University of North Carolina Athletics
Georgia Tech Game Guide
November 5, 2008 | Football
Nov. 5, 2008
By Lauren Brownlow
Every Thursday, check TarHeelBlue.com for the latest edition of the Game Guide, which provides all the information you need to get ready for gameday.
The Basics
After a bye week, No. 19 Carolina (6-2, 2-2) will host No. 22/20 Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2) in the first of four important conference games to close out the season. It's a game that is important to both teams as both have lost to Virginia and Virginia Tech and can't afford another loss to a Coastal opponent. Both Carolina and Georgia Tech are undefeated against all teams outside of Virginia; both teams lost to both Virginia opponents by small margins (both lost 20-17 to Virginia Tech after starting their seasons 2-0; Georgia Tech lost by seven to Virginia and Carolina lost by three). Carolina is coming off of a 45-24 win over Boston College, then the No. 23 team in the country, two weeks ago. Georgia Tech is coming off of a 31-28 win over then-No. 16 Florida State in Atlanta. Florida State was driving for the go-ahead touchdown but freshman safety Cooper Taylor forced a fumble which freshman corner Rashaad Reid recovered in the end zone.
Georgia Tech has won nine of the last ten meetings. Carolina trails in the all-time series, 17-23-3. Carolina's last win in the series came at Kenan Stadium in 2004, 34-13. Carolina has lost the last three meetings by an average of 5.0 points. This will be the first time since 2001 that both teams have been ranked; Carolina lost 28-21. Carolina holds a 10-8-3 edge in Kenan Stadium.
Game Time: Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 12:00 PM, Raycom
Carolina's game notes can be here.
Last Time: Carolina lost a heart-breaker to Georgia Tech, 27-25, in Atlanta on November 17, 2007. Connor Barth kept Carolina in the game early, making two field goals in the first half for Carolina's only points (a 42-yarder and a 21-yarder). But Carolina went into halftime down 10-6. Carolina could not take advantage of turnovers by Georgia Tech. Carolina gained a fumble in the second quarter and fumbled it right back. Carolina then gained another fumble in the third quarter and could manage just a field goal to cut it to 10-9. Georgia Tech scored a touchdown on a 40-yard pass to make it 17-9 late in the third. Carolina responded with a three-play, 57-yard touchdown drive to cut the score to 17-15 when a two-point conversion try failed. Twenty seconds later, Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt came into the game and capped off a two-play, 80-yard drive with a 47-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-15 with 14:32 left. Carolina was able to recover yet another fumble at the Georgia Tech 30-yard line but a holding penalty nullified a touchdown pass and took them out of field goal range. Hilee Taylor forced a fumble on the Georgia Tech two-yard line and Carolina was able to score a touchdown to give Carolina the lead, 25-24, with 5:50 to go. Georgia Tech's kicker Travis Bell missed a 33-yard field goal with 2:31 to go but after Carolina went three-and-out, Georgia Tech went on a drive that lasted 1:14 and went 41 yards to set up a 27-yard field goal, made easier by a 12-men on the field penalty. That made the score 27-25 with 16 seconds left; Carolina nearly set up a makeable field goal try for Barth but his 63-yard attempt was blocked.
In Greg Little's first start at tailback for Carolina, he had 25 rushes for 89 yards. T.J. Yates completed 21-of-35 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown. He was also sacked four times. Hakeem Nicks led Carolina in receiving with seven catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. Connor Barth hit 4-of-5 field goals. Durell Mapp led Carolina in tackles with eight, including one sack and one fumble recovery. Aleric Mullins had a career game with two solo tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a pass defended. Tashard Choice ran for 142 yards on 33 carries; Josh Nesbitt added 53 yards on just four carries. Taylor Bennett completed 13-of-24 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown; he was also sacked four times. Greg Smith caught touchdowns from Bennett and Nesbitt, leading the Yellow Jackets in receiving with six catches for 155 yards. Gary Guyton led the Tech defense with 8 solo tackles, three for loss and two sacks.
Gameday Weather: Check the local weather forecast before heading for the game.
Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage begins at 11:00 AM. The radio broadcast is also available on XM Channel 190 at 12:00. Since it's a home game, the Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast can be heard on XM.
