Jackets, Bulldogs Renew Long-Time Rivalry

Nov. 25, 2013

Jackets, Bulldogs Renew Long-Time Rivalry
• Georgia Tech and Georgia meet for the 108th time on the football field Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium in the regular-season finale for both teams and Senior Day for the Yellow Jackets.
• The game can be seen on ABC with Bob Wischusen, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich.
• 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 Randy Waters. The game can be heard on WYAY 106.7 FM in Atlanta and on the web at RamblinWreck.com.

Quick Hitters
• Georgia Tech has won four of its last five and enters Saturday’s game still alive for at least a share of the ACC Coastal Division title, which would be Tech’s fourth in six seasons under head coach Paul Johnson.
• At 5-3 in the league, Tech finishes 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, can do no worse than a tie for second.
• Saturday’s game between Tech and Georgia marks the 108th in the series that dates back to 1893, and the rivalry is the 17th-oldest in college football based on number of games.
• 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 fourth in rush offense, 10th in rush defense.
• Georgia Tech is tied for fourth nationally in third-down percentage (.531) – the third time in Paul Johnson’s six seasons that the Yellow Jackets have ranked in the top five nationally in that category.
• Tech is averaging 316.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks fourth in the nation. The Yellow Jackets will face a Georgia defense that allows just 138.1 rushing yards per game.
• The Yellow Jackets join Southern Cal as the only teams in the nation to rank in the top 15 nationally in both red-zone offense (13th) and red-zone defense (12th). Tech leads the FBS in red-zone TD percentage (.857).
• According to ESPN Stats & Info, Tech and Duke are the nation’s only two teams to convert 100% of Goal-to-Go opportunities into touchdowns this season. The Jackets are 28-for-28, the Blue Devils are 22-for-22.
• Georgia ranks 15th nationally in total offense (494.6), while Georgia Tech ranks 17th nationally in total defense (342.6).
• Senior DE Jeremiah Attaochu continues to threaten Georgia Tech’s career sacks record and he enters the Georgia game needing four sacks to tie Greg Gathers’ record of 31.0.
• Attaochu’s 27.0 career sacks are the third-most among all active FBS players.
• Senior A-back Robert Godhigh is one of the nation’s most explosive all-around players. The 5-foot-7 former walk-on has logged 961 yards from scrimmage (623 rush, 338 catch) and his average of 13.0 yards per play leads all running backs in the FBS. Of his offensive touches, 55 percent result in first downs or touchdowns.
• Godhigh has 13 plays from scrimmage of 30+ yards, which is the fifth-most among all FBS players.
• Of Godhigh’s 961 yards, 389 yards (40.5 percent) have come after contact.
• Georgia Tech is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Historic Grant Field in 2013. It is the most tenured stadium in the FBS and listed by ESPN.com as a bucket-list item for college fans.

Georgia Tech-Georgia Series History
• Georgia leads the all-time series, 63-39-5 (Georgia lists the series as 63-37-5; the NCAA recognizes the series as 63-39-5).
• The 107 all-time meetings between the two teams make Tech-UGA the 17th-most frequently played series among FBS schools.
• Among rivalries between two in-state teams in separate conferences, the rivalry ranks fifth for most games played.
• Tech has played Georgia more often than any other opponent.
• Georgia has won the last four and 11 out of the last 12 meetings.
• Georgia holds a 33-26-4 series advantage in games played in Atlanta. The Bulldogs have won the last six meetings at Historic Grant Field. Tech’s last victory against the Bulldogs in Atlanta came in 1999.
• The Bulldogs hold a 30-13-1 series advantage for games played in Athens.
• At least one of the two teams has been nationally ranked in 15 of the last 16 meetings (both teams were unranked in 2010 en route to identical 6-6 records).
• Saturday’s game marks just the second time since 1996 that either Georgia Tech or Georgia was not ranked in the AP top 25 when the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs have met.
• The winning team has scored at least 30 points in each of the last six meetings.
• The Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs first met on the gridiron in 1893 (28-6 Tech victory). The two teams have met every season since 1925.
• Georgia Tech was a member of the SEC from 1933-63 and holds an all-time record of 205-213-24 against teams currently in the SEC.
• Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is 1-5 all-time against Georgia, that includes one loss while coaching at Georgia Southern.