Tech vs Navy's Offense

[Adadu]

Had the chance to talk to one of my friends today who got a good amount of playing time over the past two years for Pitt, and asked him about how Tech and Navy differed in approach and how Pitt defended both offenses (Pitt played Navy in their bowl game this past year). Thought it was interesting that he said "Navy was much harder to play against," as the players on Navy's offense in his opinion were MUCH more disciplined in their approach, which comes with the serviceman attitude that they are exposed to everyday. Also said that Pitt literally plays the option the same on every single play, and rarely if ever switches responsibilities for dive, pitch, etc. Also said that Pitt defense typically has a default set of audibles on D which are completely thrown out when playing an option team, keeping the defense as vanilla as possible, as Narduzzi (who controlled the defense for both the Tech and Navy games) believes that the option can be stopped strictly with discipline instead of switching responsibilities. Food for thought for the Pitt game this year.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Interesting as Tech has scored 28 in a 3 point loss and 34 point in a 3 point loss against Pitt in the last two years. Navy scored 44 against Pitt in their bowl game. Not sure the numbers support your friend's contention that Navy is harder to defend. Let's see how Pitt handles it this year as we know how bad (relatively) Tech's O was in 2015 and how bad (relatively) Tech D's was early in 2016.

 

[TheSilasSonRising]

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

o

 

[Adadu]

Interesting as Tech has scored 28 in a 3 point loss and 34 point in a 3 point loss against Pitt in the last two years. Navy scored 44 against Pitt in their bowl game. Not sure the numbers support your friend's contention that Navy is harder to defend. Let's see how Pitt handles it this year as we know how bad (relatively) Tech's O was in 2015 and how bad (relatively) Tech D's was early in 2016.

Well, Tech scored fewer points in both of those losses, Navy scored more in their win against Pitt. Not sure what you mean by the numbers not supporting it. 28, 34 < 44

 

[Adadu]

Edit: Pitt played Navy in 2015, brain fart

 

[A Love Supreme]

Well all I know is that I'm tired of losing to Pitt. It has to end this year.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Well, Tech scored fewer points in both of those losses, Navy scored more in their win against Pitt. Not sure what you mean by the numbers not supporting it. 28, 34 < 44

Well what I meant was Navy was clicking on all cylinders in their bowl game. You really think 2015 was representative of the typical Tech offenses? In 2016 the D couldn't get a stop and Tech still scored 34. For that matter let's look at 2014 when Tech put 56 points up. If you think it's as simple as 44 vs 34 fine, but it ain't that simple.

 

[Adadu]

Well what I meant was Navy was clicking on all cylinders in their bowl game. You really think 2015 was representative of the typical Tech offenses? In 2016 the D couldn't get a stop and Tech still scored 34. For that matter let's look at 2014 when Tech put 56 points up. If you think it's as simple as 44 vs 34 fine, but it ain't that simple.

Ok, fair point. Just thought it was an interesting take from a player who has seen both sides

 

[Deleted member 2897]

When we got 5 turnovers in the first 8 minutes of the 2014 game and *blink* it was already 28-0, we used up 2 years worth of luck.

The good news is that this is year 3. So back to beating that *** again.

Your friends comments were like comparing which is faster - a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Sure one is faster, but Pitt got torched by both. If we're scoring 30 points on our limited numbers of possessions, they ain't stopping much.

 

[Longestday]

Navy had an awesome team in 2015. GT had 8 true freshman on field at times in 2015. I could see the reality that Navy might have had a better O in 2015 due to experience.

Navy 2016 had the top rated FEI. That QB was a beast in the middle. I think GT finally gained the experience it needed by mid 2016. I am not sure who I would want to face, JT's speed or the 5 to 10 yard QB bulldozer. I think the guys in the trenches would find the bulldozer very disheartening.

This year and next for sure should be a high water mark on O given the experience and personnel. There might be a slip in 2019 as we re-build. MJ is important for early 17 as he is more Gameday ready. The other QBs could be more Gameday ready as the year progresses. Of course trail by fire will speed things along, but may cost a game or two.

 

[SlawDog]

Navy had an awesome team in 2015. GT had 8 true freshman on field at times in 2015. I could see the reality that Navy might have had a better O in 2015 due to experience.

Navy 2016 had the top rated FEI. That QB was a beast in the middle. I think GT finally gained the experience it needed by mid 2016. I am not sure who I would want to face, JT's speed or the 5 to 10 yard QB bulldozer. I think the guys in the trenches would find the bulldozer very disheartening.

This year and next for sure should be a high water mark on O given the experience and personnel. There might be a slip in 2019 as we re-build. MJ is important for early 17 as he is more Gameday ready. The other QBs could be more Gameday ready as the year progresses. Of course trail by fire will speed things along, but may cost a game or two.

Have no fear, regarding MJ that is.

 

[GSOJacket]

Well what I meant was Navy was clicking on all cylinders in their bowl game. You really think 2015 was representative of the typical Tech offenses? In 2016 the D couldn't get a stop and Tech still scored 34. For that matter let's look at 2014 when Tech put 56 points up. If you think it's as simple as 44 vs 34 fine, but it ain't that simple.

