Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

dirty · Aug 29, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Riles, Richard have been counting days

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/30/06 Georgia Tech fans only think they've been waiting forever for Saturday night's season opener. Two Yellow Jackets players have been looking forward to this moment for more than 500 days.
Backup tight end Wayne Riles' 989-day wait between college football games should end when Tech takes on Notre Dame at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Riles knew he would have to sit out a season after transferring from Louisville but ended up sitting out two because of a back injury.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Starting defensive tackle Darryl Richard has had his eyes on Saturday since April 12, 2005.
"That's when I knew I was going to be out last year," Richard said. "My whole focus, since my ACL was torn, was this was my first opponent, so I needed to be getting ready for it."
Richard traveled on his own to the 2005 season opener at Auburn. Teammates and fans rank the 23-14 upset of the No. 16 Tigers as one of the best moments in recent Yellow Jackets history, but for Richard: "Tough. There's no other way to put it but tough. It was a great win, and I put the team first, but I just wanted to be out there that bad. Sometimes I felt myself getting into the plays. I was watching play calls, that type of thing."
So, is Saturday going to be Richard's Auburn?
"It's Notre Dame. There's no other way to look at it," he said. "It's the first game. It's time to play ball. This is the best opponent to beat."
No Tech player can appreciate that more than Richard, who took his first official recruiting visit to Notre Dame. (He also took official visits to Tech, Colorado and Miami and multiple unofficial visits to LSU and Tulane.)
"You hear about the tradition of Notre Dame, but when you get to go there and actually become a part of it, it's very impressive," he said. "I got to see Touchdown Jesus, the locker rooms, the stadium. Notre Dame is a very unique place."
Anoai has future in PR
Reporters sometimes ask the Yellow Jackets if they're jealous of the attention Calvin Johnson gets. Universal answer: No. In fact, if Johnson were hiring a personal publicist, Joe Anoai would be on the short list for the job. Anoai will sing Johnson's praises all day and without understatement.
"He might be the athlete of the century," Anoai said Tuesday. "I don't think anybody's built like him. If you were able to go into the weight room and see him on the practice field, you'd probably want to interview him a few more times.
"He jumped a 45-inch vertical, and he weighs like 240 [pounds]. He's a freak of nature. He's up there with the Javon Kearses, the T.O.s [Terrell Owens], Michael Vick, all those guys who put up those type of numbers."
Two backups likely absent
Backup defensive end Michael Johnson won't play in Saturday's game because of an injury, coach Chan Gailey said. That means it's likely Tech will rotate one of its tackles to the end spot when Adamm Oliver or Darrell Robertson needs a breather. The Jackets are strong at tackle with Vance Walker and Elris Anyaibe backing up Anoai and Richard.
Backup tight end Colin Peek got hurt in practice Tuesday and is doubtful for Saturday, Gailey said.
Choice eager for action
Much has been made about Tashard Choice stepping into the starting role at running back, but it might not be that big a step. Consider that though P.J. Daniels started all but one game last season, he sat out the Miami game with an injury, and Choice carried 29 times, more than any Tech running back since 2003.
"If I get the chance to carry the ball until my legs fall off, I'm going to do it," Choice said. "I'm hungry. ... It's going to be fun, and I'm really excited."

dirty · Aug 29, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Tough tickets for Tech-Irish

By TIM TUCKER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/30/06 Just how strong is the demand for tickets to Saturday's Georgia Tech-Notre Dame football game at Bobby Dodd Stadium?
• So strong that Tech was able to use the Fighting Irish's rare visit to sell close to 12,000 three-game ticket packages, the only way — other than full season tickets — the school would let fans buy seats for the season opener against Notre Dame.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Ben Gray/ AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> At Georgia Tech, tickets to Saturday's game with Notre Dame sold out in a Midtown minute. The mystique of the Fighting Irish has been a bonanza for Tech (and undoubtedly for scalpers, too).
</td></tr><tr><td>

Special

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption">The coveted ticket to Saturday's game.
</td></tr></tbody></table> • So strong that the matchup is this summer's fourth-biggest-selling college football game on online ticket reseller StubHub, fetching an average ticket price of $195, almost four times face value.
• So strong that customers from 30 states have bought tickets to the game on StubHub.
Tech director of marketing, sales and ticket operations Scott McLaren describes the demand as "similar to, but maybe a little more than" a typical Yellow Jackets home game against the University of Georgia, for which Bulldogs fans accustomed to packing 92,000-seat Sanford Stadium scramble for available space in Tech's 55,000-seat stadium.
Tech has had just five sellouts combined over the past three seasons. But this game has students camping out for tickets.
Call it the Irish Effect.
Wherever Notre Dame's football team goes, ticket demand follows, whether from people who want to root for the Fighting Irish or from people who want to see the home team defeat college football's most storied program.
"It's ridiculous what Notre Dame does for [ticket demand]," said Sean Pate, director of public relations for StubHub, an eBay-style cyber-superstore for (legally) reselling tickets. "Really, the Notre Dame factor is far and away the heavyweight of college football [ticket sales]. It changes all the dynamics."
Pate said the average sales price for all other 2006 Tech games peddled on StubHub is $44. But tickets for the game against No. 2-ranked Notre Dame (face value: $50) have sold for prices ranging from $100 to $850, depending on location. Forty-four percent of the sales have been to customers in Georgia, another 26 percent to customers in bordering states, the rest scattered across the country, Pate said.
StubHub doesn't disclose the number of tickets sold to individual events but says only three college football games have posted larger sales than Tech-Notre Dame on its site this summer: Ohio State at defending champion Texas (Sept. 9), Penn State at Notre Dame (Sept. 9) and Nebraska at Southern Cal (Sept. 16).
"With all due respect to Georgia Tech, when you see them selling that well compared to those glamour games in the early part of the season, obviously Notre Dame is driving that interest," Pate said.
This is Notre Dame's first visit to Tech since 1980, and Tech used the hot ticket to leverage other sales.
After completing full-season ticket sales, Tech offered all of this season's home dates except Notre Dame on a single-game basis. But it offered the remaining Notre Dame tickets only as part of three-game "flex packs" in which buyers could choose tickets to any three home games. Almost 12,000 such packages were sold, according to McLaren, with virtually all buyers including the Notre Dame game among their three selections.
The three-game packages were offered first to season-ticket holders, many of whom wanted extra tickets to the Notre Dame game. Whatever number of additional Notre Dame tickets a season-ticket holder wanted, the same number of additional tickets to two other games had to be bought. Some season-ticket holders took as many as eight or 10 three-game packages, McLaren said.
The sales to season-ticket holders exhausted more than 75 percent of the Notre Dame inventory, McLaren said. The rest was made available in three-game packages to the general public and sold out within 2 1/2 hours, he said.
Obviously, many of the tickets bought in the three-game packages now are being resold for tidy profits on Web sites such as StubHub, TicketsNow and RazorGator. On TicketsNow, Tech-Notre Dame tickets were offered Tuesday from $150 (upper level near goal line) to $795 (club level near midfield).
Meanwhile, fans continue to seek tickets from the school, but in vain.
"We're still getting plenty of calls — cellphone and office phone and e-mail," McLaren said. "We're just telling them we don't have anything available."

dirty · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left" valign="top"> Posted Wednesday, August 30 at 5:37 PM

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Buford's Walker returning home against Jackets
by The Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - Darius Walker stood among a dozen reporters gathered around Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn sitting at a table answering questions. Quinn didn't notice Walker until he joined the questioning.

``Hey Brady, how often do you have to audible out of a running play?'' Walker asked. ``And why would you do that?''

Quinn, finally spotting his tailback off to his right, laughed.

``That's a tough question, because I've got a great running back and he's obviously very skilled with the ball. But sometimes the receivers need some love, too,'' Quinn said.

So far, though, it might be Walker who may be the most in need of some love.

Quinn has been featured on magazine covers and wide receiver Jeff Samardzija and safety Tom Zbikowski stole headlines this summer as two-sport athletes for the No. 2 Fighting Irish.

But Walker has been largely overlooked at least by many in the media heading into this season. Walker isn't expecting a similar response from opposing defenses.

``With defenses, most of the time the main goal is to stop the run, so they never forget about No. 3 in the backfield,'' Walker said. ``I wish they would.''

It's hard to forget about a back who rushed for 1,196 yards last season, the sixth best total in school history. With 1,982 yards rushing through two seasons, the junior is on pace to challenge the school record of 4,318 career rushing yards by Autry Denson from 1995-98. His average of 86.2 yards a game rushing puts him fourth on Notre Dame's career list.

The reason Walker might get overlooked a bit by some is that at 5-11, 205 pounds, he doesn't run over a lot of defenders. He also doesn't have breakaway speed. His longest run was for 40 yards against Pittsburgh in 2004 and his longest TD run was for 20 yards against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. But he churns out yards steadily.

Coach Charlie Weis said the key to Walker's success is his ability to read defenses and find holes. He also likes Walker's desire to fix his weaknesses, citing his work on picking up blitzes.

``Last year at this time I didn't know if he would pick up the blitz or not. This year I would have total confidence that he would pick up the blitz,'' Weis said.

Walker should get some chances Saturday to display that skill against a Georgia Tech squad the likes to blitz. In a 14-10 upset of then-No. 3 Miami last season, Georgia Tech blitzed on nearly every play and had seven sacks and held the Hurricanes to 30 yards running on 30 carries.

``They're very physical,'' Walker said. ``Their linebackers and their secondary like to blitz a lot, so we're definitely going to have our hands full.''

Walker, who played his high school football in Lawrenceville, Ga., about 25 miles east of Atlanta, has his own hands full trying to get enough tickets for family and friends. He estimates he has 250 people who want to go to the game and just 35 tickets so far.

``I guess going home people are expecting a show,'' Walker said.

Walker is known for putting on a show, leading Buford High to 45 straight victories and scoring 46 touchdowns as a senior, breaking the state record of Herschel Walker, who is no relation. Walker was recruited by both Georgia Tech and Georgia, but wanted to go elsewhere.

``I guess in a way a lot of my teammates and a lot of people that I know in Georgia usually stay in Georgia. So for me, I wanted to venture out and do something different,'' he said.

Not too different, though. His parents moved with him to South Bend. While that might not sound too appealing to some college students, Walker appreciates the support.

``Their coming here with me has just been great. I don't get Mom-sick, I don't miss any of the home-cooked meals. I kind of have the best of both worlds with everything,'' he said.

Well, almost everything. He's still hoping for more another 215 tickets to the game and a win on Saturday. </td>  </tr> <tr> </tr><tr><td align="left">
?Copyright 2006 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Mr. Smith · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

I dont dislike notre dame, but am so sick hearing about them

I hope GT kicks their ass in

dirty · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Buford's Walker is a runaway hit
A star was born in Atlanta, and he is shining under the Golden Dome

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/31/06 South Bend, Ind. ? When Darius Walker is on a stage, he owns it, whether he's imitating the Temptations or busting one up the middle.
Notre Dame's star tailback performs Saturday night at Georgia Tech's sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium, on prime-time national television, in his collegiate return to the city of his birth. It's the kind of moment he thrives in.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Getty Images

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Darius Walker returns to Atlanta for the first time with Notre Dame to play Georgia Tech on Saturday.
</td></tr></tbody></table> "He never saw a circumstance when the lights hit when he didn't respond with incredible energy, focus and remarkable stage presence," said Chris Fowler, who directed Walker the singer/dancer at Buford High. "Darius is very comfortable with who he is and able to relax and be free on stage.
"On 'Treat Her Like A Lady,' we had all the senior girls up there. A lot of people in Darius' position would have been elitist and distant in the way they treated folks. He wasn't at all. He made every girl feel comfortable and special."
That's Walker. Many a mother may say her son "has always had 'it,' whatever it is," but Laverne Walker is right. Her second son lives to perform.
He had straight A's at Buford, where he rushed for 2,406 yards as a senior in 2003 and broke Herschel Walker's state record with 46 rushing touchdowns while leading the Wolves to three consecutive state titles.
In 2004, he set Notre Dame's freshman rushing record of 786 yards. In 2005, he became the only Irish back to begin a season with four consecutive 100-yard rushing games and set school records of 43 receptions by a running back and three rushing touchdowns in a bowl game.
Walker's not the fastest nor the biggest. Yet he seems to see, know and feel what every back should and act as every coach wishes every player would.
"Very, very intelligent, very aware of his surroundings, and trigger points for what to say and how to say it," former Buford coach Dexter Wood said. "When the lights come on, there's another part of Darius, another gear. He has a gift for expressing himself and performing when the lights are on."
True to his Atlanta roots
So guess what Buford running backs coach Tony Wolfe thinks of Walker?
"The last time I heard from Darius, he called on Father's Day," Wolfe said. "It never ceases to amaze me with how well he has things together. His first game, against Michigan, they win, and ... they interviewed him and [former coach] Ty Willingham on TV.
"He didn't act like an 18-year-old freshman. It was amazing, like watching an NFL athlete, being at ease, not searching for words."
Walker's parents don't have to go far to find their son. They followed the lights, moving to South Bend with him, and will return today to Atlanta for a five-day road trip. Oh, the commotion.
"It has been really, really crazy," Laverne said. "We've been looking at around 40-ish [seats], a block of tickets for a Darius Walker section."
Jimmy said, "We advised friends to try to get tickets, and I know Georgia Tech offered a three-game package [but no single-game tickets to Notre Dame], and I don't know what they'll do with the other tickets."
This will not be just another game.
"I definitely would say the Georgia Tech game is going to be a little more special," Walker said. "I think I can fill up the stadium with the people I know, and the amount asking for tickets."
Eight to 12 relatives routinely see Walker play at Notre Dame, but Wolfe had never gotten the chance. And he could be out of luck Saturday.
"One of our coaches called Tech, and it looks like we're out of luck," Wolfe said of securing complimentary tickets through Tech's recruiting department. "I didn't want to call Darius, because I'm sure he has just all kinds of people looking for tickets."
Special from the start
Jimmy Walker said his son never ran short of scholarship offers. Darius had 64, narrowing the field to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, Miami and USC. He said Tech was "in the final 10."
Mom and dad have seen for 20 years what those coaches were chasing.
"I knew Darius was special from the day he was born," Laverne said. "He was born on my birthday."
Dad: "I was his first coach in rec ball, and we took a team to Florida and played in the championship game and went to overtime."
Mom: "I had gone down to the sideline, and he looks at me, and it's always been amazing. You just say, 'Darius, it's time,' " she said. "He looked up and saw me, and it was like, 'OK, it's time to go.' "
Dad: "I remember in the huddle he said, 'Dad ...' and then called a play, and he got the ball."
Then, mom said, "He went into the end zone like at Stanford [in scoring the winning touchdown with 55 seconds left last season], with four or five guys on him."
Dad: "He saw something that we didn't see as coaches. That was very enlightening; he was like 7 or 8."
And it kept happening.
Always a natural performer
"He was maybe 10 or 12, and we went to Macon for a free throw-shooting contest," Laverne said. "He was on the court, everybody was warming up and he was throwing the basketball up and it wouldn't go in. He got frustrated, and came back to the stands, and we said, 'Oh, it's OK.' He started crying.
"I said, 'Listen, just compose yourself and think about doing your best and do what you want to do.' When it came his turn, he shot one and two and another, and they went in. His older brother [Delvin] grabbed my shoulder and said, 'Look at Darius!' He shot 24 out of 25. It was earth-shattering to see at that age."
See it enough, and you believe.
"He could just turn a switch on," said Tech reserve quarterback Kyle Manley, Walker's teammate at Buford. "He was a great performer in everything he did ... especially football. When the lights hit, he was a great player."
Make that performer.
"Darius always did a great job with legitimate styles, and could shift into rap or Motown," said Fowler, the fine arts director for Buford city schools. "He was a very eclectic performer and incredible dancer. He and another guy did a funny version of, 'You Be Illin' [by Run-DMC].
"They changed lyrics to make it relevant for the crowd, worked the stage, pulled people in. He just seemed to have an innate understanding of how to reach out and make people feel a part. He's well beyond his years.

dirty · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Jackets study up on Irish-Ohio State

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/31/06 Notre Dame's defense was shredded as Ohio State racked up 617 yards of total offense in the Fiesta Bowl, so it's probably no wonder that Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson said of Saturday's game against the Irish: "We watched the film. We'll go out there and see if we can do what Ohio State did."
One might think that means Tech will move quarterback Reggie Ball around a lot, as Ohio State's Troy Smith is so agile.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix isn't buying that.
"Ohio State didn't do anything out of the pocket, really. Troy Smith stayed in the pocket and threw the ball downfield," Nix said, though Smith rushed 13 times for 86 yards while completing 19 of 28 passes for 342 yards and two scores.
"I don't see Notre Dame changing a whole lot. When you've got nine starters coming back, you've got to rely on that experience."
Irish coach Charlie Weis ? whose defense was chided as slow last season ? has taken steps to improve. Fleet-footed senior backup tailback Travis Thomas has moved to linebacker, where the other new starter will be Anthony
Vernaglia. Plus, maturity might help, as Weis said he now trusts 10 defensive backs to play.
"Last year, I could say four or five," Weis said. "So I think twice as many. When you're going out there for the first game of the year, in addition to the fact we have more [defensive] packages where we were more simplistic last year, you have to be ... willing to use your depth."
All hands on deck on offensive line
It's not unusual for Tech to play a few reserve offensive linemen, but coach Chan Gailey said injuries to starting guards Nate McManus and Matt Rhodes and right tackle Mansfield Wrotto, plus backup Jacob Lonowski and others, will necessitate more rotation than normal.
Etc.
Tech has not announced who'll start at cornerback opposite Kenny Scott, and Jahi Word-Daniels, Pat Clark and Avery Roberson might all play. ... Eleven of 12 high school seniors who have committed to Tech will be at Saturday's game, excluding Chamblee running back Roddy Jones, whose team has a game.

