Yellow Jackets, Blue Raiders Clash At Noon Saturday In Atlanta

Sept. 24, 2012

STEPPING OUT OF ACC PLAY, YELLOW JACKETS HOST BLUE RAIDERS
Georgia Tech plays its second of four non-conference games on Saturday when the Yellow Jackets welcome Middle Tennessee State to Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. and the game can be seen live on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks.

Tech won the first two meetings in the series with the Blue Raiders, having defeated MTSU 42-14 in 2010 in Atlanta and 49-21 last season in Murfreesboro.

The Yellow Jackets are looking to rebound after their second stinging loss of the season, a 42-36 setback in overtime to Miami. Tech let a 17-point second-half lead slip, including a 14-point advantage in the fourth quarter.

Each of the Jackets’ last three losses have come in overtime.

Tech is finishing a stretch of four consecutive Saturday home games — its first since 2006. All-time, the Jackets are 445-185-21 inside Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field having played their 650th game there vs. Presbyterian on Sept. 8. Bobby Dodd Stadium, which opened in 1913, is the nation’s oldest and winningest college football venue.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Georgia Tech, which has rushed for more yards than any FBS team since 2008, brings the nation’s third-leading rushing attack into the MTSU game at 352.3 yards per game.

• Tech remains the only team in the FBS with four plays of 70 yards or longer — two rushing, two passing — with three going for touchdowns.
• Tech has three players ranked among the ACC’s top 10 in rushing, led by the league’s fourth-leading rusher, QB Tevin Washington (75.0 yards per game).
• The Jackets lead the ACC in rushing, are second in pass efficiency (179.9, eighth nationally), second in scoring offense (42.0, 13th nationally), second in total offense (503.2, 19th nationally) and fourth in time of possession (31:18).
• Tech and Florida State are the only teams in the ACC with three different individual 100-yard rushing games.
• The offense has produced nine touchdown-scoring plays of 30 yards or longer this season, but also has produced three other scoring drives of five minutes or longer.

TECH-MTSU SERIES NOTES
• Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 2-0, and the teams are meeting for the third straight season.
• Tech beat MTSU 49-21 last season in Murfreesboro.
• The last and only previous meeting between the two teams in Atlanta was a 42-14 Yellow Jacket victory in 2010.
• Georgia Tech is 6-0 all-time against current Sun Belt Conference teams, having also played Western Kentucky (3-0) and Troy (1-0).
• The Yellow Jackets are 48-40-5 all-time against teams from the Volunteer State.

TECH-MTSU CONNECTIONS
• Georgia Tech has two players on its roster from Tennessee — Will Jackson (Knoxville) and Shaq Mason (Columbia).
• Middle Tennessee State has 36 players on its roster from Georgia.
• Yellow Jacket quarterback Tim Byerly is a transfer from Middle Tennessee State. He redshirted last season in Murfreesboro.
• Tech Jr. S Isaiah Johnson and Middle Tennessee’s Zachary Lopez both attended Sandy Creek HS, the alma mater of Calvin Johnson.
• Yellow Jackets Jeff Greene and Zach Laskey, and Blue Raider Stephen Roberts all played at Starr’s Mill High School.
• Georgia Tech freshman Dennis Andrews and MTSU’s Justin Jones both attended Godby High in Tallahassee, Fla.
• Tech’s Anthony Autry and Chris Tanner, and Blue Raider O’Shae Bridges all graduated from Norcross HS.
• Georgia Tech recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach Andy McCollum was head coach of the Blue Raiders from 1999-2005. McCollum was an assistant coach at MTSU from 1981-88.
• MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill is very familiar with the ACC after serving as an assistant coach at Clemson from 1989 to 2002.
• Tech assistant coach Charles Kelly and Blue Raider co-defensive coordinator Steve Ellis were both defensive assistant coaches at Nichols State in 2003, `04 and `05.
• Middle Tennessee offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner was a graduate assistant coach at Georgia in 2006.
• Tech assistant Andy McCollum was a graduate assistant coach at Austin Peay in 1981, the same year current MTSU assistant coach David Bibee was an assistant coach for the Governors.
• MTSU assistant coach Glen Elarbee is a native of Carrollton, Ga., while assistant coach Brent Brock is a native of Valdosta, Ga.
• Middle Tennessee associate athletic director Graham Neff previously worked 2.5 years in the Georgia Tech athletic department.

MTSU VS. THE ACC
• Middle Tennessee State has enjoyed recent success against the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Raiders beat Maryland in 2008 and 2009.

COACH TO CURE MD
The Georgia Tech and MTSU coaching staffs will be wearing Coach to Cure MD patches this week to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

Fans are encouraged to donate online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or donate $5 by texting CURE to 90999.

NEWS & NOTES FROM THE FLATS
• Georgia Tech’s offense did not have a three & out in either of the last two games.
• Tevin Washington is tied for ninth nationally in scoring (11.0 ppg).
• Georgia Tech has not allowed a point in the second quarter, while the Yellow Jacket offense has scored in the second quarter of every game. Tech is outscoring opponents 46-0 in the second quarter.
• Tech’s only points allowed in either the second or third quarter this season was the field goal to Miami.