SB Nation - Jonathan Dwyer

Demaryius Thomas vs. Amari Spievey

BirdGT — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:40 -0000

More photos » by Sara D. Davis - AP

Beasted. (AP Photo/Sara D. Davis)

Note: This was supposed to publish at 8AM but it seems there has been some issues with the scheduling of posts. Either way, here you go.

Two guys. One catches all of our passes. One hits guys that catch passes. I'm not familiar with the Hawkeyes' defensive backfield philosophy (boundary/strong side/man-man) but based on talent alone I'm assuming Amari Spievey will be assigned to defend Demaryius Thomas a majority of the time. Black Heart Gold Pants said this of Spievey:

We haven't seen Spievey get "beaten" very much; usually, if someone completes a throw on him, it's a pass to the flat, and it ends with Amari putting his helmet through the player's femur and ending the play.

The match up is not the first this season for Thomas against talented players in the secondary. Thomas' statistically worst game was against the Tarheels. Two All-ACC performers in Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney were assigned to Bay Bay but in limiting Thomas, the Tarheels couldn't slow down the rushing attack. They sacrificed run support for stopping Thomas and his big plays. UNC didn't win but they limited our deep passing game.

Wake Forest limited Thomas, as well. Wake defended the edge and the pass with great discipline but sacrificed the dive. Jonathan Dwyer racked up 200 yards because of it. Wake limited the QB and A-Backs to 5.4 yards per carry but gave up a whopping 8.7 yards per carry to Dwyer and Preston Lyons. (averaged between the two)

The problem presented to defensive coordinators is that wide receivers in Paul Johnson's offense are expected to block. Thomas is a big dude and he enjoys leveling unsuspecting defensive backs - particularly safeties on the triple option. Because of his excellent blocking ability, we typically run to Demaryius' side of the field. Corners have to keep their eyes in the backfield in case it's play action or an option-pass. The worst place to be on defense when playing against a Paul Johnson offense is at the point of attack. For the most part, we'll be lead blocking all of our edge plays with Demaryius Thomas and the corner matched up with him will be catching Hell all night. If Thomas isn't picking up the corner, then a tackle or slot back will. The corner's gotta be able to take a beating and just be prepared to force the slot backs back inside or beat the block and make a tackle. If Spievey can't make 5-6 solo tackles in this game, I don't see Iowa's defense having much success at all

Outside the realm of blocking, Bay Bay has become a pretty refined wide receiver in Johnson's offense. He has an excellent ability to fake corners. He beats guys on jump balls with regularity and is fast enough to beat safeties in single coverage. Norm Parker's guys have got their hands full.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Demaryius in one on one at first just so Norm can see how the talent lines up. It would take a nasty turnover for Paul Johnson to stop going to Demaryius Thomas deep. Even then, if it were a poorly thrown ball, I wouldn't be surprised if we kept going his way. Seeing as Iowa's defense relies on the front seven, we should probably expect an unusual mix of passing to start the game. Like BHGP said, this battle could be an important part in determining the winner of the looming Iowa-GT War.

Hawkeyes vs Yellow Jackets coverage

If College Football Had a Playoff: #9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ #8 Ohio State Buckeyes

Jeremy Mauss — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:00:19 -0000

Continue the new break out hit of the season "What if College Football had a Playoff' returns for game two of the playoff. Before we get to game two the winner of game one was an expected blowout by Alabama soundly defeating Troy to move on to host the winner of this game.

Now this matchup features two completely different styles with Georgia Tech who runs a triple option and is taking that game to the 'Shoe in Columbus to face the 'we wanna be spread but really a smash mouth football team' Ohio State.

The Ohio State defense is very good but the question has always been the speed of their defense (or lack of speed). Speed and assignment defense is what Ohio State would need to do to try to stop the Georgia Tech option. Last year LSU shut down the Tech option with their speed and Ohio State is a bit behind in their speed then LSU.

Ohio State really wants to pound the ball has the wild card in Terrelle Pryor who is a so-so passer but if the Buckeyes use roll outs and move the pocket that will help use his abilities rather then to just drop back and throw.

