Live from Tech-Tech: Rain (and an upset) could be coming
Georgia Tech's uniforms. Not much gold in them thar duds, is there? (Photo by M. Bradley)
Blacksburg, Va. — Here’s great news. There’s a flash flood warning in effect here until midnight, with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m. (Kickoff is at 8, or whenever ESPN decides it’s good and ready.) We mention this because …
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech were set to play here on Aug. 27, 2000, which was so long ago that George Godsey was Tech’s quarterback and some guy named Vick was playing for the Hokies. The game never came off. A savage storm that Sunday night forced the game to be canceled, as opposed to postponed. In ESPN lore, the memory lingers because Lee Corso’s rental car was struck by lightning. (Without him inside, let’s stipulate.)
For more on the non-game, here’s esteemed colleagues Ken Sugiura’s recounting of it. But I’m not worried about a repeat of the washout, for these reasons:
1. The forecast — and I’ve been watching — has actually improved throughout the day, and as I type it’s only partly cloudy. (It was, I should note, a weird drive up from Greensboro. It poured in Winston-Salem and was so foggy at 2 p.m. in the Virginia mountains that it seemed like night. Then it got sunny.)
2. My rental car is so small — it’s a compact roughly the size of the water closet on an airplane — that I’m pretty sure any lightning would miss it.
As previously discussed, this seems the biggest game in what stands as a massive season for Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson. As previously mentioned, I like the Jackets to win. I have found absolutely no one else in the media who seconds that emotion, but I’m accustomed to that.
If it should rain hard and/or long, it could well hurt (Ga.) Tech and its pitch-it-around option game more, but those sorts of forecasts are problematic. (Va.) Tech figures to be the better passing team, so inclement weather could curtail the Hokies, too. And if the ball gets so slick nobody can hang on, there’s no real handicapping that.
I’ve liked (Ga.) Tech’s chances all summer because I think this looms as a bigger platform for the Jackets than for the Hokies. VPI, as we old folks used to call this school, is expected to win by a touchdown. VPI is ranked; GT is not. VPI has beaten GT four of the past five years. Give the hunger edge to the visitors.
But really, who knows? Georgia Tech could win, or it could lose, or the game could be rained out. Hey, it happened once.
And whatever happens tonight, I’d appreciate it if you’d hang around for all the fun and frolic. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,439 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
First down. Via the forward pass. Is that legal?
Biff Pocoroba
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
No adjustments in the offense from last year. Good thing we had closed scrimmages so no one could see us running the ball up the middle over and over and over again with an incomplete pass poorly thrown by Tevin every now and then.
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
Alright – FIRST DOWN!!
5150 UOAD
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
Gee I think that was a forward pass,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but I guess the dwag fans think Tech can’t pass.
todd grantham
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
is Paul’s Johnson not on the blog this eveing?
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:27 pm
Big play finally.
ramguy68
September 3rd, 2012
8:28 pm
It’s about time they went outside
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:28 pm
Go B J.
I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary about Uncle John...
September 3rd, 2012
8:28 pm
Did you see that? HE CAN THROW!
BigTimeTECHFan
September 3rd, 2012
8:28 pm
they are running plays to get a read on how the defense is playing, they will make adjustment as needed. BJ Bostic
Fish Frys make u fat
September 3rd, 2012
8:28 pm
That play is why I HATE this offense….u stay in ur lanes and keep ur assignment and this O is TOAST!
ACC Means no D
September 3rd, 2012
8:29 pm
Now that’s good play calling!
todd grantham
September 3rd, 2012
8:29 pm
since when did Tech worry about whether something was legal or not?
J.J.M.
September 3rd, 2012
8:29 pm
here comes a tired defense
Mark Bradley
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Two first downs. Then pffft.
Johnson does not go for it on fourth and 16.
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Ugh….
BigTimeTECHFan
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
we need shaq mason
ARdawg
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Good Luck nerds
Under The Bleachers
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
VT is overpursuing , time for a misdirection play to keep them honest…
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Three consecutive losses…
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Got to have have some “D” here….
todd grantham
September 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
Mark, did you hear the Tech captain during the coin toss say to the ref “man, that coin may be legal but it ain’t tender!!”?
F. Sinkwich
September 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
What a goofball offense.
