The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tech coach Johnson expects new coordinator Woody to make defense more aggressive,
New coordinator Woody to field an aggressive unit.
The difference between how Georgia Tech’s defense played in recent seasons and what coach Paul Johnson hopes will change with new defensive coordinator Nate Woody might be summarized with three sets of numbers.
Last season, under Woody’s direction, the Appalachian State defense gave up a play of 40 yards or more once every 60 snaps. Tech’s defense, led by former defensive coordinator Ted Roof, yielded a 40-yard play once every 141 snaps.
However, Appalachian State brought down an opponent behind the line of scrimmage once every 9.3 plays. Tech’s rate was one tackle for loss for every 15 plays.
Also, the Mountaineers intercepted the opposition once every 21.1 passes. The Yellow Jackets’ rate was one interception in 55.5 passes.
The numbers suggest a risk-reward play Johnson wants to make.
“The bottom line is, you don’t want to give up a ton of points,” Johnson told the AJC. “But you can’t be afraid to be aggressive.”
When Tech begins spring practice Monday and Woody initiates implementation of his version of the 3-4 defense, aggressive play will be a core principle. It is a style that matches Johnson’s go-for-it mentality on offense.
Asked if Woody’s scheme might be as good a fit for him as any of the four defensive coordinators that he’s worked with at Tech, Johnson responded, “I think so.”
Anyone who has heard Johnson in recent seasons expound for any length of time about his vision for the Yellow Jackets’ defense knows his priority on creating negative plays, whether it’s turnovers or tackles for loss.
“The biggest statistic is the scoring defense, but in my mind, I don’t think you can
play defense in today’s game unless you’re getting negative plays,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to be able to get some sacks and tackles for loss.”
According to SportSource Analytics – whose co-founders include Atlanta natives and brothers Scott and Steve Prather, the former of whom played baseball at Tech – when an offense suffers lost yardage on at least one play in a possession, it goes on to score 15 percent of the time.
Woody’s past three defenses with the Mountaineers validated that statistic. From 2015-17, Appalachian State finished tied for ninth, 60th and tied for 30th nationally in tackles for loss per game, respectively. In corresponding seasons, they ranked 13th, 10th and 34th in points per possession, according to the website BCF Toys.
Tech, on the other hand, ranked 128th, 120th and 119th in tackles for loss per game from 2015-17. The Jackets’ points-per-possession rankings were 80th, 71st and 66th, respectively.
As Johnson summed, “Get off the field.”
When Johnson evaluated candidates to replace Roof – now an associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator at N.C. State – tackles for loss and sacks statistics were a part of the evaluation.
As he considered candidates, he said shifting back to the 3-4 (three down linemen, four linebackers) from the 4-2-5 (four linemen, two linebackers, five defensive backs) was “in the back of my mind. I didn’t mind it, but it had to be right.”
Johnson used it previously at Georgia Southern and Navy, and at Tech with Al Groh, Roof ’s predecessor. What he didn’t want was a “two-gap” 3-4 defense, in which linemen are responsible for plugging two gaps in the line as opposed to one. That was the format Groh favored.
A two-gap defense typically requires bigger linemen, a body type in high demand that Tech has had difficulty recruiting.
Mainly, Johnson wanted a defense and a coordinator willing to attack unrelentingly.
“That’s where we have
really struggled,” Johnson said. “Some of it may very well be personnel, but some of it, you’ve got to be more aggressive at times.”
When spring practice commences, Woody, along with cornerbacks coach Joe Speed, inside linebackers coach Andy McCollum and new assistants Jerome Riase (defensive line) and Shiel Wood (safeties), will begin sorting out the pieces.
“There’s a bunch of guys that’ll get moved around this spring,” Johnson said. “We’ll just have to see. There’s some safeties that’ll get moved down to (linebacker) and there’s some inside linebackers that’ll probably go out and vice versa.”
The season is yet months away. But the Jackets are days away from taking one of the bigger steps in Johnson’s 10-year run at Tech.
“I just wanted something that we could play that the kids could learn and it’s simple and we could play fast and you could be aggressive,” Johnson said.
In case you missed it, Johnson is counting on an aggressive defense.