Sugiura: 3 things to know about new Georgia Tech assistant Ron West

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
19,627
http://georgiatech.blog.ajc.com/201...ow-about-new-georgia-tech-assistant-ron-west/
“I think the biggest thing is, most of their philosophy of what Georgia Tech does is not going to change,” he said. “It’s a proven winner. It will work. It’s just that we’ve got to get better in some areas that we can improve in and the techniques and things that we do, and then probably sometimes scheme-wise, you can do some different things that might help the protection, and Coach is very aware of that.”
 

33jacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,699
Location
Georgia

65Jacket

GT Athlete
Messages
1,168
you know, its been obvious to me for 8 years the pass pro scheme needed to change. So what is it to change now? Has it been denial? Or the lack of recognition that scheme doesn't work in big boy football? It perplexes me it took 8 years. But at least he is addressing. Next up. Defense.
I can't believe that Roof has not used more of what he learned while playing for Don Lindsey. He looks like OLeary with all of the read and react that worked for Coleman Rudolph, Jeremiah McClarey, Marco Coleman, and Company.
 

Yaller Jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
993
I'm not sure what to say about the pass protection issue, other than I agree it is a huge problem. In my low level view, it looked like many defenses sold out to stop all phases of the option leaving a pass as the vulnerable area. But since the QB was overwhelmed immediately after the snap, they got away with it. Just a second or two more time might have been enough to hit some big plays and force teams to back off what they were doing.

One thing don't understand was that the last couple of years before 2015, it appeared to me we were getting better. All those clutch catches by Smelter required some protection, and we were able to do it in 2014. But I'm glad it's a priority and this guy will be focusing on it.
 

ATL1

Helluva Engineer
Messages
7,377
I personally think more teams studied the Bud Foster & Duke approach. Then after the ND nearly every team saw what a major flaw the O had and began to attack it. CPJ couldn't adjust.
 

redmule

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
664
Chicken or the egg. The reason teams were able to sell out was we were not making them pay for it in the running game. Hit some long A and B back runs, and suddenly the pass protection gets better as defenses have to play less aggressively. An almost 5 yds guaranteed with Days/Laskey behind Mason was the best pass protection scheme.
 

Boomergump

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
3,284
There were several factors in play last year. The only legit speed we had on the field was at BB and QB. Teams were simply not afraid of getting beat deep or outrun on the edges. So, you fire up the middle and hope to blow some plays up. Most of the big plays we hit last year were on dump offs, drags, or check downs over the top of a blitzing defense. They were handed to us. After the injuries, I really can't remember many big plays in ways we were used to seeing them, off mainstream TO concepts. JT broke free once or twice keeping on the option, and MM hit a big play on a speed option pitch, but besides that I am drawing a blank. I think CL hit a seam on the TO pitch against UVA.

Protection schemes might be a part of the problem, but the quality of the blocking within the scheme wasn't really good either, especially by skill position players. There were lots of mental errors to go around.
 
Last edited:

iceeater1969

Helluva Engineer
Messages
9,789
I can't believe that Roof has not used more of what he learned while playing for Don Lindsey. He looks like OLeary with all of the read and react that worked for Coleman Rudolph, Jeremiah McClarey, Marco Coleman, and Company.

I think the taught technique in the trenches is too tough for the players we have playing. It doesn't fit the actual size strength of our players. The read technique we use ( dl guy pops the ol guy with arms and then is supposed to bend to side and peek into backfield to decide where to penetrate) . This time allows the big ol guys with longer arms grab our smaller players, pull our guys closer and and depending on play freeze them in place or drag them out of the hole.
Our technique requires we physically stand in front of physically larger players and beat them to get pressure.
Coaching up dl slants and lb roll to cover hole seems like a better fit.

Our biggest need is at de where setting an edge to keep off tackle hole less than 2 yards wide is seldom accomplished. The larger transfer and this recruit would shut this down. Also there is the possibility that the starters will make some MAJOR sizee gains in off season.
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,372
I personally think more teams studied the Bud Foster & Duke approach. Then after the ND nearly every team saw what a major flaw the O had and began to attack it. CPJ couldn't adjust.
I agree that became the defensive game plan, Foster 2.0. And that Johnson didn't adjust, but mostly from what I saw, cringing and blinking through my fingers, he didn't have the horses to do it. Lineman -- and B backs -- made the wrong block, went the wrong way, ran the wrong play, whiffed even when they were on scheme ... and it lasted all season with an occasional display of coherency to the offense. Partially as a result Thomas went backwards in his development, and whereas in '14 he could roll out and set up in a kind of moving pocket and wait for the play to develop -- Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl -- in '15 he was overwhelmed with lineman and LBs stacked atop him like cord wood.

