2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview - Week 12 (GT 11/21 Home Finale)

Miami Hurricanes 2015 Opponent Preview 

Week 12 

Georgia Tech (November 21th at Sun Life Stadium) 

The 2015 Miami Hurricanes Opponent Preview continues with the preview of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who come to Sun Life Stadium on November 21st, in the Regular season home finale. 

With Georgia Tech, they lost some key players in the backfield and at receiver, however, given that Paul Johnson’s team, is still very good and can make another run at a Coastal Division title. The reason for the optimism in Atlanta is due to the fact that they return 13 starters, with the biggest returnee being their quarterback Justin Thomas. It’s a good thing because their defense in 2014 was just terrible, ranking near the bottom of the ACC in the four main statistical categories, but should be much better this season. 

Let’s talk about Georgia Tech’s Offense

Rumors of Tech’s demise were greatly exaggerated. There was talk that Paul Johnson would be out. However, in 2014, that talk ceased when Thomas took over at QB and with that, they returned to the offense that Johnson stands for as a Head Coach. Their offense was better with Thomas running that Triple Option. With him back showing his speed, elusiveness and intelligence, this is a team that nobody wants to face later in the season, with that grinding and punishing running game. He has an opportunity this year to break his own single-season school record (for quarterbacks) of 1,086 rushing yards, and cement his place as a player to be reckoned with. 

There are some questions on who will fill the voids in the backfield. They lose Synjyn Days, Zach Laskey (signed as an UFA by St. Louis) and Charles Perkins, who accounted for 377 carries and 2,218 yards last year. However, with the depth of the O-Line having four starters and a few others with starting experience back, and developing the pieces they have, they should be ok there. One of those pieces returning is A-back Broderick Snoddy, who showed flashes that he can break some big-plays, albeit in limited duty before breaking his leg last season.. The bigger concern for GT is at the B-back position. Here, C.J. Leggett was supposed to be the man there, but was sidelined with a torn ACL in the spring. Patrick Skov, who’s a graduate transfer from Stanford, is going to be asked to carry most of the load at the B-Back spot. 

For years, Georgia Tech, did not have a passing game that scared people. That changed last year. However, they will have to find a way to replace DeAndre Smelter (drafted in the 4th round by San Francisco) and Darren Waller (drafted in the 6th round by Baltimore), who made big plays and clutch catches for them. 

Let’s talk about Georgia Tech’s Defense 

It’s better that Paul Johnson say it about the Defense here, especially vs. the run: “We weren’t very good,” especially when his defense gave up 25.7 points and 411.3 yards per game in 2014. The big issue here is the lack of depth, especially on the D-Line, and it’ll be that way going forward. They do have some talent here on the Line. Returning for them is senior All-ACC performer Adam Gotsis anchoring the interior and KeShun Freeman coming off a season in which he earned various Freshman All-America honors at end. Those two will be fine there. What Johnson is hoping for here is a big time season from Jabari Hunt-Days, who was academically ineligible in 2014 and is up to 295 lbs. 

With the Linebackers, its not going to be an easy task to replace All-ACC linebacker Quayshawn Nealy (signed as UFA by Seattle), when you consider the fact that he leaves behind 92 tackles, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries last season. They really hope that Senior Tyler Marcordes, is able to fill that void. He did have 5.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks; however, losing Nealy is going to hurt the LB core here. 

As for the secondary, they’re going to be pretty good again this year, especially with Senior safety Jamal Golden returning. In 2014, he had 61 tackles and four picks. This is the one area of their defense that is solid. They also have back at the corners, seniors Chris Milton and D.J. White, who came up big in games vs. VT and UGa with game-saving takeaways.

Let’s talk about Georgia Tech’s Special Teams 

Their kicking game needs to show it could be consistent. It’s going to be up to junior kicker Harrison Butker to come up big. Yes, he made some big kicks, like the one vs Uga from 53 yards out to send it to OT. On the other hand, he has missed some kicks, specifically inside 40 yards, where he missed 5 of them. GT doesn’t punt too often, in fact, Junior punter Ryan Rodwell, who’s back in 2015, had an ACC-low 32 attempts in 2014. 

What to expect from Georgia Tech 

Looking at them on tape, yes, they lost a lot, but don’t be fooled, with Thomas back running Paul Johnson’s offense, this is still a force to be reckoned with in Atlanta, that even with the losses in their personnel, is a still a threat to win the Coastal. But don’t expect another 11 win season from them here. 

