Even though this is a short, somewhat obvious post, I felt it was necessary to write. The defense was outstanding against the run, Georgia Tech's bread and butter, Monday night. Their effort was fueled by the Hokies deep defensive line (7 players played more than 30 snaps) that penetrated, created havoc, and held their gaps at the line of scrimmage. It was preserved by a back seven that for the most part cleaned up the wash—any loose ballcarrier. The longest run from scrimmage was just 22 yards.
The Hokies held the Yellow Jackets to 192 yards on the ground. Let's put that into context. Over the Paul Johnson era (2008-11, not including 2012), Georgia Tech accounts for 17 of the top 20 rushing games, including four of the top five, among ACC schools. Over the same timespan nationally, they're tied for second best with Neveda with 9 of the top 100 single game rushing totals (Air Force and Navy each have 10). They have ranked in the top 4 nationally in rushing yards per game each of the last four seasons.
| YEAR | RUSH YPG | RANK | YARDS AGAINST VT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 316.46 | 2 | 243 |
| 2010 | 323.21 | 1 | 346 |
| 2009 | 295.43 | 2 | 309 |
| 2008 | 273.23 | 4 | 278 |
So yeah, normally they're adept at running the ball.
However, the Bees 192 yards rushing Monday ranks as their seventh lowest total since Paul Johnson took over as head coach.
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | RUSHING YARDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-10-11 | Gardner-Webb | W | 79 |
| 2009-09-17 | Miami (FL) | L | 95 |
| 2011-10-22 | Miami (FL) | L | 134 |
| 2010-01-05 | Iowa | L | 143 |
| 2008-10-25 | Virginia | L | 156 |
| 2008-09-06 | Boston College | W | 162 |
| 2008-12-31 | Louisiana State | L | 164 |
| 2012-09-03 | Virginia Tech | L | 192 |
| 2009-11-28 | Georgia | L | 205 |
It was one hell of an effort that I felt I needed to make a bigger deal of.
Stats are from the NCAA's official site and Sports-Reference.com. Analysis is my own.
Comments
Gardner-Webb?
Just wondering what on earth Gardner-Webb did. Looking at the details, they held GT to an average of 1.7 yards per carry. Nuts.
Nobody runs on Gardner-Webb...NOBODY!
oddly enough Gardner-Webb's mascot is the 'Runnin' Bulldogs'
Nesbitt out with a hamstring injury and Shaw out with a concussion equals 3rd string QB in the first year in the system...not a good day
Great game by the Hokie defensive front - seems like they will be the backbone of this team this season - very deep, very talented. The GT starting O-Line had a combined 73 starts between all of them (I think the starting LT had zero - a R-Fr. if I'm not mistaken) - 3 juniors and a senior rounding out that O-Line - one of the most experienced (if not, the most experienced) Paul Johnson has had at GT. So for our defensive front to have a solid game against that front of GT is very impressive.
Go Hokies!
Even more impressive when you consider the lack of offense
It's not like the offense was playing keep-away and the Bees never had the ball. GT had chances to run and the D held up.
Agree
GT won the time of possession battle, which they usually do, but our d held its own and I credit it largely to sound tackling and technique in the gaps. Only the touchdown run stood out to me as a terrible display of tackling.
Defensive Breakdown
More impressive, the Hokies took away almost all aspects of the Georgia Tech running game. Rather than selling out on the dive and pitchman and letting the QB get yardage, the Hokies controlled the dive with the defensive tackles and the back side linebacker (forcing Paul Johnson to use wider splits, which made for easier run blitzes at momentum swing moments), and then the ends and play-side linebackers handled the quarterback and the pitch man. Option? Didn't work. Counter option? Didn't work. Dive? Got a couple of 5-7 yard runs, but contained. The only play that was successful in the running game was the quick pitch.
