remains to be scene if they have the toughness.

 

[Minawreck]

I think a lot of our late success was when Days started playing more. This offense needs a B back that can maneuver when he breaks through the line. I love Laskey, but he was all down hill runner. Though Days lacked speed, once he broke through he would cut it to the outside. And I think Laskey started doing some of that when he came back. Was fun to watch both our B backs become a true weapon again.

I completely agree that Laskey started adding some of Days moves to his repertoire at the end of the season.

 

[alaguy]

I'm optimistic too. But we will have up and down seasons. Yes, QB and OL were important. But think about this- Perkins, Hill, Zenon, Bostic, Smelter, Waller, Laskey and Days were all seniors at the skill positions. Most of our A-backs took 3 or more years in this system to finally be successful blocking on the edge. Don't be surprised if we have edge blocking issues next year with A-backs and WRs, and mesh fumbling problems with B-backs.

Just now starting to think about what might have been. How truly loaded were we offensively? What would the outcomes of the UGAg and FSU games have been WITH Snoddy and Smelter? Between Snoddy, Smelter, Thomas, Waller, Zenon, Days, Laskey, Hill, Perkins- we had some serious weapons on offense this year. I like where our recruiting is going if we can keep this class together, but I expect it to be 2-3 years before serious offensive contribution comes from anyone based on past history.

wow, Madison you need to post more-I couldn't have said that better

 

[UgaBlows]

Snoddy became such a huge threat this season. i hope he makes it back to full speed by the fall, i can't wait to see him playing again

 

[alaguy]

I expect our defense will be even better next year and our O-line as well so I think that we should hopefully see the same results as this year. Schedule looks tougher but most of those teams are replacing their qb's or have a scrub anyway. The only big question mark is Clemson with deshaun Watson and they're losing their OC!

the only problem with the QB assumption is--they said exactly the same thing about US THIS YR

 

[gtcrew]

the only problem with the QB assumption is--they said exactly the same thing about US THIS YR

Good point, but:

A. Clearly we are an anomaly. Some teams will do fine like us, Clem or Miami but some will fall back some like Vt and duke did.
B. We didn't graduate a successful QB, ours transferred. Pessimists assume that's a terrible sign because the backup is a backup for a reason, yada, yada. The other reason this happens is when the backup is clearly going to steal the job. Luckily for us that was the case here. It took most everyone by surprise.

 

[okiemon]

Roof did a remarkable job with what he had this year. he is a great recruiter also. I believe he is our man that can get it done on defense.

I hope you're right. I'm still concerned about the pass defense, from both a talent AND scheme perspective.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I hope you're right. I'm still concerned about the pass defense, from both a talent AND scheme perspective.

Both JHD and Whitehead will improve our pass rush right off the bat. Assuming Gotsis, Gamble, Freeman and Kallon continue to improve, we got a good'un coming back. The true frosh Henderson is gravy.

 

[PBR549]

We need consistency in Scheme and yes better talent.I definitely think that ted roof is the man to get the job done in both cases.

 

[awbuzz]

Less concerned about "scheme" than I am about the Jimmies and Joes.
We can have a great scheme, but if you're out sized by 50 - 60 lbs across the board it makes it tough to perform for 50 - 80 plays a game. (I'm not knocking this years D-line)

 

[UgaBlows]

i think pretty much any D-line in college football would be dwarfed by fsu's o-line

 

[LarryMunson]

This was a mediocre year. If they had a pro style offense and a new coach, tech could almost compete in the sec with Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

--- Atlanta sports radio hosts on this team

 

[Bogey]

wow, Madison you need to post more-I couldn't have said that better

With Snoddy and Smelter, we definitely would probably have beaten FSU.