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Georgia Tech: Ramblin' On

Getting ready for Mississippi State…

12:29 am October 1, 2009, by Chris Boggs

MSU Thoughts

One thing is for certain, this will not be the same MSU team that Jaybo Shaw and the GT offense ran roughshod over last season.  The new coaching staff up in Starkville has made significant improvements to this 2009 iteration of the Bulldogs.

MSU is 2-2 although they should rightly be 3-1 win a big upset win over LSU.  LSU escaped only on the merits of a game saving goalline stand and a punt return that went for a TD.  The last time Tech faced LSU…well…lets just say MSU played the Bayou Bengals a bit tougher.

Statistically, the Bulldogs pass a little better than Tech does but don’t run quite as well.  That’s to be expected.  The really interesting part is the fact that they are scoring pretty much on exactly the same pace as the Yellow Jackets…27.5 points per game versus Tech’s 27.0.  And three of their games have come against SEC opponents…Auburn, Vandy, and LSU.  So they haven’t padded their offensive stats against cupcakes any more than GT has.

We’ll just have to wait and see which MSU defense shows up…the one that held LSU to 263 total yards or the one that let Auburn run for 390 on the ground.

GT Thoughts

Can the Jackets put together solid back to back efforts?  The UNC game was the best the team has played as a whole since late last season.

The 4-3-4 defensive scheme and personnel changes seemed to help alot.  It was good to see Julian Burnett in there at linebacker and I was really happy to see Egbuniwe and Walls make an impact on the defensive line.  Those guys will need to play well against MSU, because the Bulldogs will try to run the ball and keep the Jackets offense on the sideline.

The offensive players have to keep blocking with enthusiasm and Coach Johnson has to find a way to get Dwyer and the a-backs loose more.  Tech can’t rely on Nesbitt pounding the ball in the middle all season on the midline option.  He’s going to wear down or get hurt.

Hopefully a continuation of the passing game we saw against UNC will help.  Nesbitt went 7 of 11 for about 90 yards.  Its not the yards that count really, its the threat of the big play that keeps safeties honest.  If Tech can keep safeties honest and unsure, it will help spring big plays on the corners.

The kicking game absolutely must improve.  Its unacceptable to give your opponent the ball near midfield because you can’t kick the ball inside the field of play.  Those flubbed kickoffs against UNC bothered me more than the missed fieldgoals.

Looking Ahead

If the Jackets can grab a road win this weekend they’ll be three facing games against the following:

@ FSU, hosting VT, @ Virginia…

FSU has been extremely flakey and have no respectable rushing game worth speaking of.  The Hokies are very tough on defense but are very one dimensional with Tyrod Taylor at QB.  And Virginia is well…just really, really bad.

If Tech can get to 4-1 this weekend then Jacket fans have no reason to think that 7-1 is out of reach.  Maybe 6-2 at worst with Vandy, Wake, and Duke on the backside of the schedule before an off week before UGA.

Yup…the MSU and FSU games loom large and will set the stage for the back half of the schedule.  Its going to be a fun season to watch play out!

Go Jackets!

Beat MSU!

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33 comments Add your comment

Not Disappointed

October 1st, 2009
1:52 am

This should be an interesting game. Miss St wants payback. Jackets want to prove themselves. I’m going with the Jackets to edge it out!

Go Jackets!

Techfan78

October 1st, 2009
2:31 am

It should be a closer game than last years game against MSU. I think we still are the more talented team of the 2. However, if we execute properly on offense like we are capable of doing I dont see any reason why we cant score 35 to 38 points on these guys again. The only difference will be that we will not hold these guys to a single touchdown like we did last year. They are much improved, but I believe that we are going through an improving stage ourselves. The Miami game was a blessing in disguise, a real wakeup call. We started to scratch the surface last week against UNC as to how good we are capable of being. I believe things are looking up for the jackets. Go Tech

Cuttysark

October 1st, 2009
2:34 am

The Bulldogs are a much improved team from last year, but then so are the yellow jackets. Now that the team is on a regular schedule, I expect to see tremendous effort every game from here on out the remainder of the season. It will be interesting to see if Jaybo gets some snaps this week against Mississippi State. Should be a good test for the jackets who have proved that they can move the ball on a good defense such as North Carolina.

