Georgia Tech Preview

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Who: #10/9 Virginia Tech Hokies (8-1, 4-1 ACC) @ #20/19 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-2, 4-2 ACC)

Time: 8:02 PM

TV Coverage: ESPN (Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, Craig James)

Venue: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA (55,000 – Grass)

Series History: Virginia Tech leads 5-3

  • Last Meeting (2010): Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 21
  • The Hokies won last year on a 92-yard kickoff return from David Wilson with 2:23 remaining
  • Virginia Tech has won all 3 meetings on Thursday nights, including twice in Atlanta.
  • The Hokies are 4-2 when ranked higher than the Jackets

Injury Report

  • LB Alonzo Tweedy – Out (Ankle)
  • K Cody Journell – Probable (Quad)

The Opponent: Well, here we go again. As usual, the 2011 Battle of the Techs will go a long way in determining who will represent the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship game in December. This rivalry has had its fill of great moments, including the “Beat You in Your Own Uniforms” game of 2007, the “All The Way Turnt Up” debacle in 2009, and of course the “David Wilson Eats Chick-Fil-A on Sundays” spectacle last year. Hard to believe the two schools have met just eight times, not including the cancelled BCA classic back in 2000.

This season, the Jackets are 7-2 with losses at UVA and Miami before an upset of Clemson at home a couple Saturdays ago. Needless to say, Georgia Tech plays better in front of their home crowd than they do on the road.

  • On Offense: The triple option offense is in its fourth year under coach Paul Johnson, and this year, the Jackets are second in the nation with 328 yards on the ground per game. The Hokies sit sixth in the nation at stopping the run, allowing a tick over 86 yards per game, but have struggled in recent years to stop the option.

    The whole offensive scheme starts with the quarterback Tevin Washington (6-0, 205, r-JR), who the Hokies saw in the second half last year after breaking Josh Nesbitt’s arm. Washington is the team’s leading rusher with 636 yards and 10 touchdowns on 168 carries this year. He busted out for 176 yards against Clemson last time out. The Jackets also have passed more than in recent years, with Washington completing 49/102 passes for 1,199 yards, an average of 25 yards per completion. Those numbers are a tad skewed though, as Washington took advantage of subpar competition early in the season. Against ACC foes, he’s completing just 43% of his passes with 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

    If the Jackets pass, Washington will be looking for either Stephen Hill (6-5, 200, JR) or Tyler Melton (6-0, 206, SR). Hill is averaging over 30 yards a catch and has four touchdowns this year, while Melton is averaging 15 yards per reception.

    As for the running backs, the option is based around two A-backs and one B-back in the standard setup. The B-back typically lines up behind the quarterback while the A-backs lineup as wings of the formation and motion before the play. Formerly filled by Jonathan Dwyer, the primary B-Back this year is David Sims (6-0, 218, r-SO), who ranks second on the team in rushing with 564 yards on 102 carries and 4 touchdowns. Preston Lyons (6-0, 211, SR) is the backup B-back with 31 carries for 172 yards and a TD. Combined, Sims and Lyons have 2 yards of lost yardage this season, thanks in part to the strong play of the interior offensive line.

    In past years, the Hokies haven’t been able to slow down the A-backs, allowing them to get outside and make plays in space. This year, the A-back position is a three-headed monster with Orwin Smith (6-0, 202, JR), Roddy Jones (5-9, 202, r-SR), and Embry Peeples (5-10, 185, SR). Statistically, these guys are out of this world, with each averaging at least 9.5 yards per carry. Smith has 553 yards on 49 carries and 10 touchdowns; Jones has carried the ball 34 times for 322 yards and 2 scores; and Peeples has averaged 9.5 yards per carry on his 26 attempts. The reason for the success is the “cut” blocking on the outside, which became a point of controversy two years ago. When the A-back isn’t going in motion he’s usually the lead blocker, sealing off the outside linebacker or the safety to open up running lanes.

    Unlike the typical bruisers up front, the Georgia Tech offensive line is one of the smallest you’ll see, but one of the most athletic. The line consists of three redshirt sophomores and two redshirt juniors and welcomes back left guard Will Jackson (6-3, 285, r-SO) and center Jay Finch (6-3, 283, r-SO) who were dealing with nagging injuries. This group against a reorganized Virginia Tech front seven is a key decider in how this game will go.

  • On Defense: In its second season, Al Groh’s 3-4 defense is slowly starting to show signs of success at Georgia Tech. The Jackets are slightly above average in most categories, including pass defense, where they allow just 185 yards through the air per game, the 15th-best mark in the nation.

    The Georgia Tech defensive line doesn’t make a ton of plays in the backfield, but they’re still a solid group. Jason Peters (6-4, 270, r-SR) and Izaan Cross (6-4, 292, JR) start at defensive end and have combined for 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks this year. Logan Walls (6-2, 299, r-SR) starts at defensive tackle and has solid experience at the position, despite not putting up the numbers of a typical defensive tackle.

    In a 3-4 defense, it’s typically the linebackers who make the majority of the tackles after the defensive line prevents the offensive line from getting to the second level. Quayshawn Nealy (6-1, 223, r-FR) and Julian Burnett (5-10, 220, JR) team up to make quite the tandem at inside linebacker. Burnett has been a monster for the Jackets, ranking 5th in the ACC with 81 tackles, including a team-high 5.5 for loss. Both him and Nealy don’t have the ideal size for an inside linebacker, but both have made numerous plays when they’ve had to. At outside linebacker, Steven Sylvester (6-2, 238, SR) is the most experienced member of the group, but hasn’t put up the stats he has in previous years. Jeremiah Attaochu (6-3, 223, SO) leads the team with four sacks at the other outside linebacker spot.