Just because of the contrasting styles this should be a very good game. To give some help to those who are not sure who would win I turned to What if Sports to simulate this game.

What if Sports has Ohio State winning a close game 35-31, but Georgia Tech had a 31-20 lead going into the fourth quarter before allowing the Buckeyes to score 15 points to their zero to loss the game. The decision here is for the fans to vote to see who moves on.

Check back daily at 12 PM eastern time to vote for the next matchup, and voting is only for 24 hours. As they say in Chicago vote early and vote often.

Ohio State Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Joe Bauserman	5	30.0	6	19	31.6	124	24.8	6.5	0	0	9	10	2	1.1	0	-	-
Terrelle Pryor	12	93.0	144	258	55.8	1828	152.3	7.1	16	10	142	707	58.9	5	7	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Joe Bauserman	5	9	10	2	1.1	0	0	0	0	0	0
K.C. Christian	2	5	14	7	2.8	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bo DeLande	1	3	5	5	1.7	0	0	0	0	0	0
Joe Gantz	2	4	6	3	1.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniel Herron	9	139	558	62	4	7	8	48	5.3	6	1
Jermil Martin	3	11	84	28	7.6	1	0	0	0	0	0
DeVier Posey	12	2	19	1.6	9.5	0	52	727	60.6	14	7
Terrelle Pryor	12	142	707	58.9	5	7	0	0	0	0	0
Brandon Saine	12	131	694	57.8	5.3	4	15	165	13.8	11	1
Dane Sanzenbacher	11	2	8	.700	4	0	27	506	46	18.7	6
Ray Small	11	4	40	3.6	10	0	15	175	15.9	11.7	0
Lamaar Thomas	9	1	6	.700	6	0	1	10	1.1	10	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Jake Ballard	9	13	126	14	9.7	0
Zach Boren	3	4	23	7.7	5.8	1
Duron Carter	6	13	176	29.3	13.5	1
Daniel Herron	9	8	48	5.3	6	1
DeVier Posey	12	52	727	60.6	14	7
Brandon Saine	12	15	165	13.8	11	1
Dane Sanzenbacher	11	27	506	46	18.7	6
Ray Small	11	15	175	15.9	11.7	0
Jake Stoneburner	2	2	30	15	15	0
Lamaar Thomas	9	1	10	1.1	10	0

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Devin Barclay	4	-	-	-	-	-	4	7	60.0%	12	12	100.0%	24
Aaron Pettrey	9	-	-	-	-	-	13	19	70.0%	28	29	100.0%	67

Georgia Tech Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Josh Nesbitt	13	83.0	73	153	47.7	1689	129.9	11	10	4	259	991	76.2	3.8	18	-	-
Jaybo Shaw	4	-50.0	1	2	50	18	4.5	9	0	1	12	51	12.8	4.3	0	-	-
Tevin Washington	1	100.0	1	1	100	21	21	21	0	0	6	40	40	6.7	0	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Anthony Allen	13	61	597	45.9	9.8	5	5	112	8.6	22.4	1
Lucas Cox	3	9	31	10.3	3.4	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jonathan Dwyer	13	221	1346	103.5	6.1	14	3	25	1.9	8.3	0
Stephen HIll	8	5	84	10.5	16.8	1	6	137	17.1	22.8	1
Roddy Jones	11	53	345	31.4	6.5	3	0	0	0	0	0
Preston Lyons	11	30	139	12.6	4.6	1	0	0	0	0	0
Jonathan Malone	1	1	5	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Josh Nesbitt	13	259	991	76.2	3.8	18	0	0	0	0	0
Embry Peeples	11	28	143	13	5.1	0	8	244	22.2	30.5	1
Jaybo Shaw	4	12	51	12.8	4.3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Quentin Sims	1	2	19	19	9.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Orwin Smith	11	5	26	2.4	5.2	0	2	26	2.4	13	0
Demaryius Thomas	13	1	3	.200	3	0	46	1154	88.8	25.1	8
Tevin Washington	1	6	40	40	6.7	0	0	0	0	0	0
Richard Watson	4	9	37	9.3	4.1	1	0	0	0	0	0
Marcus Wright	11	32	190	17.3	5.9	3	0	0	0	0	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Anthony Allen	13	5	112	8.6	22.4	1
Jonathan Dwyer	13	3	25	1.9	8.3	0
Stephen HIll	8	6	137	17.1	22.8	1
Daniel McKayhan	2	1	18	9	18	0
Tyler Melton	4	5	46	11.5	9.2	0
Embry Peeples	11	8	244	22.2	30.5	1
Orwin Smith	11	2	26	2.4	13	0
Demaryius Thomas	13	46	1154	88.8	25.1	8