The video below is from their 2015 Spring Game

This is their hype video for 2015

This is from our game last year where they just gashed us

In this game, it’ll be at home at Sun Life. After last year vs Tech where they gashed our defense, you know there’s payback on the CANES minds here, and its Senior Day to boot. Yes, GT will be a test to be sure, the U will be ready to play in this game and a game in the end CANES win comfortably and the Seniors out a winner at home.

Report Card vs GT 10/4/14

Sorry I'm late with this. Here's my take on the loss at GT that I recorded last Sunday.

Preview of game @GT 10/4/14

My preview of tonight's game at Georgia Tech

Part 6 of the 12 part 2014 Miami Hurricane Opponent Video Series - @GT 10/4

2014 Georgia Tech Football Preview

We’re halfway home, in Part 6 of the 2014 12 part opponent video series. I’m going to talk a little about the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, our opponent on Oct 4^th at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, GA. 

Lets first look at their Talent:

Just when people think GT takes that next step, they find a way to get back in the hole they’ve been in for the last couple of years. They don’t have the best talent out there, but when you add poor recruiting classes to the mix, it’s a recipe for disaster. GT’s classes in both 2010 and 2011 were ranked in the low 40s, which is so-so. However, the last three classes in Atlanta dropped to  No. 51 (2014), 71 (2013) and 56 (2012). Look for them to be on the bottom half of the talent pool in the ACC in 2014.  Its nothing out of the ordinary here, but look closer and you see that the pressure to win, gets more intense. Scratching out a chance to be bowl eligible will be tough. When you add the fact that they only have back 51 percent of their defensive production from a year ago, that’s trouble. The up side here is that they do return three starters on the O-Line and 74 percent of their offensive output. Look for shootouts early in the year.

Next, I want to talk about the Coaching:

When you look at Paul Johnson, he was the hottest coach in the league early in his tenure, but things have dropped off the last few years in Atlanta. The heat is on Johnson this year to get back to where they were early in his GT tenure. If they have another subpar year in Atlanta, the calls for Johnson’s ouster will grow louder.

Now, to their 2014 Schedule:

Off a 7-6 record in 2013, the Yellow Jackets will have another brutal schedule in 2014 Let’s break the Jackets schedule down.
In their opener, 8/30 vs. Wofford: W

The Jackets opening against an FCS opponent at home in Wofford. This team needs confidence, especially with a New QB at the helm in Justin Thomas. GT wins this one big here.
In Week 2, 9/6 at Tulane: W

Even though, they go down to New Orleans, this is a game GT should and I predict, will win. They just need Thomas to make some plays with his arm, but not too much though.  GT’s triple-option should be humming here and they leave the Bayou with a victory to go to 2-0 in this projection
In week 3, 9/13 vs. Georgia Southern: W

This is a game Johnson’s boys should win, but they should tread lightly here. They’d better get any kinks they might have offensively out of their system here, because after this game, the road gets much tougher. GT to a projected 3-0 after this one.
In week 4, 9/20 at Virginia Tech: L

VT have beaten the Yellow Jackets four straight times and after this one, look for it to be 5 in a row. Even though Bud Foster, doesn’t have the best personnel on D in comparison to recent years, his D’s has had success against the option offense and I see him defeating it again in 2014. VT beats the Jackets to drop them to a projected 3-1.

In week 5, they have a BYE

In Week 6 off the BYE, 10/4 vs. Miami (Fla.): L
Miami comes calling on Atlanta to take on the Jackets. The Hurricanes have had their way with the Jackets the last few years, and with a healthy Johnson back at RB, look for the dominance over the Jackets to continue. CANES over GT to drop the Jackets to a projected 3-2.
In Week 7, 10/11 vs. Duke: L

This game won’t be close at all. While Duke isn’t known for D, it won’t be the replay of last year up in Durham where GT just demolished Duke. Look for a big game out of Jamison Crowder for Duke. Duke too strong here, and they get their payback with a road win over the Jackets to drop GT to a projected 3-3.

In Week 8, 10/18 at North Carolina: L

GT makes the trip up to Chapel Hill to take on the Tar Heels, who could very well be a force to deal with in the Coastal this year. It’s going to be difficult to go into Chapel Hill and come out with a victory, and when you factor in their QB Marquise Williams being one that can put up points very quickly and a porous Tech D, UNC wins this one handily over the Jackets to drop them to a projected 3-4.

In Week 9, 10/25 at Pittsburgh: W

If GT is going to start getting off the mat and get back in the win column, this would be the game to do it here. Pitt lost Aaron Donald to the NFL and their D-Line is weak depth wise. Look for Johnson’s triple option offense to have a field day against that weakened Pitt D up front. Look for a good game out of Thomas, especially when he doesn’t have to throw the ball too much in this one. GT gets the win to get back to a projected 4-4.

