LIVE BLOG: Tech vs. USC
Some thoughts and notes. Game starts 2 p.m. ET on CBS.
1. I think Tech will enjoy considerable support from the Sun Bowl crowd, which is largely made up of locals. After the 16,000 tickets allocated to the participating schools, the other 34,000 are sold to the El Paso community. As you may have read, USC stirred up controversy by showing up late for a Sun Bowl dinner and with two tweets sent by players criticizing the city of El Paso, which I’m going to guess has not sat well with residents. Further, Tech’s coaches and players have done nothing but rave about how welcome they feel and are enjoying the experience (which I think is genuine).
2. Weather: It’s sunny and very windy. The forecast calls for winds 20-30 mph, and it certainly feels like it. The wind right now (12:30 ET) is blowing briskly to the south, I think. Left to right on the television, at any rate.
Watching warmups, David Scully and Chris Tanner had trouble hitting from 45 going into the wind. Scully, at least, has range probably 10 yards longer than that. He crushed one from 55 with the wind.
3. If Tech gives up 35 points, the team will have the highest points-per-game allowed average going back at least to 1948. The 1999 team, which went 8-4 in Joe Hamilton’s final season, gave up an average of 30.3 points. Tech’s average through the ACC Championship game is 29.9.
4. There are two current Jackets who share Tech bowl records – Tevin Washington (completion percentage, 11-15 against Utah, tied with Shawn Jones in the 1991 Citrus Bowl) and Quayshawn Nealy (longest interception return, 74 yards, against Utah, tied with W.P. McHugh in the 1947 Oil Bowl)
5. Tech will wear blue jerseys, gold helmets, white pants.
6. The line is down to seven or 7.5 points in favor of USC. It had opened around 10. I’d guess Matt Barkley’s being ruled out played a big part in the drop.
7. Interesting – at 7-5, USC is still No. 20 in Sagarin ratings, presumably because their strength of schedule is ranked 13th. Tech is 63rd. Strength of schedule is 55th.
8. Tech marching band is here. Hopefully the altitude won’t affect the brass section.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the game.
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892 comments Add your comment
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
GREAT JOB RAMBLING WRECK FROM GEORGIA TECH AND A HELLUVA A ENGINEER
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
GET Tevin off the field………damn Fish-fry is dumb!
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
Georgia Tech has had a lot of worse quarterbacks than Tevin.
You need to take a better look at our history.
The way our fans knock Tevin and Reggie Ball it is a wonder anyone good wants to play for us.
christophorm
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
I was wrong …Huge upset/win for GT
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
This is when your offense shines, Tech. Clock running, 4Q, 14-point lead.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
5:30 pm
1990 Blow me. We have ALL heard that USC like UGa wouldn’t have TECH players on their 3rd string. Tech is BEATING a more talented team just look at the recruiting rankings. Look at where USC is preseason ranked almost every year.
P.O.A 1990………….
45 ACP
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
What’s up with the freakin hoodie and shades?
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
Thanks for coming around christophorm.
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
OMG OMG OMG there is a worse coach than Fish-fry in the Sun Bowl….good thing he is coaching the other team!
Ted
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
Lane Kiffin’s expression when Tech beats USC………………priceless.
CT_Jacket
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
1990, we tied for first, not third in the Coastal. No, the season hasn’t gone like I would have liked, but they played pretty well in the second half of the season.
Yes, USC is without Barkley, but we can’t control that. After seven straight bowl losses, I just want to end the season with a win for a change.
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:31 pm
Kiffin has his rain hood on in case USC fans throw some beer his way.
WillGT
December 31st, 2012
5:32 pm
what your supposed to run out with out clothes on haha
son's who?
December 31st, 2012
5:32 pm
Good win, Tech.
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
5:32 pm
Shoulda nailed that dingbat like Mike Curtis (B Colts) did all those years ago.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
5:32 pm
45……he is trying to HIDE for Pat Hayden
ibidGT
December 31st, 2012
5:32 pm
Apparently a Vad who has two turnovers is better than a Tevin who is leading this Tech team to a win and no turnovers.
YEAH OKAYYYY
45 ACP
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
Do we really have to drag the Dawgs into this great win by Tech?
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
3rd and short and Tevin calls his own number……what a surprise…..
son's who?
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
Kiffy is wearing shades so no one can see him cry on the sideline.
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
CT_Jacket.
Agreed.
Nice to see Tevin and Orwin finish up with a good game.
GT fan
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
Everybody wants to play for NC..
MrPhoenix
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
BEST GAME TW HAS PLAYED THIS YEAR. GOOD FOR HIM
Dawg Whisperer
December 31st, 2012
5:33 pm
Congrats GT. Well played. Always nice to beat USC.
Wilbur
December 31st, 2012
5:34 pm
So great to see Kiffin get his butt kicked. He is a jerk and richly deserves getting beat by a team with a losing record. USC deserves what they got when they hired Kiffin. USC has no class.