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Scott Blair	11	-	-	-	-	-	14	19	70.0%	43	44	100.0%	85
Chris Tanner	3	-	-	-	-	-	0	1	0	14	14	100.0%	14

via l.yimg.com

Poll

Who wins the matchup?

Georgia Tech

120 votes

Ohio State

62 votes

182 votes | Poll has closed

Is Amari Spievey the X-Factor in Orange Bowl?

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:19 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber, center, fumbles the ball as he is hit by Iowa's Amari Spievey, left, and Troy Johnson, rear. LOL, "rear." That can mean butt sometimes. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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We're still three full weeks away from Iowa's date in Miami, which kinda sucks for everybody not named Ricky Stanzi or Dace Richardson. Nonetheless, we're already thinking obsessively about the game and all the potentially new and different matchups it creates.

Obviously, everyone's going to want to watch the Georgia Tech offense against the Iowa defense. GT's modern interpretation of the option has confounded basically everyone who's had to face it, and Iowa's vaunted defense has looked a little suspect at times against power running attacks. Then again, they bitchmade Arizona, so who knows.

Overall, the matchup isn't too bad for Iowa. This is probably the fastest defense Iowa has ever fielded, especially among the front seven. All three linebackers can fly, and Adrian Clayborn and Broderick Binns may be athletic enough to cause problems at the point of attack if . If Georgia Tech's going to bust big runs, it'll have to be with superior blocking; they won't be able to simply outrun the Hawkeye defense to the corner with any regularity.

Further, on that corner (Iowa's right, Georgia Tech's left, specifically) is one Amari Spievey. And how he factors into this game may end up determining who wins the game.

Spievey will likely be tested in pass coverage often. We haven't seen Spievey get "beaten" very much; usually, if someone completes a throw on him, it's a pass to the flat, and it ends with Amari putting his helmet through the player's femur and ending the play. But of the last three times we've seen a deep bomb work on the Iowa secondary, two--specifically Illinois 2008 and Penn State 2009--involved Spievey chasing ineffectually after a wideout who was about 10 yards in front of him on a fly route. Otherwise, he's such a lockdown corner that it doesn't even make sense to throw toward him.

The message, then, seems to be "If you want to beat Spievey, you have to beat him deep." Slight problem for Iowa: THAT'S THE ONLY ROUTE GEORGIA TECH RUNS.

Seriously: this is their entire passing offense. And it works.

So it'll be up to Norm Parker to get Brett Greenwood over to help as a centerfielder on those plays--last year, that would have been a scary proposition, but he's been just fine in that role this season.

On run plays, however, is where Amari Spievey will have the most impact. Amari is, basically, the most physical cornerback in the country; anyone who claims otherwise has never watched him play. He doesn't miss tackles (well, he might miss one or two against Jonathan Dwyer, but c'mon, that's totally unfair). Thus, against a team that runs outside the tackles most of the time, his ability to affect the run of play will be paramount.

We don't expect Spievey to be flying into the backfield on every play or anything, but it sure would be nice to see him blitz and throw the timing off of the option with a little regularity. Granted, it's not like he can run free at will all the time or anything; Georgia Tech has large, menacing receivers and swift offensive linemen who don't much cotton to Spievey's ill intents. But if he can get past his receiver's block (or bypass it entirely with a blitz from inside position), that one blocker who's now urgently re-assigned to stop #19 isn't blocking someone else on the defense, and that's how 2nd and 9 happens.

