Nesbitt has No. 15 Georgia Tech on the run again

Nesbitt has No. 15 Georgia Tech on the run again

Published Sep. 9, 2010 6:20 p.m. ET

The ACC's leading rusher is hearing questions about his passing game.

What else is new?

Georgia Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt had 130 yards rushing with three touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets' easy opening win over South Carolina State last week, but he completed only one pass for 8 yards.

As No. 15 Georgia Tech prepares for Saturday's game at Kansas, Nesbitt shrugs off talk about the lack of balance in the offense.

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Why worry? Nesbitt led the Yellow Jackets' option attack to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship last year by emphasizing the run.

''I don't really look into all those questions because I know everybody is going to have their opinion about what we're doing at Georgia Tech,'' Nesbitt said. ''I'm just ready to go out and play.''

Nesbitt has the respect of Kansas coach Turner Gill, who says containing the senior is the key to containing Georgia Tech's spread option offense.

''Their quarterback is a key guy in their offense,'' Gill said. ''He is an outstanding player with excellent size and good speed and he can run their offense to precision.''

Nesbitt had the top rushing total among ACC players in the opening week of the season. He ran for 1,037 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2009, when Georgia Tech ranked second in the nation in rushing and 110th in passing.

Even for the run-first Yellow Jackets, Nesbitt's passing totals in the 41-10 win over South Carolina State were unusually meager. Nesbitt was 1-for-6 passing for 8 yards with an interception.

''Yeah we want to be more efficient, but six attempts is a pretty small sample size to announce something is dead, especially when one got dropped,'' said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson.

''It wasn't that big a deal to me. Would I like to have seen him throw a couple balls better? Yeah, but I've seen the kid. He can throw. If you're waiting for him to complete 70 percent of his passes, you're gonna be waiting a long time, but he's very adequate throwing the ball for us to do what we need to do.''

Georgia Tech didn't have to pass the ball to beat South Carolina State. The Yellow Jackets had 372 yards rushing with six touchdowns.

''I really believe we could have won the game on Saturday without ever throwing one,'' Johnson said. ''We've played a lot of games that way.''

Nesbitt kept the ball on many option plays because the South Carolina State defense was committed to stopping the B-backs, including Anthony Allen.

''We always keep an open mind going into a game, really not knowing what the defense is going to do for that game,'' Nesbitt said. ''We noticed early they were taking the B-back out of the game and giving me a chance to run, so we took advantage of it.

''I don't mind. Whatever the team needs. If it calls for me to hand the ball off, I'll do that and be satisfied with it.''

Nesbitt's production in the opener likely will influence the game plan of the Kansas defense.

''You have to beat Georgia Tech by being disciplined,'' said Kansas cornerback Chris Harris. ''Everybody is going to have a responsibility. A linebacker might have the quarterback this time. Somebody might be watching the pitch. You've got to stay disciplined, you can't try to be the hero. You have to stay focused on your job.''

Former Mississippi State defensive coordinator Carl Torbush is in his first season directing the Kansas defense. Torbush knows it is difficult to stop Nesbitt Georgia Tech's spread option. Georgia Tech swept Mississippi State the last two years, winning 38-7 in 2008 and 42-31 last year in Starkville, Miss.

''We've got an idea what they'll play defensively,'' Johnson said. ''(Torbush) was at Mississippi State ... and you watch the tape and they're playing the same defense. It won't be drastic changes, I wouldn't think.''

The Kansas defense played well in a 6-3 loss to North Dakota State last week, giving up only 168 yards and two field goals. The Jayhawks committed three turnovers, including an interception in the end zone and a late fumble, in the upset.

''We know they're a pretty good defense,'' Nesbitt said. ''We've just got to be ready for the challenge they're going to give us.''

Nesbitt said the Kansas loss doesn't dim his excitement in his first chance to play at a Big 12 school.

''I'm excited to go to Kansas and play because I've always seen them on TV and know that they've always had a good program,'' he said. ''I just always wanted to go there and take a visit and now I get a chance to go play there.

''Some guys have talked about it this summer because a lot of us really haven't had a chance to travel that far and just to go to Kansas is a great trip.''

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