Georgia Tech-Utah game thread
Greetings-
Just about an hour from kickoff (now 2:21 p.m. EST). I’m getting pretty intrigued to see how this game unfolds. Not having seen Utah, it’s kind of hard to get a grasp, but I think a lot of it comes down to two things. First, can Georgia Tech move the ball on Utah’s run defense, especially without Omoregie Uzzi not starting (as has been announced). Shaquille Mason will start; it’s undetermined if Uzzi will get snaps. B-back David Sims will play some, but how much is also not clear. Expect Preston Lyons to get plenty of snaps in his final game.
Second, can Tech stop John White? I imagine Utah will be more than content to pound the Jackets with Smith it’s the Utes are able. Worth watching – the sledgehammer blocking of fullback Shawn Asiata.
Other items of interest:
1. Wind is blowing pretty briskly towards the open end zone. I’m not sure of direction; if you’re watching on television, it’ll be the end zone on the right.
2. Steven Sylvester’s parents Roderick and Barbara are at the game with their other son Roderick Jr., completing a pretty remarkable feat. They have attended every one of their son’s Tech games in his career, home, away and bowl. They drove to this one with the families of Tevin Washington and Jamal Golden. Mr. Sylvester reports it took about 22 hours from the family’s home in McDonough, a pretty quick clip.
“I told Tevin’s dad he missed his calling,” Roderick Sylvester said. “He should have been a truck driver or something.”
The Sylvesters’ motivation to attend every game came from Roderick’s military service, from which he retired in 2006, which kept him from attending many of Steven’s games.
“You can’t make up for lost time, but I promised Steven as long as I’m healthy, you can look up (in the stands) and know we will be there,” he said.
3. Utah will be short two starters, left guard Miles Mason and and defensive tackle Dave Kruger. The Utes rotate a lot of defensive linemen, so that shouldn’t be as big a factor, but Mason’s injury may.
That’s about all I’ve got for now. I can’t say I’ve been to a wide variety of stadiums, but this is one of the more memorable settings. It’s set in the Franklin Mountains, which overlook the stadium beyond one end zone, and the visiting stands are carved into the side of a rocky hill.
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1,676 comments Add your comment
Ol'JacketFan
December 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
Hey Wrexie, taking time out from your stalking of teenagers to grace us with you august presence??????
Biff Pocoroba
December 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
Utah will make adjustments at halftime but Groh never does. That is why UVA dumped him and CPJ felt bad for him and gave him something to do on the weekends.
Max
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
I wish we got points for having more yards…
Joe Schmoe
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Biff, you need a football terminology update. Those are not screens to the WR.
Gorilla Biscuit
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Who would have predicted a defensive game? I expected a shootout. Yawn.
Trade School FTW
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Convinced at this point, Fish Fry gots to GO! shame too, cause I was big fan of the hire, but this ol fart is too stupid/prideful to realise he is wrong. Plus, from several firsthand sources, Iunderstand he has a way of really pissin off prospective recruits parents.
Go Jackets!
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
WnE, covered the TE OK that time despite a little jersey grab. Please go away! Yes, I’m a “boot licking toady” if that helps you go away!
BW
December 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Het Sport it happens on both side DA…
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:39 pm
@Biff.
I thought u were a Tech fan.
Starting to wonder about it today.
Biff Pocoroba
December 31st, 2011
3:41 pm
I’d just like to see us one day play the best quarterback instead of who the coach picked in the summer. If Tevin really is our best shot then PJ is a bad recruiter or we need a QB ocach that can teach someone the concept of a forward pass.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2011
3:41 pm
I’ll take it.
BW
December 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
Lucky!
Ol'JacketFan
December 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
Lucky bounce there LOL!!!
Gorilla Biscuit
December 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
That’s the way you dink one in, Mr. Moore.
ghostofbobbydodd
December 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
Check my 3:32 comment
Erk Russell's Dog
December 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
Hell ,I think ol ‘Vern worked the 1929 Rose Bowl.
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
I am not CPJ biggest fan by any means.
Plenty I don’t like.
But that just true of any team I follow.
I don’t always hit the same note over and over whether it is positive or negative.
We can’t give up on CPJ yet.
We do need a win in a bowl pretty bad.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
Biff the kid that committed to Teck instead of Bama can throw too. Lee can throw too. I think the year in the weight room and with the play book will really help VAD.
I get it...........
December 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
Now if only the techies could get it. The problem isn’t Groh (is that his name?) – the problem is the players CPJ continues to recruit. Groh doesn’t have much talent to work with because CPJ only recruits players for his vaunted & unstoppable offense.
Max
December 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
He will redshirt Thomas next year and make Vad sit another year…
Ol'JacketFan
December 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
So many experts on here, I guess they’re working out their contracts and gettign ready to coach and get their personnel evaluations ready for 2012
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
@Biff.
Vad and the Bama speed demon will give Tevin plenty of competition.
Synjin fumbles the ball too much.