In Week 10 11/1 vs. Virginia: W

The Jackets are back home to take on a dreadful Cavalier team, whose coach has a hot seat that will be on fire at this point. It won’t cool after this one either. This is going to be the easiest win of the season for GT here. GT improves to a projected 5-4.

In Week 11, 11/8 at NC State: W

NC State were ranked last in the ACC against the run in 2013, so if there’s another huge game on the ground for the Jackets, this game is it. You’ll see in this one, the classic Paul Johnson M.O., time of possession, long drives, and a punishing triple-option attack here, with their D getting off the field quickly. GT wins this one to improve to a projected 6-4.

In Week 12, 11/15 vs. Clemson: L

It gets tough for the Jackets, with Clemson coming to town. Clemson just has too many weapons for GT in this one. Clemson has a great defense, who is led by All-American DE Vic Beasley, who will have a field day in the GT backfield. Clemson just has way too many weapons here, and a coach in Dabo that knows how to use them. Clemson big here to drop the Jackets to a projected 6-5.  

In Week 13, they have a BYE

In the season finale, 11/29 vs. Georgia: L
 
While this is a rivalry game, this won’t be a rout. Besides, GT got off  to a 20-point lead last season in Athens, before eventually losing in overtime. While the Bulldogs don’t have Aaron Murray under center anymore, their defense should be more than enough to handle the option attack. UGa wins this one to end GT’s regular season at 6-.

My prediction on the Game vs. CANES:

We’ve beaten the Jackets 5 straight times, and I see nothing different after this one. Look for Duke to have a monster game on the ground, and the D shutting down the Triple Option of theirs. This is a game we win and win easily in Atlanta.
 
In Part 7 of the 2014 series, I will talk about the Cincinnati Bearcats, our opponent on October 11^th at Sun Life Stadium.

Report Card and Game Balls vs GT

Here's my report card and Game Balls to give out vs GT. 

My take on Saturday's win vs GT in the ACC opener is this. I felt we did well for the most part, however, the sloppiness was still there in this game. We turned it over 4 more times in this game and was a -1 in turnover margin. For the most part though, we found a way to win late. We did commit 7 penalties for 54 yards. Gotta clean that up some more. 

Offensively, we had 551 yards of total offense. 224 yards rushing and 324 passing. Duke had a huge game with 184 yards on 22 carries. Solid game out of Dallas with another 31 yards on 5 carries and 2 more TDs. Big day for Hurns in the receiving game with 108 yards on 4 catches and 1 TD. Solid games all around from Stacy here having 74 yards on 3 catches. Phillip and Clive had some good games as well with 66 and 28 yards receiving respectively and a TD each.  Few things that concerned me after this game. Same deal as last game, ball security is still an issue here. Duke loses another fumble, this time in our own side of the field, and it cost us 7. He needs to be better at protecting the football in key situations. Stephen threw 2 picks in this one, the fortunate thing here is that it didn't lead to GT points. Need to be better and clean up those silly mistakes. Of the 7 penalties on Saturday, 4 were on the offense and 2 of those penalties were false starts. The other 2 were holding. The OL did allow a sack in this game. Bottom line, we need to get the ME's fixed now that we're in ACC play. Overall, good performance, but could be better. Grade: B-

Defensively, we forced 3 more turnovers in this game, 2 picks, one being a pick six by LaDarius to seal the win and the other a fumble forced and recovered. Although we allowed 354 yards rushing, we didn't allow a 100 yard rushing game from an individual standpoint. In the 1st half, we allowed 221 yards rushing. In the 2nd half, we allowed 113 yards rushing. The rush defense, considering, who we were facing, did an ok job. However, we need to get the rush defense better fortified going forward now that we're in ACC play. We held the Yellow Jackets to 6-16 on 3rd down conversions, but only 2 three and outs. Another issue we'll have to get fixed is our 4th down defense. GT in those situations was 4-5. That has to be fixed because later in the year, they're going to be some close games we need to shore that up. We sacked their QB's twice. Of the 7 penalties we had in this game, 2 penalties were on the D (offsides call on Justin and the unsportsmanlike call on after the Pick 6. We held GT, who doesn't throw the ball that often to just 66 yards passing on 6-19. We did allow 4 rushing TDs in the game. The D came up big when it had to, but still, there were some ME's here as well that need to get fixed before the trip to Chapel Hill on the Thursday Night after the BYE week. Grade: C+