Not sure I'd lean heavily on those 56 points. As I recall, Pitt fumbled the first 4 times they had the ball, all leading to Tech scores.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Not sure I'd lean heavily on those 56 points. As I recall, Pitt fumbled the first 4 times they had the ball, all leading to Tech scores.

Yep, but Tech still had to convert the turnovers to points. That doesn't happen without the offense. Tech had 465 yards rushing and 147 yards passing, total offense of 612 yards with 8 TDs.

 

[GTJackets]

Yep, but Tech still had to convert the turnovers to points. That doesn't happen without the offense. Tech had 465 yards rushing and 147 yards passing, total offense of 612 yards with 8 TDs.

Don't I recall a recent game with NC State where GT scored 21 points in a short span without the offense stepping on the field? Maybe it wasn't 21 but there was an extra turnover in there where we fumbled it back after a long run back.

I was kayaking with the wife and some friends at the time of the Pitt game so I didn't see it live. But it can happen without the offense when turnovers get involved. Just not likely.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Don't I recall a recent game with NC State where GT scored 21 points in a short span without the offense stepping on the field? Maybe it wasn't 21 but there was an extra turnover in there where we fumbled it back after a long run back.

I was kayaking with the wife and some friends at the time of the Pitt game so I didn't see it live. But it can happen without the offense when turnovers get involved. Just not likely.

Yep but the difference was in the NCST game two of the three TOs you mention were defensive TDs. None of the ones in the Pitt games led to defensive TDs. All 8 TDs were scored by the offense.

 

[SlawDog]

Don't I recall a recent game with NC State where GT scored 21 points in a short span without the offense stepping on the field? Maybe it wasn't 21 but there was an extra turnover in there where we fumbled it back after a long run back.

I was kayaking with the wife and some friends at the time of the Pitt game so I didn't see it live. But it can happen without the offense when turnovers get involved. Just not likely.

I could never go kayaking or much else during a GT football game. It's just not in my DNA. More power to you my friend!

 

[Animal02]

Navy had an awesome team in 2015. GT had 8 true freshman on field at times in 2015. I could see the reality that Navy might have had a better O in 2015 due to experience.

Navy 2016 had the top rated FEI. That QB was a beast in the middle. I think GT finally gained the experience it needed by mid 2016. I am not sure who I would want to face, JT's speed or the 5 to 10 yard QB bulldozer. I think the guys in the trenches would find the bulldozer very disheartening.

This year and next for sure should be a high water mark on O given the experience and personnel. There might be a slip in 2019 as we re-build. MJ is important for early 17 as he is more Gameday ready. The other QBs could be more Gameday ready as the year progresses. Of course trail by fire will speed things along, but may cost a game or two.

We had the game won this year except for the fluke tipped pass, and then gave it away at the end.

 

[Sideways]

Had the chance to talk to one of my friends today who got a good amount of playing time over the past two years for Pitt, and asked him about how Tech and Navy differed in approach and how Pitt defended both offenses (Pitt played Navy in their bowl game this past year). Thought it was interesting that he said "Navy was much harder to play against," as the players on Navy's offense in his opinion were MUCH more disciplined in their approach, which comes with the serviceman attitude that they are exposed to everyday. Also said that Pitt literally plays the option the same on every single play, and rarely if ever switches responsibilities for dive, pitch, etc. Also said that Pitt defense typically has a default set of audibles on D which are completely thrown out when playing an option team, keeping the defense as vanilla as possible, as Narduzzi (who controlled the defense for both the Tech and Navy games) believes that the option can be stopped strictly with discipline instead of switching responsibilities. Food for thought for the Pitt game this year.

I think that your friend's observations as a player are pretty much spot on. Navy seems to run the option at a quicker pace (a poor description) than we do. Not that they are necessarily better, just different. A major factor in our favor is the Bback. Ours seem to my untrained eye to be bigger, faster, and much harder to tackle than Navy's. Whatever, strengths Navy has in the execution of the option, I am pretty sure they do not have linemen like Shamire, Will, and Parker or anything close to what those boys do.

 

[Sideways]

Don't I recall a recent game with NC State where GT scored 21 points in a short span without the offense stepping on the field? Maybe it wasn't 21 but there was an extra turnover in there where we fumbled it back after a long run back.

I was kayaking with the wife and some friends at the time of the Pitt game so I didn't see it live. But it can happen without the offense when turnovers get involved. Just not likely.

Turning the ball over multiple times will get just about anybody beat this side of Alabama. They are particularly troublesome against option teams that can chew up the clock. Florida fans still lament, thirty plus years later, the team in the mid 80s that was #1 in the country for one week. That was the famous "Great Wall of Florida" with All Americans Lomis Brown and David Brumley on the offensive line with speedster Ricky Natiele and quarterback Kerwin Bell along with running backs John L Williams among others. Anyway, they had just upset Auburn and were #1 in the country when they played Georgia. The Gators went up and down the field with something like 400 yards total offense but penalties and turnovers killed them in the red zone and Georgia had three long touchdown runs from Lars Tate and company to win.

 

[deeeznutz]

Yep but the difference was in the NCST game two of the three TOs you mention were defensive TDs. None of the ones in the Pitt games led to defensive TDs. All 8 TDs were scored by the offense.

I remember being pissed during that game that our offense wasn't getting a chance to rip up NCSt, but they were very effective when they did get to play.