Oct. 24, 2013
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
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Sting Daily has worked out some statistical information to get you ready for the Saturday’s crucial ACC Coastal Division matchup between Georgia Tech and Virginia.
The Series: Saturday will be the 36th meeting between the schools, and the series can’t get much more even, as each team has won 17 times and played one tie. While Tech has won three of the last four meetings, it hasn’t fared well in Charlottesville. The Jackets are 3-10-1 all-time there and have won only once over the last 10 meetings.
1 – The number of plays Georgia Tech needed to score last season against Virginia. On their first offensive play, Zach Laskey took a pass from Tevin Washington and went 70 yards for a score.
1:36 – The difference in time of possession per game for ACC-leader Georgia Tech (35:28) and No. 2 Virginia (33:52).
7 – The number of quarters this season when the opponent has held the ball longer
12 – The number of quarters that Tech has held the ball at least 9:00.
3 – The number of punts blocked by redshirt sophomore cornerback Chris Milton this season. That’s one more than any other team in the nation.
4.0 – The number of tackles, all solos, recorded in the last two games by freshman DB Demond Smith. The eight total stops are two fewer total tackles and one less solo than Jemea Thomas, whose 10 tackles, 9 solo, lead the Jackets in that stretch.
4 – The number of consecutive turnovers turned into touchdowns by Georgia Tech. That includes going 3-for-3 against last week against Syracuse.
5 – The streak of consecutive Georgia Tech turnovers turned into touchdowns that ended last week against Syracuse.
6 – The number of consecutive wins by Georgia Tech to open the series with Virginia. It’s the longest win streak in the series. All six games were played at Bobby Dodd Stadium with four of the wins decided by six-or-fewer points. Georgia Tech was not in the ACC for the first four wins. The seventh match-up was the first held in Charlottesville and resulted in the series’ only tie, 20-20.
6 – The difference in turnover margin. Georgia Tech is plus-1 on the season, while Virginia is minus-5. Jackets passers have thrown seven interceptions, while grabbing eight, while both Tech and its opponents have lost four fumbles. Cavs QBs have thrown eight interceptions to four for opposing QBs, and have lost seven fumbles, one more than their opponents.
7 – Georgia Tech’s national rank in third-down efficiency. The Jackets convert at 54.0 percent, second in the ACC but only 1/100th of a point behind Florida State. They were 5-of-8 on third downs last week. Tech will have its work cut out for them this week, as Virginia leads the ACC in third-down defense, with opponents converting 26.6 percent, third in the nation.
9 – The difference in the number of scoring drives of at least 10 plays between Georgia Tech and its opponents. The Yellow Jackets have scored on 10 drives of at least 10 plays, while opponents have but one, none in the last 3 ½ games. 10 – The number of tackles linebacker Quayshawn Nealy has made in each of the last two meetings with Virginia. He also had half a tackle for loss in each. About the only statistical difference is that he had four solo stops in the 2011 game, and six last season.
13.7/9.3 – The amount by which Georgia Tech’s offense outscores Virginia per game and the difference in what Tech’s and UVA’s defenses allow. The Jackets score 36.0 ppg, to Virginia’s 22.3, while defensively, GT surrenders 19.1 points vs. 28.4 by UVA.
19 – The number of years between Yellow Jacket wins at Scott Stadium. The No. 16/14 Jackets upset consensus top-ranked Virginia, 41-38, on Nov. 3, 1990 but then didn’t win at Scott again until Johnson’s team, ranked No. 11/13, put a 34-9 hurtin’ on them.
28 – The number of points by which Georgia Tech has outscored Virginia in the series. Tech has put up 884 points to 356 for Virginia. The Jackets had trailed by eight points heading into last year’s game.
28 – The number of years since Georgia Tech’s defense has recorded two shutouts in the same season. The last year it happened was 1985, when Bill Curry’s squad shut out North Carolina, 31-0, on Oct. 5, and Duke, 9-0, on Nov. 2. Coincidentally, current Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof started at inside linebacker and was a team captain.
50 – The amount of points fewer that Georgia Tech has allowed than Virginia during the second half. Tech has allowed opponents 52 points in the final 30 minutes vs. 112.
7 – The number of points Georgia Tech has allowed in the third quarter all season. Tech’s one post-halftime score came against Duke, the same Blue Devils that scored 10 points in the third quarter alone last week in Virginia.