Special Teams wise, better game out of Matty here. Another solid return game out of Duke with 114 yards of KR's, and 133 yards of total KR/PR in this one. Solid game from Patty in the Punting game and on Kickoffs. The downer here was that we had two big X-Plays here called back by really stupid penalties (one of which cost us 6), In games where field position is going to be vital, these are mistakes we can't have. The Return Defense regressed a little bit here. GT had 135 yards of returns (115 on KR's, but just 20 on one PR). We started drives on Saturday on Average from our own 26 and GT started drives from their own 35. However, the matter we really need to fix is the one penalty and that was the offsides on Antonio on the Kickoff after our first score.   Very fixable here. Gotta be better on the return Defense and not giving opponents short fields to work with here. Those ME's need to be fixed now that we're in ACC play because those mistakes come back to bite you, especially, if the game is in the balance here. Overall, good, but there is some room for improvement, and I felt we did that here. Grade: C+

Now, to Game Balls. This week, I'm going to give out three game balls. 

1. Duke Johnson - 22 carries, 184 yards rushing, 4 KR's, 114 yards (298 all-purpose yards)
2. Shayon Green - 9 Tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL
3. Allen Hurns - 4 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD

Overall, I felt we played well, we kept grinding and found a way to win late. That being said, there were still some ME's (Mental Errors), that still need to be fixed, namely the penalties and ball security, which are still issues that have to be fixed. Still a little bit too many of those penalties on O (4 to be exact), and the other 3 on D and STs. The ones that bother me the most were the 4 on O, specifically the 2 holding penalties. Those are drive killers right there. In a close game against a good opponent, those type of penalties can come back to bite you. Gotta be sure we correct those going forward now that we're beginning ACC play next Thursday Night @Carolina at 7:30 on ESPN. 5-0 is a good feeling right now, but we could still get better and cut the ME's out. Take care and GO CANES! 

Report Card and Game Balls @USF

Sorry that I'm late with this. Here's my take on Saturday's win up in Tampa vs USF. I felt we did well for the most part, We did have some mistakes, and we were sloppy with the ball, turning it over 4 times and going into ACC play now, we have to cut those out. Stephen reinjured his ankle in this game, but other than that, all three phases of the game did pretty well. 

Offensively, we had 540 yards of total offense. 165 yards rushing and 375 passing. Duke had 84 yards and a TD on 14 carries. Solid game out of Gus the Bus (53 yards on 10 carries), and Dallas with another 34 yards on 13 carries and 2 TDs. Big day for Hurns in the receiving game with 81 yards on 5 catches. Big game for Stacy here having 96 yards on 4 catches, with two of those catches being for 6. Nice performances from Phillip and Herbie with the latter having a TD. Few things that concerned me a bit here. Ball security being one of them. Twice Duke loses fumbles in the red zone costing us points here. Need to clean that up there. Ryan and Gray each threw picks, Gray's was a Pick 6. Need to be better and clean up those mistakes. Of the 7 penalties on Saturday, 5 were on the offense and 3 of those penalties were false starts. The other 2 were: holding and Delay of Game. Gotta correct those ME's going forward now that we're going to start ACC play. Overall, good performance, but could be better. Grade: B-

Defensively, we forced 3 turnovers in this game, one being a pick and the other two were fumbles forced and recovered. WE did give up the TD near the end of that game. We did allow USF's back Marcus Shaw to get 127 yards on 20 carries with 1 TD, but other than that, we held the Bulls to 99 yards rushing and 288 yards total offense. The good part was after the 1st quarter, where Shaw had 64 of his yards, our D holds them to 63 yards the rest of the day. Still though, we need to get that run Defense shored up a little bit more before GT comes in on Saturday for the beginning of our ACC play. We held the Bulls to 2-14 on 3rd down conversions and 7 three and outs. We sacked their QB Bench 5 times. Of the 7 penalties we had in this game, not one penalty on the D. Tremendous work here overall. Grade: B+

Special Teams wise, Matty misses a chip shot to end the half. We had Duke returns the opening kick to the 5 where we score on the next play. We had 97 yards of returns (66 on KR's and 31 yards on PR's). The downer here was that we had two big X-Plays here called back by really stupid penalties (one of which cost us 6), In games where field position is going to be vital, these are mistakes we can't have. The good part was that our Return Defense did a very good job here, holding USF to 81 yards of returns (52 on KR's and 29 on PR's). We started drives on Saturday on Average from our own 40 and USF started drives from their own 19. However, the matter we really need to fix are the 2 penalties we committed here (again, one that cost us 6 on Duke's KR) last night in this area.  One was being the block in the back on Tracy and the other being the hold on Big Mo on Duke's TD that was called back. Those ME's need to be fixed before we start ACC play on Saturday vs GT because those mistakes come back to bite you, especially, if the game is in the balance here. Overall, good, but there is some room for improvement. Grade: C

Now, to Game Balls. This week, I'm going to give out two game balls. 

