Nov. 3, 2002
After knocking off eighth-ranked and previously unbeaten NC State, Georgia Tech (6-3, 3-3 ACC) hosts No. 17 Florida State (6-3, 5-0 ACC) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field.
The Tech-Florida State game will be regionally televised on ABC, including Atlanta affiliate WSB Channel 2. 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 are coming off a 24-17 upset of the Wolfpack, ending their nine-game winning streak one week after the Jackets snapped Virginia’s six-game skein. Now Tech will attempt to break another streak against Florida State, which has defeated the Jackets 10 straight times since joining the ACC in 1992. The Seminoles’ 34-21 win at Wake Forest Saturday was their sixth consecutive ACC victory.
“To me, their record is not indicative of how good they are,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey of FSU. “They are a very good football team.”
A 28-year veteran who has coached in four Super Bowls, Gailey called Tech’s victory over NC State one of the best in which he has ever been involved.
“I can’t imagine many wins much higher than that,” said Gailey. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be around some great wins, and that one was right up there with the best of them.
“Nobody expected us to win that game. It was a Top 10 team, undefeated, at their place and we were a big underdog. Anytime you do that, especially with all the injuries and everything our players have been through this season, to me that’s a really big win.”
Tech’s victory was keyed by a strong performance from its defense, which limited NC State to just 57 yards rushing and held the Wolfpack’s powerful offense well below its scoring average of 40.9 points per game. The Jackets now lead the ACC in rushing defense (117.3) while ranking second in scoring defense (18.1).
Tech quarterback A.J. Suggs (Powder Springs, Ga.) turned in another solid effort, completing 21 of 36 passes for 211 yards. Over the last three games, he has hit 75 of 122 passes (61.5 percent) for 703 yards with just one interception. He had a string of 126 consecutive passes without an interception before throwing one on his final attempt against NC State.
For the season, Suggs is completing 59.1 percent of his passes for 1,633 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Kerry Watkins (LaPlace, La.) is Tech’s and the ACC’s leading receiver with 50 catches for 779 yards (15.6-yard average) and four touchdowns, while fellow senior Will Glover (Tampa, Fla.) adds 35 receptions for 301 yards and three scores.
At a tailback position decimated by injuries, senior Gordon Clinkscale (Doraville, Ga.) has become Tech’s top back with 38 carries for 295 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and 15 catches for 95 yards. True freshman Ajenavi Eziemefe (New Orleans, La.), 244 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and redshirt freshman P.J. Daniels (Houston, Texas), 159 yards, two TDs, also contribute.
Clinkscale was a hero against the Wolfpack as he scored the winning touchdown on a 14-yard run with 9:23 to play for the first touchdown of his career. Over the last three games, he has averaged 85 yards per game and 8.5 yards per carry.
“We’re continually evolving,” said Gailey. “You realize what’s more of a positive than maybe you first thought and you adapt. We are seeing the things that someone like Gordon can do, and we always are adjusting to what works best and what our players do best.”
The Tech offensive line, which has allowed just three sacks over the last five games, is led by a pair of all-star candidates in sophomore left tackle Nat Dorsey (New Orleans, La.) and junior center Hugh Reilly (Smyrna, Ga.).
The Jackets’ defensive leaders are its trio of outstanding linebackers: junior Daryl Smith (Albany, Ga.), 63 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and one interception; senior Recardo Wimbush (Blakely, Ga.), 61 tackles and two fumble recoveries, and junior Keyaron Fox (Atlanta, Ga.), 54 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Fox returned to the lineup against NC State after missing the previous game with a sprained ankle.
All-ACC free safety Jeremy Muyres (Stone Mountain, Ga.) adds 51 tackles and four interceptions.
All-conference placekicker Luke Manget (Conyers, Ga.) has extended his ACC-record streak of consecutive extra points to 153 in a row. With 10 points against NC State, he took over the Tech career scoring lead with 306 points, passing Scott Sisson (1989-92, 299 points). Manget has hit his last seven field goals to improve to 9-for-13 on the season.
At punter, the Jackets use a combination of seniors Dan Dyke (Winter Springs, Fla.), who is averaging 39.9 yards on 29 punts, and Chris Morehouse (Vernon, Conn.), who is averaging 43.8 yards on 18 punts.
STREAK-BUSTING JACKETS
One week after snapping Virginia’s six-game winning streak with a 23-15 victory, Georgia Tech halted the nine-game winning streak of eighth-ranked NC State. The win over NC State was Tech’s first over a Top 10 since 2000, when the Yellow Jackets won at fourth-ranked Clemson, 31-28. Tech has won five of its last six games over ranked teams on the road, including wins at Georgia (2000 and 1998), Clemson (2000) and NC State (1998 and 2002), with the only loss coming at top-ranked Florida State in 1999 by a 41-35 margin.
