Interesting stuff. Even comments on former GT commit Sean Renfree who is now looking at NU. Appears Renfree doesn't exactly fit the bill to run this offense.
For Johnson, option is only option
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
If nothing else, you have to like new Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson for refusing to answer questions with an end-around. He prefers to burst up the middle, with legs still churning in search of extra yardage.
For instance: A visitor to Johnson’s office wanted to know about Sean Renfree, the nation’s 16th-best recruit at quarterback, according to Scout.com. Renfree became the first of three players to de-commit around the time previous Yellow Jackets coach Chan Gailey was fired. Before the visitor finished his question about whether Johnson’s love affair with the triple-option offense spooked the pass-oriented Renfree, Johnson began to answer.
“Don’t need him. Don’t want him. Doesn’t fit the system,” Johnson said, legs still churning, without blinking from his side of the couch across the way.
Well, then. We might as well get to the point. So are you going to use the triple-option offense at Tech as heavily as you did as the head coach at Navy for six years and at Georgia Southern for five years before that? If so, how will that affect recruiting, especially when it comes to acquiring quarterbacks and even a poor man’s version of Calvin Johnson at wide receiver?
Mostly, given the epidemic of empty seats at Bobby Dodd Stadium during most seasons (which contributed to Gailey’s ouster), will your offense that features a pass about every other presidential election attract folks or repel them?
Johnson answered each question, with legs still churning, and, yes, he will use the triple-option offense more often than not at Tech. And, no, he doesn’t think it will hinder recruiting — well, his type of recruiting that he said won’t exclude acquiring a future Calvin Johnson. And, yes, he understands that many around the Yellow Jacket Nation and beyond wonder if the triple-option offense is just another name for the boogeyman.
“They don’t understand it. What’s the first thing they think about when you say triple-option offense? Three yards and a cloud of dust,” Johnson said. “I know one year at Georgia Southern when I was there, Chattanooga led I-AA in passing. We had 25 plays of 20 yards or longer than they did, and we led the nation in rushing. I mean, you’ll see some 40-, 60-, 80-yard runs. That’s pretty exciting.
“Then, when we do throw, guys are petty wide open off of play action. At Navy, I know we were in the top 15 in passing efficiency [Actually, tied for 12th], which is the most important statistic. Not how many times you throw it.”
That’s Johnson’s story, and he’d better stick to it. His 8-4 Navy team led the nation in rushing this season, but it finished last in passing yards per game. In fact, the Midshipmen threw just an average of 10 times per game. Still, to keep Tech fans from rushing for No-Doz prior to games, Johnson suggested that Navy’s passing numbers deserve an asterisk.
There are size restrictions for those who enter the Naval Academy, which meant Johnson’s best offensive lineman was his center at 5 feet 9 and 275 pounds.
“I don’t want to be critical when I say this, because I love those kids, but there was a lot more factored in than what meets the eye as to why we did certain things,” Johnson said. “[Navy players] weren’t built for pass blocking. So it depends on the years and on the personnel. When we were at Hawaii [as offensive coordinator], it might have been 70 percent running and 30 percent passing, or even 60-40.”
The point is, said Johnson, Tech’s triple-option will evolve around the returning and incoming players that Johnson said he hasn’t had time to evaluate after barely two weeks on the job.
“I think that people have gotten too carried away with the triple-option, because that’s only one phase of the offense,” Johnson said. “If we have 75 plays, we’re not going to run 70 times. There’s a run-and-shoot package. There’s a play-action package. There’s different running plays besides the option. And, certainly, there are all kinds of options — counter option, speed option. We’ve got a sprint-out passing game. We’ve got draws. The key will be to come together with what our personnel here can do best.”
Remember, too, that Johnson’s triple-option has averaged nearly 450 yards per game to produce a 107-39 record during his time as a head coach. And here’s another thing: Hold the No-Doz.
“Everywhere I’ve coached, we’ve set attendance records,” Johnson said. “It’s an exciting offense. It’s fun to watch. You don’t know where the ball is all the time. It’s also pretty fast.”
Then Johnson eased into the biggest of smiles. That’s because his legs kept churning so much that he reached the end zone by saying, “You know what I’ve found? If you win, they like it.”
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