1. Stephen Morris - 11-16, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
2. Jimmy Gaines - 7 Tackles, 1 Fumble recovery for TD

Going forward, very good effort, but there were still some ME's (Mental Errors), that still need to be fixed, namely the penalties and ball security. Still a little bit too many of those penalties on O (5 to be exact), and the other 2 on STs. The ones that bother me the most were the 2 on STs because that's hidden yardage you can't afford to lose in those situations and it cost us 6 points. In a close game against a good opponent, those ST penalties can come back to bite you. Gotta be sure we correct those going forward now that we're beginning ACC play next week vs GT at home at 3:30 on ESPNU. 4-0 is a good feeling right now, but we could still get better and cut the ME's now. Take care and GO CANES! 

2013 Miami Hurricanes 12 part Opponent series - Part 5 (GT - Oct 5th ACC Opener)

Oct 5^th – GT (ACC Opener)

In Part 5 of the 12 part 2013 Miami Hurricanes opponent series, I’m going to talk about our opponent in the ACC opener, and that’s the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who come to Sun Life Stadium on October 5^th.

Here’s what you need to know about the Yellow Jackets: They are coached by Paul Johnson, who is entering his 6^th season in Atlanta. This was the hot team when he came in from Navy, but my, have things changed. In 2009, they won the ACC title beating Clemson in Tampa to do so. With a Johnson coached team, you know what you’re going to see, which is the Triple Option. His teams have led the nation or have been near the top in total yards (especially rushing, not so much passing) and total points.

Here’s what Johnson said after winning the 2009 ACC title: "When we took the job, this is the reason we took it — to have a chance to compete and go to BCS bowl games.” He was on a roll at that point and when you look at the resume of this man, you see why he had the confidence he had at that time. He won two Division I-AA (now FCS) national championships at Georgia Southern. Then he led the Naval Academy to five straight bowl games. And once he arrived in Atlanta, he had early success to everyone’s amazement.

Now, though, fast forward to 2013, they are not as consistent as they were early on. They come into this season off a 7-7 season, and the third straight year with at least five losses. Yes, there has been bowl games in that stretch, but when you go to the Sun and the Independence Bowls, instead of the BCS bowls like the Orange and the Sugar, the disgruntling gets a little louder.

GT by the numbers in 2012:
Rushing Offense: 311.21 (4th in nation, 1st in conference)
Passing Offense: 129.86 (115, 12)
Total Offense: 441.07 (35, 4)
Scoring Offense: 33.57 (34, 4)
Rushing Defense: 144.21 (41, 5)
Pass Defense: 229.79 (58, 5)
Total Defense: 374.00 (43, 5)
Scoring Defense: 28.29 (65, 7)
Turnover Margin: 0.29 (45, 4)
Sacks: 2.00 (59, 8)
Sacks Allowed: 1.00 (13, 2)

That right there tells you that this is purely a running team. Defensively, this is a middle of the road team.

What does 2013 hold for the Yellow Jackets? Lets break them down:

Defensively – They have eight starters back here, which includes Jeremiah Attaochu, who makes the move over to the D-Line from LB, more specifically DE. This is off a 2012 season where he had 10 sacks while at LB. You have to realize the move is coming from a change in philosophy. 2012 Defensive coordinator, and former Virginia head coach, Al Groh was canned in mid-season after their  D allowed 40-plus points for the third straight game. When he was at GT, Groh used the 3-4. On Jan. 9^th, Johnson hired former Duke HC Ted Roof to be the new DC in Atlanta. Roof, is an alumnus of GT, playing LB there. For five years, he was Duke’s head coach and he’s been an assistant in many places, including a stop in Happy Valley in 2012. What we’ll see from Roof is a 4-3 defense. The LBs he’ll have at his disposal returning as starters all made more than 40 tackles last season, including 84 (4.5 for loss) from sophomore Jabari Hunt-Days, a reigning Freshman All-American.  They did lose to Graduation: DE Izaan Cross (Signed as UFA by Buffalo), DT T.J. Barnes, CB Rod Sweeting (Signed as UFA by New Orleans).

