Highlights, quotes and notes from Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson’s news conference Tuesday in advance of Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh.
1. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi hasn't named a starting quarterback for the Tech game, but Johnson suspected it would be Ben DiNucci, the backup through the first three games. DiNucci came on in place of Max Browne in the second quarter of the 59-21 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday. On the team's depth chart, the starter is listed as Browne or DiNucci.
“Usually when they list ‘either/or’ and the starter’s been the starter for three games, and it’s ‘either/or,’ it’s usually not the starter,” Johnson said.
DiNucci is more of a run threat than Browne. Johnson said that Tech will get ready for the entire offense rather than one particular player.
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2. There are 21 freshmen or sophomores in Pitt's defensive depth chart, which has 31 players listed. That portends to be an advantage for the Tech offense.
“Anytime guys have to replace people, I think it’s an advantage,” Johnson said. “All of these guys haven’t seen the speed of (Tech’s option offense), that kind of thing, but it still comes down to making plays and beating blocks and tackling.”
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3. Johnson was asked about the positives and negatives of having the UCF game canceled, particularly the advantage of rest vs. the disadvantage of a lost opportunity to get younger players game experience.
“I think it’s hard to tell,” Johnson said. “From a purely rest standpoint, you’re going to be more rested because that would have been three games in 13 days. But when you’ve got a lot of young guys who haven’t played, you lose those game reps that you can’t really get in practice. You try, but it’s not the same.”
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4. Johnson reiterated a message that he shared on his radio show Monday night on 680 the Fan that Tech mistakes played a significant role in the Jackets' defeats the past two seasons against Pitt, both on last-minute field goals.
In particular, he mentioned safety Corey Griffin’s inability to knock down a fourth-quarter pass that instead was deflected to a Pitt tight end and became a 74-yard touchdown reception to tie the game and a failed fourth-and-1 that the Jackets failed to convert that gave Pitt a short field to score the game-winning field goal. Griffin took an improper angle on the ball, he said, while an offensive lineman had a split between him and his neighboring lineman that was too narrow.
“So a lot of that’s self-inflicted,” Johnson said. “You have to give them credit for making plays, but we also contributed to it.”
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5. Johnson had praise for twin defensive backs Lance and Lawrence Austin.
“They’re competitive, I think they love to play the game, they’re both very physical, and I think they play with chips on their shoulder because of their size, but they’re tough kids who like to play and they’re fun to be around because they’re competitive, sometimes to a fault,” he said. “But they’ve been really good players for us and hopefully they’ll both have a great senior year.”
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