Mr. Smith · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

no D in ND

dirty · Aug 30, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Jackets put trust in defense

Georgia Tech

Story Photos - Click to Enlarge

Georgia Tech is counting on its defense to slow Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, right, and running back Darius Walker.
Associated Press Photo
Click thumbnails to view

By Adam Van Brimmer | adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com | Story updated at 3:26 AM on Wednesday, August 30, 2006
<mcc story=""></mcc>ATLANTA - Georgia Tech proponents cite one particular piece of evidence for their optimism going into Saturday's season opener against Notre Dame.
The Yellow Jackets' pass rush.
The Jackets ability to pressure the quarterback keyed wins against Auburn and Miami last season. They forced Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox to throw four interceptions and sacked Miami's Kyle Wright seven times.
There is a flaw in that theory: Notre Dame's Brady Quinn is a three-year starter and a Heisman Trophy candidate, not a first-year starter like Cox and Wright were a year ago
No matter, said Georgia Tech defensive end Adamm Oliver.
"It doesn't matter what year he is or how experience he is, when he gets hit, we're hitting him the same way," Oliver said. "It doesn't matter if he's a freshman or a senior, he's going to get hit. And he's going to start thinking about us hitting him and not about the receivers downfield."
Quinn avoided contact last season, his first in new coach Charlie Weis' offense. He was sacked just 21 times in 12 games.
But Notre Dame did graduate two starting offensive linemen, both on the right side - Oliver's side. Oliver recorded three sacks a year ago, as did defensive tackle Joe Anoai, who lined up next to Oliver.
The Irish won't have to contend with sack master Eric Henderson on the other side. Henderson, who recorded 25 sacks in his career, exhausted his eligibility last season. His successor, Darrell Robertson, is experienced, though. He made four starts last year, and Henderson mentored him the last two seasons.
"Eric took me under his wing and showed me techniques and his tricks to the game," Robertson said. "I have added a few of my own. Hopefully, I will be successful."
He, Oliver and the rest of Georgia Tech's front seven will need to be, particularly considering the Yellow Jackets' inexperienced secondary. The Jackets will feature three new starters at defensive back - four when they go to their nickel package.
Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will scheme to help his secondary as well. His reputation is for blitzing from several positions, including cornerback and safety.
And Oliver considers the concerns over the secondary exaggerated anyway.
"They're really not all that young. They're a good secondary and their going to surprise some people," Oliver said. "We're going to get to the quarterback regardless of who's behind us. But if we don't, I feel confident that our secondary is going to get the job done."
Tenuta acknowledges the challenge ahead even so. Notre Dame features two standout wide receivers - Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight - who will get open if given enough time.
Samardzija caught 77 passes for 1,249 yards a year ago while McKnight is the speed receiver. He averaged 13.8 yards a catch before suffering a season-ending injury in the second game of 2005.
"They got weapons and they do run an outstanding offense," Tenuta said. "And their trigger man - Quinn - is an excellent football player."

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 083006

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Star who got away preparing to dazzle

Notre Dame

<sw_photos> </sw_photos> By Adam Van Brimmer | adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com | Story updated at 12:50 AM on Friday, September 1, 2006
<mcc story=""></mcc>ATLANTA - Darius Walker grew up idolizing the usual suspects for a promising young running back.
Walter Payton.
Barry Sanders.
Will Smith.
Will Smith? The actor? That's right, because for Walker, the Notre Dame tailback who made history during his prep career at Buford, performing is an obsession, be it on a football field or a brightly lit stage.
"He can just turn the switch on," said Georgia Tech backup quarterback Kyle Manley, who played with Walker at Buford. "If he did a musical or a play, he put on a great show. But he especially did in football when the Friday night lights hit. He just made things happen."
Walker tries to do so again in his home state Saturday when the Irish visit Georgia Tech for the season opener. A junior, Walker is Notre Dame's starting tailback and is coming off a sensational sophomore season. He rushed for 1,196 yards in 2005 and caught 43 passes for 351 yards.
He likely would be a Heisman favorite if he didn't share the Irish backfield with quarterback Brady Quinn. Yet Walker will be the focal point in his homecoming.
After all, he's the one who broke records previously set by the state's football icon, Herschel Walker. And Walker is the man protecting a 45-game winning streak on Georgia soil. Buford went undefeated and won three straight state titles in Walker's final three seasons.
"It's a little bit different trip for Darius Walker," he said. "It's definitely more business than pleasure."
Business has been a pleasure for Walker since he arrived on the Notre Dame campus two years ago. He set the school's freshman rushing record by gaining 786 yards in 2004.
Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said Walker's vision makes him the perfect tailback in the Irish offense.
"All the great runners have that vision and knowledge," Gailey said. "It's like the point guard knows where the other nine players on the basketball court are. A great tailback knows the blocking angles, who's on who, where the creases are going to be and tries to set things up to get there."
Manley notices a difference between the Buford Walker and the Notre Dame Walker. Manley gets jealous watching Walker catch passes on TV, wishing he could have thrown him the ball more in high school.
Walker is one of the rare standout tailbacks to escape the state in recent years. Georgia coach Mark Richt has stockpiled them in Athens, and Georgia Tech recovered Tashard Choic, who initially left the state for Oklahoma.
Both Georgia and Georgia Tech pursued Walker. Yet Walker's father, Jimmy, played for former Notre Dame coaching legend Lou Holtz at Arkansas.
"Being right down the street from UGA and Georgia Tech and having classmates and teammates that go to those schools, it was tough to leave," Walker said. "But Notre Dame for me is one of those places it's hard to say 'No' to. I really feel like this is the place I was supposed to be."

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 090106

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left" valign="top"> Posted Thursday, August 31 at 10:42 PM

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Calvin Johnson: Spider-Man climbing toward the NFL
by The Associated Press

ATLANTA - Calvin Johnson is one of those guys who just lights up at the thought of opening the season with a nationally televised, prime-time game. He wants the entire country to see what Georgia Tech has been raving about for the last two years.

``I love to shine in the spotlight,'' said Johnson, nodding ever-so-slightly to show his confidence. ``When you play in front of a big crowd, like we're going to do Saturday, it's showtime for me.''

The Yellow Jackets, who were last seen getting routed by Utah in the Emerald Bowl, get to open the season ho<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="130"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">

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</td></tr><tr><td>``When you play in front of a big crowd, like we're going to do Saturday, it's showtime for me.''</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Calvin Johnson</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">

</td></tr></tbody></table>sting No. 2 Notre Dame. At first glance, it would seem a daunting challenge for the home team, facing college football's most famous team just as it has reclaimed its place among the nation's elite.

But if the Fighting Irish have one glaring weakness, it would definitely be a secondary that was burned for numerous big plays in 2005. Notre Dame surrendered more than 264 yards per game, ranking 103rd out of 117 Division I-A schools.

Which brings us to Johnson, who is clearly one the best receivers in the country even if it's a little tough getting noticed at Georgia Tech.

Start with the size. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Johnson seems more suited for playing linebacker than receiver, towering over most guys assigned to cover him. Move on to those springy legs. Even though he doesn't really need to get much higher, Johnson has amazed teammates by jumping 45 inches from a standing position. Finish up with the huge hands. Johnson seems just as adept making spectacular catches with one hand as he does using two (which led a defender to memorably dub him ``Spider-Man'').

``He might be the athlete of the century,'' said Georgia Tech defensive tackle Joe Anoai. ``He's a freak of nature. He's one of those guys like Javon Kearse, T.O. (Terrell Owens), Michael Vick. He's right there with them.''

OK, that might be a bit of an overstatement, considering Johnson has yet to catch a pass in the NFL. But the consensus is that he'll go through his mandatory junior season with the Yellow Jackets, then head off to collect his millions as one of the first guys picked in the 2007 draft.

But first, Georgia Tech needs to do a better job taking advantage of its most valuable weapon. Even with Johnson, the Yellow Jackets averaged less than 200 yards per game through the air, ranking 89th nationally. For the most part, they were unable to solve defenses that double-and triple-teamed the big receiver or came with other gimmicks to keep the ball out of his hands.

Johnson had 54 catches for 888 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore fine numbers to be sure, but he's certainly capable of more.

``There's no pressure on me,'' he insisted. ``Whatever weaknesses they have, I'm sure they will find them.''

The Fighting Irish have spent the entire offseason hearing the same ol' refrain: This could be a championship season, assuming the defensive backs can figure out a way to stop the other teams from completing passes.

``It's rough hearing that all the time, but you just have to put that in the back of your head,'' said cornerback Mike Richardson, a native of Warner Robins, Ga. ``This is a new year and we're just focusing on that.''

Notre Dame managed to go 9-3 last season, even while surrendering some huge numbers defensively. Michigan State passed for 327 yards in a 44-41 upset. Southern Cal put up 301 yards through the air in its thrilling 34-31 victory. The Fighting Irish managed to win their other regular-season games, despite giving up 408 yards passing to Washington, 350 to Purdue, 347 too Stanford and 317 to BYU.

The final game of the season was the ugliest performance of all. Notre Dame lost to Ohio State 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl, burned for 342 yards passing and 617 overall the most yards ever put up on the Irish.

Now, eight months later, they'll try to bounce back from that embarrassment by shutting down Johnson.

``He's definitely one of those freak athletes you really don't see too often,'' safety Chinedum Ndukwe said.

With new play-caller Patrick Nix, Georgia Tech will likely try to take advantage of senior quarterback Reggie Ball's mobility. He might line up in the shotgun or roll out, giving him a better chance to find No. 21.

Johnson is also counting on Georgia Tech's other receivers to get open, which will take some of the pressure off him. Another Johnson, sophomore James (no relation), showed potential by catching 14 passes last season. Now, he's moving into the lineup.

``I have to factor in the other receivers,'' Calvin Johnson said. ``If they cover me with more than one person, the other guys will be left one-on-one and make plays. Then, when they take guys off me, I'll be able to make plays.''

The better-known Johnson insists that he's not looking ahead to the NFL. As difficult as it is to envision for such an enormous talent, his plan or at least the one he shares with the public is to return to Georgia Tech for his senior season.

Coach Chan Gailey takes Johnson at his word.

``Yeah, we have talked about (the NFL),'' Gailey said. ``I'm just going along with Calvin's statement, the thing he told me when he signed and the thing his parents told me when he signed: He wants to play four years at Georgia Tech, get his degree and then go on with some of his other life goals.

``As far as I know, that hasn't changed.''

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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?Copyright 2006 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550.</td></tr></tbody></table>

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Jackets can?t grasp how big this will be

By Terence Moore | Thursday, August 31, 2006, 07:56 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Terence Moore

No question, Georgia Tech has the talent and the coaching to knock the shine off the Golden Dome by the end of Saturday night. Whether the Yellow Jackets do so will depend on a couple of things, starting with the lesser of those things: Can they finally get it right involving Calvin Johnson, their magic wide receiver?
From the opening kickoff through the final gun, Tech?s offensive brain trust must keep sprinkling Johnson?s considerable pixie dust for a change. He?ll match his quickness against a Notre Dame secondary with starters who are all returning and who are all seniors, but who are all slow.
As for that bigger thing: Will the Jackets avoid becoming an emotional rambling wreck for the evening? Only the ghosts of Heisman, Alexander and Dodd know for sure. Such a response also applies to that Calvin Johnson thing, especially since new play-caller Patrick Nix is an unknown entity, but let?s return to that emotional thing. Said Tech running back Tashard Choice, ?It?s big when you play Notre Dame, a very prestigious college, and we understand that. We understand the hype around the game, but you also have to tell yourself to calm down. Get your emotions under control and understand that it?s a football game. You?ll tire yourself in warm-ups just thinking about the hype.?
Added Tech defensive tackle Joe Anoai, reflecting on the mood of his teammates during practices with The Notre Dame Game approaching, ?We term it as a ?controlled frenzy.? You want to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but you have to be controlled in the mental sense, because if you get too excited, you can do some stupid things out there. We?re definitely excited, but not overly excited. We?ve been in situations like this before.?
Uh, no, the Jackets haven?t, and it?s not even close. Although Tech shocked Auburn during two of the past three years, there was little hype for those games compared to the Game of the Century feel that those in the Jacket Nation have attached to The Notre Dame Game. In addition, Auburn wasn?t ranked higher than 15th either of those times compared to the Fighting Irish coming to town at No. 2. Tech did ambush No. 3-ranked Miami last season, but the Jackets traveled to the Orange Bowl without pressure after collapsing the week before against mediocre Virginia.
Then there is Tech?s yearly grudge match against Georgia. It?s a rivalry, but it?s a highly overrated one, especially since the Jackets have won just thrice in the series since the first George Bush was president. More significantly, nobody cares about Jackets versus Bulldogs east, west, north or south of Georgia?s state line.
Everybody cares about Notre Dame versus anybody, and rarely has a Tech football team encountered all of the following at once: A packed house at Bobby Dodd Stadium. An opponent ranked this high in the country. Not only a nationally televised audience preparing to watch the Jackets play somebody at home, but in prime time on a network. Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Notre Dame. Only the Yankees and Duke basketball rival the Irish when it comes to spurring a slew of negative and positive thoughts among others.
So, after days, weeks and months of hearing about, preparing for and dreaming about The Notre Dame Game, the Jackets will rush through their tunnel to the sound of nearly unprecedented screaming in search of their biggest home victory over somebody this lofty since Tech shocked No. 1-ranked Alabama.
That was 44 years ago, when Tech coach Chan Gailey was in elementary school around Americus. Since then, he has participated in enough big games, ranging from those involving Gators, Broncos, Dolphins and Steelers, to learn what players should do. ?We?ve got enough guys that have played in big games that understand what?s going on,? Gailey said. ?I?m going to make sure I address it with some of the younger guys. All of the lead-up is nothing. The game is what?s important, so you want to make sure you control the emotions at game time.?
Unfortunately for Tech, the team that understands Gailey?s big-game approach more than anybody is Notre Dame. While Tech plays in this type of ga-ga environment about once every couple of decades, Notre Dame does so about once every week. It?s just that Tech has Calvin Johnson, and Notre Dame doesn?t. Still, if the Jackets do use Johnson like they should, it won?t matter ? if they go from ga-ga to gagging after the national anthem.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech / ACC, Terence Moore

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Jackets aware of Irish's McKnight

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/01/06 Notre Dame might not have an X-factor on offense, but Georgia Tech fans might not know much of wide receiver Rhema McKnight, who wasn't all over last season's highlights.
McKnight, though, was on track to become one of the leading wide receivers in Irish history after leading the team in receptions as a sophomore and junior before suffering a season-ending injury in the second game. Then, Jeff Samardzija went from third on the depth chart to All-America.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> "Rhema's a different receiver than [Maurice Stovall] last year. Mo was your big, fade ball, physical. He wasn't going to beat people at the line," Irish coach Charlie Weis said. "Rhema has exceptional quickness, [and] can get open on quicks."
Tech cornerback Kenny Scott said, "For us, he's not a secret weapon. We know everything about [McKnight], what he can do. He's very fast, 6-2, 212, and runs good routes. We've got to jump routes, get up on them, and limit mistakes."
Defense will focus on stopping run
The Irish completed 64.8 percent of their passes for 3,963 yards last season, but the Yellow Jackets will try to make them pass, in part because they feel they can force mistakes in the passing game. "If you're able to run the ball well, you can do whatever you want with the ball," linebacker KaMichael Hall said when asked whether it will be more important to slow one than the other.
Peek injured; Lewis moves to sideline
Tech tight end Colin Peek is out for Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury, coach Chan Gailey said Thursday. ... Tech fans wouldn't have seen former Jackets coach Bill Lewis on the sideline last year, but they will Saturday. Defensive coordinator Rick Minter is moving from the sideline to the coaches box, and Lewis, the secondary coach, from the box to the field. "I felt that some of our biggest problems last year were communications in the secondary," Weis said.
Big names disagree on resurgence
Is Notre Dame experiencing a resurgence? Ask two participants, one former, one current.
"I don't think there's any question about it," former Irish coach Ara Parseghian said. "Last year was totally unexpected, a remarkable turnaround. They set all kinds of [offensive] records. It takes talent, but coaching does enter an importance here.
"You've got to rebuild their confidence. You've got to convince kids they're capable of winning."
Said Irish quarterback Brady Quinn: "I don't want to say it's a resurgence. Hopefully it won't necessarily just be a [one-year] comeback. It'll be a tradition that lasts for a long time, like in the past."

