ESPN- Jackets Look to Build Momentum Late

Mark Schlabach
ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech's summer break couldn't have come at a better time for its baseball team.
The No. 6 Yellow Jackets (39-9, 17-7 ACC), who trail No. 3 Virginia and No. 12 Miami by one game in the ACC Coastal Division standings, lost three of four ACC series from April 9 to May 2. They dropped two of three games at Virginia, two of three at home to No. 18 Virginia Tech and two of three at NC State. In between, Tech swept three games at home against No. 22 Clemson.

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Courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletics Georgia Tech harbors hopes of hosting an NCAA tournament regional. The Yellow Jackets close the regular season with series against Miami and BC.

"I think as long as I've been doing this, every team goes through a period where they're not clicking on all cylinders," Georgia Tech coach Danny Hall said. "I think we weren't as sharp, but I think we also ran into some good pitchers, too. I think we showed signs of playing better last weekend. The kids are out of school now, so I'm looking for my guys to get fresh mentally and physically."
A strong showing against the Hurricanes this weekend during a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta probably would go a long way toward securing the Yellow Jackets a chance to host an NCAA tournament regional next month. They hosted a regional in Atlanta last season but were eliminated after losing to Southern Miss twice.
"In the regional last year, we didn't pitch well enough and didn't play good-enough defense to win," Hall said. "That was the bottom line."
The Yellow Jackets might be better-armed to make a sustained run in the NCAA tournament this season. Georgia Tech last played in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., in 2006.
One of those arms, junior right-hander Deck McGuire, had his own share of struggles this season but is hopeful the Yellow Jackets have turned the corner as the postseason nears.
"I believe every year you're going to hit a little rough patch," McGuire said. "Last year, it came a little toward the end of the season. We're hoping we got it out of our system a little earlier this year."
The Yellow Jackets swept three games against Illinois-Chicago at home this past weekend.
As a senior at Deep Run High School in Richmond, Va., McGuire had a 10-1 record with a 1.35 ERA. He was named the state baseball player of the year and was a star quarterback. A 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher, McGuire struck out 17 batters in a game and 129 during his last season in high school.
Remarkably, McGuire wasn't one of the 1,504 players whom Major League Baseball teams selected in the 2008 amateur baseball draft.
"I think there were concerns about his velocity," Hall said. "He threw the ball about 88 mph, and teams believed he was going to college with where he was going to be drafted."
After three seasons at Georgia Tech, McGuire probably won't have to wait long to hear his name called in next month's baseball draft. After improving his velocity to about 94 mph, McGuire is projected to be a top-10 selection by ESPN.com baseball analyst Keith Law.
Heading into this weekend's ACC showdown against Miami, McGuire has a 6-3 record with a 3.05 ERA. He has 90 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings pitched.
McGuire throws four pitches well -- fastball, curve, slider and changeup. "I think the biggest thing is he's always been a guy with great command," Hall said. "I think he hit a little patch this season where he didn't throw the ball like he's capable of throwing it. I don't think his command left him totally, but he didn't have the command that I'm used to him having."

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Courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletics Deck McGuire is 6-3 with a 3.05 ERA for Georgia Tech this season.

The Yellow Jackets have a team ERA of 3.70, which is 13th-best in the country. Although McGuire is the team's ace, Tech also has received stellar results from sophomores Mark Pope (7-0, 3.73 ERA) and Jed Bradley (8-2, 3.75) and junior Brandon Cumpton (7-2, 5.34).
Bradley has 82 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings and serves as the team's regular Sunday starter. Pope has walked only seven batters in 60 1/3 innings as a midweek starter.
"They've been arguably our two best pitchers," catcher Cole Leonida said. "Obviously, in the ACC and NCAA tournaments, we're going to need four or five starters. The fact we have four or five starting pitchers can only help us."
The Yellow Jackets are capable of scoring plenty of runs, too. They rank No. 2 nationally in home runs (98) and slugging percentage (.587) and are fourth in runs scored (461).
Five Tech players have hit 10 or more homers this season. First baseman Tony Plagman, a former walk-on, is hitting .375 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs. Third baseman Matt Skole is hitting .354 with 15 homers and 52 RBIs, and designated hitter Thomas Nichols is hitting .384 with nine homers and 36 RBIs.
With a deep pitching staff and improved defense, the Yellow Jackets seem more than capable of getting back to Omaha.
"I'd love to see them go," Hall said. "Our seniors have played a lot, and they've certainly worked very hard to earn the right to get there. We've got some great juniors who have been great college players. You hope they get a chance to go."
Perhaps no Yellow Jackets player wants to get to Omaha more than Leonida, the only catcher on the roster. His father, Dennis, was an infielder on the 1974 Northern Colorado team that played in the College World Series.
"He told me it was the best two weeks of his life," Leonida said.
Leonida hopes it's time for the Yellow Jackets to make some memories of their own.
"It's been our goal since we stepped back on campus this fall," Leonida said. "Four years is too long for a school like Georgia Tech not to get to the World Series."