Offensively – They will have to fill the shoes of Tevin Washington (Graduation), who was a two-year starter and the ACC’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. The man that will likely be the guy to run Johnson’s offense is Vad Lee, a redshirt sophomore who appeared in all 12 games in 2012. Lee was a four-star recruit from Durham (NC) Hillside H.S. He had 96 carries for 544 yards, including 59 yards and two scores in the 56-20 rout of the Virginia Cavaliers on Sept. 15. In the shootout win vs Carolina (68-50) on Nov. 10, he threw for 169 yards and ran for another 112 yards. Backing up Lee, is Justin Thomas, a redshirt freshman from Prattville, AL  and another four-star prospect. To help Lee in Johnson’s offense, the RBs that are back for them are David Sims, a RS Senior (135 carries for 612 yards, and 4 TDs and 2 receptions for 8 yards receiving in 2012), and junior B.J. Bostic.(34 carries for 212 yards rushing and 7 receptions for 139 yards receiving in 2012). They also have Four offensive line starters coming back for them. The Yellow Jackets averaged over 311 rushing yards a game last season. Look for that again in 2013. Gone to Graduation or other circumstances besides Washington: RB Orwin Smith (Signed as UFA by Tampa Bay), OG Omoregie Uzzi, WR Jeff Greene (Transferred to Ohio State and sitting out this season).

Special Teams – They do return Junior Jamal Golden as both the Punt/Kick Returner. The PK will be Senior David Scully, and the P will be Senior Sean Poole.

In closing, when I look at GT’s schedule, there are winnable games there. Elon in the opener is a no-brainer right there. After that, they go to Duke after the BYE week on Sept 14^th, and then have Carolina and VT at home in a five day stretch. They could either be 2-2 or 1-3 after the first month of the season. Then comes a trip down to Sun Life nine days later, which will be a loss for them, so we’re looking potentially at 1-4 or 2-3 for Tech before heading out West the following week to play BYU in Provo, before going back to Atlanta to host Syracuse the next week. Then they have a trip to Charlottesville before coming back home to host Pitt. After the second BYE week, comes a trip to Clemson to close the ACC portion of the schedule. They close with Alabama A & M and their bitter rival UGa at home.

I’m going to honest here, I’m looking realistically at best case, 7-5 for GT in 2013.

In Part 6 of the series, I will preview the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

Georgia Tech Preview

This afternoon at 3 p.m., its the CANES vs the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium up in Atlanta. You can see the game on the Regional Sports Network (i.e. Sun Sports, FOX Sports South, etc). 

When we played GT last, it was last year at Sun Life Stadium, when GT was #23 in the country and we manhandled the Jackets 24-7 and held them to 134 yards rushing on the day. This year, GT looks pretty good. They manhandled a very good UVa team last week racking up 461 yards rushing and almost 600 yards in total offense (594 to be exact). Make no mistake, our D will have their work cut out for them today. However, I really feel this D is going to step up and make plays. Injury wise, Denzel Perryman, Curtis Porter, Raphael Kirby, and Andrew Swasey are out for the game today. Allen Hurns and Vaughn Telemaque will play today, and its a big boost to get them back healthy and on the field, especially the latter. We must get off the field on third downs and make GT have to convert in long yardage situations (i.e., 7 yards or more). We can't have GT be in short yardage situations on 3rd down. Johnson isn't afraid to take a shot on 4th down, so the D needs to be aware of that. GT doesn't throw the ball that often, but when they do, we have to be aware of that. However, their M.O. is the running game, and that MUST be the focus of the D, stay in their lanes, and finish tackles. Simply put Assignment Football. 

Offensively, we need a solid game out of Stephen Morris. He was 20-35 for 211 last week (1 TD, 1 INT). Also, big games are needed from Duke and Mike James, but also I need to see a solid game out of Eduardo Clements. Protecting Morris will be critical because of the fact that last week, GT had 2 sacks on UVa's QB (Rocco). In the receiving area, need the TEs to come up big today, and also, I need to see Thompkins and DJ (Davon Johnson) finally step up and produce in key situations. 

In the end, I think we'll stop the Triple Option, and I think we'll make enough key plays to win the ball game today. 

My prediction: CANES 27 GT 10

Report Card and Game Balls vs Bethune-Cookman

Thoughts on Yesterday's game. Offensively, big performance from Duke. We had 426 yards total offense. Nice performance from Morris going 20-35 211 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. However, of our 9 penalties, 4 of them on the Offense and all of them were false starts. Those are drive killing penalties you can't have. I didn't like the fact that the game was a little too close for comfort going into the 4th only up 24-10, but we got the job done and move on to 2-1 on the season.

