Tech Hosts Alabama A&M Saturday For First Time

Nov. 18, 2013

Tech Hosts Alabama A&M For First Time
• Georgia Tech and Alabama A&M will battle on the gridiron for the first time Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
• The game can be seen on ESPN3 with Shawn Kenny, Stan Lewter and Steffi Sorenson.
• On the radio, “Voice of the Yellow Jackets” Brandon Gaudin has the call on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network along with analyst Rick Strom and sideline reporter Randy Waters. The game can be heard on WYAY 106.7 FM in Atlanta and on the web at RamblinWreck.com.

Quick Hitters
• Georgia Tech has completed its ACC schedule and is in sole possession of second place in the Coastal Division at 5-3. The Yellow Jackets are still alive for at least a share of the Division title, which would be Tech’s fourth in six seasons under head coach Paul Johnson.
• At 5-3 in the league, Tech finishes at .500 or better for 19th consecutive season in conference play, to extend the nation’s longest such streak.
• In the five previous seasons under Paul Johnson, the Jackets’ average preseason predicted finish in the Coastal Division was third place (3.0), with Tech’s average actual finish checking in at 1.6 (an ACC-best difference of +1.4). This season, Tech was picked fourth, and at 5-3, can do no worse than a tie for second.
• Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Wisconsin are the only teams in the nation to rank in the top 11 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense. The Jackets rank seventh in rush offense, 11th in rush defense.
• Georgia Tech leads the nation in red-zone touchdown percentage at 83.3. The Jackets have scored touchdowns on 30 of their 36 red-zone possessions.
• Tech leads the ACC (11th in the FBS) in red-zone defense, yielding 22 scores on 30 attempts (.733).
• Tech leads the ACC and ranks third in the FBS in third-down conversion percentage (.532).
• The Jackets rank second nationally in yards per pass completion (17.14) behind only Baylor.
• Tech ranks third nationally in time of possession and has won the TOP battle eight times this season.
• Senior DE Jeremiah Attaochu, who has amassed six sacks over the last three games, continues to threaten Georgia Tech’s career sacks record. He enters the Alabama A&M game needing four sacks to tie Greg Gathers record of 31.0.
• Attaochu’s 27.0 career sacks are the second-most among all active FBS players.
• Senior A-back Robert Godhigh is one of the nation’s most explosive all-around players. The 5-foot-7 former walk-on has logged 937 yards from scrimmage (599 rush, 338 catch) and his average of 13.2 yards per play leads all running backs in the FBS. Of his offensive touches, 55 percent result in first downs or touchdowns.
• Godhigh has 13 plays from scrimmage of 30+ yards, which is the fourth-most among all FBS players.
• Of Godhigh’s 973 yards, 379 yards (40.4 percent) have come after contact.
• Senior Jemea Thomas has logged 26 tackles, three pass breakups, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble over the last three games and has twice been named the ACC’s Defensive Back of the Week.
• The Yellow Jackets have rushed for more yards than any FBS team since 2008, and in 2012, Tech surpassed the 20,000-yard rushing mark for the five-year period under head coach Paul Johnson.
• Georgia Tech is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Historic Grant Field in 2013. It is the most tenured stadium in the FBS and listed by ESPN.com as a bucket-list item for college fans.

The Alabama A&M Series
• First meeting.
• Georgia Tech will play a member of the SWAC for the first time.
• Yellow Jacket head coach Paul Johnson has never previously coached against a SWAC team.
• Tech is 73-75-7 all-time against teams from Alabama.