Preview of offense

[AE 87]

I hear what you are saying, but we weren't very good at blocking anywhere in 2008. We were 74th in the country in points per game (24.4). Not counting cupcakes, we put up 19 points on BC, 17 on VT, 27 on dook, 21 on Clemson, 17 on UVA, 31 on fsu, and 7 on unc. Don't forget that bowl game. And that was with Dwyer and a DL with four nfl guys (3 of whom were seniors). We play much better teams earlier this year. If we start out like we did in 08, we will be 3-7 after FSU.

I think if you rewatch the games you'll see OL and turnovers were a bigger problem than perimeter blocking. Roddy still had 8.5 yds/carry. BC and VPI had #12 and #4 ppd vs AQ Def in 2008; CU was #9.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Name an AB we've had who was a good blocker as a freshman. There aren't any.

Go back and take a look at E.Peeples and M.Wright

 

[Legal Jacket]

I think if you rewatch the games you'll see OL and turnovers were a bigger problem than perimeter blocking. Roddy still had 8.5 yds/carry. BC and VPI had #12 and #4 ppd vs AQ Def in 2008; CU was #9.

Pretty much half his yards came against uga and Miami, which were both at the end of the season. Before then, he had about 370 yards on 60 carries (rough math) - barely over 6 ypc. Definitely remember turnovers being an issue, and the OL not giving much time to throw. I also remember Dwyers 1400 yards on 200 carries, which we won't have either. I'm concerned the early part of the schedule will present challenges for the offense - esp duke and nd

 

[Legal Jacket]

Go back and take a look at E.Peeples and M.Wright

Wright didn't even get in a game until they burned his redshirt out of necessity halfway through the season. If he is your example of a true freshman AB being ready to go on game 1 of the season then we are in trouble.

Embry was ok, esp toward the end of the year, but again the problem is who will be ready to play at a high level on game 1. I didn't see much in the way of consistently competent blocking until fsu or MiamiMiami

 

[OldJacketFan]

Wright didn't even get in a game until they burned his redshirt out of necessity halfway through the season. If he is your example of a true freshman AB being ready to go on game 1 of the season then we are in trouble.

Embry was ok, esp toward the end of the year, but again the problem is who will be ready to play at a high level on game 1. I didn't see much in the way of consistently competent blocking until fsu or MiamiMiami

You know, you have the typical attorney attitude. No one has said all of the Fr A backs will be ready from jump street. Of course there is an adjustment period but your comment on there haven't been any Fr A backs that were good blockers is simply wrong. And yes, I know about attorney attitudes. I hire them on a daily basis.

 

[Legal Jacket]

You know, you have the typical attorney attitude. No one has said all of the Fr A backs will be ready from jump street. Of course there is an adjustment period but your comment on there haven't been any Fr A backs that were good blockers is simply wrong. And yes, I know about attorney attitudes. I hire them on a daily basis.

Funny. Seems like you are the one with the attitude. Maybe you should find another place to post if you can't be nice? I hear stingtalk is a great place for personal attacks.

My point all along is that we can't rely on true freshmen to start the year. Great, maybe some became good blockers by the 11th/12th game of the season. How is that going to help us games 1-8?

 

[OldJacketFan]

Funny. Seems like you are the one with the attitude. Maybe you should find another place to post if you can't be nice? I hear stingtalk is a great place for personal attacks.

My point all along is that we can't rely on true freshmen to start the year. Great, maybe some became good blockers by the 11th/12th game of the season. How is that going to help us games 1-8?

Nothing wrong with my attitude, I just take exception to folks coming in making pronouncement that appears to be absolutes. I, and most folks on here, expect the 4 returning A backs that have been in the system for at least a year to carry the heavy load throughout most of the season. The Fr who do play will earn their place in the rotation just as all players do, it's not like the backfield is completely bare of talent. If you perceive my comment relative to attorneys offensive so be it. I've rarely known one that didn't think their position was the "right" one even when the evidence is to the contrary.

 

[jayparr]

Just my opinion on the ab's. is that the fr know what is expected of them probably more so than any class so far. They know how important blocking is of the position by the example of the great season and of the likes of the bowl commentary. Plus the leadership on this squad. Also I believe these guys are a better athletic quality than those of the earlier years. I believe they know period.

 

[Buzz4Him]

I edited that. It's more like 8+, but last year's crew had over 15.

Maybe Nesbitt kept it more when he should have pitched it and JT distributes more?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

O.K., let's take it from the top.

(1) Has Tech ever had a year in which the A-backs failed to perform? I say no, but maybe some of you have seen something in the past that I missed. I am not saying that some years weren't better than other years, just saying that production from the A-back position seems to be a given with CPJ.

(2) Are the A-backs going into this season the most inexperienced that we have ever had? Again, I say no. As AE has pointed out, that year would be 2008. Some might also point to those years when lack of experience turned out to not be a disaster, like when Godhigh decided to walk on and save our bacon.

