Could Tech have two thousand-yard rushers?

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It has been 16 seasons since an ACC team has produced two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

Could Georgia Tech do it this season?

B-back Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 1,395 yards last season, while quarterback Josh Nesbitt and A-back Roddy Jones each came within a first down of 700 yards, so it’s not beyond possibility.

Will a more confident, efficient offense be enough to produce a dynamic duo, or will the depth at A-back split the carries too much? Will an improved passing game mean Nesbitt won’t need to run as often, thereby reducing his yards? Does it even matter?

Coach Paul Johnson answered the last question.

“I don’t worry about that stuff,” Johnson said. “It could happen. We might not have anybody with 1,000 yards. I’m [more] worried about what the team has than what the individuals have. All that will work itself out. It always does.”

If it were to happen this season, it would be following a trend set by Johnson’s offenses at his previous two jobs.

Johnson’s first season at Navy he didn’t have a player top 1,000 yards. In his second season Navy’s B-back and quarterback each surpassed the mark in 2003.

At Georgia Southern he had two runners, the B-back and the quarterback, top 1,000 yards in 1997 and ’98.

The last ACC tandem to do it was North Carolina’s Curtis Johnson (1,034) and Leon Johnson (1,012) in 1993.

Georgia Tech has never had two 1,000-yard rushers in a season.

While Dwyer said the yards don’t matter as long as the team wins, he added that there’s no telling what might happen if everybody does what they are supposed to do, including the possibility that Nesbitt could rush and pass for 1,000 yards.

“I have no doubt that at least one of us, maybe two ... maybe even three [could rush for 1,000 yards], you never know,” Dwyer said. “But all that matters is just going out and playing.”

Happy birthday

Johnson turned 52 on Thursday. He said the team’s practice Thursday was OK and that they might scrimmage Friday and take the weekend off.

“They tried to push through a little better,” Johnson said. “We’re pretty leg-tired right now. We need a break. We need a day off.”

Injury updates

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas didn’t practice Thursday because of two injured fingers on his left hand that he has been playing with since the first week of preseason practice. Johnson said the coaches held him out just to make sure he would be ready for next week. ... Though wearing a red jersey, middle linebacker Kyle Jackson suited up and participated in conditioning drills for the first time. He’s still wearing a protective boot on his right foot.