Archive for November, 2012

1. Georgia Tech A-back Orwin Smith did not practice Tuesday as his recovery continues from an ankle injury that kept him out of the Georgia game. Smith said Monday that he thinks he will be able to play Saturday in the ACC title game against Florida State.

“We’d love to have Orwin play, he’s one of our better players, but if he doesn’t play, you can’t worry about it,” coach Paul Johnson said. “You have to move on.”

Smith is Tech’s most explosive offensive player, averaging 9.0 yards per carry and 61.2 rushing yards per game. Against Georgia, backup A-backs Synjyn Days, B.J. Bostic and Deon Hill rotated into the game in Smith’s stead.

Center Jay Finch suffered an undisclosed injury during Tuesday’s practice and did not finish. Finch’s backup is Catlin Alford.

2. ACC senior associate commissioner Michael Kelly declined to comment on the possibility of Tech bypassing the Sun Bowl if the Jackets were to lose to Florida State and fall to 6-7 and receive a …

Continue reading Tech notes: Orwin Smith remains sidelined »

Against one of the strongest defenses in the country, Georgia Tech produced 426 yards of offense but scored just 10 points against Georgia last Saturday.

One of the most talent-loaded defenses in the country slowed down Tech’s point-scoring barrage last Saturday, when Georgia kept the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone for 3 ½ quarters in its 42-10 win in Athens.

Saturday in the ACC Championship game, Florida State figures to pose as great an obstacle as the Bulldogs did, perhaps even more. Tech has another opportunity to test itself against an elite defense.

“There’s no doubt they’re excited,” quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon said. “I think you’ll really get a great effort out of these guys Saturday night.”

For Tech to have a chance, it’ll take at least that. Against Georgia, Tech moved the ball but produced just a touchdown and field goal on six trips inside the Georgia 30-yard line. The Bulldogs forced two key turnovers and limited Tech’s …

Continue reading Loaded FSU defense awaits Tech »

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said he could have handled losing 42-10 to Georgia if he thought the effort was worthy. That was not the case.

Johnson said the Yellow Jackets were guilty of a “lack of competing” in their loss to the Bulldogs in Athens, Tech’s 11th in the past 12 years to its archrival. This season, Johnson has been critical of the team for missed assignments, poor tackling and lack of focus. However, his public challenge that the team lacked competitiveness – against an archrival, no less – compared only to his statement that the Jackets “no showed” in the 21-point loss to Middle Tennessee State. While hardly palatable to Johnson, the MTSU effort could be more understandable, given that Tech was facing a team it had blown out in each of the past two years and was seven days removed from an emotionally crushing overtime loss to Miami.

“You’ve got to play hard,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to sell out.”

From watching the game video, …

Continue reading Johnson: ‘Lack of competing’ in loss to UGA »

Georgia Tech believes it’s going to a bowl game. Other parts of the college football world are less confident.

In one more chapter in the strange saga that has been the Yellow Jackets season, the school faces the possibility of playing in the ACC Championship game with the most disparate of outcomes – beat Florida State and go to the Orange Bowl or lose and stay home. This scenario is far from a certainty, but is not out of the question, either.

Tech has petitioned the NCAA for a bowl-eligibility waiver in the event that it loses to the Seminoles to fall to 6-7, which would drop the Yellow Jackets below the .500 standard necessary to go to a bowl game. School, ACC and bowl officials have been confident that the NCAA will grant the waiver.

“We have full confidence that, at the end of the day, we’re going to be playing in a bowl game among the ACC selections between Dec. 27 and the first of January,” acting athletic director Paul Griffin said, “and we’re doing …

Continue reading Tech applies for bowl-eligibility waiver »

Georgia Tech guard Omoregie Uzzi was named first-team All-ACC Monday, his third All-ACC selection.

Uzzi was the only Yellow Jackets player named to either the first or second teams. Tech has now had at least one first-team All-ACC player for 17 consecutive years.

Uzzi has started all 12 games this season and has been instrumental in Tech ranking No. 3 in FBS in rushing offense. Uzzi was first-team All-ACC as a junior and second team as a sophomore.

Outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, center Jay Finch, offensive tackle Will Jackson and A-back Orwin Smith were honorable mention.

Six Clemson players made first team. Five players from North Carolina and Florida State, Tech’s opponent in the ACC Championship game, made first team.

FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (86)
RB-Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (91)
RB-Andre Ellington, Clemson (77)
WR-DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson (80)
WR-Alex Amidon, Boston College (53)
OT-Oday Aboushi, Virginia (53)
OT-Brandon Thomas, Clemson …

Continue reading Uzzi earns sole Tech All-ACC spot »

If Georgia Tech is unable to pull the upset in the ACC Championship game against Florida State, it appears more than ever that the Yellow Jackets would head for the Sun Bowl. With a win, of course, Tech would go to the Orange Bowl.