AJC- The Season Everything Went Wrong for Georgia Baseball

ATHENS -- The low point of this Georgia baseball season? "There are so many," shortstop Kyle Farmer said. So take your pick.

Maybe the afternoon the Bulldogs blew an eight-run, eighth-inning lead at Mississippi State. Maybe the night they lost 25-6 to Georgia Tech. Or maybe the evening a black cat ominously wandered into left field in the late innings of a loss to Furman.

Finally, mercifully, Georgia's longest and losingest baseball season ends Saturday afternoon.
Just two years removed from playing in the finals of the College World Series and just 14 months removed from being ranked No. 1 in the nation, the Bulldogs will wrap up an unimaginably bad season against Kentucky at Foley Field.
These Bulldogs (15-36, 4-22 SEC before Friday night) have lost more games than any other team in Georgia baseball history and won fewer than any team since 1974. The staff ERA of 8.57 is the worst in the SEC, among the worst in the nation and almost two runs per game higher than Georgia's previous worst. The team also is at the bottom of the SEC in most offensive categories and is 0-8 in league games decided by one run.
Around Athens, folks want to know: What the heck happened?
"We hear stuff like that," second baseman Levi Hyams said, "but a lot of times it ain't [phrased] that nice."
You name it, it has gone wrong. Injuries decimated the infield early. The pitching staff, expected to be the pillar of the team, buckled under pressure. And once things started going badly, they snowballed on the SEC's youngest team (all freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup except for pitchers).
"Unfortunately, it was just a perfect storm," coach David Perno said. "I know obviously I made some bad calls and couldn't pull the right strings with this club. So it starts at the top. And unfortunately I've got a lot of time to figure it out, with us not going to the postseason."
This perhaps was destined to be a rebuilding season after Georgia had a nation-leading 11 players chosen in last year's Major League Baseball draft, only three of whom returned to school. But no one foresaw the magnitude of the decline.
"It's especially tough when you think that in my sophomore year we were playing in the national championship series, and last year we were No. 1 in the country for a good time," senior relief pitcher Justin Earls said.
Said starting pitcher Justin Grimm: "It's been really difficult. It's been tense here and there in the dugout and the locker room."
Hyams: "In the toughest times, you find out what kind of character you have. I feel like our team hasn't quit. We've played our butts off the whole season."
Far worse than on-field losses, the team faced off-field tragedy.
Last fall, freshman infielder Chance Veazey -- projected to be the Bulldogs' starting second baseman -- was paralyzed from the waist down in a traffic accident. The team approached the season with a heavy heart.
"I know it changed me, and I never really got a grip," Perno said.
The team witnessed more devastation in early May when it was in Nashville for a series against Vanderbilt during massive flooding there.
After Saturday's game, Perno plans to begin plotting next season. He acknowledges he has personnel decisions to make but does not elaborate. "That's what next week is for," he said.
He is pleased that his team has continued to play hard and gratified that fans have continued to show up. "I wouldn't come and watch us, I'm sorry," Perno said. "But I really appreciate the support."
Georgia reached five NCAA tournaments and three College World Series in Perno's previous eight years as coach -- more on both counts than under any other coach in school history. He vows to get the program back on track.
"We may look back on this season and say it was a learning process for us," Perno said. "We've got a great program. The symbols on the walls don't lie. We know what it takes. We know the personnel we need, and we know the character-type guys we need. And they're here. We just got to get everybody back on the same page and moving in the same direction."

Baseball America GT Update

#13. GEORGIA TECH
Last Week: 2-1. Overall: 41-10, 19-8 in ACC. (7-5 vs. Top 25). Weekend Series: 10-3.
Georgia Tech won a series against Miami to move into a tie with the Hurricanes for second place in the ACC, two games behind Virginia. The Yellow Jackets pounded out 15 hits Friday in support of Jr. RHP Deck McGuire (7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K), who improved to 7-3, 2.91. So. RHP Mark Pope (5 IP, 11 H, 5 ER) moved into the weekend rotation and took his first loss of the season Saturday. Georgia Tech trailed 3-0 after five innings Sunday before storming back with six unanswered, helping So. LHP Jed Bradley (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) improve to 9-2. First-team preseason All-America closer Kevin Jacob, who had been sidelined since March 13 with shoulder tendinitis, returned to action Friday, striking out the side in a perfect inning of relief. He threw another scoreless inning Sunday, allowing a hit and a walk and earning a strikeout.
RESULTS
May 14-16: (13) Miami: W 14-3, L 9-2, W 6-3
UPCOMING
May 18: Georgia State
May 20-22: @ Boston College

Rivals Square off on the Diamond March 16

#4 Georgia Tech host the Bulldogs this Tuesday March 16. Here is a look at both teams rosters.


