Georgia Tech Blog

February 24, 2010

Georgia Tech Spring Preview: Offense
By Matt Powers

(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

QB
The important thing to note is that 1st team All ACC quarterback Josh Nesbitt will not participate in spring practice due to routine ankle surgery to clean it up. That is both good and bad news for Tech, because with star receiver Demaryius Thomas gone, Nesbitt could really use work on his passing. However the positive is that Nesbitt is a senior and none of his backups have significant experience, other than Jaybo Shaw whose significant experience was in 2008 against weak teams in Mississippi State and Duke and has struggled against better competition when he has been in. Shaw is not the biggest or most physically talented player, but he's a leader and has great knowledge of the offense as he not only ran it in high school, but was the son of the coach. He was slowed by a broken collarbone in 2009 that kept him out for the first half of the year, so him struggling can be attributed to few reps in summer practice. He is a decent passer, but isn't an explosive runner. There are rumors going around that Shaw is transferring, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Sophomore Tevin Washington is a very good athlete, and is a kid that has always been rumored to be a candidate to switch positions. The long look he will get heading in as the number two guy will show the coaches whether or not he is going to stay at quarterback. Washington's passing ability is his biggest question mark with the other question being whether or not he's big enough to take the pounding that Nesbitt took last year when he is only listed at 190 pounds. Redshirt freshman Jordan Luallen was a four star recruit who has natural leadership ability, and was actually a big part of the 2009 recruiting class by recruiting other prospects. Luallen ran a similar offense in high school, and looks to have the potential to be a threat in the air. Luallen does need to refine his passing skills though, but he's got enough ability to possibly end up as the number two guy this fall. Another redshirt freshman in David Sims is the other player in the mix here. Sims was very highly recruited among the ACC, SEC, and Big 12-but other schools wanted him to play elsewhere. Sims is obviously a big time athlete, maybe even the best on the offense, but like the others his passing needs some work, which is why he is a candidate to move positions if it doesn't work out at quarterback. One thing that will benefit him though is that he is thickly built, similar to Nesbitt, and should be able to handle to pounding that an option quarterback will take. It will be interesting to see how things shake out in spring practice now that Sims and Luallen have some experience in the system, because this could help decide who the new starter will be in 2011 although there will still be plenty of time for the others to catch up.

B-Back(fullback)
All ACC and 2008 ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer has moved on to the NFL, leaving a year of eligibility on the table. His replacement will actually be a returning starter, Anthony Allen, who is being moved from A-Back because this position is much more important in the offense. Allen is a Louisville transfer who had great success there in 2006 and 2007, but left due to an issue with the coaching staff. Allen spent last year in the slot back role, which is surprising to some because he's a bigger back and isn't exactly the fastest player, but he averaged nearly 10 yards per carry while making countless big plays. The Jackets will lose something in the switch from Dwyer to Allen, but it's not much as Allen is an NFL prospect in his own right. Behind Allen would normally be Preston Lyons, a junior walkon who spelled Dwyer all last year, but Lyons will be out for the spring as he recovers from a minor injury. That means that sophomore Richard Watson, a promising big back from Florida with some surprising-but not elite-speed, will get a long look. Many considered Watson to be among the better recruits in the Jackets 2008 class. Redshirt freshman Daniel Drummond will also get a long look. Drummond was a very solid three sar prospect last year with good potential. In high school, Drummond was a top weightlifter nationally, and also posseses solid athleticism. Senior Lucas Cox, a 2008 starter at A-Back, could be in the mix as well, but he may get moved to either A-Back or linebacker. Cox, like Allen was a little out of place at A-Back, but succeeded there although Cox's success was more due to his blocking than running. B-Back has another big time player, but hopefully the coaches get to take long looks at Watson and Drummond over the spring with Lyons out, because Allen only has one year left.

A-Back(slot back)
The good news is that 2008 star Roddy Jones will be back at full strength this year. Jones wasn't able to participate in summer practices last year for a while due to a broken wrist, which really seemed to slow him down along with the emergence of Allen. With Allen being moved, junior Embry Peeples is the favorite to move into that spot, after showing his ability in the run game over the last two years and actually being the Jackets second leading receiver last year. Fellow junior Marcus Wright is a little undersized, but is a big play back with explosive athleticism. His chances at starting depend on how much he improves his blocking and ball security, but with a rotation here he doesn't need to start to make a big contribution if you look at Peeples last year. Sophomore Chris Jackson enters the mix as well after sitting out last year after transferring in from Alabama. Jackson was a four star receiver out of high school, with a good set of hands. He may end up at receiver, but he could be dangerous in the passing game out of the backfield as well and wouldn't need to block as much as he would at receiver. Sophomore Orwin Smith had a successful true freshman year as the kick return man, and in limited carries showed why the Tech staff badly wanted to land him in the class of 2009. True freshman Charles Perkins, an early enrollee, will also be added in, although most believe that he will eventually end up at B-Back. Perkins had a very big senior year of high school, but is more successful running between the tackles and doesn't have breakaway speed. A pair of highly thought of walkons, sophomore Jamal Paige and redshirt freshman Robbie Godhigh are guys with the potential to surprise. A-Back is deep, and with Demaryius Thomas and Dwyer gone, they may see more touches this year.

WR
It will be tough to replace Demaryius Thomas, although sophomore Stephen Hill may help soften the blow. Hill was a top recruit in 2009 with great size, speed, and athleticism. He played as a true freshman and flashed his potential, despite only making a few catches. He won't be able to replace Thomas on his own, but can be the big play guy the team needs to emerge. Junior Tyler Melton has plenty of starting experience the last two years, although he has battled injuries each year. Melton seemed to be playing better as the season was ending, and that's a good sign for Tech. He isn't really a big play threat, but is a solid player that the coaches just want to make catches and block. Junior walkon Kevin Cone is a guy the coaches like, but injuries kept him from getting to prove himself last year. With a huge hole at receiver, Cone is in a position where he can earn a big spot in the rotation. Sophomore Quentin Sims split time in practice last year at receiver and quarterback due to needs, but he's back at receiver full time. Sims is big, athletic, and has added the weight needed to be a good enough blocker to possibly sneak into a starting job. Another sophomore, Daniel McKayhan, is someone that could step up as well. McKayhan isn't very big, so he isn't likely to earn a starting job because of the importance of blocking from receivers, but he's athletic enough to make some plays when the ball is in his hands. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Moore was a sleeper recruit who I really liked in the 2009 class because on his videos he looked to have nice height, good hands, is a long strider capable of breaking a big play, and showed a willingness to block. Moore though redshirted last year because he needed to bulk up, and may still need to work on that, but is a candidate to surprise some this spring. Senior walkon Paul Reese is another player who has seen playing time. It's guaranteed that production will be down this year, but as long as someone emerges as a deep threat and the coaches find someone to catch passes when needed, the offense will keep moving along.

OL
The graduation of All ACC guard Cord Howard hurt because the line was actually the weak link in the offense. The numbers say differently, but Tech's line struggled especially in the interior as qualify DT's really pushed the line back. Then came a surprising blow when junior to be guard Joseph Gilbert decided to graduate early and move on to pursue his masters. Both of these guards were in the original Paul Johnson line at Tech and need to be replaced along with starting tackle Brad Sellers plus 2008 starting center Dan Voss also moves on. Senior center Sean Bedford is a former walkon who turned in an All ACC season last year, and with center being the most important position along the line for Tech this is a nice start towards building a new line. Senior tackle Austin Barrick is back as well, giving the Jackets two starters back. Sophomore tackle Phil Smith started to really step up when he got the chance to play towards the mid to late part of the year, before a broken leg ended his year, and he looks like he will hold this spot for a while. The Jackets also return a third tackle with significant experience in junior Nick Claytor. Claytor started a few games in 2008, and last year he came in for obvious passing situations to sub for the smaller Sellers. Making up the depth will be redshirt freshmen Jay Finch and Antonio Foster. Sophomore guard Omoregie Uzzi was a US Army Bowl participant who nearly played as a true freshman, but was held back by an injury. Last year, Uzzi was one of the top reserves, and will likely be one of the new starters at guard. That leaves sophomore Nick McRae to compete for the other open guard job with some redshirt freshmen in Will Jackson and Ray Beno plus walkon Zach Fraysier. This was Tech's weakest link on offense last year and actually looks to take a step back on paper with the loss of Howard and Gilbert along with Sellers. The positive here is that the coaches will be taking a longer look at some of the youngsters than they would have been if Gilbert didn't leave and with the lines struggles, it may be better to try new parts.