TV Coverage: The game will be broadcast regionally on Raycom.
Game week TV/radio coverage: "Butch Davis Live", Coach Davis' weekly radio show, will be broadcast live from the Top of the Hill restaurant on Franklin Street every Wednesday at 7:00. Inside the Huddle with Butch Davis airs Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on FOX Sports South. Inside the Huddle with Butch Davis will air on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WTVD ABC 11 in the Triangle and will review Saturday's game. The Tar Heel Football Review show featuring highlights of the previous week's games will air Tuesday's at 7 p.m. and Thursday's at 8 p.m. in the Triangle and Fayetteville on the local Time Warner Cable station.
Storylines
Carolina's offensive line against the Georgia Tech defensive line: Boston College's defensive line was the biggest and bulkiest Carolina had faced. But this Georgia Tech defensive line is as good as any in the country and perhaps the best in the ACC. The shortest among the group is a 6-2 defensive tackle (ESPN's ACC Midseason Defensive MVP Vance Walker) and the lightest is 260 (speedy future NFL draft pick Michael Johnson, who also stands 6-7). All four rank in the top 100 in the nation in tackles for loss. Three rank in the top ten in the ACC. Two are in the top six in the league in sacks; both are the powerful defensive ends (senior Johnson and sophomore Derrick Morgan). Morgan is also 3rd in the nation and first in the league in fumbles recovered with four.
These four starters have combined for 17.5 sacks and 37.5 tackles for loss. Johnson leads the team in tackles for loss with 11.0 and Morgan has a team-high 6.5 sacks. That group kept Georgia Tech in the game against Gardner-Webb, with Morgan and Johnson combining for 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Against Clemson and Virginia, the four combined for 22 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Against Florida State, the four dominated a young Florida State line and had 4.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Walker has a safety; three of the four have broken up at least one pass and Morgan and Johnson each also have blocked kicks this season. Johnson blocked the field goal last season that would have won the game for Carolina last season in the loss. Walker had five tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery against Carolina last season. Darryl Richard had 2.0 tackles for loss.
This Georgia Tech defense ranks in the top 40 of almost every defensive category nationally and is in the top 20 of ten categories. The Yellow Jackets have the No. 16 passing defense in the nation (170.1 yards allowed), the No. 11 scoring defense (14.8 points) and the No. 14 total defense (284.7 yards allowed). They are 33rd in rushing defense, allowing 114.6 yards per game. They have struggled only in two other areas; they rank 70th in third-down defense allowing 39.4% conversions and 34th in opponent first downs (16.7 per game). But they are first in the country in tackles for loss (8.9 per game), 14th in sacks (2.9 per game), 16th in pass efficiency defense (103.9) and tied for 14th in red zone defense (70%). They are also tied for third in turnovers gained (25), tied for fourth in passes intercepted (15, one more than Carolina) and tied for 17th in fumbles recovered (ten).
"Their defensive line is very aggressive. It's a little different scheme obviously because they changed coordinators from last year," Davis said. "They're not the fire-zone blitzes and stuff that you saw so much last year. They're structurally different. They're a 4-3 but they still will blitz you. They'll still bring some pressure and their defensive line is very good. They've got two extraordinarily big, tall, athletic defensive ends. Those guys kind of control the edges of their defense. The secondary is very athletic. They run very well to the football.
"When you practice against your own offense it tends to lead itself to things that are very noticeable and one of the things about Georgia Tech's defense is they tackle very well. You can tell because of what they're practicing against during their own spring and during their own training camp, a lot of run. They tackle well. Their secondary tackles well. Their linebackers tackle well. So it's definitely a byproduct of the environment in which they've created down there."
Controlling the ball and the clock: Don't call Paul Johnson's offense a "triple option" offense - this is only a term for one of the signature plays of that offense, but it's not the whole thing. For some terms and explanations of the offense, click here. It's a tricky offense to defend. But Carolina's run defense has been stout in the last three games, allowing 187 yards (62.3 per game) on 78 carries (2.4 yards per carry). In its first five games, Carolina allowed 722 yards (144.4 per game) on 190 carries (3.8 yards per carry). "I just think honestly that we've got seven guys up front and then the safeties all playing the right run responsibilities," Mark Paschal said. "We've been tackling pretty well. We're physical and we're fast up front. Whenever you have that combination, the chance for you to stop the run makes it a lot easier."
