Jackets are drawing national attention

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

They're not on the cover, so no worries about the dreaded jinx, but Georgia Tech is profiled in this week's Sports Illustrated.

Reporter Albert Chen came to campus three weeks ago, before the game against Virginia, to begin reporting a story about the Yellow Jackets' offense. The Jackets will play Duke this weekend with a lot on the line: A win will secure the ACC's Coastal Division and with it a spot in the conference's championship game on Dec. 5 in Tampa.

Photographers came out last Wednesday and shot images of quarterback Josh Nesbitt, B-back Jonathan Dwyer, A-back Anthony Allen and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas at various spots in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Thomas said the photos looked sharp, and he is looking forward to seeing what was written.

Dwyer didn't want to guess what the headline will be, but hopes that it's something catchy that the fans can chant during games.

Neither Thomas, Dwyer nor coach Paul Johnson said they subscribe to Sports Illustrated, but Thomas said he told his parents to buy a few copies.

A few other Georgia Tech/Sports Illustrated facts:

• The Jackets' football team was last on the cover of SI on Nov. 12, 1990, after it defeated No. 1 Virginia.

• The basketball team was on the cover on April 4, 2004, after it lost to Connecticut in the national championship game.

• The football team was most recently featured (not including preview sections or the Inside… notes) in the magazine on Oct. 23, 2006, when wide receiver Calvin Johnson was profiled.

Fixing errors

After watching film on the 30-27 overtime win over Wake Forest, Johnson said his team played as poorly on offense as it has all year.

Johnson said blocking on the perimeter wasn't very good, so they spent a few periods during Monday's practice working on that.

"Our skill guys, guys who have played really, really well and carried us, didn't have their best games," Johnson said. "Sometimes during the course of the season, that's going to happen. Not everybody's going to play perfect."

Thomas was called for holding while he was blocking on a 66-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Stephen Hill in the second quarter.

Dropped passes also occurred: Hill dropped one in the third quarter,  Allen dropped a pass that would have given the Jackets a first down in the fourth quarter, and A-back Embry Peeples dropped a first-down pass in the first half.

Blair ready

Scott Blair said he was ready to kick the game-tying field goal against Wake Forest if he had gotten the call.

Blair said there were a few people on the sidelines who wouldn't talk to him as he was preparing, even when he was trying to stay calm by talking to them.

Earlier in the game, Blair kicked a 45-yard field goal, the first time in his career he successfully made one longer than 40 yards. Blair said he thought it was good as soon as he kicked it, but he's unfortunately been wrong before.

"I just hope to make a few more this season," said Blair, who hadn't kicked a field goal before that since the second quarter of the win against Virginia. He's 9-of-13 this season.