(3) Are our young A-backs, new A-backs and returning A-backs among the most talented group we have had at this position? I say yes, resoundingly. The backs that we lost, and that we will miss, were backs that, frankly, were not thought that highly of prior to the 2014 season. If CPJ and his band of merry coaching magicians can produce with those guys, think what they can do this year with these guys!

(4) Can unexpected things go wrong with this position group? Yes, of course, but I am frankly baffled with the assurance that some seem to possess that we are in dire straits. I see no evidence for this and much that points to the contrary. Other than trying to imagine the unimaginable, the evidence seems to point with calm assurance to this not being the problem area for the team.

 

[Legal Jacket]

Nothing wrong with my attitude, I just take exception to folks coming in making pronouncement that appears to be absolutes. I, and most folks on here, expect the 4 returning A backs that have been in the system for at least a year to carry the heavy load throughout most of the season. The Fr who do play will earn their place in the rotation just as all players do, it's not like the backfield is completely bare of talent. If you perceive my comment relative to attorneys offensive so be it. I've rarely known one that didn't think their position was the "right" one even when the evidence is to the contrary.

Maybe you should take a couple of deep breaths next time before launching into the personal attacks. You can pretend to be the internet police without being mean to others, especially since we are supposedly all on the same side. I'm not saying I'm "right" and you are "wrong" - but your comment was very clearly calculated to offend. You may take exception to folks "making pronouncement that appears to be absolutes," which, ironically, is just what you did when saying that I "have the typical attorney attitude."

On the substance of your post - the four returning ABs are Qua Searcy, Isiah Willis, Broderick Snoddy, and Clinton Lynch? I hope you are right and that we can rely on those four without needing much else from the true freshmen.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Maybe you should take a couple of deep breaths next time before launching into the personal attacks. You can pretend to be the internet police without being mean to others, especially since we are supposedly all on the same side. I'm not saying I'm "right" and you are "wrong" - but your comment was very clearly calculated to offend. You may take exception to folks "making pronouncement that appears to be absolutes," which, ironically, is just what you did when saying that I "have the typical attorney attitude."

On the substance of your post - the four returning ABs are Qua Searcy, Isiah Willis, Broderick Snoddy, and Clinton Lynch? I hope you are right and that we can rely on those four without needing much else from the true freshmen.

Nothing personal about it at all, sorry your feelings were hurt.

 

[Legal Jacket]

O.K., let's take it from the top.

(1) Has Tech ever had a year in which the A-backs failed to perform? I say no, but maybe some of you have seen something in the past that I missed. I am not saying that some years weren't better than other years, just saying that production from the A-back position seems to be a given with CPJ.

(2) Are the A-backs going into this season the most inexperienced that we have ever had? Again, I say no. As AE has pointed out, that year would be 2008. Some might also point to those years when lack of experience turned out to not be a disaster, like when Godhigh decided to walk on and save our bacon.

(3) Are our young A-backs, new A-backs and returning A-backs among the most talented group we have had at this position? I say yes, resoundingly. The backs that we lost, and that we will miss, were backs that, frankly, were not thought that highly of prior to the 2014 season. If CPJ and his band of merry coaching magicians can produce with those guys, think what they can do this year with these guys!

(4) Can unexpected things go wrong with this position group? Yes, of course, but I am frankly baffled with the assurance that some seem to possess that we are in dire straits. I see no evidence for this and much that points to the contrary. Other than trying to imagine the unimaginable, the evidence seems to point with calm assurance to this not being the problem area for the team.

Agree with you on No. 2 and No. 3. With No. 1 though, I'd point to 2008 as an example. Roddy led the way that year with 81 carries for 690 yards. But as has been said on here, much of that came against Miami (7 carries, 97 yards) and uga (13 carries, 214 yards).

The rest of the season our ABs did relatively little. For example, against BC Roddy led the way with 3 carries for 7 yards. Yeah, you read that right. After a few good games, our ABs again didn't show up against dook. 15 carries, 49 yards total (Roddy was 10 for 26, again both game highs for ABs). Clemson our Cox had 1 carry for 9 yards - tops on the team - and Roddy had 2 carries for 7 yards.

I just hope you guys are right and that the inexperience doesn't matter as much.

On No. 4 - I don't think we are in dire straits. But I do think we will need some good fortune to get anywhere close to 10 wins again. In terms of potential problem areas, imo they are all on offense this year. I'm most concerned with the lack of WR experience, then BB, and then AB, so sure, I don't think ABs are our first area of concern - though I do think it's the toughest position to learn out of those three (mesh notwithstanding).

 

[Skeptic]

Anybody think this season, with a lack of experience at A back, that Johnson will go with his best with little substitution, at least early on, and get his plays in with wide receivers? I wonder if he finds a couple of reliable blockers he will look for a way to keep them on the field as much as possible as he builds a deeper bench there. Last season after all was four or five years in the making.

