Live blog: Georgia Tech-Middle Tennessee State
Is there a hangover?
Georgia Tech has more margin for error against Middle Tennessee State than it would against an ACC opponent, but not so much that it can sleepwalk through Bobby Dodd Stadium and count on winning. A week after a crushing loss to Miami, the Yellow Jackets can show they’ve put it behind them and are ready to play their final eight regular-season games with a dominating effort against MTSU. A-back Orwin Smith said the team has finished its moping and is moving forward.
How does the defense handle the Blue Raiders?
After Miami played the Tech defense like a fiddle, the Jackets will play an offense of a different stripe. The Blue Raiders operate a spread offense that stretches defenses sideline to sideline. They also work without a huddle, which Miami used to give the Jackets problems last week. With MTSU quarterback Logan Kilgore often throwing short routes, it may be difficult for Tech to pressure him, so effective coverage and good tackling will be essential.
Will the backups get playing time?
Given that Tech was a 27.5-point favorite on Thursday and has beaten MTSU by a combined 56 points in the past two seasons, there is some expectation that the Jackets will win, and possibly handily. Should that prove to be the case, coach Paul Johnson will have the opportunity to stretch the legs of some second- and third-teamers for possibly the last time this season. Defensive linemen Anthony Williams and Adam Gotsis, inside linebacker Anthony Harrell, quarterback Vad Lee and guard Trey Braun could make cases for more playing time.
A win for Georgia Tech would …
Improve its record against teams with “Blue” in their nickname (Duke Blue Devils, Presbyterian Blue Hose and MTSU Blue Raiders) to 55-30-1.
A win for Middle Tennessee State would …
Be the third win this season for a Sun Belt Conference team against a BCS conference team (Louisiana-Monroe over Arkansas, Western Kentucky over Kentucky).
Matchup to watch
MTSU wide receiver Anthony Amos vs. Tech cornerback Rod Sweeting
Amos, a former walk-on, has caught 21 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns in three games this season. He was added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top wide receiver. Sweeting had a tough game against the Hurricanes and will have another challenge when lined up across from Amos.
The history book
Series record: Georgia Tech leads 2-0
Last meeting: Last September in Murfreesboro, Tenn., the Jackets scored on their first play from scrimmage, a 73-yard touchdown pass to Tony Zenon and led 28-0 in the second quarter on their way to a 49-21 win. Quarterback Tevin Washington completed five of eight passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
Tweet of the week
If Tech loses I’m transferring
@yaboynewt
Newt Clark, Tech student
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
774 comments Add your comment
hedgetrimmers
September 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Might as well be playing flag football. Touch the QB and he goes down. Disgusting.
lxUn1c0
September 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
headley, you’re an idiot. I said nothing about CPJ. Of course the whole team is his responsibility. I never said otherwise. In what universe is pointing out that the defense sucks and the offense is fine an exercise in apologetics?
OldSchoolTechFanatic
September 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Tripple option is a good offense with a QB that is fearless, not conservative !!!
ThemJacketsBayBee
September 29th, 2012
2:32 pm
I’m a loyal GT alum and fan and always will be but this is too hard to watch!
We don’t have our best athletes on the field (Vad Lee, Snoddy,etc.), the team is completely unprepared and unaware (first down marker, safety last week) and the coaches have lost the team.
Fire both Johnson and Groh NOW and get a jump start on next year. Johnson will never change, he will never start and play his best athletes because he thinks its all about him and his scheme and he will never work hard to recruit. Fire him IMMEDIATELY! Cut your loses and start over!
DawgNole
September 29th, 2012
2:32 pm
Randy Carson, IMGT ‘83
September 29th, 2012
2:12 pm
So, does Groh get fired midseason?
Or is CPJ too stubborn to admit that he was wrong when he hired him?
Or do they both go?
____________________
None of the above.
jmonty0071
September 29th, 2012
2:33 pm
Sad when other games are talking about how bad GT’s defense is. I turned the game off.. No use in ruining my day. F-ing losers… I hop Groh falls over and well…. I’ll be nice.. He just gets fired.
kerryb
September 29th, 2012
2:33 pm
I was right. I was saying 3 years ago when all of these Tech fans were just loving CPJ that in 3 years they would want to fire him and now they do.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
2:34 pm
If my boys can win tonight and the birds tomorrow this will be a beautiful football weekend. This program is a joke from top to bottom. It is really bad when your coach drinks and is the biggest arrogant a-hole in the nation
GT Alum
September 29th, 2012
2:34 pm
Dawglova -
This doesn’t mae Chan any better. He had one good recruiting class and less on the field success than CPJ. Anyone who’s feeling nostalgic for the Gailey days is engaging in revisionist history.
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:34 pm
What do we know:
The 3-4 does not work.
The non-passing offense does not work.
The Johnson era does not work.
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:34 pm
Go ahead Tech, run the ball. Kill the clock and lose
One olde jacket
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
Groh has got to go…now…tonight….what does it matter…he is making very little impact on the kids now….he is sitting upstairs!!! how does he teach? motivate? inspitre? correct?
jmonty0071
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
CPJ ever here of quick slant passing plays??
