Georgia Tech spreads defenses like butter

MIAMI - Paul Johnson's high-powered run offense blends the wishbone option attack with fragments of the run-and-shoot passing system.

Johnson, Georgia Tech's coach, calls it the spread option. It features two wingbacks, two receivers, a running back and a quarterback. It's considered both new age and a throwback, and the Yellow Jackets rushed for 307 yards a game, second-best nationally.

“The public wants to see the ball in the air and whoop-de-doo and all that kind of stuff,” Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker said. “But with these guys it's pound, pound.”

Georgia Tech's players attribute the system's success to the offense's other unit. The backs credit the linemen for their crisp blocks. The linemen toss out superlatives about the backs' vision. But every player eventually praises quarterback Josh Nesbitt.

Nesbitt, a 6-foot-2, 214-pound junior, guides the offense with three options on every running play. With his pre-snap read, he measures the number of defenders on each side of the ball before calling the play. On the snap, he reads either the defensive tackle or defensive end and decides to keep the ball or hand it off to thunderback Jonathan Dwyer. If he keeps it, he singles up the defensive end or outside linebacker. One defender twitch could mean a pitch to a wingback in motion or Nesbitt keeping it himself.

“We get a certain play, but ... basically we run a play off of what the defense gives you,” Nesbitt said.

Nesbitt needs 9 yards to reach 1,000 and set an Atlantic Coast Conference record with 18 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He's one rushing touchdown shy of matching the single-season ACC record.

But no defense would respect Nesbitt without the fear of a pounding back like Dwyer. who stands 6-feet and weighs 235 pounds. Dwyer rushed for 1,346 yards and 14 touchdowns this year, most of which coming off the dive play.

If defenses clamp down on Nesbitt and Dwyer, wingback Anthony Allen averaged 9.8 yards a carry on the pitch from Nesbitt. If defenses sell out on the run, Nesbitt torches them in the air. Nesbitt threw for 1,689 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, primarily to wide receiver DeMaryius Thomas, who caught 46 passes for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns.

“Everybody asks about the offense: It's about execution, knowing what you do, and how to fix it,” Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Brian Bohannon said. “There are a lot of different ways to skin a cat. This is the way we do it.”