| Tech moves on without Johnson
ATLANTA - Calvin Johnson was there, but for once, Georgia Tech didn't need him.
And yes, that's saying something.
The Yellow Jackets concluded spring practice with a final scrimmage Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Johnson Georgia Tech's former All-American and a soon-to-be first-round NFL draft pick - strolled the sidelines watching his former team.
And he liked what he saw.
"They looked good out there," Calvin Johnson said. "You can tell they've been working hard."
Tech's offense may miss Calvin Johnson, but it didn't skip a beat this spring under new offensive coordinator John Bond. The first-team offense scored on the first play from scrimmage Saturday on a 70-yard strike from quarterback Taylor Bennett to wide receiver Correy Earls.
Bennett completed 10-of-15 passes for 197 yards and five touchdowns in the scrimmage. It was just that kind of day for the new-look offense.
"You always hope that you end strong," Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey said. "And I thought that's what happened. I thought the first-team defense and the first-team offense at the first part of the scrimmage were both doing what they were supposed to do. And that was good.
"It's the best that the first offense has moved against the first-team defense all spring."
The Yellow Jackets' ground game shined, as well. Starting tailback Tashard Choice, the ACC's rushing leader last fall, carried six times for 56 yards and a score. Backup Rashaun Grant added 64 yards on five carries, dazzling the crowd with a 45-yard run on his third series.
"He's very versatile," Bennett said. "He can do almost anything. You like to think of him as a Reggie Bush-style guy. You can put him anywhere and he'll do anything."
The offense didn't slow down until the second-teamers came onto the field. Backup quarterbacks Steven Threet and Calvin Booker combined to go 9-of-17 for 85 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
"We were going up against some twos and scored pretty much at will," Yellow Jackets offensive tackle Andrew Gardner said. "And when we went up against the ones, they couldn't stop us from scoring touchdowns. So I'm excited about this upcoming year."
The excitement extended to Bond, whose work with Bennett is starting to show. The key, Bond said, will be making sure those adjustments carry over to the fall.
"The education starts with the whole (playbook), then part and then whole again," said Bond, who came to Tech from Northern Illinois. "We put it all in, and then we broke it all down working the kinks out. Just a lot of little things the average fan wouldn't notice. As a coach, though, you know those are some things we can improve on."
Before Saturday, the players were already starting to notice the changes. After Saturday, they'll be looking forward to even more of them.
"We're just starting to come to get and get used to the changes," Gardner said. "A lot of the big changes are in the passing game, a lot of stuff I don't even see. A lot of stuff is the same, they just tweaked it a little bit. The play-calling is different. The way he's (Bond) calling plays has made a big difference."
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