Commodores Up Against a Tough Test with the Jackets

It's no secret that the Commodores are facing a tough task this weekend. Our offense up to this point has been stagnant. Our defense has played admirably, but is banged up, isn't very good against the run, and has suddenly failed to stop the pass of late. Georgia Tech boasts a clock-eating triple option offense, an average defense, and a whole lot of moxie after positioning itself as the big dog in the ACC Coastal.

The good news, our secondary will be rarely tested against the Jackets this weekend. The bad news, our front seven will be constantly tested.

Not helping matters is that Vanderbilt's load of tailbacks are banged up and passing game is non-existant. Zac Stacy and Jared Hawkins are recovering from injury. Larry Smith, played an improved game last week, if that's what it can be called, getting his completion percentage up to 50% and not turning the ball over.

Dimon Kendrick-Holmes had a great post about how to stop Georgia Tech, and two of those facts are especially pertinent.

We've gotta stop them on third down, getting our defense off the field, and we've gotta control the clock. Which brings me to my next point:

We need to give every team we face from this point on, including Georgia Tech, a healthy serving of Warren Norman.

As ESPN's Chris Low points out, Norman leads the SEC in All-Purpose Yardage. The guy is a playmaker on an otherwise listless offense. He is explosive in every phase of the game. Simply put, he's the guy who can take it to the house for us.

Let's face it, we're not going to win with Larry Smith throwing the ball 35 times a game. Very few teams outside of Texas Tech are going to succeed playing that kind of offense. This offense needs to stop revolving around Smith, and it needs to start revolving around Norman. Keep the no-huddle, spread option whathaveyou out there, but if I'm Bobby Johnson, I'm saying let's run option with Smith and Norman, and let's run single-back and let Norman do what he does. Sometimes it isn't going to end up well. But until Larry proves that he can throw the ball for more than 5.7 ypc Norman is racking up with a significantly high percentage, we've gotta go with what is working.

You want to beat Tech? Stop them on third down, and control the clock. Controlling the clock has to be in the hands of Warren Norman.