On the other hand, if Spievey spends his entire afternoon handfighting with Bey Bey Thomas or in a nine-yard "is this enough space for you to get a blocker on me?" cushion--or worse yet, lets a go route run him out of the play by never watching the backfield--well, it'll probably be a long game for the Hawkeyes and their fans.

Who are Iowa's playmakers?

BirdGT — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:00:21 -0000

Iowa's got three guys on offense I'm kinda worried about. The primary running back (Robinson), the good wide receiver (McNutt), and the tight end. We seem to struggle against tight ends (we give up ~3 catches/game to tight ends). McNutt and Robinson are the primary offensive weapons on Iowa's team having scored twelve of the team's twenty nine touchdowns. When Iowa needs some points, they look for McNutt and Robinson to produce or at least produce as much as an Iowa offense will allow them. Here's a quick summary of who picks up the yardage and TD's in the Iowa offense:

Looking at the yardage and touchdowns can be slightly misleading. Guys could get a big play and take it to the house on busted coverage. This could skew their overall numbers so I kinda broke it down even further. As far as receivers are concerned, there are three important factors I looked at. First was "looks" or essentially the number of times the QB threw the ball in their direction. Second was "catches" or the number of actual receptions for the player. Third was "success", which adds up all the times he took the ball for a first down or touchdown. I feel like the success rate indicates who we have to look at, from a defensive perspective, as the deep threats or the guys Iowa will go to in the clutch. So, here are Iowa's numbers for success/look, success/catch, and catch/look.

Obviously, success is relative. If the route was designed to pick up 5 yards and not a first down, then it obviously was successful. However, I'm not really factoring that in 'cause that fact is lost forever after the play is called in and actually executed. We're only looking for game breakers not 5 yard out route masters.

GT fans may have noticed that I added Demaryius Thomas to the statistics. He's pretty much on par with Iowa's main threats except in success rate. Thomas takes about 5% more of his catches for first downs or TD's than Iowa's best. So if an Iowa fan says, "You've only got one receiver!" GT fans can reply, "That's all you need when the probability of him succeeding is just as good or better than the whole gaggle of Iowa receivers!" Why fix something that's not broken? Keep throwing to Thomas and he'll keep giving us first downs and touchdowns.

Concerning the running game...Iowa doesn't really have a game breaker. The guys are serviceable. They're very young. GT would struggle with freshmen starting in our system and Iowa's two primary backs are both freshmen and account for over 80% of the carries and all of the rushing touchdowns for Iowa. Iowa is in the bottom of almost every Big 10 rushing category because they've just not had the Shonn Greene or Albert Young to carry the load and bust the occasional big one.

I broke down the running backs into two main statistics. Success rate and fail rate. "Success" means the RB picked up the first down or touchdown on his carry. "Fail" means he didn't gain a yard. I added someone to the graph who will become Iowa's new best friend shortly. Other accounts for QB draws, QB sneaks, backup RB's, and WR reverses.

And really this is Iowa's problem. Their running backs fail to gain a yard ~25% of the time. That's terrible. 80 run plays for Iowa's two main backs have accounted for less than zero yards. I am comparing Dwyer to these two because his position is most similar and his stats are more similar. Our A-backs rushing stats are like wide receiver stats. Also, Jon Dwyer is our worst back concerning plays for negative or zero yardage and he only fails to achieve a yard 10% of the time! That's only 25 plays all year! Awesome. I hope Ferentz is working on Iowa's run blocking during his month off.

As I look at Iowa's offense each day, I wonder how they won any games at all. How do you win 10 games without running the ball effectively? Their defense is either superb or their competitions' offenses were equally terrible.

Adrian Clayborn Will Be Speaking Through An Interpreter Today

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:44:11 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn stands with his dog Ace as he speaks to the media following an announcement that his team will play Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. To repeat: he brought a fucking dog. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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So, Adrian, what do you make of

Please, all questions go through my dog.

Wait, why did you bring a dog? Are you serious?

As a motherfucking heart attack.

What'd you name it?

I named him after my favorite reporter, so, Bark Morehouse.