But this is far from a traditional rushing attack. Carolina has had athletic scout team players like Anthony Parker-Boyd and Quinton Plair run the offense, using the bye week to help them get adjusted to something completely different. It features three backs, two A-backs and one B-back. Two of those backs generally block and the B-back is usually the ball carrier, but anyone could get the ball. Wide receivers must block as well as a tight end would and the blocking ability of all three backs is also important. The quarterback has the option to keep it himself or pitch it to a teammate. Davis said his team is very fortunate to have had this bye week as getting Carolina used to defending the offense is almost a completely separate process from getting the scout team used to running it.
"One of the things that you have to caution your own team about is the speed at which we're going to be able to execute it will nowhere near match the speed at which they're going to execute it.," Davis said. "You've really got to get into the flow and the speed of the game as quickly as possible. You don't want to jump out there and be 14 points behind just trying to figure out how fast does the quarterback come out under the fake to the fullback and get to the perimeter and the pitches and all those kinds of things. They block extremely well. They block the edges well with the slot backs. They block very well with the wide receivers."
Georgia Tech is still getting used to running this offense, however. It is 66th in the nation in time of possession but it is eight in the nation in rushing offense (242.3 yards per game). The Yellow Jackets are 115th in passing yardage (108.7 per game) but 39th in passing efficiency and second in the ACC with a 136.17 rating. But Georgia Tech has had trouble hanging on to the ball, ranking ninth in the ACC and 91st in the country in turnovers lost with 19. It is tied for 117th in the country in fumbles lost with 15. The Yellow Jackets have struggled converting third downs (39.5%) and gaining first downs (16.2 per game, 104th in the country) and at times, it has struggled in the red zone (T-81st in the country with 79 percent). So even if Carolina can't force some of the turnovers it has prided itself on in this game, it will need to keep Georgia Tech from achieving its objective - staying on the field.
"Forcing them to punt is almost like a turnover, depending on the field position," Trimane Goddard said. "There are still things you can do. They may not throw the ball as much but if you get a key stop and you keep them off the field, it's just as good as a turnover because they're off the field and our offense is on the field. It depends on what kinds of field position battles you're playing. So turnovers are good but also field position and that battle is a good thing playing against a team like this."
But if the Carolina defense forces Georgia Tech to punt, Carolina's offense needs to be able to give them a break. Carolina has done a much better job of controlling the ball in recent games. Carolina began the season losing the time of possession battle in five of its first six games, including two by double-digits, and averaging just over 26 and a half minutes a game compared to almost 33 and a half for the opponent. In its last two games, Carolina has had advantage of 5.5 minutes per game, including an 8:26 edge over Virginia and a 2:34 edge over Boston College. Carolina has averaged 140 yards on the ground in the last two games compared to 120.8 in its first six and has averaged 42.0 attempts compared to 32.8 in the first six.
"Time of possession, being able to move the ball, run, be effective - it helps our offense a great deal. When we're having some success running the football, it certainly gives validity to everything else that we're doing," Davis said. "I think everybody recognizes that when you're running the football, even if you're not throwing on first down or second down, the threat of the run always gives you the chance to stay out of non-makeable first down situations. You don't want to operate in 2nd and 12 or 2nd and 13 or 3rd and 10-plus. If you're having any kind of success moving the ball, at least it gives you chances to make 50% of your third downs because you're not trying to convert things that are third and long."
The balance of avoiding mistakes versus taking advantage of opportunities: The admonishment to not bite the cheese was something the Carolina defense heard often after the McNeese State game. Carolina allowed 391 total yards, the most by any opponent other than Notre Dame, in that game. It also allowed a tricky offense to rush for 152 yards, the most the Tar Heels have allowed all season except for to then-national leading rusher Donald Brown and Connecticut. Carolina's young defense was eager to make plays against a team that it perhaps thought it could beat and those mistakes nearly cost Carolina the game. But this defense has improved immeasurably since that game, taking the calls for discipline to heart and with rare exceptions, playing their responsibilities. "In that first game, we had a few people in the wrong spots, wrong fits, maybe jumping a route they shouldn't have," Goddard said. "As the season has went on, we've done a lot better fitting the runs and fitting route concepts at the same time."
