Thoughts on how we might be able to get a win Saturday

[Yaller Jacket]

Two factors. Neither of these is a huge stretch either.

1) Offense must play well, but also, offense must play smart. Many of the killer turnovers have been caused by someone on the line failing to block his assignment. Someone then comes in unblocked and catches the back at a time when he isn't expecting it. The fumble goes to the back, but the root cause is the missed assignment. Cant' have any procedure penalties either.

2) Run defense. We have stunk at pass defense for so long that I can't see us suddenly better. I fully expect UNC to move the ball all over the field. But if we can return to playing good run defense as we did for most of the year, we can hold them to field goals when they get in close. If we can trade touchdowns for field goals, we'll win this game.

This is more hope than expectation, but I wonder if we can find another gear for this game. College football players are all too aware of rankings and standings and so on. If you are so far from the rankings you can't see 'em with binoculars, there is a lot of glory in knocking off a ranked team. We might find an extra gear which we didn't have for Ga Southern or Duke.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

This is an attitude game. We are pretty evenly matched talent wise and based on the eye ball test so far in 2016 any ACC Coastal team can beat any other ACC Coastal team. It really comes down to who wants it and who is willing to put it on the line. This game will tell us if this Yellow Jacket team has the fight you need to be a champion or not. I think that is still an open question.

Go Jackets!

 

[JorgeJonas]

I think it's important to remember that the Heels aren't some juggernaut that's been blowing everyone they play out. They have won three one possession games. Good luck with that being sustainable. They didn't have to play Clemson, and if they did, they'd probably have lost. We both have played Pitt, and they won on the last play of the game while we lost. They did beat the Canes, but they also lost to a pretty poor UGA team. This is a team that's two plays away from being 4-4.

For all the concern about their offense, I think they have an equal if not greater concern about ours. We're going to score on those guys. If we can play a relatively clean game offensively and just have marginal improvement in tackling, we're going to win this game.

 

[LawTalkin Jacket]

I think it's important to remember that the Heels aren't some juggernaut that's been blowing everyone they play out. They have won three one possession games. Good luck with that being sustainable. They didn't have to play Clemson, and if they did, they'd probably have lost. We both have played Pitt, and they won on the last play of the game while we lost. They did beat the Canes, but they also lost to a pretty poor UGA team. This is a team that's two plays away from being 4-4.

For all the concern about their offense, I think they have an equal if not greater concern about ours. We're going to score on those guys. If we can play a relatively clean game offensively and just have marginal improvement in tackling, we're going to win this game.

GT is also a team that is two plays from being 4-4, or 3-5... ... but also two plays from being 6-2 and maybe 3 plays from being 7-1

 

[JorgeJonas]

GT is also a team that is two plays from being 4-4, or 3-5... ... but also two plays from being 6-2 and maybe 3 plays from being 7-1

Right. So you're saying we're relatively evenly matched. That's kinda what I was getting at.

 

[takethepoints]

I agree.

My wife's cousin and her husband, both big UNC fans, were in town just this week and asked me what I thought about the game. I said it was a chance for viewers to watch the two worst Ds in the ACC. You should have heard the groans of agreement that met that one. Said Dave (the husband), "Wait, you mean Tech's defense is as bad as ours?" "Yes," I said. His response: "I find that very hard to believe."

This one has every sign of being a track meet with both teams getting 500 yards + on O. Hope we can a) avoid turnovers and b) deflect passes somewhere that they can't be caught by the other side. If we do, I think it'll be a last possession game.

 

[tech_wreck47]

Score more than the other team?

 

[AE 87]

In their last two games, they've held Miami to 13 and uva to 14. Their D is nowhere nearly as bad as ours.

 

[GTJake]

This one is simply stated, but not so easily done by the GT defense ... pressure on the QB !
You saw that last night in the Falcons game, they brought some pressure on Winston Jamieson and he wasn't nearly as effective as he was in the first game.
I mentioned in another thread moving KeShun Freeman to LB giving him some space to use his speed ... Falcons have had success with this at times with Vic Beasley.

