Sept. 18, 2002
Brigham Young’s intricate passing game, coupled with a strong running attack, make the Cougars very difficult to prepare for, says Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey, whose Yellow Jackets (2-1) host BYU (2-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field.
Saturday’s game will be regionally televised on ABC, including Atlanta affiliate WSB Channel 2. Radio coverage on the Georgia Tech-ISP Radio network is available in the Atlanta area on flagship station 790 the Zone (WQXI-AM) as well as South 107.1 (WSTH-FM) and Magic 98.1 (WMGP-FM).
“It’s very difficult to prepare for BYU,” said Gailey after Wednesday’s practice at Rose Bowl Field. “They’ve got every trick in the book . . . and they’ve probably got some that aren’t in the book, too. You don’t want to go out there and work on trick plays all day because they’ve got a good base. Then if you get caught up worrying about the trick plays and the passing game, you forget about the running game with Marcus Whalen running it down your throat.
“It’s very difficult to simulate all that on the practice field in the number of reps we get a day.”
Adding to the challenge is that BYU played two quarterbacks in its last game, a 31-28 loss at Nevada. The starter, Bret Engemann, is a 605, 238-pound junior who is a drop-back passer, but he has been spelled in each game by freshman Lance Pendleton, who is smaller at 6-0 and 172 pounds and more of a running threat. Engemann has passed for 692 yards and five touchdowns, while Pendleton has thrown for 123 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 62 yards and two scores.
“Their quarterbacks are very different,” said Gailey. “The starter (Bret Engemann) is a big guy, a drop back passer. Then Pendleton comes in and he is an option, quarterback sweep, quarterback draw kind of guy. They have very diverse quarterbacks.”
Saturday’s game will mark the first ever meeting between Georgia Tech and Brigham Young on the gridiron. The Yellow Jackets will make a return trip to Provo, Utah in 2003. BYU becomes the 94th different institution that Georgia Tech has faced in its 110 years of football.
