Ga. Tech looks to beef up running game

ATLANTA - P.J. Daniels is on his way to another 1,000-yard season for Georgia Tech.

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Still, the No. 16 Yellow Jackets must beef up their running game - especially in the fourth quarter.

Daniels rushed for 214 yards in Georgia Tech's first two games, but he hasn't had much help. Quarterback Reggie Ball is the team's second-leading runner with 38 yards. Tashard Choice, a transfer from Oklahoma who was expected to challenge Daniels for playing time, has carried six times for 22 yards.

Last Saturday, the Yellow Jackets (2-0) decided to run out the clock by passing the ball. Ball completed only 5-of-14 passes in the fourth quarter, giving North Carolina not one, but two chances late in the game to score a winning touchdown.

The defense held both times, making interceptions that preserved a 27-21 victory.

"They were playing the run, so coach (Chan) Gailey wanted to switch it up," said Daniels, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first two games. "It's tough to run when they've got eight or nine men in the box."

Daniels, in his third season as Georgia Tech's featured back, had 1,447 yards in 2003. He was plagued by injuries last season, but managed 714 yards in only eight games.

Clearly, Daniels would prefer to get more carries at the end of the game, but he understands the logic.

"When coach Gailey told me why we did that, I was cool with it," Daniels said. "I'm a team player."

Last week wasn't the first time Georgia Tech has struggled to run the ball in the fourth quarter.

In a 23-14 victory over Auburn, the Yellow Jackets managed only 27 yards on 14 carries in the final period (thought the last two were kneel-downs to run out the clock). Last week, they managed 12 yards on seven carries, taking a knee on the final one.

Put another way, Georgia Tech is averaging about 1.9 yards per carry in the fourth quarter, compared with 4.4 in the first three.

"You can't run into a brick wall," Ball said. "I understand what coach Gailey was doing. I'm just frustrated that I couldn't get the job done."

Gailey knows the running game must improve, but he's not overly concerned about the first two games. It's only natural for defenses to adjust their schemes so Ball - who had 18 interceptions last season - feels compelled to throw the ball.

"We're going to have some ups and downs, but I hope that's a difference between 175 and 130 yards, not 200 and 38 yards," Gailey said. "To me, it wasn't the fact that we couldn't run the ball last week. P.J. still had over 100 yards rushing, but there are times where we need to be able to run when we're trying to control the ball at the end of a game."

A young, injury hampered offensive line is a big part of the problem.

"We're not blowing people off the ball and we're not a strong line," Gailey said. "We may be there a year from now, but we're not there yet. That's not our forte. Right now, our strengths are scheming and using angles to block people.

"It gets a little tougher at the end of a game when the other team is crowding the line and they know you're going to try and run it."

A stronger running game would probably improve Georgia Tech's output in the red zone. The Yellow Jackets are 10-for-10 from inside the opponents' 20, but five of those scores are field goals by Travis Bell.

"That's something we need to practice on," Daniels conceded. "We have a great field goal kicker. We couldn't ask any more out of him. At the same time, we need put the ball in the end zone. We need to start making those threes into sixes, then we can let Travis come on to make it seven."

Ball, who already has thrown 83 passes, is prepared to air it out again Saturday when the Yellow Jackets host Connecticut (2-0).

"As long as we get the win, it doesn't matter what we have to do," said Ball, who has completed less than 50 percent but has thrown only one interception. "If I have to throw 47 or 50 passes again, I'll be ready for it."