Georgia Tech Beats Duke Wins ACC Coastal *UPDATED*

The Duke Blue Devils came into Bobby Dodd Stadium on Senior Day to face a hungry Yellow Jackets squad that hoped to clinch a share of the Coastal Division Title, and hopefully have a chance at the ACC Championship as well.  The Blue Devils matched the Yellow Jackets score for score for the first two quarters.  Then after halftime, the defense produced a few stops, which allowed the offense to take charge and push the team ahead by multiple scores and assured Georgia Tech the victory.

With a 42-24 victory on Saturday over the Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech clinched at least a tie for the Coastal division with the Miami Hurricanes.  The Canes have the tie breaker of course due to their win versus the Jackets earlier this season (42-36 in OT) after coming back from a 21 point deficit.  This meant that Miami would need to have 4 ACC losses for the Yellow Jackets to win the division.  After defeating Duke this guaranteed Ga Tech a 5-3 record in the ACC with one ACC game left to go for Miami.  This coming Saturday the Canes face Duke.  If they lose, then Georgia Tech would advance to the ACC Championship game.  However early Monday morning the wait was over.  Miami imposed a Bowl Ban for the 2012 season on itself so that it would hopefully relieve the punishment coming from an NCAA investigation.  This clinched the ACC Coastal title for the Yellow Jackets, who after suffering through a harsh season are now on the brink of playing for a BCS Bowl game.




Highlights

Senior quarterback Tevin Washington came into his last collegiate home game with a swagger long since seen.  He played with precision and poise, especially in the passing game, which was the helped seal the deal for the Yellow Jackets.  Washington completed 6 of 10 passes for 102 yards and 3 TD passes.  He also rushed the ball a team high 19 times for 63 yards and a TD.

It was a big rushing day as well for several Yellow Jacket backs.

Zach Laskey 18 carries for 72 yards
David Sims 11 carries for 70 yards 1 TD
Orwin Smith 10 carries 67 yards

Laskey also had a big day in the passing game catching 2 passes for 40 yards and 1 TD, and the spark plug RB Robert Godhigh caught 2 passes for 35 yards and 2 TD's.  One of his catches was yet again a highlight everyone needs to see.

The defense came out in the second half a different squad.  Despite allowing a Touchdown on a long opening second half drive, the next three drives would end in a Punt, a Turnover on Downs and an Interception.  Not a bad way to clinch a victory on Senior Day!






Next Game: vs. UGA Bulldogs (November 24, 2012)

It's Rivalry Week!  It's also time for some "Clean Old Fashioned Hate", otherwise known as the UGA vs GT game.  The Bulldogs are ranked #3 in the country coming into the game and will be playing #2 Alabama in the SEC Championship game the week after.  The key to Ga Tech standing a chance in this game will be stopping the two headed monster at RB for the Bulldogs that they call "Gurshall".  If they can keep them in check, and force QB Aaron Murray into some bad throws and allow their offense to dictate the pace of the game, then the Yellow Jackets will have a chance to win this game and possibly ruin UGA's shot at a National Championship.

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Yellow Jackets Explode For 68 Points In Shootout Win Over UNC!

The Yellow Jackets in their defeat of the Tar Heels and a Miami loss to Virginia have crept back in the ACC Coastal Division picture.  The Jackets/Heels 68-50 game will go down as one of the greatest ACC games of all-time.  The set record for most points scored in an ACC conference game.  Both teams combined for 1.085 yards of offense and 111 points.  11 different players scored touchdowns in the game.  There was hardly a punt seen.  It was a back and forth fight for the the first two quarters and then Georgia Tech was able to push ahead late in the third quarter, and the defense was able to hold the lead for the remaining 15 minutes.  That is about the only highlight I can give either defense on this day.  It was a game for fan of high octane offense.  UNC's Bryn Renner and Giovani Bernard combined for 400+ yards of offense, but the Yellow Jackets offense lead by backup QB Vad Lee exploded in a way that made all Georgia Tech fans hungry for more Vad!