February 5, 2010

Georgia Tech Signing Day Info and Other Notes
By Matt Powers

(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

Before I get into the signings, there are a few notes on the team and staff. Two year starting guard Joseph Gilbert, who would be a fourth year junior in 2010, announced he is leaving the team after graduating in the summer to pursue graduate school. Reserve lineman Clyde Yandell and safety Brandon Leslie are also leaving the team.

Defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Giff Smith is joining former Tech coach Chan Gailey with the Buffalo Bills. Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Marie is leaving to take a position with Louisville. Replacements have not been named yet.

Early Enrollees

Barry "BJ" Bostic-Bostic is a man without a position right now. He was a high school quarterback, and is projected by the recruiting sites as a cornerback. Bostic could end up at corner, quarterback, receiver, or A-back(slot back). He's a guy that you want to get the ball to in space so he can create something, so he may help in the return game. His 15 other offers included Tennessee, UCLA, Stanford, South Carolina, and West Virginia

Isaiah Johnson-Johnson is an underrated three star safety prospect. He was headed to Tech all along, as he had been saying Tech was his leader by far throughout the process. Some of his 10 other offers included Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State.

Charles Perkins-Perkins was Tech's first commitment, and really broke out during his senior season. He's not a speed guy, but he's a tougher guy to bring down. His offer list is fairly small as he committed over a year ago, and that list includes Wisconsin, Wake Forest, and Kentucky.

Other Signees

Denzel McCoy-McCoy is a highly thought of prospect with loads of potential, but needs a year to add strength and develop before he's ready to battle in the trenches. He committed early on, but still had an amazing offer list including Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, USC, Florida State, Penn State, Miami, Nebraska, Oregon, and Auburn.

Fred Holton-The lowest rated of the five Tech defensive back signees, Holton is another guy in need of a redshirt year. He may need two years before he's ready to see the field, but with his athletic ability he should get the chance to contribute during his stay here. His other four offers were from Clemson, Ole Miss, Kansas State, and UCF.

Catlin Alford-Alford is a lineman that the Tech staff really likes, but he was a kid that played tight end in high school, so a redshirt year to add weight is needed. Still with his motor and athleticism, he's the type of lineman Paul Johnson wants. Other offers included NC State, East Carolina, and Navy.

Morgan Bailey-Bailey is the more likely of the offensive linemen recruits to make the two deep this year. He's a kid that drew plenty of interest in the Southeast, and could very well end up making an All ACC team at some point in his career. Some of his other offers were from Georgia, Clemson, Florida State, and Ole Miss.

Ryan Ayers-A very highly recruited defensive back, Ayers played in the Under Armor All American Game. Ayers is a bit skinny, but hits like a safety and has blazing speed, so his future hasn't been decided between corner or safety. He's a kid who could see the field quickly. His offer list included Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee among the many offers.

Shawn Green-A big defensive tackle with the potential to grow and be a nose tackle in Al Groh's 3-4, Green is a year away from contributing. A four star recruit on Scout, Green could have been ready to play this year if Tech kept the 4-3 defense. He had offers from Florida State, Ole Miss, Michigan State, and Wisconsin among the many he received.

Anthony Williams-Williams is a good sized defensive end with the speed to be a good pass rusher in the college game. Williams is likely to end up at outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense because of his speed, where he can become a real threat as a pass rusher. Some of his other offers included LSU, Florida State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Clemson, and Stanford.

Jake Skole-Another player without a position, he will also play baseball at Tech where his brother will be a sophomore starter this spring. Skole could be a safety, A-back, or possibly receiver. He had offers from Georgia, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

Synjyn Days-Days is a quarterback who after a redshirt season could be a Josh Nesbitt clone physically. Days is commimg in from an option offense which will only help, and of you see his videos he is a playmaker. He had offers from Oklahoma State, Indiana, Toledo, and Eastern Michigan.

Quayshawn Nealy-Nealy is a linebacker out of the Lakeland(FL) High School program, meaning that he is used to winning. He's very athletic, and could possibly end up at either the inside or outside linebacker spots. He had offers from Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, and Ole Miss among the group of offers he received.

Justin Moore-Moore is a kicker and punter that Tech stole away from his commitment to Miami of Ohio. For Paul Johnson to offer a sholarship to a kicker, it means that he must really like the kicker.

Deon Hill-Hill was a backup in 2008 to Orwin Smith in high school, now he will be playing with Smith again. Hill is a similar runner who actually had better stats that Smith did, and was lightly recruited because he seems to be a late bloomer. He looks destined for A-back. Tulane and Utah State also offered.

Jeremiah Attaochu-A linebacker from Washington DC, Attaochu wasn't a Tech recruit until defensive coordinator Al Groh took the job. Attaochu is a prospect that is thought of as a potentially very good pass rusher from his linebaker spot in the 3-4 defense. Some of his other offers were from Illinois, Maryland, Boston College, Virginia, and Minnesota.

Tony Zenon-Zenon is an A-back recruit who has great football speed, but must spend a year in the weight room before he is ready to contribute. He played against lower comptetion in high school, but he is the brother of former LSU star and current NFL player Jonathan Zenon. His other offers were from Central Michigan, UAB, and Marshall.

Louis Young-Young was a surprise the day before National Signing Day. He had committed to Stanford early his junior year, decommitted, then recommitted and announced he was solid with Stanford. Young, ranked by Scout as the nation's 144th best recruit and Rivals as the 215th, is a great corner prospect who could see the field early. Some of his other offers included Virginia Tech, Penn State, Iowa, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, and Clemson.

This was a defensive loaded class for Tech, and if you saw them last year you understand why. Due to the change to the 3-4 defense, the freshmen should get a real opportunity to compete for playing time this year. Guys like Ayers, Bostic, Young, McCoy, Green, and Williams are all four star prospects on at least one site. It was a small class for Tech due to there not being many seniors.

January 16, 2010

Georgia Tech News and Notes

by Matt Powers

(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

After losing a tough game in the Orange Bowl to Iowa, there have been plenty of changes for Georgia Tech.

First, the ACC's leading receiver, DeMaryius Thomas, declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft last week. He was followed less than a week later by All American DE Derrick Morgan, former ACC Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer, and 2008 All American S Morgan Burnett. Each of those players could be off the boards in the first two rounds, with Morgan being a potential top 10 pick and Dwyer likely being a mid to late first rounder.

The players that will be asked to replace these guys will have some experience, as Tech only lost six scholarship seniors. Replacing Thomas will likely be a combination of Tyler Melton and Stephen Hill, the two players who split the job opposite Thomas this season. Melton was a starter in 2008 when healthy, although he hasn't been very productive. Hill showed why he was considered by some to be a four star recruit as a true freshman, but made a bigger impact running the reverse than in the passing game. The downfield blocking of Thomas will be just as difficult to replace as the pass catching, as he was one of the best in the nation at blocking as a receiver. Another player to watch out for is Chris Jackson, an Alabama transfer who was an A-back this year, but has a very good chance at being moved to receiver.

Dwyer will be easier to replace than it would seem based on his 2008 and 2009 numbers. Former Louisville transfer Anthony Allen, who started this year at A-back(slot back), will be moving to B-back (fullback) and split time with walkon Preston Lyons, the top backup this season for Dwyer. Youngsters like Daniel Drummond and Richard Watson also figure to be in the mix. At A-back next to Roddy Jones, replacing Allen will likely be either Embry Peeples or Marcus Wright who saw plenty of time the last two years, or Orwin Smith, who had a big year as a kick returner this year. Lucas Cox, a 2008 starter at A- back, who was little used this year, will be in the mix at both positions. Alabama transfer Chis Jackson will be in the A-back mix if he isn't at receiver.