    The secondary plays a vital role in both running and passing game. Isaiah Johnson (6-2, 205, SO) starts at one safety position and is second on the team in tackles with 48 and is tied for the team lead with three picks. Rashaad Reid (5-10, 191, SR) starts at the other safety position, who has played every position in the secondary during his career. The corners are Rod Sweeting (6-0, 184, JR) and Louis Young (6-1, 201, SO). Sweeting is the Jackets’ best defensive back, tying for the team lead in interceptions with three.

Players to Watch:

  • Virginia Tech
    • RB #4 David Wilson
      • Last Game @ Duke: 23 carries, 148 yards, 0 TD
      • Last Year vs Georgia Tech: 7 carries, 39 yards, TD, Kick Return TD
      • This Season: 187 carries, 1,185 yards, 7 TD
    • DE #99 James Gayle
      • Last Game @ Duke: 6 tackles, 4 solo. .5 for loss, 2 QB hurries
      • Last Year vs Georgia Tech: 1 tackle
      • This Season: 21 tackles, 11 solo, 7 for loss, 3.5 sacks, 11 QB hurries
  • Georgia Tech
    • QB #13 Tevin Washington
      • Last Game vs Clemson: 27 carries, 176 yards, TD, 4/9, 60 yards, INT
      • Last Year @ Virginia Tech: 11 carries, 45 yards, 2/7, 80 yards, INT
      • This Season:168 carries, 636 yards, 10 TD, 49/102, 1,199 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT
    • LB #40 Julian Burnett
      • Last Game vs Clemson: 8 tackles, 4 solo, 1 fumble recovery
      • Last Year @ Virginia Tech: 13 tackles, 2 solo, 1 forced fumble
      • This Season:81 tackles, 43 solo, 5.5 for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery

Matchups to Watch:

  • Virginia Tech Front 7 vs Georgia Tech A-Backs
    • This was alluded to earlier, but the Hokies simply need to control the playmaking ability of the Jackets’ A-backs, something the Hokies haven’t done in previous meetings. With the injuries and retooling, the Tech front seven consists of seven sophomores, which isn’t ideal when facing an offense like Georgia Tech. Eight of the Hokies top nine tacklers against Georgia Tech a year ago do not return for this game. Kyle Fuller, who had five tackles last year, will play a key roll in pushing sweep plays back inside towards the heart of the Hokie defense.
  • Virginia Tech Offensive Line vs Georgia Tech Front 7
    • The Jackets front seven is big, but they haven’t been able to make big plays in the running game this year. UVA ran for 272 yards in their upset of the Georgia Tech, while Clemson (without Andre Ellington) only managed 95 yards. The offensive line needs to create holes for David Wilson, keeping the offense on the field. This unit has been great at protecting Logan Thomas and they’ll need to do it again on Thursday.
  • Georgia Tech Third Down Conversion Rate
    • Georgia Tech is the best team in the nation at converting on third down. The Jackets are converting an absurd 57.6% of third down plays and even if they get close to the first down, they’ll likely go for it on fourth and short. The Hokies, meanwhile, have been great at stopping opponents on third down, allowing opponents to convert on less than 31% of third down opportunities. Getting Georgia Tech’s offense off the field and forcing them in to third and long opportunities is a must for Virginia Tech.
  • Time of Possession
    • Quite simply, this is what the game boils down to. In the past three meetings, the team that has won the time of possession battle won the game. Clemson’s explosive offense couldn’t mount a comeback against the Jackets because their defense couldn’t get off the field. The Hokies are fourth in the nation in time of possession, averaging 34:20 per game. The Hokie offense needs long, sustained drives that end in points, preferably touchdowns. Two years ago, the Jackets pulled off the upset by limiting Virginia Tech to 7:32 of offense in the second half, thanks to two 6+ minute drives in the second half.

Keys to Victory:

  • Virginia Tech
    • Start Fast
      • This has been a mantra seemingly every big game the Hokies have played in, but it’s true. Tech can ill-afford to start with a couple 3-and-outs and allow the Jackets to get up early and start milking the clock. The Hokies need to come out and set the tone early with runs from David Wilson that can chew up both yardage and time.
    • Don't Turn the Ball Over
      • Tying in with the start fast theme, Tech turned the ball over twice early against Clemson, killing any momentum the Hokies had created. Especially on the road in a game of this magnitude, Logan Thomas has to be extremely careful not to throw costly red zone interceptions. David Wilson better have slept with the ball these past 10 days to ensure no fumbles too.
  • Georgia Tech
    • Do What You Do Best
      • The reason Georgia Tech lost back-to-back games against UVA and Miami was because they fell behind and the offense was forced to do things outside of its comfort zone. The Jackets know they’ve been successful in the past running outside against the Hokies, so running sweeps until Virginia Tech stops it seems like the most common sense thing to do.
    • Make Logan Thomas Beat You
      • Georgia Tech hasn’t been great against the run this year, but if they can at least slow David Wilson and force Logan Thomas into critical situations, the odds turn in their favor. Making an inexperienced beat you in his first big primetime road start is usually a good recipe for a victory.

Projected Score: Virginia Tech 21, Georgia Tech 20

Projected Uniform: Maroon helmet, maroon jersey, white pants (no stripe)

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