C’mon, GT, you’re embarrassing the great state of Georgia.
ramguy68
September 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
What was that..a 20 something yd punt?
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
Nothing original in the playcalling so far.
Fish Frys make u fat
September 3rd, 2012
8:31 pm
Might as well Tevin to kick field goals too……he cant run OR pass. Now lets see how long it takes our D to wear down b/c our O stinks……(BUT we get 300 yds a game)
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
Neither the offensive nor defensive lines look particularly good so far, and if the offense can’t stay on the field longer, then our defense will be exhausted before halftime. It’s still early, but so far it’s pretty depressing.
matt
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
Unimpressive start for Tech. I think CPJ offense needs some overhaul.
Randy Carson, IMGT '83
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
24 yard punt???
todd grantham
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
fire paul johnson! no, better yet, sign him to a long term deal tonight.
Georgia Tech is in Atlanta
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
My god we suck!
BRAVOFAN
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
The Yellow Jackets look like a win team this year. they will never be able to win big with this offense.
ToeMeetsLeather
September 3rd, 2012
8:32 pm
CPJ has had a good chance to see what Foster is up too by now. We score on the next possession.
todd grantham
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
get it? legal tender.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
Do will have a misdirection play for Orwin Smith or are we saving that for the 2nd half when the game is out of reach?
DawgNole
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
Supersize that order, mutt
September 3rd, 2012
8:09 pm
@ Mark…..enough with the silly jokes and sarcasm. Just cover the game, please, sir
_____________________
Sounds like somebody’s a little grumpy already. It’s only 7-0.
Georgia Tech is in Atlanta
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
I really should stop mocking third year programs. We’ve been around forever and we don’t play any better than upstarts.
dawgs01
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
i want for the tech and uga series to be like the old fsu and florida series (mid 90’s) where everyone is watching it bc both teams are ranked so high. With all the talents in state there is no reason for that not to happen. Look at what the georgia high school teams did out of state this past weekend we killed every team we played from florida, alabama and s.c. I think one team lost and that score was very close and it was not one of elite teams like the one it was playing from the other state but the score was still close. I think Georgia high school football is as good as it gets. Texas might have bigger stadiums and wt rooms but our teams can hang with them. Cali and Florida might have speed but so do our kids and i think our high school coaches are better especially from watching grayson play miami central and Camden play that florida team both teams were better coached and we had way more speed. Camden won like 57-10 or something and Grayson was like 35-3 to a team that was suppose to be the best in the Country. Miami Central was not a very well coached team just an extremely talented team when it met a team of equal talent the better coaching prevailed. I am not a grayson fan just saying what i saw. Griffin Bears are my team more kids in the pros than any high school program in the state.
Sav FAN
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
D??? they are already poofed
Fish Frys make u fat
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
nice tacklin boys
GT Girl
September 3rd, 2012
8:33 pm
Oh no, Logan running all over us again!
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:34 pm
Why does it look like they have 14 players on offense, and we only seem to have about 8 on D?
Prediction
September 3rd, 2012
8:34 pm
As each second passes, Super is exposed as clueless and wne is shown to be brilliant
The Factor
September 3rd, 2012
8:34 pm
Can’t give field position away with a 25yd punt. Good Luck Jackets from Athens
ACC Means no D
September 3rd, 2012
8:34 pm
Jackets are just toying with the Hokies. Gonna let em get up 21-0 then the Jackets option will crush them!
Jackets 48
Hokies 28
DriveBy Trucker
September 3rd, 2012
8:34 pm
Evan Chan Gailey would be upset with this offensive display.
BRAVOFAN
September 3rd, 2012
8:35 pm
6 win team if they get lucky! The defense has always sucked under Grogh, the special teams has always sucked and now the offense sucks! That spells disaster for Tech! Why is it that all of these players keep doing things to get suspended? Tech and UGA. These kids are on scholarship to play in games like this and now they are watching on tv.
ToeMeetsLeather
September 3rd, 2012
8:36 pm
Too many d**** on here tonight, take care Jacket fans.
Jacket Detective
September 3rd, 2012
8:36 pm
Our D is playing pretty good except for the secondary.
DS CE'91
September 3rd, 2012
8:36 pm
Come on Jackets, hold em here….