Feb. 4, 2010
ATLANTA – Seven teams that participated in postseason play in 2009 are on Georgia Tech’s 12-game 2010 football schedule, which was announced today.
The 2010 schedule includes six home games against South Carolina State, Middle Tennessee State, N.C. State, Virginia, Duke and Miami. The Yellow Jackets also have six road games, at Kansas, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia.
“I think it’s an extremely challenging schedule, but one we are very much looking forward to,” head coach Paul Johnson said. “Just within our division (the ACC Coastal) there are four teams that could be ranked in the preseason top 25.”
N.C. State replaces Florida State on the ACC schedule.
Seven Tech opponents – Virginia Tech (10-3), Middle Tennessee State (10-3), South Carolina State (10-2), Miami (9-4), Clemson (9-5), North Carolina (8-5) and Georgia (8-5) – all won at least eight games in 2009 and participated in postseason play.
While television schedules are not announced until later in the year, Georgia Tech knows that it will play in an ESPN Thursday Night game for the 18th consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets will play at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Nov. 4. Tech will not host an ESPN Thursday Night game for the first time since 2002.
The Yellow Jackets, 11-3 overall and champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference last season, open the 2010 campaign Sept. 4 against MEAC champion South Carolina State at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Bulldogs went 8-0 in MEAC play and lost to Appalachian State, 20-13, in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
The following week Georgia Tech plays at Kansas – its first ever trip to Lawrence, Kan. – to play the Jayhawks and new head coach Turner Gill. The only previous meeting between Tech and KU came in the 1948 Orange Bowl (Georgia Tech won, 20-14). The Yellow Jackets have played a Big 12 team on the road just once previously, a 31-27 loss at Baylor in 1992.
North Carolina, likely a preseason top 25 team, will host the Yellow Jackets Sept. 18 in Chapel Hill. Tech has won four of the last five meetings, but the Tar Heels beat Paul Johnson’s first Yellow Jacket team in 2008 when the two teams played at Kenan Stadium.
NC State (Sept. 25) comes back on the schedule for the first time since 2006 and the Wolfpack come to Atlanta for the first time since 2005.
The Yellow Jackets will play their third straight North Carolina-based opponent Oct. 2 at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons nearly spoiled Georgia Tech’s march to the ACC championship in 2009, taking the Yellow Jackets into overtime before falling, 30-27. Tech will play in Winston-Salem – a place it has not lost since 1999 – for the first time since 2003.
The Oct. 9 meeting with Virginia in Atlanta will have an interesting storyline as the Cavaliers will face their former coach, Al Groh, who is now Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator. One year after beating Virginia in Charlottesville for the first time since 1990, Tech will be attempting to beat the Cavaliers in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-91. Virginia, under the direction of new coach Mike London, spoiled the Yellow Jackets’ homecoming in 2008, 24-17.
Tech steps out of conference play Oct. 16 to host Middle Tennessee State, a team that won 10 games including a bowl game in 2009. The Blue Raiders, who won seven consecutive games to close the ’09 season, are led by all-star quarterback Dwight Dasher, who was responsible for 36 touchdowns last season.
Georgia Tech will play Clemson for the third time in just over a year when the two teams meet Oct. 23 in Death Valley. The Yellow Jackets won both meetings last year, including the ACC Championship Game in Tampa. The Yellow Jackets have won the last four meetings, including a win at Clemson in 2008 in Dabo Swinney’s first game as the Tigers’ head coach.
After an open date on Oct. 30, Tech will play at Virginia Tech Nov. 4 in an ESPN Thursday Night game that could have ACC Coastal Division championship implications. The Yellow Jackets lost in their last trip to Blacksburg, 20-17, in 2008.
Miami, which handed Tech its only ACC loss last season and a sure pick to be ranked high in the preseason polls, comes to Atlanta Nov. 13. The Hurricanes’ win at Land Shark Stadium last season ended Tech’s four-year winning streak against Miami.
Tech’s final home game comes Nov. 20 against Duke, a team that fell one victory short of being bowl-eligible in 2009. The Blue Devils, who return 17 starters, will be looking for their first win in Atlanta since 1994.
Georgia Tech and Georgia will meet for the 105th time and will close out the regular season (Nov. 27). The Bulldogs spoiled Tech’s perfect home season in 2009, avenging the Yellow Jackets’ win in Athens in 2008.
2010 SCHEDULE
Sept. 4 vs. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
Sept. 11 at Kansas
Sept. 18 at North Carolina
Sept. 25 vs. NC STATE
Oct. 2 at Wake Forest
Oct. 9 vs. VIRGINIA
Oct. 16 vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
Oct. 23 at Clemson
Nov. 4 (Thur) at Virginia Tech
Nov. 13 vs. MIAMI
Nov. 20 vs. DUKE
Nov. 27 at Georgia
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
2009 Record: 10-2 overall, 8-0 MEAC
Postseason: Lost 20-13 to Appalachian State in opening round of FCS playoffs
Head Coach: Buddy Pough
* Went undefeated in MEAC play.
* The Bulldogs have won 10 games in each of the last two seasons.
* Scored at least 30 points in a game six times last season.
