Young Jeune’s exploits
Tech wide receiver Ricky Jeune is within reach of a standard that speaks to the development and consistency he has demonstrated as a pass catcher. If Jeune can record at least one reception against Virginia Tech, Miami and Georgia — and a possible bowl opponent — he would finish the season with at least one reception in every game this season.
In coach Paul Johnson’s run-heavy offense, in which the Jackets have had a 74/26 run/pass ratio, Jeune has largely taken advantage of his opportunities. In Johnson’s eight-season tenure, only one player has finished the season with at least one catch in every game: the great Demaryius Thomas, who did it in 2008.
It’s all the more unlikely given that Jeune, a redshirt sophomore, did not have a single catch last season, playing mostly on special teams.
Over his career, Thomas had a 30-game streak with at least one reception. He failed to catch a pass in his final game, the 2010 Orange Bowl loss to Iowa.
Bud, wiser
Georgia Tech is expected to start two freshmen at offensive tackle: Trey Klock (left) and Will Bryan (right). Both were at the top of the depth chart released Monday. Bryan has started the past three games while Klock would be making his first career start.
For both Klock and Bryan, Thursday night’s game may be something of a rite of passage. Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster may be coach Paul Johnson’s keenest adversary, a playcaller whose assembly of talent, aggressive mindset and counter-punching tactics have given the Jackets trouble in Johnson’s first seven matchups.
Georgia Tech has averaged a paltry 20.9 points against the Hokies in seven matchups; the Jackets have averaged 31.3 against the rest of the ACC in regular-season competition.
“Their defensive front’s always pretty good,” Johnson said. “They’re very aggressive and he does a nice job adjusting. When you adjusts, he adjusts.”
Johnson said that the Hokies run zone blitzes that other teams don’t or won’t try. It will likely require Bryan, Klock, their linemates, Georgia Tech’s backs and quarterback Justin Thomas to be keenly aware of how many Hokies are attacking and from which angles.
“You either catch them or they catch you,” he said. “There’s a lot of room for big plays on both sides sometimes.”
Around the block
Georgia Tech has largely escaped a renowned, if slightly overstated of late, element of the Virginia Tech game plan — blocked kicks. In coach Frank Beamer’s tenure, the Hokies have blocked 136 punts, field-goal tries or point-after attempts in 357 games, an average of one per 2.6 games.
The rate has slowed considerably in recent years. Starting in 2009, the Hokies have blocked 13 kicks in the past 89 games, one per 6.8 games.
Since the Hokies blocked Scott Blair’s point-after try in Georgia Tech’s 20-17 loss in 2008, the Jackets have gotten off 48 punts, field-goal tries and point-after attempts without a block against Virginia Tech. The 48th was the most memorable, kicker Harrison Butker’s game-winning 24-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Hokies 27-24 last year.
The Hokies did win the 2010 game on the strength of David Wilson’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 2:23 to play to break a 21-21 tie.
Holding onto the ball
In a game that doesn’t figure to be high scoring, Georgia Tech will again want to take better care of the ball. In the Yellow Jackets’ last game, the 27-21 loss to Virginia, Georgia Tech fumbled three times, one after what coach Paul Johnson termed a “love bump.” Two were lost and turned into 10 points, sufficient gifts for a Virginia win.
“You’ve got to lock it up and care enough to hold onto it,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you get hit on the ball, sometimes it’s going to happen. But it’s inexcusable to give up the way we’ve given it up.”
The Jackets have 20 fumbles in nine games, which is as many as they had all of last season in 14 games. The Orange Bowl champions experienced drastic improvement in securing the ball after dropping it 197 times in Johnson’s first six seasons, 2.5 per game. The rate fell to 1.4 per game last season and is now back up to 2.2 per game this season. It’s a considerable obstacle for a team that has struggled on offense and has lost four games by eight points or fewer.
Johnson made clear last week that players work on ball security “all the time.”
Virginia Tech is quite adept at separating ball from ball carrier. The Hokies have forced 12 fumbles in nine games, tied for 11th in the country.
Ready to run
Georgia Tech should be playing on fresh legs, or fresher than previously. The Jackets played nine consecutive games before taking last Saturday off.
“We were certainly beat up,” coach Paul Johnson said. “It gave us a chance to get three or four guys a few days off and hopefully get back healthy.”
Johnson said Monday that some players would be practicing that afternoon for the first time since the Virginia game, a week break. It isn’t only aiding players who have missed games but those who have played with injuries. Linebacker P.J. Davis, quarterback Justin Thomas and center Freddie Burden are among those who played through nicks and bumps.
“I think it was important for everybody on the team,” Johnson said. “You’ve played nine straight games, nine straight weeks.”
Thomas has had probably a greater workload than might have been expected at the start of the season. Since the blowout win over Tulane in the second week, he has taken all but two snaps, which were handled by backup Matthew Jordan at the end of the loss to Clemson.
“And he’s taken some shots,” Johnson said.
Following the game, the Jackets will get something of a mini-break, as they likely won’t practice again until Monday, giving them three days to recuperate rather than the usual one. Miami, Tech’s opponent Nov. 21, plays a 3:30 p.m. game at North Carolina Saturday.
Opposing view
Virginia Tech beat writer Andy Bitter of the Roanoke (Va.) Times shared his insights into the Hokies for the Georgia Tech blog. Two of his answers to questions about Virginia Tech and coach Frank Beamer are below.
Q: What's the game plan to beat Virginia Tech?
