Freshman Shaw to start at QB for Tech

Josh Nesbitt’s strained hamstring will receive an extra week of rest.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said that backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw will start Saturday against Duke.

Shaw “played the whole game last week [against Mississippi State], and he’s going to be the starter,” Johnson said Wednesday after practice. “If Josh can come back now, he’ll be in a reserve [role], and Jaybo will be starting.”

Johnson had said that Nesbitt was “day to day” since he strained his right hamstring against Mississippi State on Sept. 20. He has not practiced since that game.

Said Johnson of Nesbitt, a sophomore who started the first four games and has led Tech to a 3-1 start, “If he plays, it’ll be a bonus.”

Shaw, who will be the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Tech since Reggie Ball in 2003, played most of the way against the Bulldogs in the 38-7 victory. He completed 3 of 7 passes for 43 yards, including a touchdown, but effectively operated Johnson’s option-based spread offense. The Jackets piled up 438 rushing yards, 61 of them from Shaw, including a 25-yard touchdown run.

Shaw said his nerves will probably be going triple the “100 miles an hour” he felt when he made his first high school start as a freshman at Flowery Branch High School.

But he said he will try to follow the advice of Tech football office assistant Lamar Owens, who played quarterback for Johnson at Navy.

“Just because you are the starter, don’t go off and think you have to put more stuff on yourself or put more pressure on you,” Shaw said, echoing Owens’ advice. “That helped me out a lot. Just go out there and play football and lead the team.”

Said Johnson, “The way we practice is going to be as intense and hard as the game. He’s ready. He knows what to do. It won’t be a question of that.”

Michael Johnson fan club, Durham chapter

If Duke coach David Cutcliffe has anything to say about it, Tech defensive end Michael Johnson will be a first-team all-American. Cutcliffe gave plenty of love to the senior, who tore up Mississippi State with a blocked field goal, a sack, a fumble recovery, two pass break-ups and two solo tackles.

“I don’t think there’s anybody that compares to him in the country,” Cutcliffe said. “Tremendous, tremendous player, along with others up front.”

Johnson had one sack against Duke last year. Both of Duke’s offensive tackles, Cameron Goldberg and Fred Roland, are in their third seasons as starters.

Johnson on Duke

Paul Johnson is not surprised at Duke’s 3-1 start. He faced Duke multiple times while he was the coach at Navy and saw them developing under former coach Ted Roof, the former Tech assistant coach and star linebacker. Roof was fired after the Devils went 1-11 last season, ending his regime of four-plus seasons with a 6-45 record.

“This was supposed to be the year that Coach Roof had pointed to for them to go to a bowl game and be really good,” Johnson said. “They’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of football.”

Injury report

Aside from Nesbitt, cornerback Martin Frierson, guard A.J. Smith and wide receiver Andrew Smith did not practice with injuries. Linebacker Brad Jefferson practiced on a limited basis. Frierson and Jefferson have been ruled out for Saturday’s game.

Quotable

“I’d be surprised if anybody wins our division with two losses, other than maybe Virginia Tech because they’re going to hold all the tiebreakers. We can’t afford another loss.”

— Johnson on the ACC Coastal Division which Virginia Tech leads with a 2-0 league record, including a win over Tech