Archive for October, 2010

While Georgia Tech’s overall Graduation Success Rate rose to its highest level, the football team posted the lowest score among ACC schools, according to data released today by the NCAA.

Tech’s teams averaged a 75 GSR, which tracks the graduation rate for student-athletes and transfer students who enrolled between 2000-03. It was the fourth consecutive year the score improved. Tech attributed the increase to an 82-percent graduation rate for the 2003 enrollees. The national average is 79. The NCAA releases the figures annually for rolling four-year periods.

The football team scored a 49 for the second consecutive year. Duke posted the highest score (95) among football teams in the ACC.

Men’s basketball posted the lowest score (36) among Tech’s teams.  Maryland (31) scored worst among ACC schools in that sport. Wake Forest (100) posted the highest score.

Three Tech teams — men’s golf, and men’s tennis and women’s swimming — posted perfect scores (100).

Here are this year’s …

Continue reading Tech’s GSR improves, but football team scores low »

Much was made after Virginia Tech complained about what it considered to be illegal blocks made by Georgia Tech in its 28-23 victory last season. The two teams will meet again on Nov. 4 in Blacksburg.

Hokies safety Kam Chancellor said that he was blocked several times below the waist down the field, which is illegal. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer called one of the blocks dangerous. Tech coach Paul Johnson called the complaints a joke.

The Yellow Jackets weren’t contacted by the league office in the week after the win, which is customary for any team if it is doing something that is consistently against the rules. However, it was revealed later that of the 11 blocks the Hokies sent to the league office for review, four were deemed illegal by ACC supervisor of officials Doug Rhoads. Georgia Tech sent 12 plays where defensive players were held. The ACC said six penalties should have been called.

There were a few rules clarifications made during the offseason that were supposed …

Continue reading Remember Virginia Tech discussing illegal blocks? »

Quotes from Frank Beamer’s press conference earlier this week, courtesy of the ACC:

Opening Statement

After watching the video, I thought it was a really good team win against Duke.  I think everyone basically contributed and those are the good wins, when special teams contributes, defense contributes, offense contributes. We’ll take a couple days off. We’ll meet today, go over the video, practice the next two days and Thursday we’re going to do some recruiting and Saturday becomes Monday for us, so that’s kind of our plan for the week.

When in the week do you guys typically put in your game plan?  And are you going to work any Georgia Tech specific stuff on Tuesday and Wednesday?

Yea we will, certainly Georgia Tech has a unique offense or a different offense than you normally see, so a couple days of extra work there will hopefully be helpful.  Trying to get your scout team to run it somewhere close to Georgia Tech, that’s the issue, but yea we’ll work a couple days on …

Continue reading Quotes from Frank Beamer »

Though Georgia Tech still needs one more win to become bowl eligible, it seems appropriate to list the various destinations and scenarios for the Yellow Jackets.

The ACC has numerous bowl tie-ins, and Tech could find itself, depending upon its karma, playing anywhere from Miami to Shreveport.

Here’s a roulette style look at the bowls (listed in order of date):

Orange Bowl, Jan. 3.

Georgia Tech vs. Auburn

How could this happen? Well, the Yellow Jackets would have to win the ACC. It may not seem likely, but keep in mind that Tech has yet to play its best game this season. Because there’s no longer any pressure, they could run the table and with a little luck make it back to sunny Florida.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31

Georgia Tech vs. Arkansas or Mississippi State

How could this happen? It likely wouldn’t, but there’s a caveat. The issue is, let’s say Tech makes it to the ACC championship game and loses. The Chick-fil-A Bowl would have to choose between the Yellow Jackets, who …

Continue reading Evaluating Tech’s bowl situation »

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said his team is its own worst enemy at times.

After reviewing film of the 27-13 loss at Clemson, he said “really unexplainable deals” are occurring too frequently.

He rattled off a list of errors made against the Tigers: blocking the wrong player, not blocking a player, roughing the kicker, not catching a punt at the 1, committing penalties on kickoff returns.

“Little things make big things happen,” Johnson said. “We’re not taking care of the little things very well.”

Johnson pointed out a few more areas that were Tech did well last season, but have led the Jackets to being 5-3 this season: blocking on the perimeter, third-down conversions, turnovers and penalties.

