Newspaper Page Text
2B
♦ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006
Georgia Tech spills offensive secrets
Scheme changes show potential
hut points so far yet to come
By Adam Van Brimmer
Morris News Service
ATLANTA - Patrick Nix’s
secrets are out.
The Georgia Tech offen
sive coordinator spent seven
months tinkering with
the offense. Few outside
the team saw many of the
changes and even those
who attended the spring
and preseason practices got
only a sampling. The play
ers, meanwhile, were for
bidden to talk about them.
Nix de-classfied his offen
sive information Saturday
night in the Jackets’ 14-
10 loss to Notre Dame,
though.
All of it.
“We didn’t hold anything
back,” Nix said. “We played
this one to win it; we didn’t
play it to set people up for
the rest of the season.”
Nix’s offense is a dras
tic bordering on radical
change from the scheme
head coach Chan Gailey uti
lized in recent years. The
new features included:
* No-huddle: The Yellow
Jackets went without a
huddle on several drives.
The move prevented the
Irish from substituting and
helped Georgia Tech build
rhythm.
* Wide receiver motion:
Star wide out Calvin
Johnson lined up every
where but in the backfield
and often went in motion
before the snap. The move
ment allowed Johnson to
get off the line of scrim
mage freely and confused
the Irish defensive backs.
Johnson caught seven
passes for 111 yards and a
touchdown.
* Variety in the block
ing schemes: Nix utilized
Tech builds confidence despite loss
ATLANTA - Georgia
Tech is too veteran a team
and has beaten too many
ranked opponents to con-
sider its
narrow
loss to No.
2 Notre
Dame a
moral vic
tory.
Y e t
Saturday’s
14-10
defeat
NOTEBOOK
By ADAM VAN
BRIMMER
Morris News
Service
helped the
Yellow Jackets’ confidence.
“We showed we can
play with anybody in the
nation,” linebacker Philip
Wheeler said.
The Yellow Jackets domi
nated the Irish for much of
the first half.
The defense rattled quar
terback Brady Quinn, a
Heisman candidate, and
the offense totaled 188
yards.
But the Irish swung the
momentum with a scoring
drive just before the half.
They made several adjust
ments at halftime to coun
ter Georgia Tech’s schemes
and held on for victory.
CLEATS
Ploy Better Golf with JACK NICKLAUS
wwy shots to
' the right rnd you-ll
iwaarNßlHl INSTINCTIVELY UUHNT TO
START RIMING YOUR aooy
li D IF YOU SU6MIT TO THE URGE,
ALL. YOU'LL INCRLfIs£
HflHw
Patrick Nix
a moving pocket on some
pass plays and showed
a diverse run-blocking
approach. The offensive
line mixed zone blocking,
which allows the ballcarrier
to choose a running lane,
with the stunting and pull
ing plays they mastered a
year ago. Disregarding the
two sacks of Ball - one due
to a bad snap from center
- the Jackets averaged 5.1
yards a carry.
For all the positives,
though, Nix failed in his
main charge from Gailey:
Make the offense more pro
lific.
Georgia Tech scored
just 10 points and failed
to threaten in the second
half. Notre Dame dominat
ed the Yellow Jackets in
time of possession - 35:25
to 24:35 and ran 26 more
plays than the Jackets as a
result.
Nix admitted he got
impatient in the second half
when Notre Dame flooded
the field with defensive
backs to contain Johnson
and counter the no-huddle.
“They were smarter than
Cornerback Kenny Scott
said the Jackets put the
loss in perspective quickly.
“We lost to a pretty good
Notre Dame team, ranked
No. 2 in the nation,” he
said. “Hopefully, we come
back the next 11 and we’re
able to run the table.”
NO RECOURSE FOR
CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY: Any
other Monday, Georgia
Tech’s Gailey would have
shipped video clips of con
troversial penalty calls
to the Atlantic Coast
Conference’s director of
officials.
But an ACC crew was not
responsibility for flagging
the Yellow Jackets’ Wheeler
for a helmet-to-helmet hit
on Notre Dame’s Quinn in
Saturday’s game.
Big 10 officials were. And
Gailey decided not to waste
his time prepping and ship
ping the tape.
“You know what happens
when they get it? It goes in
the garbage can,” he said.