 

[Skeptic]

..... I don't think ABs are our first area of concern - though I do think it's the toughest position to learn out of those three (mesh notwithstanding).

I agree here. Even today when I indulge myself by watching the Orange Bowl for the umpteenth time and see one of the A backs decleat a defender, I get goose bumps at the execution of something so difficult.

 

[Longestday]

Ike and Lynch showed me enough blocking that I think they can hold their own (spring and NC State game). It will be tough if either of these miss a game as of right now. My hope is that one or two of the others have time to grow before they are needed.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

With No. 1 though, I'd point to 2008 as an example. Roddy led the way that year with 81 carries for 690 yards. But as has been said on here, much of that came against Miami (7 carries, 97 yards) and uga (13 carries, 214 yards).

Just talking out loud now but I find myself in a "chicken and egg" discussion when it comes to anomalous performances at a given offensive position. We have had games in which A-backs did not show well, games in which B-backs did not show well and games where the QB did not particularly show well (think Justin Thomas last year in the Miami game). I have not researched deeply enough to know if this is because the defense is "choosing their poison," the offensive line or WRs are not blocking well, or the position is just failing. I have my opinions but no solid research to back it up.

I'm most concerned with the lack of WR experience, then BB, and then AB, so sure, I don't think ABs are our first area of concern - though I do think it's the toughest position to learn out of those three (mesh notwithstanding).

I disagree. I think B-back has shown itself to have the longer and steeper learning curve for most of the time CPJ has been at Tech. That is one of the reasons why my heart was lifted when I saw how well Allen seems to have already mastered the position. But I agree with you on the order of priorities for concern, all things being equal.

On a side note, Summers was an absolute demon blocking during the uga game which is one more reason for hope that the offense may have enough people who understand their roles for this offense to not fall off much in production.

 

[iceeater1969]

I think coach will open up more passing in games 1&2. He will actually feature the AB as receivers. Last year we were very conservative early in year and it paid off as we snuck up on the last third of the season
now we need to make a statement against nd.
the AB need lots of work to be ready.

What ab will play? IMO = the fastest

 

[Skeptic]

I think coach will open up more passing in games 1&2. He will actually feature the AB as receivers. Last year we were very conservative early in year and it paid off as we snuck up on the last third of the season
now we need to make a statement against nd.
the AB need lots of work to be ready.

What ab will play? IMO = the fastest

Johnson will do in the first two games what he will do in the last 12 or so: run his offense. ND is going to be a marquee national game. Tech, having spent two games fitting pieces into place and Johnson taking a pulse for the progress of his offense, will say to Notre Dame what it said to Georgia, Clemson, FSU and MSU : we are going to run the football. Prove you can stop us. Hard to understand why we keep thinking Johnson will turn his philosophy inside out, like a reversible raincoat. Being conservative early in '14 had more to do with Thomas's inexperience and progress than "sneaking up" on anybody. He just wasn't very good in a couple of games. As for the "fastest" A backs playing, this is a guy who played Lucas Cox out there -- he probably ran a 6.0 40 on a good day -- because he flattened people. The A backs who play will be the A backs who block and that should not be a revelation. This is all fun but it's like saying Tech will come out in a shotgun spread with Byerly at QB and Thomas at WR, and just throw the bejabbers out of the ball this year. In fact, I am making that prediction. Spread the word.

 

[iceeater1969]

Johnson will do in the first two games what he will do in the last 12 or so: run his offense. ND is going to be a marquee national game. Tech, having spent two games fitting pieces into place and Johnson taking a pulse for the progress of his offense, will say to Notre Dame what it said to Georgia, Clemson, FSU and MSU : we are going to run the football. Prove you can stop us. Hard to understand why we keep thinking Johnson will turn his philosophy inside out, like a reversible raincoat. Being conservative early in '14 had more to do with Thomas's inexperience and progress than "sneaking up" on anybody. He just wasn't very good in a couple of games. As for the "fastest" A backs playing, this is a guy who played Lucas Cox out there -- he probably ran a 6.0 40 on a good day -- because he flattened people. The A backs who play will be the A backs who block and that should not be a revelation. This is all fun but it's like saying Tech will come out in a shotgun spread with Byerly at QB and Thomas at WR, and just throw the bejabbers out of the ball this year. In fact, I am making that prediction. Spread the word.

I repeat for clarity
We will get the AB lots of work in games 1/2 so nd can't clog middle. Lots of called plays in these game
it will be too late to give them work in nd game.

During nd we will run the base offense as you said.


Coach has dialed the offense up and will add speed with the Jet. The old you need to be here 4 years to learn the blocking ship has sailed. Do your job or next man up

I do like the idea of the big stanford bb transfer being in on goal line or short yardage play