Your Georgia Tech Eye in the Sky and Tech Thoughts…

bourbonstreet you suck son, you suck, you suck, you suck! You missed Virginia Tech by 1 -that’s one- full point and you missed Georgia Tech by 1/2 of a play. Dumbass!

Shoulda done a better job on researching your yardage metrics as you nearly typo-ed that one perfectly correct as well; idiot! As this one was one disappointing though not surprising to this website day. A day that left the TSL message boards pretty dang salty indeed both in and post-game alike. As Virginia Tech football coulda -maybe even shoulda- won this one and yet we let this one slip away. Our ingrained Lombardi-school sporting civics remands us to say: “props to Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech.” That lesson in sportsmanship firmly in hand, let’s take a very serrated or serial look at what is going on or going ‘rong both on O and on D of late down in the New River Valley…

1Q 1:32 remaining:
Yah; you just knew this was coming, again and again and again as this is one X-rated O as defensive line knees’ go. As it was Timmy’s turn first, as the right-G of P.J. flex-bone O basically leg-whips a penetrating Timmy’s left-knee as Settle goes disruptively flying right on by. Tough to tell or even measure intent here; even in slo-mo’, as Nijman can speak to the accidental nature of football such as that. Though this is G.Tech, this is P.J. and we’ve all seen this training-room movie before. God bless.

2Q 1:03 remaining:
Poor T.Mac simply wrenches his right knee on a corkscrew or torquing bending-moment right at the end of this goaline run. Not a good looking play to watch for a kid who is not even wearing an open patella knee sleeve -much less a trench fighters hinged brace- although it could have been worse from what I can see in slowing it down. Just a couple of more degrees of twist and this knee would have seasonally popped. Godspeed T.Mac’.

3Q 10:49 remaining:
Just what Timmy (did not) need; as this time it is his right-knee that gets unceremoniously lumber-jacked or chopped right on down to size.

3Q 8:20 remaining:
I’ve gotten on Hill a bit for taking a few Ric Flair looking dives as every team has one; every bit as much as every team has one closer to Bennie Wolf. Though still yet, Hill has been getting credibly beat-up of late as he tweaks his left-hammie here and it looked like he really got it at the 4Q 7:58 remaining mark nearly for keeps. God Bless.

3Q 6:22 remaining:
Yah; this could be your Wikipedia screen-cap’ of a double team and triple-double illegal Hi-Lo block as #55 and #62 coulda ended Walker’s ability to walk, hop, skip, jump, run… or much less, play. Nasty nasty looking play as do note that Walker’s left foot is still in the dirt at the moment of contact. As I’m not real sure how he survived this play more/less intact. Although I am sure you say: “thank, you, Coach, God” on the four points of the Cross after this. Shew!

Time To Throw (TTT)©:

Virginia Tech:
Qb pressured=
Qb hurried=
Qb hits=
Sacked=

Georgia Tech:
Qb pressured=
Qb hurried=
Qb hits=
Sacked=

Longfield Management (Lo.FM)©:

Virginia Tech:
positive:
negative:
Swiss (neutral):

Georgia Tech:
positive:
negative:
Swiss (neutral):

Coach talk…

…all I can ghost here is to say that someone had the rare occasion to talk to a whistle later on post-game. They listened to what that whistle was saying to those around them, and then the someone interjected: “He (Fu’ in this context) got into a ego contest with P.J. after that fake-punt; and he (Fu’) just had to get P.J. back.” (That coach walked off at that remark, although that someone was told that coach was nodding their head up-n-down in a: “yea”)

Or as someone wrote last week… “you don’t hook with a hooker.” You jab-jab-jab that hooker because hookin’ up is all that hooker knows. Then you pump that water in that basement (i.e. body-shots), then you finally finish the hooker off on a hook upstairs.

Or further recall that someone wondered out-loud why the new to BIG game Staff did not walk down the Jamerson hallway and ask the holdover or refugee staffers just what that big game hygiene is all about? Or in other words, pretty tough for Mozart to author a masterpiece musical composition if he can’t remain… composed. No matter how symphonic the Fu’fense had been in 64-17, 59-7, 28-o, 38-o concertos; the writing was on the R.A.T.T. middle-C wall; though few now speak R.A.T.T. Braille.