He is a great runner but fumbles more than Tevin.
Still Tevin did produce vs clemson and in other games.
Attaochu’s blunder lose the VT game.
Know what.
Tevin got us to what should have been a Tech-Uga 35 all tie last year.
U ought to be all over the kicker for missing the extra point.
Maybe we win with a simple extra point made.
Biff Pocoroba
December 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
On the bright side, basketball kicks off the real season this week and we get Duke and Alabama this week. Maybe Rice will decide to play one of those games.
GTBob
December 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Considering two missed field goals, a horrible turnover, a couple of bad penalties, and a series of injuries, we aren’t doing too bad being down 3.
George Stein
December 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Nice to see WnE here. What else would a Georgia fan be doing but watching Tech play?
Go Jackets!
December 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
No more FG attempts! Please! How about something unexpected in the second half CPJ? The part of the playbook rarely used?
ATL Sports Fan
December 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
UOAD PJ’s play book isn’t rocket science. They basically run out of 4 or 5 formations. If Vad Lee is the better option, then he needed to play this year. I personally think Lee hasn’t shined in practice or Johnson is way too stubborn to let a true freshman play.
BW
December 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
Groh has some kids that will be ready next year…everything is not the “O” side.
WnE
December 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
GT & the Genius CPJ goes to the shotgun to run QB-draws.
I’m sure Vad Lee is ticked off that he chose this guy& his gimmicky offense to try and get him ready for the NFL.
Passing sideways on smoke routes and running designed QB-draws won’t get anyone ready to cash an NFL paycheck.
I’m sure Vad feels hoodwinked, but he has no one to blame but himself, he’s the one that fell for CPJ’s slick recruiting spiel.
If Utah had a QB like Keith Price from U-Dub they’d have 50 points by now, GT is sorely lacking for REAL BCS Talent on the Defensive side of the ball, and things will not get better next yr.
I guess all the CPJ apologists can point to 2014 as the year to look for CPJ’s genius to show up on the field rather than in press conferences & interviews with Wes.
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
@Max.
U can predict the future?
I’ll make a prediction too.
If Vad can run the offense better and has a better arm, he’ll have the job.
OkieDawg
December 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
Tony Barnhardt doesn’t seem to be a GT fan.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2011
3:50 pm
The Injuries have me worried.
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
@WnE.
I don’t think CPJ is a genius.
His first two years at Tech, Mark Bradley called him that.
Bradley likes to build players and coaches up just so he can tear them down later.
If u r coaching college football, u probably r not a genius.
Go Jackets!
December 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
@ I Get it, glad to see you are here to trash Tech. Don’t get upset when the Georgia blog gets the same. Go walk your dog or something.
Ol'JacketFan
December 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Hmmmmm wrexie on one hand blames PJ for not being able to recruit and on the other talks about PJ’s slick recruiting spiel…………..wonder which is which?
ATL Sports Fan
December 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
The only way Tech wins this game is if they make some adjustments on defense. Utah is well coached and will make adjustments. Tech hasn’t stopped Utah’s rushing attack. I expect to see a heavy dose of White IV.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Barnhart is an SEC homer everybody knows that. he is paired with Durham for that fact. He has all the SEC connections.
Gorilla Biscuit
December 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
New law of physics. Yards gained do not necessarily equal points scored.
BW
December 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
agree the one that can do the best job will get it..
LG
December 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
GT has to have the worst PK in America!!!!
GeorgiaTechAdministration
December 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
We have a very fine coach in Paul Johnson as he continues to have a winning record. We don’t beleive all the off week regular season opponent losses and bowl game losses will ever offset his overall record, in their figuring out his very little defense and his high school offense.
Go Jackets!
December 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
None of the writers at the AJC are Tech supporters. Ken is not a fan but at least objective. Cox Enterprise is a UGA tool. I thought everyone knew that. If they had the capacity Atlanta would be renamed “Homerville”.
Ken Sugiura
December 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
some observations – tech blitzing a lot, which has been intermittently effective. passing game for utah working reasonably well. tech o-line hanging in despite losses. utes will get ball first.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
Vad Lee need to get stronger and bigger to take the hits. Nesbit was solid and took the hits. many he should have avoided, but VAD need some more beef.
BW
December 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
3:54..idiot.
OkieDawg
December 31st, 2011
3:56 pm
Barnhart is a graduate of the greatest University in the South. Go Tony
Dawg48
December 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
I’m back
George Stein
December 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
“if Utah had a QB like Keith Price, they’d have 50 points.”
If my aunt had nuts she’d be my uncle. Also, so Johnson has slick recruiting spiel? This is news – and directly contradicts all of your other posts.
Joe Schmoe
December 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
OkieDawg? Emory?
Jackets/Packers
December 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
About Al Groh.
That was a nicely designed blitz that caused a QB fumble in 1st quarter.
Utah very lucky the ball bounced back into his hands.
I’ll give Al a third year before I go negative, unlike some of our fans.