Georgia Tech’s O. Smith may miss Duke game

Greetings-

Big news is A-back Orwin Smith was injured in the loss to Virginia Tech and may not play Saturday. Coach Paul Johnson made mention of the injury in response to a question about trying to get Smith more carries.

“Hard to get it to him when he’s over there with us (on the sideline),” Johnson said.

Johnson didn’t disclose the injury and said he didn’t think it was serious, “but if we had to play today, he probably couldn’t play.”

Johnson said Embry Peeples would likely start. Tony Zenon, Deon Hill and Robbie Godhigh might also get more snaps. In recent games, Roddy Jones, Peeples and Smith have been in a rotation. Monday, Johnson said, “I don’t think we’ve got any injuries for the next game. I mean, you’re always bumped and bruised after you come out of a game. We had a little extra time because it’s Thursday night, too.”

2. Linebackers Brandon Watts or Malcolm Munroe will likely start in place of Jeremiah Attaochu, Johnson said, depending on which package the defense starts out in. Attaochu will not play the first half of the Duke game as discipline for punching Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas in Thursday’s game.

3. With the goals of winning the ACC and going undefeated at home no longer possible, Johnson brought up to the team that only three Tech teams since 1956 have won 10 games. At 7-3, the Jackets can achieve that total by winning the final two regular-season games against Duke and Georgia and the bowl game. Playing for a better bowl is another motivation.

“If you want to keep position for a higher-pegged bowl game, then you need to win,” Johnson said.

4. Johnson on Duke: “I think Duke’s an improved team. They don’t have the wins to show for it, but I think they’re a better team than they were a year ago.”

5. With the B-back production not measuring up to the past standards with past Johnson teams, Johnson said coaches will look at the position and production from this season in the offseason and fully understand the nature of the lack of performance. He said he doesn’t think it’s necessarily the fault of B-backs David Sims and Preston Lyons.

“I haven’t seen any real gaping holes that they’ve failed had to run through,” he said.

Links

Kind of thin. Apparently, Duke’s basketball team has a game of some import Tuesday that’s drawing a lot of attention.

Game stories from Duke’s loss to Virginia, from the Duke Chronicle and the Raleigh News & Observer.

Duke offensive tackle Kyle Hill, who started all 46 games he’d played in since 2008, has sustained a season-ending shoulder injury against UVa, per the school’s website. Tough way to go out.

Buzz is 11-0 in the Capital One Mascot Challenge, thanks in no small part, if I recall correctly, to the Tech marching band’s trumpet section, and is taking on Mike the Tiger from LSU this week. Michelle Hiskey “interviewed” Buzz and put together a first-person (first-bee?) story for the AJC.

Thanks for reading. I’ll have post-practice notes up this evening.

Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog