Tech, BYU Renew Football Rivalry Saturday On Homecoming Weekend

Oct. 22, 2012

YELLOW JACKETS STEP OUT OF ACC ACTION TO HOST COUGARS
Looking to build on the momentum from last week’s win, Georgia Tech welcomes road-weary BYU for a 3 p.m. game Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Tech returned to the win column for the first time in nearly a month, rolling up 563 yards, running 91 plays and controlling the ball for nearly 44 minutes in a 37-17 thumping of Boston College last Saturday.

BYU has dropped two straight, and returns East following a 17-14 loss at No. 5 Notre Dame last Saturday. The Cougars have lost their three road games this season by a combined seven points.

Tech and BYU have met just twice all-time, with each team winning on its home field, in 2002 and 2003.

QUICK OUTS
• The Yellow Jackets have rushed for more yards than any FBS team since 2008 and own the nation’s third-leading rushing attack this season at 339.6 yards per game.

• Senior QB Tevin Washington has rushed for 15 touchdowns this season, including a school-record-tying four TD effort versus Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 29.

• Washington leads the ACC and is second nationally in scoring at 12.86 points per game. His 15 rushing TDs are the second-most nationally by any player, and the most by an FBS QB.

• With 33 career rushing TDs, Washington stands second all-time at Tech and in the ACC. He continues to close in on Joshua Nesbitt’s (2007-10) school and ACC record of 35 rushing TDs by a quarterback.

• Tech has three players ranked among the ACC’s top 10 in rushing, led by Washington’s 67.3 yards per game.

• Senior AB Orwin Smith has racked up 805 all-purpose yards this season (115.0 avg.), with 735 yards coming over the last five games (147.0 avg.).

• Smith’s career average of 9.9 yards per carry is the highest by any active FBS player with 100+ career carries.

• Tech’s defense has recorded at least one interception in six consecutive games. Seven players share the team’s eight picks, led by Jemea Thomas’ two.

• The offensive line has not allowed a sack since Sept. 29.

TECH-BYU SERIES NOTES
• The all-time series is tied, 1-1.

• The Yellow Jackets and Cougars will meet for the first time since splitting a pair of meetings in 2002 and 2003.

• The last meeting came in Provo in the 2003 season opener — a 24-13 BYU victory on a Thursday night.

• The only previous meeting in Atlanta was a 28-19 Yellow Jacket win on Sept. 21, 2002.

• Georgia Tech is 1-3 all-time against teams from the state of Utah, including an overtime loss to Utah in the 2011 Hyundai Sun Bowl.

• Yellow Jacket head coach Paul Johnson has never coached against BYU.