Live from Ga. Tech, where N.C. State hopes to drive safely
Here we are at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium on another sun-splashed Saturday. (Photo by M. Bradley)
The North Carolina State Wolfpack arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson late Friday afternoon, just in time for what we Atlantans know to be the absolute worst traffic period of any week. The Wolfie entourage piled into four chartered buses for the ride up the Downtown Connector to their Buckhead hotel.
Buses 1 and 4 made it.
Buses 2 and 3 ran into each other.
According to Debbie Yow, State’s athletic director, the bus drivers weren’t at fault. Apparently pesky Atlanta motorists kept buzzing between the buses, who were endeavoring to stay in formation. Buses 2 and 3 were rendered inoperative after 3 rear-ended 2 — one of them needed to have its door pried open — and no other charter coaches were available for rescue duty and the only solution was for Buses 1 and 4 to drop their passengers at the hotel and return for the occupants of 2 and 3.
“We weren’t crazy about the idea of 60 people walking by the side of I-75,” Yow said.
Long story short: Everybody eventually got to the hotel, and nobody was injured. And the State party made it to Bobby Dodd Stadium for today’s noon start without difficulty. And we’re 44 minutes from kickoff as I type, and I’m intrigued to see how Georgia Tech handles an ACC opponent at full strength. (North Carolina worked without 12 men last Saturday in Chapel Hill.)
I’m assuming Tech will win, but State has been better than advertised, and its victory over Cincinnati was one of the few early games this beleaguered league can identify as a point of pride.
And with that, the ajc.com blogline is open for questions, observations and lamentations about the Braves. I’m here to watch and report — and I’m happy to say that I feel much better this Saturday than I did a week ago in Chapel Hill — and I’d appreciate if you’d, er, come along for the ride.
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1,045 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:42 pm
Key play. Third and 5.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:42 pm
The ESPN announcers have decided that Wilson is pretty good – genius
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:42 pm
Wilson throws it away. Another kick.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
State by 10
TheAntiMe
September 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
There’s this new thing, Paul Johnson, called the forward pass. All the teams are doing it now. Maybe you should teach your team how to execute a forward pass play.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 25th, 2010
12:43 pm
Tech better wake up here soon.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:44 pm
State – problem so far this game is execution. I agree that GT needs a QB who can throw when needed – Vad Lee has been doing that but who knows if he will make the adjustment. Hillside won again last night but in a close one
Technophobia
September 25th, 2010
12:44 pm
The game hinges on getting the offense going. If that happens, and it should, I’m really not too worried about being down 2 scores on the first quarter.
justafan
September 25th, 2010
12:44 pm
Looks like GT has been watching Braves= going south.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Noon kickoffs suck
MC
September 25th, 2010
12:45 pm
Tech’s done. Mike Archer will take Paul Johnson to school today.
gt21
September 25th, 2010
12:46 pm
Enter your comments here
Sam
September 25th, 2010
12:46 pm
Technophobia you don’t know sh&t about football do you?
45ACP
September 25th, 2010
12:46 pm
Plenty of time. Settle down and get the running game going.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:47 pm
State – my point on UGA is that what really counts is execution – not what offense you run. Having said that, GT needs to throw better to keep the D honest
GT fan in MS
September 25th, 2010
12:47 pm
Keep feeding A Train straight ahead.
justafan
September 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
Maybe Johnson has been hanging out with Paul Hewitt!
Technophobia
September 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
Go ahead Sam, grace us with your brilliance, lol.
GT fan in MS
September 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
A Train for 6 more straight ahead. Keep feeding it.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
Allen: Three straight quick hitters.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:48 pm
Wow – more brilliant commentary from ESPN – getting yards on 1st down is important
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:49 pm
Third and 4.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:49 pm
Fumble. Tech loses it.
Sanford Drive
September 25th, 2010
12:49 pm
LOL!!!
FUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:50 pm
Can you say self-destruct?
wxwax
September 25th, 2010
12:50 pm
Turnovers?
George Allen would be ticked off.
45ACP
September 25th, 2010
12:50 pm
Dang, hold the ball!
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:50 pm
Pack has been ripping at the ball all day.
TXDawg (The Real TXDawg)
September 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
I have followed Paul Johnson since before he was a head coach at GA Southern. My cousin actually played on a couple of those ’90’s championship teams. I do understand what this offense looks like when it’s running full tilt. In the GA So. and Navy days, there was never much passing. About the same as has been the case last year and this year at Tech. I agree with the Tech fans, it does look good when it’s operating well. The ACC has been down for several years, when the good teams are playing well in the ACC, Tech won’t sniff a title running a RUN primarily offense. When the Miami’s and FL State’s and VA Tech’s get back to real BCS competitive levels GA Tech will need some sort of passing game incorporated into this offense. I’m thinking of the West VA (White/Slaton) type of offense.
SOUTHGADAWG88
September 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
Wonder if CPJ the offensive genius talk is going to cool this year?
Sanford Drive
September 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
White Out!!!!!!!
your fans don;t need to wear white. Because their faces are white like they’ve just seen a ghost right now!!!
GO PACK!!!!!
Technophobia
September 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
Terrible execution on offense so far.
TheAntiMe
September 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
That’s like the 5th time Tech has put the ball on the ground – not even counting the freaking blocked punt. They ain’t winning against even Cross Keys High doing that crap!
45ACP
September 25th, 2010
12:52 pm
Time to D-up, 3 and out, get the ball back.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:52 pm
Must be the afternath of the full moon. Chelsea lost, Tottenham lost, Arsenal lost a thome to WBA
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:53 pm
Wolfies rolling again.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:55 pm
NCSU at the Tech 19. Imperative not to yield another touchdown
Gary O
September 25th, 2010
12:55 pm
Mark,
Why do you think our defense has been so inconsistent? is it the new scheme taking some time?
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:56 pm
That’s a big part of it, Gary O. And I’m not sure there’s quite enough talent on defense yet.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:57 pm
Stopped the Pack on third-and-5.
West Coast Two Stars
September 25th, 2010
12:57 pm
maybe you should let Al Groh coach the offense
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:58 pm
Missed another FG.
West Coast Two Stars
September 25th, 2010
12:58 pm
Georgia Tech- they are a machine LMFAO
wxwax
September 25th, 2010
12:58 pm
Tech’s best offense is State’s field goal team.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2010
12:59 pm
Tech is blessed.
Paul in RDU
September 25th, 2010
12:59 pm
Mark – I agree with you that GT doesn’t have enough talent on D. When you compare the front 7 to Miami’s it is no contest
TheAntiMe
September 25th, 2010
12:59 pm
Dodged another one. Gotta get it going, Jackets!
layinlow
September 25th, 2010
12:59 pm
Tech fans should be glad that NCST kicker sucks. This is going to cost the wolfpack the game.
45ACP
September 25th, 2010
1:00 pm
Dodged a bullet. There’s a little luck for the Jackets.
layinlow
September 25th, 2010
1:00 pm
If I’m state’s coach I go for it every time on 4th down near the redzone.