Highlights

The young RS-freshman quarterback, Vad Lee, returned back to his home state of North Carolina with a mission in mind...To show what UNC passed up on.  He had envisioned his entire life that he would play for the Tar Heels, but was heavily recruited by Georgia Tech and the rest is history.  Lee would get his first snaps on the second series of the game, after Tevin Washington had led the team to an opening drive score.  The results were so good for Lee, that Washington never saw the field for the rest of the day.  He completed 6 of his 10 pass attempts for 169 yards and a TD.  This was the highest passing day for Ga Tech all season long.  Lee also was the Jackets leading rusher.  He ran the ball 23 times for 112 yards and 2 TD's. 

Orwin Smith also had a big day picking up 83 yards on 11 carries and scoring a TD.  He also chipped in the passing game, catching a pass for 39 yards.  B-back's David Sims and Zach Laskey combined for 130 yards on 18 carries and a TD. 

The biggest highlights of the day may have been from RB Robert Godhigh who rushed for 41 yards and 2 TD's on just 5 carries.  He also caught 32 yard pass for the team's lone passing touchdown.  Godhigh is showing everyone that height is just a number, and he can produce just as much as any running back in the ACC.

Chris Tanner has emerged as THE starting kicker for the Yellow Jackets.  The senior walk-on finally got his chance to secure the job when the two scholarship kickers blundered their way into Johnson's doghouse.  Tanner took full advantage of this.  To a point that Coach Johnson said he wanted to kiss him he was so happy by his efforts.  Tanner was perfect on the day 2for 2 in field goals with a long of 35 yards and 8 for 8 in his point after attempts.  His 14 point output was the highest by a Ga Tech kicker in three seasons.




Next Game: vs Duke Blue Devils (November 17, 2012)

Duke will be fighting for a chance at an ACC title opportunity, as well as Ga Tech this coming weekend.  Both teams have had contrasting seasons.  The Blue Devils, lead by Coach David Cutcliff and QB Sean Renfree, started out this season on fire, but have simmered down the latter half.  The Yellow Jackets began the season 2-4 (two OT losses) and are winners of 4 of the last 5 games, and have placed themselves in a chance to win the ACC Coastal Division.  If Duke loses to Ga Tech, but can beat Miami the next week; then the Jackets will be going to Charlotte to play in the title game against Florida State.  The game will also be senior day, and might give Tech the added advantage needed to overcome this offensively potent foe.

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Movies Coming To A Theater Near You: November 2012

Here are some the movies to look forward to as the holiday season approaches.

Wreck It Ralph (November 2)
Director: Rich Moore
Producer: Clark Spencer
Writer: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, Jim Reardon
Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch

At night, after Litwak's arcade closes, the characters in the games actually interact with one another in the video game realm.  Ralph, the villain of one of the arcade games, has become tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day.  But after decades doing playing his role and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of being the bad guy and quits. He takes matters into his own hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero!  Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade.  It is now Ralph's chance to realize his dream and save the day before it’s too late.

Skyfall (November 9)
Director: Sam Mendes
Producer: Michael G. Wilson, Barabara Broccoli
Writer: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Rhys Ifans, Naomi Harris

James Bond is back for the 23rd movie in the Bond Saga.  This time, Bond's mission is not just to save the world, but the woman he loves like a mother, M.  A rogue MI6 agent gone bad, Raoul Silva, has decided to get revenge against MI6 for a past betrayal.

Lincoln (November 9)
Director: Stephen Spielberg
Producer: Stephen Spielberg
Writer: Tony Kushner, Doris Kearns Goodwin
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Jared Harris, Jackie Earle Haley

Based of the novel 'Team of Rivals' comes this revealing drama focusing on the 16th President of the United States tumultuous final months in office.  The nation is divided by war and the strong winds of change. Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery.  With the moral courage instilled in him and a fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of the nation for generations to come, and his fate as well.

Red Dawn (November 21)
Director: Dan Bradley
Producer: Beau Flynn, Vincent G. Newman, Tripp Vinson
Writer:Carl Ellsworth, Jeremy Passmore
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabele Lucas

Based off the original movie 'Red Dawn' (1984) a Colorado town awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky.  The U.S. has been invaded quickly and without warning.  The citizens fight to escape the invaders, but find themselves prisoners in their town and under enemy occupation (as this fight has expanded nationwide).  A select few that escape, teenagers mostly, become determined to fight back.  The group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding mountains and woods.  They train and reorganizing themselves into a guerilla group of fighters known as the Wolverines (after their high school mascot).  They band together to protect one another and help liberate their townsfolk from the invaders. Slowly they take the fight to the enemy and take back their freedom.

