Tennessee readying for Georgia Tech's 'bend-but-don't-break' defense
For weeks, we’ve heard tons of talk about the difficulty defending Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense, but what about the Yellow Jackets’ defense?
Tennessee will break in a new starting quarterback and a green group of playmakers against Ted Roof’s unit on Monday night (8 p.m., ESPN), so what should the No. 25 Vols expect to see?
“A very sound (defense),” Tennessee offensive coordinator Larry Scott said. “You can tell they’re a veteran bunch on defense. There’s not many times you see a guy out of a gap he should be in or a coverage bust. When I think about them, they play well together and are very sound.”
Tech’s defense was the definition of average in 2016. The Yellow Jackets ranked No. 59 in total defense, No. 68 in yards per play and No. 39 in scoring defense. They return their entire secondary and starting middle linebacker, but must replace four key members of their front-seven.
Ultimately, Tech won nine games last season because Roof’s passive, quarters zone blitzing scheme limited opponents’ explosive plays. Despite an overall middling unit, Tech ranked No. 4 nationally in opponent long scrimmage plays, allowing just 17 snaps over 30 yards.
The Yellow Jackets were still shredded by Clemson (450), Duke (559) and North Carolina (636), but they went 3-0 against the SEC in large part due to standout defensive performances.
To whit: Vanderbilt scored just seven points and averaged a meager 2.8 yards per carry. Georgia only had a 139 passing yards and two turnovers, while Kentucky was also stymied in the air with just three passing plays over 11 yards.
Scott said Tech’s secondary will challenge Tennessee’s young wide receiver corps, forcing the Vols to win off the line.
“They’ll press your outside receivers and play some 1-on-1 with them. I think for the most part it’s just the idea that they force you into a system to make sure you execute, kind of a bend-but-don’t-break mentality,” he explained.
“They’re going to play their defense and rely on you to make a mistake and turn the ball over.”
Facing Tech's clock-chewing offense, possessions are at a premium against the Yellow Jackets. They won their final four games of last season by winning (or tying) the turnover margin each time.
With lots of unknowns entering the opener, Tennessee is likely to rely on John Kelly and its ground game to combat Georgia Tech’s strengths in the secondary.
As Butch Jones said Friday, “The quarterback doesn’t have to win the game for you, but he can’t lose the game. It’s all about decision-making processes and taking care of the football, managing the offense and making the right throws and the right progressions. Georgia Tech is a blitz-oriented football team and they do a very good job with it.”