Aw, thanks!

Just kidding, his name is Ace.

:-(

So, um...

Talk to the dog.

So "Ace."

arf

How do you think your master's going to treat Josh Nesbitt next month?

Ruff!

Told you the dog's smart.

You actually didn't tell me anything close to that.

Yes I did.

Okay sir.

And, pooch, what do you think of Paul Johnson as a worthy adversary?

(growls)

Haha, this is great.

Your thoughts on Jonathan Dwyer?

(pisses on the carpet)

Okay, this is ridiculous and unsanitary. I think I got urine on my shoes. Can we just stop this?

Fine. And I didn't train him to answer any of those questions. He just felt like barking and pissing.

Weird. So then, Adrian, your thoughts on Jon Dwyer?

(pisses on the carpet)

Let's Do This: Iowa to Face Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl

Oops Pow Surprise — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:00:23 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

18 days ago: Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz speaks during a news conference following an announcement that his team will play Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Let's say, before the season began, you saw a prediction that the Orange Bowl (with its automatic ACC tie-in) would feature the following two teams:

TEAM A

Scheme-insistent offensive juggernaut featuring superior athletes at nearly all positions, a questionable defense, blowouts a-plenty

TEAM B

Slightly below-average offense, murderous defense, a quarterback with the uncanny ability to keep both teams in the game at the same time, deficits in vast majority of games played

You would probably look at Team B, frown, then ask, "Who the hell is the ACC dragging to the OB this year? North Carolina?" Then you'd start speculating about how much Texas was going to beat them by before settling on "two berjillion or so."

In fact, the most remarkable aspect of this matchup between Iowa and Georgia Tech is how Iowa's so much more of a typical ACC team than Georgia Tech is.

What we like about Georgia Tech is that they're a perfect example of how far, physically, the game has progressed in the last half-century or so. Watching highlights of vaunted triple option attacks from the '50s and '60s, like so:

and then comparing them to today's Georgia Tech offense:

...you think two things. The first is "Is that Keith Jackson doing the highlights in the first one?" (It isn't.) The second is "man, Georgia Tech's offense kicks the crap out of those old guys." And we're not talking about some worthless whodats of the era; Ernie Davis won a Heisman, and these two teams were a combined 19-1 going into the game, and Syracuse won the national title. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech isn't playing for the national title. They're hardly worthless whodats in their own right, of course, but the point is that such a level of physicality is more widespread these days.

One unit that's willing to crack helmets like that, fortunately, is the Iowa defense. While it's going to be a bit of a bummer that the pass defense--Iowa's sterling forte for the 2009 season--will basically only be tested on the fly routes that Josh Nesbitt heaves up about 10-15 times a game (to decent effect), it's at least encouraging that the Iowa defense will have a little idea of what's coming.

On one hand, one of the dirty little secrets of the Iowa football team is that the rush defense isn't all that great; they ranked 33rd in rushing defense on the season and were shown to be especially vulnerable by UNI, ISU, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. With the exception of Wisconsin (whose offense effectively disappeared as soon as John Clay returned from having his entire body severed at the waist in the 2nd quarter), each of those teams has a mobile quarterback, and O HAI JOSH NESBITT HERE TO CONFOUND YOU WITH TRIPLE OPTION DEATHNESS SIR. The lesson, it would seem, is that when the Iowa defenders have to take a second to find the ball, bad things can happen.

On the other hand, only Michigan and Ohio State put up monster numbers on the Iowa defense, and they essentially schemed to do that and only that. Once again, you're probably thinking "oh, just like Georgia Tech," and if they were an opponent waiting where, let's say, Indiana would be, we'd say for sure: Iowa is super-screwed. Hell, Ferentz even admitted so himself:

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz vividly remembers flipping his television one night last fall and instantly becoming mesmerized by Georgia Tech’s spread option offense.

"I can’t imagine trying to get ready for them in a normal week," Ferentz said.