The Yellow Jackets led the nation in third-down conversions last season. This year they are sixth…in the ACC. Johnson said that there’s more affecting that stat than third-and-longs. On third-and-short plays Tech is sometimes losing yards, turning third-and-3 into third-and-4 because …

Continue reading Johnson says Tech is its own worst enemy at times »

Year
Team
Leading
Name
Team
Games
Average

1997
GSU
619
Joyner
1469
13
113

1998
GSU
790
Joyner
1725
15
115

1999
GSU
496
Johnson
1612
15
134

2000
GSU
988
Johnson
1651*
15
110*

2001
GSU
502
Owens
1273
14
91

2002
Navy
429
Roberts
1184
12
99

2003
Navy
493
Roberts
1304
13
100

2004
Navy
273
Tomlinson
1192
13
92

2005
Navy
445
Tomlinson
1398
12
117

2006
Navy
244
Campbell
728
13
56

2007
Navy
263
Singleton
1239
13
95

2008
Ga. Tech
627
Thomas
1290
13
99

2009
Ga. Tech
1154
Thomas
1774
14
127

2010
Ga. Tech
268
Hill
1102
13
85

* These stats are an approximation, based upon the production of the Eagles’ top two quarterbacks.

The chart above represents the passing statistics for Paul Johnson-coached teams. It includes each season’s leading receiver, as well as the team’s total and a per-game average that has been rounded up (which is why the average multiplied by the games doesn’t always add up). The team’s passing stats are the numbers that could be found in …

Continue reading A look at the passing game »

Although Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2 in the ACC) is two losses behind Virginia Tech and Miami in the ACC’s Coastal Division, it is still possible for the Yellow Jackets to advance to Charlotte and the Dec. 4 conference championship game.

Here is one scenario:

The Yellow Jackets must win out, beating Virginia Tech, Miami and Duke. Defeating the Hokies and Hurricanes would give the Yellow Jackets the first tiebreaker in the two-team or three-team scenario, which is the head-to-head match-up. A loss also would be Miami’s second in conference play, bringing it level with Tech. Miami also has games remaining against Maryland and Virginia, but losing either seems unlikely.

The Hokies would have one loss, but still have games at North Carolina and at Miami. They also must host Virginia. Losing to the Cavaliers doesn’t seem likely, but Virginia Teach stumbling on the road to the Tar Heels or the Hurricanes could happen.

So, despite Tech’s two losses within the conference, they can still …

Continue reading Tech’s path back to the ACC title game »

Reviewing Georgia Tech’s 27-13 loss at Clemson on Saturday:

The game that was

Georgia Tech had many things go right on its way to the Orange Bowl last season. This season, things aren’t going their way with as much regularity and the result is losses. The odd thing is in each of the three losses there has been a single moment when, if one play is made, the result could have been different. On Saturday it was the failure to recover a fumble on a kickoff return. Against N.C. State and Kansas, it was allowing third-and-long conversions after Tech had just scored to take the momentum.

What we learned

1. The team needs to get mean. Paul Johnson said afterward that his team got whacked around. Brad Jefferson said the defense had trouble beating blocks (not the first time this season that has been said), and Johnson later said the offensive line needs to put its hand on the ground and blow somebody off the ball. That’s not all technique, some of that is just wanting to be meaner than …

Continue reading The good and the bad in Tech’s loss »

After a mostly quiet first three periods, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers made two important plays on Georgia Tech’s most important drive. Bowers, who led the ACC was second in the nation in sacks (nine) coming into the game, dropped Joshua Nesbitt for a 5-yard loss on first-and-10 at Tech’s 44-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Four plays later, he stopped Nesbitt for a 2-yard loss on third-and-7 on Clemson’s 30-yard line. The Yellow Jackets needed a score to cut the Tigers’ deficit to eight points. Instead, Blair missed the subsequent 49-yard field goal.

“We all had a chip on our shoulder after the ACC championship game last year, and it feels good to get it off,” said Bowers, who finished with seven tackles and 2 1/2 tackles for loss.

Bowers was just one of the problems for the line. Johnson said the Tigers’ starters will likely play in the NFL.

Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt was perhaps being polite when he said that the offensive line didn’t have its best day.

It was …

Continue reading Bowers comes through when it counts »

CLEMSON, S.C. — Georgia Tech’s special teams play was “a nightmare” in its 27-13 loss to Clemson on Saturday, according to coach Paul Johnson. It has been a consistent issue this season and was a much different performance than those in last year’s two wins over the Tigers.

Six miscues were made:

A roughing the kicker was called after Tech held the Tigers to three downs on the game’s opening drive. Johnson said two players were cut loose by the Tigers on the play. Instead of blocking the ball, Johnson said the unidentified player turned and his head and got alligator arms, causing him to miss the ball and slam into the punter. Clemson scored on its next play.

The next error occurred when Anthony Egbuniwe was called for a late hit on Tech’s first punt. Clemson missed the field goal.

Isaiah Johnson had a chance to down a punt at the 1-yard line, but the ball flew right through his arms. The Tigers went down the shorter field and hit a field goal for a 10-0 lead. The Yellow …

Continue reading Special teams a nightmare for Georgia Tech »