Georgia Tech
at a glance
Coach: Paul Johnson, 9-4 in second season; career record, 116-43 in 12 seasons.
Last year : 9-4 overall, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference (T-1st in Coastal Division); lost to Louisiana State 38-3 in Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Offense: It was no major surprise that Georgia Tech ranked last in the ACC with its modest average of 99.2 yards passing per game in Johnson’s first season. He came to Atlanta promising to run the ball. But it was notable when the Yellow Jackets still led the league in total offense at 372.5 yards per game, thanks to its 273.2 yards rushing per game, the fourth-best mark in the nation. Jonathan Dwyer was named ACC player of the year after leading the conference with 1,395 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. Dwyer returns with quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who rushed for 693 yards, A-back Roddy Jones, who rushed for 690 yards, and six other starters. Johnson is comforted by improved depth across the offense, including at running back and on the line.
Defense: Last year’s strength is this year’s most glaring concern. Georgia Tech must replace 2008 seniors Michael Johnson, Vance Walker and Darryl Richard on the defensive line. Each of the eight other starters are back, including safety Morgan Burnett, one of the team’s top all-star candidates. Defensive end Derrick Morgan had seven sacks and four fumble recoveries last season.
Special teams: Junior Scott Blair was the primary kicker and punter last season. He made 12 of 19 field goals.
Key losses: DE Michael Johnson, DT Vance Walker, DT Darryl Richard, OT Andrew Gardner, OT David Brown.
Opener: Sept. 5 vs. Jacksonville State.
Outlook: Paul Johnson needed only one season to raise expectations in Atlanta. Georgia Tech, picked by Sports Illustrated to win only three games a year ago, is ranked 12th in the magazine’s preseason edition. The Yellow Jackets were picked No. 15 in the USA Today coaches poll and are expected to be included in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 released on Aug. 22. Johnson scoffs at the notion that teams will be better prepared for his offense this season. He is looking for more consistency and predicts his team will be better, even if it doesn’t improve on last year’s 9-4 record. He says he’ll be running the same basic plays on offense this year but says the only changes will be added "wrinkles." Dwyer takes a bolder stance, saying defenses saw only "a sample" of the Yellow Jackets’ playbook last year.
ATLANTA — There’s been talk about Paul Johnson adding more passing to Georgia Tech’s run-first offense this season.
That’s fine with Jonathan Dwyer. But Dwyer’s goal is clear: The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year wants to be the leader of the nation’s best rushing attack.
"I know if we go out and dominate like we’re supposed to, there’s no doubt we can be the No. 1 rushing offense in the country," Dwyer said. "With the talent we have, we are capable of doing it as long as we stay humble and play hard each and every game we have."
Dwyer thrived in the first year of Paul Johnson’s spread option offense last season. He led the ACC with 1,395 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Johnson is asking Dwyer to be better this year.
"Because he has so much ability and can be a great player, we are going to push him and make him be his best," Johnson said, adding the 6-foot Dwyer’s "weight is up a little bit" from his listed 235 pounds.
"It’s not like he’s slowed down a great deal, but I just know he could be that much faster if he would drop a few pounds," Johnson said. "That’s where I need to push him to be in the best condition he can be and challenge him on his blocking. Those are areas where he is not as good at as running the football.
"When I challenge him, I don’t want to take away from the fact that he’s a great football player."
Led by Dwyer, Georgia Tech ranked fourth in the nation with its 273.2 yards rushing per game. Johnson’s former team, Navy, was first at 292.4.
Johnson’s offense utilizes three running backs. But unlike a wishbone, two A-backs line up wide in the spread formation instead of directly behind quarterback Josh Nesbitt and Dwyer, the B-back.
It was a new look to the ACC, and the results in the 9-4 season were impressive.
No other team in the league ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing. Florida State was second in the league and only 60th in the nation with its 179.1 yards rushing per game, almost 100 yards behind the Yellow Jackets.
Dwyer says Georgia Tech’s running game is just getting started.
"They just saw a sample of what was going on last year," Dwyer said of opposing defenses. "We didn’t even put in the whole offense.
"I think we’re still going to surprise some people this season with our offense."
Dwyer’s confidence, and the confidence of the entire team, was boosted by a nine-win season in Johnson’s debut. The Yellow Jackets ended a seven-year losing streak to state rival Georgia and narrowly missed earning a spot in the ACC championship game.
The 2008 success came despite Johnson having few players recruited for his offense and severe shortages of depth and experience at several positions, including the three running backs in his spread formation.
There is better depth and expectations for continued improvement, because there are only six scholarship seniors on the 2009 roster. Georgia Tech was No. 15 in the USA Today coaches preseason poll.
Suddenly, Georgia Tech is being discussed as a possible challenger to Virginia Tech and other ACC powers.
The preseason respect requires an adjustment for Georgia Tech’s players.
"We have a target on our backs, but I do not think we did the best that we could last year," Dwyer said. "We messed up on some games we should have won. I still think we can surprise some teams this upcoming season."
Added senior offensive guard Cord Howard: "I think more people have bought into the system. Positive attitude is pretty much just flowing around now. I definitely see it as something good because I think we’re going to go out and do something special this year."
Georgia Tech returns 17 starters, including Nesbitt, who joined Dwyer in the ACC’s top 10 rushing leaders last year. Also back on offense are top receiver Demaryius Thomas and running back Roddy Jones, who rushed for 214 yards in the 45-42 win over Georgia.
The biggest preseason concern is the defensive line, where three senior starters must be replaced.
Johnson isn’t ducking the soaring expectations.
"We’ll be a better football team this year," Johnson said.
"Now will we win more games? I don’t know."
Georgia Tech opens against Jacksonville State on Sept. 5 before another home game against Clemson, followed by a visit to Miami and a return to Atlanta to face North Carolina.
"We’ll know where we stand in the ACC by October," Johnson said.
It’s not as if October will provide a break in the conference schedule.
"The next two are Virginia Tech and Florida State. Those are our first five conference games," Johnson said.
"Our goal is to be playing for something meaningful in November. If you can get to that point, then that’s all you can ask for."