Fresno State (8-4) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5)
Dec. 31, 2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
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Prediction & Box Score
2007 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl History, Each Team's Best Bowl
Moments, & More
 |
|
National
Rankings |
|
Fresno State |
Georgia Tech |
|
Total Offense |
|
51st 406.92 ypg |
66th 385.42 ypg |
|
Total Defense |
|
77th 409.83 ypg |
11th 310.33 ypg |
|
Scoring Offense |
|
33rd 32.25 ppg |
68th 26.08 ppg |
|
Scoring Defense |
|
61st 26.92 ppg |
17th 19.25 ppg |
|
Run Offense |
|
16th 204.67 ypg |
18th 202.50 ypg |
|
Run Defense |
|
86th 182.75 ypg |
12th 100.17 ypg |
|
Pass Offense |
|
82nd 202.25 ypg |
102nd 182.92 ypg |
|
Pass Defense |
|
59th 227.08 ypg |
32nd 210.17 ypg |
|
Turnover Margin |
|
102nd -0.75 |
83rd -0.33 |
|
Fresno State
Sac St
W 24-3
at Texas A&M L 47-45 3 OT
at Oregon L 52-21
La Tech
W 17-6
at Nevada W 49-41
at Idaho
W 37-24
SJSU
W 30-0
Boise State L 34-21
Utah State
W 39-27
at Hawaii L 37-30
Kansas St W 45-29
at NMSU
W 30-23 |
Georgia
Tech
at No Dame
W 33-3
Samford
W 69-14
Boston Coll
L 24-10
at Virginia
L 28-23
Clemson
W 13-3
at
Maryland L 28-26
at
Miami W 17-14
Army
W 34-10
Virginia Tech
L 27-3
at Duke
W 41-24
No Carolina
W 27-25
Georgia
L 31-17 |
|
Position
Ratings
relative to each
other |
|
F |
5
highest
1 lowest |
GT |
|
3.5 |
Quarterbacks |
3 |
|
3 |
RBs |
5 |
|
2.5 |
Receivers |
3 |
|
3.5 |
O
Line |
4 |
|
4 |
D
Line |
4.5 |
|
3.5 |
Linebackers |
4.5 |
|
4 |
Secondary |
4 |
|
4 |
Spec
Teams |
5 |
|
3.5 |
Coaching |
3 |
|
Well, the good
news, Chan Gailey, is that you
don’t have to coach the Yellow
Jackets in the Humanitarian
Bowl. By going 7-5, Georgia
Tech earned the ACC booby prize,
a trip across country to play a
WAC opponent in chilly Boise.
If the Jackets don’t bother
showing up, Fresno State will
gladly swipe its second win of
the year from a BCS school.
Gailey was fired by Georgia Tech
shortly after a sixth straight
loss to Georgia, opening the
door for former Navy coach Paul
Johnson to take the program in a
new direction. In the interim,
defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta
will lead the team into Idaho,
an audition of sorts for one of
the game’s most respected
defensive minds. You want
motivation, Yellow Jackets?
Your new boss may not be on the
sidelines, but he will be
watching, looking for first
impressions before spring ball
arrives.
Tech has an abundance of talent
on both sides of the ball, yet
went 1-5 against teams playing
in the postseason, which
summarizes why Gailey is
jobless. While Tenuta’s
attacking defense and the
Tashard Choice-led running game
are top-notch, the passing game
was once again abysmal,
accounting for a measly two
touchdown passes through the
first nine games. The good news
was that the attack showed signs
of a pulse during the final
three games of the regular
season. Starting QB Taylor
Bennett may not be the long-term
solution in Atlanta, so don’t be
surprised to see a lot of true
freshman Josh Nesbitt, who could
be a nice fit for the offense
when Johnson’s on board.
Despite a bunch of injuries and
a slow start, Fresno State
rallied to finish the regular
season 8-4, a nice rebound for a
program that was 4-8 a year
ago. The Bulldogs competed in
all but the Oregon game, and won
the games they were supposed to,
but couldn’t get over the hump
against WAC-daddys, Hawaii and
Boise State. For feisty head
coach Pat Hill, it was an
important bounce back season a
year after his team slipped into
the unfamiliar role of being
irrelevant. And with 15
starters expected back for 2008,
the Humanitarian Bowl could be
the perfect springboard for even
bigger things next fall.