Life of Pi (November 21)
Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Gil Netter
Writer: David Magee, Yann Martel
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Gerarg Depardieu

Based on the Yann Martel novel of the same name, Life of Pi is a coming-of-age story surrounding the son of a zookeeper who survives a horrible shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger.



Other Movies of Note:

Flight (Nov 2)
The Man with the Iron Fists (Nov. 2)
Ouija (Nov. 12)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Nov. 16)
Rise of the Gaurdians (Nov. 21)
The Collection (Nov. 30)

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Yellow Jackets Sting Ailing Terps 33-13!

Georgia Tech same into College Park, MD and did what they were supposed to do...dominate an opponent that is reeling.  The Maryland Terrapins (4-5) came into the game having lost their fourth QB for the season due to injury.  Forcing them to use a backup linebacker, who last played QB in high school, as their operator on offense.  Any school knowing this is licking their chops and hoping for a big day statistically.  The one factor in the Terps favor was that the weather was conducive for a ground it out running the ball kind of game.   However, Tech's rushing offense far outclassed a less than potent Maryland squad.  When the final whistle was blown, the Yellow Jackets defeated the ailing Terrapins 33-13. 

Highlights

The ground game was dominated by senior RB Orwin Smith, who did a little bit of everything on this day.  Smith, who is by far the biggest home run threat in the backfield for the Jackets, had 10 carries in the game for 89 yards and 1 TD.  Smith also lead the Yellow Jackets in receiving, but that wasn't hard since Ga Tech only attempted 4 passes all game long.  One of the two completions went to Smith for 26 yards , and the other to WR Jeff Greene for a short 5 yard pickup.

QB Vad Lee also saw more snaps in this game, which was expected after the past few weeks.  Coach Johnson is looking to get Lee more acclimated to the level of competition for next season, so he will be ready.  Lee completed 1 of 2 passes for 26 yards, and he also was extremely productive on the ground rushing for 66 yards on 12 carries and scoring 2 TD's.  Washington and Lee pretty much split the snaps 50/50, and I would expect to see more of the same next week again the Tar Heels.

The defense did what they were supposed to do.  They didn't let a backup linebacker at QB, Shawn Petty, beat them.  It was obvious from his first pass attempt that the only chance they stood against Tech was to rush the ball effectively, and they failed.  The Jackets defense gave up only 144 yards rushing on 44 carries (3.3 avg).  Not a bad effort considering the weather and lack of an opponents passing attack.  I wonder how this unit will match up against a more wide open-quick strike offense in UNC next week.




Next Game: vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (November 10, 2012)

UNC comes into this game in pursuit of an ACC Coastal title, and needs to beat the Jackets to help them get there.  The Tar Heels are lead by Quarterback Bryn Renner, who is having his best season so far at Chapel Hill.  The Heels also have probably the ACC's best overall running back in Giovani Bernard (a possible Heisman candidate).  The Yellow Jacket's defense was stellar against a hurt Maryland offense, but this will be a true challenge for Georgia Tech.  The offense may have to score on every possession just to stay in the game.

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Falcons Beat Eagles, Stay Perfect 7-0!

The NFL's lone undefeated team traveled up to Philadelphia to face the struggling Eagles.  The Atlanta Falcons continued their winning ways by beating up the Eagles 30-17 on the road.  This is the second straight victory for the Dirty Birds against their northern aviary rivals.  As a whole, this was a game of complete dominance for Atlanta, who moved their season record to a league best 7-0!




Highlights

The league's leading passer (QBR) Matt Ryan returned to his native Philly and had one of his best games of the 2012 season.  He completed 22 of 29 passes for 262 yards and 3 Touchdowns against a much maligned, all be it highly talented, defense.  Ryan was able to utilize several weapons in this game.