Replacing Morgan Burnett will be a group of players. Coach Paul Johnson isn't as worrried about FS and SS as he is about safety in general, so 2008 star true freshman Cooper Taylor, who sat out this year, as well as another 2008 starter in Dominique Reese will join Mario Edwards as the leading candidates at the safety positions. A trio of 2009 recruits, sophomore to be Jemea Thomas, a kid the staff loves, Lance Richardson, who redshirted this year as a freshman and Rod Sweeting, who may also play corner, will be in the mix.

Replacing Derrick Morgan will be very hard, as the defensive line was a major weakness, and the All American was the only player on the team to be a consistent pass rusher. As for who replaces him, it will be a little further down here due to other recent news.

Tech also picked up a verbal commitment from the highest rated kicker in the state of Georgia, as they flipped Miami, OH commitment Justin Moore just days after offering him a scholarship. The spot opened after the defections to the pros as well as a likely medical hardship.

In a bit of unsurprising news, defensive coordinator Dave Wommack was fired. Wommack came to Tech as part of Johnson's first staff, but saw the defense struggle mightily towards the end of 2008. This year, partly due to injuries and major losses to graduation, the defense was just plain awful.

Comming in to replace Wommack will be former Virginia coach Al Groh. Groh is a Bill Parcells disciple who is a former head coach at Wake Forest in the 80's and spent a season as the New York Jets head coach, going 9-7 before leaving to take the Virginia job. Groh came to Virginia in 2001 and recruited well early while leading the Cavs to a few good seasons. The last few seasons, minus the 2007 season, were disappointing and he was let go after a 3-9 2009 season. One important thing about Groh is that he is known for his 3-4 defense, a defense that it is rumored that Paul Johnson favors. If Tech does in fact make the move to the 3-4, they already have a bunch of players to fit the new scheme.

Playing inside will be monster defensive tackle TJ Barnes, a sophomore to be who the coaching staff loves. The Jackets also have big freshman JC Lanier, who redshirted this season with an injury. 2009 starter Logan Walls is another guy likely to stay at nose tackle.

On the ends, big sophomore to be Izaan Cross is one of the guys this move would help, as he was a huge defensive end this year. Defensive tackle Jason Peters will likely move over to be an end, and starter Ben Anderson may as well. Robert Hall, the starting defensive end until a knee injury, will also fit in at end in the new system. Redshirt freshman to be Euclid Cummings is another end. Lesser used Albert Rocker and Osahon Tongo may end up here too.

At LB on the outside, the following 2009 defensive ends could make the move; starter Anthony Egbuniwe, Emmanuel Dieke, and Chris Crenshaw. Guys like starter Steven Sylvester, Anthony Barnes, Malcolm Munroe, and freshman Brandon Watts will likely stay on the outside.

On the inside, starting MLB Brad Jefferson is one of the guys locked into a starting spot, and Julian Burnett is also likely to stay in the middle. 2008 starter Kyle Jackson, who missed this year injured, will move inside where he has some experience. Sophomore to be BJ Machen is another player likely to move inside.

As for the current verbal commitments projected in the front seven, Denzel McCoy is likely a DE, Shawn Green a DT, Anthony Williams a DE or OLB, and Quayshawn Nealy an OLB.

January 4, 2010

Orange Bowl Preview by Matt Powers
(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

#8 Iowa(10-2) vs. #7 Georgia Tech(11-2)
Tuesday, January 5th at 8:15 EST
Landshark Stadium in Miami, FL
Weather-High 60, Low 38, Sunny all week
Line-Georgia Tech -5
Over/Under-50.5

This matchup features an Iowa team that was 9-0 before an injury to starting QB Ricky Stanzi cost them two games, although Ohio State still needed to take them to overtime to beat them. They are exactly what you think of when talking about a Big 10 team-big and strong on the lines and run oriented.

Where the teams rank
*Key: Iowa vs GT
Rushing Offense #103 vs #2
Passing Offense #55 vs #115
Total Offense #93 vs #12
Scoring Offense #86 vs #13
Rushing Defense #30 vs #66
Pass Efficiency Defense #4 vs #85
Total Defense #10 vs #52
Scoring Defense #9 vs #56
Net Punting #28 vs #44
Punt Returns #81 vs #8
Kick Returns #37 vs #45
Turnover Margin #45 vs #22
Pass Defense #9 vs #43
Pass Efficiency #88 vs #7
Sacks #34 vs #71
Tackles for Loss #57 vs #98
Sacks Allowed #77 vs #3

Iowa Players in Top 20 in Nation Statistically
•S Tyler Sash #9 in interceptions
•DE Adrian Clayborn #20 in sacks
•LB Pat Angerer #4 in tackles
•DE Adrian Clayborn #11 tackles for loss

Georgia Tech Players in Top 20 in Nation
•WR Bebe Thomas #16 in receiving yards
•PR/CB Jerrard Tarrant #8 in punt returns
•DE Derrick Morgan #6 in sacks
•DE Derrick Morgan #18 tackles for loss

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN

QB
Iowa's Ricky Stanzi is expected to return for this game. His numbers (2186 yards, 15 TD's to 14 picks in 56% completions) aren't very impressive, but the thing is he's a leader and wins games. He is interception prone, so that could be something to watch here especially. If he re-injures himself, James Vandenberg would fill in
after throwing 2 TD's and 5 picks while Stanzi was out. Tech's Josh Nesbitt was 1st Team All ACC this year because he's also a great leader. His passing numbers of 1689 yards and 10 TD's to 4 picks on 48% completions aren't what to look at, it's his rushing numbers of 991 yards and 18 TD's.
Edge-Tech. Both teams have leaders at QB, but Nesbitt is the more effective QB at moving the offense. Stanzi can not afford to throw picks here.

RB
Another injury plagued position for Iowa. With the projected starter out for the season, Adam Robinson became the starter and ran for 775 yards and 5 TD's on 4.6 yards per carry, but he got hurt and missed the last few games. True freshman Brandon Wegher took over and ran for 528 yards and 7 TD's in just 3.6 yards per carry and added 12 catches.
The good news is that Robinson is expected to make his return and Wegher has gained experience. Tech is led by 2008 ACC Player of the Year, Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer finished up this year on a tear after a slow start and finished with 1346 yards and 14 TD's on 6.1 yards per carry. Starting A-back Anthony Allen, a Louisville transfer, ran for 597 yards and 5 TD's on a great 9.8 yard per carry average. The third starting back is Roddy Jones who added 345 yards and 3 TD's on 6.5 yards per carry. Embry Peeples and Marcus Wright will see time at A- back, while Dwyer is backed up by Colgate transfer Preston Lyons, who has done a solid job in the limited opportunity.
Edge-Tech. Robinson is a solid back and Wegher has a great future, but Dwyer is a 1st round pick if he leaves early and both Allen and Jones are likely future draft choices. That doesn't even include QB Nesbitt, who could easily finish with 1000 yards and 20 TD's on the ground.

WR/TE(Tech does not use TE)
Iowa's top receiver in both yards and catches is Derrell Johnson- Koulianos or DJK, who had 41 catches for 687 yards and 2 TD's. The real big play guy though is Marvin McNutt, who had 653 yards and 7 TD's on just 30 catches. Third receiver Trey Stross added 30 catches for 405 yards and a TD. TE Tony Moeaki has battled injuries his whole career, but is one of the most talented TE's in the country, and he had 26 catches for 302 yards and 4 TD's. Tech's receiving corps is DeMaryius "Bebe" Thomas, who had 46 catches for 1154 yards and 8 TD's on a huge 25.1 yard per catch average. Their second leading pass catcher was actually A-back Embry Peeples, who had 8 for 244. The second best WR number wise was true freshman Stephen Hill, who had just 6 catches for 137 yards but is a threat to run a reverse.
Edge-Iowa. Even though Thomas is the best player in either unit, Iowa has four legitimate targets while Tech only has Thomas. Still, Thomas will possibly make a bigger impact than the whole Iowa corps.

