Tech hoping for help from Cavs

Georgia Tech fans will be multitasking Saturday.

When the Yellow Jackets play Georgia at noon on CBS, their ACC title hopes will be riding on another noon game: Virginia at Virginia Tech on ESPN.

A Cavaliers’ upset sends Georgia Tech to the Dec. 6 conference championship game in Tampa for a rematch against Florida State or Boston College. The Jackets won 19-16 at B.C. and beat FSU 31-28.

Boston College would advance by beating Maryland in a 3:30 p.m. game Saturday. If Maryland wins, FSU goes to Tampa.

Anything is possible in the ACC, especially the way Virginia Tech struggled to beat Duke 14-3 on Saturday.

But the Hokies have dominated Virginia lately. They’ve won four in a row, all by 12 points or more, and eight of nine. It’s been a decade since the Cavaliers last won in Blacksburg.

Able substitutes

Outside linebacker Sedric Griffin and free safety Dominique Reese, who have started 10 games each, likely won’t play against Georgia due to knee injuries. But their replacements played well enough against Miami to give coaches confidence heading into Saturday.

Linebacker Shane Bowen filled run gaps and finished with five tackles and a sack. Tony Clark, playing a hybrid of linebacker and safety, made five tackles and raced in off the edge to deflect a punt.

“One thing we’ve emphasized since coach (Paul) Johnson took the job is getting two deep at every position, and telling guys you never know when you’re number is going to be called and to always be ready,” linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said. “The guys have taken heed to that.”

Bowen entered Thursday’s game with just eight tackles. A quadriceps injury slowed him early in the season, then Griffin emerged as perhaps Tech’s best linebacker.

“Bowen did a great job — he’s actually one of the players who has a lot of experience,” Jean-Mary said, noting the junior started 10 games last season. “He’s a reliable player you can count on. He’s always going to be in the right place.”

After giving up 186 rushing yards to North Carolina, the Jackets allowed Miami 105. Jean-Mary called stopping Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno “our biggest challenge of the year. He’s as good as any back we’ve played since I’ve been here.”

Back in the polls

Georgia Tech made the Top 25 for the third time this season.

Tech is 18th in the Associated Press media poll, its highest ranking this season. The Jackets are 23rd in the USA Today coaches poll.

Georgia is 13th in both.

The Jackets’ previous appearances in the Top 25 lasted one week as losses to Virginia and North Carolina knocked them out.