In the event of a loss, Saturday’s results make it more likely that the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, would be Tech’s destination. Clemson’s loss to South Carolina Saturday dropped the Tigers to No. 14 in the BCS standings, so they’re still eligible for an at-large bid, but with two losses and their Orange Bowl showing last year, it doesn’t seem likely.

That would make Clemson the automatic pick for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Russell Athletic Bowl, which has second pick in the ACC bowl selection order after the BCS bowls, can choose between Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and N.C. State.

N.C. State just fired coach Tom O’Brien, so I’m guessing this isn’t a fan base ready to celebrate anything. If the Yellow Jackets are available, it will mean …

Continue reading Updated Tech bowl scenarios II »

Georgia Tech A-back Orwin Smith said he thinks he will be able to play in Saturday’s ACC Championship game against Florida State.

Speaking on a teleconference with media members Monday, Smith said his right ankle was feeling better.

“It’s still to be determined,” he said. “I think I will play. We’ll just watch and see how it goes.”

After injuring his ankle in the Duke game, Smith did not play Saturday against Georgia. He was a game-time decision for the game. Smith said that he warmed up but that he didn’t feel like he could contribute enough to help Tech win.

Smith said his availability for the ACC title game wasn’t a factor in the decision, but added that knowing he could play in it “kind of brightened me up a little bit, knowing I still had a shot” to play in another important game.

Smith said he wouldn’t practice Monday, but expected to be ready Tuesday.

By Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog

Continue reading Tech’s Orwin Smith expecting to play »

Georgia Tech's defenses hopes to see fewer touchdown celebrations in Charlotte than it did in Athens. BRANT SANDERLIN/AJC

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson proved prophetic a week ago when he said that if his team didn’t play well against Georgia, it would get embarrassed.

The Yellow Jackets would like to avoid making Johnson 2-for-2. Sunday, a day after the Bulldogs laid waste to Tech by a 42-10 count, Johnson offered a similar prediction for the Jackets’ ACC Championship game against Florida State Saturday in Charlotte.

“We’ve got to see if we can’t play better than we did Saturday, or we’ll get the same result,” Johnson said.

Oddsmakers agree with Johnson. They set the Seminoles as a 13.5-point favorite over Tech, a nearly identical line to the one given Tech-Georgia. A high priority for both Johnson and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher will be to rally their teams from dispiriting losses to in-state rivals. Florida knocked out the Seminoles 37-26 Saturday in Tallahassee, …

Continue reading After UGA disaster, Tech tries to rebound vs. FSU »

“Anytime you lose, the whole stuff bothers you. I think the penalties, the turnovers, the self-inflicted stuff bothers me the most, that we can’t call a formation and play together that we can’t run on (the correct snap count), that we can’t run a play without holding. All those things bother me.”

Coach Paul Johnson on what bothered him most about the loss

“It’s very frustrating because we’ve been preaching all week, Take care of the ball, do the little things right and we’ll give ourselves a chance to be in the ballgame. It just felt like we laid an egg.”

Quarterback Tevin Washington on Tech mistakes

“I think total yards, they don’t add up in the win or loss column.”

Washington on Tech outgaining Georgia 426-379

“They won the last four. The only way to get the thing going the other way is to beat ’em. You’ve got to hope next year’s team will be able to come out and hopefully get a win.”

Washington on Georgia’s dominance in the …

Continue reading Georgia Tech quoteboard »

A-back Robbie Godhigh had 11 touches (six carries and five receptions) as A-back Orwin Smith sat out with an ankle injury. CURTIS COMPTON/AJC

ATHENS – It likely wouldn’t have made a difference, but Georgia Tech played Saturday without its top offensive player. A-back Orwin Smith watched the game from the sideline after suffering an ankle injury in the Yellow Jackets’ win over Duke last Saturday.

Smith had been considered a game-time decision.

“I guess with the trainers, they decided he couldn’t go,” coach Paul Johnson said.

Entering the game, Smith was Tech’s leading rusher at 673 yards and had a 9.0 yards-per-carry average. A-backs B.J. Bostic, Synjyn Days and Deon Hill played in his place. A-back Robert Godhigh had six carries for 44 yards and five receptions for 66 yards. The five catches were the most by a Tech player this season.

“His contribution would have been positive, but I don’t think it would have boiled down to just one person on the field making …

Continue reading Notes: Orwin Smith sits out with injury »