OL
The Iowa line is filled with pro prospects, and from left to right looks like this: Bryan Bulaga, Riley Reiff, Rafael Eubanks, Julian Vandervelde or Dace Richardson, Kyle Calloway.
The Tech line is going to look like this from left to right:Brad Sellers, Cord Howard, Sean Bedford, Joseph Gilbert, Austin Barrick.
Edge-Iowa. The Tech line isn't built for the Paul Johnson system and can be overpowered by big, strong defensive lines, although Howard and Bedford were both 1st Team All ACC selections. Expect Nick Claytor to replace Sellers in obvious passing situations or if Barrick isn't at 100%. The Iowa line is not responsible for the team's yard per carry average being under 4.0, it's due to the backs, although they have given up more sacks than you would expect for such a talented group with multiple NFL prospects.

DL
Iowa is led by DE's Adrian Clayborn, who finished with 18 tackles for a loss, including 9.5 sacks, and Broderick Binns, who had 6 sacks plus managed to break up 9 passes at the line. Inside, former end Christian Ballard had 5.5 sacks and Karl Klug managed 12 tackles for a loss including 3 sacks. Tech's line is Derrick Morgan, who had 18 tackles for a loss including 12.5 sacks and and showed the ability to strip the ball away. DE's Anthony Egbuniwe and Izaan Cross are the others who wil play significant time. The team's most consistent DT, Ben Anderson, will not play after injuring his knee in the Georgia game, so Logan Walls will have Jason Peters and big TJ Barnes to rotate in.
Edge-Iowa. Even if Anderson was playing, this would he a huge edge for the Hawkeyes. As good as Morgan is, Clayborn isn't far behind. Tech just doesn't have much here, while this is a major strength for Iowa.

LB
All American Pat Angerer finished 4th in the country in tackles and had 135 on the year. He's not the only talented LB that Iowa has though, as Jeremiha Hunter had 83 tackles and AJ Edds had 73 and 4 picks. Tech's leading tackler is MLB Brad Jefferson, who had 90 tackles with 8 for a loss. Next to him, Sed Griffin is Tech's second best LB. Steven Sylvester is the third starter, and true freshman Julian Burnett also plays.
Edge-Iowa. No question here as this is one of the strengths of Iowa's team and Tech's LB corps just hasn't made many plays this season.

DB
Iowa CB Amari Spievey is one of the best cover men in the country, while S Tyler Sash had 84 tackles and 6 picks and S Brett Greenwood added 3 more picks. Tech's Morgan Burnett is the leader here with 77 tackles and 4 picks, and he is a big NFL prospect. Corner Mario Butler is the most consistent cover man and Rashaad Reid and Jerrard Tarrant
will be the other corners.
Edge-Iowa. There's a reason that Iowa has the nation's 9th pass defense and 4th pass efficiency defense. Tech has a strong NFL prospect, but the group as a whole isn't very good. They have the 43rd ranked pass defense, but that's a very misleading number because of the way they win time of possesion.

ST
Iowa kicker Daniel Murray hit 18 of 25 field goals with a long of 48. Punter Ryan Donohue managed to place 24 of 57 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line. Colin Sandeman had an 8.7 yard average on punt returns, while DJK averaged 32.2 yards on kick returns with a TD. Tech's kicker, Scott Blair was 14 of 49 with a long of 49, but stepped up in the clutch against Clemson and hit from 48 and 49 yards. Chandler Anderson is the punter, and he doesn't get consistent action due to Paul Johnson going for fourth down often. Jerrard Tarrant averaged 14.3 yards on punt returns and brought 2 back for TD's. The top kick returner was Orwin Smith, who averaged 24.3 yards.
Edge-Iowa. This isn't by much because kicker is pretty even, while the return games equal out. The reason Iowa has the edge is because they have such a good punter in Donohue.

Georgia Tech offense vs Iowa defense
The matchup everyone wants to see, as Tech brings the nation's second best rushing attack against Iowa's #10 total yardage defense. Both teams have their stars on this side of the ball as well. Tech proved against Clemson that they can run against a big, quick D-line while Iowa's defense carried the team and nearly got a victory against Ohio State without QB Stanzi and RB Robinson. Even if I wasn't a Tech fan, this matchup is one of the best in the bowl season.

Iowa offense vs Georgia Tech defense
Iowa is expecting to have both Robinson and Stanzi back from injury. The Iowa offense isn't in the same class as Georgia, Clemson, and Florida State, so don't expect them to move down the field the same way those teams did, but they should be able to have success against Tech's defense. The question is how much success they can have. Also worth watching is interception prone QB Stanzi against a Tech defense that despite being bad, does force turnovers.

Prediction
Tech 34 Iowa 30

December 15, 2009

Georgia Tech Outgoing Players and Scholarship/Roster Breakdown
by Matt Powers
(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

Now that the regular season is over and there's a layoff before the Orange Bowl, it's time to take a look at next year and who Tech loses and who they might lose. Also, which players Tech will be adding into the fold next year.

Seniors
CB Martin Frierson-Played in all 13 games for the Jackets this year as a reserve corner and special teams player racking up 13 tackles and one pick against Duke. Last year, he played in only 6 games and had 7 tackles.

LB Sed Griffin-Griffin emerged last season after not doing much in 2007 to become a playmaker with 8 tackles for a loss including 3 sacks. Though he's increased his tackles from 53 to 72 this year, he hasn't made the impact he did last year. Still, he's a solid starter who will be missed on a team with questions at linebacker.

DT Jason Hill-Hill moved from the OL to DT in the spring because they were very short on numbers, and hasn't done much. He's only credited with playing in the first game of the year, and didn't record any stats, down from appearing in 11 games last season.

OG Cord Howard-Howard became the starter in the middle of his first season and has played both guard spots and right tackle. Howard really took to Paul Johnson's offense, being voted 2nd Team All ACC last year and 1st Team All ACC this year. On a line with some issues, he will be the team's biggest loss.

OL Zach Krish-The former walk-on earned a scholarship this year and although he has a year of eligibility remaining, he will be leaving to go to grad school. Not exactly a huge loss, as the four games he played in were all blowout wins.

OT Brad Sellers-The nation's smallest offensive tackle at only 252 pounds became the starter at tackle this year. Due to his size, on obvious passing situations Tech brought in backup Nick Claytor for him. Tech does have to replace a starter here, but it's not exactly an irreplaceable starter.

C Dan Voss-Voss started every game last year, but he was beaten out by Sean Bedford this year. He was still a key backup, playing in every game except the Miami game. They lose an experienced leader, but he was no longer a starter.

Tech only loses 7 players to graduation, but has five others who could be gone as well.

DE Derrick Morgan-Will likely skip his senior season as he currently projects as a top five pick in the draft. Can't really criticize a kid for leaving in that situation, still it's a huge loss as he was Tech's only pass rushing threat all year. Odds he returns:10%

RB Jonathan Dwyer-Last year's ACC Player of the Year was in the discussion for the award again this year after a slow start. He's projected as a likely first round pick if he comes out, however education is important to him and Dwyer by all reports is a great kid who is very involved in the community. Odds he returns:50%

WR Bebe Thomas-Thomas, despite playing in a heavily run based offense, led the ACC in receiving yards this year. Thomas still is raw as a receiver and can use polish, but his size and speed combination makes him a possible first round pick. He has said immediately after the ACC Championship that he will return, but we all know how that goes. Odds he returns:65%

SS Morgan Burnett-Burnett is a playmaking safety who the NFL scouts love, but this year's safety class is loaded with Eric Berry and Taylor Mays. Odds he returns:60%

DE Antonio Wilson-Has an undisclosed injury that may end up getting him a medical hardship waiver. I hope there is a way we can see if this sleeper Paul Johnson took a flier on pans out.

Additions
AB Chris Jackson-The Alabama transfer was a very highly rated recruit committed to Tech before Chan Gailey was fired and left after Johnson was hired. He decided to return home, and the former receiver could give them a threat in the passing game out of the backfield.