Paul Johnson's offense, as the previous storyline points out, was originally designed to help teams like Navy control the clock and keep opposing offenses off the field. But with the kind of athletes at Georgia Tech, that offense takes on a new dimension and becomes infinitely more dangerous. Whereas a Navy team of old might pick a team apart during the course of a game, this Georgia Tech team is capable of getting big plays. Jonathan Dwyer plays fullback in this offense or "B-back". There are two other backs on the field with him both known as "A-backs". If there's any indication as to how much of a threat athletically Georgia Tech can be with this type of line-up, Greg Smith, a former wide receiver who torched the Tar Heels for several big plays last season, is now a reserve A-back and scored a touchdown against Florida State last week.
This is an offense that doesn't necessarily depend entirely on big plays but is more than capable of taking advantage of defensive lapses. Georgia Tech has 47 "big plays" (20 yards or more) on the season; 27 have come against ACC teams and of those, six have gone for touchdowns. Sixteen of the "big plays" have come on 1st and 10, a time when perhaps most opponents are expecting a more conservative play call. Six big plays have come on second down and an average of 10.0 yards to go and five on third down and 11.8 yards to go. Last weekend, Florida State's young defense was victimized for six big plays; two of those went for touchdowns. In Georgia Tech's four ACC wins, it has 21 big plays (5.3 per game) and five touchdowns on those. The Yellow Jackets have at least one "big play" touchdown in each ACC win. In its two ACC losses, they had just six big plays (five against Virginia Tech and just one against Virginia).
With a team that does not pass the ball very much, Carolina's safeties could be tempted to "bite the cheese" and aggressively play the run. If that happens, Carolina could get severely burned because they are the last line of defense. If they bite, it's a touchdown. "With what Georgia Tech is doing, because they have two wide receivers and they have two guys in the slot that are in a dangerous position to get out for passes, and you're going to require your secondary to be a big significant part of the run defense, you're always very susceptible to play-action passes," Davis said. "We talk about it with all the read-option stuff but it's even more so playing this offense that you'd better be disciplined. Guys have got to read their keys and have to know exactly what their responsibilities are because they will make you pay big-time if you're out of position, if you're cheating or you're leaning or you're trying to steal something, they're good enough to take advantage of it."
Carolina has had its share of big plays as well - 32, to be exact. Twelve have been runs of 15 yards or more and 20 have been passes of 20 yards or more. Of course, 23 of those came in games when Carolina still had Brandon Tate; Tate himself accounted for twelve. Cam Sexton has completed passes to Tar Heel wideouts for 11 of the 32, including the longest play (a 74-yard touchdown to Hakeem Nicks against Miami). Carolina had 17 big plays in its first three games and 15 in the last five, but with Tate out, other areas have started to contribute. Carolina had three big plays against Connecticut but returned an interception and a blocked punt for touchdowns. It had three against Notre Dame but returned a pick for a score. It had three against Boston College but returned another interception for a touchdown.
Georgia Tech has allowed 20 big plays and 14 in ACC play. Four of those have gone for touchdowns. Carolina has seven touchdowns against FBS schools on big plays and six against ACC teams. Georgia Tech has allowed eight of the big plays on 1st and 10 (including two touchdowns). In its four ACC wins, it has allowed eight big plays and it has allowed six big plays in two losses. In its last two ACC wins, opponents have scored three touchdowns off of six big plays and still lost. Georgia Tech has allowed eight of its 14 big plays to ACC schools in the last two games alone, four by Virginia and four by Florida State. Of those, just one went for at touchdown. It is indicative somewhat of some injuries to the Georgia Tech secondary but Carolina will need to execute if it gets a big-play chance.
