For Will Jackson, the difference in his view of Virginia Tech and Georgia can be explained this way.
“Georgia’s just pure hate,” the Georgia Tech guard said. “I’m driving, and I hate seeing a red car. That’s just hate.”
Evidently, seeing a maroon car would not inspire such animus, although it might evoke pity. The Hokies, though, have their place.
“Virginia Tech, it makes more sense for that to be a rivalry because there’s division implications and conference implications, so that’s more the reason for the rivalry there as opposed to Georgia, just hating them,” he said.
Once again, the Yellow Jackets find themselves needing to maneuver past the Hokies in order to obtain their goal of reaching the ACC title game. After three consecutive losses, Tech may be in its best position to beat its Coastal Division rival since 2009, the Jackets’ previous victory in the series.
The teams meet Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium in a nationally televised affair. The Jackets have as many advantages as they might ever hope to have against Virginia Tech. At least thus far, Georgia Tech’s defense has been significantly improved from last season under the supervision of defensive coordinator Ted Roof. The Jackets shut out North Carolina over the last 39 minutes of Saturday’s game and rank No. 12 in scoring defense.
“I feel like, the defense, we bought into coach Roof’s system,” said safety Jamal Golden, who hopes to play after a shoulder injury suffered Saturday. “We just put it in our minds that we’re going to get people stopped this year and not let our offense have to outscore everybody.”
They figure to have the advantage over the Hokies’ offense, which has yet to find its groove with new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. Quarterback Logan Thomas, a third-year starter, has completed 48.5 percent of his passes. Among qualifying quarterbacks in the five AQ conferences — playing in 75 percent of their teams’ games and attempting 15 passes per game — his completion rate is second lowest.
Thomas has had considerable success against Tech, including his tank-like quarterback sneaks in 2011 and his last-minute drive to send the 2012 game to overtime. But, coach Frank Beamer said, “this is a new defensive coordinator.”
While the Hokies’ defense may be the class of the ACC and perhaps one of the best in the country — its 3.6 yards per play average is second best in FBS — the Jackets’ offense has demonstrated its potency in each of their first three games and is nowhere near its peak.
High on coach Paul Johnson’s order of business this week was straightening out the option game, which he described as “not sharp.”
It will be easily the toughest challenge of the season for the Jackets and quarterback Vad Lee.
“He’s at the point in his career where one play you want to choke him, and the next play you’re ready to hug him because he does something,” Johnson said.
A considerable variable will be the rest time. Both teams played Saturday and neither is particularly thrilled about playing such a crucial matchup on such short rest. But it may prove more challenging for Virginia Tech, particularly its defense. Where defensive coordinator Bud Foster last season had all of the preseason to prep the Hokies’ defense for Johnson’s spread-option scheme, as the two teams met in the season opener, this week Foster had to stuff three full-pads practices into a defense that was on the field for 87 plays Saturday against Marshall in a triple-overtime victory.
Foster told Virginia Tech reporters Tuesday that preparing for Tech on a short week is “impossible.” He took the step of using practice time the two previous Sundays to introduce some defensive concepts pertaining to the Jackets, something he said he has never previously done.
Virginia Tech practiced in full pads Monday and Tuesday and was to do so again Wednesday before flying to Atlanta, a rarity the day before a game, but something Beamer evidently felt was necessary to get the defense ready for the spread option.
“We’re trying to practice fast, learn fast, look at film fast, the whole deal,” Beamer said. “Fast week.”
With his team banged up, Johnson took the opposite tack, holding no full-pads practices Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and scheduling the usual walk-through Wednesday.
Worth noting: Beamer has had 10 games when his team played on a short week. The Hokies are 9-1 in those games.
On presumably fresher legs, supported by a home crowd expected to reach 50,000 and playing with a senior-heavy lineup trying to score its first win over the Hokies, there are advantages that tilt the way of the Jackets. They’ll need to rely on them to break the tide of a series that has favored the team in maroon.
“We’ve got to find a way to get over the top on ’em,” Johnson said. “We’ve been close, but we haven’t closed the deal.”
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