Go to http://isportsweb.com for more Georgia Tech football articles and game reports.

Not Disappointed

October 1st, 2009
2:36 am

I also believe Miami may have been some to work from. We do have a good chance.

Ramblin Wreck!

1Jacket7

October 1st, 2009
3:40 am

I am starting to look at things a little differently nowadays pertaining to our schedule. This game is coming at a great time, Tech’s problem the first three games was its ability to be physical. Well the UNC game has shown us all that TECH has realized that it has to be physical to win in this league and on the national level. So, you would think this would have been obvious but when you are dealing with young men you have to work on their emotional state on a weekly basis. But Miss St. will give us the work we need against the passing game that we need for FSU and the running game we will face against VT. We need to win these games and it is there for the taking.

"Toe Meets Leather"

October 1st, 2009
4:33 am

Mississippi St. may have padded numbers against SEC defenses, but they haven’t faced a defense that’s hungry to win the rest. At least as hungry as we are now. There’s no real reason why Tech can’t win out. I think CPJ has drilled that into them and I think they’ll be eager to show that Saturday. The road to 12-1 starts Saturday…

“Toe Meets Leather”….now available….www.stingtees.com

Donnie

October 1st, 2009
5:58 am

I’ll walk to Atlanta from Mississippi if GT ends up 12-1. MSU and Florida State are going to change all your tunes in the next two weeks in GT land.
Go State!!!!!!!!!!!!

Techfan78

October 1st, 2009
7:43 am

Donnie, lay off the kool aid man. Im not saying that Georgia Tech is gonna finish 12-1, im a die hard Tech fan and I dont believe we will run the table, but I do think that we are very prepared for MSU. There is always that chance that we could lose this game but if I were gonna put money on it I would say Tech wins, by a point or by 30. A “W” is a “W”, I will admit MSU is improved but Tech is as well, not to mention we have a little momentum and positive energy now. As for the whole 12-1 thing, we need to take it 1 game at a time and see what happens. Regardless of the record at the end of the season, we have an improved team from last year, heck we have an improved team from 2, 3, and 4 weeks ago. Best of luck to MSU after the Tech game. It is good to see a team in a powerhouse league make a name for itself. MSU will be a force to reckon with in the years to come, as will Georgia Tech. Dan Mullen is a good coach as is Paul Johnson. Both of these programs are on the rise right now. Go Jackets!!!

m

October 1st, 2009
8:56 am

In case you haven’t noticed, the sec sucks this year.

It is alabammer and floriduh and the 10 dwarfs.

#4 ranked (what a joke) lswho got manhandled by Miss St but Miss St blew it at the end.

But it won’t matter to these sec mouth breathers. If we lose it will be because we played an sec team and if we win, it won’t mean anything because they will say we beat their bottom feeders. What they won’t point out is virtually the entire sec is bottom feeders this year.

The sec sucks….Tech will roll in this game.

Tech is the only team out of 108 non-sec teams to voluntarily play 3 of these sec teams. So by the end of the year, Tech is likely to be ACC and sec champs…although the sec is so weak this year that being sec champ is not worth much,

Thank God and Greyhound that chan gomer gailey is gone forever.

Gotta hand it to you m...

October 1st, 2009
11:58 am

…you are consistent – delusional – but consistent.

Jim

October 1st, 2009
12:10 pm

M What is wrong Too much pride to change your alliegnec to an SEC team so you can pull for the BEST confrence in America. Admit it everyone loves to hate the SEC because they are the best, If you you can only complain about it then join it and enjoy, WE love being the SEC.. SEC SEC..SEC

reebok

October 1st, 2009
1:03 pm

Jim – Good morning. As a diehard Tech fan, I will concede that the SEC is the best conference in college football. However, I think that is mostly due to the two big horses at the Top, Florida and Alabama…heck, those might be the 2 best teams in the country. A mid-pack ACC team would give a good battle to a mid-pack SEC team…witness that ugly-a$$ game between mediocre NC State and S Carolina in week 1.