Defensively, good performance from Tyriq McCord with 5 tackles (2 sacks, 2 TFLs). Shayon Green with 8 tackles and 1 broken up pass. However, we did allow 233 yards rushing (127 in the 2nd half, 106 in the 1st half), but compared to 255 yards rushing allowed last week vs K-State, its a slight improvement, but we can still do better. The down side is that Denzel was hurt, might not play in the next game @Georgia Tech. We did have 3 sacks in this ballgame and had a pick. Didn't like the fact we were EVEN on the turnover margin, against a good team, that's asking for trouble. We allowed 355 yards total offense, which was a little better, compared to almost 500 yards allowed vs K-State. However, there is still room for improvement here. 

Special Teams, Duke with the 95 yarder on the kickoff for the TD gave us a jolt confidence wise. Nice performance from Dalton Botts with 3 of his 4 punts inside the 20 and no touchbacks. Phillip had 4 PRs for 21 yards, helps with the Field position game. We started drives from an average of our own 41, while Bethune started their drives from an average of their own 20, which is very good special teams defense by us. 

Now to the Report Card:

Offense: A- Gotta cut the false starts out, but other than that, running game was much improved yesterday, and no three and outs, however, we do need to improve our 3rd down conversion rate, we were 4-11 in that regard, compared to 5-12 vs K-State, slight regression there. The passing game was much better here.

Defense: C  Now, I know its been much maligned, but they did come to play yesterday. compared to the almost 500 yards allowed vs K-State. Yes, we did allow 355 yards total offense, however, 233 yards were on the ground, and again, compared to the 288 yards rushing we allowed vs K-State, 233 allowed is a slight improvement, but there is much room to get better here and they will get better at stopping the run. The pass rush finally made an appearance yesterday, getting 3 sacks and a pick. I didn't like the fact that Bethune converted 7 out of 19 on 3rd downs, however, compared to the 8 of 11 K-State converted, its an improvement, but we can still be better in this area as well. 

Special Teams: A  Duke with the huge kick return for 6 gives us a big shot in the arm here. Pinning Bethune deep after Dalton's 3 of 4 punts inside the 20 was huge from a Field position standpoint. Malcolm Lewis had a 39 yard return on a kickoff. Dorsett had 21 yards on 4 PRs. Outstanding effort by the Special Teams unit yesterday. 

Game Balls: This week, I'm handing out four game balls. 

1. Duke Johnson: 14 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs rushing. 3 receptions for 57 yards, and of course the 95 yard Kick return for a TD. 247 yards all-purpose yesterday. 
2. Stephen Morris: 20-35 211 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
3. Tyriq McCord: 5 tackles, 2 sacks 2 TFLs
4. Dalton Botts: 3 of 4 punts inside the 20, 0 touchbacks, 0 punt return yardage allowed

Yes, there is room for improvement and we'll need to get better stopping the run in the next game because the opponent is Georgia Tech on the road with the Triple Option. The key in the next game is assignment football. 

Part 4 of 12 part CANE 2012 opponent series

In Part 4 of the CANE 2012 opponent series, we're going to preview the 2012 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Paul Johnson is back for his 5th season in Atlanta. Whenever you see a Johnson-coached team, you know its going to be the Triple Option you see on O. Case in point, last year was another decent year, going 8-5, after starting 6-0. The M.O. of a Johnson-coached team is a strong running game, but a pitiful passing game. GT was 2nd in the nation in rushing, but 112th in passing. If you're going to win big in major college football, you have to have balance and that's something GT doesn't have at all. However, now, Johnson has his personnel in place.

They do bring RS Senior QB Tevin Washington (6' 205) back to run the Triple option and one of the backs he'll rely on this year is senior A-back Orwin Smith (6' 202), who was named to the preseason watch list for the Hornung Award. He's rushed for 1,157 career yards, but he also ranks among Tech's all-time prolific kick returners with 1,357 yards and he has more than 500 yards receiving. If he gets 3,041 yards, he will become just the fifth player in Yellow Jacket history to accumulate more than 4,000 career all-purpose yards. Also they have a bruiser for a blocking back in RS Junior FB David Sims, but also a productive back, who in 2011, rushed for 698 yards and 7 TDs and another receiving.