The writing reads two things… first those slow slower slowest early season starts taught us R.A.T.T. that this O has some so-so parts. Your breadcrumb trial 1st-Q scores of: 7-17 the ‘rong way,  14-o, 7-nil, and 3-zip all conspire to say so. This column began saying so right after Boston College visit whereby this column regressed and flirted with resurrecting the Glennon era pet term of: “inert“. Or as a salty pay-side MB observer put it post-game: “5 senior oLinemen and we could not get a …push.“

Mea culpa here guys… “inert” is a Bridge Too Far. However, the correct term is: “finite”. First of all, for rightfully enjoying such a glam’ i-phone 9 offensive reputation, this is not that thick of a playbook. Raleigh Hokie was the first to pick up on this though someone has heard Fu’ himself say the same behind the scenes. This is not a Greek written in Latin or Loeffler type terminal degree seeking offense. Its quick-hitting bang-bang football and that is precisely why -and to their enormous credit- that is precisely why someone wrote about how impressed they were that such a retooled offense had opened so close to their 2o17 ceiling to start the year when everyone else thought this to be the first-floor. That was a compliment every bit as much as it was a… warning. Check it out…

pyrite vs. 24kt…

Neither one is fair; as stop-watch documented here previously, our (current) Qb1 has some (physical) less than top kick limitations. Or to parrot and now expand upon what I’ve already said… he’s a Rolex game-manger, surrounded by Timex parts. And guess what? Since half past when has his okay enough top speed looked the same after this?

If you do not believe me… check out the negative sl0pe in JAX’s stats ever since that wicked hit came crashing home at the end of that 2021 bragging rights saving most gallant of a brokeback mountaineer run…

Since then, or since when have we seen Jackson go pretty decent in-line (meaning: linear straight ahead) top-speed downfield? Go ahead, I dare you, use the space below and document the last play we saw from JAX that showcased as much speed as ^that^ wvu hard charge right up the A-gap gut?

As the whispers initially said Fu’ and Corny pulled (i.e. saved) some JAX run-fit plays for Clemson; and then put the very same saved plays back on the O&M shelf once they R.A.T.T. saw (in-game no less) that they could not beat Clemson and that they might just get JAX hurt for the rest of the year vs. the defending National Champ.

Then we heard that JAX got a “lower body” or leg ding down @Miami. And I’ll confess my tape breaking sins here, beyond the I.C.B.M thermonuclear detonation hit he (unnecessarily) took on the INT final play? I just could not find it on film… though those are from some elite whispering tongues as well. Accordingly, now is a good time now for some coach Spock objective science-fact…

Since beating hateful w.v.u., JAX and his coach’s son Summa Cum Laude mind and his less that field-day ribbon winning stopwatch r-Fr. metrics have all done the following…

• Back in September JAX had a 159.3 Qb passing rating at the end of the month. This after opening with a winning 146 Qb passing rating when full locked, cocked and ready to rock vs. wvu. He followed this up with a 147 rating vs. D-1aa Delaware, and then exploded for a career and seasonal apex of a phenomenal 234 Qb passing rating vs. the sieve otherwise known as E.c.u. And it has been nearly all downhill or a negative slope ever since. As JAX closed his October works with a 143 Qb passing rating for the 10th month and he has recently nearly fallen off a cliff with a 1o2 Qb passing rating thus far in November.
• Now, how about JAX’s pay-side talked up: (though not by me), “he runs better than you think” ground game you ask? Well, after dusting hateful wvu for a centennial looking 1o1 yards rushing, JAX has sputtered and now he’s stuttering, if that. As after wvu he put up: a pinnacle game of 29 yards on the surface and he has now put up three negative rushing days on the year. With seven outta his nine games held below 20 yards gained in the dirt. Or to put it another way his best day post wvu was only 28% of wvu and his worst day was –5% of wvu. As his average per rush has gone from a serviceable 3.8 ypc in September, to a lowly 1.4 ypc in October, to a virtually nonexistent 3.8″ ipc. That’s three-point-eight inches per carry people!
• JAX’s numbers when broken down on a competitive basis are even more alarming –or is it, revealing? As his out-of-conference Qb passing rating was a shiny enough 177.4 with a nimble enough 4.6 ypc. Vs. conference foes his Qb passing rating falls to 122.7 with 3′ fpc (that’s three feet per carry men). Or to put it another way… is he playing at the right level {sic: of college, ball}?
• Finally, we are 125th best in Passing Downs S&P+. Or to put it another way we can not make (many) positive Lo.FM plays when in long-yardage and having to chase the chain-gang in obvious passing situations.
• Now, does any of that read like a Qb who is progressing —or even a healthy Qb to you?
• Me, neither.

…do you believe me now Trinity?

Now, and as we all know, if you do not marry problems to solutions all you really did is; complain…

As JAX the coach’s son is not gonna football.edu grow or decathlete speed-up anytime soon. There just ain’t enough play-books/film-rooms or Wheaties in the world for any of that. So, if I am Corny or Fu’? I have the video tape room go back and look at the first three games. Chart all the bigger/better JAX plays. Compare them vis-à-vis to what we are running now. What did we change, what did we add or subtract? Then I bring JAX into my office and ask him to list the Top-5 to Top-10 plays he’s most comfortable with or most enjoys running. As sources hear that Fu’ in particular is very into statistical regression analysis or what cutiepies now call: “analytics”. So go back and line-of-best-fit, 4-squares, conditional expectation(s), or whatever regression analysis methodology you prefer and see what works JAX best. Or did that just make too much, sense?

