Georgia Tech (3-3) vs. Wake Forest (3-2)
Quarterback:
Reggie Ball was ridiculous against N.C. State last week. The true freshman was 24-37 for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in a touchdown. He earned his third ACC Rookie of the Week on the season for his performance against the Wolfpack.
Wake Forest’s Cory Randolph is having a statistically similar season to Ball. His completion percentage is higher, but his passing and rushing yards are lower. Both have thrown four touchdowns and five interceptions. However, Reggie Ball seems to just make plays when the Jackets need them.
Advantage: Tech
Running Back:
Sophomore P.J. Daniels continues to have a great year for the Jackets. Daniels had 99 yards on 25 carries against the Wolfpack. The former walk-on also caught six balls out of the backfield for 37 yards.
Wake Forest will use a platoon of running backs to handle the rushing duties. Chris Barclay will get a majority of the carries with Cornelius Birgs and wide-out Willie Idlette getting some touches. The Demon Deacons average 157 yards rushing per game.
Advantage: Tech
Offensive Line:
The Jackets’ offensive line has not lived up to the preseason hype. However, they still are talented even though they have allowed 19 sacks on the year. Center Hugh Reilly and tackle Nat Dorsey anchor the line.
Wake Forest’s o-line has played well this season, allowing only four sacks and clearing running lanes. Tackle Tyson Clabo has started 29 consecutive games.
Advantage: Even
Secondary:
The Georgia Tech secondary thrives when it doesn’t have to cover for very long. Despite their inexperience, they have great athleticism that allows them to make big plays. Corners Reuben Houston and Jonathan Cox have been solid. Safeties James Butler and Dawan Landry have been better than expected.
The strength of Wake’s defense is in the secondary of the 3-3-5. Corners Eric King and Marcus McGruder are undersized but they have three interceptions between them. King has a team high six pass break ups. Safeties Quintin Williams and Warren Braxton are tied for third on the team in tackles. Rover Caron Bracy leads the team in tackles with 40 and is versatile enough to act as both a linebacker and defensive back.
Advantage: Wake
Wide Receivers:
Jonathan Smith and Nate Curry are the go-to guys for Reggie Ball. Smith has 33 receptions for 531 yards and one touchdown to lead the Jackets. Curry has come on strong recently with 22 catches for 250 yards and one score.
Jason Anderson is the main threat for Cory Randolph. The 6'3” junior has 21 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns.
Advantage: Even
Linebackers:
There is no one on N.C. State’s linebacking corps that can match the big play ability of Keyaron Fox or the consistent solid play of Daryl Smith. The Wolfpack linebackers are led by a duo of juniors, Freddie Aughty-Lindsay and Pat Thomas.
Aughty-Lindsay is their big play threat from this position and Thomas is the guy that steadies the group but they can’t match up to Tech’s double threat of Smith and Fox.
Advantage: Tech
Defensive Line:
The Yellow Jackets have a good young defensive line. Eric Henderson is a big time player and is averaging a sack a game. The Tech front four is responsible for nine of the Jackets 16 sacks on the year.
Wake’s d-line has done little in the way of pressure on the quarterback. End Jerome Nichols is the only lineman with a sack for the Deacons, and he has two interceptions.
However, in the 3-3-5 defense, the defensive line is supposed to occupy the offensive line to free up the linebackers and safeties to make plays.
Advantage: Tech
Special Teams:
Dan Burnett has been good enough so far this year. The senior is 10 for 13 on field goals and 9-10 on PATs. Hal Higgins is punting an average of 38.8 yards per kick.
Jonathan Smith has yet to break one on a return, his longest being 21 yards. True freshman Kenny Scott is making his presence felt on kickoff returns. He is averaging 23.6 yards-per-return with a long of 90 yards.
Ryan Plackemeier has been great all year, handling kicking and punting duties for the Deacons. The sophomore is 5 for 6 on field goals and 15 for 15 on PATs. He is punting for an average of 46.7 yards per kick. Redshirt freshman Willie Idlette is a dangerous return man. He is averaging twelve yards per return on punts, including a 50 yard touchdown.
Advantage: Wake
Coaching:
Chan Gailey has redeemed himself with the team’s great performance against N.C. State on Homecoming day. However, the inconsistency in the level of the Jackets’ play is troubling. Let’s see which team shows up this week. Hopefully Gailey learned from the three-point loss last year in Atlanta and will have the troops prepared and up for this game.
Jim Grobe is now in his third year at Wake Forest and has a 16-13 mark as head of the Demon Deacons. A winning record at Wake speaks volumes about his coaching ability. The run-oriented/ball control offense matched with his 3-3-5 defensive scheme keep opposing coaches always fearing the upset.
Advantage: Wake
Spread: Tech by 3