When you look at their O-Line, they do have experience back in 2012. The key to that line is RS Junior Jay Finch (6’3" 285). He returns to be their starter at Center. He had an illness that caused a big weight loss and the offense struggled without him. Other O-Linemen returning for them in 2012 are fellow RS Junior LG Will Jackson (6’3", 285) and RS Senior RG and All-ACC Omoregie Uzzi, a (6'? 3", 300). All three were redshirted as incoming freshman in order to have the appropriate amount of time to get a feel for the Triple Option and how to execute it properly.  This is going to be a line that will be reckoned with in 2012 and now, they have solid depth in the trenches. Their starting tackles will be RS Junior Ray Beno (6’2", 295)., and either fellow RS Junior Tyler Kidney, (6'2" 262 and a former walk-on); or RS Sophomore Morgan Bailey, (6’4", 295). In 2011, both Beno and Kidney played substantial time in a three tackle rotation along with Phil Smith who has since transferred, and Bailey saw the most action and he might win the job at RT.  Other O-Linemen returning for them are RS Sophomore Catlin Alford (6’3", 291), who will likely be the backup to Finch at center, but if need be, he can also play at the guard position, RS Senior Nick McRae, (6’3", 291), who has also played both the center and guard positions the past several seasons and has played a lot of time at both positions, and the only one on the line, who started every game in '11 is last season, Sophomore Shaquille Mason (6'1" 300), and will push Jackson for the starting spot at LG. Mason was the starter in the Sun Bowl when Uzzi was out due to injury.  This line is deep and is very talented. To further illustrate that, also coming into the fold are RS Freshmen Bryan Chamberlain (6’4", 295), Erin Joe (6’3", 295), and Trey Braun, (6’5" 295), and a RS Junior J.C. Lanier, (6’4", 300).

Defensively, off the bat, they were dealt a big setback when their All-ACC LB Julian Burnett (120 tackles, 1 sack) suffered a neck injury against Utah in the Sun Bowl. He will not be playing in '12 and his future is in serious doubt. Burnett will not play this season and his career may be over as well. Al Groh will have to do magic with the defense, without Burnett's services. However, the secondary that he has to work with, will be strong again in '12. They have three starters back from their 28th ranked pass defense (197.85 ypg). and they return six starters with no recorded sacks among the group. One of those three starters back on Defense is Junior CB Louis Young (6'1" 201), who had 52 tackles (3 TFLs), 1 INT, 5 passes broken-up, 1 QB hurry, and a forced fumble. The 2nd starter back for them is Senior CB and 4th team Preseason All-ACC, according to Phil Steele, Rod Sweeting (6' 184). In '11, he had 56 tackles (37 solo, 3 TFLs), 10 pass break-ups which was tied for 5th in the conference, and was their team leader in INTs with 3. He also had a fumble recovery and forced 2 fumbles. The third key starter back on Defense for them is, 4th team Preseason All-ACC, according to Steele, Senior DE Izaan Cross (6'4" 300). In 2011, he had 32 tackles (1 TFL), a fumble recovery, 2 QB hurries, and 4 pass break-ups. He's also their most decorated player on the team with 28 career starts and also their only starter back on their D-Line in 2012. Also back for them is their leading tackler in 2011 Junior Isaiah Johnson (6'2" 205), who had 87 tackles, and Junior LB Jeremiah Attaochu (6'3" 240), who was their leader in sacks with 6. Both are 2nd team preseason All-ACC, according to Steele. In 2011,  their D couldn't catch a cold when it came to stopping the run. They'd better have a much better pass rush in 2012, or it could be another long year for Groh's D in Atlanta.

On Special Teams, they were just horrible in 2011. How horrible you ask? Consider this: They only had a net of 19 yards per kickoff return and only 8 on Punt returns. If you have to go 80 yards on every drive, you're not going to win.  If it wasn't for that Triple option of theirs, it would have been much much worse. They could be more dangerous in 2012 with a stronger return game, hell it can't get any worse than it was in 2011 for them. 

When I look at GT in 2012, I think Washington will be better running that offense. If they get any sort of a decent passing game, they will be very very dangerous. The key will be the defense. This has been the M.O. with Paul Johnson teams in Atlanta and even going back to when he was in Annapolis with Navy, when teams solve the triple-option, as many have over the years, when they are behind, and they have to throw, they don't win, because their passing game is just horrendous. It puts more strain on the defense and when it gets tired, that's when you become more effective against them. That said, Johnson coached-teams win about nine a year, but this year, it'll be tough to get 8-9 wins again this year. 

Their schedule is daunting. They do have to go to Blacksburg to open the season, but they get Miami and UVa at home, but have to also go to Clemson and to Athens to end the season with UGa. My prediction for Georgia Tech in 2012 is 7-5. 

In Part 5 of the series, I will preview the 2012 NC State Wolfpack.