I know pass blocking has to be a priority but our run blocking did not, to these eyes, seem much better. The line was just all over the field and the injury plagued Aback corps just looked lost. But as John McCain was purported to have said, remember that it always looks darker before it gets really dark. I hope not.
 

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
11,185
Chicken or the egg. The reason teams were able to sell out was we were not making them pay for it in the running game. Hit some long A and B back runs, and suddenly the pass protection gets better as defenses have to play less aggressively. An almost 5 yds guaranteed with Days/Laskey behind Mason was the best pass protection scheme.
It really is quite simple if one watches football isn't it. If an offense struggles the defense gets more aggressive. Before long the defensive players don't even have to think, they are just reacting. As their game speed increases the offense founders even more. It is a vicious feed back loop that is hard to counteract.
 

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
11,185
There were several factors in play last year. The only legit speed we had on the field was at BB and QB. Teams were simply not afraid of getting beat deep or outrun on the edges. So, you fire up the middle and hope to blow some plays up. Most of the big plays we hit last year were on dump offs, drags, or check downs over the top of a blitzing defense. They were handed to us. After the injuries, I really can't remember many big plays in ways we were used to seeing them, off mainstream TO concepts. JT broke free once or twice keeping on the option, and MM hit a big play on a speed option pitch, but besides that I am drawing a blank. I think CL hit a seam on the TO pitch against UVA.

Protection schemes might be a part of the problem, but the quality of the blocking within the scheme wasn't really good either, especially by skill position players. There were lots of menatal errors to go around.
Yes, it was a perfect storm of problems. It might have helped if our receivers had been able to get open more but they did not seem to have the ability that Smelter or even Waller had. This offense really depends on each part of the offense performing properly. As it was the line struggled, A-backs did not block or run proper routes, WRs did not get open and many times did not block. QB and B-back were often stopped in their tracks due to other breakdowns. I think CPJ put it best when he said, paraphrasing here, "Every time we would get one problem fixed another part would break down and we couldn't everyone doing the right thing on the same play."

Youth, inexperience and injuries too their toll.
 

Northeast Stinger

Helluva Engineer
Messages
11,185
I think the taught technique in the trenches is too tough for the players we have playing. It doesn't fit the actual size strength of our players. The read technique we use ( dl guy pops the ol guy with arms and then is supposed to bend to side and peek into backfield to decide where to penetrate) . This time allows the big ol guys with longer arms grab our smaller players, pull our guys closer and and depending on play freeze them in place or drag them out of the hole.
Our technique requires we physically stand in front of physically larger players and beat them to get pressure.
Coaching up dl slants and lb roll to cover hole seems like a better fit.

Our biggest need is at de where setting an edge to keep off tackle hole less than 2 yards wide is seldom accomplished. The larger transfer and this recruit would shut this down. Also there is the possibility that the starters will make some MAJOR sizee gains in off season.
Your description of how some of the OLs handled our DLs was perfect. I saw that in game films several times.
 

Skeptic

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,372
What if one wanted to know four things about West? For instance, how likely or unlikely is it that West would be willing to go facetime with Johnson, privately of course, and tell him straight out that player A or scheme B has failure written all over and changes have to be made. Don't have a clue about West or any other coach, but after last season everything should be on the table. Wasn't that long ago, for instance, that we started a war because nobody was willing to bell the cat.
 

JacketFromUGA

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,897
What if one wanted to know four things about West? For instance, how likely or unlikely is it that West would be willing to go facetime with Johnson, privately of course, and tell him straight out that player A or scheme B has failure written all over and changes have to be made. Don't have a clue about West or any other coach, but after last season everything should be on the table. Wasn't that long ago, for instance, that we started a war because nobody was willing to bell the cat.
I have 0 understanding of anything you wrote here...
 

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
Messages
12,296
Location
Marietta, GA
What if one wanted to know four things about West? For instance, how likely or unlikely is it that West would be willing to go facetime with Johnson, privately of course, and tell him straight out that player A or scheme B has failure written all over and changes have to be made. Don't have a clue about West or any other coach, but after last season everything should be on the table. Wasn't that long ago, for instance, that we started a war because nobody was willing to bell the cat.
What makes you think that doesn't already happen?
 
Top