ATLANTA-Georgia Tech puts its three-game winning streak on the line as the Yellow Jackets travel to fourth-ranked Clemson to take on the Tigers and Heisman Trophy-candidate Woodrow Dantzler Saturday, October 28 at 3:30 p.m. at Clemson Memorial Stadium.
The game will be regionally televised by ABC (WSB-TV/Channel 2 in Atlanta) with announcers Sean McDonough, Ed Cunningham and Leslie Gudel. The radio broadcast on the Georgia Tech-ISP Sports Network, including Atlanta flagship WGST 640 AM, has Wes Durham as the play-by-play voice and former Tech quarterback Kim King as the color analyst.
Tech’s 45-10 victory over Duke improved the Jackets’ record to 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the ACC. Clemson remained unbeaten at 8-0, 6-0 ACC with a 48-24 win over North Carolina.
“Against Duke, we accomplished what we wanted to on offense, defense and special teams in the first half, and then in the second half we had an opportunity to play a lot of people,” said Tech head coach George O’Leary.
“Obviously we have a tough chore this week, going up to Clemson. We’ve been getting better each week, and we need to continue to get better to go against a very good Clemson team that is playing very well.
“Clemson has a lot of play-makers on both sides of the ball. They’re a very sound, good football team. They’re 8-0 for a reason; they’re playing very well.”
Tech quarterback George Godsey has completed 119 of 194 passes (61 percent) for 1,553 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions. The junior from Tampa, Fla., has more yards passing and more touchdowns than any previous Tech quarterback after seven starts.
Junior Kelly Campbell (Atlanta, Ga.) leads a balanced receiving corps with 35 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns. Six Yellow Jackets have at least 10 receptions and seven different players have caught a touchdown pass.
Campbell also ranks 18th in the nation with a 25.4-yard average on kickoff returns and averages 148.9 all-purpose yards per game. His average of 19.3 yards per play is the best in the nation.
Georgia Tech’s trio of tailbacks-Joe Burns (Thomasville, Ga.), Sean Gregory (Homewood, Ill.) and Sidney Ford (Lindale, Ga.)-have averaged 134.0 yards rushing on 29 carries per game. Burns is Tech’s top rusher with 498 yards (4.4-yard average) and eight touchdowns, including six in the last three games. Gregory has 227 yards and one score, while Ford adds 213 yards and three touchdowns.
Tech’s offensive line continues to play well, led by senior guard Brent Key (Trussville, Ala.) and senior tackle Chris Brown (Augusta, Ga.).
Sophomore linebacker Recardo Wimbush (Blakely, Ga.) is Tech’s top tackler with 61 hits and 10 tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive end Greg Gathers (LaPlace, La.) has 42 tackles and a team-leading nine sacks, while junior end Nick Rogers (East Point, Ga.) adds seven sacks.
“Defensively, we played a very good first half against Duke,” said O’Leary. “We were a lot more aggressive and had better coverage. I think the right attitude is there and the focus is there. The players see that when they do things correctly, technique-wise, good things happen.”
Tech’s special teams have been excellent as the Yellow Jackets lead the ACC in net punting, kickoff returns and kickoff coverage. Punter Dan Dyke (Winter Springs, Fla.) averages 45.5 yards per kick (third in the nation), while placekicker Luke Manget (Conyers, Ga.) has hit 82 consecutive extra points.
THE SERIES VS. CLEMSON
Georgia Tech has won three in a row to take a 42-20-2 lead in the series with Clemson, which began in 1898. The Tigers’ last win was a 28-25 decision at Clemson in 1996. The Jackets’ current three-game winning streak is their longest over Clemson since winning four in a row from 1970-73.
The last four games between the two teams have each been decided by three points, while eight of the 10 games in the 1990s were decided by four points or fewer.
Tech has a 3-7 record at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, including a 24-21 win in 1998 in the last meeting there. That win was Tech’s first at Clemson since 1989. Even though the two schools began playing in 1898, Tech did not make its first trip to Clemson until 1974, the 44th game of the series.
LAST MEETING WITH CLEMSON
In 1999 in Atlanta, all-America quarterback Joe Hamilton recorded 410 yards of total offense and set a school record with five touchdown passes as 13th-ranked Georgia Tech outlasted Clemson, 45-42. The combined 87 points marked the highest scoring game ever in the 63-game series. Tech led 21-0 and 28-7 before allowing the Tigers to tie the game at 28-28 late in the first half. The Jackets regained the advantage in the second half, leading 45-28 with 14 minutes to play, but Clemson answered with two touchdowns to pull within 45-42 with six minutes left. The Tigers got the ball back at midfield, but Tech’s defense held, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth and seven from the Tech 43-yard line. Tech’s Kelly Campbell caught eight passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, while Sean Gregory rushed for 101 yards and one score on 24 carries.
The last meeting at Clemson in 1998 also featured a dramatic ending as Tech won the Thursday night showdown, 24-21, on Joe Burns’ one-yard touchdown plunge with 1:00 left. Trailing 21-17, Tech took over on its own 43 with 2:30 remaining, and Hamilton completed three passes for 53 yards and then ran three yards to the one-yard line.
TWO PROLIFIC WEEKS
Georgia Tech has scored 97 points in its last two games, victories over Wake Forest (52-20) and Duke (45-10). That is Tech’s most points in back-to-back games since the first two games of the 1936 season, when the Jackets defeated the Presbyterian, 55-0, and then Sewanee, 58-0.
Tech’s 35-point margin of victory against Duke equalled its third-highest in an ACC game. The only wider margins were a 38-0 win over Maryland in 1993 and a 58-21 victory over NC State in 1986.
JACKETS LEAD ACC IN TURNOVER MARGIN
After ranking at the bottom of Division I-A last season, Georgia Tech leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in turnover margin at +1.43.
The Tech defense has garnered 10 interceptions (by nine different players) and recovered nine fumbles. Tech’s defense has set up the offense for 66 points (nine TDs and one FG) following interceptions and fumble recoveries.
Three additional touchdowns have been set up by special teams with a fumble recovery on punt coverage against Wake Forest and two punt plays against North Carolina.
JACKETS BAG SACKS
The Georgia Tech defense has recorded 30 sacks this season, nearly double its total of 16 for all of last season.
The Jackets have had 23 sacks in the last four games, including a season-high seven sacks against NC State and Duke. Tech had six sacks in its win over North Carolina and three versus Wake Forest.
Individually, Greg Gathers leads Tech with nine sacks, while Nick Rogers adds seven.
BIG PLAYS
Through its first five games of the season, Georgia Tech had managed only four plays of 30 yards or more. In the last two games, Tech has recorded six plays of 30 yards or more, including three of 50 yards or more.
Against Duke, Kelly Campbell had a 41-yard run and a 47-yard touchdown catch from George Godsey, and Sean Gregory contributed a 58-yard touchdown run. Against Wake Forest, Godsey threw touchdown passes of 53, 35 and 72 yards.
CAMPBELL CLIMBS RECEIVING LISTS
Kelly Campbell is well on his way to becoming the most prolific receiver in Georgia Tech history. The junior from Atlanta already holds the Tech record for touchdown catches with 17, breaking the previous record of 14 that was shared by Dez White, Buck Martin and Gary Lee.
Campbell is now tied for second in Rambling Wreck annals in career receptions (115) and is third in yardage (1,807). He also ranks 12th in career all-purpose yardage (2,463).