One of our posters noted that Paul Johnson would utilize quick pitch more this season to take the Hokies out of last year's defensive strategy. Boy, did he nail that. Georgia Tech ran repeatedly, with success, and almost exclusively to the boundary with Antone Exum as the target. Antone was fine in pass coverage when called upon, but he was absolutely putrid in run support. Let's examine his technique:
http://youtu.be/5iHQLyUTAPk?t=14m23s
Here, the wide receiver squares up to Exum on an option stalk block, who closes aggressively while being making sure he protects from breaking outside. At the moment of contact, Exum and his blocker are at 38 yard line, while the back is 8 yards away (four yards behind the line of scrimmage.) By the time the running back has closed the distance, Exum is STILL engaged with the blocker. There is no violent hand movement to shed the block, of a wide receiver! Torrian Gray will not accept that effort.
On that run, Exum started with good technique, but against a kick out block by a wingback, his technique completely went to hell. Here we have the first Georgia Tech touchdown run.
http://youtu.be/5iHQLyUTAPk?t=6m49s
Exum has to play outside in, because he knows he has safety support on the inside. As he closes, he should make himself small, leading in with the inside shoulder and squeezing inside while keeping his outside shoulder free. Instead, he turns his pads, facing the blocker. When taking on a kick out block, my coaches called turning your pads to the blocker "opening the barn door" and "painting a target on your chest." Exum made the block easier by giving the GT back a larger target, and then he made the problem worse by "jumping" wider and upfield. This widens the hole, taking away Keyshone Jarrett's angle. Jarrett overcompensated to the outside, leaving a cutback lane between him and Jack Tyler. A couple of poor tackles later, and the Yellow Jackets are back in the game.
I agree that Exum was totally ineffective on that touchdown play, but by squaring up against the cut block from the wing back he kept his feet and was able to make a tackle attempt on the ball carrier later in the play. (a tackle he missed).
following your described technique he'd have been cut block to the ground as the wing back takes out his inside leg and there would've been no clean up tackler.
The only real problems on that play were 3 missed tackles - Jarrett and Tyler both failed to break down and keep the RB in front of them, then Exum dove at the RB instead of closing and tackling. In fact everyone seemed to trying to make diving highlight reel tackle on that play instead of moving their feet to get into good position.
Exum's job was to seal the outside on any boundary runs and keep the runner inside where Jarrett and Tyler could clean it up. He did that very well throughout the game.
One final worry about the defense. Late in the game, the Hokies stuck with their 4-3 alignment against the Georgia Tech against the Yellow Jacket pistol. Foster used Gouvia Winslow and Taylor as his blitzers, leaving Jack Tyler in man coverage. Tyler had one hell of a game, but he was beaten easily on two crossing routes, including the final Georgia Tech touchdown. JGW is an outstanding blitzer, but all three of those guys are excellent blitzers, and by the nature of the position, you would expect Foster to use JGW as the cover guy in that position. That tells me that he doesn't think JGW can cover either.
The Hokies were able to manage a win in this matchup against a poor passing team, but the Hokies can't afford to play three linebackers who are poor in pass coverage against good spread teams and expect to win. That leaves Foster with a couple of options.
1) Go nickle and play Manning or Fuller in the slot, either with JGW replacing Taylor or Tyler or JGW having a seat.
2) Van Dyke getting work over JGW in the slot.
3) Van Dyke covers the slot, and JGW moves to backer with Taylor moving to whip.
I am not sure what happens, but I would be stunned if we see that threesome against a good passing team.
I see great things coming from this team
They survived a brutal opener and came through when it counted. Looking at the ACC blogosphere, the other fans are thinking VT won't be up to the task when we play the likes of the U, FSU, and Clemson. Truthfully, the opponent that worries me the most during our regular schedule is UNC. This team has the grit and talent to overcome anyone on that list.
The defensive front 7 can be catered for any situation. The secondary looks stout, but cannot afford injuries. How great was it that they didn't give up one of those monster runs GT seemed to put on us each of the last 4 seasons? Disciplined effort for sure.
The special teams has room for improvement, but I liked the punting game aside from A. J. missing that snap. I still say Cody owes us 5 or so FGs from 50+yards out.
I believe the offense will look much better by the end of September, and be ready to take the burden off the robust defense we saw Monday night. We are affordable a blessing in having our OOC all after a grueling opening victory. Receivers will be in sync, the ground game will be established, and I have little doubt that Thomas the Tank Engine will be back in his groove.