56 – The number of points in Georgia Tech’s win over Syracuse last week, accounting for its largest margin of victory in an ACC game. It’s also the number of points the Jackets scored last year against UVA and is the most points scored by either team in the series, topping the Cavaliers’ 55-point effort by the No. 20/19 Cavaliers on Sept. 16, 1993, a 55-14 win over No. 22/20 Tech at Bobby Dodd. Tech’s previous high was 42 in the inaugural game of the series, a 42-19 victory on Nov. 13, 1965 at Bobby Dodd.
12 – The number of times over the last 50 years that the Yellow Jackets have scored at least 56 points. Eight of those games have come in the Paul Johnson Era.
124.3 – The difference in yardage gained on the ground per game between Georgia Tech (304.4) and Virginia (176.1).
1990 – The year that Georgia Tech not only knocked off top-ranked Virginia, 41-38, at Scott Stadium, but also would go on to take home a share of the National Championship.
10 Things To Know About Virginia (plus Mike London’s commitment to youth at UVA)
0 – The number of quarterbacks on Virginia’s roster that played in 2012. They’re one of only four teams in the country that can make that claim and one of only 10 FBS teams to have a quarterback that didn’t have a start last season.
.523 – Virginia’s all-time record on Homecoming weekend, as the Cavaliers are 45-41-2 all-time. Saturday will be the third time they have met Georgia Tech on Homecoming. They have split with the Jackets, winning, 24-21, in 2011, but dropping the 41-38 decision in 1990.
2 – Sophomore running back Kevin Parks’ place among Virginia running backs in combined first- and second-year rushing. In 18 games, Parks has run for 1,443 yards. Only Wali Lundy (2002-03) ran for more in two years (1,755). Parks also is fourth in catches, with 35. Lundy’s 87 set the pace, but he is also only 11 away from being second (Alvin Pearman (2001-02).
8 – Parks’ number of rushing touchdowns this season, which rank him second. Coincidentally, he ranks eighth in school history for rushing touchdowns, with 22. That’s halfway to setting a new school career record, which is held by, you guessed it, Wali Lundy, who had 43 from 2002-05.
3 – The number out of the top five active sack leaders that will have tested Virginia’s offensive line this season. The Cavs met active leader Aaron Donald of Pittsburgh in their Sept. 28th loss in Pittsburgh, they kicked off the season hosting Kyle Van Noy of BYU in their season-opening win, and now face Tech’s Jeremiah Attaochu. The Cavaliers offensive line has had mixed results, as Donald got through for two sacks, but the unit shut out Van Noy.
6.43 – The number of three-and-outs forced by the Virginia defense thus far this season. Opponents went three-and-out 45 times and 40.9 percent of their drives ended in three-and-out.
8 – The number of home games Virginia has in 2013. It’s the first time in school history they’ve had that many home games. They are 2-3 thus far, beating BYU and VMI, but dropping decisions to No. 2 Oregon, Ball State and Duke.
9 – The number wins in 11 games for Virginia against Georgia Tech since 1982 when it wins the turnover battle. Virginia is only 3-4 in that span when the teams are equal in turnovers.
7/99 – The number of receptions and receiving yards junior tight end Jake McGee needs to crack Virginia’s all-time top 10 tight ends receiving lists in those categories. McGee’s 59 catches are seven behind No. 10 Kevin Riccio (1980-82), while his 639 receiving yards are 99 behind Jim Colleran (1973-75). He can move into a tie for 11th with John Phillips (2005-08) with 31 receiving yards. McGee is questionable for Saturday, however, with a “Lower Extremity” injury. McGee’s seven TD receptions are one behind Aaron Mundy (1990-93), for fifth all-time.
3 – The number of true freshmen Virginia has used on the offensive line this year. That ties for the most in the nation with Troy. Included in that group is right tackle Eric Smith, who is only the fourth true freshman in school history to start at offensive tackle — he started at RT against Ball State on Oct. 5. Former LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (2002) is the only true freshman to start a season opener.
11 – The number of true freshmen that have played for UVA this season. That’s 12th in the nation. Playing youngsters isn’t new for Head Coach Mike London, who used nine last year, and 12 in 2011.
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