LB Kyle Jackson-A starter last year has been out with an injury all year and still hasn't returned to practice. Jackson looked like an impact player, but has to prove he is the same player he was before the injury.

S Cooper Taylor-Taylor was a playmaker as a true freshman last year and made some plays before an injury knocked him out for the year. Since he went out with an injury so early, he is likely to get a medical redshirt. He would really help the Tech defense.

DE Robert Hall-Went out very early on with a knee injury and didn't get to really prove himself. Hall's return should help what was a very thin DL.

SCHOLARSHIP BREAKDOWN-by position(class is next year)
QB-5
SR Josh Nesbitt
JR Jaybo Shaw
SO Tevin Washington
rFR Jordan Luallen, David Sims

AB-6
SR Anthony Allen
JR Roddy Jones, Embry Peeples, Marcus Wright
SO Chris Jackson, Orwin Smith

BB-4
SR Jonathan Dwyer, Lucas Cox
JR Preston Lyons(walkon)
SO Richard Watson
rFR Daniel Drummond

WR-6
SR Bebe Thomas, Kevin Cone(walkon)
JR Tyler Melton
SO Stephen Hill, Quentin Sims, Daniel McKayhan
rFR Jeremy Moore

OL-12
SR Austin Barrick, Sean Bedford
JR Nick Claytor, Joseph Gilbert, Clyde Yandell
SO Nick McRae, Phil Smith, Omoregie Uzzi
rFR Ray Beno, Will Jackson, Antonio Foster, Jay Finch

DE-10
SR Derrick Morgan, Robert Hall, Anthony Egbuniwe, Osahon Tongi
JR Albert Rocker
SO Izaan Cross, Antonio Wilson
rFR Chris Crenshaw, Emmanuel Dieke, Euclid Cummings

DT-5
SR Ben Anderson
JR Jason Peters, Logan Walls
SO TJ Barnes
rFR JC Lanier

LB-8
SR Brad Jefferson, Anthonh Barnes
JR Kyle Jackson, Steven Sylvester
SO Julian Burnett, BJ Machen, Malcolm Munroe
rFR Brandon Watts

CB-6
SR Mario Butler
JR Michael Peterson, Rashaad Reid, Jerrard Tarrant
SO Rod Sweeting
rFR Carl Miles

S-9
SR Morgan Burnett, Mario Edwards, Dominique Reese, Correy Earls
SO Cooper Taylor, Jemea Thomas, Jon Lockhart, Brandon Leslie
rFR Lance Richardson

K/P
SR Scott Blair
JR Chandler Anderson(walkon)

By class
SR-20
QB Josh Nesbitt, AB Anthony Allen, BB Jonathan Dwyer, BB Lucas Cox, WR Bebe Thomas, OC Sean Bedford, OT Austin Barrick, DE Derrick Morgan, DE Anthony Egbuniwe, DE Robert Hall, DE Osahon Tongo, DT Ben Anderson, LB Brad Jefferson, LB Anthony Barnes, CB Mario Butler, SS Morgan Burnett, FS Dominique Reese, FS Mario Edwards, DB Correy Earls, K Scott Blair

JR-16
QB Jaybo Shaw, AB Roddy Jones, AB Embry Peeples, AB Marcus Wright, WR Tyler Melton, OG Joseph Gilbert, OT Nick Claytor, OT Clyde Yandell, DE Albert Rocker, DT Jason Peters, DT Logan Walls, LB Kyle Jackson, LB
Steven Sylvester, CB Jerrard Tarrant, CB Rashaad Reid, CB Michael Peterson

SO-21
QB Tevin Washington, AB Chris Jackson, AB Orwin Smith, BB Richard Watson, WR Stephen Hill, WR Quentin Sims, WR Daniel McKayhan, OT Phil Smith, OG Omoregie Uzzi, OG Nick McRae, DE Izaan Cross, DE Antonio Wilson, DT TJ Barnes, LB Julian Burnett, LB BJ Machen, LB Malcolm Munroe, CB Rod Sweeting, S Brandon Leslie, S Jon Lockhart, S Cooper Taylor, S Jemea Thomas

rFR-15
QB Jordan Luallen, QB David Sims, BB Daniel Drummond, WR Jeremy Moore, OL Antonio Foster, OL Ray Beno, OL Jay Finch, OL Will Jackson, DE Euclid Cummings, DE Emmanuel Dieke, DE Chris Crenshaw, DT JC Lanier, LB Brandon Watts, CB Carl Miles, S Lance Richardson

This leaves Tech exactly 13 scholarships for the class of 2010, and now after picking up their latest commitment, Lakeland, FL OLB Quayshawn Nealy, Tech has their full 13. As mentioned earlier, there are five guys who could be gone-along with others who could leave by normal attrition. Also there are some walkons who are in position to receive scholarships, most notably BB Preston Lyons, the main backup to Jonathan Dwyer, and P Chandler Anderson, who was the full time punter.

December 6, 2009

ACC Championship Game Recap
by Matt Powers
(ncaafball.wordpress.com)

Georgia Tech, down 34-33 with 6:11 to go after CJ Spiller's 4th rushing TD of the game, went on a 13 play 86 yard drive taking up 4:45 that was capped by a 15 yard TD run by Jonathan Dwyer.

FIRST QUARTER
Clemson got the ball to start the game and went on a quick scoring drive, ending on a short TD run by CJ Spiller to take a 7-0 lead. On Georgia Tech's first possession, following 21 and 22 yard runs by Roddy Jones, starting RT Phil Smith who was only starting due to an injury to Austin Barrick went down with an ankle/knee injury and didn't return. That brought in 4th tackle Nick Claytor for the rest of the game for the Jackets. Tech settled for a career long 48 yard field goal by Scott Blair after Jones dropped a 3rd down pass. On Clemson's next drive with CJ Spiller in the locker room with turf toe, they struggled ended the drive with Richard Jackson missing a 52 yard field goal. Tech got the ball back in good position and was looking at a 3 and out before Jonathan Dwyer took a 3rd and 8 for 21 yards into Clemson territory and he would finish the drive with a 10 yard TD run to give Tech a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. Spiller finished the quarter with 6 carries for 57 yards and a TD.

SECOND QUARTER
After the Tech TD, Clemson returned the ball out to their 43, but Kyle Parker's tipped pass was intercepted by Dominique Reese at Tech's 45. Tech put together a long drive, getting multiple players involved before commtting 3 straight penalties after getting down to the Clemson 8, but Scott Blair set a second career long in this game with a 49 yard field goal to put Tech up 13-7. Spiller would take the kick out to his 35, and shortly after runs of 12 and 6 yards, Spiller broke off a 41 yard TD run. Clemson's holder bobbled the snap and eventually ran out of bounds, keeping the game tied at 13. On the next drive, Tech moved the ball down the field before stalling out, however they received a key pass interference call on Crezdon Butler on a 3rd and 8 pass intended for Stephen Hill to keep the drive alive and Scott Blair kicked a 28 yard field goal to give Tech a 16-13 lead with 6 seconds before the half. After fair catching a short, high kick, Clemson took a knee and went into the half down 16-13.