Anyway, good luck on Saturday.

GTMan

October 1st, 2009
1:55 pm

I am worried about this game. Execution should be key, and some new wrinkles to the offense would be ideal at this point.

CW

October 1st, 2009
2:00 pm

I’m glad Tech fans are optimistic, but it seems there is also a healthy amount of blind optimism.

Tech really should be able to beat Ms St, even on the road, but has shown an amazing lack of consistency – quarter to quarter, half to half, game to game. If the entire team can keep the same level of focus that they had last week, then it should be a hard-fought road victory. But, if we put the ball on the ground two or more times, if we continue to have stupid drive-killing penalties, and if we continue to have break downs on long passes, then MS St will be quite happy to clobber us.

It seems that the simplified defensive alignment has helped a good deal and the O-line really just played the first solid game against UNC. If both units can build on the improvements of last week, I like Tech’s chances for a win. However, it remains to be seen if we can play two solid games in a row.

I don’t think MSU is a great team, but anybody who doesn’t recognize that they have played fairly well against solid competition (LSU, Vandy, Auburn) really isn’t a very smart football fan.

Regardless of how well Tech plays, I just don’t see MSU being an easy W.

Saint Simons

October 1st, 2009
2:28 pm

GT Sux!!

((((((((((((33-17))))))))))))))))) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

THE U!

SWBUZZMAN

October 1st, 2009
3:05 pm

Does anyone remember that we killed this team last year…..with a backup QB. This year, I know MSU is better, but so is GT, and we have our starting QB healthy, and more weapons than we had at this point last year. And least everyone forget, they also played LSU tough last year. LSU had to come back to win that game also.

GT rolls 41-10

Angus

October 1st, 2009
4:05 pm

Anybody know if the game will be on TV Saturday?

SWBUZZMAN

October 1st, 2009
4:53 pm

Its on CSS.

third quarter fan

October 1st, 2009
5:34 pm

One unknown about the missy loss to lsu…did they feel they deserved to win? If so, sometimes a loss can create another.

bb

October 1st, 2009
6:35 pm

Jim,

I think you have it wrong. Everyboby doesn’t hate the SEC, but everybody does hate SEC fans.

SEC fans have a lot to be proud of, but they all act like no one else plays football and that no other conference has any quality teams which is just not true. They think because they are ga-ga for their teams, everyone else should forget all other teams and do the same. They are arrogant and act like cheering for any team not in the SEC is stupid.

The SEC may be the best conference, but get real, the gap is not as large as SEC fans would like to think. And they have not always been the best conference like many of you like to think (it has only been the last 3-4 years, no more) and will not always be the best conference. Those things tend to be cyclical.

And Now The Rest of The Story.........

October 1st, 2009
7:21 pm

I have excellent sources who have now informed me the “M” was instrumental in helping to get Chan Gaily to come to Ga Tech – singing his praises every chance he got. What a hoot! He he now has “the shoe on the other foot” so to speak doing everything he can to lead the parade against the very guy he thought was such a great leader and fine example for “our young men”. I think we should run “M” out of town in the same manner he want’s to send Chan out – “On a greyhound”.

Techfan78

October 1st, 2009
7:43 pm

M, I think it is great that you are a Tech fan, I am too, die hard. With that being said, LET IT GO!!! Chan Gailey is gone, he is not coming back. Me and many other Tech fans are glad that he is gone too, but just let it go. As far as saying the SEC sucks, you are delusional, they SEC is the the BEST football conference in the nation. They do have some powerhouse programs, however, even though our ACC doesnt have a true “title contender” year in and year out like the SEC does we have the most balanced conference from top to bottom. The record speaks for itself (10 ACC teams played in bowl games last year) only Duke and UVA didnt play in a bowl game, and for those who may have forgotten UVA was only 1 win short of qualifying for a bowl game. NO other conference has that kind of balance from top to bottom. As for Saint Simons- go back to your cave you wack job. Get a life, you totally disgrace every team that you pull for. Do you even watch games or are you just some punk fairweather fan that only pulls for your team when their winning? Regardless of what kind of loser you are, get a freakin life and blog somewhere that everyone else is pathetic as you. Go Jackets!!!

surfrider

October 2nd, 2009
4:38 am

First great game last week and way to make the adjustments. That said, any team that has a chance to beat LSU is a team that can win any given week. The defense looked outstanding with the pressure 4/3. The offense looked great particularly the way Nesbitt hit on 60%+ of his passes which means we have the potential for an effective passing game. There is a lot of talent on this offensse. Good luck Saturday Jackets!

