Nov. 25, 2002
ATLANTA –
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Already bowl eligible for the sixth straight year, Georgia Tech (7-4, 4-4 ACC) concludes the regular season with a visit to fifth-ranked Georgia (10-1, 7-1 SEC) Saturday in the 97th renewal of this storied rivalry. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
The Tech-Georgia game will be nationally televised on CBS, including Atlanta affiliate WGCL Channel 46. The game can also be heard on the Georgia Tech-ISP Radio Network, including Atlanta flagship station, WQXI-AM “790 The Zone.” Wes Durham calls the play-by-play, while Kim King provides color analysis.
The Yellow Jackets have won three of their last four games, including a 17-2 victory over Duke on Nov. 16. The Bulldogs also last played on Nov. 16, when they defeated Auburn, 24-21, to clinch the SEC East title.
“Georgia is a very good football team, a Top 10 team that is playing very well,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey. “They deserve their ranking. They have continued to find ways to win, and that’s a credit to them.”
Tech quarterback A.J. Suggs (Powder Springs, Ga.) is completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 2,044 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Kerry Watkins (LaPlace, La.) is Tech’s leading receiver with 61 catches for 907 yards (14.9-yard average) and four touchdowns, while fellow senior Will Glover (Tampa, Fla.) adds 42 receptions for 372 yards and three scores.
At a tailback position decimated by injuries, senior Gordon Clinkscale (Doraville, Ga.) has become Tech’s top back with 70 carries for 455 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, along with 17 catches for 96 yards. Over the last five games, Clinkscale has averaged 83 yards rushing per game and 6.7 yards a carry.
Redshirt freshman P.J. Daniels (Houston, Texas) contributes 239 yards and two TDs. The Tech offensive line is led by a pair of all-star candidates in sophomore left tackle Nat Dorsey (New Orleans, La.), who is expected to return after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury, and junior center Hugh Reilly (Smyrna, Ga.).
The Jackets’ defensive leaders are its trio of outstanding linebackers: junior Daryl Smith (Albany, Ga.), 78 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and one interception; senior Recardo Wimbush (Blakely, Ga.), 77 tackles and two fumble recoveries, and junior Keyaron Fox (Atlanta, Ga.), 70 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.
All-ACC free safety Jeremy Muyres (Stone Mountain, Ga.) adds 55 tackles and is third in the ACC with five interceptions.
All-conference placekicker Luke Manget (Conyers, Ga.) has extended his ACC-record streak of consecutive extra points to 156 in a row. Tech’s career scoring leader with 318 points, Manget has hit 10 straight field goals to improve to 12-for-16 on the season.
At punter, the Jackets use a combination of seniors Dan Dyke (Winter Springs, Fla.), who is averaging 39.9 yards on 33 punts, and Chris Morehouse (Vernon, Conn.), who is averaging 42.6 yards on 28 punts.
BOWL ELIGIBLE FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT YEAR
With seven victories, Georgia Tech is bowl-eligible, putting the Jackets in line for a school record-tying sixth consecutive bowl appearance. Tech’s six straight years of seven or more victories also ties the school record, previously achieved from 1951-56 and 1961-66.
Tech has earned five consecutive bowl berths, a first for the program since the 1950s and the halcyon days of legendary coach Bobby Dodd, who guided the Yellow Jackets to a school-record six straight bowl games–winning them all–from 1951-56.
On their current streak, the Jackets have played in the 1997 Carquest Bowl, the 1999 and 2000 Toyota Gator Bowls, the 2000 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the 2001 Seattle Bowl.
MUYRES, DYKE NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Free safety Jeremy Muyres and punter Dan Dyke have been named to the Verizon Academic All-District III football team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Both players are now eligible for the Verizon Academic All-America team, which will be announced Dec. 2.
Dyke, a senior from Winter Springs, Fla., made the all-district team for the fourth straight year and has been a Verizon Academic All-America the last three years. He carries a 3.87 grade point average in Electrical Engineering.
Muyres, a senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., and a first-time honoree, maintains a 3.33 GPA in Management.
TECH DEFENSE STEPS UP
Georgia Tech’s defense ranks first or second in the ACC in every category. The Yellow Jackets are first in the league in scoring defense, allowing 16.9 ppg, which ranks 11th nationally. Tech is second in total defense (336.2) and rushing defense (121.3 ypg) and third in pass efficiency defense (107.2).
PERMANENT TEAM CAPTAINS NAMED
Free safety Jeremy Muyres, guard Raymond Roberts-Blake, wide receiver Kerry Watkins and linebacker Recardo Wimbush were elected as Georgia Tech’s permanent team captains for the 2002 season.
The 2002 senior class is made up of 22 players, including 11 starters (five on offense, four on defense and both kickers). This year’s senior class enters its final regular-season game with a four-year record of 32-16 and is eligible for a fourth consecutive bowl game.