The penalty nullified the
Jackets’ stop of the Notre
Dame offense on a third
down play and extended
the drive.
V / — ~ s/1 FOOUP THE RECIPE) f come TO THAT WOOIP
*7 I OH A TAIIGATIHG I / THIHK OF IT, IT \( BE THE POUHP
I KIPPIHG. I w£ g c, |TE J I pip AvE A eu y II op JAl aP£HO£.
(c) 2006 Bill Hinds. Dist by Universal Press Syndicate
me and knew I wouldn’t be
patient enough to keep run
ning it,” Nix said. “They
knew I would be bull-head
ed and throw a few passes
here and there when there
was no sense in doing it.
You live and learn.”
Still, Gailey praised the
offensive approach in his
Sunday conference call.
“I’m pleased with where
we can be,” he said. “We
didn’t execute at time and
we made some mistakes. I
expect us to get better, but
I’m pleased with where it’s
headed.”
Nix and the offense get
a few weeks to straighten
the kinks before the Yellow
Jackets open Atlantic Coast
Conference play. Georgia
Tech plays Samford, a
Division I-AA team, this
week and Troy, a mid-major
that beat just one Division
I-A team in 2005, in two
weeks.
The ACC opener is Sept.
21 against Virginia, which
managed just 211 yards in
a 38-13 loss to Pittsburgh in
its season opener.
Georgia Tech’s next real
test is Sept. 30 at Virginia
Tech.
Tailback Tashard Choice
predicts more surprises -
- and points - from the
offense in the weeks to
come.
Nix “has a lot more things
on the table,” he said.
“We’re going to mix it up,
you saw that. We went no
huddle for a while there. We
got the ball to people who
can make plays on the field.
And we didn’t turn it over.
We moved the ball.”
Reach reporter Adam
Van Brimmer at adam.
vanbrimmer@morris.com
or 404-589-8424.
The Irish scored the even
tual game-winning touch
down three plays later.
NO NEW INJURIES: The
Yellow Jackets escaped the
season opener with no inju
ries.
Defensive end Michael
Johnson, tight end Colin
Peek and offensive lineman
Cord Howard missed the
Notre Dame game because
of injury.
Johnson and Peek remain
doubtful for Saturday’s
game against Samford
while Howard is out indefi
nitely.
SAMFORO STARTS SEASON
WITH WIN: Georgia Tech’s
next opponent, Samford,
visits Atlanta at 3:30
.p.m. Saturday with a 1-0
record.
The Bulldogs, who com
pete at the Division l-
AA level, defeated Miles
College 37-7 last Thursday
in Birmingham, Ala.
Saturday’s meeting is
the second in three years
between Georgia Tech and
Samford.
The Yellow Jackets
defeated the Bulldogs 28-7
in the 2004 season opener.
SPORTS
%jpf Jk»- * v IHr:. 4.
HSyfl JflpP tSM fi
g, ~ jL' mkt v jU m
UK (IB ] wt\ ffHT jlHpr WJ if
H Wj f Flu \ Wmtj \Wj j \
j Wt \ fifjfa] Wlß\ I Silt V
Submitted
Pictured is the Westfield Lady Hornets varsity softball team. Team members are, front,
Sydney Smith, Daryl Ann Thompson, Jenni Grier, Kelsey Gilliam, Mason Moreland and
Audrey Clearman. Back, Head Coach Rodney Culverhouse, Jennifer Wrye, Jamie
Marshall, Kaitlin Chasteen, Shae Horsting, Caroline Pfohl, Hanna Jones and Coach Jeff
Eubanks.
.jplH mm pm*~juiiw
SSZ&L iZLZmut - .... J
Pictured is the Westfield Lady Hornets junior varsity softball team. Team members are,
front, Kellyn Wright, Haley Way, Christine Campbell, Ellen Grier, Erin Waller and Casio
Goodman. Back, Culverhouse, Ashley Moreland, Cariy Albritton, Emily Taylor,
Kaci Whiddon, Sheldon Hiley and Eubanks.
Mallard won’t give up football
Maybe this is the week
Josh Mallard looks for a new
line of work.
Don’t count on it.
Cut from an NFL team for
Adam Van
Brimmer
Morris News Service
Every coach loves Mallard,
the former University of
Georgia star and Savannah
Native. Including the man
who cut him Saturday
because of the NFL’s 53-man
roster limit, the Falcons’ Jim
Mora.