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Choice Gets His Chance at Georgia Tech Tailback Steps into Starting Role<script languange="javascript1.2"> procad("http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;dcopt=ist;",0); </script> <script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;tile=4;dcopt=ist;ord=5158666000522936?" type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.1"></script>

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Georgia Tech Renews Rivalry with No. 2 Notre Dame in Primetime Opener Saturday's nationally-televised game will start at 8:00 p.m. on ABC<script languange="javascript1.2"> procad("http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;dcopt=ist;",0); </script> <script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;tile=4;dcopt=ist;ord=8993914711313485?" type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.1"></script>

dirty · Sep 1, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Walker leads Irish back to Georgia
Former Buford star returns to Peach State for Saturday's game vs. Jackets By MORGAN LEE
The Times
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%">  <table valign="top" align="right" cellpadding="5" width="210"> <tbody><tr> <td>

The Associated Press Notre Dame's Darius Walker (3) looks at Washington defender C.J. Wallace on Sept. 24, 2005, in Seattle. Walker led all runners with 128 yards. Notre Dame won, 36-17. Walker, a former standout at Buford High, returns to Georgia on Saturday with the Irish as they take on Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field, Atlanta
TV/radio: WSB-2, 1240 AM
Tickets: (888) 832-4849
Web site: www.ramblinwreck.com

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Three years ago, Darius Walker scampered across the turf of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta like he owned the place.
In his farewell performance on Georgia's biggest high school stage, the Buford High star churned out 173 yards on 31 carries, helping the Wolves slam Decatur 42-13 in the Class AA semifinals en route to a third straight state championship.
It was the kind of game that left fans wanting more.
On Saturday night, they'll again get a chance to see it up close and personal, as Walker, now a junior at Notre Dame, tries to lay claim to another piece of Atlanta turf when he leads the No. 2-ranked Irish into Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium for a season-opening showdown.
"I guess going home people are expecting a show," Walker said earlier this week.
Darius' father, Jimmy Walker, said Thursday that his son is excited, "definitely."
"Most guys that go this far from home never get a chance to come back and play in front of the home crowd again," Jimmy Walker said.
And that excitement is likely to carry over into the 8 p.m. kickoff Saturday, when Darius Walker could make it a rude homecoming for Tech fans.
"I think Darius has that great knack for playing exceptionally well on the big stage," said Tony Wolfe, the younger Walker's former position coach at Buford.
And there won't be many bigger stages this weekend, as Darius Walker gets his collegiate debut on home soil in front of 55,000 screaming fans, including a large contingent of friends and family. Jimmy Walker estimates between 35 to 50 will attend.
"He'll have his own small cheering section there," Wolfe said. "Saturday night, national television, ESPN (College Gameday) will be there, I really suspect he's going to have a big game."
Wolves fans and coaches came to expect nothing but big things from Darius Walker in his years at Buford, where he rolled up personal and team accomplishments like he rolled over so many opposing defenses.
He ended his high school career with 5,675 career rushing yards and 91 touchdowns, including his state-record 46 scores as a senior that eclipsed Herschel Walker's mark.
He also helped Buford to a record 45 straight wins, including those three state titles.
"He just the ultimate competitor and playmaker," said Dexter Wood, his head coach with the Wolves and now the school's athletics director.
And while he may not have blown teams away with his speed or size, measuring about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Darius Walker's innate abilities more than made up for any deficiencies elsewhere, Wood said.
"He always had great vision," Wood said. "And he was also durable. He never missed a game due to injury.
"He always gets his yards, but he doesn't take a beating. And I think that again goes back to his vision. He could see the hole and get through it. But if it wasn't there, he didn't try to force it."
Darius Walker still may not impress opponents with his speed -- though he has added eight pounds to his frame -- but his style has translated perfectly into the college game, where he is on course to challenge Notre Dame's career rushing record of 4,318 yards set by Autry Denson from 1995-98.
With 1,982 yards to show for two seasons worth of work in South Bend, Ind., he has become one of the most dependable backs in college football, averaging 86.2 yards per game rushing. That's good enough for fourth all-time in Irish history books.
That's why, even with a Heisman trophy candidate in Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn on the field, Georgia Tech will always have at least one eye on No. 3 on Saturday.
"(Walker) is a big part of what is going there," Yellow Jackets coach Chan Gailey said. "Darius can make plays, Not only are they handing it to him, but they are finding other ways to get him the football."
Often that means running pass patterns, something that Darius Walker has proved adept at, hauling in 43 catches for 351 yards last season.
"We all know he is a good ball carrier, but you don't realize how many passes he catches until you start looking at the statistics," said Gailey, adding that Walker is as important to Notre Dame as Quinn and star receiver Jeff Samardzija.
"(Walker) belongs in the same sentence with all those other great names on their offense."
Former high school teammate Kyle Manley, who will be on the opposite side of the field from Darius Walker on Saturday as a backup quarterback for the Yellow Jackets, knows his defense faces a tough task in slowing his old backfield partner.
"We've got a lot of people to contain, between Darius and Quinn and Samardzija," Manley said. "But we feel great. We've had a long time to prepare, and we're ready for the challenge."
It's a safe bet Darius Walker is too, and, if he's proven anything, it's that he loves a challenge. It's one of the reasons he chose to go to South Bend in the first place, sidestepping a scholarship from Tech to play far from home.
"I guess in a way a lot of my teammates and a lot of people that I know in Georgia usually stay in Georgia," Darius Walker said. "So for me, I wanted to venture out and do something different."
But as anyone who watched him during his years at Buford will tell you, he's not doing anything different on the field.
"I think he'll do whatever is asked of him," Wood said. "He does whatever it takes.
"And if it's fourth and goal on the two with the game on the line, I bet he'll get the ball."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact:mlee@gainesvilletimes.com, (770) 718-3412

Originally published Friday, September 1, 2006

dirty · Sep 2, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Players as giddy as fans about huge game

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/02/06 Mere hours after his final game as a Georgia Tech player, Salih Besirevic started talking about his first game as a Georgia Tech booster.
"I'm going to be at the Notre Dame game," Besirevic told defensive tackle Joe Anoai on the flight back from last December's Emerald Bowl. "Do something special."
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Friends and alumni have been telling Tech players similar things ever since. Saturday night, the Yellow Jackets finally play the Fighting Irish in one of the most-anticipated season openers Atlanta has ever seen.
"I've heard about it since I came here," said Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who arrived on campus in 2004.
Choice seats to the sold-out game have been selling on eBay for more than $300, six times their face value. That's one measure of how far Bobby Dodd Stadium's 55,000 seats fall short of satisfying the demand.
NCAA rules allow each player only four free tickets per game; for this one that's not nearly enough.
"I'm probably negative-40," Tech defensive tackle Darryl Richard said. "I'm getting phone calls, e-mails from people back home. The best thing I'm telling them: ABC, 8 o'clock. That's the best way to get to the game under my name. Everybody wants to be here."
That includes Tech's players, of course. They grew up watching Notre Dame week after week on NBC. They've seen the movie "Rudy." They've heard and read all about Brady Quinn and Charlie Weis and Jeff Samardzija and Darius Walker. The Irish have become the Jackets' obsession.
"I'm sure most of my teammates dream about them and think about them in class," Anoai said Tuesday. "Although they should be doing their classwork, they're probably thinking about Notre Dame. I know I was today."
People outside Atlanta and South Bend, Ind., have been thinking about this game, too.
Tech coach Chan Gailey said he has received more phone calls from reporters all over the country than for any game in his previous four seasons. The press box will be "beyond full," said Tech sports information director Allison George, who has issued close to 550 media credentials, more than for any other game in school history.
On Thursday, ESPN erected the stage for College GameDay next to Tech's Student Center, unofficially marking The Flats as this weekend's center of the college football universe. It's the second time in the show's 13-year history of on-campus broadcasts that it will air from Tech.
ABC chose Tech-Notre Dame for the opener of its first full season of prime-time college football telecasts. Last season's four prime-time telecasts filled screens in an average of 5.4 million households.
"You'd have to be under a rock somewhere not to know this thing's getting a lot of play," said Gailey, who made a call-in appearance on ESPN2's Cold Pizza on Thursday morning and did "more radio than I've ever done before" this week.
Yellow Jackets receiver James Johnson doesn't want to hear it, see it or read it. He's excited enough about the opening game of his sophomore season; he's intentionally avoiding
every distraction he can.
"I'm trying to get away from the hype and just worry about the game," Johnson said. "I haven't been watching TV."
No. 2 Notre Dame is the highest-ranked visitor in the history of Bobby Dodd Stadium. The facility was known only as Grant Field in 1980, when Notre Dame came in with a No. 1 ranking.
Even without the ranking, there's no mistaking the Irish mystique.
"You hear about it. You see the movies about it. You try not to let it affect you," said Marvin Dyett, a defensive tackle on the Tech team that tied No. 1 Notre Dame in 1980, the last time the Irish played at Tech.
The teams last faced each other in the 1999 Gator Bowl, but they played annually from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.
"I remember the big upsets against Notre Dame when I was growing up and have come to despise the movie 'Rudy' because of the scene against Tech at the end," said Herbert Hasell, a 1990 Tech graduate who's a lieutenant commander in the Navy. "I was also stationed in Jacksonville in the 1990s and attended the Gator Bowl game where Tech beat Notre Dame. I still remember how smug the Irish fans were before the game. That is why this game is huge to me."
So huge that he won't get much sleep tonight. He's stationed in the east African nation of Djibouti and will watch the telecast on the Armed Forces Network, with kickoff at 3 a.m. GameDay airs for him at 5 p.m.
"I will probably take a nap between the two," Hasell said.
Tech opened against Auburn last season, but that was a road game against the nation's No. 16 team, not a home game against No. 2. The season before, Tech opened against Division I-AA Samford. You have to go back to 1994 to find the last time the Jackets opened a season at home against a ranked opponent, and you have to go back to 1979 to find the last time the Jackets were coming off a winning season and opened at home against a ranked opponent.
Gailey has taken time this week to talk to his younger players about what they'll face when they take the field in such a big game.
But he said most of his players have a pretty good idea. They went down to Miami last season and beat the No. 3 team in the nation. And they also got clobbered at No. 4 Virginia Tech. They know the good things that can happen, and they know the pitfalls.
Big-game hype, channeled correctly, can produce a big-time performance.
"You don't tell them to avoid it," Gailey said. "You just tell them to handle it."

dirty · Sep 2, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH VS. No. 2 NOTRE DAME
Golden opportunity for Jackets

