Live from Tech-UNC: Will first-play lightning strike yet again?
Exhibit C: Tech's first snap last week. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
I’m not in the habit of constructing game plans — I would never ever venture to give highly paid coaches any advice, heh heh — but I offer one piece of advice for North Carolina’s Everett Withers:
On the first Georgia Tech snap, have your men back up 30 yards.
The way I see it, it’s better to yield a chunk of yardage that a touchdown.
As we know, Tech has scored on its first play of every game this season, which is about to conclude its first month. Against Western Carolina, it was a 5-yard toss sweep. (Turnover set it up.) Against Middle Tennessee, it was a 73-yard touchdown pass. Against Kansas, it was the 95-yard counter by Orwin Smith.
Aggregate time of possession on Tech’s first series of Games 1-3: Thirty-four seconds.
Aggregate number of points on Tech’s first series of Games 1-3: Twenty-one.
Today’s titanic tilt comes billed as Tech’s first test, which it is, kind of. But Carolina isn’t exactly a convincing 3-0. It overrode five turnovers in Week 2 to beat Rutgers, and in Week 3 it was outgained by Virginia, which has won one conference game in two seasons. (Both games were in Chapel Hill, FYI.)
I like Tech by at least 10 points today — the Vegas line is GT by a TD — but I offer this caveat: Even if the Tar Heels win on the scoreboard, there’s no guarantee it’ll stick. As you’ve doubtless heard, Carolina is in the habit of forfeiting victories.
On that cheery note, the floor is again open for questions, comments and thoughts on the choking Braves. (What’s that? They’re three games up? Never mind.) I’ll be here until the last touchdown is scored, and I welcome your company. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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810 comments Add your comment
Buzz Aldrin
September 24th, 2011
11:25 am
You should get this on the front page so people can find it! Go Tech!
duece coupe
September 24th, 2011
11:27 am
Go Jackets.
rusty
September 24th, 2011
11:30 am
I know this isn’t about the Yellow Jackets, but if both the Red Sox and Braves fail to make the playoffs, whose choke is considered worse? I say the Red Sox because of the pay roll. (I hope the Red Sox blow it)
Go Yellow Jackets.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Mark have fun at the game today, I think you’re going to enjoy another Tech win!
Go Jackets!
We’ll worry bout the Braves AFTER another Tech win
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Mark, it sucks that you got assigned to go to a high school game in a high school stadium. Maybe next time you will get to report from a real college football game. I assume it’s once again not a sellout? Thank you for your fine work!
Delbert D.
September 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Ball control is key against UNC.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:37 am
Morning DD, let’s go Jackets!
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:40 am
My dream is to see Tech go undefeated before their annual loss to UGA. You nerds know it’s going to happen as far as losing to UGA, again. It’s kind lick your bowl game losing streak.
Delbert D.
September 24th, 2011
11:40 am
Heck, yeah!
Wrecker
September 24th, 2011
11:40 am
Steve: You worry about losing to a mediocre team from Miss. Did you get tired of the fire Mark Richt talk on the UGA blogs?
Alabama Jack
September 24th, 2011
11:43 am
Personal for Steve – I am so looking forward to tonight and tomorrow watching droopy puppy flags on vehicles returning from the latest dawg debacle in Oxford. But then again, it its bad enough, they probably won’t be flying any flags at all on the return trip, just red panties tied to their radio aerials.
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:43 am
Wrecker you are kidding right? Pretty sure UGA won’t be losing to Ole Miss. Funny how you nerds are so excited about Tech and they have not even played anyone. Tech is 3-0 and ranked and they STILL can’t sellout that little stadium. Hilarious.
Wrecker
September 24th, 2011
11:44 am
The one series of plays we have not seen (that we did see from Hawaii and Ga. So.) was the trickeration plays involving the B-back flea-flicker and the A-back option pass. I expect to see one or both of those against UGA.
Yoda
September 24th, 2011
11:44 am
Oh it will. It will
Wrecker
September 24th, 2011
11:45 am
Said the man whose team has only beaten Coastal Carolina. . . I enjoy talking with real UGA fans. I will engage with those people. You, not so much.
Terry
September 24th, 2011
11:46 am
I’d rather play tech’s schedule and be 3-0 and set ncaa records against a bcs team than be jawja and 1-2 with the lone win coming against coastal carolina!