Mora loved Mallard’s ener
gy. Loved his passion.
Loved how every time he
turned around on the Atlanta
sideline during a preseason
game, Mallard was close by
“frothing at the mouth” to
get in the game.
Mora loves Mallard because
Mallard loves football.
And Mallard, like a stub
born and hopeless romantic,
won’t give up what he loves.
Life on the NFL’s fringe is
better than life without foot
ball, in Mallard’s opinion.
Sure, it’s frustrating. He
thought he made an impres
sion as a rookie in 2002,
recording 11 tackles, a sack
and two pass deflections
off the Indianapolis Colts’
bench. Yet the Colts’ cut him
prior to the next season.
He won a job - at full
back nonetheless - with the
Browns a few months later.
He didn’t last a day. The
team cut him the next day
for the roster spot.
The Dolphins signed him
a few months later. He
spent the summer working
out behind Jason Taylor at
defensive end during the
day and enjoying the South
Beach scene by night. Then
on the first day of training
camp, the coach moved him
to fullback.
Yet Mallard stuck it out.
He consulted his old position
coach in Indianapolis, John
Teerlinck, about his options.
Teerlinck told Mallard
the Colts would sign him
I ©2006 by King Features Syndicate Inc World nghu reserved J
Lady Hornets
if we would spend a season
in NFL. Europe. This time,
Mallard agreed. He helped
the Amsterdam Admirals
win the league champion
ship, making two tackles in
the 2005 World Bowl.
The Colts cut him last fall
anyway. His name and con
nections led to interest from
the Eagles and the Falcons.
He signed with Atlanta.
Only to get cut. Again.
“I’ll catch on some
where else,” he said.
Evidently, once you’ve seen
Indy...
Mallard laughs when asked
Why? And you can’t help but
chuckle along with him. He
is, after all, a 26-year-old who
has known only two jobs in
his life, and both of them
glamorous: NFL player and
TV actor.
Mallard went to Hollywood
the day after the Colts first
cut in 2003. He used some
Savannah connections to
catch on with an agency for
the fifth
time in
four years
Saturday,
Mallard
will keep
his cell
phone
close.
Waiting
for a call
from team
No. 6.
r
•Air Conditioning Repair
•Engine Repair
•Tune Ups, Belts & Hoses
WBJ.MMEWBa.JML
MtwßssHWtAi mm mmamm®
jNtattklMn (47»)W»-tWt
SUGARLOAF
A Lovely Sidewalk Community In Perry
These Homes are quality built all brick homes We have 3 &
4 bedroom homes starting at 131,900 Homes have features
such as custom cabinets, fireplace, sod, sprinkler system
Builder is giving a $5,000 bonus If you contract on one of our
last 2 completed homes and close within 30 days We have
a new loan program available to use that Is a 100% loan with
no PMI Information Center open daily Mon. Thur, Fri 12-6
weekdays, Sat 11-5 Sun 1-5.
Stop by and visit with Karen or give her a call at 954-HOME (4663)
Located on the Perry Parkway nght across from the new Court House.
Coming Soon Another
(478) 971-2115 331 Margie Drive. Warner Robins, GA. 31088
Disclaimer: Bonuses based on certain completed homes only Loan program based upon credit and may not apply tc a» purchasers
THE HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
ASE MASTER
MECHANIC
CARTLK-WII.KLS S/D
CONSTRUCTION, INC.
[Fairclothßealtv i,.,
TV extras. He appeared in
episodes of Cold Case, The
Guardian and Law & Order.
Then came his big break.
He showed up for a casting
call for The Guardian. The
director needed someone to
play the part of a bouncer
in a club. In the scene, the
bouncer walked down some
stairs, greeted the show’s
main character at the club’s
door and let him in.
The day after he shot the
scene, Mallard decided to
hire a talent agent. While
waiting in the agency’s office
for his appointment, his
cell phone rang. His foot
ball agent was calling. TJie
Browns. Fullback job.
“I had to make a decision,”
he said. “I went back to foot
ball.
“And no, I have no
regrets.”
He. won’t bother with the
classifieds this week either.
After all, he’ll catch on some
where.
REMINGTON CHASE
Submitted
00037383
00037813