LIVE: Jackets’ upset of Clemson hinges on more offense
Tech coach Paul Johnson hasn't been a happy camper lately. (AP photo)
Welcome to the almost game-of-the-week.
Two weeks ago, Georgia Tech and Clemson looked like the center of attention. Both teams were 6-0. Each seemed to have a pretty good chance to stay unbeaten for two more games. But while Clemson beat Maryland and North Carolina to run its record to 8-0 and climb to No. 6 in the rankings, the Jackets dropped consecutive road games to Virginia and Miami (falling to 6-2 and from 12th to unranked).
The biggest difference in the teams: offense. Clemson has rolled up 115 points (12 offensive touchdowns) in its last two games, Tech only 28 points (three offensive TDs).
The Jackets’ offense actually has produced only three touchdowns in the last 10 quarters. This isn’t just a matter of the team playing tougher opponents than during its 6-0 start. Quarterback Tevin Washington appears to have lost his confidence, right down to making decisions and executing a pitch in the option offense.
But if Tech can get better quarterback play from Washington and/or backup Synjyn Days, it can pull off an upset tonight. A few reasons why:
• The Jackets’ offensive strength (No. 1 in ACC, No. 5 in nation in rushing) is Clemson’s defensive weakness (No. 9 in ACC, No. 76 in nation in stopping the run). So Tech has the potential to keep Clemson’s potent offense on the sideline.
• Tigers running back Andre Ellington has an ankle injury. He won’t start, and there’s a chance he won’t play.
• Come 0n — it’s Clemson! The Tigers have a tendency to lose a game they’re not supposed to, and they almost did at Maryland. Besides, a team that has allowed 45 and 38 points in consecutive weeks is playing with fire.
That’s it for now. I’ll be blogging live from kickoff, at least until I have to duck out for the game column. What are you thoughts about an upset?
By Jeff Schultz
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902 comments Add your comment
AJC
October 29th, 2011
11:34 pm
Oh by the way……..that other team in Atlanta won too
IL Jacket
October 29th, 2011
11:34 pm
I agree. An all around good day for the State of Georgia.
19
October 29th, 2011
11:34 pm
Thanks UGA 92 !!!
Hell Yeah
October 29th, 2011
11:34 pm
How bout them jackets. next victim VT
Bill
October 29th, 2011
11:35 pm
I’m a GT fan 100% but I like and respect UGA’s Coach Richt..great win for Dawgs!
Gtjohn
October 29th, 2011
11:35 pm
I just could not believe the comments about Murray, Richt, Bobo. I think GT should use the Dawg blog for a recruiting tool. If you talk that way about the dream team …..
katherine
October 29th, 2011
11:35 pm
so texas tech beats oklahoma and then gets killed the next week. you never know who might win on any given week in college football this season…i love it
Miss Bee
October 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
Miss Bee Bee hating the AJC. Why do you show impartiality. We need to support all of our young men; those on and off the football field. What message are you sending?
Shame on you AJC.
IL Jacket
October 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
I’m with Katerine re this Stanford-USC game. Too bad some games can’t end with two losers.
BUZZ 2011
October 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
You can call it a high school offense, but we call it the CPJ ” death march”..
Ol'JacketFan
October 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
katherine, tis the beauty of college football!
wreckmaniac
October 29th, 2011
11:36 pm
Where do you get one of those NERDPOWER sweatshirts ?
dawg day afternoon
October 29th, 2011
11:37 pm
Congrats to the NERDS. Impressive final score.
Odds are, no one else will score on that campus for the rest of the weekend.
BigTimeTECHFan
October 29th, 2011
11:37 pm
That’s a very good win.
Great job Al Groh, held powerhouse offense to 17 points.
Could have been 38-17 if not for the missed offsides call at the goal line.
J Thomas and L Young are awesome. So is Clemson’s Frosh WR Watkins, he a special player.
ole yeller
October 29th, 2011
11:38 pm
Let’s see V.T. has 4 days to get ready for the spread option offense. Any comments?
katherine
October 29th, 2011
11:38 pm
yes…lane kiffin winning….makes me kinda sick…but then again….stanford losing will shake up the bcs…….idk….
TechMom77
October 29th, 2011
11:38 pm
My son says Bobby Dodd is a complete “madhouse”!!
wreckmaniac
October 29th, 2011
11:39 pm
Back to the Dawgs, I was mega-impressed with the TD pass on 4th down when they were down, I think, by 14.
A.Bishop
October 29th, 2011
11:39 pm
Great game and great win Georgia Tech. Y’all were firing on all cylinders tonight.Congrats
Rolling Along
October 29th, 2011
11:39 pm
How many experts were proven to be idiots tonight (again) ? Great TEAM effort. Now get grounded and pound the Hokies. Go Jackets !
katherine
October 29th, 2011
11:40 pm
techmom…i bet it was! I hate that the ga/fl game isnt played at home every other year. I dont really think its that fair to either team.