GT Lady
September 24th, 2011
11:46 am
Jackets win this one 42 – 17.
dhargo
September 24th, 2011
11:46 am
@Steve
What does the statement “It’s kind lick your bowl game losing streak” exactly mean. It is certainly obvious where you got your great education.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:49 am
That would be uga. Gameday not even talking about the unranked 1-2 dogs. But they did cover GT for about 4 minutes.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:49 am
Ah now, don’t pick on Steve. He has enough problems as it is
He can’t help it!
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:50 am
dhargo, i can’t believe it! i made a typo! what’s it like to be perfect? LIKE
Mtn Dawg
September 24th, 2011
11:50 am
Actually Gameday gave about 3-4 min to UGA, about 15 min ago.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:53 am
steve your game starts in 30 minutes. Better hurry and get your 12 pack of natural light and marlboro reds.
Meanwhile in Oxford, Mississippi
September 24th, 2011
11:53 am
1-2 Ole Miss welcomes 1-2 unranked UGA
. . . . . . . . . to the 2011 ” Hot Seat Bowl “.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:54 am
natty light and marlboro reds the breakfast of champions
Mark Bradley
September 24th, 2011
11:54 am
Sorry. Some computer-rebooting was warranted. It won’t happen again … in the next 10 minutes, anyway.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:55 am
Mtn dawg sorry but you’re lying. I have gameday on my dvr and missed 5 minutes and they haven’t covered uga in the past 25 minutes. Maybe they did before then since both coaches are close to getting canned.
SteveO
September 24th, 2011
11:55 am
Stevie, crawl back to your cave.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:56 am
America’s vote 72% in favor of Tech
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:56 am
Nah, I do Sweetwater 420 and Marlboro Lights.
Mtn Dawg
September 24th, 2011
11:56 am
Kirk just picked UNC!!
Steve
September 24th, 2011
11:56 am
Corso picked UNC. Ha.
Mtn Dawg
September 24th, 2011
11:57 am
I swear they talked about UGA Miss for about 3-4 min in the last 30
povox
September 24th, 2011
11:57 am
For what it’s worth, I’d rather be a Tech alum cheering on a team that never wins than a UGA fan any day of the week.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:57 am
Ahh they aren’t gonna pick the irrelevant game Ga is in! What a shocker.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:57 am
Correction Corso picked Tech, Herstreit picked UNC
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:58 am
Okay maybe in the last 30 as my dvr went back 25 minutes when I turned it on. But you said 15. I will give you the benefit of the doubt. The only reason they talked about it though is the coaches on the scorcher seat.
Ol'JacketFan
September 24th, 2011
11:58 am
or Herbstreit
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
11:59 am
They always split the pick in closely ranked teams.
Georgia Tech-UNC on tap | Georgia Tech
September 24th, 2011
11:59 am
[...] be over on Mark Bradley’s live blog of today’s game. A few things. 1. Jeff Greene and Preston Lyons will not dress with injuries. [...]
Bob gt
September 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
No need to talk braves mark. They have it wrapped up. Even if they went 1-4, st louis would have to go 5-0 to beat us and 4-1 to tie. It’s over. On to tech.
Steve
September 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
Mtn Dawg I saw. ESPN only focuses on real teams. Not teams from the ACC. Today’s attendance in the high school stadium for 3-0 and ranked Tech = 45,000. Pathetic.
Mark Bradley
September 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
From the looks of it, this will be a partial sellout.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
Like I said they always split the pick. Corso took WVU
19
September 24th, 2011
12:02 pm
Delbert is correct! Grind the clock! But I won’t complain if we break a few big plays for touchdowns!
Steve, please save it for another day, like November 24th. Good luck to the dogs!
Go Yellow Jackets!
mmgtfan
September 24th, 2011
12:02 pm
Bob Davie is on the call. Great
Mark Bradley
September 24th, 2011
12:02 pm
Carolina takes the ball first.
Who's irrelevant?
September 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
Hey steve. UGa has 3x as many students as Gt. It’s fan base is 5 x bigger. So it makes sense for you to have a stadium that TWICE as big you idiot. You must be a fail at common sense and math.
19
September 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
Sorry, the 26th
Mark Bradley
September 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
Carolina scores on first play!
Not really. But the Heels do gain 25 yards. Inside Tech 40.