Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Overall Rank: #44
Conference Rank: #6 ACC
| Georgia Tech Team Page |  | Buy Georgia Tech Football Tickets |
Georgia Tech’s win in the Sun Bowl over USC has created quite a bit of buzz heading into the 2013 campaign. The Yellow Jackets managed to win the ACC Coastal Division despite just six overall wins. They gave Florida State a very good game in the ACC Championship before shutting down the Trojan offense in the Sun Bowl. There are some new faces on the field and on the sidelines, but Coach Paul Johnson will have his team ready to compete for another division title.
2012 Record: (7-7, 5-3)
2012 Bowl: Sun Bowl vs. USC (W 21-7)
Coach: Paul Johnson (40-26 at Georgia Tech, 147-65 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Paul Johnson
Defensive Coordinator: Ted Roof
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Zach Laskey, FB, 697 yards
Passing: Vad Lee, QB, 596 yards
Receiving: Robert Goodhigh, HB, 227 yards
Tackles: Isaiah Johnson, S, 87
Sacks: Jeremiah Attaochu, DE, 10.0
Interceptions: Jemea Thomas, CB, 4
Other Key Returnees: FB David Sims, HB B.J. Bostic, WR Darren Waller, OL Ray Beno, OL Will Jackson, OL Shaquille Mason, C Jay Finch, LB Jabari Hunt-Days, LB Quayshawn Nealy, LB Brandon Watts,
Key Losses: QB Tevin Washington, HB Orwin Smith, WR Jeremy Moore, CB Rod Sweeting, DT T.J. Barnes, DE Izaan Cross
Strengths:
The Yellow Jackets triple-option offense is always productive on the ground. With Vad Lee, it could be relatively potent through the air too. Lee, who is the likely replacement for Tevin Washington, is a true dual-threat quarterback. Of course he can run the option and pick up yards with his feet, but he can get the ball out to receivers too. In fact he came in quite a bit as a freshman in 2012 to get the ball down the field. Coach Johnson will even put Lee in the shotgun every once in a while. Justin Thomas, a redshirt freshman, is not out of the quarterback equation. He does not have an arm as good as Lee, yet his ability to run the triple option could be tough to keep him on the sidelines. With four starters back on the offensive line, whoever is under center will have plenty of time to make things happen. Zach Laskey, who rushed for a team high 697 yards, and David Sims, who accounted for 612 yards on the ground, will be the main rushing threats beside the quarterback. Sims had a great outing in the Sun Bowl victory and both he and Laskey are ready for a big season.
Weaknesses:
Once again Georgia Tech is bringing in a new defensive system. Coordinator Ted Roof provides plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of the defense, but the transition year could be a little bumpy. The Yellow Jackets are moving from the 3-4 to the 4-3 and that means sack machine Jeremiah Attaochu will be moved to the line. Attaochu is a superb talent who will find a way to get into the backfield no matter where he lines up, yet he may need a little time to get used to his new position. Opposing offensive linemen will hope it takes longer than expected. Linebackers Jabari Hunt-Days, Quayshawn Nealy and Brandon Watts are all experienced players who should be ready to record plenty of tackles even with Attaochu leaving their side. There is movement in the secondary as well as Jemea Thomas is moving from safety to cornerback to help plug some holes. The unit is not opposed to giving up the big play and that will likely continue to be a problem.
The Bottom Line:
This was a team that lost two conference games in overtime early last season. Those losses to Virginia Tech and Miami put Georgia Tech off of the national radar and they have stayed there heading into this season. That could be a mistake and this is a group that can win the ACC. They will need to be more consistent though. This is a team that gave up 49 points to Middle Tennessee State and later held USC to just a touchdown. Quality offenses, especially those with potent passing attacks, can drop a lot of points on Georgia Tech and the triple option offense is not going to be effective trying to catch up.
Projected Bowl: Belk Bowl
2012 Team Stats:
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)
Madness 2013 Recruit Rankings:
#170 Shamire DeVine
See All College Sports Madness Top 104 Football Previews