THE SERIES VERSUS GEORGIA
Georgia Tech has won three of the last four meetings with Georgia, which leads the series, 53-38-5. The Bulldogs captured last year’s game with a 31-17 victory, but Tech won the three previous years.
The Yellow Jackets have won two in a row at Georgia’s Sanford Stadium with a 27-15 victory in 2000 and a 21-19 win in 1998. Tech’s last loss in Athens was a 19-10 Bulldog victory in 1996. Georgia holds a 25-12-1 advantage on its home field.
The Tech-Georgia series began in 1893, and the 96 meetings make the Bulldogs Tech’s most frequent opponent. The series has been continuous since 1925.
LAST MEETING WITH THE BULLDOGS
In 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia’s Verron Haynes rushed for 207 yards and Billy Bennett kicked six field goals to lead 19th-ranked Georgia to a 31-17 over No. 21 Georgia Tech.
In 2000 in Athens, Tech quarterback George Godsey passed for 222 yards and one touchdown and added a 33-yard scoring run to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 27-15 victory. Linebacker Daryl Smith returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown as Tech did all of its scoring in the first half.
DEFENSE PITCHES SHUTOUT
The Georgia Tech defense held Duke scoreless in the Yellow Jackets’ 17-2 victory, in which the Blue Devils’ only points came on a safety. Duke was the second team that Tech has held without a touchdown this season, following a 45-3 win over Vanderbilt in the opener.
Over the last two games, the Tech defense has allowed just 14 points. In the Jackets’ 21-13 loss to Florida State, the Seminoles scored one of their touchdowns on an interception return.
Tech LEADS THE ACC and ranks 11th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 16.9 points per game. That figure is even better for the last four games, in which the Jackets have allowed an average of 13.8 points per game against Virginia, NC State, Florida State and Duke.
NO ROOM TO RUN
Georgia Tech ranks second in the ACC in rushing defense, allowing 121.3 yards per game, which ranks 29th nationally.
In back-to-back wins over Virginia and NC State, Tech allowed just 110 yards rushing, limiting the Cavaliers to 53 yards on 20 attempts and the Wolfpack 57 yards on 22 attempts. The Jackets held State’s standout freshman T.A. McLendon, who entered the game averaging 101.6 yards, to 49 yards on 17 carries.
Tech has held five opponents this season to under 100 yards rushing (NC State, Virginia, Connecticut, BYU and North Carolina), and the Jackets are 5-0 in those games.
SUGGS VERSUS THE DOGS
Georgia Tech quarterback A.J. Suggs will be making his second start against Georgia. In 2000, Suggs’ was Tennessee’s starting quarterback against the Bulldogs. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 96 yards and was sacked four times in Georgia’s 21-10 victory.
MANGET NEARS ACC SCORING RECORD
Luke Manget became Georgia Tech’s all-time scoring leader. The senior all-America candidate is 54-for-76 (.711) on field goals and 156-for-156 on extra points in his career for a total of 318 points. He broke the Tech record set by placekicker Scott Sisson (299 points, 1989-92).
Manget’s point total is just eight points behind the ACC career scoring record. He now stands third in league history, trailing only a pair of former Florida State kickers – Scott Bentley (326 points) and Sebastian Janikowski (324).
WATKINS AMONG ACC’S TOP RECEIVERS
Senior wideout Kerry Watkins is tied for first in the ACC in receiving yards with 82.5 yards per game while ranking second in receptions with 5.6 per game. The LaPlace, La., native has 61 catches for 907 yards (14.9-yard average) and four touchdowns and is averaging 119.8 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
Watkins has been even better in ACC games, averaging an ACC-leading 6.4 receptions in conference games, as well as 86.6 receiving yards.
Watkins has raised his career totals to 161 receptions, 2,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks second in Tech history in career touchdown receptions, second in receiving yards and third in receptions. He also stands 10th in ACC history in career receiving yards and 19th in receptions.
RHINO EYES ACC RECORD
Senior punt return specialist Kelley Rhino needs just 57 yards to become the ACC’s all-time leader in career punt return yards. Rhino now has 112 career returns for 1,125 yards. Those figures ranks second in ACC history, behind career leader Ledel George of NC State, who had 125 returns for 1,191 yards.
Already Georgia Tech’s career leader in punt return yards, Rhino became the school’s all-time leader in punt returns with eight against Florida State. He had eight returns for 80 yards against the Seminoles and was named ACC Specialist of the Week.
A first-team all-ACC selection last fall, Rhino broke the Tech record for career punt that was set by his father, former Tech all-America Randy Rhino (749 yards, 1972-74). Kelley broke the record with 110 yards-one yard off his career best-against Vanderbilt in the season opener.
Rhino broke his father’s Tech season record a year ago. The younger Rhino collected 515 yards in 2001, surpassing his father’s 1972 total of 441 yards as well the ACC record of 448 yards, previously held by Corey Sawyer of Florida State. Kelley’s 48 returns in 2001 tied the Tech season record, set by Willie Clay in 1991.