ProudTechFan
October 29th, 2011
11:40 pm
i haven’t seen a tech defense play that well in a long time, props to Al Groh for having an outstanding game plan and keeping that offense in check. to hold an offense that was averaging 40+ a game is amazing. Big win for my Jackets… We knew they were capable just had to prove it
IL Jacket
October 29th, 2011
11:41 pm
Well done Jackets!!! Rest up, Thursday comes quickly.
yeller skeeters are peter eaters
October 29th, 2011
11:41 pm
You nerds better hope you can host a bowl game at the Joke by Coke, because you sure as hell can’t win anywhere else when it matters. And according to that LSU game, the home-field advantage doesn’t reach to the Georgia Dome. Now that was a real life ass-kicking right there!
Chad
October 29th, 2011
11:41 pm
Awesome dominating win. Next is VT. Then Dook and then it;s a rematch
Dawg48
October 29th, 2011
11:41 pm
Congrats bugs!
Good day for the state of Georgia! May both teams step it up and keep winning to keep the in state high school players at home!
ole yeller
October 29th, 2011
11:42 pm
Where are the trolls, that forecast a 52 point blowout tonight? Al Grogh may have the correct answer. This was a great defensive performance.
Charleston Jacket
October 29th, 2011
11:42 pm
Great win. Quick turn around for VT need to take those guys out too
katherine
October 29th, 2011
11:43 pm
hahaha at lane kiffin throwing a fit…..
wreckmaniac
October 29th, 2011
11:43 pm
Dawg Day Afternoon. It isn’t done on the Tech campus. Now, approx. 800 Tech men will spend the night with UGA women in hotel rooms all over Atlanta and Athens because the UGA coed’s boyfriends are laying drunk in the gutters in Jax.
Ol'JacketFan
October 29th, 2011
11:43 pm
and yet, there are still trolls who come in and spew their blather. BUT, nothing is going to take the shine off this win! GO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jaglaw
October 29th, 2011
11:44 pm
#14…J Thomas just had a great game. Makes us Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes proud….even though most of us are dawg fans. Great job kid!!!!
Chad
October 29th, 2011
11:45 pm
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/boxscore;_ylt=AjhwyYSi6U9zU9wf2gtiCoUcvrYF?gid=201110290004
Gtjohn
October 29th, 2011
11:45 pm
Tech plays VT on Nov 10. Not next Thurs
This is an off week for Tech – bout time
ARdawg
October 29th, 2011
11:48 pm
wreckmaniac
Those North Avenue hookers in the online program don’t count
dawg day afternoon
October 29th, 2011
11:50 pm
No, it’s over. Those 800 tech men will buy 800 Playboys, and the women will leave them to their own devices. Engineers prefer the manual setting.
Rolling Along
October 29th, 2011
11:50 pm
Clemson needs to thank the official who went blind on the Tiger offsides that caused a turnover. This was really more of a whipping than the 14 pt margin. That no call kept Clemson in the game and the official needs to have his card revoked. WTF ?
Paul in NH
October 29th, 2011
11:50 pm
ARDawg,
The reason the North Avenue hookers don’t count is because their credits from UGA don’t transfer
Indy Jacket
October 29th, 2011
11:50 pm
Im truly proud of my jackets tonight,and i feel like an idiot for second guessing PJ.Hopefully we can carry this energy to the Hokies and whip em!!!!!
How bout them BEES!
October 29th, 2011
11:51 pm
You can look back through this blog and really tell that most folks don’t know what they are talking about. I’ll put my money on CPJ anytime.
ARdawg
October 29th, 2011
11:53 pm
Paul in NH
Good one! I’ll leave it at that. Congrats again on the win. I was impressed
Paul in NH
October 29th, 2011
11:54 pm
Just lost power – night all
Georgia Tech upsets No. 6 Clemson 31-17
October 29th, 2011
11:57 pm
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap;_ylt=Aq6Ed274koY1nWM9WsFVh7scvrYF?gid=201110290004
Rolling Along
October 30th, 2011
12:00 am
A lot of cold water got poured on the Fire CPJ/Fire Richt fair weather Occupy College Football movements today and tonight.
Rolling Along
October 30th, 2011
12:02 am
BTW, Schultz, take your trashy Barbie and shove it.
4th and Long Gone
October 30th, 2011
12:03 am
It is funny to read these blogs from the start tonight… quite a change … lol.
1 4 GT
October 30th, 2011
12:04 am
Good Night 1 & all. Props to the Dogs & especially to my Yellow Jackets. GOOOOOOOOOOO JACKETS THWG!!!
ole yeller
October 30th, 2011
12:08 am
Good job Al, the defense is catching up to the offense. Put them together, and Dawgs loose.
MisterT
October 30th, 2011
12:41 am
I wonder if this Clemson fan was at the game tonight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WBmrrRKg-c
MisterT
October 30th, 2011
12:42 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WBmrrRKg-c