No 16 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2010 Preview

Thursday, September 02, 2010

by Aengus Moorehead

No 16 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2010 Preview - Josh Nesbitt

2009 was one of the most successful seasons in the history of Georgia Tech football. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won the ACC Championship for the first time since their national championship campaign in 1990 and their eleven wins tied that team for the 2nd most victories in a season. While the they fell short of tying the school’s single season record for victories against Iowa in a frigid Orange Bowl, there is no doubt that last season was Tech’s best effort in the past two decades.

Head Coach Paul Johnson is also widely considered to be one of the best coaches in the entire country. In fact, his thirteen year head coaching career has only seen him post one losing campaign, his first year at Navy. However, he’s won two D-1AA National Championships, he’s coached seven teams to ten win campaigns and it seems like his teams are always competitive. But can that great run continue this season after losing two of the offense’s biggest playmakers and a few elite defenders?

2009 Results: 11-3, ACC Champions, Lost Orange Bowl vs. Iowa
Head Coach: Paul Johnson (3rd Year, 20-7 @ Tech, 127-46 Overall)
Home Venue: Bobby Dodd Stadium (55,000), Atlanta, Georgia

The Yellow Jacket attack was a dominant force on the ground last year, piling up 295 yards per game through their excellent option attack. Johnson couldn’t have found a better quarterback to run his offense than senior Josh Nesbitt (1,701 pass yards, 10 pass TDs, 5 INT, 1,037 rush yards, 18 rush TDs in ‘09) when he arrived at Tech two years ago and Nesbitt’s 1st Team All-ACC selection last year is a testament to that fact. While he isn’t a great passer, this offense doesn’t require him to throw more than a dozen times per game.

Nesbitt is the top returning rusher from last season, as top rusher Jonathan Dwyer (1395 yards, 14 TDs) is now a Pittsburgh Steeler. However, there are still plenty of talented runners returning this season as senior Anthony Allen (618 yards, 6 TDs) should step into Dwyer’s role at the ‘B-Back’ position with ease.

The O-Line is much more of a concern, as only two starters return. The good news is that senior center Sean Bedford was a 1st Team All-ACC selection last year and will be a great anchor to build around. The real concern is at guard, where they lose two multi-year starters and a 1st Team All-ACC selection. In their place will be likely be a group of underclassmen and losing so much experience is going to hurt in the early going. However, the blocking scheme for the option attack has a much shorter learning curve because of the rarity of pass protection calls, so the new starters should get acclimated quickly.

The big change for Tech this offseason was the hire of former Virginia Head Coach Al Groh as their new defensive coordinator. With the new DC comes a change in philosophy, as the Yellow Jackets will line up in the 3-4 set that has recently taken the NFL by storm. I wonder if part of this scheme change was to compensate for the loss of the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Derrick Morgan, who was a 1st round pick in April by Tennessee.

Up front, there isn’t a lot of returning talent as junior nose tackle Logan Walls (25 tackles, 2 sacks) is the most productive returner. However, their game plan will change in the new scheme as the front three will be tasked with occupying as many blockers as possible to allow the linebackers to make plays. Suited ideally for this task is sophomore defensive end Izaan Cross, who is 6’4” and 290 pounds. While this line won’t be much of a pass rushing threat, they could end up being much more effective against the run.

At linebacker, there are two returning starters. Senior Brad Jefferson (95 tackles) was the team’s top tackler last season and he will be paired at inside linebacker with junior Steven Sylvester (40 tackles, 3 INT), whose pass defending skills should be emphasized in the new set. As for the outside linebackers, keep an eye on senior Anthony Egbuniwe (19 tackles, 1.5 sacks), who could be a breakout candidate as a pass rusher.

The secondary is the most experienced part of the Ramblin’ Wreck defense. Senior cornerback Mario Butler (45 tackles, 2 INT) will pair with junior Jarred Tarrant (58 tackles, 2 INT) to form a solid set of cover corners that has a lot of starting experience. Meanwhile, the safeties are also a seasoned unit that will feature seniors Mario Edwards (36 tackles) and Dominique Reese (28 tackles, 1 INT). The defensive backs are loaded with upperclassmen and should be very effective this fall against the pass.

The staple of every Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets non-conference schedule is their rivalry clash with Georgia. After breaking a long losing streak two years ago, Tech fell back into the losing column last season when the Bulldogs dominated the ground game in Atlanta. This fall, the game takes place in Athens. The rest of the non-league schedule is also going to be tough as they have to travel to Kansas while hosting Sun Belt favorite Middle Tennessee State.

In ACC play, the cross-division draw is pretty favorable for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as they face Clemson, Wake Forest and NC State, avoiding favorite Florida State. In divisional play, they also have to travel to Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Overall, Tech only has six home games and their two most difficult non-league games are on the road. This will be a tough slate for the Jackets.

The formula for success this fall is pretty simple for Paul Johnson’s team: Run the ball, control the clock and keep the opposing offense off of the field. With one of the league’s most experienced quarterbacks in charge of the offense and a fleet of strong runners supporting him, Tech will find a lot of success using that formula. However, this offense will not be nearly as explosive as they were last season with the lack of a big play passing threat and that their scoring will drop off somewhat.

But let’s be quite honest here: Paul Johnson’s teams are always competitive and this year’s team will be no different. While the Yellow Jackets are on par talent-wise with Virginia Tech or Miami in the Coastal Division, the schedule sets up well for Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to stay in the race. However, their defense will be a liability and their lack of a passing game will make it difficult for the Jackets if they fall behind early in games this year. Those are the two biggest reasons that that they will fall short in the ACC and against archrival Georgia.

PREDICTED RESULT: 8-4 (5-3 ACC) - Bodog NCAA College Football Futures Lines

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anthony allen - anthony egbuniwe - bobby dodd stadium - brad jefferson - dominique reese - georgia tech yellow jackets - izaan cross - jarred tarrant - jonathan dwyer - josh nesbitt