Sept. 14, 2012
HOW TO FOLLOW IT
Another crucial early-season Coastal Division showdown faces the Yellow Jackets Saturday, but this time Georgia Tech is on Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium to battle the Virginia Cavaliers at 3:30 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPNU with Anish Shroff and former Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins calling the action. As always, you can hear Wes Durham and Rick Strom on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network – in Atlanta on 790AM and 106.7FM, on Sirius Channel 93, XM 190, or check the radio affiliate list.
You can also follow @gtathletics for in-game updates on Twitter and use the hashtag #GTUVA12 for in-game discussion.
RODDY JONES LIVE BLOG
Saturday’s game also features the live blog of former Yellow Jacket Roddy Jones. Click here for more information.
WHEN TO WATCH
Official kickoff is set for 3:32 p.m. Eastern Time.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Aerial act. Virginia comes in averaging 313 yards passing over its first two games, and Saturday they’ll face one of the deeper and more talented defensive backfields in the ACC. After dropping 361 passing yards on Richmond, the Cavaliers racked up 263 more in last week’s narrow win over Penn State. The visitors have thrown for three touchdowns and are completing nearly 70 percent of their passes. The Jackets have been stingy against the pass, allowing just 164 yards in two games (23rd best in the NCAA).
Uniforms. Georgia Tech’s game day apparel has been quite the hot-topic around the Flats since the Jackets unveiled new jerseys on opening night at Virginia Tech. Look for another new combination Saturday as Tech wears an alternative white jersey (different than the whites worn at Virginia Tech) with gold pants and the traditional gold helmet. Not to be out-done, Virginia, for the first time this season, will wear its blue helmets. They’d worn orange in each of their first two games. UVA will continue the accompany its road blue jerseys with blue pants and orange socks.
Number Change. Senior QB Tevin Washington, who is set to make his 20th-consecutive start on Saturday, will not be wearing his traditional No. 13 jersey this week. Instead, look for Tevin to wear No. 40 as the Yellow Jackets continue to rotate jersey No. 40 in honor of Julian Burnett, whose promising football career was cut short because of an injury last season.
Close Only Counts In Horseshoes… Tech and Virginia are meeting for the 35th time, and the series narrowly favors the Cavaliers 17-16-1. It marks the third-closest active ACC series, behind a pair of deadlocked series – Maryland vs. NC State (32-32-4) and Maryland and Virginia Tech (15-15). The Jackets and the Cavaliers have split the last two matchups and the series is deadlocked over its last six tilts. Tech is 13-7 all-time versus UVA at Grant Field.
THEY SAID IT
“They found a way to win as a team. When you can do that without playing their best game – and I don’t think they did – that says something about their team.” –Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson on Virginia’s win over Penn State
“They are very physical up front. They have good athletes, good backs, nice receivers, nice tight ends. They are going to try to run the ball.” — Junior LB Brandon Watts on the Cavaliers’ offense
“[Last year] for whatever reason, we were able to run the ball [against Tech], but I’m quite sure Coach Groh — I’ve never been around anybody better that can game plan teams and what they’re doing — so that was last year.” — Virginia coach Mike London
“My job is to be a leader, so when I was taken out of the game my job was to be a leader from the sideline and I did that to the best of my ability.” — Virginia QB Michael Rocco on being removed for two series last versus Penn State
STAT(S) OF THE WEEK
… Georgia Tech is looking to avoid its first 0-2 start to ACC play since 2007.
… And if you’re wondering, Tech’s Tony Zenon was unofficially timed at 10.1 seconds as he sprinted just about 90 yards to track down Presbyterian’s Brandon Leston, who was attempting to return a goal-line fumble the length of the field for a TD. Zenon began his sprint about the 1 and tackled Leston inside the opposite 10.
MILESTONE WATCH
Jeremiah Attaochu is seven tackles shy of 100 for his career… Izaan Cross is 14 tackles shy of 100 for his career… Isaiah Johnson is 14 tackles shy of 150 for his career… Justin Moore is 11 points shy of 100 for his career… David Sims needs 202 rushing yards to eclipse the 1,000 career rushing yards… Orwin Smith needs 126 kick-return yards to reach the 1,500-yard career mark… Izaan Cross is expected to start Saturday night, which would be his team-leading 29th-consecutive start and 31st overall… Washington currently stands eighth on the ACC’s all-time list for rushing yards by a QB with 1,701 – he needs 48 yards to overtake former Tech QB Joe Hamilton in sixth.
