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Ga. Tech Brings Wrecking Crew
Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon is one of several quarterbacks this season to be frequently chased by Georgia Tech defenders like KaMichael Hall.
(Tracy A. Woodward - The Washington Post)
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When Tenuta arrived at Georgia Tech from North Carolina in 2002, he and Coach Chan Gailey scoured their defensive personnel and decided it was fast but small. To attack offenses, they would have to rely on that speed and shape the scheme to it.
Tenuta runs his blitzes from every angle and every position, dropping his sleek defensive linemen into coverage to fill the void of rushing linebackers or defensive backs. The players disguise their plays, so the offense can't tell who is blitzing or where it's coming from, leading to free runs at the quarterback.
"They come from everywhere," Virginia Tech center Danny McGrath said.
Even when offenses figure out where the rush is coming from, they still may not stop it. Gailey said his front seven this season are the best he has had since he has been at Georgia Tech, highlighted by Hall and middle linebacker Philip Wheeler, stout run defenders who specialize in attacking quarterbacks.
"They're like cats," Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen said. "You can't knock them off their feet. If you do, they bounce right up and get in the tackle. Nobody ever seems to get a clean hit on them."
Wheeler is Georgia Tech's wild card, a player Tenuta may line up anywhere before unleashing him on a blitz. Wheeler is fun-loving off the field -- "a big kid," Hall called him. When on it, he's deathly serious. He rarely speaks while he plays, and he never takes off his helmet on the sideline. Gailey remembers practices on 100-degree days when Wheeler would be standing to the side, chin strap still buckled.
Wheeler is second in the ACC in sacks with four and is tied for ninth in the nation in tackles for a loss. But the Yellow Jackets voted Hall their best defensive player for the Virginia Tech game, proving how dangerous a tandem they are. Hall, who calls the defenses for Georgia Tech, made 11 tackles and forced a fumble against the Hokies.
The secondary needs seasoning, Gailey said, but otherwise it's a difficult defense to prepare for, and even more difficult to play.
For that, Georgia Tech can thank Tenuta. While Hall no longer endures tongue-lashings from his coach, he knows it helped shape the team.
"He's very disciplined, very no-nonsense," Hall said. "I know a lot of the guys respect that. There are no other defensive coaches like him that I know."
Terrapins Note: Maryland linebacker Rick Costa, along with two other reserves, did not practice yesterday. Defensive lineman Omarr Savage and cornerback Anthony Wiseman did not practice as well. Friedgen refused to comment on their status for tomorrow's game. Costa, a 6-foot, 246-pound sophomore, has been a key part of the Terrapins' linebacker rotation. He has seven tackles and a fumble recovery.
Staff writer Marc Carig contributed to this report.
