While the results haven’t been there for Georgia Tech to this point in the Geoff Collins era, Tony Elliott has respect for the job Collins and his coaching staff have done in Atlanta. After studying the Yellow Jackets a little closer heading into this week’s game, Elliott said he believes they’re making some progress in what they’re trying to do.
But Elliott isn’t envious of them.
Elliott has been an offensive assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff for a decade, the last seven years spent calling plays as the Tigers’ co-offensive coordinator or offensive coordinator. While he’s added his own flavor, Elliott has been dialing up plays for and recruiting to the same spread offense Clemson has had in place going back to Chad Morris’ days as a play-caller.
At Georgia Tech, there’s been a complete overhaul, one the sixth-ranked Tigers (1-1) will see again when the Yellow Jackets visit Memorial Stadium today for both teams’ ACC opener. The flexbone triple option was synonymous with Tech (1-1) for 11 seasons under former coach Paul Johnson, who won 57% of his games at Tech with the help of the rare offensive scheme before retiring following the 2018 season.
When Tech hired Collins away from Temple as Johnson’s successor, Collins scrapped the triple option and implemented a spread pro-style attack with offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude. The Yellow Jackets are going on three years into it at this point, but Elliott said there’s a shock to the system when making that drastic of a change that’s going to take more time to get used to.
“It’d be tough because you’ve got to recruit to it first and foremost, so you’ve got to find, philosophically, guys that fit your culture. And then you’ve got to find guys that fit your scheme,” Elliott said. “And then you’re trying to transition the guys you have on your roster from an old mentality and old philosophy to a new philosophy. But from what I can tell, they’re doing a good job with that transition.
“I think the expectation is probably going to be unrealistic. It’s going to take several, several years. You’ve got to have a chance to get through a couple of recruiting cycles to get those guys. Because not only do you have to get those guys but you’ve got to develop them, too, to your philosophy.”
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables described preparing for Johnson’s offenses, which routinely ranked among the nation’s best in rushing yards, as a year-round process to get his players familiar with the triple-option elements so that they could defend it at a high level. Venables believed that approach had other benefits, too.
“If you’re doing that year-round and working on those things, because I think still week in and week out you get a lot of teams that still carry a lot of those option principles 101, that was actually always a good thing for us,” Venables said.
But rarely do Tech’s quarterbacks line up under center anymore. The Yellow Jackets have traded fullbacks and slotbacks for more receivers and tight ends, and new blocking schemes have also been implemented. Gone are the cut blocks that were a staple of the Yellow Jackets’ old offense.
“It’s radically different. What a tough job that is to turn it around. That’s not an easy thing to do,” Venables said. “You’re talking about two diffetnet planets from what the locker room is like as far as players, personnel, systems, things of that nature.”
While Tech may not be as run-heavy as it used to be, the Yellow Jackets still prefer to try to move the ball on the ground. After jumping from 72nd nationally in rushing yards in Collins’ first year at the helm to 43rd last season, Tech will bring the 34th-best rushing offense (214.5 yards per game) into Death Valley this weekend.
Tech has run the ball on 63% of its snaps so far with one of the ACC’s most versatile backs getting most of that work. Jahmyr Gibbs is averaging 5.3 yards on a team-high 29 carries but will also line up in the slot and as a kick returner. He has accounted for 320 all-purpose yards in two games.
“He’ll have 20-plus touches when the game’s over,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “There’s no doubt about that. He’s a dynamic player.”
The Yellow Jackets may be leaning more on the run in part because of their youth at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Jordan Yates is expected to get the start against Clemson, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but Jeff Sims, another second-year quarterback who started Tech’s opening loss to Northern Illinois, may also play. Neither has faced many defenses the caliber of the Tigers, who’ve yet to allow an offensive touchdown.
Yates got his first career start in place of the injured Sims in Tech’s rout of Kennesaw State last week. Yates threw four touchdowns in the victory, but both are also capable runners.
Sims may be the more effective of the two with his legs, rushing for 492 yards and a team-best six touchdowns last season. With perimeter runs and run-pass options a part of the playbook, the Yellow Jackets still have some option principles built into their spread offense, but so does Clemson, which helps the Tigers’ preparation.
“(Option offenses) are fun to watch when they’re rocking and rolling, but I think, what we do, we’re fun to watch, too,” Elliott said.
Most of Tech’s experience lies on the defensive side of the ball, where the Yellow Jackets have eight starters back. It’s helped the Yellow Jackets hold teams to 19.5 points and 286.5 yards per game, though their opponents so far have been of the FCS and Group of Five variety.
Will it also help them put up a better fight this weekend than Collins’ first two Tech teams, which lost to Clemson by an average of 52 points? Even with an offense still trying to get comfortable in its new skin, Swinney doesn’t believe it’s out of the question.
“I think they’re a much improved team, and you can see that belief growing,” Swinney said. “They’re committed and believe in their philosophy and what they do. I think that’s important.”
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
