Georgia Tech players have grown weary of the repetitiveness of the preseason and are eager for something new. The Yellow Jackets conducted their 23rd practice in preparation for the season Tuesday, another full-pads session.
No. 16 Tech opens the season Sept. 3 against Alcorn State at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“I think everybody’s ready to play a game,” coach Paul Johnson said. “(Players) are, I think as coaches we are. Now’s the tough time. You’ve just got to mentally fight through it.”
Tech will practice Wednesday and have a final scrimmage Thursday in which game conditions will be simulated as much as possible to help players and coaches practice the mechanics of a game – where to line up on the sideline, interacting with coaches on the field and in the coaching box and the like. Johnson called it a rehearsal.
“All that kind of stuff,” he said. “We’ve got so many guys who haven’t played.”
The Jackets will then have Friday and Saturday off before returning to practice on Sunday.
“We’ve got to keep grinding, trying to keep getting better every day because we’re playing against the same guys every day, so we’ve got to find that extra motivation to get out there and get better every day,” linebacker Tyler Marcordes said.
Johnson said that wide receiver Micheal Summers, who has been out since last Monday with an undisclosed injury, ran in Tuesday’s practice and is aiming for a Sunday return. Summers is the only wide receiver with significant experience on the roster.
Decisions about redshirting freshmen are still being made. Johnson said some freshmen may dress but will only be available on an emergency basis. He said that wide receiver Christian Philpott, who missed time in the preseason with an injury and was also setback by what he termed medical issues during the summer, is “iffy” as a possibility to play this season.
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