Coordinator Speak: Dave Patenaude on GT's O 9/3
Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude has been fielding quarterback questions endlessly since arriving on the Flats and that won't change heading into the season opener at Florida State. While the QB question lingers, Patenaude said the rest of the offense has really taken shape and the Jackets are building nice depth across the board. Here is what he had to say this week about the competition on his side of the ball.
On freshmen on the offensive line aside from Jordan Williams
"Those guys that were here in the spring have a little bit of an advantage obviously. Ryan Spiers has done a really nice job. We started him off as at center and slid him to offensive tackle as some guys got nicked up and he's been playing left tackle so I think he's actually got the size and strength, he's got the footwork to be able to play outside. I think he'll be a guy that we develop as a tackle and as a center. He's done a really good job he's got a really good football mind, he understands concepts. But it's a different world out there right you get put out on an island at left tackle and now you have to block guys Jordan Domineck one-on-one versus the speed rush. When you're a center you got two guys on the side of you that are embracing you a little bit and here (at tackle) you're out on an island so he's played really well.
Paula Vaipulu played well early on. He's been dinged up a little bit lately. So he hasn't got as many reps as in the last week, but he's shown some really good signs. He was playing a little bit of guard and tackle also just trying to create depth.
Michael Rankins has been in there and done a good job, you know it's tough for those guys, a lot of those guys, the young guys have such a strength deficiency. Again, some of the older guys that that's really where things start to show so I like the group.
I think though, you know Cade Kootsouradis, and he's done a really nice job he's you know athletic big dude and has really fit in. He came in later and then got a little bit of a late start but he's done a really nice job so I'm happy with that group you know hopefully you know you've created enough depth with the older guys you know with the Charlie Clark's, the Austin Smith's that we're able to not have to rely too heavily on the young guys and continue to bring them along and then maybe mid-year if you know things happen then you'll have another group of guys that you can go to."
On the QB situation and if the lack of a big crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium makes it easier to go with a freshman QB
"We are closing in on that I think we got a pretty good idea what we want to do. I know that Coach Collins loves to talk about the quarterbacks so he'll chime in there probably on Tuesday's press conference and bring you up to speed a little bit more. I think all of the guys are still continuing to get reps. We're narrowing some things down as to some packages that guys really have to fully understand. The thing about it guys is across the board you know, they're still really young. I mean, I say some things to them and I look at their faces and they just look at me like I have no idea what you're talking about. So it's a continual work in progress.
The great thing with these guys is they're all football guys. So, they don't make the same mistake twice. They're all learning, you see some really really good throws and then you just see some head scratches we did some redzone stuff (Tuesday) and there were a couple of head scratchers in there and I was like, What are you looking at and, it's like well this guy did that and, you know, it really didn't make a lot of sense. So, you know, it's just a work in progress, it will continue to be. But we're, we got a pretty good idea what we want to do.
As far as the crowd I think it's a definite advantage for a young quarterback not to have to play in front of a huge crowd. Number one all of the excitement and the aura about going into a big stadium, I don't care how much I try to coach them up, they're still gonna go out there and go whoa this is really cool there's a lot of people here and it's really loud. So that's one part of it. The other part of it is just from a communication standpoint, being able to hear being able to see the signals and not have to deal with the crowd noise at as high a decibel as we would when we had the ball especially going into the red zone I think that's a real advantage for the Q, for any Qs, especially a young guy.
On if he plans to continue using multiple QBs in a game
"I think ultimately you always want to have one guy that hopefully could do everything that you're asking them to do. Can they be an active participant in the run game, that's a big piece of our offense so very rarely will you'll ever have a guy back there who's not a good runner or at least adequate enough to be able to pull the bull run a little speed option those type of things. Then like we always talk about can you get us into the right play? Can you check us the right way? Are you throwing the ball with accuracy and with velocity? Those are the four things that we look at.
Then you know emotionally are you able to handle a big stage? you know that that that's a big thing especially with young guys so ultimately you'd like to have one guy that could do everything that could settle you down that you can have solidify the group that way but you know I've never really been the guy that says hey we have to have one guy this is our guy he's got to get 80% of the reps and that type of thing because it's a long year.
Going back in our history, there have been years when we've actually had to play with seven different kids at quarterback and one guy was a receiver, one guy was a second baseman on the baseball team and you guys have all heard those stories. I think you have to continue to prep as many guys as you possibly can.
But get those guys who are going to be able to play and play a lot on a Saturday, the requisite number of reps that they need to practice so really it's a practice management thing. The cool thing about the way that we do things we're practicing on two fields and we're calling our same offense. So, even if it's the second offense against the first defense, we're running our plays the way that they're named, and they're all being evaluated everything's being watched so guys are getting really good reps that way we'll start to continue to trim the fat a little bit here as we head into the end of the week and then really go pedal down on Florida State."