But the Iowa defense has a full month to prepare for this game, and they'll likely use all of it on defense, defense, defense. Pat Angerer (who, by the way, is 4th in the nation in tackles; were you aware of that?) is going to be the super-duper key man here; he may do the Iowa offense the most good by taking himself away from the play by crashing the middle of the line, forcing Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer to the outside, where superior pursuit men like AJ Edds, Jeremiha Hunter, and Tyler Sash thrive. Oh, Angerer's still going to get his tackles; Tech's counter game probably won't do very well against an observant linebacking corps and a disruptive defensive line, so once that ball goes outside the guards, Angerer should be flying toward the outside. But the real difference between getting run over and keeping the Ramblin' Wreck somewhat in check is going to be the play of the ends and outside linebackers, guys who'll be tasked with keeping 3-yard gains from turning into 8-yard gains.

In fact, beating Georgia Tech can be done, of course; if Iowa's offense is "below average", Georgia's is "LOLOLOLOL I either peed or came I was laughing too hard to tell", and the Bulldogs still beat their rivals 30-24 over Thanksgiving weekend. In the process, Georgia put together a clinic for a team like Iowa on how to beat Tech: methodical drives, run run run run, and make Josh Nesbitt work as hard as possible. Nesbitt carried the ball 19 times for only 41 yards (and 1 TD) against Georgia; the passing went little better, as Nesbitt was just 6-12 for 135 yards and a score. Altogether it's a decent day in fantasy football; in real life, it's not a recipe for Georgia Tech success.

Knowing nothing about the key matchups (whoever's tasked with blocking Adrian Clayborn, for one, will be vitally important), my immediate gut reaction is a negative one; even given a month to prepare, Iowa's still going to give up a substantial amount of yardage--that's just the way it is with Tech's offense--and I'm pessimistic that, even with Adam Robinson, Dace Richardson, and Ricky Stanzi as close to 100% as possible, Iowa will be able to move chains with enough regularity to properly limit the amount of possessions the Yellow Jackets get. Georgia ran all freaking over Tech, but Robinson and Brandon Wegher usually only put up big stats on teams in full surrender mode, like Iowa State.

Essentially, then, this game will probably come down to punting. Not the punters, but willfully giving the ball to the other team instead of scoring points, on account of the offense's inability to move the ball into scoring position. Iowa sent up 57 punts over the course of the regular season. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech attempted 30. If that rough 1:2 ratio holds up and Iowa attempts twice as many punts as the Yellow Jackets next month, it will probably mean Georgia Tech has won handily. Their offense is just too good, and Iowa's, well, isn't.

But if Iowa registers a similar amount of scoring chances--or, even better, forces turnovers before Georgia Tech can punt or score points--the Hawkeyes should be in (relatively) good shape. The Tech defense is porous enough that a trip inside the 25 should yield a touchdown more often than not, and whether the same holds true vice versa (and how often each scenario should take place) may end up determining the winner of the 2010 Orange Bowl. Can't wait to find out more.

(I'm still calling this an L on first blush; don't read too much into that, though, as I said the exact same thing about Wisconsin. Whoops!)

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes: Clemson/Georgia Tech

Mocking Dan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:45:09 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson: Spiller might not have optimal size, but he's a top player in every other regard. He's incredibly fast and runs away from just about everyone. His agility is world class and he showcases it in the running game and on special teams.

DeAndre McDaniel, SS, Clemson: Few safeties this season have played as well as McDaniels, a junior. He has eight interceptions, 78 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and two sacks. His size and athleticism is also impressive. He carries a second-round grade and should only get better.

Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson: Sapp's production has been hot and cold his entire career. He was stellar in the middle part of the season, but struggled in the second half. He's a good 3-4 outside linebacker candidate because of his athleticism and projectable frame.

Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson: In the right situation, Ford could be a dangerous player in the NFL. He's undersized, but would immediately be one of the fastest players in the league. He's an asset returning kicks and has good enough hands.

Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech: At times this season Dwyer has struggled, leading some to question his conditioning. Dwyer has still looked quick and agile through the hole, but is clearly at his best on the outside. He's hard to take down once he gets up to speed.

Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech: Morgan has shown all season that he's ready for the NFL. He enters today's game with 13 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. But he's much more than just a pass rusher. He's very good against the run and should be able to contribute as a rookie. He needs to improve his conditioning, but is a top 20 talent.

Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech: Burnett has played closer to the line of scrimmage this season, but still has four interceptions. He's a good all-around safety prospect and has good speed. For teams needing a free safety, Burnett could be a second-round steal, if he comes out.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech: The definition of an all-around wide receiver, Thomas can do it all. He's a big target at 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds and has good hands. But his blocking is what has gotten the attention of talent evaluators. He's a powerful player who maintains his assignment impressively.

Our 2009 ACC Blogger Awards Ballot

Brian @ BCI — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:45:24 -0000

More photos » by J. Pat Carter - AP

Miami head coach Randy Shannon is BC Interruption's ACC Coach of the Year. Sebastian the Ibis gives us his stamp of approval on this selection. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

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For the second straight year, the SBNation Virginia Tech blog Gobbler Country is hosting a blogger version of the postseason ACC Football Awards. Our ballot is below, and just in time for tomorrow night's ACC Championship Game.

Issues or comments on our ballot go to the comments section.

Coach of the Year - Randy Shannon (Miami Fla.)

With all due respect to Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson, Randy Shannon has our vote for ACC Coach of the Year. Shannon has the Hurricanes back on an upward trajectory, winning 2 more games each year in his first three seasons (5 in 2007, 7 in 2008 and 9 in 2009). Unlike Johnson, Shannon didn't exactly inherit a team that had all the right pieces to work in his system. After putting an end to the Patrick Nix / Robert Marve experiment and installing Mark Whipple as offensive coordinator, the Hurricanes have gone from a team that ranked 89th in total offense in 2008 to 35th in 2009. This year's Miami team is probably a overtime win over Clemson from a BCS bowl at-large berth. Finally, when considering voting for Randy Shannon over Paul Johnson, remember that this matchup was already played on the field with Miami coming away with the 33-17 victory.

Also considered: Frank Spaziani (Boston College), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech)

Offensive Player of the Year - C.J. Spiller (Clemson)

Although probably not even a top 3 running back in the ACC (Ryan Williams, Jonathan Dwyer, even Montel Harris), Spiller gets the nod for Offensive Player of the Year. Spiller is equally good out of the backfield as he is in the receiving game, and is a game-changer on special teams. We'd go as far to say that Clemson probably doesn't sniff the ACC Championship Game this season without Spiller.

Also considered: Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech), Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech)

Defensive Player of the Year - Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

Call us homers ... but what this true freshman did at linebacker is truly remarkable. Not many true freshman get to start at linebacker in a BCS conference program, but Kuechly took his opportunity filling in for Mark Herzlich and Mike McLaughlin and hit a home run. Kuechly's 142 tackles placed him second in the country behind New Mexico's Carmen Messina. Kuechly also found the end zone for the first time in his career off a 28 yard INT return in a 31-10 win over Central Michigan. Kuechly also literally flew through the air on a Maryland 4th and 1 preventing the Terps from continuing a fourth quarter drive. There were certainly other impressive performances turned in by ACC defenders in 2009, but given the shoes he had to fill and the impact he had on the Eagles Top 25 defense, we give Kuechly the nod here.

Also considered: DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson), Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)

Rookie of the Year - Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech)

While Kuechly could very well also be the pick here, we'll go with Ryan Williams of Virginia Tech. Williams knocked the ball out of the park filling in for the injured Darren Evans, rushing for 1,538 yards and finishing the regular season 3rd nationally in rushing yards behind Heisman Trophy candidate Toby Gerhart and UTEP's Donald Buckran. Williams rushed for over 100 yards in 9 out of the Hokies 12 games this year, turning in two breakout performances in the Hokies last two regular season games - 120 yards, 4 touchdowns vs. NC State and 183 yards, 4 touchdowns at Virginia. Williams 19 touchdowns on the ground led the conference and placed him tied for fourth nationally.

Also considered: Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

Duke Postgame: Wooo!

