Quick Look at GT: Offense

[ralphwaldoemerson]

For the people terrified of this game-

It's gonna be a long season for you. Michigan, USC, Penn St, MSU, and perhaps one or two others are going to be more difficult than this. This is, frankly, probably the surest win of the first four games. Enjoy it. Relax.

 

[NDAlumSon]

For the people terrified of this game-

It's gonna be a long season for you. Michigan, USC, Penn St, MSU, and perhaps one or two others are going to be more difficult than this. This is, frankly, probably the surest win of the first four games. Enjoy it. Relax.

By George, I think you're gettin' it. Atta boy.

 

[Irish Envy]

All hands on deck on offensive line

It's not unusual for Tech to play a few reserve offensive linemen, but coach Chan Gailey said injuries to starting guards Nate McManus and Matt Rhodes and right tackle Mansfield Wrotto, plus backup Jacob Lonowski and others, will necessitate more rotation than normal.

 

[Irish Envy]

Jackets study up on Irish-Ohio State

it's probably no wonder that Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson said of Saturday's game against the Irish: "We watched the film. We'll go out there and see if we can do what Ohio State did."

One might think that means Tech will move quarterback Reggie Ball around a lot, as Ohio State's Troy Smith is so agile.

Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix isn't buying that.

"Ohio State didn't do anything out of the pocket, really. Troy Smith stayed in the pocket and threw the ball downfield," Nix said, though Smith rushed 13 times for 86 yards while completing 19 of 28 passes for 342 yards and two scores.

"I don't see Notre Dame changing a whole lot. When you've got nine starters coming back, you've got to rely on that experience."

Irish coach Charlie Weis — whose defense was chided as slow last season — has taken steps to improve. Fleet-footed senior backup tailback Travis Thomas has moved to linebacker, where the other new starter will be Anthony

Vernaglia. Plus, maturity might help, as Weis said he now trusts 10 defensive backs to play.

"Last year, I could say four or five," Weis said. "So I think twice as many. When you're going out there for the first game of the year, in addition to the fact we have more [defensive] packages where we were more simplistic last year, you have to be ... willing to use your depth."

 

[Irish Envy]

Baffled by Ball’s media boycott

Reggie Ball’s media blackout puzzles me. He’s the undisputed starter, and he clearly deserves to be. The questions this preseason would have been a lot easier to answer than the ones last preseason, when he was coming off a difficult and disappointing sophomore year. Now, he is coming off a junior season in which he performed better, and people expect good things from his team in 2006.

He considers himself a team leader, so you’d think he’d want to use the opportunity to talk with TV, radio and newspaper reporters to bolster his team’s image. Maybe he’s just tired of it after three years of answering questions, many of them time after time after time.

Ball spoke at the news conference before Tech’s first preseason practice and isn’t going to speak to the media again until after the opener against Notre Dame, Tech coach Chan Gailey said Saturday. Gailey said sometimes things Ball says get twisted, and I’m sure that’s true, though I think Ball has learned enough through his experience dealing with the media that he’s pretty good at meaning what he says and saying what he means.

Regardless of the reason, staying quiet is Ball’s right. He has graciously granted interview requests in the past; I look forward to speaking with him again.

Gailey said he expects this to be Ball’s best season. Do you expect so as well?

 

[Irish Envy]

Against ND: Pass, pass, pass

OK, so you’re Patrick Nix, and you’re making your Division I-A play-calling debut, on national television, against Notre Dame, in front of a full house at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Assuming you’re not backed up against your own goal line, what do you do with your first series?

Do you play to the “get the ball to Calvin” crowd by throwing to Calvin Johnson on the first play? Do you come out in a formation Georgia Tech hasn’t used, to show that, yes, things will be a little different? Or do you ease into things by handing the ball to Tashard Choice?

My best guess: A not overly ambitious pass against a defense that ranked 103rd in the nation in pass defense last season, followed by some more passes. The running comes after it’s set up by the pass.