Sept. 26, 2001
ATLANTA– – The Georgia Tech offense, led by the nation’s top rated passer in senior quarterback George Godsey, looks to stay sharp after its three-week layoff as the ninth-ranked Yellow Jackets (3-0) return to action by hosting Clemson (2-1, 0-1 ACC) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field.
In addition to Clemson’s explosive offense, Tech head coach George O’Leary is impressed with the Tigers’ speed on defense.
“Clemson is a good football team with a lot of speed on defense,” said O’Leary following Wednesday’s practice. “They’ve got some young players, but everyone has to start somewhere. They’ve got good players that run well and are good contact players.
“They’re basically a typical Clemson team in that they’re very aggressive and they play hard.”
The Tech offense leads the ACC in scoring (39.3 points per game), passing (288.7 yards per game) and total offense (461.0 yards per game).
Godsey, who set a school record with 454 yards passing in Tech’s 31-28 victory over the Tigers last season, leads the nation in pass efficiency with a rating of 197.91. He enters the game with the highest career pass efficiency rating in Atlantic Coast Conference history at 151.44.
Godsey’s targets include a pair of talented receivers in senior Kelly Campbell (Atlanta, Ga.) and junior Kerry Watkins (LaPlace, La.), both of whom played key roles in last year’s game. Campbell tied the Tech single-game record with 14 receptions for a career-high 209 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown reception. Watkins proved to be the hero with his one-handed, 16-yard touchdown catch with just seven seconds left.
“I hate to keep reminiscing on it because it is in the past, and I need to look ahead and focus on the task at hand and what we have to do this game,” said Watkins earlier this week when asked for his recollections of the play.
Watkins had four catches for 51 yards on Tech’s 80-yard, game-winning drive. He also caught a 33-yard touchdown in the first half and finished the game with six receptions for 86 yards.
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