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
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
3:33 pm
Need some pass rush!
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:33 pm
ibidGT – do you want Tevin to play the rest of the game?
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
Dawg48………….you will love this Possum Drop Stopped.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20438414/peta-wins-case-to-halt-nc-possum-drop
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
DAMN D tighten up
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
Missed tackle by back-up, Munroe. The injuries are starting to hurt GT.
ibidGT
December 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
Did I say that champ? No I didn’t. I just find it funny that you guys have no issue with Vad when he makes mistakes but want Tevin’s head when he makes a mistake. And I am rather enjoying myself calling everyone out on it.
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
3:36 pm
Lucky-azz bounce.
WHISKEY CLEAR
December 31st, 2012
3:36 pm
TJ who? these announcers are a joke
Dawg48
December 31st, 2012
3:36 pm
5150, I’m actually sitting at the DR office.
She is sick. Can’t watch the game. What’s the score?
Paul's Ball's
December 31st, 2012
3:36 pm
Another bowl loss coming up!!!
Buddy Landel
December 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
Why the apostrophe on “Ball’s”?
Dog kicker
December 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
Hold them
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:32 pm
5150 – waited too long to pitch????? You are on level with WNE with that comment.
=========================================
I’ve said all year that the problem Vad Lee has is the PITCH. he is not very good at it. He makes the choice late. he floats it and he leaves it behind the RB or to his back shoulder too many time.
Vad has to work hard on the pitch this summer.
GT Joe
December 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
ibid: as I’ve said for months: tevin makes mistakes. Vad actually makes fewer mistakes. But vad has playmaking ability that tevin does not.
So, in summary, vad with 4 TOs is better than Tevin with his typical 2 TOs. Get it? I mean, we just saw tevin’s first two drives.
Dawg48
December 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
PETA ruins everything!
son's who?
December 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
Tech’s D is playing inspired. The kids know what as been said about them, and the want to shut some people up. USC has been the disrespectful punks every Kiffen team seems to be.
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
No one says that they have no issues when Vad makes mistakes. It can be chalked up to inexperience with Vad, not so much so with 5th year senior TW (making the same mistakes). You guys are borderline mentally deficient comparing a RS Freshman’s mistakes to those of a 5th year senior.
DawgNole
December 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
Another lucky bounce.
Dog kicker
December 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
?amn it
GT fan
December 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
Crap but good 1st half….
son's who?
December 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
That wasn’t luck, that was total concentration.
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
I don’t follow Georgia Tech football but who was that guy covering him? He should of hit him!!!!!!!! That was very bad
Paul's Ball's
December 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
Ball Game!!!! This pathetic offense won’t score again!!!
ibidGT
December 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
Get it through your head you idiots. I am not saying Tevin is better and deserves to be in the game over Vad. I am simply calling everyone out for throwing Tevin under the bus and when Vad makes a mistake as well everyone justifies it with some pathetic excuse.
Dog kicker
December 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
Well who will play in the 2nd half
Walk on the Wild side
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
And the Tennessee fans go:
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
dbc
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
Now I know what watching paint dry is like.
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
5150 – did he make a late pitch on the play that he fumbled? He didn’t have a chance to turn to make the pitch before the back-side D-lineman (unblocked) had hands on him. I agree that VL is not as proficient with the option as he should be, but neither was Nesbitt his 1st year. VL is Nesbitt with a legitimate arm.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
Hate that but a lot of football to play.
SURE the ball was caught? he tool less steps than the last play where it was not a Fumble.
WHISKEY CLEAR
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
This has been a great half…
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
It was a good half but now USC goes to the locker room feeling good,,,,,,Tech owned the first half and it is only 7-7 that is not good
GT fan
December 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
Run it all the way back
Buddy Landel
December 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
goFalcons- as a defender, when you see the ball pop up into the air, your focus goes away from the carrier and to the ball.
GT Joe
December 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
by the way, Ibid, Tevin’s mistakes? they usually cost us the game. INT vs. FSU. INT at VT. failed 4th down run in OT vs. Miami (the misread). When vad’s mistake costs us a game, I’ll call him out.
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
So the guy saying that a RS Freshman should be as proficient as a 5th year senior at running the intricate triple option calls his detractors, “idiots”. RICH!!!!
HS Offense
December 31st, 2012
3:43 pm
There is always next year. Chalk up another bowl loss!
headley lamar
December 31st, 2012
3:43 pm
“Nobody has ever beaten us withou getting a bunch of lucky bounces.”
- Paul Johnson
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
Pedestrian effort by a pedestrian team. FIRE Fish FRY after the game!
WHISKEY CLEAR
December 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
band sounds good also
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
Buddy L——–When it is 3rd and goal…you bust that guy when he touches the ball and that ends the play!!!!!!!! No excuse for that play
headley lamar
December 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
“Hey guys, I think I’ll just grill the fish after the game. After all we are in El Paso”
- Paul Johnson
christophorm
December 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
Another Georgia team beating themselves..falcons next.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
P.O.A. Haters……………..P.O.A.Haters………………………………………………………….
GT4Life (the original)
December 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
And the dwag fans that don’t have the mental capacity to watch the game and posts at the same time show up at halftime…lol
Iluvnutella
December 31st, 2012
3:46 pm
It will be addition by subtraction next year. Sweeting has gotten burned on the corner all year long, starting with the VT loss. Opposing QB’s can smell his weakness a mile off.
OldschoolTechFanatic
December 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
let that pony run, leave Vad in
goFalcons
December 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
USC has kept the score to 7 but they really have no clue on how to stop the option!!!! Tech can do this!!!!
ibidGT is a moron...
December 31st, 2012
3:48 pm
that last play was a missed assignment by the backside OL who forgot to chip the DE. That allowed he DE to come straight up the line and hit the QB before the play could develop. QB gets hit from behind on an option play is like a QB being blindsided while looking down field to throw the ball. In neither case is the QB expected to tuck the ball away because it prevents him from doing what he needs to do. That play is 90% on the back side blocking.
Tevin’s a senior QB who is making the same mistakes now as he did in his first game and does nothing to make up for it. Lee is a freshman QB who made one mistake that is due to him not getting the experience early in the year that he should have. If he’s still making these mistakes in two years he’ll get the same treatment as Washington.
5150 UOAD
December 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
Ain’t Skeered………………….Kiss a Song Girl after TECH beats the Condoms………….
ibidGT
December 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
Did I say that? No I didn’t. AGAIN. A mistake is a mistake and there is no way to spin it in a positive way. Yet none of you guys seem ‘upset’ when Vad Lee does so, but go ape nuts when Tevin did so in the past. Me on the other hand, equally upset no matter who makes the mistake, upsetting nonetheless.