FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – High humidity and temperatures in the 80’s welcomed Georgia Tech to south Florida Saturday for its first on-site practice in preparation for the Orange Bowl. Also coming off a layoff for Christmas, the team responded predictably.
Coach Paul Johnson said that the Saturday afternoon practice at Nova Southeastern University dragged initially, “like you’d expect, but I thought towards the end, they picked it up and the energy got back up.”
The Yellow Jackets will have two more practices prior to their New Year’s Eve matchup with Mississippi State. Tech practiced for one week on campus after final exams, was off from Dec. 21-25 and returned to school for practice on Friday before flying down to Fort Lauderdale that evening.
“That’s the biggest thing that concerns you,” Johnson said. “You go so long without really any live, live contact. You try to play live, but it’s not game speed.”
Asked about the team’s sharpness, Johnson said, “You just don’t know till they play.”
Likewise, Johnson said the team’s conditioning level seemed OK, but not having played in almost a month is a factor.
“You just don’t know until you (play),” he said. “I’ve never had a team that didn’t get winded in the bowl game.”
The forecast for Wednesday night, according to the Weather Channel, is 68 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain and humidity at 90 percent.
Every team member has made the trip. Academically speaking, no players were ruled ineligible after semester grades.
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