Georgia (8-4) vs. Virginia Tech (10-2)
Dec. 30,
8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
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If you're into 45-42 shootouts with
1,000 yards of total offense and the last team with the ball getting
the win in an up-and-down the field, basketball on grass thriller,
well, there are always other bowl games.
This should be the not-so-classic case of fantastic defenses and
inept offenses as Georgia is ninth in the nation in total defense
allowing just 264 yards and 17 points per game, but the offense has
been inconsistent all season long finishing tenth in the SEC.
Virginia Tech comes in to the don't-call-it-Peach-Chick-fil-A Bowl
with the nation's number one defense allowing a mere 221 yards and
nine points per game, but the offense finished 95th in the country.
Talk about flying under the radar, all the Hokies did was hold nine
teams to ten or fewer points, but can anyone name a Tech defender?
After this game, many might finally know who Vince Hall, Xavier
Adibi, and Chris Ellis are. Georgia's D didn't get a whole lot of
pub, either, but ends Chares Jonson and Quentin Moses have received
a little bit of national recognition.
 |
|
National
Rankings |
|
Virginia Tech |
Georgia |
|
Total Offense |
|
95th 304 ypg |
77th 321.08 ypg |
|
Total Defense |
|
1st 221.08 ypg |
9th 264 ypg |
|
Scoring Offense |
|
47th 26 ppg |
55th 24.67 ppg |
|
Scoring Defense |
|
1st 9.33 ppg |
21st 17.08 ppg |
|
Run Offense |
|
84th 119.33 ypg |
62nd 132.08 ypg |
|
Run Defense |
|
14th 92.92 ypg |
31st 113.75 ypg |
|
Pass Offense |
|
78th 184.67 ypg |
69th 189 ypg |
|
Pass Defense |
|
1st 128.17 ypg |
5th 150.25 ypg |
|
Turnover Margin |
|
25th 0.58 |
79th -0.33 |
|
Virginia Tech
Neastern
W 38-0
at N Car.
W 35-10
Duke
W 36-0
Cincinnati
W 29-13
Ga Tech
L 38-27
at Boston Coll L 22-3
So. Miss
W 36-6
Clemson
W 24-7
at Miami W 17-10
Kent State
W 23-0
at W. Forest
W 27-6
Virginia
W 17-0 |
Georgia
W Kentucky
W 48-12
at S. Carolina
W 18-0
UAB
W 34-0
Colorado
W 14-13
at Ole Miss
W 14-9
Tennessee L 51-33
Vanderbilt
L 24-22
Miss State
W 27-24
vs. Florida L 21-14
at Kentucky
L 24-20
at Auburn W 37-15
Ga Tech
W 15-12 |
|
Position Ratings
relative to each
other |
|
VT |
5 highest
1 lowest |
G |
|
3 |
Quarterbacks |
3 |
|
4 |
RBs |
4 |
|
4 |
Receivers |
2 |
|
3 |
O Line |
4 |
|
4 |
D Line |
4 |
|
5 |
Linebackers |
4 |
|
5 |
Secondary |
5 |
|
4.5 |
Spec Teams |
3.5 |
|
5 |
Coaching |
5 |
|
In an expected
rebuilding year of sorts for the Dawgs after winning the 2005 SEC
title, they went through the lumps of playing a very talented true
freshman, Matthew Stafford, at quarterback, struggled to find some
steady semblance of a running game, and got next to nothing out of
its receivers.
The defense was the star in a 5-0 start allowing just 34 points, and
then the roof caved in as Tennessee opened things up in a wild
second half to win 51-33. A 24-22 loss to Vanderbilt the week after
effectively ended Georgia's hope to repeat as the SEC champion, with
losses to Florida and Kentucky as part of a slide of four defeats in
five weeks, putting a nail in the coffin. But just as the Dawgs were
left for dead, they ruined Auburn's national title hopes with a
dominant 37-15 road win, and found a way to come back to beat
Georgia Tech 15-12 to prove the team wasn't so bad after all. Things
should be better next year, so this game could be a springboard.
Virginia Tech might have been the quietest 10-2 team in the nation
with the biggest impression left in a nationally televised 22-3
meltdown against Boston College coming off a 38-27 loss to Georgia
Tech. Everyone calmed down, the defense took over, the the Hokies
became one of the nation's best teams over the second half of the
season going 6-0 with wins over teams like Clemson, Miami, Southern
Miss, and ACC champion Wake Forest, by a combined score of 144 to
23. A win would make it two straight 11-win seasons and 32 victories
in the last three years.