* Georgia Tech and South Carolina State have never previously met on the gridiron.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
2009 Record: 10-3 overall, 7-1 Sun Belt
Postseason: Defeated Southern Miss 42-32 in New Orleans Bowl
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill
* Won seven consecutive games to close the 2009 season.
* First meeting ever between the Yellow Jackets and Blue Raiders.
* MTSU has one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Dwight Dasher, who last season rushed for more than 88 yards per game and 13 touchdowns, and passed for 23 touchdowns while completing 54.9 percent of his passes.
NC STATE
2009 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-6 ACC
Postseason: None
Head Coach: Jim O’Brien
* Wins over Pittsburgh and North Carolina highlighted 2009 season.
* Suffered three losses last season by less than seven points.
* Returns quarterback Russell Wilson, one of the ACC’s top signal-callers.
* Tech and State will meet for the first time since 2006, and for the first time in Atlanta since 2005.
* The Wolfpack returns 12 starters and 49 letterwinners.
VIRGINIA
2009 Record: 3-9 overall, 2-6 ACC
Postseason: None
Head Coach: Mike London
* Under the direction of new coach Mike London, who comes to UVA from Richmond.
* Georgia Tech’s 34-9 win last season marked its first win in Charlottesville since 1990.
* Won three straight games, including a win over North Carolina, before closing the season with six straight losses.
* Returns 15 starters (seven on offense, eight on defense), including standout defenders Ras-I Dowling (CB) and Steve Greer (LB).
DUKE
2009 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC
Postseason: None
Head Coach: David Cutcliffe
* Was one win shy of becoming bowl-eligible in 2009.
* Took a 10-0 lead on Georgia Tech before falling 49-10 to the Yellow Jackets in Durham.
* Closed the season with four consecutive losses.
* Georgia Tech has won the last six meetings. The Blue Devils are looking for their first win in Atlanta since 1994.
* The Blue Devils will return 17 starters (and 41 letterwinners).
* Duke will return first team All-ACC selection Donovan Varner (WR), who had 65 receptions for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
MIAMI
2009 Record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 ACC
Postseason: Lost 20-14 to Wisconsin in Champs Sports Bowl
Head Coach: Randy Shannon
* Handed Georgia Tech its only ACC loss of the season, 33-17, at Land Shark Stadium.
* Georgia Tech beat Miami four straight times before the Hurricanes ended that streak last season.
* Went 3-1 early last season with wins over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma.
* The Hurricanes return 15 starters (seven on offense, eight on defense).
* Back is star quarterback Jacory Harris and running back Graig Cooper.
KANSAS
2009 Record: 5-7 overall, 1-7 Big 12
Postseason: None
Head Coach: Turner Gill
* Under the direction of new coach Turner Gill, who comes to Lawrence from Buffalo
* Began the 2009 season with a 5-0 record, then lost seven consecutive games.
* Georgia Tech and Kansas will meet for the first time since the 1998 Orange Bowl.
* The Yellow Jackets have played a Big 12 team on the road just once previously, a 31-27 loss at Baylor in 1992.
CLEMSON
2009 Record: 9-5 overall, 6-2 ACC
Postseason: Defeated Kentucky 21-13 in Music City Bowl
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
* Lost two games to Georgia Tech last season by a combined eight points – 30-27 in Atlanta and 39-34 in the ACC Championship Game.
* Three of four losses last season came against nationally-ranked teams.
* Won six straight games during one stretch last season.
* The two teams will meet for the third time in just over a year.
* Georgia Tech has won the last four meetings and six of the last seven meetings.
NORTH CAROLINA
2009 Record: 8-5 overall, 4-4 ACC
Postseason: Lost 19-17 to Pittsburgh in Meineke Car Care Bowl
Head Coach: Butch Davis
* Lost 24-7 at Georgia Tech last season, ending a 3-0 run to begin the season.
* Wins over nationally-ranked Miami and Virginia Tech highlighted 2009 season.
* Georgia Tech has won four of the last five meetings and 10 of the last 12.
WAKE FOREST
2009 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC
Postseason: None
Head Coach: Jim Grobe
* Lost five games last season by three points or less including a 30-27 overtime loss at Georgia Tech.
* Had a key non-conference win over Stanford last season.
* Prior to last year’s meeting in Atlanta, the previous meeting between Tech and Wake came in the 2006 ACC Championship game (9-6 Wake Forest victory).
* The Yellow Jackets have won nine out of the last 12 meetings.
VIRGINIA TECH
2009 Record: 10-3 overall, 6-2 ACC
Postseason: Defeated Tennessee 37-14 in Chick-fil-A Bowl
Head Coach: Frank Beamer
* Georgia Tech stopped the Hokies’ two-year ACC championship run last season.
* Had two separate five-game winning streaks in 2009.
* Lost 28-23 at Georgia Tech last season.
GEORGIA
2009 Record: 8-5 overall, 4-4 SEC
Postseason: Defeated Texas A&M 44-20 in Independence Bowl
Head Coach: Mark Richt
* Just like Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs have appeared in 13 consecutive bowl games
* Georgia spoiled Tech’s unblemished home season in 2009 with a win at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
* The two teams will meet for the 105th time when they close the 2010 regular season.