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/02/06 A Georgia Tech football team that loves to rise to big challenges gets one of its biggest Saturday night.
No. 2 Notre Dame is the highest-ranked team to visit the Tech campus in 26 years.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> This game has the potential to be the most-watched on-campus sports event in Tech history. Bobby Dodd Stadium's 55,000 seats are sold out, and ABC will televise the game nationwide, and ESPN's College GameDay show will originate from The Flats.
"It's a pretty big stage," Tech linebacker KaMichael Hall said. "It's a great opportunity to go out there and show what type of defense we have, the kind of offense, the kind of special teams, us as a whole Georgia Tech team. It's a great opportunity for us."
The Yellow Jackets have a history of capitalizing on upset opportunities. They've knocked off nearly two ranked opponents per season the past eight years; they know what they're doing. Fifteen of the players who started last season's upset at No. 3 Miami are expected to take the field for the Yellow Jackets again tonight.
Tonight's game presents a huge challenge for the six new starters, for new offensive play-caller Patrick Nix, for Tech's entire defense.
It also presents a huge opportunity for All-America receiver Calvin Johnson and his undeclared Heisman Trophy candidacy. It's like a three-politician debate for Johnson, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija. Johnson says he's not running for anything but more victories for his team, but he isn't planning on shying away from the cameras.
"I love to shine in the spotlight," Johnson said. "When we get the chance to be in front of a big audience like we are, that means showtime for me."
All eyes on Nix, Jackets
Patrick Nix doesn't get to ease into his new job. There's no season opener against a Division I-AA opponent to let him work out any kinks in his offensive system. There's no low-pressure, untelevised game against a directional school.
Nix, 34, becomes a Division I-A play-caller Saturday night against Notre Dame.
Look for a lot of shotgun formations, with familiar players used in unfamiliar ways. Expect to see some things you didn't see when Chan Gailey called the plays. But don't expect a steady stream of high-risk decisions.
"Sometimes you might be on your 20-yard line," Nix said, "and you'd like to take a couple of shots to Calvin [Johnson] and go down the field, but at the same time you know really we need a first down right here so if we do have to punt we can put them down inside their 20 so they're not going to score. We don't need to give them the ball back in good field position.
"Instead of trying to make the offense look good, it's about a team and it's about knowing how to help. At the same time, we want to score points and take chances, but you have to take smart chances and calculated chances and not do dumb things. I don't want to be selfish."
Yellow Jackets players have given Nix's offensive scheme favorable reviews but have declined to give any details that might help the Irish prepare.
Notre Dame coaches have studied tape of the offense Nix ran as head coach at Henderson State in 1999 and 2000. Maybe they ought to look at the plays Nix's father, Conrad Nix, runs at Northside-Warner Robins.
"Some of them are similar," Patrick Nix said, vaguely.
Detailed answers don't come until Saturday night.
"Any time you have a new play caller, it obviously creates some uncertainty," Irish coach Charlie Weis told reporters. "There's going to be things that happen that you're just going to have to adjust to on the fly."
<the great="" unknowns=""></the>
Chan Gailey worked with his team all through spring practice and all through August. If anybody knows what to expect from the Yellow Jackets Saturday night, it should be their coach.
But even he goes into Saturday night's game with a lot of questions. Much has changed since the last time Tech took the field, in 2005:
? Eric Henderson, Gerris Wilkinson, Chris Reis and P.J. Daniels are gone.
? Mansfield Wrotto has switched from defensive line to offensive line, and Pat Clark has switched from receiver to cornerback.
? At least six starters are new (three defensive backs, one linebacker, one receiver, one defensive end).
? So are two assistant coaches (Charles Kelly, special teams, and Jeep Hunter, tight ends).
? So are the special-teams formations.
? So is the offensive system.
? So is the offensive playcaller (Patrick Nix).
"I'm not sure we've got enough time to cover all the things you're interested to see in game situations," Gailey said. "You've got some guys who have not played extensively in games before, so you're anxious to see how they'll react, how they'll handle themselves. You're anxious to see how your special teams play, because that is the hardest area to get quality work on the [practice] field against the speed that you're going to see in the game. There's a lot of things we're looking for, small things on an individual basis, and large things with certain teams, certain packages and groups: your short-yardage defense, short-yardage offense, goal-line defense, goal-line offense, all those kind of things."
A duel of defensive schemes
Jon Tenuta created the defense that shut down Auburn and Miami.
Charlie Weis developed the offense that won three Super Bowls for the New England Patriots and nine games last season for Notre Dame.
They match schemes, calls and personnel groupings Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium in what could be the most important one-on-one duel of Georgia Tech's season opener. Tenuta makes his calls from the coaching box, Weis from the sideline; they won't be poker players sitting at the same table looking for a tell, but they'll still be trying to outguess each other whenever Notre Dame has the ball.
Tech's defense forced five turnovers to win last season's opener against the No. 16 Auburn Tigers and held the No. 3 Hurricanes to 30 yards rushing. Those performances give the Yellow Jackets faith that if they listen to Tenuta they can stop anyone.
"I think he knows as well as everyone knows that he's the best defensive coordinator in the nation," Tech defensive tackle Joe Anoai said. "We believe that. We believe in his scheme. We've bought into it. We understand it. We're going to run it to perfection. So we're not really worried what Charlie Weis is doing over there. We're concerned with what we're doing."
Tenuta has been at his best against coaches regarded as the game's top offensive minds. His defense held Ralph Friedgen's Maryland team to three points in 2003, seven in 2004. He got the better of Al Borges and Auburn last season. Now, he gets to take on Weis and what would be his greatest conquest yet.
"Knowing Coach," linebacker KaMichael Hall said, "he loves it."
Tech QB Ball focused
Reggie Ball begins his fourth season as a starter Saturday night. Will this one be different from the previous three?
Coach Chan Gailey said he believes Ball will raise his game to a higher level. Running back Tashard Choice sounded upbeat about Ball, too.
"Reggie is working real hard. He's real focused this year," Choice said. "... He's a great competitor on the field, and he's going to go out and play hard. He's really confident right now, and he understands what's at stake in his senior year."
Ball? He hasn't said anything to the media since before preseason practice began.
But the big question about Ball hasn't been what he's saying but where he's throwing. His completion percentage has been near 50 percent every season, and his interception and touchdown totals have been close to equal every year, too. His big achievement as a junior was taking fewer bad risks and avoiding more sacks. The key to his senior season: Increasing his accuracy.
Running game falls to Choice
Tashard Choice already has proved he can carry the load for Georgia Tech. He carried 29 times when P.J. Daniels had to sit out last season's Miami game with an injury, and that worked out all right, at least for the Yellow Jackets.
But tonight is different. Daniels isn't just sitting out a game; he's gone for good after three seasons leading Tech's rushing game. Starting tonight, that rushing game belongs to Choice, though he'll share a bit with backups Rashaun Grant and Jamaal Evans. Choice sat behind Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma and got double-digit carries just four times last season. He's ready to tote the ball.
"I'm a slasher," Choice said, "and I make big plays."
"We'll try to keep him as fresh as possible," Tech coach Chan Gailey said, "but we're not afraid of making him the main guy. He has earned that job."
Last win over Irish put Tech in top 10
? Last time they played: Georgia Tech 35, Notre Dame 28, Jan. 1, 1999
? Star of the game: Joe Hamilton threw three touchdown passes and caught another and shared Gator Bowl MVP honors with Dez White.
? Stat that matters: White caught four passes for 129 yards, including touchdown passes of 55 and 44 yards.
? It's history: The victory moved Tech to No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll, its only top-10 finish since the 1990 coaches poll championship season.
? Coachspeak: "We've been practicing that play all year, but we hadn't used it. I bet we've practiced it at least once every practice." ? George O'Leary, on tailback Joe Burns' 5-yard touchdown pass to Hamilton
? They said it: "[This win] symbolizes the resurrection of Georgia Tech football." ? Tech senior defensive end Nate Stimson
Defense promises to be aggressive
Miami had an offensive line Georgia Tech could exploit last season. Auburn had a first-time starter at quarterback.
No similar weakness is apparent in Notre Dame's offense.
That won't change Tech's approach tonight.
"We're very aggressive," linebacker KaMichael Hall said. "We're going to come; we're going to come; we're going to come. I think that's the way you have to play defense. You have to be very aggressive and not too laid back, because if you're laid back you sit there and take the punishment instead of dishing it out.
"When you're bringing somebody, regardless of where they're coming from, there's a hole in the defense. You cover it up and disguise where it is. It's up to the offense to find out where that hole it is. Sometimes it bites you in the butt, and sometimes it pays off big."
"We have to get pressure on Brady Quinn," defensive tackle Joe Anoai said. "We have to hit him early and often, kind of rattle him. If we hit him enough, he's bound to throw us one, and that always helps out with field position and helping the offense to score. If we can control the line of scrimmage, penetrate, get in the backfield and make the running back cut back when he doesn't want to, that always disrupts the offensive flow. If we can control the line of scrimmage, we're going to be fine."
<testing, one="" two=""></testing,>
This is the eighth Georgia Tech home game against a team ranked first or second in the Associated Press poll. The Yellow Jackets have gone 1-4-2 in those games:
Date Opponent Result
Oct. 18, 1958 No. 2 Auburn Tie, 7-7
Nov. 17, 1962 No. 1 Alabama Win, 7-6
Nov. 14, 1964 No. 2 Alabama Loss, 24-7
Sept. 22, 1973 No. 1 Southern California Loss, 23-6
Sept. 9, 1974 No. 2 Notre Dame Loss, 31-7
Nov. 8, 1980 No. 1 Notre Dame Tie, 3-3
Sept. 9, 2000 No. 2 Florida State Loss, 26-21
Tech receivers anxious
Notre Dame's opponents passed for 265 yards per game last season. With all four starters returning in the secondary and all four starters returning on the defensive line, the Irish think they'll do better this season.
But Tech's passing game against Notre Dame's pass defense is a key matchup to watch tonight. Last season's statistics suggest a big night for Calvin Johnson. It also could be big for James Johnson, beginning his first season as a regular starter.
"So far, they don't know about me yet," James Johnson said. "They just hear about Calvin all the time. I'm just trying to surprise them a little bit."
When Notre Dame has the ball, the key matchup is the Irish passing game against a Yellow Jackets secondary with three new starters in free safety Djay Jones, strong safety Jamal Lewis and cornerback Pat Clark or Jahi Word-Daniels. They must handle not only Notre Dame single-season receiving yardage record-holder Jeff Samarzija but also Rhema McKnight, who has 103 career catches.

dirty · Sep 2, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GT Game Notes

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/weekly-release.pdf

dirty · Sep 4, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH
Tech loss has its bright spots
Defense formidable; offense shows signs of life

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/04/06 You're unranked Georgia Tech, and somebody says you can:
? Hold No. 2 Notre Dame to 14 points, its lowest total of the Charlie Weis era.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Johnny Crawford / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Calvin Johnson drags defenders on a 29-yard play that set up a touchdown. Johnson caught seven passes for 111 yards.
</td></tr><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption">Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is brought down by Gary Guyton after an 18-yard keeper. Tech played mostly solid defense.
</td></tr></tbody></table> ? Become the second team in 18 games to keep Brady Quinn from throwing a touchdown pass.
? Get the ball to Calvin Johnson more effectively than you have in almost 11 months.
? Play turnover-free football.
You'd take it, right?
Tech did all those things Saturday night and still lost the season opener 14-10.
"If somebody told me we were going to hold these guys to 14 points, I'd say well and good," cornerback Kenny Scott said.
"We showed we can play with anybody in the nation. We've just got to finish them," linebacker Philip Wheeler said. "It shows a lot of potential. That's all it shows."
Actually, it showed a few other things.
It showed Wheeler can handle his new middle linebacker job. He made a team-high 13 tackles, two behind the line of scrimmage, and almost got a safety against Quinn.
It showed Tech's inexperienced secondary, with three new starters, might have what it takes to continue the Yellow Jackets' defensive tradition. Tech won't face a more highly touted passing offense but, with three exceptions, was able to limit Notre Dame to completions of less than 15 yards. Quinn threw for 246 yards, his lowest total since he faced Michigan in the second game last season.
"[The secondary] played well," Tech coach Chan Gailey said on Sunday. "We can play better, but they played well."
Saturday's game also showed new Tech playcaller Patrick Nix can get the ball to Johnson, who caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. It had been eight games since Johnson had as many catches or receiving yards.
"It's a good sign for the offense," Johnson said. "I'm getting a good amount of touches."
Johnson broke a tackle to turn a short pass into a 29-yard gain, then on the next play used his 6-foot-5 size as an advantage over 5-11 defensive back Mike Richardson to make a 4-yard touchdown catch. A 45-yard catch by Johnson set up Travis Bell's 30-yard field goal.
The downside for Tech is what its offense did after that. Four second-half possessions produced just 71 yards, and more than half of those came on runs by quarterback Reggie Ball. Ball finished with 55 yards on 11 carries, more yards and a better average than either starting running back Tashard Choice or backup Rashaun Grant.
The Yellow Jackets committed just five penalties for 28 yards. Only two penalties were on the offense.
"It didn't feel like a first game," Nix said. "It felt like it was two heavyweight teams out there battling."
No Jackets sustained injuries that would keep them from playing Saturday against Samford, Gailey said, though backup defensive end Michael Johnson probably will sit out again.
Tech turned to Avery Roberson at strong safety in the second half because of the coverages it was playing, Gailey said, adding that Jamal Lewis remains the starter.
The Jackets might have held Notre Dame to a single touchdown if not for a controversial personal-foul call against Wheeler for helmet-to-helmet contact. Gailey objected to the call during and after the game and stood by those objections on Sunday. If it were an ACC game, he could send a video of the play to coordinator of football officials Tommy Hunt, but it was a Big Ten crew so Gailey decided not to make any formal complaint.
"Because you know what's going to happen," he said. "It's going in the trash."
The postgame mood among Tech players was disappointment in the result, mixed with optimism based on how they played.
"Hopefully," Scott said, "we'll play well the next 11 weeks and run the table."

dirty · Sep 4, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Balance marks Tech's attack
Making his I-A debut, Nix shunned risk against Irish

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/05/06 Patrick Nix threw 52 passes in a game for Auburn. His quarterback threw 53 passes in a game when Nix coached at Henderson State. But Saturday in his debut as a Division I-A play-caller, Nix chose balance between the run and the pass.
Georgia Tech ran 28 times and passed 24 times in its season-opening 14-10 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> The Yellow Jackets were so balanced:
? They never passed on three consecutive plays, and they ran on three consecutive plays only once.
? In the first half, they threw 10 times and ran nine.
? On first down, they threw 12 times and ran 11.
? They never passed on three consecutive first downs, and they ran on three consecutive first downs only once.
That balance existed even though Reggie Ball spent most of the night in the shotgun, usually thought of as a pass-first, run-second formation.
Aside from variations in offensive sets, there were a lot of similarities to Tech's 2005 attack ? few passes over the middle, no catches by a tight end, no power running game and an aversion to risk.
Tech faced third-and-1 four times and converted only twice. The Jackets actually lost a foot on Tashard Choice's third-and-1 carry in the third quarter, and the next play the Tech staff had such little faith in their ability to get a yard that they punted from Notre Dame's 49.
Did Ball want the Jackets to go for it? "Every play I want the ball in my hands," he said. "That answers that question."
Ball didn't throw dangerous passes, and Nix usually didn't call plays that would tempt him to. The result was an offense that produced no turnovers but only 10 points.
"I didn't make all the right calls, and Reggie got me out of a few bad ones," Nix said. "We didn't force it. When guys play smart, you can get out of a game with no turnovers."
Play-calling obviously had something to do with it. Leading 7-0, Tech faced third-and-11 from the Notre Dame 13. On the previous play, Ball threw incomplete for James Johnson. Last season in similar situations, Tech got in the habit of throwing to Calvin Johnson, and opposing defenses caught on. This time, rather than taking another shot at the end zone and risking an interception, Nix called a running play that got the ball to the center of the field for a sure three points.
But Nix didn't abandon Johnson. Far from it. Johnson caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, his most productive game since his 10-catch, 130-yard game against N.C. State in the fifth game last season.
Nix kept the Irish guessing by having Johnson switch positions. Johnson would line up at outside receiver on one play, at inside receiver the next, then maybe at outside receiver the play after that.
"Moving me around, they don't always know where I'm going to be," Johnson said. "They can't always adjust their defense at the last second."
His assessment?
"I expected us to score more than we did," Johnson said. "That wasn't acceptable by the offense."
Nix said Notre Dame adjusted at halftime by making sure it had at least two defenders on Johnson at all times. Nix blamed himself for not being patient enough to take advantage of the running opportunities that created.
But Choice averaged only 2.5 yards on his four second-half carries, and Notre Dame's offense produced long drives that kept Tech's offense off the field.
And unlike Notre Dame, which had a one-two receiving punch with Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, Tech never developed a threat to pair with Johnson. No other Tech player had more than 10 yards receiving.
Last season's playcaller said this season's playcaller got off to a good start, despite producing 259 yards and 10 points. "I'm pleased about where we can be," Gailey said. "We didn't execute at times. We made some mistakes. But I'm pleased at where we're headed."
Nix was asked if there was more to his offense that he didn't show Saturday night.
"We sure didn't hold anything back," Nix said. "We played this one to win it."

dirty · Sep 6, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Tech's Clark catches on to defense
Former wide receiver's skills translate well to cornerback

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/06/06 Pat Clark's been there and done that in three consecutive season openers for Georgia Tech, so it's hardly a shock when he starts with a bang.
Now, if the Yellow Jackets junior can keep clearing hurdles in the transition from wide receiver to cornerback, Tech might be on to something.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Newly minted Jackets defensive back Pat Clark (6) finished second in combined tackles and assists against Notre Dame.
</td></tr></tbody></table> After finishing second on the team with eight combined tackles and assists (middle linebacker Philip Wheeler had 13) plus a tackle for lost yardage against Notre Dame, Clark left coach Chan Gailey largely pleased, if not surprised.
"He's got quick feet, very good instincts, some toughness to him," Gailey said. "He missed a couple tackles, and he's got to work on that. He's a guy who hasn't played defensive back, and against a very good football team and two great receivers it was a big challenge. I thought he stood the challenge very well, but he can get better.
"I think that was at the high end of where I thought he could be, but now he's raised the bar, which is good."
Clark, who edged Jahi Word-Daniels and Avery Roberson for the starting spot, seems to love openers but has been less productive the rest of the season. He returned five punts in his first game as a freshman, but no more in 2004. Last season, he caught a career-high six passes in an upset of Auburn but grabbed nine more receptions all season.
Covering receivers has been easy. Lining up correctly, fine-tuning technique and remembering he can still catch the ball have been more difficult. Clark said teammates help with alignment, although he grasps "85 to 90 percent" of the defense, and he has improved at tackling since spring. And next time, he'll go for the pick.
One pass by scrambling Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn sailed over the intended receiver, plopping in front of Clark, who broke late off a different coverage. Simply, he was surprised.
"As a corner, you're so focused on not letting the receiver catch the ball, and all of a sudden the ball's on top of you," he said.
That's better than the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Clark letting big receivers such as Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija (6-5, 217) or Rhema McKnight (6-2, 212) get on top of him. Clark lined up against McKnight most of the game.
"Every day we play against one of the best receivers in the nation in [6-5, 235-pound] Calvin Johnson," Clark said. "He's one of the biggest, most physical receivers in the nation.
"You have to use body position and technique."
Clark did while sliding between the outside corner and inside slot spots. McKnight beat him on a 44-yard reception in the second half, but it took a whale of a play.
Samford is not Notre Dame, but the pass-happy I-AA Bulldogs will test the Yellow Jackets on Saturday in ways the Irish did not. Clark sounds ready.
"They like to run multiple three- and sometimes four-receiver sets, so they're going to come out trying to attack us," he said.
"That will prepare us for teams down the road we play in the ACC."

dirty · Sep 6, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Kick coverage, returns an ongoing problem

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/06/06 Georgia Tech hoped hiring a new special-teams coordinator and making personnel changes would solve its kickoff coverage and return problems.
That hasn't happened yet.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Johnny Crawford / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Tech's Rashaun Grant (3), tackled here by Notre Dame's Chinedum Ndukwe (18) and Victor Abiamiri (95), was stopped at the 18 on a kickoff return.
</td></tr></tbody></table> Notre Dame returned Tech's first two kickoffs of the season to its 45- and 46-yard lines. The third kickoff went for a touchback. It looked all too familiar to a Yellow Jackets team that ranked last in the ACC in kickoff coverage last season.
"We've got to get better there," Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "If we don't get better there it's going to cost us some games down the road, and we can't have that take place. We've got to get better at getting down the field and getting in our lanes, avoiding the blockers and making the tackle. Now, that's as simple as you can make it. There's only a certain number of lanes down the field, and you've got 10 guys covering, and everybody's got to do their job."
Things weren't much better for Tech's return team. Rashaun Grant and Chris Dunlap each got stopped at the 18, and the other kick went for a touchback.
The good news for new special-teams coordinator Charles Kelly came when Travis Bell made a 30-yard field goal, Xavier McGuire got close to blocking two punts, and Durant Brooks boomed a few punts, one of which went 57 yards.
Peek, Chambers forced to redshirt
Tight end Colin Peek and linebacker Travis Chambers will redshirt this season because of injuries, Gailey said. Chambers had foot surgery in January and hasn't recovered fully.
"He tried it in spring and it wasn't there, tried it this fall and it wasn't there," Gailey said. "We're going to try to give him a chance to heal."
Peek played in nine games last season as a freshman but didn't catch a pass.
No. 3 quarterback Jonathan Garner didn't suit up for the Notre Dame game but is expected to be in uniform Saturday.
Shortage of depth means big minutes
Tech's starting offensive line and linebackers played the whole game. Including special teams, Notre Dame used 49 players, Tech 44.
"We're not where we need to be depth-wise," Gailey said. "[Defensive end] Michael Johnson being out hurt us a little bit. We missed a guy in the rotation on the defensive line there, but at some other positions we just don't have a lot of people ready to play. It's going to create that situation. I think the offensive line is going to have some more people as time goes on as soon as we get well."
Four freshmen played Saturday: Laurence Marius, Sedric Griffin, Shane Bowen and Robert Hall.
Johnson backs into weekly ACC honors
Calvin Johnson (seven catches, 111 yards, one touchdown) shared ACC offensive back of the week honors with Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. Offensive back? Well, Johnson did line up a few feet off the line of scrimmage in some three-receiver sets.
Irish-Jackets draw huge TV audience
Tech-Notre Dame drew a 5.8 overnight rating, a 61 percent increase over last season's opening-night ABC college football telecast. The average rating for ABC's four primetime telecasts last season was 4.9.

dirty · Sep 6, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Updated Wednesday, September 6 at 0:27 AM

Tech trys to avoid post-Notre Dame letdown against Samford
by The Associated Press

ATLANTA - The danger ahead for Georgia Tech is easy to identify but perhaps more difficult to avoid.