HALFTIME STATS
Tech
Nesbitt 5-10, 30 yards passing, 8 carries for 26 yards
Dwyer 12 carries for 54 yards and a TD
Roddy Jones 3 carries for 51 yards
Bebe Thomas no catches, 1 drop

Clemson
Kyle Parker 4-6, 28 yards passing, 1 interception
CJ Spiller 11 carries for 122 yards, 2 TD's
Jacoby Ford 1 catch for 15 yards
Michael Palmer 1 catch for 6 yards

Team
Tech leads in 1st downs 14-7
Tech 9-12 on 3rd down, Clemson 2-3
Total yards Tech 200-173
Passing yards Tech 30-27
Rushing yards Tech 170-146
Plays Tech 45-21
Penalties Tech 3-20 Clemson 2-15
Turnovers Clemson 1-0
Time of possesion Tech 19:41-10:19

THIRD QUARTER
Tech started the third with the ball and stalled after Roddy Jones picked up 14 yards on the first play from scrimmage, but on a 4th and 2 Anthony Allen picked up 7 yards to keep the drive going. Nesbitt then took the team on his bac with runs of 16, 7, 4, and then a 13 yard TD. He would finish the opening 11 play 71 yard drive that took 5:48 with 6 carries for 38 yards and the TD. Clemson started their next drive on their 40 after a fair catch on the kickoff, and facing a 3rd and 6, Kyle Parker hit his TE Michael Palmer for a 20 yard gain into Tech territory to set up a 36 yard Spiller TD run. That was Spiller's 19th TD this year, which set a school record. So with the score 23-20, Tech started their next drive at their 30, and after 2 plays which netted no yards, Nesbitt hit Bebe Thomas for his first catch of the game-a 70 yard TD pass on 3rd and 10 to go up 30-20. Clemson started on their 26 yardline after Spiller slipped on the kick return, and after and after picking up a pair of first downs and CJ Spiller setting his career high with 168 yards rushing, Kyle Parker had a pass picked off by Tech CB Jerrard Tarrant who ran it back 50 yards to the Clemson 28. After a 3 and out, Scott Blair hit a 40 yard field goal to give Tech a 33-20 lead and giving them points on each of their first seven possesions. Tech kicked off to Jacoby Ford, who returned the ball to the Clemson 28. Clemson got runs of 12 and 30 yards by Andre Ellington. That ended the 3rs quarter, Tech up 33-20. Spiller had 4 carries for 41 yards and a TD in the quarter, while Nesbitt had 7 carries for 36 yards and a TD to go with 2-2 passing for 78 yards and a TD.

FOURTH QUARTER
On the first play of the fourth on a 2nd and 9, Kyle Parker threw to the endzone, but Jacoby Ford dropped it after tight coverage from Rashaad Reid. Facing 3rd and 9, Parker ran for 6 yards to bring up a 4th and 3. Clemson was set to attempt a field goal, but called a timeout and changed their mind by deciding to go for it. On the 4th and 3 play, Ford made a great catch on a 7 yard pass to pick up the first down. After a 12 yard run by Parker on another 3rd and long, Clemson was facing another 4th down, but were bailed out on the 4th down play by a pass interference by Morgan Burnett. Clemson took the next play for a 9 yard Spiller TD run, giving him a school record 50th career TD making it 33-27 with 12:00 left. Tech drove down the field on key runs by Nesbitt and Dwyer, but on a 4th and 1 Nesbitt was stuffed on a play I still question to give Clemson the ball back. Spiller took the first play after the stop 54 yards to the Tech 9 yard line and then made a pair of big plays to get the ball inside the 1 to set up an Andre Ellingon TD run. Clemson went up 34-33 with 6:11 left, giving them their first lead since 7-0, but lost OL Mason Cloy to what looked like a possible broken leg.

Tech got the ball on their 14 after a short 14 yard kick return from freshman Orwin Smith. After am incomplete pass, 8 yard run by Nesbitt, and 2 yard run by Anthony Allen, Tech was facing a 4th and inches from their own 24 with 5:09 left. However, this time Nesbitt's QB keeper was good for the first down to keep the drive alive. The next play, Nesbitt used a play action fake to hit Dwyer for a 21 yard completion and got the ball out to their own 45. Dwyer would run 3 yards on first down before Bebe Thomas took a WR screen and stretched his second catch of the night into a first down at the Clemson 45. Nesbitt gained 4 and 10 yards on the next two runs to pick up another first down, and after a 2 yard run by Dwyer, Clemson took a timeout. Tech had it 2nd and 8 from the Clemson 29 with 1:48 left. Dwyer took the first play after the timeout for an 8 yard gain, followed by a 5 yard run to the Clemson 15, forcing Clemson to call their last timeout with 1:25 to go. This time on the first play after the timeout, Dwyer ran 15 yards for his 2nd TD of the night to give Tech back the lead with 1:20 to go. Tech decided to go for 2 so they would have a 7 point lead, but Nick Claytor had a false start. So going for 2 from the 8, Nesbitt ran a QB draw which was signaled as good, but was reviewed and eventually overturned as he was down inches short. Tech now leads 39-34 with 1:20 remaining and no timeouts for Clemson.

The kickoff was another fair catch by FB Chad Diehl at the Clemson 35. On the first play, Parker appeared to run for 7 yards, but it was called back by a holding penalty. So on 1st and 20, Parker's pass for Xavier Dye along the sideline was no good. On 2nd and 20 Parker went deep for Spiller, but he just overthrew him. That brought up a big 3rd and 20, and a 19 yard catch by Xavier Dye in the middle of the field, but Dye fell to the ground instead of trying to gain more yardage when he likely would have picked up a first down. So with no timeouts left and the clock running, Clemson hurried to the line for their 4th and 1, and after dropping back to pass, Parker took off to try to pick up the first down on the ground only to be brought down by the knees by ACC Defensive Player of the Year Derrick Morgan for a slight loss sealing the game for Tech with 29 second to go. Spiller finished with 5 fourth quarter carries for 70 yards and a TD, while Nesbitt ran 7 times for 41 yards and completed 2 of 4 passes for 28 yards.

FINAL STATS
Clemson
•Kyle Parker 10-17, 91 yards, 2 picks
•Spiller 20 carries for 233 yards and 4 TD's(1 in every quarter), 1
catch for 5 yards, and 3 kick returns for 63 yards
•Andre Ellington 5 carries for 63 yards and a TD
•Jacoby Ford 3 catches for 32 yards
•Michael Palmer 3 catches for 29 yards
•Da'Quan Bowers led team with 11 tackles and 1 for a loss
•Marcus Gilchrist 10 tackles, 1 for loss
•Brandon Maye 7 tackles, 1 for loss
•DeAndre McDaniel 7 tackles
•Jarvis Jenkins 4 tackles, 1 for loss
•Ricky Sapp 4 tackles, 1 for loss

Tech
•Nesbitt 9-16 for 136 yards and a TD, 22 carries for 103 yards and a
TD
•Dwyer 24 carries for 110 yards and 2 TD's plus 2 catches for 14 yards
•Roddy Jones 4 carries for 67 yards
•Anthony Allen was held to just 5 carries for 18 yards after his big
game earlier in the year
•Bebe Thomas 2 catches for 77 yards and a TD
•Embry Peeples and Tyler Melton each caught 2 passes
•Mario Edwards led the team with 7 tackles, 6 comming solo
•Jerrard Tarrant 5 tackles, 1 break up, 1 pick he ran back 50 yards
•Morgan Burnett 4 tackles, 1 for loss
•Derrick Morgan 2 tackles, 1 for loss, the one on Parker to seal the
game, and a tackle for loss on Spiller
•Dominique Reese 1 pick
•Scott Blair 4-4 on field goals, hitting from 49, 48, 40, and 28, 3-3
extra points

Team
1st downs Tech 28-16
Rush yards Tech 333-323
Pass yards Tech 136-91
Total yards Tech 469-414
Plays Tech 83-51
Tech 65 runs, 18 passes
Clemson 34 runs, 17 passes
0 punts combined
Penalties Tech 5-31 Clemson 4-30
Average start position on kickoff Tech-own 20 Clemson-own 27
Red Zone Tech 5-5 Clemson 3-3
3rd down conversions Tech 11-18 Clemson 5-9
4th down conversions Tech 2-3 Clemson 1-2
Time of possesion Tech 37:17-22:43, including 17:36-12:24 second
half.Tech had 11:59 in 2nd and 9:28 in 4th.

Tech's five standouts
1.Josh Nesbitt, Nesbitt played mistake free for 60 minutes and came up with big plays every time one was needed. After he failed to convert a 4th down attempt which was followed by a Clemson TD to take the lead, Nesbitt didn't shut down, and went out and converted a huge 4th down from his own 24 on the game winning drive.

2.Scott Blair, Blair has been very inconsistent for the last two years and has really struggled with accuracy on kicks longer than 40 yards. Saturday, he hit all 4 of his kicks including 3 kicks from 40+ and set his career high with a 48 yarder, only to break it later in the game with a 49 yarder.

