Thoughts On Thursday: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
By Rich Lynch
Thoughts On Thursday: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
In big-time college football, it is difficult to use stats to argue who will win and who will lose during the first few weeks of the season. Key contributors from the previous season have moved on, coaching changes occur and the schedule is usually stuffed with inferior opponents. That’s all water under the bridge at this juncture.
Bring on the stats, baby.
Georgia Tech gets the primetime home game in Bobby Dodd Stadium Thursday in this week’s ESPN showcase. Georgia Tech had a pedestrian first half on Saturday against an athletic North Carolina defense.
However, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson jiggered his play calling in the second stanza. That resulted in 200-yards rushing and two-touchdowns between the tandem of Robert Godhigh (too much there to even start) and David Sims. Godhigh is the prototypical change-of-pace back who at 5-foot-7 fits neatly behind his blockers and can dart to open spaces in the blocking scheme with ease.
The Georgia Tech offense was actually its best DEFENSE against Carolina, as the Yellow Jackets had 40 minutes of possession to 20 minutes for the Tar Heels.
Defensively, Georgia Tech is giving up 11 points per game which is good for 12th nationally. However, against the pass-focused Tar Heels last week the Rambling Wreck gave up 21 points along with 218-yards and two-touchdowns in the air.
Virginia Tech needed four quarters and three overtimes to dispatch Marshall last Saturday. Virginia Tech had a blocked punt for a touchdown early in the first half. The Hokies would have been “day dream believers,” (The Monkees, 1967) for a win if not for the seven-point windfall as a result of their Special teams brand known as, Beamerball.
Virginia Tech is scoring 25 points per game with senior quarterback Logan Thomas managing the offense. Logan has looked slow and perplexed at times this season. He has thrown for 698 yards, four touchdowns and SIX interceptions.
There is not a lot around Logan in terms of running backs, receivers or an offensive line. The defense and the aforementioned special teams are his best support and they have been average per Virginia Tech standards as well.
The defense is allowing 17 points per game, ranking them 28th nationally. The Hokies are allowing 181-yards passing and 161 yards rushing which is for the 100th and 75th ranking respectively. Basically, the Gobblers are average on defense.
Look for Robert Godhigh and David Sims to have some neat runs in this game against a completely lackluster Hokies defense. Look for Logan Thomas to have an up- and-down performance. Look for this to be a beatdown by the Rambling Wreck UNLESS Beamerball results in special team points for the road team.
Final Score: Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 17