After talking about playing Notre Dame through spring football and all of the preseason drills, how does Georgia Tech now turn its focus to Samford, a I-AA team?

``This is kind of like what you call a trap game where you play a team like Notre Dame with all the hype and then you come back and play a team and there's not so much hype,'' Tech running back Rashaun Grant said Tuesday.

``You have to refocus. There's a certain way you go about preparin<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="130"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">

</td><td rowspan="4" bgcolor="#999999">

</td><td rowspan="4">

</td></tr><tr><td>"The emotional aspect of the game will be a big part of the game this week.''</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Chan Gailey</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">

</td></tr></tbody></table>g for each week and that process should never change.''

A trap game?

``Good call,'' said Tech coach Chan Gailey. ``That's fair. I think that's a fair assumption and a fair term. The emotional aspect of the game will be a big part of the game this week.''

There were mixed emotions following the 14-10 loss to then-No. 2 Notre Dame, which fell to a tie for No. 4 in Tuesday's Associated Press Top 25.

For Tech, there was a sense of a lost opportunity after leading the Irish 10-7 through three quarters.

There also was a sense of pride in being unranked but still playing toe-to-toe with Notre Dame and its highly regarded quarterback, Brady Quinn.

But Gailey wants no part of dwelling too long on either sentiment. His goal Tuesday was to minimize talk about Notre Dame.

Gailey tried to set the agenda with his opening comment at his weekly news conference: ``Just a reminder this is the press conference prior to the Samford game, not after the Notre Dame game, OK?''

There is a presumption that even if distracted, the Yellow Jackets could take care of Samford. Tech is 6-0 against Samford, including a most recent 28-7 win in the 2004 season opener when it held the Bulldogs to only 211 total yards.

Gailey, who coached at Samford in 1993 and at Troy, which visits Tech next week, in 1983-84, says he knows that focus won't be a problem for those smaller programs.

``It was a great challenge, a great opportunity,'' Gailey said of playing major college opponents at Samford and Troy. ``You got excited about it. It was a giant game.

``We're going to have to go play. We can't go out there and think that because we played fairly well last week, not great, but fairly well last week that we'll just show up and play. You can't do that. It doesn't happen anymore.''

Tech has voiced similar concerns after big wins in recent seasons.

Some Tech players can remember the Yellow Jackets beating No. 20 Clemson 28-24 early in the 2004 season, only to lose 34-13 to North Carolina the following week. Similarly, Tech beat a favored Maryland team in 2003 before losing at Duke 41-17 the next week.

Is it more difficult to move past the Notre Dame game when Samford is the next opponent?

``Mentally, maybe to some of the younger players who haven't been here, who haven't experienced Duke a couple years back and things like that,'' Grant said. ``Some of the older guys know what we have to do.''

Linebacker Philip Wheeler, a junior, says he's not worried about motivation for Samford.

``It doesn't really bother me,'' Wheeler said. ``It's not that difficult because I just like playing the game. Whenever I get off the field I'm just looking forward to playing the next game. Like right now, when we have practice, I can stay focused easier because I just can't wait to get on the field again. That's what keeps me focused.''

Even though Gailey wants his players to concentrate on Samford, Grant says there are positive lessons for Tech in the loss to Notre Dame.

``I think some of the players will see that game and watch film and know what we're capable of doing, how powerful we can be on both sides of the ball,'' Grant said.

``We did a lot of good things and we did a lot of things we have to improve on. There were a lot of things we can build on and capitalize on.''
Notes: Gailey said he plans to redshirt two injured players, junior linebacker Travis Chambers and sophomore tight end Colin Peek. Gailey does not reveal details on injuries but said Peek's injury ``is a longer term than I thought.'' Gailey said the team has sufficient depth at tight end with seniors Michael Matthews and George Cooper and junior Wayne Riles. Speaking of Chambers, Gailey said ``We're going to let him get well. He tried it in the spring and it wasn't there, and he tried it in the fall and it wasn't there.'' ... Gailey said he expects backup defensive end Michael Johnson to be held out with an injury for the second straight week.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

dirty · Sep 6, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Gailey finds it tough to stay away

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/07/06 Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey has said all along that ceding play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Patrick Nix would not be easy, and with one game in the books, his prediction is dead on.
He said he talks to Nix, but carefully, apparently for fear of trying to take over.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> "I don't go in the offensive meetings, but I'll talk to Patrick off to the side and give him some of my thoughts," Gailey said. "Then, he can carry that into the offensive meeting and incorporate it however he sees fit. I think I still am trying to not go in there because if you go in there, then you start to get involved.
"I know myself; I can't do that. I can't walk in there and not be involved. If you're a drunk, you need to stay out of the bar, so I've got to stay out of the meetings. It's much more big picture. A little bit here about personnel, but mostly big-picture stuff."
Samford provides a trap?
Reserve running back Rashaun Grant called Saturday's game against Samford a "trap game," and Gailey agreed.
"I think that's a fair assumption, and a fair term," he said. "And the emotional aspect will be a big part of this game. I think we realize that we don't need to take anything for granted. We can't go out there and think that because we played fairly well last week ? not great, but fairly well ? that all of a sudden we'll just show up and play well.
"You can't do that; it doesn't happen any more."
Just ask Colorado, which lost at home Saturday to I-AA Montanta State.
Jackets getting healthier
Although reserve defensive end Michael Johnson is expected to miss his second consecutive game with what is believed to be a groin pull or abdominal-muscle problem, Tech coaches are hopeful that some other players will be able to return Saturday. Among them: reserve offensive lineman Jacob Lonowski (shoulder) and third-string quarterback Jonathan Garner (back).
Ratings high for opener
With a 5.4 final rating, the Tech-Notre Dame game reached 6,067,000 households, an increase of 74 percent (vs. 3.1 rating) and 79 percent (vs. 3,398,000 households) over last year's numbers for a prime-time split national telecast of Notre Dame-Pitt and Texas A&M-Clemson on the opening weekend.

dirty · Sep 8, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Peppering you with opinions

By Matt Winkeljohn | Thursday, September 7, 2006, 03:54 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A compilation of thoughts, some here, some there, some neither ?
In my humble, age-addled estimation (turned 43 Wednesday), it?s quite possible Tech has its best football team in quite some time.
Don?t want to get into more second-guessing this call or that call from last Saturday as that?s been done over and over, and we?re four or five days out anyway, but from my vantage point the defense is going to be tight, especially when the D-line rotation grows with the return of Michael Johnson (groin, I think, but don?t know for sure). They clearly tired late the other day, in part because Notre Dame kept converting third downs. The Irish had an edge in time of possession in every quarter, a huge differential in the fourth.
? The secondary looks better than anybody had a right to expect. Pat Clark?s a tough cuss, Scott?s the real deal, and the safeties weren?t bad but need to be a little quicker in run support than they were against ND.
? Philip Wheeler?s a freak. ?Nuff said.
? The kickoff team had better improve, and fast. At least three true freshmen, and I?m not sure but possibly a fourth, played there last Saturday. That may explain part of what happened, but only part. Gailey?s all over that this week.
? Contrary to what Gailey said last week, Tech didn?t sub in O-linemen and that hurt some. He suggested Tuesday that some of the reserves weren?t ready yet, physically, and I suspect that pertains mostly to Jacob Lonowski, who missed much of summer camp mending his repaired shoulder. Ultimately, I think Tech will be comfortable with seven O-linemen, perhaps including G LeShawn Newberry.
? Nix might wanna think about throwing not only to a tight end now and then, but more to running backs. Zero receptions by TEs, and 1 for 1 yard by a back (Choice)? Talk all you want about searching for balance between Calvin and the other WRs, but for my two cents you gotta throw to the under guys, too. This might help on third downs, too, where Tech converted two of the first five and then failed on the final five. That hurt, especially since Notre Dame starting converting them.
? Speaking of depth at WR, my opinion is that Greg Smith may be considerably better than many of you might think. Gotta find out.
? Reggie?s going to be better this year. Again, it?s my opinion, but I didn?t think he was a problem against the Irish. Sure, he failed to see some open receivers, but so did Quinn. I think he?s more measured by far with his emotions than in his first three years, more likely to remain on an even keel. He hasn?t always been that way, you know. I reserve the right to admit there?s room for error in this prediction.
? On punt returns, I know Tech nearly got a couple punts and chances of blocking one improve when you have 10 guys up and just one back. If it were me, depending on the punter and situation, I?d drop an up back in front of Clark. A couple ND punts coulda been fielded short if there was an upback, but instead bounced for big extra yards.
? Samford?s going to try to wing it all over the place. It?ll be interesting to see how Tenuta structures his blitzes because he?ll have no choice but to have more people back in coverage than against Notre Dame. Bet freshman Laurence Marius sees his first action on defense in this one.
? Getting a big lead and then playing a lot of people would be nice, but I wonder if this team might benefit psychologically more than most from kicking the snot out of Samford, no matter what it takes? Surely, fans would warm to that kind of result.
? On the recruiting front, Tech eagerly awaits the decision of Greene County QB Josh Nesbitt, who I believe will pledge to the Jackets Thursday or more likely Friday. Also, CB/WR Cedric Everson of Detroit is a candidate to commit any day, or, then again, he could wait and wait. Don?t have a strong feeling whether he?s going to pick Tech or UCLA.
? On the basketball scene, I wrote the other day Tech?s been recruiting PG Chris Wright of Washington, D.C. That?s over, and it?s been over, I?ve learned. The Jackets stopped chasing him even before Maurice Miller committed.
Later.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment |

dirty · Sep 8, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Nix: Third-down intensity needs work

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/08/06 It's not hard to figure out where Georgia Tech needs to improve Saturday against Samford. First, it's on third down.
The Jackets converted 2 of 5 on the way to a 10-0 lead against Notre Dame, but failed on all five after the middle of the second quarter.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Curtis Compton / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Reggie Ball got over the top for a first down in the first quarter, but the success on third down was limited.
</td></tr></tbody></table> Notre Dame was good on two of its first seven but turned the game by converting 5 of 9 after that. Plus, after the Irish failed on their final third down, they were good on fourth-and-1 to keep the ball and run out the clock.
Both of Tech's successes came on third-and-1 situations, but the Jackets failed on two other third-and-1 plays. Reggie Ball completed 1 of 4 third-down passes (a potential completion to Calvin Johnson was overturned) for 1 yard.
Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix said it's not the plays that need to be reviewed with players; it's the gravity of the matter.
"You're not going to get the same defense," he said. "So there's no sense in beating that play to death as much as the situation. From Day 3, we've emphasized third downs. The difference is now guys see the importance. There were four or five times we had the first down but just didn't execute the play."
Freshmen thrown right into the fire
Four true freshmen played Saturday: Linebackers Sedric Griffin and Shane Bowen and cornerback Laurence Marius were on special teams, Robert Hall was on defense.
"It's a lot faster and a lot more physical [than high school]," Hall said. "Now I'm acclimated to the field and should be able to play better."
Said Bowen: "I got the butterflies out in the first game."
Freshman tailback Jamaal Evans is expected to play against Samford.
Coaches learn from the opening game
Chan Gailey said the first game helps coaches better understand what their players can and can't do so they can better design their plans.
"I think we, as coaches, have a much better idea after the first game," he said. "I think from game one to game two, coaches seem to get better. I think players tend to get better between the first loss and the next game."
Greene County QB to make his choice
Greene County quarterback Josh Nesbitt is expected to announce his college decision Friday. He's down to Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Auburn and Florida. ... It's coincidence that Tech is playing back-to-back games against Samford and Troy, two schools where Gailey coached, but no coincidence they're playing the Bulldogs and Trojans. Asked if he had anything to do with scheduling his former employers, Gailey said yes.