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
Tech wanted this one more than USC did. Nice work, Jackets.
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
USC U ARE NOT SHIP IN GEORGIA TECH EYES SO TAKE THIS BEAT DOWN……IT WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOK FOR THE REST OF LIFE ON EARTH, SO TAKE THAT I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE WHEN IN FACT U WERE LUCKY TO BE HERE KIFFIN AND U SO. CAL CREW GOT A BEAT DOWN BY HELLUVA ENGINEERS!!!!!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
Good, not great win by Tech today……Fire CPJ, hire Wisenhunt, get Giff Smith back to recruit…..all will be right on the Flats….Go JACKETS!
GT fan
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
Kiffin should be fired…stupid a@@
Tevin'
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
Enter your comments here
jmonty
December 31st, 2012
5:35 pm
Wait!!! GT is winning a bowl game??? SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!! CPJ just saved his job. Way to go Jackets!!!
1990_Champs_GT
December 31st, 2012
5:36 pm
Good for the players, I guess. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a true fan, just can’t stomach what the program has become.
Started with Gailey, continues with Johnson. Sorry team in a sorry conference.
45 ACP
December 31st, 2012
5:36 pm
Gotta love a guy named Uzzi!
CT_Jacket
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
I will say that with Wittek in, the Tech D still played pretty well against the run. There was a time that we still would have gotten run over.
ARdawg
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
Congrats Bugs on the win. Good showing, good game
Ol'JacketFan
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
Sitting here enjoying the last 2:37, to hell with Kiffin and SC and a great win for the Jackets!!! Happy New Year to all Tech fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
Nesbitt liked to call his own number too.
Like the time he nearly blew the 2009 season by getting sacked instead of throwing it downfield.
I go into detail because Tevin gets criticized for the same thing.
Nesbitt’s screwup is not remembered by many because he had a defense that could occasionally save him and the season.
Derrick Morgan made a game saving tackle at the end of the 2009 Wake game to push them out of FG range.
In spite of that, a friend’s wife spent the game saying I can’t believe we cannot stop Wake.
She was right.
TampaGator
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
It is just absolutely awesome to watch the Jackets from North Avenue kick the hell out of the arse of Lame Kiffin from Su-c Cal. I can’t stand that sorry excuse for a football coach…..and I wish USC would fire him after this game. Congrats, Ga. Tech, and making southern football fans proud. Great job!
WillGT
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
This looks pretty bad for USC, no class for that dinner, then whining that this isn’t the game they wanted to play.
Its a good win for Tech, to end the streak, but Im still not proud of what I see with the offense. The D looked great today, but a lot can be said about USC lousy QB today
Either way great win today!
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
75 passing yds today……woot woot NOT!….I really HATE this offense.
Ted
December 31st, 2012
5:37 pm
Paul Johnson would have certainly had USC playing better than Kiffin. The challenge at Tech is qualifying players. No such problem at USC.
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
5:38 pm
Wilbur
December 31st, 2012
5:34 pm
So great to see Kiffin get his butt kicked. He is a jerk and richly deserves getting beat by a team with a losing record. USC deserves what they got when they hired Kiffin. USC has no class.
___________________
So 7-7 is a losing record?
Tevin's stats
December 31st, 2012
5:38 pm
16 rushing attempts. 41 yards..
2/4 passing for 22 yards.
Yeah, great game.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
5:38 pm
C’mon GUYs there is a lot of time left…..remember .44 seconds against VPI and the Miami Shoot out.
This was a Great WIN for the Seniors…………16 starters returning next year.
Jacket Detective
December 31st, 2012
5:39 pm
Thanks AR Dawg.
I wish we could get the fans in both groups to stay off each other’s blogs if they are just going to spend their time being negative.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
5:39 pm
Sorry this WOULD be a great win for the Seniors.
GTJohn2
December 31st, 2012
5:39 pm
Let’s finish this off. It’ll be a big win.
I still like Whisenhunt, he’s a Tech man and will be able to bring in top recruits and coaches. If we wait he’ll be hired away. His resume includes HC at NFL Cardinals (and SB appearance) plus coaching Pittsburgh during their SB runs.
Baddawg
December 31st, 2012
5:40 pm
Good game bees! Glad you beat that jerk Lame Kitten and all the USC whiners and cheaters. Go dawgs!
GT fan
December 31st, 2012
5:40 pm
Got to be REALLY PROUD OF PLAYER & COACHES….its been a long year but ends with up note.
Now as a GT fan I hope UGA kicks as@ in their Bowl game..Go lucky Coach Richt.
Pray for USA and the economy…its really bad folks.
son's who?
December 31st, 2012
5:40 pm
In other news, Pat Haden just changed the locks on Lane Kiffen’s office door.