Looking Back -
The Good with the Bad in ATL
The Broad Strokes
The Bad:
We lost 35-28, giving up 496 yards of total offense for a jaw dropping 6.7 yards per play.
The Good:
Despite two interceptions, one blocked punt and being without starters Erik Highsmith, Zach Brown and Jabari Price, we still had a chance to win with a quarterback starting under center for the first time on the road.
The Quarterback
The Bad:
The bad is easy to identify - the interceptions and the sacks. Possessions are precious against Georgia Tech. It is a frustrating offense to play against for the defense, so you need to keep them off the field as much as possible.
The sacks were the product of holding onto the ball too long and unacceptable in a two-minute offense.
The Good:
Renner completed 17 of 25 passes for a completion percentage of 68% with 2 touchdowns. This was despite four drops in the game. Renner played really well for a redshirt sophomore starting on the road for the first time. All of his mistakes are experience mistakes and he will get better with experience.
Most importantly, Renner got the offense going and executed in the second half to get us with a possession of a W. Renner is a winner. I know it seems odd to write that considering the loss, but Renner could have retreated mentally, but he didn't. He showed his mettle. Bright days are ahead because Renner is leading the way.
The Running Backs
The Bad:
A.J. Blue needs more carries. I hate arm chair quarterbacks . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . BUT . . . oh, you knew it was coming, but in the second quarter when we are running the ball ineffectively with conservative play calling, we need to give Blue the rock and let him pound it between the tackles. Against UVA, Blue proved he can move a pile and fall forward for positive yards to keep you in 3rd and manageable territory. Recognize the personnel and take advantage of their strengths. Blue needs more carries. The Good:
Gio Bernard. Do I really have to get into this? Yeah! You know why? Because it makes me smile. Bernard had 17 carries for a 155 yards and 2 TDs. Every time he touches it, you hold your breath. He may take some tackles behind the line of scrimmage, but his big play ability more than makes up for it. When it is all said and done, Gio could be record breaking this season.
The Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
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| Ebron's first TD |
Drops. In the first half, there were several dropped passes that put us in perfect down and distance for blitzes, which stalled our offense and put our defense back on the field.
A Second Receiving Threat. Dwight Jones is a beast, but we need someone else to step up.
The Good:
In Erik Highsmith's absence, a couple of young guys, Eric Ebron and TJ Thorpe, emerged with some big plays at key points in the game. Both deserve a longer look and more opportunities to make plays on offense. Ebron also caught his first TD. It was a nice catch off of a sneaky post-route where he showed strong hands in finishing the play by holding onto the ball after a big hit.
The Offensive Line
The Bad:
In the first half when we were trying to keep the GT offense off the field with conservative, clocking eating running plays, the O-line was unable to open up holes for Gio to pick up 3 or 4 yards a run and stay on schedule. The defensive line and linebackers were on Gio way too fast.
The Good:
The O-line did a great job in protection. The sacks that were given up were not because of a break down in coverage. The sacks were because Renner held onto the ball too long. The big uglies did a great job in pass protection. They should also get some credit for Gio's ridiculous running stats too.
The Defensive Line and Linebackers
GT ran for an average of 5.4 yards per rush. GT had four guys that averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry.
The Good:
(1) No one was seriously injured. (2) Despite the gaudy numbers, the D-line almost did enough to get the road win. They forced 3 punts and 3 field goal attempts. Against GT, that is what you need to do. While almost isn't good enough, the defensive effort of the front seven had a respectable day against a difficult offense to defend.
The Secondary
The Bad:
The big plays.
The Good:
We don't have to face the Yellow Jackets again. GT's offensive scheme sucks in the secondary with the run and then attacks over the top of the cheating secondary for big plays and they do it with 6' 5" Stephen Hill.
The Specialist
The Bad:
Hibbard had a punt blocked.
The Good:
Hibbard continues to be the biggest surprise of the season and an important piece of the field position game with his punting abilities.
Trace Jones did a much better job kicking the ball deep against GT. I hope he is able to keep it up.
The Take Away
We have a good football team and will enjoy more success than failure. If we can learn from our mistakes as well as continue to improve and grow, we will be a tough team to beat by the end of the season.
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