dirty · Sep 9, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

SATURDAY'S GAME
Jackets try to tune up

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/09/06 Georgia Tech faced a huge challenge last week in its season opener against No. 2 Notre Dame.
The Yellow Jackets face a far different challenge Saturday in Division I-AA Samford.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> "That's kind of what we call a 'trap game,' when you play a team like Notre Dame with all the hype and then you play a team with not so much hype," backup tailback Rashaun Grant said. "You have to refocus. It's a certain way you go about preparing each week.
"Maybe [it's mentally difficult for] some of the younger players who haven't been here to experience [the loss to] Duke a few years back, things like that, but some of the older guys know what we have to do."
Any Tech players who don't think a lower-division opponent offers a challenge need only look at what happened last week:
? Division I-AA Richmond shut out Duke.
? Division I-AA Montana State surprised Colorado.
? Division I-AA Portland State humbled New Mexico.
? And Division I-AA Illinois State missed a two-point conversion that might have beaten Kansas State.
The Jackets would like to spare themselves that kind of embarrassment. Tech has won 14 consecutive games against Division I-AA schools since a 17-17 tie with Furman in 1986. Its lone loss to a I-AA team came 17-14 to Furman in 1983.
One way to deal with the differences in Notre Dame week and Samford week is to deny them.
"There's nothing different. We want to win," quarterback Reggie Ball said. "We didn't get it done last week, so it makes it even more imperative that you do get that W."
Division I-AA teams play under a different set of rules than Division I-A teams. They have fewer scholarship players and smaller squads.
But a victory Saturday counts just as much as a nonconference victory over a I-A opponent. NCAA rules allow teams to count one victory over a I-AA opponent toward the minimum required for bowl eligibility.
An opportunity for running backs
Reggie Ball led Georgia Tech in rushing three times in the past nine games. He did it against N.C. State and Virginia last season and in last week's season opener against Notre Dame.
Astute Yellow Jackets fans will notice a pattern here. All three games were losses.
As strong a runner as Ball can be, it's still not a good sign when he's the rushing leader. It's a sign the offensive line can't block well enough to make any running play but a scramble or a quarterback draw very effective.
Look for that to change Saturday. The last time Tech played Samford, P.J. Daniels ran for 169 yards and scored three touchdowns. Don't be surprised if play-caller Patrick Nix gives Tashard Choice the chance to post similar numbers.
Game of the season for Samford
This clearly isn't the game Georgia Tech players circled on their schedules, but for a lot of Samford players, that's exactly what it is.
They don't play any other Division I-A teams. No other game they could win, short of the Division I-AA championship game, could give them the publicity they would get from knocking off the Yellow Jackets. Just playing an ACC opponent is a big deal for the Bulldogs.
"It's definitely a privilege," receiver Joe Jones said. "It'll be a good game to size us up."
Samford's roster lists 23 players from Georgia and 18 from the Atlanta area. Those players could hardly be more motivated.
"I think we'll be more competition than they expect," said defensive tackle Mark Brown, who played opposite Tech quarterback Reggie Ball at Stephenson High School.
"You can expect them to come out and play hard," Tech running back Rashaun Grant said. "When you get a school like Samford with the opportunity to play to come play a team like Georgia Tech, just off emotions they're going to come out and give it their all."
Series history
? Last game: Sept. 4, 2004, in Atlanta
? Score: Georgia Tech 28, Samford 7
? Star of the game: P.J. Daniels ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns and scored a third on a 25-yard screen pass.
? Stat that matters: Samford ran for only 42 yards and averaged less than 6 yards per completed pass.
? It's history: Tech players Calvin Johnson, Joe Anoai, Kenny Scott, Adamm Oliver and Travis Bell made their first career starts.
? Coachspeak: "I thought we could run the football. I've been on the other side of games like that where you're somewhat outmanned and seen people mess it up by trying to do double-reverse passes and funky plays. They end up getting turnovers and not winning the football game." ? Tech's Chan Gailey
? They said it: "You might miss your block, and he blows past you, and you're like, 'Yes!' He makes you look good." ? Tech offensive tackle Kyle Wallace, on what it's like to have Daniels on your team
Defense was good but not good enough
The temptation might be to think Georgia Tech's defense is good enough. After all, it held mighty Notre Dame to 14 points.
Chan Gailey rejects that idea.
He remembers how the Yellow Jackets forced Notre Dame to punt only once in the second half and how the Irish went three-and-out only once the entire game.
"We had some assignment miscues," Gailey said. "We had some communication miscues that allowed them to make some critical plays at times. We can get better. Until we [allow] no yards and no points, we can get better."
Today's game is a chance to begin doing that and to avoid following a pleasant surprise with an unpleasant one, especially in the secondary, where three new starters helped hold Brady Quinn to 246 yards passing.
"We put it on display that we're not as weak as everybody thinks we are," cornerback Pat Clark said.
Today, Clark and Co. face an offense with three- and four-receiver sets and a quarterback in Jefferson Adcock who has thrown for 351 yards in a game.
"They can take advantage of you with all the receivers they get out if you're not careful," Gailey said.
Different rules
Division I-A Georgia Tech and Division I-AA Samford operate under different NCAA rules. The highlights:
I-A I-AA
Scholarships 85* 63**
Roster limit 105 90
Assistant coach limit 9 10
Graduate assistants 2 0***
Postseason Bowls Playoffs
* NCAA sanctions currently limit Tech to 79 scholarships.
** Division I-AA teams are allowed to divide the equivalent of 63 full scholarships among as many as 85 players.
*** Division I-AA graduate assistants count against the assistant coach limit.
Chance for the backups
Saturday's game might offer Georgia Tech an opportunity to do something it rarely does: win big.
Not only is Samford a Division I-AA team; it's also an unranked I-AA team, a team picked fourth in the nine-team Ohio Valley Conference.
The Yellow Jackets won regular-season games by 20 points or more an average of once a season through Chan Gailey's first four seasons. Games like that provide a chance for backups to gain experience and for starters to gain confidence.
Also, the quicker the Yellow Jackets' starters get off the field, the less time they'll be exposed to the potential for injuries.
Tech was able to build a quick 21-0 lead the last time it played Samford and stay far enough in front to give younger players a chance to take the field. Nate McManus made his Tech debut in that game, one of only three regular-season games he was able to play in before the Jackets needed him to become a starter last season.
Today's game could be an important opportunity for this year's McManuses.
Letup can be costly
The scoreboard will say Samford and so will the visiting teams' shirts, but Georgia Tech's real opponent today is itself.
Saturday's game is all about the Yellow Jackets getting better at what they do. Unless something goes wrong for Tech, this game is not about scouting reports, player matchups, strategy or tactics.
It's about becoming a better football team and to prepare for the ACC schedule that begins Sept. 21 against Virginia.
Tech coach Chan Gailey would never put it that way, of course. But he did admit the focus this week is internal.
"This game is much more about us and making sure we do our assignments and get emotionally right and go play with passion," Gailey said. "Are there some unusual things that we're going to have to do scheme-wise against this team because of what they do? Yes. They're going to make you do everything just right. Which is good. Everybody's got to be in the right place doing the right assignment."
That's true on offense, where Tech will try to improve on its 10-point performance. That's true on defense, against a unit that passed for 290 yards last week. And it's true on special teams, where Tech has to solidify kickoff coverage and return teams that were not up to par against Notre Dame.
Familiar foes
Tech coach Chan Gailey was Samford's coach in 1993, when he went 5-6, and current Samford assistants Mike O'Toole and Adam Caine worked on Gailey's staff that season. Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix was the wide receivers coach at Samford in 2001.
Tech romps
Georgia Tech's largest margins of victory in regular-season games under Chan Gailey:
Game Score Margin
Vanderbilt, 2002 45-3 42
Duke, 2005 35-10 25
Samford, 2004 28-7 21
Connecticut, 2004 30-10 20

dirty · Sep 12, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Tech kick coverage looks leaky

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/06 Thank heaven for Florida Atlantic.
That could be the current slogan of the Georgia Tech kickoff coverage unit, which ranks 118th out of 119 Division I-A teams, ahead of only Howard Schnellenberger's Owls.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Tech has allowed 36 yards per return.
"We've got a lot of work to do in that aspect," special teams coordinator Charles Kelly said on Saturday after Samford returned one kickoff 54 yards and another to its 45. "I'm going to go back and evaluate that and try to find the best 11; that's my job. We've got a long way to go on that. We've got a long way to go."
The rest of the special-teams picture looks a lot brighter for the Yellow Jackets:
? Durant Brooks is off to a great start. His average of 48 yards per punt ties him for fourth in the nation, and Tech ranks 12th nationally in net punting (punts minus returns).
? Andrew Smith returned five punts for 69 yards against Samford.
? The kickoff return unit took a step up from Week 1 to Week 2. Chris Dunlap returned Samford's second and third kickoffs past the 30-yard line; Tech never returned the ball past the 20 against Notre Dame. Tech coach Chan Gailey said Dunlap will alternate with Rashaun Grant in the return job.
? Travis Bell has made two of three field goals, with the miss coming from 53 yards.Irish score no consolation
Notre Dame's 41-17 rout of Penn State might tempt you to say Georgia Tech must be pretty good. After all, Notre Dame had to rally to beat Tech 14-10.
Gailey, though, isn't playing the score comparison game.
"Outside people can do that," he said. "Inside, our guys are disappointed we didn't win the game. I don't think anybody feels any better because of the way they beat Penn State."
Lewis wins ACC honor
Strong safety Jamal Lewis was named ACC defensive back of the week on Monday after he returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown in Tech's 38-6 victory over Samford. It was the fourth-longest return in school history and the longest since 1969.
Virginia nine days away
So you're Tech, and you have a team from a non-BCS league coming to town Saturday, and then a short week before a Thursday night ACC opener against Virginia. How much does that short week next week affect this week's preparation?
"None," Gailey said, in what has to be one of the least surprising answers of the young season.
The Yellow Jackets won't totally ignore Virginia this week, though. Graduate assistants will start breaking down video of the Cavaliers on Wednesday or Thursday, the normal week-ahead routine.
Fades frustrate Samford
Trying to figure out a defense against Calvin Johnson near the goal line sure can be vexing for an opposing coach.
Samford's Bill Gray, Tech offensive coordinator Patrick Nix's boss for half the 2001 season and still a friend, used 6-foot receiver Jeff Moore in place of his 5-7 and 5-10 cornerbacks on the goal line but still couldn't stop the 6-4 Johnson on the fade route.
"Patrick's daughter was sitting in the stands with my family," Gray told the Birmingham News. "I told him if he'd thrown another fade to Calvin Johnson, she might have gone home with us instead."
Complimentary in defeat
Gray, on Tech: "They've got a defense that puts a lot of pressure on you. Speed is the biggest thing you see on their defensive side of the football. And they've got the pieces to have a very successful team on the offensive side of the football. They've got a great receiver, a very good quarterback and it looks like a couple of tailbacks that can play in the game."

dirty · Sep 12, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Punt returner learns fast

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/06 Chan Gailey called walk-on Andrew Smith into his office and showed him video of all-time Georgia Tech punt-return record holder Kelley Rhino.
"We're looking for a guy like this," Gailey told Smith. "Just catch the ball and get north and south."
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Six days later, Smith did just that against Samford, with five returns for 69 yards. It was the highest total for Tech since 2003, and it made one radio listener's day.
That listener was Kelley Rhino.
Smith had called Rhino early last week for advice. It's one thing to see it on video, Smith reasoned. It's another thing to learn what that guy on the video was thinking as he returned 112 punts for 1,135 yards.
"We exchanged phone calls three or four times," Smith said. "He's a real nice guy. He gave me a few pointers. Focus on the ball. Read your blocks. Get upfield."
"The No. 1 thing was catching the ball," Rhino said. "Catch everything you can possibly get to. You see punt returners, if it's a bad kick they let it go. The ball can roll 25 or 30 yards. That's two or three more first downs the offense has to get."
The other key piece of advice: Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Smith went to practice 20 minutes early every day to field punts from his teammates.
Still, he admitted, "I was a little nervous."
But Gailey believed in him. He'd already used Smith at punt returner for one play last season at Duke. Smith wasn't the fastest man on the roster, but he had other things going for him.
"Every time he walks on the field, he practices as hard as he can practice. He plays as hard as he can play," Gailey said. "God didn't give him a lot of speed, but he's got some quickness and determination, and he's got great hands. You trust a guy like him."
George O'Leary once felt similarly about Rhino.
Rhino wasn't a walk-on, but he had a walk-on's attitude. As a freshman, he asked his scout team coach for permission to shag the balls kicked by Tech's punters. As a sophomore, he got called into O'Leary's office and heard a message a lot like the one Gailey gave Smith.
"He just liked the way I was playing other special teams," Rhino said. "He said, 'Look, I'm going to give you a chance to return punts this week.' "
Like Smith, Rhino got some pointers from Tech's career punt-return record holder, who just happened to be his father, Randy. When Kelley was a Marist School running back he knew to listen to his dad, who's still the only three-time first-team All-American in Tech history.
"He had always taught me to go north and south," Kelley Rhino said. "He had always said we don't have the best speed but we have quickness."
Kelley used that advice and that talent to get his name in Tech's record books: Most punt returns in a game, in a season and in a career and most punt return yards in a season and in a career. Not bad for a little guy ? "5-7 with cleats on," Rhino said. "I'm realistically 5-6" ? whose main contribution on defense came when he played nickel back as a senior.
Rhino signed a contract to play in the Canadian Football League, but a broken foot kept him from passing his physical. Now, at 25, he works in land acquisition for a real estate developer. And he pulls for his alma mater.
Rhino and his wife, Laura, plan to be back in the stands soon; they were busy taking care of their first son, three-week-old Austin, Saturday afternoon. Rhino congratulated Smith by text message. He said he might be able to do it in person after next week's ACC opener against Virginia.
"I'm cheering him on," Rhino said. "It's pretty exciting. It's cool to think someone is trying to mirror you."

dirty · Sep 12, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Gailey warns of Trojans' horses

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/11/06 Maybe you lumped Georgia Tech's second and third opponents together, two Alabama teams from lower-tier conferences coming to Bobby Dodd Stadium to provide tuneups before Tech begins its ACC schedule.
Then you heard about what happened Saturday night in Tallahassee, and you knew Troy was no Samford and that Week 3 might be just a bit more challenging than Week 2.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Hours after Tech dispatched Samford of the Division I-AA Ohio Valley Conference 38-6, Troy of the Division I-A but non-BCS Sun Belt gave No. 9 Florida State all it could handle. Troy led 3-0 at halftime and
17-10 midway through the fourth quarter before the Seminoles rallied for a 24-17 victory.
"I wasn't terribly shocked," said Tech coach Chan Gailey, a former Troy coach.
Gailey was far from disappointed the Trojans played well. It gave him a teachable moment for his players, and he planned to do that teaching in team meetings Sunday. His message: You need to know about these Trojans, or what almost happened to FSU could happen to you.
"Especially when they're not nationally ranked or nationally known, it's very good for you to be able to get their attention, so to speak," Gailey said.
The Trojans (1-1) passed on 48 of 62 offensive plays and completed 65 percent of those passes. They also held the Seminoles to 45 yards rushing.
"This should open up a lot of people's eyes that Troy is for real," quarterback Omar Haugabook told the Tallahassee Democrat.
"This loss is going to go toward Georgia Tech," linebacker Marcus Richardson told the Dothan Eagle.
Troy (it hasn't been Troy State since April 2004, months before the upset of No. 19 Missouri) uses offensive formations similar to Samford's. But there's one key difference.
"There will be a lot more speed out there on the field this week," Gailey said.
Four- and even five-receiver sets will spread the defense, and Haugabook will throw quick passes to neutralize the pass rush. His average completion against FSU went 7.6 yards.
Adding to Tech's challenge: Free safety Djay Jones (left thigh) is doubtful for Saturday's game. Gailey said defensive end Michael Johnson and Tech's other injured players are expected to be available, and it looks like Jones will be back for next week's Thursday night game against Virginia.
The Yellow Jackets (1-1) should be well-rested. The starters were on the sideline by the second series of the third quarter against Samford, and Gailey used 69 players, so many that three Tech players wore No. 2 onto the field ? starting cornerback Kenny Scott and freshman walk-on receivers Miles King and Jonathan Malone.
On a day when other ACC teams struggled against nonconference opponents (N.C. State lost at home to Akron, Virginia needed overtime to beat Wyoming, Maryland was outgained in a victory over Middle Tennessee), Tech got the opportunity to work on its depth.
"It's big to be able to play those other guys and let them see themselves [on videotape] and let us evaluate and grade them," Gailey said Saturday. "It lets them understand what it's going to take to be a winner. ... You have to do it step by step, and that was the first step for those guys."

dirty · Sep 12, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Tech staff fumbled away Ball?s vast promise

By Mark Bradley | Saturday, September 9, 2006, 09:20 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Bradley

Reggie Ball had a nice enough Saturday. He threw two touchdown passes (and only one interception) and presided over an offense that scored three touchdowns in the first half against Division I-AA Samford. Then he was given the second half off. He?d done his job.
But anyone who recalls the dauntless Ball first glimpsed in 2003, the one who beat Auburn in his maiden home start, would be forced to confess that more was expected by this stage, much more. Back then, the belief was that Ball would grow into a quarterback to rival Shawn Jones and Joe Hamilton. Three years later, Ball is viewed by many Georgia Tech watchers as a fourth-year starter whose on-field liabilities continue to offset his conspicuous strengths.
Yes, that says something about Ball. But surely it says more about Ball?s coaches.
He?s a talent, no question. If he weren?t, Chan Gailey wouldn?t have demoted A.J. Suggs and redeployed Damarius Bilbo to make the true freshman his starter four Augusts ago. And we saw in that first season why Gailey, who isn?t known for being rash, entrusted his program to a rookie. Ball could make plays. Sometimes he?d override the good with the bad, but you expected such inconsistency from a teenager. What you didn?t expect was that Ball would get no more precise with the passage of time.
Somehow he completed a higher percentage of his passes as a freshman than as a sophomore or a junior. Somehow the mistakes, if not quite so frequent, have come at worse times ? the fourth-down throwaway against Georgia as a sophomore, the red-zone interception against Georgia as a junior. Somehow the aptitude inherent in Ball hasn?t yet been developed.
Here it is 2006 and Tech acts as if it still doesn?t know what to make of the guy who has started every game (save one) since Aug. 28, 2003. Such confusion was never more blatant than when the Jackets had the chance to take a 14-point lead on Notre Dame but seemed to settle for a field goal rather than let Ball throw into the end zone.
Patrick Nix, the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, insisted Saturday that, appearances aside, Tech does feel comfortable with Ball and his choices. ?He?s got experience,? Nix said. ?He knows how to handle the ball. We?ve got a lot more confidence in him, and he?s got a lot more confidence in us.?
That said, there was no reason for Tech ? with Ball and Calvin Johnson and P.J. Daniels ? to finish 103rd in the nation in scoring offense last season. There was no reason for the Jackets to muster only 259 yards against an Irish defense that had hemorrhaged 617 yards in its last outing. There?s no reason except this: Tech?s offense, even in its newly tweaked manifestation, is poorly imagined.
Sometimes Tech tries to run the ball. Sometimes it throws a bunch of dinky passes. Sometimes it remembers Johnson is on the roster. Sometimes it asks Ball to execute a quarterback draw. But there?s never a signature to it, and there?s only one play ? the fade to Johnson ? that can be described as bread-and-butter Tech.
Is it Ball?s fault that he?s asked to oversee such a mixed bag? Is it Ball?s fault that his fundamental flaws ? throwing off his back foot, to name the most obvious ? have gone uncorrected? Is it Ball?s fault that his coaches haven?t polished this rough diamond or, failing that, recruited somebody better to take the job?
Asked Saturday where he has improved most since 2003, Ball said only: ?Couldn?t tell you.? Part of that answer was surely Ball displaying his raging distrust of the media, but a bigger part was perhaps instructive. Maybe he couldn?t tell us because he knows he hasn?t.
Ball isn?t paid to play college football. (He gets a scholarship but not a salary.) His coaches are. It?s their professional responsibility to make the most of what they have. What Tech has made of the gifted Reggie Ball is, sad to say, closer to being the least.
Permalink | Comments (109) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, Tech / ACC

dirty · Sep 13, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Job at Troy Gailey's first big score