 

[deeeznutz]

In their last two games, they've held Miami to 13 and uva to 14. Their D is nowhere nearly as bad as ours.

We only gave up 21 to Miami's offense (taking away the back to back defensive scores), and we haven't played UVA yet. They don't get a pass from being a crappy defense yet.

 

[AE 87]

We only gave up 21 to Miami's offense (taking away the back to back defensive scores), and we haven't played UVA yet. They don't get a pass from being a crappy defense yet.

We gave up 21 pts in 9 drives. They gave up 13 pts in 11 drives.

 

[1979jacket]

Some interesting takes on game. Chizik should know Roof defenses and Roof should know some things about Chizik defenses. North Carolina absolutely hates Tech death marches and UNC wants to speed it up - I expect UNC to play be aggressive on defensive calls to avoid death marches and hurry up on offense try to get as many possessions as possible - very hurry up. Also UNC has to have seen that Thomas has been more willing to turn it up the last two games. I would expect GT to have opportunities for some big pass plays and the pitch to be more open. I would expect GT to play very straight up defense with some blitzes thrown in but in general know your assignment and do it - nothing fancy. I also expect lots of substituting on defense so guys like Alexander, St Armour Kallon, Simmons and some of the 2nd string defensive backs to get some playing time. GT will play the bend but don't break defensive scheme this week.

 

[King2b]

Just not sure how we stop their offense. Isn't there QB completing 70%. He may have 100% day against soft coverage. Need some death marches to make the NC O antsy and start pressing.

 

[GTJason]

Their QB gets a lot of check down and screen passes which makes for a high completion percentage. The problem is that is how you beat soft coverage all day and we are horrible at defending that. I think to win we need to limit possessions. They'll score fast, we need to score slow and keep pace. I say if we don't double their TOP then we need some help to win. If we get near 40 minutes of possession and are on the positive side of the turnover battle it'll be a great day for the jackets. If we're sloppy on O and our defense plays 5 yards off the ball it'll be a long day.

Their QB gets rid of the ball really quickly. I almost think we need to throw extra linebackers in there as Defensive ends and let them drop back in coverage. Only pressure with 2 or 3 and force throws downfield. Blitz from the corner every once in a while to get coverage sacks. The longer he's holding the ball in the pocket the more we're doing right honestly

 

[Longestday]

On side kicks in the second half

 

[Lexjacket]

 

[wreckrod]

I'm really not feeling this one. I'm afraid it's going to be a matter of who misses their turn offensively. We will miss at least one, maybe two just from doing something silly like a penalty or missed blocking assignment or bad pitch that has to get covered. We really aren't blocking well enough on the line or at the a backs outside to sustain 10+ play death marches - which is what we need to play keep away.

On their end . . . maybe they drop one on third down? Their offensive strength plays right into our defensive weakness. I'm just not sure I see them missing a turn unless it's self-inflicted by penalties or through a turnover. I hope we put our best cover safety on their TE whenever there is one in the game. Our LBers just don't cover well.

D line get your hands up! HANDS UP! We aren't going to collapse the pocket fast enough with how quick their QB gets rid of the ball, so maybe some hands can disrupt throwing lanes.

 

[Fatmike91]

Thoughts on how we might be able to get a win Saturday

I believe that Justin Thomas has already lost his last game as a Jacket.

/

 

[Yaller Jacket]

I second wreckrod's call for the D getting their hands up. We aren't going to get pressure on the quick passes anyway. Trying to tip them at the line has some chance of doing some good.

.Monday night Andy told PJ the scoring pass to Lynch looked like the same play with the same result we had against Southern. Coach said it was. Said something in coachspeak which I took to mean the safety was playing run and had no chance to cover the A back. He then added that he didn't call it but Justin checked into it. It's nice to know we have a quarterback who has played in our offense enough to see a good play opportunity. I'd love to see us get a third one of those uncontested A back touchdowns.

 

[AE 87]

Go for 2 every TD. Onside kick every time.