3.Jonathan Dwyer, Dwyer didn't get a lot of work early because the Tech interior couldn't hold off the big Clemson DT's, but he made big runs in the second half, including the game winning TD plus a key 21 yard catch on that final drive.

4.Nick Claytor, Claytor, the team's fourth OT, came into the game during Tech's first drive after Phil Smith went down and had to match up against Clemson's DL featuring 4 future NFL players in Brandon Thompson, Ricky Sapp, Jarvis Jenkins, and Da'Quan Bowers. Claytor didn't have a huge game, but he held his own for Tech, which is big for a reserve pressed into the lineup(even though he started a few games last year).

5.Derrick Morgan, Morgan made the stop on Kyle Parker to seal the game and also had some other nice plays, including stopping Spiller for a couple yard loss. He did have some pressure on Parker during the game as well, as did Anthony Egbuniwe although Clemson didn't throw the ball often.

December 3, 2009

ACC Championship Preview
By: Matt Powers

Saturday, December 5, 2009
8 PM EST on ESPN
From Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
#25 Clemson vs #12 Georgia Tech

Weather-High of 67/low of 48, 70% chance of rain. Also 60% chance of rain on Friday which may give Tech an advantage as it would slow  Clemson's CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford.

Line-Georgia Tech -1
Over/Under-55

These two teams met in week two at Clemson. Tech raced out to a 24-0  lead and looked to have put it on cruise control before Clemson scored  27 straight to take a 27-24 lead. However Tech kicker Scott Blair hit  a pair of fourth quarter field goals to give the Jackets the 30-27  victory. Below are some stats from the first game:

Tech stats
•QB Josh Nesbitt 3/14 passing for 83 yards and 2 picks, also ran for  91 yards
•AB Anthony Allen ran 5 times for 127 yards and a TD
•BB Jonathan Dwyer had 18 carries for 66 yards
•WR DeMaryius "Bebe" Thomas had 3 catches for 93 yards and caught a TD from K Scott Blair on a fake field goal
•CB/PR Jerrard Tarrant ran a punt back 85 yards for a TD
•DE Derrick Morgan had 10 tackles, including 4 tackles for a loss with 3 of those 4 being sacks
•S Cooper Taylor(OUT) had 8 tackles and a pick

Clemson stats
•QB Kyle Parker was 15/31 for 261 yards, 3 TD's and a pair of picks
•RB CJ Spiller had 20 carries for 87 yards and caught 4 passes for 69 yards and a TD
•WR Jacoby Ford caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a TD
•DE Ricky Sapp and LB Kavell Conner each had 9 tackles to lead the team
•S DeAndre McDaniel had 8 tackles but also picked off Nesbitt twice

STAT RANKINGS

Rush Offense-Clemson #55 with 156.83 yards, Tech #2 with 305

Passing Offense-Clemson #80 with 204.67 yards, Tech #115 with 135.5

Total Offense-Clemson #74 with 361.5 yards, Tech #15 with 440.5

Scoring Offense-Clemson #24 with 31.75 points, Tech #12 with 35

Rush Defense-Clemson #45 with 135.08, Tech #47 with 135.67

Pass Efficiency Defense-Clemson #22 at 110.16, Tech #93 at 138.5

Total Defense-Clemson #14 with 304.5 yards, Tech #52 at 352.25

Scoring Defense-Clemson #21 with 19.5 points, Tech #55 with 24.08

Net Punting-Clemson #108 with 32.72 yards, Tech #44 with 36.63

Punt Returns-Clemson #10 with 14.38 yards, Tech #11 with 14.32

Kick Returns-Clemson #21 with 24.13 yards, Tech #43 with 22.77

Turnover Margin-Clemson #22 at +0.58, Tech #31 at +0.42

Pass Defense-Clemson #12 with 169.42 yards, Tech #56 with 216.58

Pass Efficiency-Clemson #66 with 127.86, Tech #7 with 160.68

Sacks-Clemson #12 with 2.83, Tech #60 with 1.92

Tackles for Loss-Clemson #11 with 7.75, Tech #90 with 5

Sacks Allowed-Clemson #45 with 1.58, Tech #3 with 0.75

Players in top 10 in individual rankings nationally

Clemson
S DeAndre McDaniel #2 interceptions
S Rashard Hall #8 interceptions
KR CJ Spiller #2 kick returns
K Richard Jackson #5 in field goals made
RB CJ Spiller #4 all purpose yards

Tech
DE Derrick Morgan #6 sacks

POSITION BREAKDOWNS
QB
Clemson's freshman Kyle Parker has had a solid debut season with 2294 yards while completing 187 of 338 passes and a 19/10 TD-interception ratio to go with 106 yards on the ground and another TD. Tech's QB Josh Nesbitt's stats aren't as impressive with just 1553 passing yards on 64/137 and a 9/4 TD-interception ratio, but after Tech's high powered offense struggled when he left the Georgia game injured, he proved to be the man that makes the offense move. His 888 rushing yards and 17 TD's on the ground are better than many team's featured backs.

Advantage-Tech. There's a reason the media voted Nesbitt first team all conference.

RB's
Clemson has a trio of backs who could see the field this week, led by star senior and Heisman candidate CJ Spiller who has run for 912 yards and 7 TD's on 181 carries to go with 32 catches for 440 yards and 4 TD's through the air. Speedy redshirt freshman Andre Ellington has impressed when given the opportunity, running for 408 yards and 3 TD's on 59 carries. They also feature sophomore Jamie Harper, their power back, who is second on the team with 69 carries and has run for 327 yards and 3 TD's. Tech will feature junior Jonathan Dwyer, last year's ACC Offensive Player of the Year, who has produced equally well this year with 1236 yards and 12 TD's on 197 carries. That means on 16 more carries tha Spiller, he has 324 more yards and 5 more TD's. Louisville transfer Anthony Allen, who had a long TD run in the earlier meeting, is averaging over 10 yards per carry for the year gaining 579 yards and 5 TD's on 56 carries. Sophomore Roddy Jones started the year slowly while recovering from a wrist injury, but he has been getting more carries of late. Although he only has 278 yards this year, he proved last season against Georgia that he can put up 200 yards on anyone. Fast sophomores Marcus Wright and Embry Peeples will also see time and are both capable of hitting the home run on any 
given play.

Advantage-Tech. Say what you want about Spiller, but Dwyer is the much  better all around back. Clemson has a pair of solid options behind  their star, but Tech has a ridiculously deep collection of backs.

WR/TE(Tech doesn't use TE)
The Clemson passing game is basically three options, WR Jacoby Ford,  TE Michael Palmer, and Spiller. Ford leads the way with 50 catches for 703 yards and 5 TD's and the speed demon exploited Tech's questionable defense in the earlier meeting. Spiller's receiving stats were mentioned under the RB's, and Palmer has 38 catches for 439 yards and 4 TD's. Beyond those three, there has been little production with #2 WR Xavier Dye having caught just 13 passes for 218 yards and 3 TD's. Tech's passing game is similar, with a big producer then little else. Junior Bebe Thomas leads the ACC in receiving yards with 1077 on 44 receptions and 7 TD's. Their second leading receiver is actually AB Embry Peeples, who had caught 6 passes for 223 yards and a TD. The  second most productive WR is true freshman Stephen Hill, who had 
caught just 5 passes for 129 yards and a TD, but had shown the ability to make plays in the running game.

Advantage-Tech. Thomas is really that good, and since Spiller is  counted in a RB, the Thomas/Hill duo has the edge over Ford/Palmer.

