Tech, Georgia Battle For 107th Time Saturday In Athens

Nov. 19, 2012

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GEORGIA TECH PUTS THREE-GAME WIN STREAK ON THE LINE AT GEORGIA
Winners of three straight, four of its last five, bowl eligible for the 16th consecutive year, and champions of the ACC Coastal Division, Georgia Tech heads to No. 3 Georgia Saturday for the 107th meeting between the long-time rivals.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Sanford Stadium in the regular-season finale for both teams and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The Yellow Jackets are averaging 47.7 points over their last three games, including a 42-24 rout of Duke last Saturday, which ultimately clinched Tech’s third Coastal Division title, and the second in Paul Johnson’s five seasons at Tech.

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 324.9 yards/game.
• Tech and Georgia are meeting for the first time with each team as its outright conference and/or division champion.
• With the best record in the Coastal Division (5-3), Tech has earned a berth to the ACC Championship Game. Miami and North Carolina (4-3), can each still tie the Jackets, but Miami has self imposed a bowl ban and UNC is ineligible.
• Tech is bowl eligible for the 16th-consecutive year, which is now the nation’s fourth-longest streak — trailing only active streaks by Florida State, Florida and Virginia Tech.
• Senior QB Tevin Washington’s 18 rushing TDs this season are the second-most nationally among quarterbacks and he’s third in the ACC in scoring at 9.8 points/game.
• With 36 rushing TDs in his career, Washington owns the all-time Tech and ACC records for rushing TDs by a QB.
• Sophomore return specialist Jamal Golden is third in the ACC and 13th nationally in kick return average (29.0 avg). He totaled 230 KO return yards at UNC, including a 100-yard return for TD — his second KO return TD this season.
• Senior AB Orwin Smith’s career average of 9.4 yards per carry is the highest by any active player with 1,000 yards.
• Tech’s defense has recorded at least one interception in 10 consecutive games. Nine players share the team’s 12 picks (second-most in ACC), led by Jemea Thomas’ three.
• The 10 straight games with an interception is the longest streak in the FBS this season.

TECH-GEORGIA SERIES NOTES
• Georgia leads the all-time series, 62-39-5.
• The 106 all-time meetings between the two teams make it the 19th-most frequently played series among FBS schools.
• Among rivalries between two in-state teams in separate conference, it ranks fifth for most games played all time.
• Georgia is Tech’s most-frequently played rival.
• Georgia has won the last three and 10 out of the last 11.
• The Bulldogs hold a 29-13-1 series advantage in Athens.
• Georgia has won four of the last five at Sanford Stadium.
• The last time Georgia Tech won in Athens came in 2008, Paul Johnson’s first season, when the Jackets rallied for a 45-42 victory.
• At least one of the two teams has been nationally ranked in 14 of the last 15 meetings (both teams were unranked in 2010 en route to identical 6-6 records). Both teams were ranked at kickoff in three of the last seven meetings, including last season.
• The winning team has scored at least 30 points in each of the last five 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 205-212-24 against teams currently in the SEC.
• Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is 1-4 all-time against Georgia, which includes one loss while coaching at Georgia Southern.