His favorite target on the day was WR Julio Jones, who caught 5 passes for 123 yards and 1 TD.  Once again Jones showed the NFL that he is already a top receiver in the league.  The second most utilized weapon was RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who had 13 touches (8 rushes, 5 catches) for 80 yards (60 rushing/20 receiving).  If the Falcons can keep getting production like that from Rodgers, then Michael Turner may see less time on the field.  However, it will give the Falcons another big threat in both the running and passing game.

The Falcons defense had one of it's best days of the season.  They kept the Eagles in check for almost the entire game.  Eagles All-Pro RB LeSean McCoy was held to only 67 total yards.  They also held former Falcons QB Mike Vick in check the entire game.  Despite having no turnovers, Vick only had 191 passing yards and rarely made plays with his feet.  Much of that was due to the pressure the Falcons put on Vick all game long.  




Next Game: vs Dallas Cowboys (November 4, 2012 @ 8:00 pm)

The Cowboys are coming off a home loss against the defending Super Bowl Champion NY Giants.  It was a game that Dallas could have won despite the number of offensive turnovers.  That will be the key factor to a  Falcons victory on Sunday.  Make sure they pressure Dallas QB Tony Romo and force him to turn the ball over.  The games in which the Cowboys have lost have been the ones where Romo has been forced to make tough throws into traffic.  This is a team that will give you chances to make plays on defense.  I see a the Falcons defensive backs having a big day, and using their home field advantage to the upmost potential.

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BYU Blows Out Georgia Tech 41-17!

This game was without a doubt the Yellow Jackets worst game of the season.  The Cougars of BYU came across country for a road game, having lost two games in a row, and handled Tech with ease beating them 41-17.  Normally teams choose their Homecoming game to be against team's they feel they should definitely beat.  The Cougars made the Yellow Jackets look like they weren't even a FBS school.  Defensively, Tech could barely slow down the BYU offense.  Georgia Tech's offense had its lowest offensive output for the season, 157 total yards (117 yards rushing).  They failed to score an offensive Touchdown for the first time in two years.  You won't win many games doing that.




Highlights

There were not many.  Jamal Golden broke a 177 game streak for the Yellow Jackets, by returning a kickoff 97 yards for a Touchdown near the end of the second quarter.  It was the first special teams return for a Touchdown since October 31st, 1998 by Dez White.





It was the first game in over two years where the Yellow Jackets were held without a rushing touchdown.  Georgia Tech had just 117 yards rushing as a team, which was 223 yards off their normal average.  B-back David Sims led the way with  a whopping 32 yards.

The Yellow Jackets defense yet again had a stinker of a game, but Safety Isaiah Johnson had an Interception return for a Touchdown in the 1st Quarter.  It was the second Pick-6 of his collegiate career.



Next Game: vs Maryland Terrapins (November 3, 2012 @12:30 pm)

Maryland comes into the game having lost their fourth straight quarterback this season.  The Terps will be starting RS Freshman linebacker Shawn Petty at QB.  He will be making his first start at QB since high school (2 years ago).  If the Yellow Jackets don't win this game, then the grumbling of change may be coming sooner rather than later for Coach Paul Johnson.

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GSU Hangs Tough With JMU, Lose 28-21

The Georgia State Panthers (1-8) came within an eye lash of defeating the JMU Dukes (6-2) last Saturday.  Bill Curry's young squad fought hard for four quarters (most of the offensive success was in the 4th quarter), but ultimately it wasn't enough.  The coaching staff called it the best overall effort of the season.  When you look at the statistics, it really was about as evenly matched a game as you can have.

Total Yards: GSU (348) JMU (340)
Passing Yards: GSU (175) JMU (119)
Rushing Yards: GSU (173) JMU (221)
Penalties: GSU (5) JMU (5)
Turnovers: GSU (1) JMU (1)




Highlights

The passing game cam up big late.  Quarterback Ben McLane had perhaps his best start of the season completing 22 out of 37 passes for 175 yards and 1 TD.  The best part was no turnovers from this position.  The QB has been a turnover machine this season, no matter who it has been, and this was nice to see for a change.  It could be a sign of some maturity from the young freshman, late in the season.