Although Fresno State QB Tom
Brandstater played well in the
regular season, the catalyst for
the offense was a surprising,
physical running game that
averaged more than 200 yards a
game. The concern is whether
any of the team’s bevy of backs
will be healthy at kickoff.
Leading rusher Ryan Mathews is
out with a muscle tear near his
collarbone. Second-leading
rusher Lonyae Miller is
recovering from a quadriceps
injury. No. 3 back and team MVP
Clifton Smith is still nursing a
bruised hip pointer. Miller and
Smith are pointing to a return,
but if they can’t go, keep an
eye on true freshman Anthony
Harding, who had 115 yards and
121 yards rushing in Fresno’s
final two games.
Players to watch:
Fresno State is hopeful that its
most reliable receiver, TE
Bear Pascoe, has benefited
from a month off to rest his
aching ankle. Before getting
hurt, the 6-5, 260-pound junior
was tearing it up, highlighted
by a seven-catch,
three-touchdown effort versus
Texas A&M. If Pascoe is right,
Brandstater has a huge target
capable of being a mismatch when
streaking down the seam of the
field. More than just a
high-scoring offense, the Valley
is also home to LB Marcus
Riley, the WAC Defensive
Player of the Year and a
notoriously ferocious hitter.
Fresno State’s leader in tackles
and tackles for loss, he’s the
No. 31 that blew up Hawaii’s
Colt Brennan last month. The
Georgia Tech skill position
players better know where he is
at all times.
Just like the last couple of
years, Georgia Tech’s fate rests
on the legs of Choice, the ACC’s
premier back when he’s healthy.
On a roll at the end of the
year, he’ll be especially
dangerous on a fresh pair of
wheels, particularly against a
beatable Fresno State defense
that’s soft up front, and
allowing 182 yards a game on the
ground. Yellow Jacket DE
Michael Johnson is a scary
talent, even if this season’s
numbers don’t bear it out. Cut
from a similar mold as former
Florida Gator Jevon Kearse, the
6-7, 250-pounder is an athletic
anomaly with a hot motor and a
bounce in his step. Johnson has
just six tackles for loss and
four sacks, numbers that will
explode next year when
Darrell Robertson and
Adamm Oliver are in the
NFL. If for nothing else, it’ll
be worth spotlighting No. 93 to
get a good look at one of next
year’s budding stars.
Fresno State will win if...
it keeps Choice from taking over
the game. Hey, Choice is going
to get his yards, but the
Bulldogs must prevent him from
running for 200 yards, and
demoralizing the entire
defense. To be sure, it’s not
going to be easy for Fresno
State, which faces its toughest
test, a Georgia Tech offensive
line that has a pair of
all-conference blockers, and
paved the road for the ACC’s
best running game. If Choice is
kept in check, the Yellow
Jackets lack the passing game to
make up the difference.
Georgia Tech will win if...
the defense plays with a chip on
its shoulder. Tenuta’s Yellow
Jackets usually play fast and
tough, but it didn’t look that
way in November, when they twice
allowed more than 400 yards, and
failed to pick off a pass. Tech
must intimidate Fresno State,
creating turnovers and playing
like the unit that leads the
nation with 48 sacks. If
players, such as LB Philip
Wheeler, DT Vance Walker, and LB
Gary Guyton, get upfield
pressure and in Brandstater’s
face, the Bulldogs are unlikely
to respond to the challenge.
What will happen: If another
assistant was coaching the team,
Georgia Tech would be even more
vulnerable to the upset. With
his next job undetermined, and
places like LSU, for instance,
looking for a coordinator,
Tenuta won’t allow this team to
give anything less than a
complete effort. The Yellow
Jackets will hold off Fresno
State behind a couple of Choice
touchdowns, and an inspired
effort from the disruptive
defense.
Line: Georgia Tech -4 ...
CFN Prediction:
Georgia Tech 31 ... Fresno State
16