Both teams have won in large part because of turnover margin. Georgia Tech is 29th in the country in turnover margin (+0.67) and Carolina is sixth at +1.25. Georgia Tech has actually gained more than Carolina (25 compared to 21 for Carolina) but has given up more (19 compared to 11 for Carolina). Still, Carolina's bread and butter has been the interception. It leads the nation in picks with 17. But Georgia Tech is tied for fourth in the country in fewest passes intercepted with just four all season. This game could come down to which team is better able to convert a turnover, if one happens, into points.
Georgia Tech has gained 13 turnovers in four ACC wins and has scored 20 points off of those turnovers. It forced three turnovers against Boston College but hit just 1-of-3 field goals. It converted its lone turnover gained against Duke, an interception, into three points. It turned six Clemson turnovers into one touchdown and one game-sealing interception. On three Florida State turnovers, it scored one touchdown, punted once and recovered a Florida State fumble in the end zone to seal the win. In its two ACC losses, it has gained three turnovers and scored ten points. The Yellow Jackets forced no Virginia Tech turnovers and turned three Virginia turnovers into ten points.
Georgia Tech's opponents have been the ones able to capitalize on turnovers. Virginia Tech and Virginia combined to force six turnovers and scored 17 points. Virginia Tech scored a touchdown and made a field goal on three turnovers forced. Virginia scored one touchdown, fumbled the ball back once and sealed the win with a forced turnover. In Georgia Tech's four conference wins, it has lost eight turnovers and opponents have converted them into just ten points. Boston College turned three Georgia Tech fumbles into 1-of-2 field goals and a punt. Duke recovered a fumble but was forced to punt. Clemson recovered two fumbles and scored a touchdown but also fumbled it back. Florida State forced a fumble and picked off a pass but fumbled it back to Georgia Tech both times. That means that in those wins, on the eight times Georgia Tech has turned it over, the defense has gotten it back on another forced turnover three times.
In two ACC losses, Carolina has gained two turnovers and scored zero points. Virginia did not commit a single turnover and even though Carolina picked off two Virginia passes, it missed a field goal and was forced to punt. Carolina has gained five turnovers in two ACC wins and scored 21 points; all 21 were against Boston College. Against Miami, Carolina picked off two passes but one led to a missed field goal and the other was in the end zone to seal the win. Against Boston College, Carolina was finally able to capitalize on turnovers, scoring off of all three interceptions. One was run back for a touchdown, the other was run back to the one-yard line and Carolina was able to drive the rest of the way to score on a third. In Carolina's two ACC wins, it has allowed 48 points and just seven have come off of turnovers. Boston College got the only points off of the lone turnover lost in an ACC win after it sacked Cam Sexton, forced a fumble and scored a touchdown. In Carolina's two ACC losses, Carolina has allowed just 36 points and 13 of those have come off of seven lost turnovers. Virginia Tech hit a field goal, scored a touchdown, was forced to punt once and got an interception to seal its victory against Carolina. Virginia was forced to punt after one turnover and hit 1-of-2 field goals, accounting for three of its ten points in regulation.
At The Game
Listening to the Tar Heel Sports Network at the game: WCHL 1360 is the local affiliate.
Parking/construction update: For the latest information, click here.
Pregame activities: Tar Heel Town will open at 9:00 AM on Saturday and the Countdown to Kickoff radio show will broadcast live there beginning at 10:00. The Old Well Walk will be at 9:45 and then the Marching Tar Heels will perform on the steps of Wilson Library at 11:00 before heading to the stadium. Then at 11:15, start making your way to Kenan Stadium and make sure you're in your seats early. For more information, see the new <"http: tarheelblue.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/unc/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2008fanguide"="">2008 Fan Guide on TarHeelBlue.com.
Postgame activities: See the Fan Guide on TarHeelBlue.com for the latest information on postgame parking and activities.
Watching At Home
Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.
A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.
Raycom coverage: The game will be shown regionally on Raycom. Steve Martin will handle the play-by-play, Rick "Doc" Walker will be the color analyst and Mike Hogewood will be the sideline reporter.