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/12/06 Stuck in tiny Troy, Ala., with a 5-foot-6, 155-pound quarterback, impish linemen, a staff of four full-time assistants, and the promise of countless bus rides through darkness, it was not for nothing that Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. wavered, if slightly, when the Broncos came calling to offer a home in the NFL.
The way he saw it after the 1984 season at Troy State, he wasn't trapped at all. Dream job? He had one, as a head coach! Staff? His was superb. And they won.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> Every career is impure in sum; many can't even claim points of purity. Gailey's did. For him, the lights went on at Troy State, where his career as a head coach began in '83, where his Trojans were NCAA Division II national champions in '84, and where the tales go deep and score time and again.
"I've got a thousand stories," he said. "This will tell you how young and na?ve we were. Our first year, we go to Tennessee-Martin, who couldn't beat anybody, and get the daylights beat out of us. It's a 10-hour bus ride home, awful. We've got the two biggest games of the year next, Livingston and Jacksonville.
"We go out and beat Livingston. Jacksonville was our arch rival, battle of the bands and the whole ball of wax. We beat them 45-3. It was unbelievable the atmosphere that night. The staff, we just stayed at the office, our wives, we just stayed. Everybody's gone, we go out and flip the practice lights on and play touch football to midnight."
It wasn't a dream. Gailey couldn't imagine a better Division II staff than he hired in his return to Troy State, where he'd landed his first professional job as a secondary coach from '76-'78 before working from '79-'82 at Air Force.
He, Rick Rhoades, now head coach at Delta State, Willie Slater, now head coach at Tuskegee, Robert Maddox, now head coach at Lee-Scott Academy in Montgomery, and Jay Jeffcoat, just retired from Escambia (Fla.) High, were five of a kind.
"People still talk about the wonderful blend of coaches he put together," said Robert Earl Stewart, Gailey's former athletics director. "We only had four full-time coaches in Division II. I used to say Division II coaches had to be better and work harder than Division I coaches."
No doubt. Gailey deployed coaches and wives to paint the fieldhouse, and the coaches to tote marble slabs to spell out "Troy" behind an endzone.
"I mean we were it," he said. "If we got home at 3 in the morning, Rick Rhoades made sure the clothes were washed. Jay Jeffcoat and I worked together at Troy (in '76-'78). Willie Slater had played at Livingston . . . for Jay Jeffcoat. Slater was coaching high school down in Brewton, Ala.
"Jay and I drove down there, and I had to talk him into coming. Jay and I rented a U-Haul, packed him up and drove him back. Rick I had known through the years; he was offensive coordinator at North Alabama. I hired him as defensive coordinator. Robert Maddox, I'd coached at Troy. He was a senior my first year. I still talk to all of 'em. And our [graduate assistant], Jeff McInerney, is now head coach at Central Connecticut, who just beat Georgia Southern."
Stewart said, "Chan looked at the talent he had, and said he needed to switch to that style of offense. He fit a system to the talent he had, put in the wishbone."
Or, as Gailey corrected, "the no-huddle wishbone. We brought the wishbone from Air Force, but we started the no-huddle stuff."
And in '84, after starting quarterback Kerry Christiansen broke a foot early in the season, Gailey modified it when freshman Mike Turk took over. "I'm still a midget, 5-6," said Turk, coach at Huntingdon College (Ala.). "At that time I weighed 155 pounds. I didn't have any business out there."
Ralph Black, former voice of the Trojans, disagrees.
"There were a lot of scouts that said if he was a bigger guy, he'd have been at Oklahoma. He could really run that option," Black said. "When he ran away to the other side, I couldn't see him and it used to drive me nuts in the press box."
There seemed to be no rattling Gailey.
"A Christian gentleman," Black said.
"What comes to mind immediately is the motto he hung all over our field house, which was, 'Do it the right way,' " said Stewart, the former AD. "I've never seen a young man do as much and not break any rules. Very professional, Christian-like, high character. We knew what kind of young man he was already. He didn't have to yell and scream."
Turk learned first hand.
"I scored a touchdown in one game, and might've high-stepped a little," he said. "We were looking at the film, and he had two young boys at the time. He said, '[His son] Tate asked me about that high step you did going, if he could do that if he scored.'
"You talk about feeling terrible. That was his little way of letting me know he felt it was inappropriate. He could've crawled my fanny and I wouldn't remember, it but the way he went about it I'll never forget it. He'll get after you, but he's a very bright person, and very capable of using a lot of very different ways of getting his points across."
Gailey molded boys into men.
"His motto in life was do everything right, whether in a game, in practice, on a date, anything," Turk said. "He was my first college head coach, but he also was my position coach. It certainly had a big impact on my life. I can't remember where we were coming home from, but I never slept on the bus very well.
"We'd get home at 2 or 3 in the morning. I kept seeing this light on up front, so I finally went to see what was going on because everybody else was asleep. It was coach Gailey, sitting in the front seat, with his bible out. He said he was getting his Sunday school lesson ready for the next day. My chin hit the floor. I knew how hard the man worked with his football, and to see him doing that really gave me some perspective on what he stood for.
"I'm not big on signs, but I still have one of them. The word class comes to mind, more than anything."
The Trojans finished 7-4 in '83, 12-1 the next, and Gailey was gone, joining the Denver staff of Dan Reeves, his childhood mentor from Americus, Ga., after Turk and fellow quarterback Kerry Christiansen rallied the Trojans, and Ted Clem's no-time-left field goal made champions of them all.
"The meeting when he announced he was leaving was unreal," Turk said. "It was clear he was torn as to what to do. I'm there thinking, how could a guy pass up an opportunity to go in the NFL?
"I got the sense a big piece of him that wanted to stay. Most of us, with our egos, we'd have been out of there in a New York minute and never looked back."
Gailey won't see many familiar faces from his Trojans tenure, unless old friends come out of the stands. But he still looks back, keeping a certain light on, for pride trumps ego in his world.
"It was not an easy decision. I loved the kids, and the community, but professionally it wasn't a hard decision," he said. "Troy was a great town. The church was super. The people were great. How can you win a national championship, and say it was kind of average? It was wonderful."

dirty · Sep 13, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Offense grows on Nix's watch

By MATT WINKELJOHN
Published on: 09/13/06 If you think you've got a hold on Georgia Tech's new, or re-engineered, offense with Patrick Nix calling the plays, hold on.
The Yellow Jackets looked a little different on Saturday against Samford than a week earlier against Notre Dame, and chances are they'll look different still this weekend against Troy.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"></table> "There's still stuff that we haven't run yet," left tackle Andrew Gardner said.
The Jackets apparently are working on a few more plays each week. That doesn't mean they have more plays, just that more may make the game plan for that week.
"In one game plan, they're doing more than they did last year," coach Chan Gailey said when asked if the offensive line had more to think about. "Probably the overall volume of what they have is the same, but what they're being asked to do when we game plan is more than we had last year."
Johnson likely to play; Jones out
Reserve defensive end Michael Johnson, who missed the first two games, likely will be available Saturday, but starting safety Djay Jones is not. Avery Roberson replaced him against Samford and probably will again against Troy.
Troy's passing game different
Gailey said while Troy seeks to throw often, like Samford, its passing attack is designed differently. Plus, the Trojans are a Division I-A program where Samford is I-AA.
"The thing that jumps out at you is their speed," Gailey said. "... They're not the biggest team, but they can all run, they will hit you on defense, they swarm to the ball, they force a lot of fumbles."
Safety Jamal Evans doesn't buy the theory that Tech will take Troy more seriously because the Trojans played so well at Florida State last Saturday.
"We take all the games very seriously," he said.
"We try not to sleep on anyone."
Kickoff coverage remains a problem
Asked if he'll put more starters on the kickoff team if it keeps struggling, Gailey said, "I'm not ready to say exactly what all that might entail, but we've got to be very smart about how we do things. I'm not going to speculate what might happen if. Let's take it week by week and keep working of it."

dirty · Sep 13, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Georgia Tech Continues Homestand Against Troy Yellow Jackets to face a team formerly coached by Chan Gailey for the second week in a row

Sept. 12, 2006
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech (1-1) will face Troy (1-1) for the first time in a non-televised game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field, playing at home for third consecutive week.
Calvin Johnson caught two touchdown passes and the Tech defense dominated, returning two interceptions for scores, in the Yellow Jackets 38-6 victory over Samford last Saturday.
Tech safeties Djay Jones and Jamal Lewis made history by each returning interceptions for touchdowns. The last time Tech had two interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game was in 1966 versus Tulane. Lewis' 97-yard return is the fourth-longest in school history and the longest by a Yellow Jacket since Jeff Ford set the record with a 102-yard return vs. Notre Dame in 1969.
"They were tremendously big plays in the ballgame," said Tech coach Chan Gailey about the interceptions. "I hope it gives our guys more and more confidence. If they complete one, they completed one, now let's go and get ready for the next play. Last year, we made some big plays that fed off of each other, and you like to see that happen again. We don't have the experience yet, so you're looking for things to raise their confidence level."
Troy returns to the field after nearly upsetting No. 9 Florida State 24-17 in Tallahassee, Fla. last Saturday. Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook completed 29 passes to seven different receivers including eight to Toris Rutledge for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Trojans leading receiver Gary Banks added seven passes for 67 yards. Haugabook ran for 18 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

"(Haugabook) made some big plays running the football," said Gailey. "When you take some sacks, your rushing statistics look bad. They've got an interesting concept on offense. They spread you out and go empty in the backfield quite a bit. They make you adjust and see if they can exploit you. They try to create mismatches with numbers outside, where lots of teams try to create numbers inside."
The Jackets defense held Samford to 11 yards rushing and just 163 total yards, the third-best performance for the Yellow Jackets under defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. Tech will look to do the same against Troy.
"It's close to the same thing," said Lewis about the Troy offense. "They spread the receivers out a lot and try to catch you off guard, just like Samford did."
Tech's starting running back Tashard Choice scored a touchdown last week on a six-yard run to help open a 35-6 halftime lead. Choice, junior Rashaun Grant and freshman Tyler Evans each rushed for 44 yards against the Bulldogs.
Calvin Johnson's two touchdown catches against Samford moved him into sole possession of third-place on the Tech career touchdown receptions list with 16. He has caught all three of the touchdown passes this season for Tech and has caught a pass in 26 consecutive games.
"We've not played anybody who does what they (Troy) do to the extent they do it," said Gailey. "I'm talking about empty backfield and throwing it every snap. They've been very successful throwing the football in their first two ballgames. We'll have to change some of our match-up situations. They do create problems by spreading you out, but hopefully, we create problems by bringing more than they can block. We'll see how it matches up."

http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091206aac.html

dirty · Sep 13, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Smith's ankle sprain affects return game

By MATT WINKELJOHN
Published on: 09/14/06 After part of one game on the job, Georgia Tech punt returner Andrew Smith is doubtful for Saturday's date with Troy because of a sprained ankle, coach Chan Gailey said Wednesday.
That doesn't mean cornerback Pat Clark will return to that spot Saturday.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Johnny Crawford / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption">Freshman walk-on Tyler Evans returned three punts against Samford after an injury to Andrew Smith.
</td></tr></tbody></table> Smith returned five punts for 69 yards in last week's win against Samford before spraining an ankle. Freshman walk-on running back Tyler Evans took over, but starting wide receiver James Johnson is also being considered for the role.
The injury report is better on the Yellow Jackets' defense.
With reserve end Michael Johnson in line to play for the first time this season after battling injury, defensive line coach Giff Smith can look forward to a fully stocked rotation.
That means starters Adamm Oliver and Darrell Robertson at the end spots, spelled by Johnson, with starting tackles Joe Anoai and Darryl Richard spelled by Vance Walker.
In the event of injury, or if the defense is on the field a lot, freshman Robert Hall is the No. 4 end and Elris Anyaibe the No. 4 tackle. Ideally, it means no more moving Anoai to end.
"We're getting some continuity," Smith said. "We're as healthy as we've been."
Mental game part of preparation
Tech had no trouble moving past the disappointment of losing to Notre Dame before beating Samford soundly. Will the Yellow Jackets also be able to put their resounding win in the background and clear their minds for Troy?
The answer to that question ? how well players take the good with the bad while letting neither adversely affect the future ? generally has a lot to do with how successful a season any team has.
Gaily still isn't convinced his team has mastered the skill.
"I don't know if you ever get a feel for where you are as a team," he said. "I think most successful teams have players that take a little bit of an initiative to get things like that done ? to handle adversity or handle trap games, whatever it might be. You're looking for guys to help you deal with those situations."
Word-Daniels gets share of minutes
Jahi Word-Daniels was a strong candidate to start at cornerback opposite Kenny Scott before injuring his knee in spring practice. Clark won the job, but Word-Daniels is playing plenty and was especially stout against Samford.
"I consider myself more of a co-starter," Word-Daniels said. "I knew the situation, having hurt my knee and coming back and working my way into the lineup. Whoever's in there, I'm rooting for. So if I'm not in there, it's OK. Of course I'd love to be in there as the main starter."
Troy highlights fresh for Gailey
It's been nearly 22 years since Troy State rallied to beat North Dakota State to win the 1984 Division II national title in 1984, but it's still fresh in Gailey's mind. He'll never forget quarterback Kerry Christiansen coming off the bench to rally the Trojans. He was supposed to run out of bounds to stop the clock to set up a field goal try, as Troy had no timeouts, but slipped and fell.
That meant kicker Ted Clem and the field goal unit had to rush on the field. Clem's kick sailed through the uprights after time expired for an 18-17 win.
"They didn't have all the games on TV back then, or the end of that one would still be running on highlights somewhere," Gailey said.

dirty · Sep 13, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Georgia Tech Football Weekly Press Conference Transcript Head coach Chan Gailey, tackle Andrew Gardner and safety Jamal Lewis<script languange="javascript1.2"> procad("http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;dcopt=ist;",0); </script><script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/CSTV.GEOT/SPORTS.MFOOTBL.SPECREL;pos=promo66;sz=120x60;tile=4;dcopt=ist;ord=5975989980988335?" type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.1"></script> <script src="http://graphics.fansonly.com/graphics/pontiac/p2-text.js"></script><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="185"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="17">

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Vote for this week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance - almost two hundred thousand dollars is on the line.
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dirty · Sep 15, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

Troy's offense will test Jackets

By MATT WINKELJOHN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Georgia Tech fans who didn't see Troy play No. 9 Florida State last Saturday might think the Trojans nearly pulled off the upset with smoke and mirrors.
Actually, it was smoke and bubbles, plus tunnels, too, and when Troy visits Tech (1-1) Saturday, there'll be plenty more 21st-century football. "Last week, [Samford's offense] was kind of the baby spread," Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "This is the daddy spread."
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