BOWL ELIGIBLE FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT YEAR
With six victories, Georgia Tech is now bowl-eligible, putting the Yellow Jackets in line for a school record-tying sixth consecutive bowl appearance.
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.
NO ROOM TO RUN
Georgia Tech leads the ACC in rushing defense at 117.3 yards per contest. In the last two games combined, Tech has allowed just 110 yards rushing in wins over Virginia (53 yards on 20 attempts) and NC State (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.
SCHEDULE HEATS UP
Georgia Tech is closing its season by facing three nationally-ranked teams in its final four games.
Tech began this gauntlet by handing eighth-ranked NC State its first loss with a 24-17 road victory. Now Tech hosts 17th-ranked Florida State. After hosting Duke, the Yellow Jackets finish the season at No. 7 Georgia.
THE SERIES VERSUS FLORIDA STATE
Florida State has won all 10 meetings with Georgia Tech since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992. The Seminoles lead the all-time series, 10-7-1, including a 28-17 victory last season in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State is the only ACC school to post a winning all-time record against Georgia Tech.
All seven of the Yellow Jackets’ victories have come in Atlanta, where Tech 7-5-1 against the Seminoles. Tech’s last win over Florida State was a 30-0 victory at Grant Field in 1975, one year before Bobby Bowden took over the Seminoles’ program. Florida State won the last meeting in Atlanta by a 26-21 margin in 2000.
LAST MEETING WITH THE SEMINOLES
In 2001 in Tallahassee, Fla., Florida State quarterback Chris Rix threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as the Seminoles defeated Georgia Tech, 28-17, in a game that was postponed from Sept. 15 and played on Dec. 1 as the final regular-season game for both teams. All-ACC running back Joe Burns scored both Tech touchdowns on one-yard runs and the Yellow Jackets took a 10-0 lead, but Greg Jones rushed for 101 yards to help FSU rally with 21 straight points in the second half.
In 2000 in Atlanta, Chris Weinke passed for 453 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 2 Seminoles defeated Georgia Tech, 26-21. After trailing 12-0 in the first half, Tech rallied behind a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown by Marvious Hester and an eight-yard touchdown run by Joe Burns to take a 15-12 lead into the fourth quarter. After Florida State regained the lead with a pair of touchdowns, Tech pulled within 26-21 on Jon Muyres’ 27-yard touchdown reception. The Jackets had one more chance to score but were stopped on fourth down and three at the FSU 40 with 1:32 to play.
WATKINS LEADS ACC IN RECEPTIONS
Senior wideout Kerry Watkins is the ACC’s leading receiver with 5.6 receptions per game while ranking second with 86.8 receiving yards per contest. The LaPlace, La., native has 50 catches for 779 yards (15.6-yard average) and four touchdowns and is averaging 128.7 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks third in the league. He stands in the Top 30 nationally in all three categories.
Watkins has been even better in ACC games, averaging 6.7 receptions and 94.2 receiving yards per game in conference play.
Watkins has raised his career totals to 150 receptions, 2,409 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks second in Tech history in career touchdown receptions, second in receiving yards and third in receptions.
MUYRES SAVES THE DAY
Free safety Jeremy Muyres has made game-saving interceptions each of the last two weeks to lead Georgia Tech to victories over Virginia and NC State.
Against the eighth-ranked Wolfpack, Muyres intercepted Philip Rivers at the State 45-yard line with 24 seconds left to seal Tech’s 24-17 upset.
One week earlier, with Tech clinging to a 23-15 lead and the Cavaliers facing third-and-one at the Tech 49-yard line, Muyres made an acrobatic interception along the sideline at the Tech 14 with 1:33 to play.
Earlier this season, Muyres was honored as ACC Defensive Back of the Week for his play in Georgia Tech’s 28-19 victory over Brigham Young. He had two interceptions in the game, the first Yellow Jacket with two picks in the same game since 1998. He also contributed seven tackles, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
MUYRES CLIMBS TACKLING LIST
Free safety Jeremy Muyres has 248 career tackles to rank second in Tech history among defensive backs. He needs just 20 tackles to pass Tech career leader Ken Swilling (267).
The senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., is Tech’s active leader with 11 career interceptions, which is tied for 10th in Rambling Wreck history. He has started 42 straight games.
A two-time all-ACC and academic all-ACC selection, Muyres is Tech’s fourth-leading tackler with 51.