BigDawg

October 2nd, 2009
6:50 am

Congrats on being so CSS. The dawgs will be on national TV once again. So glad we don’t have to play on Thursday nite as the only game in town to get exposure. Of course, GT is NOT UGA and ACC is NOT SEC. Let’s see, how many national championships has the ACC won in the past 5 years compared to SEC?? hahahahaha Saint Simons and all u other GT bloggers who have nothing to do on your beautiful campus other than enjoying a tickle pile and sliderules!!

macrotech

October 2nd, 2009
9:11 am

BigDawg, yeah….good thing the sec has UF in that conference! EVERYONE, thanks to that brilliant showing at Ok. St., knows that the mutts have had anything to do with those National Championships! Of course, Tech has four of those things in its history….keep your tickle piles and sliderules to yourself. If I remember correctly, South Carolina has played two games on Thursday night, one of which was to Miss.; aren’t THEY in the sec?

GT4Ever

October 2nd, 2009
12:09 pm

Why is everyone giving MSU so much cedit? Is it because they play in the SEC or that they barely lost to an over rated LSU team? Granted, the SEC is the best conference but don’t think MSU is great because they scored 26 on LSU. There’s a reason why GT is favored by 6. We are the better team and we finally showed that last week. They may have a good RB but their QB has barely hit 50% of his passes to go along with a 2-3 TD to INT ratio.
I’m not saying this game is in the bag but I like our chances. I think our boys got a wake up call after the UM game. They looked a heck of a lot better against UNC and should continue to get better week in and week out. CPJ has made the necessary adjustments to win and that’s why he’s a great coach!!!

Lilburn Dawg

October 2nd, 2009
12:22 pm

Saint Simons is like a family relative that you are ashamed to be seen with or admit he is a relative of yours because he is so embarassing. I’m sure glad he belongs to Ga. Tech!!

Sunshine

October 2nd, 2009
12:27 pm

BigDawg, how was that ESPN U for ya last week!? National spotlight, haha!

William Casey

October 2nd, 2009
12:46 pm

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE UNC GAME: GT played hard and executed their game plan. Keep it up!
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE UNC GAME: Nesbitt had to carry the ball 32 times. Keep it under 20. The kicking game. Blair needs focus and confidence.
GT should defeat MSU by about 10 if we limit turnovers.

GT4Ever

October 2nd, 2009
1:45 pm

It seems we’re doing better in the TO faze of the game. I agree JN needs to rely on all his other wepons he has at his disposal. He needs to realize there are other WR’s besides Bay Bay. Do you guys think JN’s throwing % is a reflection of running the ball 20 times a game? I imagine it’s difficult to be that accurate after getting pounded time and time again. GT should take care of business Saturday night. They are the better team.

Ignorant UGA fans are annoying

October 2nd, 2009
5:29 pm

BigDawg – UGA was on ESPN-U last week – I believe more people down here get CSS than ESPN U….second of all SAINT Simons is not a GT blogger, he is just an antagonizer that writes on both GT and UGA blogs…third of all I am glad I am nt a UGA or an SEC fan…you huuys have no clue what it is like to actually appreciate a win…To Hell with Georgia and Bigdawg and his mullet

Sautee Dawg

October 2nd, 2009
6:12 pm

GT4Ever

Don’t underestimate Miss. St. State is playing pretty good ball for the new coach, not saying their the better team or that State will win, just don’t think they should be taken lightly.

Buckhead Bulldog

October 3rd, 2009
1:04 am

Thank you Techfan78….