Winfield Featherston — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:25 -0000

There is not as much to say about this one. It was business as usual in the office for Georgia Tech as we did what we needed to do: win and win soundly. Though someone should give Jarrard Tarrant and Orwin Smith some sticky tar to get rid of those butterfingers. As we all expected, Duke came roaring out and then we slapped their mama! 49-10 ACC Coastal Champs.

Oh, and Duke's "Tailgate" is wow, just wow. It's a straight up party where anything goes. I don't really know how to describe it all but I strongly approve of Tailgate and that my last away game roadtrip was ended in style.

Stats of note:

9 players ran the ball on Saturday for a total of 306 yards. Six of them touched the ball more than 5 times. Dwyer led the way, rushing for 110 yards on 14 attempts.
"We can't pass the ball in this offense." How does 7 receptions by 5 players. 213 receiving yards for an average of 30.4 yards per catch sound?. Passing Efficiency baby!
We have ended our 2nd half no punt streak. But it's ok.

Celebrating Step 1 of the ACC Championship

ACC Coastal Champions. Feels good to say doesn't it? ACC Champions will sound even better in three weeks. Know what else sounds good? 10-1. The Duke win solidifies our first 8 game winning streak since the Bobby Dodd era and like I said earlier, the Duke win isn't special in the fact that we beat Duke. What is special is what the win meant and where it puts us as a program. Georgia Tech is now staring down the eyes of history as a win against the Bulldogs will put us one game away from tying the all-time wins record. Win out the rest of the season and you have a school record in wins and arguably the one of the best seasons in history.

Paul Johnson has brought a confidence back to The Flats. Countless times over the history of the program under other regimes, we have had our hearts broken. It's something that you begin to expect as something always lurking around the corner. Being a Tech fan brings cynicism. But these past 2 years have taught us optimism. They have taught us to not fret when down by 2 touchdowns or on 4th down in overtime with the season on the line.

The ACC season is all but wrapped up. There is just one more thing to do: win the conference and beat Clemson (probably) again. BUT FIRST, we have a game of high importance but of a different importance on our hands. The Georgia Bulldogs are having quite the average season and would want nothing more than to spoil our season with a win. Paul Johnson will have his team ready and I, as a fan, will be ready for the beatdown of the dogs as we don't let up and win state.

To Hell with Georgia!

Wake a wreck in overtime as they fall to Georgia Tech

MRickman84 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:17:16 -0000

This picture makes sense. We are officially having the Chicago Cubs of football seasons. Although, it makes sense to just put the Charlie Brown picture up again.

Five losses by a total of 13 points.

That is the story of the season. So as I wrote last week "new story, same result." This week was a combination of what usually happens--the defense plays well most of the game, but eventually breaks and the Deacs are unable to capitalize on opportunities.

So instead of winning this thing in regulation, the Deacs needed a clutch TD drive by Riley Skinner to force it to OT. And in overtime, the play calling was about the worst I've seen in a long time. Wake had 28 rushing yards, but for some inexplicable reason ran the ball twice in a row, and then Skinner got sacked on third down.

Can you tell me what was going through Coach Lobo's head there? I know this team likes to be conservative, but you're on the road against the #10 team in the nation with a chance to get a win. They had nothing to lose. No one expected Wake to win this game, so take a risk. One time.

You can guess what happened next. GT drives and gets a quick first down. Then Paul Johnson shows his guts and goes for it on a 4th and 1, picking it up. On the next play, Josh Nesbitt scored and the game was over. 30-27 Georgia Tech.

I wish I could say "well at least they played hard." Or "this team showed a lot of heart." I refuse to say that. This team should have won the Baylor game. They should have won the BC game. They should have won the Navy game. They should have won the Miami game. And they should have won this game.

I know you can't luck out all the time like the 2006 season, but give me a break. Even if you split this. I'll give the Baylor game--we beat ourselves. But I can completely say with a straight face that the other three games should have been Ws.

So we're sitting at 4-6 and need to beat Florida State and Duke to become bowl eligible.

Riley Skinner deserves better than this. Oh, and Jonathan Dwyer is an absolute monster. I'll get more in-depth about this game later on.