Jacket Time
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
It looks like all of those questions in the article have been answered
DawgNole
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
Briand25
September 29th, 2012
2:13 pm
We will still win this game today, but this is still disheartening
______________________
Hope you’re not betting your life on that.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
Stinks….but he may drink to after this one
GT65
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
@2:30 I agree..This is the worse I can remember. Maybe CPJ has changed his name to Hewitt.
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
@ The Real Yellowjacket, it’s not hat the 3-4 doesn’t work, it’s your weak azz players. They are the ones that don’t work. The 3-4 works wonders for UGA and Alabama.
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
You can’t recruit good players to this offense, so we are at a disadvantage there.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
From a UGA fan- please change your offense/coaches. GT used to be relevant back in the day. As it is right now, this is embarrassing for the entire state of GA.
Highly Respected Southern Troll
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
The bad thing is that even if Tech can score, they’ve shown ZERO ability to stop MTSU’s offense.
ole yeller
September 29th, 2012
2:35 pm
Washington would trip over a flea. All you got to do is touch him and he falls.
Go Jackets
September 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
I predict he will get one more year on The Flats. Then, it will take 4 more yrs to get out from under this mess. In order to get some good athletes, we DO have to think outside the box at Tech. I suggest a June Jones, Mike Leach type who slings it all over the field and that will hire a GOOD, YOUNG, up and coming def co-ord.
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
Painful to watch.
Paul Johnson is in over his head.
Can you believe it?
September 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
CPJ is truly a genius – taking D2 players and coaching them up to D3 level.
Frog hair
September 29th, 2012
2:37 pm
then we goof
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
2:37 pm
Yeah and his one good recruiting class is the only one Johnson has ever won anything with
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:37 pm
MERCY RULE from UGA Anyone can recruit a bunch of convicts and dope smokers. We recruits law-abiding students.
Maybe UGA should try it sometime.
kerryb
September 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
Tick Tock Tick Tock goes the clock
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
In all seriousness GT, coming from a UGA fan, stop playing so bad. You’re embarrassing the state of Georgia.
jmonty0071
September 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
I agree fire Groh….right after the game.. Anyone!! and I mean anyone can do a better job. Groh is an F-ind idiot. How he got a job, beats me!!! He is about stupid as stupid gets in the football world. Total waste of money and time.. He should find a cliff and jump off. It would make my day…
Ol'JacketFan
September 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
C’mon MTSU I want to see 50 against Groh’s sorry excuse for a defense. Fire his ancient axx NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
@ Real Yellowjacket, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall are great students, and great civilians and also great football players. Not every player we recruit are bad just like every player GT recruits isn’t good. GT has players get in trouble too. Every school does.
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
MERCY RULE from UGA If you want embarrassment look at the criminal blotter with UGA players names.
kerryb
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:37 pm
MERCY RULE from UGA Anyone can recruit a bunch of convicts and dope smokers. We recruits law-abiding students.
Maybe UGA should try it sometime.
________________________________________________________
BLAH BLAH BLAH. Yea right, like the Tech player that was BWI on Lake Lanier? Like the Tech LB arrested in Athens in June for disorderly in a bar and fighting with the Police? Yea, law abiding citizens.
dawg1
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
Mercy go play with yourse*f.
eeyore
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
LMAO …. tevin scores another TD… ball hog a-hole
DawgNole
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
WTF????
September 29th, 2012
2:23 pm
I’d like to change that to “if” they come back and win.
____________________
That’s more like it.
Big Ol Stinger
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
I smell another overtime loss coming. Ugghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
GT Fan
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
SHOCKER, F’n SHOCKER! TW called his OWN # again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TEVIN! YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY RB ON THE TEAM!!!
dawg1
September 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
U make all dawg fans ook bad.
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
MERCY RULE from UGA When you have to name two good players that speaks volumes. Have you really kept up with how many of your players have gone afoul of the law or been dismissed.
Get real!
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
MERCY RULE from UGA Anyone can recruit a bunch of convicts and dope smokers. We recruits law-abiding students.
Maybe UGA should try it sometime.
________________________________________________________
Why should we try, we’ll just pay someone else to step up and take their place. As long as we win who cares how.
dawg1
September 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
look..keys stick
Ray
September 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
What would be stupider here:
1. Onside kick down only one touchdown with lots of time left?
2. Rely on the Tech defense to make a stop?
Not an easy choice.
Ol'JacketFan
September 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
I wonder if Groh’s ever figured out how to cover a simple slant route????????????
MERCY RULE from UGA
September 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
And GT recruits “law abiding citizens”? Are you serious? Like that LB that got arrested for hitting his girlfriend. Yeah, real law abiding. And fighting with the police. Yeah.
The Real Yellowjacket
September 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
kerryb Do you really want to compare arrests and dismissals?
I don’t think so!
Go Jackets
September 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
As a long time jacket fan, this ranks right up there with tying Furman. I think this is worse. Maybe aftr the Clemson loss, the BYU loss, and the white-washing we get in cowtown, DRAD will let CPJ go this year…..something tells me they are gonna give him one more after this though.
Big Ol Stinger
September 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
Stupider? That’s rich.