VIRGINIA TECH REPORT: More on the Yellow Jackets

All this talk about Georgia Tech’s offense, and the real problem for Virginia Tech tomorrow afternoon could be the Yellow Jackets’ swarming D.

Something tells me the Hokies will be alright against GT’s option-based spread. Looking at its numbers last week at BC, the OBS didn’t really blow the Eagles away. The Jackets gained 235 yards and lost two fumbles, not dazzling numbers, but B-back Jonathan Dwyer put all that out of mind with his 43-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter.

Really, Georgia Tech owes last week’s win to its defense, which is playing at a very high level right now.

It already has seven quarterback sacks, six more than the Hokies, and four interceptions, one fewer than it had all of last season. Jackets defensive tackle Vance Walker put BC in a bind last week with his fourth-quarter sack of quarterback Chris Crane in the end zone for a safety. That cut the Eagles lead to 16-12, and the Jackets were able to eventually take the lead for good.

Virginia Tech, ranked 100th nationally in total yards, isn’t likely to open things up offensively. The Hokies will almost definitely try to run the ball ad nauseam, and failing that, go with short, safe passes to their backs and receivers. Putting the game in the hands of GT’s defense could prove disastrous.

Some other thoughts …

***Don’t be surprised to see another blocked field goal or extra point from the Hokies on Saturday. Georgia Tech’s placekicker, Scott Blair, has struggled so far this season, making only one of his five FG attempts. To his credit, his four misses came from 38, 52, 48 and 47 yards.

But a kicker without confidence is exactly what the Hokies are hoping for. Tech has already blocked two kicks, both by defensive tackle John Graves. He blocked an extra point in the season opener against East Carolina and a field goal last week against Furman. He’s the first Tech player with blocks in back-to-back games since John Engelberger did it back in 1997.

“We have got to get our operation better on field goals,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “Scott (Blair) has to kick the ball better, but it’s not all him. We need better snaps, better holds and some of those things to give him a chance.”

Blair is attempting to replace both of the Yellow Jackets’ all-ACC kickers (PK Travis Bell and Ray Guy Award winning punter Durant Brooks) this season. He is averaging 44.2 yards as GT’s punter.

***The fourth quarter will be very important for the Hokies. They gave up 14 fourth-quarter points to ECU in the season-opener and a touchdown in the fourth quarter last week.

Georgia Tech gets better, it appears, as the game goes on. It wore down BC and made its move late in the game.

Quick hitters …

GT limited BC to 60 yards of offense in the second half.

The winner of the VT-GT game has played in the ACC championship game in each of the past three years.

VT is 16-1 in conference openers under Frank Beamer (12-1 in the Big East and 4-0 in the ACC). Only loss was to eventual ACC foe BC, 20-14, in 1995.

GT posted six sacks last season against the Hokies.

VT has 11 interceptions in four ACC meetings with GT. The Yellow Jackets have yet to have a pass picked off this season, however.

B-back Jonathan Dwyer has three career 100-yard games, two of which have come in the Yellow Jackets’ first two games this season.

Dwyer is also averaging 32.3 yards on three kickoff returns this season.

CB Stephan Virgil is tied for third at Virginia Tech in scoring. He returned a fumble for a touchdown against ECU, and later in that game returned a blocked extra point the length of the field for two points.

GT tackle Andrew Gardner has started 41 consecutive games. Only three other college players nationally have started as many.

Frank Beamer’s ACC winning percentage is 82.4. He is 28-6 in ACC games since joining the league in 2004. That total includes two ACC championship game appearances.

Beamer is tied with Ohio State’s Jim Tressel for third place among active coaches in wins (210). Tressel’s team faces a big challenge in top-ranked Southern Cal Saturday night.

Virginia Tech currently has the longest active scoring streak in the ACC at 164.

VT has won three out of the last four meetings with the Yellow Jackets.

Hokies still haven’t scored a first quarter point this season. Opponents haven’t scored in the opening quarter either.

Georgia Tech is the most-penalized team in the ACC, in terms of lost yardage. GT has been whistled 11 times for 146 yards. In comparison, Virginia Tech has been whistled 10 times, but it has lost only 60 yards.

Paul Johnson is first GT coach to win his first ACC game.

Jackets have punted just five times this season.

GT defense has allowed only one play of more than 20 yards this season.

GT has suffered turnovers on special teams in each of its first two games.