A: I think the biggest way to disrupt this offense is to pressure the quarterback — and it's very possible to do against this offensive line. Pitt took everything out of rhythm by sacking Brenden Motley seven times in that game. Virginia Tech has some pretty good skills guys (Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Ryan Malleck and Bucky Hodges as pass catchers and Travon McMillian running the ball) so that if Michael Brewer has time or there are holes to run through, it can be a pretty potent offense. It's when the O-line gets challenged and that protection breaks down that things start to look a lot like they have the past couple years.
On defense, I’d say there’s two things to watch: running quarterbacks and teams that can go up and make a big pass play. Bud Foster’s defenses have had trouble corralling mobile quarterbacks, although that’s mostly from an improvisational aspect. Option QBs are a little different. Without Kendall Fuller in the secondary, the Hokies are very young. Foster doesn’t tail back his defense too much to take those youngsters out of one-on-one situations. If you’ve got receivers that can go up and win a jump ball situation, there’s lots and lots of yards to be had by going down the field, something I know Georgia Tech has done against the Hokies in the past.
Q: What has been your experience working with Frank Beamer and do you have a telling or favorite anecdote?
A: It's strange. I got on the beat at the tail end of his really successful run. I started in Roanoke in the middle of the 2011 season, so I caught the end of what was his last appearance in the ACC title game, which the Hokies lost to Clemson. They lost the Sugar Bowl that season to Michigan, which I think many pinpoint as the start of the descent of the program (even though that was rooted out of recruiting failures from previous seasons).
That said, I do think all the glowing things that people have said about Beamer being a genuine person are spot on. He’s the same guy on the field and off the field, which, from coaches I’ve covered in the past, I know is not definitely the case. His answers are his answers. He doesn’t save material for national guys that he doesn’t say to local beat guys, which you appreciate as a reporter. And I get the sense that all the stuff people say about him treating the janitor as well as he would the school president is correct. He is a genuine person.
I’d say an anecdote that sort of exemplifies this was before that Sugar Bowl in 2011. We reporters were sort of milling about in the Superdome beforehand and a couple of Virginia Tech fans came up to try to talk to Beamer with their kids. This is a day or two before a BCS game and he politely walks over to them and strikes up a conversation, acting like he’s known these people for 20 years. I know it’s cliche to point out the “they’re just like us!” nature of doing something as mundane as that, but it wasn’t something out the ordinary for him. He’s just generally nice around people and that disposition doesn’t change whether or not a camera is on him.
Unlucky 13
This will be the first time that either Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech has played the other with a losing record. In the first 12 meetings, both teams had a winning or a .500 record, with the sole exception of the season opener in 2012.
Year VT rec. GT rec. result
1990 5-4 7-0-1 GT, 6-3
2004 5-2 4-2 VT, 34-20
2005 3-0 3-0 VT, 51-7
2006 4-0 3-1 GT, 38-27
2007 6-2 5-3 VT, 27-3
2008 1-1 2-0 VT, 20-17
2009 5-1 5-1 GT, 28-23
2010 6-2 5-3 VT, 28-21
2011 8-1 7-2 VT, 37-26
2012 0-0 0-0 VT, 20-17 (OT)
2013 3-1 3-0 VT, 17-10
2014 2-1 3-0 GT, 27-24
2015 4-5 3-6
Brightest at night
In coach Paul Johnson’s tenure, night games at Bobby Dodd have treated the Yellow Jackets favorably, despite considerable opposition. Since 2008, Georgia Tech is 7-3 in games that began at 6 p.m. or later, not counting FCS opponents. Two of the losses, though, were to Virginia Tech.
2008 No. 23 Miami W, 41-23
2009 Clemson W, 30-27
2009 No. 4 Virginia Tech W, 28-23
2009 Georgia L, 30-24
2011 No. 6 Clemson W, 31-17
2011 No. 10 Virginia Tech L, 37-26
2013 Virginia Tech L, 17-10
2013 Pittsburgh W, 21-10
2014 Miami W, 28-17
2015 No. 9 Florida State W, 22-16
By the numbers
More than 110
Number of players, coaches and staff from Georgia Tech’s 1990 team expected in attendance for Thursday’s game to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Yellow Jackets’ national championship. The team will be honored at halftime and will also lead the current team down Yellow Jacket Alley before the game.
31st
Appearance that Georgia Tech will make on ESPN’s Thursday night package, most in the country. This will be the Yellow Jackets’ 23rd such game at home.
Last time they played
Last game: Sept. 20, 2014 at Lane Stadium
Score: Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 24
Star of the game: Quarterback Justin Thomas ran 22 times for 165 yards and a touchdown and also threw for 125 yards with a touchdown. His 31-yard pass to wide receiver DeAndre Smelter with 2:03 remaining tied the game at 24 and set the stage for kicker Harrison Butker's game-winning 24-yard field goal as time expired to end the Yellow Jackets' four-game losing streak to the Hokies.
Stats that matter: Thomas recorded his second 100-yard rushing game in a row. … Off an interception, linebacker P.J. Davis scored the second of what would be six defensive touchdowns in the 2014 season. … Virginia Tech gained more yards (424 to 375) and first downs (24 to 19), but quarterback Michael Brewer threw three interceptions.
Play of the game: Trailing 24-17 with 2:37 to play, Georgia Tech converted a fourth-and-15 at midfield with a 19-yard completion from Thomas to Smelter to keep the drive going. Smelter was in the end zone two plays later. D.J. White's interception on the ensuing series set up the game-winning field goal.
Quote of the game: "I was almost in tears, just because I've wanted this game so bad for the past four years, and to finally get it in Blacksburg, it was real special." – B-back Zach Laskey
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