On preparing for a new coaching staff and scheme at FSU
"it's a challenge, you know it's, there are two different things, two different philosophies that you really have to look at. We are at a little bit of an advantage because their defensive staff came from Memphis. We saw a lot of their crossover tape, both offensively and defensively. When we were at the other spot (Temple). So we have a general familiarization with what they do. So when you start doing your evaluations you look at the Florida State tape, and you look at their people, and you know where they were placing him What kind of guys they have obviously they have a very talented roster down there. Then you go back to the Memphis tape, and you say okay what are they schematically? Who are they? What do they want to be? Are they a three or four down (linemen) team do they play more middle close coverage, what's their blitz percentage?
Then the interesting thing I think with this group is, they were very different. philosophically at Memphis and at Florida State last year. Florida State they're more of a three-down defense last year, so you know, will there be a component of some three-down stuff that they have because that's what their personnel fits. Maybe it's more of a mix than they normally would be. So I think you have to factor all of those types of things in, and then you know to see on tape exactly like okay these are the players that have to be on the field, as we make the evaluation is do they fit more of a three-down or four-down scheme.
How much man (coverage) are they gonna play? That type of thing so it's an interesting challenge, always. But at the end of the day, you have to rely on what you do, right, you have to rely on your base things, your base rules your base runs and passes and play-actions and screens and nakeds, and you have to be able to run that stuff, versus everything that you see. Because at the end of the day they don't have to play what you think they're gonna play on very rarely do that.
Last year we came in, and we were playing South Florida, who was all four-down, and then they played 80% of the game of three-down last year. So you got to be able to prepare for everything as best you can, but rely on your base rules to get you through with some things a little bit different.
On the TE position and building depth there
"The good thing with the two Dylan's (Deveney and Leonard) and Billy Ward are they that they have really good legs. They're good athletic long bodies that can run the field. A lot of times you have guys that are a little bit shorter, a little bit more stout, a little stockier that don't really stretch the field much and are more fullback types or H-back type of guys, these guys could do a little bit of both. They're good down the field, they're both good path receivers. They're learning how to play college football on the fly, you know they were kind of thrown in the mix there last year and handled themselves really well.
Then Billy is a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger/thicker body guy like almost 260-pounds, so he can really frame guys up in a run game, and it's coming along and his understanding of the passing game. We are have always been a really 11-personnel heavy team and like to be able to move those guys around so I think we still want to have a good piece of that in our package.
One really interesting guy is Jack Coco, who was playing center/snapper this time last year, right and now he's out there chipping and catching balls in a flat and run an ISO power and he brings like a downhill fullback-type mentality. He trimmed a tremendous amount of weight. I mean, he ate grilled chicken and salad for like four months straight to get this weight down and really worked diligently in the weight room and running and things like that so he brings a little bit different element I've really been happy with him. He actually catches the ball really well for a guy that was bending over and throwing it through his legs last year as a long snapper or a center. He gives us a little punch he's really tough.
So I'm happy with that group of guys we just like anything else over the long haul we're gonna have to stay healthy and continue to create the depth that we need because you can't just get chased out of packages right because of personnel, you have to be able to develop depth, and you have to be able to cross-train the running backs, the wideouts, the tight ends on how to do everything in the offense, which we weren't able to do last year.
I mean guys were just kind of figuring out what to do. Let's say as a tight end now they could play in the slot they could play in the backfield, they could play attached, you know put their hand down or you know motion. So, you know, we're much more varied all offensively. And we just got to continue to create that depth with those guys."
On what he has seen from Mikey Minihan at center
"Mikey's done a really good job at that position. He really has to control the flow of the game and if you're playing at a fast pace he's got to be able to get up there, set the ball. make your calls, get everybody lined up, be a great communicator and understand the concepts.
Brent Key does a great job with him just understanding where to go and how to point things and try to take some of the pressure off the quarterback. If you're playing with young quarterbacks it's always great to have a center who's really bright, who can help, with the protections and help with the front IDs and, turn around and tell those young guys hey look, this is what it is, are we gonna make a check here, that kind of thing. Mikey's been really good.
Will Lay played a lot of football for us. He's really good. He really knows understands what he's doing in there can run the show so he is a backup and Kenny Cooper is a third guy who's played a lot of center for us. He is playing both guard and center coming off of his injury from last year. The big thing with Kenny is he's very powerful and when he gets his hands on you he really can clamp you. So those three guys give us really good depth there and inspires combined in a balance and we got a couple of young guys that were cross training in there also. But, you know, Mikey will get the first snaps against the Seminoles."