AP

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td nd="3" class="caption">Troy receiver Gary Banks (right) comes down with a second-quarter catch against Florida State defender Jamie Robinson.
</td></tr></tbody></table> For Troy, a sideline pass isn't a great ticket. It's the meal ticket. The Trojans throw wide ? again and again. "It's going to be a lot of bubble screens, tunnel screens," cornerback Kenny Scott said. "They try to get a blocker on everybody out there. You have to get off blocks and make a play."
A depth chart listing four wideouts offers a hint. That one back? A formality, as the Trojans often split him, too. And all eligible receivers best be ready. Troy (1-1) has completed passes to 13 receivers, including quarterback Omar Haugabook.
No wonder new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin said to reporters when hired in December, "We will be a no-huddle team that will throw first and run second. We will spread the ball around to everyone. It is a very fan-friendly offense, and one that if you are a quarterback, receiver or running back, is like waking up in a dream."
Or, perhaps a nightmare for defenders.
The Trojans don't have the gorillas to wage standard pigskin warfare so Franklin uses a guerilla attack. His unit isn't staffed to march overland, nor give Haugabook time to go deep. So the Trojans send wideouts every which way ? distraction is part of the plan ? in hopes of burrowing beneath a foe's flanks.
"They've got an interesting concept," Gailey said. "No backs in the backfield quite a bit. They make you adjust, spread you out defensively. They try to get mismatches with numbers outside where a lot of teams try to get numbers inside.
"[Most teams say] OK, we're going to double a guy, try to kick out a guy, or we've got an extra back. They're trying to create numbers outside."
OK, so every team throws the "smoke route," a quarterback taking the snap and immediately throwing to a waiting wideout.
Few teams, though, throw as much as the Trojans, who passed a school-record 48 times against FSU.
"They'll do it with different personnel groupings ... with four [receivers] on one side of the ball and one on the backside where most of the time you have three and two," Gailey said. "We've not played anybody who does what they do to the extent they do it."
This is the merger of motive ? Franklin helped engineer a record-setting pass-happy attack at Kentucky from 1998-2000 ? and necessity, as Troy's recruiting efforts since moving to Division I-A in 2002 have not yet filled the cupboard with bonafide blue-chippers at all positions.
The blocking also is different so the Trojans hired line coach Matt Moore. The Canton native played in a similar offense at Valdosta State, and used it last season as head coach at North Gwinnett High. It's up to him to keep Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta's blitzers from mucking up the works.
"They do create problems by spreading you out, but hopefully, we create problems by bringing more than they can block," Gailey said.
Tech cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels, who'll play plenty as the Jackets will use five and six defensive backs often, would bet on his boss.
"Everybody knows we're faster [than Tech's secondary last year] so certain blitzes are going to come faster," he said. "It really doesn't matter with the way Coach Tenuta runs his defense; we're still going to make things happen."

dirty · Sep 15, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

GEORGIA TECH REPORT
Coach confident in Jackets' kicker

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/15/06 Travis Bell's one missed field-goal attempt this season might say as much about how well he's doing as the two he made.
That's because the miss came from 53 yards.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

JOHNNY CRAWFORD / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td nd="2" class="caption">Tech kicker Travis Bell says his confidence in holder Durant Brooks and snapper Bret White are a boost when he lines up any kick.
</td></tr></tbody></table> Bell's career-long field goal is a 48-yarder. So was his career-long attempt before the fourth quarter of Georgia Tech's game Saturday against Samford.
Admittedly, Chan Gailey had nothing to lose by letting Bell try a 53-yarder in the fourth quarter of a 38-6 game. Still, that decision says something, something positive for Tech.
"I feel a lot more comfortable this year and confident this year," Bell said. "Just the fact that Coach Gailey attempted a long field goal means that he has more confidence in me, too."
"Field position wasn't that critical, and I wanted to see if he could make it," Gailey said. "If he couldn't, I wouldn't have put him out there. I've seen him do it [in practice]. It's not like he can't. If he makes it, then it's great for him, it's great for us, it's a little confidence. That he didn't doesn't dissuade me from trying it, but [the importance of] field position is a factor, and the situation of the game, the score, all of that."
The 53-yarder was short, but Bell said he was so focused on keeping it down the middle that he didn't put everything he had into the kick. He said he would feel comfortable trying a kick as long as 55 yards on a calm day, "and if I had some wind at my back, I'd be crazy enough to go back to 60."
Bell made 15 of 17 field-goal attempts as a freshman but only 11 of 21 last season. But he and Gailey said Bell worked things out in the spring.
"I can't say enough about how well [snapper] Bret White and [holder] Durant Brooks have done," Bell said. "I go into each game knowing I have the ability to make any kick Coach Gailey puts me out there for."
Mid-major upsets rare in football
Teams from so-called mid-major conferences routinely score upset victories over highly seeded major-conference opponents in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but it's relatively rare when a team from a non-Bowl Championship Series league knocks off a Top 25 team from the ACC, the Big East, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-10 or the SEC. One reason: The NCAA tournament games are on neutral courts. But Gailey suggested another.
"In football you have to have a lot of guys doing it right, or you mess up," he said. "In basketball, a couple of guys can take over a game."
Gailey was speaking generally, not about specific teams.
Unranked Tech (1-1) is an 18-point favorite in Saturday's game against Sun Belt Conference member Troy (1-1).
Smith, Jones out because of injuries
Andrew Smith, who won the punt-returner job with a strong showing last week against Samford, is out for Saturday's game against Troy, Gailey said. Smith sprained an ankle while returning five punts for 69 yards. He'll be replaced by Pat Clark, James Johnson or Tyler Evans, Gailey said. Clark returned punts against Notre Dame, and Evans returned punts against Samford after Smith's injury. Johnson returned two punts last season.
Djay Jones (thigh) also is out, Gailey said. Look for Avery Roberson to replace him at free safety. Roberson replaced strong safety Jamal Lewis for the second half against Notre Dame and replaced Jones when Jones got hurt against Samford.

dirty · Sep 16, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

SATURDAY'S GAME: GEORGIA TECH VS. TROY
Other Tech receivers must step up

By MIKE KNOBLER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/16/06 It's likely to be an ongoing story as long as Calvin Johnson wears a Georgia Tech uniform.
On the one hand, there's the "Get the ball to Calvin" argument, the idea that however many passes you throw his way, it can never be enough. Why not take advantage of having one of the best receivers in college football?
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="175"><tbody><tr><td>

Johnny Crawford / AJC

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption"> Georgia Tech wide receiver James Johnson walks the line on one of his four catches against Samford last week.
</td></tr><tr><td>

AP

(ENLARGE)

</td></tr><tr><td class="caption">Omar Haugabook leads the Troy offense.
</td></tr></tbody></table> On the other hand, there's the "Take what the defense gives you" argument, the idea that throwing too often to Johnson, even when he's double-covered, will lead to more interceptions and more incompletions. Why not have quarterback Reggie Ball take advantage of the talented receivers left open when the defense focuses on Johnson?
There's truth in both sides, which is why the story won't go away. Tech's "other" receivers are out to prove they can deliver when called upon. Games like Saturday's ? and last week's against Samford ? are crucial for them to make their case.
"The receivers want to let Reggie know that there's more than just Calvin. There's all of us out there," said James Johnson, who, like Calvin Johnson, caught four passes from Ball in last week's 38-6 victory.
Redshirt freshman Greg Smith started in Tech's three-receiver set and also caught a pass from Ball.
James Johnson's formula for winning Ball's confidence: "Keep doing what we're doing in practice and in games keep showing up, making the big catches every time he throws us the ball, not even drop one, so we let him know that, 'OK, I can throw it to him. I can trust him.'
"You don't want to lose sight of Calvin. You want Calvin to get his touches, but you also want to let Reggie know when Calvin's double-covered, he can throw it to someone else."
Action aplenty in this matchup
This game should be fun.
Troy plays five-receiver sets in a no-huddle offense, and Georgia Tech plays a rush-the-passer-from-anywhere defense.
Tech plays a Calvin Johnson-Reggie Ball-Tashard Choice offense, and Troy plays an aggressive, high-speed defense.
There will be speed all over the field.
Expect a lot of things to happen. Fast.
Troy has completed passes to 13 receivers, including quarterback Omar Haugabook. The Trojans throw a lot of short passes ? average completion 8.2 yards ? and hope to get a big gain now and then from a missed tackle or blown coverage. They don't need to run the ball well to be successful; they scored 17 points against Florida State despite running for 24 yards.
Tech keeps adding new dimensions to its offense. After showing spread formations and shotgun looks in the opener against Notre Dame, Tech used the I at times against Samford. The Yellow Jackets also can run wide with an option look, and Ball always is a threat to keep it on a bootleg or a quarterback draw.
"You don't see many offenses that can go three wide and then come back and run it up the middle," Troy linebacker Ryan Babb said. " We have to be on our toes."
Tech has to be on its toes, too.
"What jumps out at you is their speed," Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "That's the one thing on both sides of the ball and the kicking game, they have great speed. They're not the biggest team out there, but they can all run, they hit you on defense, they swarm to the ball. They make big hits and knock balls loose."
McGuire aims to block a punt
It has been more than a season since Georgia Tech blocked a punt, but Xavier McGuire is likely to block another. Soon.
McGuire, who got Tech's last block in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl against Syracuse, has been close to blocking three punts in the first two games. McGuire doesn't always rush from the same spot. Did the coaches spot a weakness in Notre Dame and Samford's punt protection?
"Mostly it's been Xavier really giving great effort," Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "We talk about where to go and get everybody, try to get them on the edge, but he's got a knack for slicing through there and finding a crease."
"Every time you get close to one, you see that it's possible that you can get it," McGuire said, "but if you didn't get it, it's like you might as well not have come close.
"It's good to get pressure. There's really no secret. You just rush. You're just like a defensive lineman rushing upfield. You just try to get a good jump on the ball and rush upfield and maybe affect the punt or tip the ball or even block it."
Little LBs pack pretty big hit
Neither of Troy's first two opponents managed 2 yards per carry. Alabama State ran 33 times for 65 yards; Florida State ran 28 times for 45.
The most amazing thing about that defense is the identity of its star. Weakside linebacker Ryan Babb, all 5 feet 11 and 198 pounds of him, switched from running back for his senior season and leads the team in tackles, shares the team lead in sacks and has forced three fumbles in two games.
"I was excited about [the move]," Babb said. "It meant coaches had faith in me and wanted to put me in a position where I could help the team out. Reading offenses wasn't too hard for me. It was really just getting formations down, where to line up."
Troy's little linebackers ? Babb plays alongside 204-pound middle linebacker Josh Maxwell and 214-pound strongside linebacker Marcus Richardson ? get the job done with their speed, and a pair of 280-pounders in the middle of the defensive line keep the Trojans from being overpowered by bigger opponents.
Troy offers test with no-huddle offense
Georgia Tech's defense makes a lot of substitutions, with linemen rotating in and out and personnel groupings changing from a base of three linebackers and four defensive backs to a nickel package of two linebackers and five defensive backs to a third grouping of three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. Tech might not be able to switch so much Saturday.
That's because Troy runs a no-huddle offense.
Coaches signal instructions to two players; quarterback Omar Haugabook gets the play, and center Zach Yenser gets the offensive line assignments.
"Everything's off wristbands," said Yenser, who wears one just like many college quarterbacks. "It's a blast. It's fast-paced. Things are just really intense. Our [offensive line] coach always tells us to play hard and play fast."
FSU offers lesson in letdowns
Reconcile these three facts:
? Georgia Tech has scored fewer than 17 points in five of its past six games.
? Tech is a 17-point favorite.
? Saturday's opponent, Troy, led Florida State midway through the fourth quarter last week at Tallahassee.
The only logical conclusion: A lot of people who bet think Tech is on the way up and Troy is due for a letdown.
The Trojans benefited from an interception, three fumbles and a muffed punt.
"Florida State went into that game looking like they were thinking they were just going to take it from them, and Troy, they had nothing to lose, they just played hard and got in Florida State's face, and it looked like they got Florida State a little shaken," Tech receiver James Johnson said.
"Troy played like they had nothing to lose, and they've got that again against us. We've got to make sure we don't underestimate them or we'll be in the same boat Florida State was."
Tech's starters had plenty of time to watch the scoreboard while sitting out most of the second half of last week's 38-6 victory over Samford. They saw the FSU-Troy game was scoreless through the first quarter. That got their attention. And then they heard how hard the Seminoles had to work for a 24-17 victory.
"If Florida State would have blown them out, we probably would have looked at them like it's just another game," Johnson said. "I'm glad that happened so we can say, 'Hey, this team is the real deal. They could win against us.' "
Can Troy challenge again?
Troy players say their strong showing against Florida State last week was a beginning, not an end in itself. They reject the notion they can't rebound emotionally and hang with two ACC programs in back-to-back weeks.
"It's vitally important that we do get as high as we did for last week," linebacker Ryan Babb said. "To have two games back-to-back like this is great for our program, to see where we are, to see how we stack up against 'big-name teams.' I put quotes around it because I think we are a big-name team."
Said center Zach Yenser, a senior from Marietta's Harrison High School, "Going into the [Florida State] game, I thought we had a chance. We just didn't finish. That's something we've got to work on for the rest of the year.
"I think we're up for the challenge [of Georgia Tech]."
Winning tradition
Troy is 29-31 since joining Division I-A for the 2001 season but was 92-29-1 under coach Larry Blakeney before that. Here are the most victories by an Alabama college football team since the beginning of the 1991 season:
School wins
Troy 121
Auburn 121
N. Alabama 120
School Wins
Alabama 118
Tuskegee 110
Samford 93

dirty · Sep 18, 2006

Re: Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left" valign="top"> Updated Sunday, September 17 at 10:42 PM

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>

Tech enters short practice week for Virginia game
by The Associated Press

ATLANTA - Chan Gailey normally gives his players a day to talk about a win or a loss before turning the focus to Georgia Tech's next game.

Gailey's 24-hour rule wasn't meant for weeks like this.

The coach's players couldn't afford a full day to dwell on Saturday's 35-20 win over Troy, because the Yellow Jackets have a short turnaround before playing host to Virginia Thursday night.

Tech has made a tradition of Thursday night football, but normally those nationally televised games follow an off Saturday.

The equalizer for Tech <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="130"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">

</td><td rowspan="4" bgcolor="#999999">

</td><td rowspan="4">

</td></tr><tr><td>``I did this from Sunday to Thursday in the pros several times, but I have not done this,''</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Chan Gailey</td><td>

</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">

</td></tr></tbody></table>is Virginia also played Saturday, losing to Western Michigan 17-10.

``I have not done this yet in college,'' Gailey said of having only four days including Sunday to prepare and install a game plan.

``I did this from Sunday to Thursday in the pros several times, but I have not done this,'' he said. ``We would not have agreed to the game if both teams did not play today.''

The Thursday night game at Tech will be the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

It's a short practice week, but the Yellow Jackets (2-1) were eager to play again after their strong showing against Troy.

``We're prepared,'' Reggie Ball said after he set a Tech record for quarterbacks with his 130 yards rushing.

Tashard Choice, Rashaun Grant and Jamaal Evans ran for touchdowns in the game.

``Scheduling is going to be a little different, but I don't think it's going to affect the preparation at all,'' Ball said. ``We're going to stay in the film room, we're going to stay on the practice field and the coaches are going to do a great job installing.''

Ball threw two interceptions but otherwise there were few mistakes as Tech had 501 total yards, including 320 yards rushing.

``We're better than we were when we started,'' Gailey said.

``To me, we have done some things to build on. Now, are we going to build on it or are we not? That's the great thing about the game. You find out every week how good you are.''

Ball's running was the difference in the game.

``There's some folks up front doing a pretty good job of blocking,'' Gailey said. ``That helps. Second, he's got good vision, and he understands now that earlier in his career he put the ball on the ground a few times. Now he understands about ball security and things like that.''

Tech is in good position in the ACC's Coastal Division. Virginia Tech already is 2-0 in the conference and 3-0 overall, but Tech is the only other team in the division with a winning record. Virginia is 1-2 after the disappointing loss to Western Michigan.

Troy lost to Florida State 24-17 the week before playing Tech. Troy coach Larry Blakeney says the Yellow Jackets' offense caused his team more problems than Florida State.

``I didn't make the game plan on defense, but to me they give us more problems and stress us more so offensively than Florida State,'' Blakeney said.

Tech hopes to have safety Djay Jones and punt return specialist Andrew Smith return from injuries this week. The team reported no serious injuries in the Troy game.

Receiver Calvin Johnson sat out much of the first half after taking a hit to his left knee, but he returned in the second half.

``Thank God no one was really injured, so that will allow us to get into this week and get ready for Virginia,'' Grant said.

Grant said the rush to prepare for Virginia will be like cramming for a test.

``It's going to be tough,'' he said. ``We'll watch a lot of films. It's going to be a real mental week, no banging each other a lot.''

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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?Copyright 2006 AccessNorthGa.com / WDUN News/Talk 550.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Georgia Tech Football Information Thread for the Upcoming NCAA Football Season

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