Names To Know
Shaun Draughn: After exploding on the scene to re-ignite Carolina's running game in the last three games, Draughn was having a tough day against Boston College. He had 29 yards on 11 carries (2.6 yards per carry) and was often running right into a burly Boston College defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage. Then on the second-to-last drive of the game for Carolina, he had 35 yards on 7 carries (5.0 yards per carry) and even though his longest run was for ten yards, the Carolina faithful stood up and applauded his effort as he walked off the field for the last time. It's that kind of resilience and determination that he runs with that Carolina as a team - and particularly the Carolina running game - will need against the Georgia Tech defensive line.
Georgia Tech has allowed over 125 yards or more four times in ACC play; two of those were in losses (126 to Virginia and 199 to Virginia Tech). Virginia's Cedric Peerman had the most carries by an ACC back against the Yellow Jackets, toughing out 118 yards on 25 carries. The defense allowed 196 yards on 36 attempts to Florida State last weekend but the two largest outputs against Georgia Tech on the ground have come from teams with mobile quarterbacks (Florida State and Virginia Tech). In the last four games, Draughn has 402 yards and has averaged 100.5 yards per game.
Mark Paschal: Paschal had ten tackles (7 solo) against Boston College and 5.5 of those came on the first drive of the game as Boston College moved down the field with ease. But it ended at the Carolina 18-yard line. He and Trimane Goddard teamed up to stop the run for no gain and set up a field goal, a play that arguably switched the momentum in the game for the defense. Paschal is leading the team in tackles (70), tackles for loss (6.5) and tied for first in sacks (2.0). He also has two interceptions, two passes defended and leads the team with two forced fumbles.
He got on a roll at the end of last season and it was on during the Georgia Tech game when he had seven tackles (six solo) and 1.0 tackles for loss. It will be different against this offense as the goal is to blow the defensive linemen off the ball and go up-field to block linebackers. The senior leader is having his best season as a Tar Heel and not a moment too soon. He has seen it all at Carolina and while he's happy to be bowl-eligible, he wants more for this team. He will be reminding the rest of his young defensive teammates how much this game means and how important preparation will be.
Trimane Goddard: Goddard had a huge game against Georgia Tech with four solo tackles and a forced fumble. Carolina will need Goddard to play well against Georgia Tech because the secondary is the last line of defense. It should be a position Goddard is familiar with because he has been the last line of defense in games for Carolina already twice this season. His interceptions against Miami, particularly the Pontiac Game-Changing interception in the end zone, saved that game. He has five interceptions in four different games; Carolina is 4-0 in those games. He has four in the last five games. Against Connecticut, he had another interception at the end of the second quarter. He didn't have one against Notre Dame but it was his forced fumble on the final drive of the game that saved that one for the Tar Heels. Then he had an interception return for a touchdown against Boston College. His hard work this season has now made him a finalist for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back. He is second on the team in passes broken up with three and has 34 tackles (1.5 for loss).
Jonathan Dwyer: The 6-0, 228-pound sophomore B-back has thrived in his role as the focus of Paul Johnson's offense. He is averaging 99.9 yards on the ground per game which ranks second in the league and 28th in the country. He is third in all-purpose yards with 134.8 per game and fifth in the league in scoring with eight touchdowns in nine games. Against Florida State, he had 145 yards on 13 carries (11.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. "That's the bread and butter of that offense is that you have to have somebody with great respect, somebody that not only is tough and physical and is willing to slam it up in there and be happy to make three as well as happy to make 65 (yards)," Davis said. "That's where the whole threat basically begins. You have to pay great respect to the fullback position because he's the guy that's going to start almost every single play. Then it moves on from there to the success of the quarterback and then to the guys that they're pitching the ball to."
In two Georgia Tech losses plus its narrow win over FCS Gardner-Webb, Dwyer has averaged 2.9 yards per carry and 41.7 yards in those three games. Georgia Tech has scored 2.3 fewer points per game than its opponents in those three games. Virginia was his best game in a loss with 70 yards on 17 carries; Virginia Tech held him to 28 yards on ten carries and Gardner-Webb held him to 27 yards on 16 carries. He did score the only touchdown in that game on a 79-yard catch. In Georgia Tech's other six games which it has won by an average of 15.8 points, Dwyer has 100 yards or more in all six and averaged 129 yards in those games, rushing for six touchdowns and averaging a staggering 8.1 yards per carry.
