Dec. 10, 2013
Yellow Jackets, Rebels Music City Bound
• Extending what is now the nation’s second-longest active bowl streak, Georgia Tech heads to Nashville for the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl and will face the University of Mississippi on Monday, Dec. 30.
• The game can be seen nationally on ESPN with Mark Jones, Brock Huard and Jessica Mendoza.
• On the radio, “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Brandon Gaudin has the call on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network along with analyst Rick Strom and sideline reporter Sean Bedford. The game can be heard on WYAY 106.7 FM in Atlanta and on the web at RamblinWreck.com.
Quick Hitters
• The Yellow Jackets have rushed for more yards than any FBS team since 2008 and own the nation’s sixth-leading rushing attack this season at 311.7 yards/game.
• Georgia Tech is appearing in a bowl game for the 42nd time — 17th consecutive — and its .550 bowl winning percentage is ninth-best among teams with at least 25 appearances. The Jackets beat USC, 21-7, in last year’s Hyundai Sun Bowl.
• Tech finished at .500 or better for 19th consecutive season in conference play, to extend the nation’s longest such streak.
• In the five previous seasons under Paul Johnson, the Jackets’ average preseason predicted finish in the Coastal Division was third place (3.0), with Tech’s average actual finish checking in at 1.6 (an ACC-best difference of +1.4). This season, Tech was picked fourth, and at 5-3, finished second.
• Tech is third in the ACC (22nd nationally) in scoring offense at 36.6 points per game, which is the second-best in the program’s modern era.
• Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Wisconsin are the only teams in the nation to rank in the top 10 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense. The Jackets rank sixth in rush offense, ninth in rush defense.
• Georgia Tech is fifth nationally in third-down percentage (.525) – the third time in Paul Johnson’s six seasons that the Yellow Jackets have ranked in the top-five nationally in that category.
• Senior DE Jeremiah Attaochu, who amassed a career-high four sacks versus Georgia, enters the Music City Bowl a half sack shy of breaking the school’s career record. Attaochu is tied with Greg Gathers (31.0).
• Attaochu’s 31.0 career sacks are the most among all active FBS players, and ranked tied for fifth on the ACC’s all-time list.
• Senior A-back Robert Godhigh is one of the nation’s most explosive all-around players. The 5-foot-7 former walk-on was named the 2013 recipient of the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award, which is presented annually to the league’s most courageous player. Godhigh overcame three surgeries during the 2013 calendar year.
• Godhigh has logged 1,114 yards from scrimmage (694 rush, 420 catch) and his average of 12.4 yards per play leads all running backs in the FBS. Of his 90 touches, 54 percent resulted in first downs or touchdowns.
• Godhigh has 14 plays from scrimmage of 30+ yards, which is the fourth-most among all FBS players.
• Five Tech players earned All-ACC honors from the media, including OG Shaq Mason (first-team) and DE Jeremiah Attaochu (second team). Running backs David Sims and Robert Godhigh, and OG Will Jackson earned honorable mention honors.
• Senior DB Jemea Thomas will tie the school record in career games played (54) should he play in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
The Ole Miss Series
• Georgia Tech leads the series, 2-1, splitting a pair of bowl games.
• Tech and Ole Miss will meet for the first time in 42 years, since Dec. 30, 1971 when the Rebels beat the Jackets 41-18 in the Peach Bowl.
• The last two meetings have come in bowl games. On Jan. 1, 1953, Tech beat Ole Miss 24-7 in the Sugar Bowl, capping a perfect 12-0 season en route to being crowned co-national champions that season.
• The two teams first met on the gridiron on Oct, 12, 1946 in Atlanta, a 24-7 Georgia Tech victory in the only regular season meeting.
• Tech’s Paul Johnson has never coached against Ole Miss.
