Tech Sports Blog

To someone who doesn’t follow college football closely, this game screams of a mismatch. Georgia, 8-4 and unranked, with losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky, takes on Virginia Tech, 10-2 and ranked 14th. However, just as Hokie fans will ask you to look past Virginia Tech’s losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College, Dawg fans will ask you look past Georgia’s losses to Vandy and Kentucky. The fact of the matter is Georgia finished the season with wins over then #5 Auburn and then #16 Georgia Tech. They have a good defense and a young quarterback. When you start looking a little deeper, Georgia and Tech look much more similar than their overall records would seem to indicate.

Offensive stats:

• Yards per game: UGA 329.9, VT: 320.1
• Passing yards per game: UGA 197.8, VT 200.8
• Rushing yards per game: UGA 132.1, VT 119.3
• Points per game: UGA 24.5, VT 25.7

Defensive stats:

• Yards per game: UGA 264.0, VT: 221.1
• Passing yards per game: UGA 150.3, VT 128.2
• Rushing yards per game: UGA 113.8, VT 92.9
• Points per game: UGA 17.1, VT 9.3

The similarities end when you start to look at each team’s bowl preparation. According to this Lynchburg News & Advance article, by Nathan Warters, Coach Mark Richt will have his team practice 15 times prior to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, while Coach Frank Beamer will have the Hokies practice 9 times. The NCAA does not allow more than 15 practices prior to a team’s bowl game. Richt is utilizing the maximum number of practices because of last season’s Sugar Bowl loss to West Virginia. Beamer is using the same bowl practice schedule he has used for the last 5 years. It’s easy to second-guess Beamer’s practice schedule, but given that Coach Beamer has taken Tech to 14 straight bowls, I trust he knows what works and what doesn’t work.

So, what’s going to happen on Saturday? I could tell you that it’s going to be a defensive struggle, and that the team that turns the ball over less will win the game. But you already knew that. As every Hokie fan knows, Virginia Tech’s success will depend on the offensive line. They don’t need to be spectacular, they just need to be adequate. They need to create some holes for Brandon Ore, and they need to keep Sean Glennon off his back. Also obvious to every Hokie fan is the effect Brandon Ore will have on the game. If Ore has a big game, then a Tech victory is all but assured. If he doesn’t, then more pressure will be on Glennon and the offensive line.

This game is not going to be easy for the Hokies, and I expect them to be down by a score early in the game. I think the second half will be dominated by the Hokies defense, with the offense doing nothing special, other than not turning the ball over. Here is how I see the game being played out:

• Georgia comes out fast & inspired and scores first with a touchdown off of a special teams play. This will be their only touchdown of the game.
• Virginia Tech gets on the board with a field goal off of a long drive that stalls out in the red zone.
• Virginia Tech will score a touchdown off of a turnover.
• Virginia Tech will score a touchdown on a short field caused by a good punt or kickoff return or a short punt.
• Georgia will get in 2 field goals during the course of the game, making the final score VT 17, UGA 13.

That is, of course, just my opinion. I have been wrong before, and I will be wrong again. Personally, I’m hope I’m wrong in that Georgia never has a chance on Saturday, but I don’t see it working out that way. Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to this trip to Atlanta. I will be driving down to Atlanta Friday night and will be there the entire weekend, including New Year’s. It should be a great time hanging out with one of my college buddies, as well as partying with all of the Hokies and Dawgs that make it down for the game.

Categories: VT Football
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