Morgan Burnett: The sophomore safety is certainly benefiting from a stout Georgia Tech defensive line, but he has made the most of his opportunities. He leads the team and is 15th in the ACC in tackles (63, 43 solo). He leads the league and is tied for first in the nation in interceptions with six. He is second in the league and tied for 12th in the country in passes defended with 12 (six interceptions and six passes broken up). Burnett had eight tackles against Florida State including a tackle for loss and had four passes defended. On the season, he has 4.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble in addition to his other stats. He showed flashes of his ability last year by leading Georgia Tech in interceptions with three despite starting just one game; it was the Carolina game. In that game, he had six tackles (five solo) and two passes defended. On the season, he had seven pass breakups and six came in Georgia Tech's final two games. Against Georgia, he had six tackles, a fumble recovery and three passes defended.
Josh Nesbitt/Jaybo Shaw: Josh Nesbitt went out of the Florida State game with an ankle injury and if - or how much - he will play on Saturday remains up in the air. Nesbitt completely changed the Georgia Tech game last season in just two plays. Even though he was not the starter, he came into the game when Carolina had cut the score to 17-15 with 14:52 to go in the game. On the first play of the drive, he ran for 33 yards and followed that up with a 47-yard touchdown pass on his only throw of the game. That made the score 24-15, eliminating all Carolina had done to catch up in the span of just 20 seconds. He had three other rushes for 20 yards. He also lost a fumble at the GT32 with 8:27 to go that was recovered and forced by Aleric Mullins; unfortunately, Carolina got a holding penalty that nullified a touchdown throw and pushed it out of field-goal range.
But the sophomore is a game-changer and when healthy this season, he has done that. After Florida State fell behind 10-3, he led them to three consecutive unanswered scoring drives in the span of four minutes and 15 seconds to give Georgia Tech a 24-10 lead. Trailing Clemson 17-14 in the fourth, he converted three first downs and passed for the winning touchdown. Even in the loss, he set a Georgia Tech record for rushing yards by a quarterback against Virginia Tech with 151. He also became just the fourth player to rush and throw for over 100 yards in the same game, throwing for 109 yards. He is ninth in the ACC in rushing with 62.3 yards per game. He is the second-leading rusher and also second in rushing touchdowns on the team with six. He is averaging 4.0 yards per carry. He is first in total offense with 136.3 yards per game.
Nesbitt has rushed for at least 50 yards in all but one ACC game this season that he has played in (the loss to Virginia) and has at least one rushing touchdown in four of the five conference games. At Clemson, he ran the ball 26 times for 77 yards and a touchdown and against Florida State before his ankle injury, he rushed 14 times for 61 yards. Oddly enough, he has two 100-yard passing games against ACC opponents and both came in losses. He also has five lost fumbles; four have come in the two ACC losses (two against Virginia and two against Virginia Tech). He also threw one interception in each of those games. He was sacked a season-high four times by Virginia and wasn't sacked at all against Florida State a week later (nor was backup Jaybo Shaw). He has at least one big play in all five ACC games he has played in this season; he had four against Virginia Tech, three against Clemson, just one against Virginia and two against Florida State. Nesbitt has run the option well this season and when he can't be forced into turnovers, he is very dangerous.
True freshman quarterback Jaybo Shaw has stepped in for Nesbitt when he has been injured and played well. In his first career start against Duke, he had 230 yards, the most ever by a Georgia Tech first-time starter. He has been sacked only twice and thrown just one interception, which came last weekend against Florida State on his only pass attempt. He also has been shut down on the ground in his two ACC games, rushing for 18 yards on 25 attempts against Duke and Florida State. He completed 9-of-14 passes in those two games, though, and has completed 62.5% of his passes for 321 yards with a team-high 194.02 passer rating. He has rushed for three touchdowns and passed for two. He came in against Mississippi State after a Nesbitt injury and completed 3-of-7 passes for 43 yards and one touchdown. He was not sacked. He also ran nine times for 61 yards and another touchdown. Shaw has played very well for a true freshman, losing two fumbles and throwing just one interception. He has adapted well to the offense since the first day and is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback.
Lauren Brownlow is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly
Players Mentioned
