From OnlineAthens.com
July 22nd, 2016 09:42 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Georgia Tech will open its football regular season on foreign turf in Dublin, Ireland against Boston College and end it in a familiar setting playing Georgia in Sanford Stadium.
The new dynamic, of course, for Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson is that for the first time in his nine seasons with the Yellow Jackets, the Georgia coach on the other sideline will be Kirby Smart. Johnson isn’t sure what that could mean for the rivalry.
“I have no idea, we’ll see,” Johnson said. “I’ll have a better idea in a couple of years I guess. They’re always going to have good players. The place recruits itself. That’s not going to change for sure. It will be interesting to see how they do. It would be hard to say until we watch them play.”
Johnson went 2-6 against Mark Richt, winning in 2008 and 2014 in Athens, but that was better than the 0-6 mark Chan Gailey had against Richt.
“I know Kirby Smart is a good coach also,” Georgia Tech defensive tackle Patrick Gamble said. “He recruited me also. He’s a good guy. I’m looking forward to playing him just like we always do. It’s a rivalry matchup.”
A rivalry Smart was a part of as a Georgia safety from 1995-98 when the Bulldogs won three of four against the Yellow Jackets.
“It’s all the same team, same players, just different coaches (at Georgia)," quarterback Justin Thomas said. "I think Kirby Smart has an idea of what they want to do. I think they’ll have a lot of energy throughout the whole season just for the change.”
Georgia Tech is coming off a dismal 3-9 season.
“Last year I think was an enigma for us,” said Johnson, who is 61-44 at Georgia Tech with three trips to the ACC title game. “We’re not used to that. …I think our guys were embarrassed.”
Johnson, speaking at the ACC Kickoff media event, pushed back at the notion that Florida State and Clemson “created a bit of distance” in the ACC with other teams including the Yellow Jackets.
“Really?” Johnson said. “We’re 5-4 against Clemson and 3-2 against Florida State what distance is that?”
Well, as far as postseason success, he was told.
“We won the Orange Bowl last year,” Johnson said referring to the 2014 season. “They’ve been to the national championship game and they’ll be preseason ranked, but perception is reality I guess.”
Georgia Tech’s streak of 18 consecutive bowls ended last year.
The Yellow Jackets were picked in the preseason to win the Coastal Division, but finished last.
This year they were pegged for fourth in the ACC Coastal by The Sporting News.
“We still have to play the games, but I think they have a chance to be better than people think,” said Johnson, who returns nine starters on offense and five on defense. “I think they’re hungry.”
Georgia Tech lost six games by eight or fewer points last year, including 13-7 to Georgia.
“It wasn’t like we were getting blitzkreiged and couldn’t stay on the field,” Johnson said.
The offense was hit hard by departures and a slew of injuries at the A-back position.
“Justin was surrounded by guys who had never played,” Johnson said. “So the chemistry was not going to be that good. I looked on the field last year at Miami, the score was 7-7. We were in the start of the second quarter. We had the ball on their 4-yard line. I have nine freshmen playing offense. When that happens, it's tough to be successful in our league, on this level in general.”
“Offensively, we kind of hurt ourselves with a lot with turnovers, missed assignments,” Thomas said. “This year we need to make sure we take care of those things, make sure everybody knows what's going on, just trying to stay ahead of the game.”
Thomas’s recruiter at Alabama was Smart “so I know him pretty well.” Thomas backed away from the Crimson Tide as a defensive back commitment and signed to play quarterback for Georgia Tech.
“He’s a good coach, he’s a good defensive mind,” Thomas said. “It will be interesting to see how they do this year.”
...READ MORE HERE...
July 22nd, 2016 09:42 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. | Georgia Tech will open its football regular season on foreign turf in Dublin, Ireland against Boston College and end it in a familiar setting playing Georgia in Sanford Stadium.
The new dynamic, of course, for Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson is that for the first time in his nine seasons with the Yellow Jackets, the Georgia coach on the other sideline will be Kirby Smart. Johnson isn’t sure what that could mean for the rivalry.
“I have no idea, we’ll see,” Johnson said. “I’ll have a better idea in a couple of years I guess. They’re always going to have good players. The place recruits itself. That’s not going to change for sure. It will be interesting to see how they do. It would be hard to say until we watch them play.”
Johnson went 2-6 against Mark Richt, winning in 2008 and 2014 in Athens, but that was better than the 0-6 mark Chan Gailey had against Richt.
“I know Kirby Smart is a good coach also,” Georgia Tech defensive tackle Patrick Gamble said. “He recruited me also. He’s a good guy. I’m looking forward to playing him just like we always do. It’s a rivalry matchup.”
A rivalry Smart was a part of as a Georgia safety from 1995-98 when the Bulldogs won three of four against the Yellow Jackets.
“It’s all the same team, same players, just different coaches (at Georgia)," quarterback Justin Thomas said. "I think Kirby Smart has an idea of what they want to do. I think they’ll have a lot of energy throughout the whole season just for the change.”
Georgia Tech is coming off a dismal 3-9 season.
“Last year I think was an enigma for us,” said Johnson, who is 61-44 at Georgia Tech with three trips to the ACC title game. “We’re not used to that. …I think our guys were embarrassed.”
Johnson, speaking at the ACC Kickoff media event, pushed back at the notion that Florida State and Clemson “created a bit of distance” in the ACC with other teams including the Yellow Jackets.
“Really?” Johnson said. “We’re 5-4 against Clemson and 3-2 against Florida State what distance is that?”
Well, as far as postseason success, he was told.
“We won the Orange Bowl last year,” Johnson said referring to the 2014 season. “They’ve been to the national championship game and they’ll be preseason ranked, but perception is reality I guess.”
Georgia Tech’s streak of 18 consecutive bowls ended last year.
The Yellow Jackets were picked in the preseason to win the Coastal Division, but finished last.
This year they were pegged for fourth in the ACC Coastal by The Sporting News.
“We still have to play the games, but I think they have a chance to be better than people think,” said Johnson, who returns nine starters on offense and five on defense. “I think they’re hungry.”
Georgia Tech lost six games by eight or fewer points last year, including 13-7 to Georgia.
“It wasn’t like we were getting blitzkreiged and couldn’t stay on the field,” Johnson said.
The offense was hit hard by departures and a slew of injuries at the A-back position.
“Justin was surrounded by guys who had never played,” Johnson said. “So the chemistry was not going to be that good. I looked on the field last year at Miami, the score was 7-7. We were in the start of the second quarter. We had the ball on their 4-yard line. I have nine freshmen playing offense. When that happens, it's tough to be successful in our league, on this level in general.”
“Offensively, we kind of hurt ourselves with a lot with turnovers, missed assignments,” Thomas said. “This year we need to make sure we take care of those things, make sure everybody knows what's going on, just trying to stay ahead of the game.”
Thomas’s recruiter at Alabama was Smart “so I know him pretty well.” Thomas backed away from the Crimson Tide as a defensive back commitment and signed to play quarterback for Georgia Tech.
“He’s a good coach, he’s a good defensive mind,” Thomas said. “It will be interesting to see how they do this year.”
...READ MORE HERE...
