Nov. 12, 2002
Despite a 2-8 overall record and a 0-6 mark in conference play, this year’s Duke team is not the same Blue Devil unit of recent years. Georgia Tech (6-4, 3-4 ACC) is well aware of that fact and will have to play very well to even its conference record in Saturday’s 1 p.m. meeting with the Blue Devils at Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field.
“Duke is only 10 points from being 3-3 in the conference and they have played a lot better than Duke teams have in recent history,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey. “They’re stopping the run a lot better and they’re making more big plays on offense. They’re a good football team.”
In its last game on Nov. 2, Duke fell to Clemson by just three points, 34-31. The Blue Devils also suffered close losses to NC State (24-22) and Virginia (27-22).
Tech leads the overall series with the Devils, 39-29-1, and has won seven in a row and 11 of the last 12 versus Duke. The last Blue Devil victory came in Atlanta in 1994. A year ago, Tech won 37-10 in Durham behind 295 yards passing and two scores from George Godsey.
The league’s top two defenses against the run will collide Saturday, as Duke allows a league-low 118.4 yards per game on the ground, and the Jackets’ give up just 119.6 yards to rank second. The Blue Devils are led by junior defensive end Shawn Johnson, who paces the ACC with 10 sacks, and junior linebacker Ryan Fowler, who averages 10.9 tackles per game to rank fifth in the league.
“The first thing that they’re doing is stopping the run,” said Gailey. “Anytime you can stop the run, and they’re leading the conference in rushing defense, you’re going to allow yourself to be in the ballgame. By stopping the run, you make the other team become one-dimensional, and all of a sudden, you can knock a pass down here and stop a drive there and stay in the game.
“They also are getting some great individual play. Their defensive end, Shawn Johnson, has 10 sacks and he’s good. He’s a big, powerful guy, you don’t get 10 sacks by just being only a fast guy. Ryan Fowler, the middle linebacker is playing really well and they have a corner, Kenneth Stanford, that is shutting people down and doing a great job out there as well.”
The Jackets’ run defense is paced by the veteran linebacking trio of Daryl Smith, Recardo Wimbush and Keyaron Fox, who rank first, second and third on the team in tackles, respectively.
With such strong defensive fronts for both teams, each offense should look to the air for points. Tech couples its strong run defense with a pass defense that ranks fourth in the ACC. All-conference safety Jeremy Muyres anchors the secondary with 55 tackles and a team-high four interceptions. The JBlue Devils, on the other hand, allow a league-high 259.4 yards per game through the air.
Tech quarterback A.J. Suggs has 1,844 yards passing and 10 touchdowns this season and is completing 57.8 percent of his passes. Senior receiver Kerry Watkins ranks among the league leaders with 55 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns. Classmate Will Glover gives the Jackets a strong pair of senior wide outs, as he has pulled in 40 receptions for 353 yards and three scores.
Senior tailback Gordon Clinkscale has emerged as the top option at tailback, recording 384 yards on 48 carries. Over the last four games he has averaged 86 yards per game on 8.6 yards per carry. Clinkscale will be running behind a depleted offensive line, as sophomore tackles Nat Dorsey and Jeremy Phillips are slated to miss the game due to injury. Redshirt freshman Brad Honeycutt will start at left tackle.
“Here is another opportunity for a guy that hasn’t been called upon all year long and went in there and played the second half last week and held his own fairly well,” said Gailey of Honeycutt. “It will be another test for him this week and we need him to do his job and fill the bill for us. I’m excited about watching him play to be honest with you.”
With six victories, Tech is bowl-eligible but another victory would greatly improve the Jackets’ chances of playing in their sixth consecutive bowl game. Tech has played played in six consecutive bowls just one other time in its history, from 1951-56.
“I think everybody knows where this thing sits,” said Gailey. “We need to win this ball game to assure ourselves of anything, Nothing is guaranteed, but you’ve got a great shot if you win this one. At least you get back to even in the conference. As far as where we finish in the conference, I think we can finish anywhere from fourth to seventh, and this will be a big game in that respect and when you start talking about bowls. I’m not concerned about which bowl right now, but more about having the record to get to a bowl and I’ll worry about the other when we get to that point.”