OL
Clemson's OL will look like this:
LT-Chris Hairston
LG-Thomas Austin
C-Dalton Freeman
RG-Antoine McClain
RT-Landon Walker
Reserves-Mason Cloy(interior), David Smith(tackle)

Tech's OL will look like this
LT-Brad Sellers
LG-Joseph Gilbert
C-Sean Bedford
RG-Cord Howard
RT-Phil Smith*
(Smith starts in place of injured starter Austin Barrick)
Reserves-Dan Voss(center), Omoregie Uzzi(guard), Nick Claytor(tackle)

The OL's for both teams were weaknesses in 2008, but both young lines have improved. Clemson's has improved more, especially recently. They recently had a three straight game streak where they ran for over 240 yards each game for the first time since 2000. Tech's line is improved over last year, but it still not where Paul Johnson wants them. It can take a few more years because the current starters weren't recruited for this offense.

Advantage-Clemson. Clemson's line is without question better as just last week Tech showed how much further they need to go and the Clemson DL took advantage of them earlier in the year.

DL
Clemson is just loaded with ends Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers combining on 22 tackles for a loss including 8 sacks. DT Brandon Thompson, from Georgia and heavily recruited by Tech, is an emerging young playmaker and Jarvis Jenkins is a space eater who will command blockers. Tech's DE Derrick Morgan may be the nation's best DL. Not only because of the stats, but also because of the fact that he has next to no help around him and still produces. Starting opposite him is former Tulsa transfer Anthony Egbuniwe, who inherited the job when Robert Hall was hurt early in the year. Egbuniwe is really only a serviceable option. The third DE is true freshman Izaan Cross, who has shown promise, but isn't ready for the big stage just yet. Tech's top DT Ben Anderson is out with a knee injury, so that means that starting opposite Logan Walls will likely be Jason Peters, who has shown flashes of a bright future but battled injury and illness this year. The third DT is redshirt freshman TJ Barnes, a huge space eater who the coaches have high hopes for in the future.

Advantage-Clemson. Tech coach Paul Johnson has admitted that the entire Clemson DL is filled with pros. Tech's line was exploited against Georgia and their best DT, Ben Anderson won't be available after being injured last week, and making things worse for Tech is the fact that his 2 sacks tie Logan Walls for second on the team.

LB
Clemson starts Kavell Conner and Brandon Maye and also splits starts evenly with Kevin Alexander and an extra safety. Alexander got the start against Tech the first time around, so expect him to get the start again. Maye has had a big year with 88 tackles and 3 sacks, and was recognized by the media with an all conference selection. Conner's 89 tackles lead the team. LB has been a weakness for Tech this year. The LB's haven't been terrible, but they haven't really done much to impress. Brad Jefferson leads the team with 87 tackles including 8 for a loss. Senior Sed Griffin has had an average year this year after his breakout season last year. Sophomore Steven Sylvester is the third starter and true freshman Julian Burnett will see time.

Advantage-Clemson. LB for Tech just isn't producing way they did just two years ago under former DC Jon Tenuta. Clemson's Maye has been the best player on either unit and he isn't even the Clemson LB corps's leading tackler.

DB
Clemson's senior CB's Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler, both third year starters, have been a strong point yet again while FS Marcus Gilchrist has had a solid year. However the story here is SS DeAndre McDaniel's 8 picks and S Rashard Hall, who splits starts with LB Alexander has 6 picks. The third CB, Byron Maxwell, has plenty of experience over the last three seasons. Tech's secondary has been hit hard by injuries this year as starter Cooper Taylor has missed most of the year and Dominique Reese has missed time as well. CB Mario Butler, a quality second year starter, has had a decent year without much media attention. The other CB Jerrard Tarrant has shown signs of rust this year after missing the last two seasons, but his athleticism allows him to make some plays. The third CB, Rashaad Reid, is a decent but not special cover man, but does help in run support. SS Morgan Burnett has very quietly had another strong season and is a top NFL prospect. Starting FS Mario Edwards contributes, but he isn't one of the top five DB's, and Dominique Reese will also see time, however he hasn't played at the same level he did last season due to injuries.

Advantage-Clemson. Tech's Burnett is the best player on either unit, but Clemson's other three starters are all better than Tech's and their top reserves are better than Tech's. If Reese was totally healthy and Taylor was available, Clemson may still have the advantage.

ST's
Clemson K Richard Jackson is just 20-29 on field goal attempts and had missed 2 of his 36 PAT's as the kicking game has been inconsistent for the Tigers. P Dawson Zimmerman and the punt coverage unit have been among the worst in the country ranking 108th in the nation. However, the Clemson return teams have been a huge strength. CJ Spiller has 645 yards in 18 kick returns, returning 4 of those 18 for TD's, and also had 8 punt returns for 210 yards and another TD. Punt returner Jacoby Ford had has 10 returns for 143 yards and a TD. Tech's kicker, Scott Blair, has had the same struggles as Jackson as his 10-15 on field goals is basically equal to Jackson's 20-29. Blair was Tech's punter all last year and has thrown a TD pass in the earlier game against the Tigers, so there is the possibility to fake from a field goal formation. Punter Chandler Anderson and the punt coverage unit have had a solid year, comming in 44th in the country. Punt returner Jerrard Tarrant led the country in punt returns for a while this year and finished with 19 returns for 272 yards and 2 TD's. The kick return game had received a boost from true freshman AB Orwin Smith who has taken 29 kicks back for 734 yards and come close to breaking a few for TD's.

Advantage-Even. Tech gets the edge at kicker due to their kicker being able to provide some versatility and is known to make tackles in return men. Tech has the huge edge on net punting, while the punt return teams are about even and have each returned 2 for TD's. Clemson's edge in the kick return isn't as big as you'd think because Smith has been strong.

Tech running game vs Clemson defense
This matchup is worth watching for two reasons, the first being the health of QB Josh Nesbitt(probable) who missed most of the first half of last weeks game with an ankle injury. The other thing to watch for is Jonathan Dwyer, as the team struggles when he does. Dwyer's two worst games this year were both Tech losses and both came against teams with big, athletic DL's(Miami, Georgia). The Tigers have a big, athletic, deep DL and slowed Dwyer down earlier in the year. However, assuming Nesbitt is even 75%, the Tigers will be struggling to stop Tech's stable of slot backs because the LB's are the weakest unit of the Tigers defense.

Tech passing game vs Clemson defense
Despite the fact that Clemson is loaded here with pass rushers and DB's, Tech still has an edge. WR Bebe Thomas is by far Tech's first and almost only option, yet he keeps getting open enough to lead the league in receiving yards due to single coverage because of the running game. The key could be the time the Tech OL gives Josh Nesbitt to pass as Clemson's DE's have a big edge on Tech's OT's. True freshman WR Stephen Hill, who has shown big play potential, is being listed as probable this week after suffering what looked like a serious injury at the time against Georgia.

Clemson's running game vs Tech defense
Clemson's run game did little last week against South Carolina, but an average Georgia run game saw two backs have career games last week against Tech. Clemson's CJ Spiller is better than either of Georgia's backs and both Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper will likely see time as the Tigers will try to do what Georgia did by pounding the ball right at Tech's defense and keeping their high powered offense off the field.

Clemson passing game vs Tech defense
Clemson QB Kyle Parker has been solid in his first year as the starter, and has a speedy WR in Jacoby Ford, who is the type of receiver that has hurt Tech this year. Tech's defense has been vulnerable through the air and Ford and Spiller could take advantage of Tech.

Final Prediction-Clemson 31 Tech 28
Clemson has too many advantages and Georgia exposed Tech's weaknesses, which Clemson has the talent to do ad well. Expect Clemson to keep the ball more than half the game by running often.

Tech injuries:
QB Josh Nesbitt, probable
WR Stephen Hill, probable
DT Ben Anderson, very doubtful
OR Austin Barrick, out

Injuries, missed all or most of year:
DE Robert Hall, out
S Cooper Taylor, out
LB Kyle Jackson, out
WR Kevin Cone, out

Congrats to Tech's 1st Team All ACC selections QB Josh Nesbitt, BB Jonathan Dwyer, WR Bebe Thomas, OG Cord Howard, DE Derrick Morgan, and especially to C Sean Bedford. Bedford was a walkon who earned a scholarship this year after beating out last year's starter Dan Voss for the job, all while having one of the toughest majors in the country. Whatever your feelings on Tech, it's hard not to root for a kid like that.