In summary, this offense is much closer to blemished beat-up looking, “fair” grading 10kt pawn shop yellow gold coin  than it is to pyrite. It’s still gold hell-by-damn, however; it’s just not all that sot’ after compared to its chip, VHT (very highly touted), and astronomy class **** and even harder to find 24kt ***** cousins. As this is the 54th ranked total O (out of 129 teams) playing with the 80th most explosive parts; while beginning drives with the 5th best field-position! Yes, that is indeed code for coaching (the verb); although it is also denting your head on the 1o1st best in finishing-drives bottom side of the roof.

Bud Bock, 3o years young and still on, tap?

I’m still rummaging through this Wreck myself, nonetheless, how odd is it to be the 15th best total D in all the land… and yet the 86th D in giving up big rushing plays (Rushing IsoPPP). All that while being 3rd best in power rate -our highest ranking ever here all-time- and 9th best in stuff rate! Mutually, we are 15th best in total D overall… and yet a seemingly nearly umpossible 125th worst in defense of the BIG-play!!! And if that is not nutty enough, we are 120th worst in BIG plays allowed vs. normal down-n-distances or when not in Lo.FM’s. Do what now? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is that?

As I’ve been playing football since age two, I’ve been covering football for over 1.5 decades -thank you Coach God and Will insert (______) here, check! Though I’ve never ever heard of a defense like that before; have you?

Yes, having our worst Wr turned our best Fs fracture his foot had not helped (Godspeed).

Having a home position Cb -some might say Rover- playing Fs has not helped.

Not having a true home position Fs anywhere on the roster will never ever help.

All true and this just in… rain is still rumored to be, wet. Nevertheless, I’m beginning to wonder if all this pre-snap line-up anxiety is a steak that’s just not worth the sizzle. As we are (pardon the pun) we are now marooning people in bad left or right side match-ups. Whereas before we flip-flopped them to try to achieve a better match-up even if on rare occasion we did not realign fast enough or had to burn a defensive timeout.

Or could it be that we’ve Hilgirth’ed our guys a bit too much? This would indeed explain the heightened stuff and power rates alike; while likewise explaining the lack of recovery speed and/or busted or BIG plays given up in the last two seasons compared to years past. Additionally, our D -although still pretty dang good by-the-bye- softens by 358% as an index from Q1 to Q2; and than again by 240% as an index from Q3 to Q4. Now, let’s be transparent here, being ranked 43rd in Q2 D overall and 36th in Q4 D does not suck; though our good yet thin defense does worsen as each half wears along. Which has left me wondering if we’ve bulked-up too much? Gone too S.e.c. in the A.c.c. if you will. Or do you have a better theory(s)?

(Mid-script: and how is a team that has added so many modern era S&C and nutritional factors 118th easiest to, tackle (on O)? I do not understand that one either..)

So I’ll freely admit it, there are some dots here I’m not connecting,
Occam’s Razor and I both wanna know… please, write-in and discuss below.

pay-side pre-game nuggets…
Off-and-on for many many a year, someone had been dropping real insider scoops on Will’s pay-side pre-game on game-day. Because as the cliché says “timing is everything” and scrolling effects here decrease visibility and increase perishability all the more. This week someone dropped some feelers that coach-Fu’ himself had been soliciting some leaders to: “step up” at practice last week.

Okay… so after nine games, where had these leaders been in the first place? As someone wrote about coach-Fu’ taking a clinical calculated risk here in not leading himself. I.e. if the Hokies win, and a new leader or three steps up than perhaps a new leader(s) is born; and that is Iliad/Odyssey heroic enough. However, if you get beat on this applied-sports psych bet -in the Sam and Evans vacuum I might add- than that’s “baa-aaa-aaa-d”, you are the goat; when who or should I say Fu’ should stepped up himself. As that’s one you won’t be reading anywhere else. As notice I did not denounce or pronounce the leadership beckoning, invitation, solicitation to “step-up” bet results pre-game, as we had no results at 11am on Saturday. I did however question this look; and now we, know.

***

the takeaway...
The takeaway is… this one was stinker of a rotten egg gone sulfuric game. Best to burn this game film, then beat a 1-trick Pitt and then prep for a downright necessary and possibly competitive game @uva.

As Chris already wrote, Clemson and Miami had better Jimmy’s and Joe’s. Though Fu’ and his still somewhat nubile staff have just taken a two week crash course in applied-sports psych X’s and O’s.

---

Consequently, suffice it to say… I questioned their: in-game composure. “Ancy” was my halftime word for our play-calling and even for our personnel packages. As we sure looked needy, grabby, like we were pressing a bit too much after that G.Tech fake.

Prior to that, P.J. really baited and sucker punched this ancy looking Staff with very vanilla, pedestrian, centrist or middle of the isle flex-bone and defensive play-calling early on.

As P.J. did not suffer fielding the better parts here —making this a true mind-job on the order of The Matrix itself.

As Morpheus, -I mean P.J.- the onerous Atlantic Coast Morpheus truly
jimmied Fu’s Gatorade and slipped Fu’ the, red-pill.

Virginia Tech=22, Georgia Tech=28

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**