wesleyd21
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http://georgiatech.blog.ajc.com/201...nst-tulane-means-for-georgia-tech-notre-dame/
What a 9-yard run against Tulane means for Georgia Tech-Notre Dame...
Thoughts (by Ken)
This obviously wasn’t a critical play in the game, but I found it interesting for a couple reasons. One, it shows one variety of the mistakes that the team made against Tulane, namely linemen not making their blocks at the linebacker level. It’s easy to conclude that the offense is firing perfectly when it scores touchdowns on nine of its first 11 possessions and averages 8.7 yards per play, but plays like this reveal that it’s not quite the case.
Said coach Paul Johnson, “I don’t think we’re as good as people think we are right now.”
A better team than Tulane (say, Notre Dame) will be better able to make Tech pay for missing blocks. It wasn’t only this play. Neither Chamberlain nor Joe had great games blocking the linebacker and safety level. I would submit that being quick enough at 300 pounds to effectively throw oneself at the feet of a smaller and presumably quicker player is not easily done, but it’s those blocks that turn five-yard runs into 30-yard gains.
“I don’t know about for anyone else, but my challenge this week is making plays in space,” Chamberlain said, “maybe getting a linebacker in space or getting a safety in space, so that’s my key to the game this weekend. If I can make that happen, I’m pretty sure we’ll have more big plays this week.”
Against a defense as talented as Notre Dame’s, those chunk plays may be the oxygen that the Tech offense needs. Grinding out 12-play drives won’t be easy with so many players on Notre Dame’s side capable of defeating blocks and making stops.
Consider that, on his radio show Monday, Johnson said that linebacker Jaylon Smith might be the best defensive player Tech has faced since Johnson’s hire. The list includes LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy, Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, Virginia Tech cornerbacks Jayron Holsey and Kyle Fuller, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley and Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei – all All-Americans or first-round picks or both – among many others.
“The defense is very athletic, much more athletic than our last opponent,” Chamberlain said.
If Tech can’t block Smith enough – depending on where he lines up, a lot of the responsibility could fall to Chamberlain, Joe or Burden – he may well end up with 15-plus tackles and help force the Jackets into more 3rd-and-longs than they would prefer.
That said, the flipside of the play is that, even though it wasn’t blocked well, it still gained nine yards. (Right guard Shamire Devine also didn’t win his block against defensive tackle Tanzel Smart.) But Skov got a head start from the double-team block by Chamberlain and Willis and Braun’s win and then ran with power and determination to make it a successful 2nd-and-5 play. Had Skov gone down at first contact, it would still have been perhaps a six-yard gain. Skov, with his combination of effort and power, gives the offense more margin for error. Most times, it’s going to take more than one player to bring him down, as was the case with this play.
“He’s slippery enough to get through the cracks and he’s big enough to run people over,” Sewak said. “I think he uses each version as each scenario presents itself. I like having him back there.”
Tech won’t block every play against Notre Dame as drawn up. The line, backs and receiver aren’t perfect, and Notre Dame is too talented to be consistently taken out. Skov, though, and Thomas, for that matter, can keep drives going by making plays on their own.
What a 9-yard run against Tulane means for Georgia Tech-Notre Dame...
Thoughts (by Ken)
This obviously wasn’t a critical play in the game, but I found it interesting for a couple reasons. One, it shows one variety of the mistakes that the team made against Tulane, namely linemen not making their blocks at the linebacker level. It’s easy to conclude that the offense is firing perfectly when it scores touchdowns on nine of its first 11 possessions and averages 8.7 yards per play, but plays like this reveal that it’s not quite the case.
Said coach Paul Johnson, “I don’t think we’re as good as people think we are right now.”
A better team than Tulane (say, Notre Dame) will be better able to make Tech pay for missing blocks. It wasn’t only this play. Neither Chamberlain nor Joe had great games blocking the linebacker and safety level. I would submit that being quick enough at 300 pounds to effectively throw oneself at the feet of a smaller and presumably quicker player is not easily done, but it’s those blocks that turn five-yard runs into 30-yard gains.
“I don’t know about for anyone else, but my challenge this week is making plays in space,” Chamberlain said, “maybe getting a linebacker in space or getting a safety in space, so that’s my key to the game this weekend. If I can make that happen, I’m pretty sure we’ll have more big plays this week.”
Against a defense as talented as Notre Dame’s, those chunk plays may be the oxygen that the Tech offense needs. Grinding out 12-play drives won’t be easy with so many players on Notre Dame’s side capable of defeating blocks and making stops.
Consider that, on his radio show Monday, Johnson said that linebacker Jaylon Smith might be the best defensive player Tech has faced since Johnson’s hire. The list includes LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy, Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, Virginia Tech cornerbacks Jayron Holsey and Kyle Fuller, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley and Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei – all All-Americans or first-round picks or both – among many others.
“The defense is very athletic, much more athletic than our last opponent,” Chamberlain said.
If Tech can’t block Smith enough – depending on where he lines up, a lot of the responsibility could fall to Chamberlain, Joe or Burden – he may well end up with 15-plus tackles and help force the Jackets into more 3rd-and-longs than they would prefer.
That said, the flipside of the play is that, even though it wasn’t blocked well, it still gained nine yards. (Right guard Shamire Devine also didn’t win his block against defensive tackle Tanzel Smart.) But Skov got a head start from the double-team block by Chamberlain and Willis and Braun’s win and then ran with power and determination to make it a successful 2nd-and-5 play. Had Skov gone down at first contact, it would still have been perhaps a six-yard gain. Skov, with his combination of effort and power, gives the offense more margin for error. Most times, it’s going to take more than one player to bring him down, as was the case with this play.
“He’s slippery enough to get through the cracks and he’s big enough to run people over,” Sewak said. “I think he uses each version as each scenario presents itself. I like having him back there.”
Tech won’t block every play against Notre Dame as drawn up. The line, backs and receiver aren’t perfect, and Notre Dame is too talented to be consistently taken out. Skov, though, and Thomas, for that matter, can keep drives going by making plays on their own.