The Hokie formula has been simple: run Branden Ore as much as
possible, run him some more, and then give him the ball. When he
dropped after suffering a high ankle sprain, the offense relied on a
bit more overall help, and the confident defense that could suddenly
do no wrong.
Each team has a chip on its shoulder with Georgia, traditionally one
of the best bowl teams around under head coach Mark Richt, looking
to erase memories of last year's Sugar Bowl loss to West Virginia,
while Virginia Tech is hoping to finally start getting some more
national respect.
No matter what happens, the Peach, er, Chick-fil-A Bowl could use a
little bit of luck with its last four games among the worst of the
respective bowl seasons hitting rock-bottom last year with LSU's
40-3 win over Miami. After spending years as one of the tightest
bowls, there's only been one game in the last seven decided by less
than a touchdown. Each team would be happy to just get a touchdown
in this one.
Players to watch: Vince Hall not getting more
All-America recognition was one of the biggest gaffes of the season.
With 227 tackles in the last two years, and after leading the ACC in
stops, he should've received more recognition. Not just a run
stopped, he's a sideline-to-sideline playmaker who's equally adept
at getting to the quarterback as he is dropping into coverage.
Hall's running mate, Xavier Adibi, is faster and is great at
helping to clean things up. These two are why the Hokie D finished
number one in the nation.
Georgia's stars, end Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson,
didn't quite blow up quarterbacks like they were supposed to
combining for 11 sacks, but they were good at getting into the
backfield with Johnson outplaying the more celebrated Moses
throughout the year. Bigger than Moses, he relies on his bulk more
than Moses, who's more of a speed rusher when he gets going. The two
should feast on Tech QB Sean Glennon, who hasn't always
enjoyed the best protection.
While Glennon stepped up his play when he had to, going from a
liability to efficient, the offense needs Branden Ore to
return to form. A nice mix of quickness and power, the sophomore's
main issue is staying healthy coming into the season with a shoulder
problem and fighting through the current ankle injury. He was one of
the ACC's best runners throughout the year scoring 14 touchdowns,
with a score in every game but the loss to Boston College, before he
was knocked out. Over a two game stretch against Southern Miss and
Clemson, he gained 410 yards with four touchdowns. Freshman Kenny
Lewis, who was effective when Ore was out, likely won't see much
time.
Georgia's offense appears ready to sink or swim over the next few
years with Matthew Stafford. He has the NFL tools, and he has
the prototype look, and now he has experience. Interceptions were
the big problem throwing eight in a critical three-game stretch, but
he calmed down over the final two games to complete 30 of 49 passes
with two scores and no picks. It's no coincidence the Dawgs won
those games. He'll be under as much defensive pressure as he's seen
all season long and needs to be sharp and quick with his decisions.
Georgia
will win if...
the running game works. If Georgia
is going to pick its poison against the Virginia Tech D, it'll take
on the run defense. The Dawg receivers aren't good enough to do much
of anything against the nation's number one pass defense, but there
are enough options in the backfield to mix things up and show the
Hokies several different looks. Turnovers have been a major issue
all season long for Georgia, but Virginia Tech likely can't win if
it has to deal with long field after long field; it needs mistakes
to capitalize on. There's no need for Stafford, or anyone, to panic.
They have to eat the ball when necessary and play as conservatively
as possible. The Hokies feast off offenses that get out of their
gameplans.
Virginia Tech will win if... it gets the ground game going
and it protects Glennon. In other words, the offensive line has to
show up. The Hokies are 7-0 this year when the net 100 rushing
yards, and part of the stat comes from sacks. Glennon is not the
type of quarterback who'll make magic happen when under pressure
prone to come up with complete clunkers from time to time. Georgia's
defense isn't gong to give up 200 rushing yards, it hasn't all
season, but Florida, Kentucky, Auburn and Georgia Tech were all able
to run relatively well over the final month. If the Hokie O line is
getting shoved around, the offense is going to be stuck in the mud.
What will happen: Who's defense is better? It might be as
simple as the first team to get up wins. Virginia Tech does more of
the little things well, and Georgia's normal advantage from its kick
returners should be negated by the Hokie special teams. Glennon will
be efficient, if not sensational, and the Tech D will do the rest
keeping Georgia to around 250 yards, while the offense will get four
big field goals from Brandon Pace to come away with a tough win.
Line: Virginia Tech -3 ... CFN Prediction:
Virginia Tech 19 .. Georgia 10
Get
Tickets for the Chick-fil-A Bowl |
Get more picks for this
game
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Player Profile: Georgia DE Charles Johnson, team bowl history and more