Runningback Travis Evans picked up the slack for the injured star RB Donald Russell.  It's hard to replace the conference leader in rushing, but the Panthers found a way to do it.  Evans rushed 18 times for 98 yards, and caught 3 passes for 23 yards.  His teammate Roosevelt Watson chipped in with 33 yards of his own, and a TD scamper as well. 

The receiving corp had a group effort day with 10 different receivers catching passes.  TE Emmanuel Ogbuehi had his best game of the season catching a team high 6 passes for only 17 yards, but had a TD reception.  He has started to become a reliable target the past few weeks, and has been showing a ton of on the field leadership for the Panthers in 2012.  It looks like this Senior wants to end his season with a bang.

The defense came up big against a very tough opponent.  Many starters have been out with numerous injuries, but players (mainly freshman) have been stepping up into roles usually filled with veterans and have seen some big results.  Transfer DT Theo Agnew had the biggest day making 9 tackles (1 for loss) and broke up 3 pass attempts.





Next Game: vs Old Dominion (November 3, 2012 @ 3:30 pm)

This game will be the last home game for Panthers Head Coach Bill Curry, who helped found the football program at GSU.  ODU (7-1) is one of the better teams in not just the CAA, but FCS as a whole.  They are led by quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who made noise earlier this season by setting the NCAA record for most passing yards in a game (730 yards) against New Hampshire.  He has thrown for 3,159 yards so far this season with 24 Touchdowns.  Heinicke has also rushed for 331 yards and 8 Touchdowns.  He is likely to be the Conference Player of the Year.  If the Panthers can find a way to slow him down, then they may have a chance in this game.  It is going to be tough for the Panthers to have Curry leave the Dome with a victory, but you never know.  That's why you play the game.

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Not So Sweet Homecoming For GSU, Lose 49-24!

This was a game that was an ultimate reality check for this Panthers football team.  Villanova, like GSU, is possibly headed to the FBS next season.  Except they would be playing in the Big East, an automatic BCS qualifying conference.  So, you can tell a lot about how good the Villanova program is just by that.  However, if you need more convincing, how about the fact that the last four seasons Villanova has either won the FCS Championship or lost in the Semi-Finals or Quarterfinals of the FCS Tournament.  This is a program that has learned how to win since being reborn in 1985.

The Panthers could learn a good lesson from this program.  They built their football the old fashioned way.  The recruited their asses off!  They could easily play in the FBS right now, but with that still up in the air they are just one of the most dominant teams in all of the FCS.  Georgia State has until next season to get it's recruiting corrected, as well as it's coaching.  This was a game marked by levels of play.  For two quarters against the Wildcats first team offense and defense, GSU allowed 35 points and only scored 3.  When the Wildcats played their second and third stringers you could see a much more even game.  This is what the Panthers are going to have to become.  Their young players now, through experience, must improve their play or they will see more games like this than not.  I hope for the sake of this football program that they do.




Highlights

Unfortunately, the Panthers lost their starting running back and CAA conference leader in rushing Donald Russell.  He exited the game with a knee injury which has been diagnosed as a sprained MCL and he is done for the rest of the season.  Former starter, Roosevelt Watson entered the game and rushed for 45 yards on only 8 carries.

The team would put it's back on the passing game and strong throwing arm of RS Freshman QB Ben McLane.  McLane was intercepted twice, but still managed to gather himself in a game that got out of hand quickly.  He completed 21 out of 37 passes for 164 yards and 1 TD.  Many of these completions were of the short variety.  As he only averaged 4.4 yards per completion for the game.

He did hook up with WR Albert Wilson quite a bit though.  Wilson caught 6 passes for 104 yards and one of the team's two TD receptions.  Albert also had a big day returning kicks.  He averaged over 35 yards per kickoff and had a long return of 61 yards in the game.  Overall, Wilson had 186 punt/kickoff return yards.


Next Game: vs James Madison (Oct. 27, 2012 @ 3:30 pm)



The Dukes of James Madison (5-2) come into the game riding off a 35-29 loss to Richmond.  See other people lose to the Spiders as well.  Some of the players the Panthers will have to look out for are QB Justin Thorpe, RB Dae'Quan Scott and WR Deandre Smith.  However, the Dukes are loaded with talent up and down their roster.  This will be a tough challenge on the road for Georgia State.

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