GT
1 Connor Winn IF R-R 5-9 180 So. 6-25-90 Suwanee, Ga. (Wesleyan)



2 Jarrett Didrick OF R-R 6-0 192 So. 8-22-89 Rome, Ga. (Calhoun)


3 Cole Leonida C R-R 6-3 210 Jr. 12-25-88 Aurora, Colo. (Grandview)


4 Jeff Rowland OF L-L 5-10 185 Jr. 4-01-88 Augusta, Ga. (Greenbrier)


5 Jeff Ussery INF S-R 6-3 192 Jr.-R. 2-09-87 Hilton Head, S.C. (Heritage Academy)


6 Brandon Thomas OF S-R 6-3 185 Fr. 2-7-91 Atlanta, Ga. (Pace Academy)


7 Ben McKinney P/OF R-R 6-1 170 Fr. 11-02-90 Johnson City, Tenn. (Science Hill)


9 Jacob Esch SS/P R-R 6-3 186 So. 3-27-90 Chanhassen, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall)


10 Thomas Nichols IF/P L-R 6-1 190 Jr. 2-09-89 Leesburg, Ga. (Lee Co.)


11 Evan Martin IF/OF R-R 5-8 160 So. 6-25-90 Woodstock, Ga. (Sequoyah)


13 Jason Garofalo 2B R-R 5-8 160 Sr. 6-24-88 Alpharetta, Ga. (Marist School)


14 Patrick Long INF L-R 6-0 185 Sr. 2-09-88 Mechanicsville, Va. (Hanover)


15 Clay Dalton RHP/1B R-R 6-3 185 Fr. 12-27-90 Kennesaw, Ga. (North Cobb)


16 Matt Skole IF L-R 6-4 246 Fr. 7-30-89 Woodstock, Ga. (Blessed Trinity)


19 Mark Pope P R-R 6-2 204 Fr. 8-29-89 Marietta, Ga. (Walton)


20 Chase Burnette OF L-L 6-2 200 Jr. 5-20-88 Buford, Ga. (Buford)


21 Tony Plagman 1B L-L 6-2 220 Sr. 8-14-87 Alpharetta, Ga. (Wesleyan)


22 Jay Dantzler OF R-R 6-0 190 Sr.-R 2-12-87 Alpharetta, Ga. (Chattahoochee)


23 Matt Simonds OF/IF R-R 6-2 204 So.-R 8-10-88 Atlanta, Ga. (Pace Academy)


24 Jake Davies P/1B L-L 6-0 227 So. 9-15-89 McDonough, Ga. (Eagles Landing Christian)


25 Deck McGuire P R-R 6-6 223 Jr. 6-23-89 Glen Allen, Va. (Deep Run)


27 Andrew Robinson P R-R 6-1 182 Sr. 2-13-88 Senoia, Ga. (Starr's Mill)


28 Brandon Cumpton P R-R 6-2 190 So. 11-16-88 Evans, Ga. (Greenbrier)


29 Sean Poole IF R-R 6-1 160 Fr. 10-23-90 Tallahassee, Fla. (Lawton Chiles)


30 Buck Farmer P L-R 6-4 220 Fr. 2-20-91 Conyers, Ga. (Rockdale Co.)


31 Sam Dove IF R-R 6-1 150 Fr. 11-27-90 Nolensville, Tenn. (Brentwood Academy)


32 Derek Dietrich SS L-R 6-1 195 Jr. 7-18-89 Parma, Ohio (St. Ignatius)


34 Roddy Jones OF R-R 5-9 195 So.-R 6-13-89 Stone Mountain, GA


35 Zach Brewster P L-L 6-1 192 Jr. 10-26-88 Murryville, Ga. (North Hall)


36 Kevin Jacob P R-R 6-6 235 Jr. 3-26-89 Parkville, Md. (Parkville)


37 Jed Bradley P L-L 6-3 203 So. 6-12-90 Huntsville, Ala. (Huntsville)


38 Luke Bard P R-R 6-2 182 Fr. 11-13-90 Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)


39 Taylor Wood P R-L 6-7 217 Jr. 4-10-89 Suwanee, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian)


42 Sean Devine P R-R 6-1 182 Sr.-R 9-22-86 Kennesaw, GA (North Cobb)


38 Patrick Boling LHP Fr. 6-3 198 Cartersville, GA



8 Malcolm Clapsaddle RHP Fr. 6-2 171 Geneva, FL


12 Zach Cone OF So. 6-2 204 Stone Mountain, GA


23 Ben Cornwell RHP Jr. 6-3 218 Atlanta, GA


38 Earl Daniels RHP So. 6-1 190 Valdosta, GA


34 Chase Davidson OF/1B So. 6-5 230 Alpharetta, GA


22 Brett DeLoach C Fr. 5-11 192 Blackshear, GA


27 Blake Dieterich LHP Fr. 6-2 209 Winter Garden, FL


18 Justin Earls LHP Sr. 6-3 182 Lawrenceville, GA


20 Steve Esmonde RHP Sr. 6-2 190 Lilburn, GA


17 Kyle Farmer INF Fr. 6-0 187 Atlanta, GA


26 Christian Glisson C So. 6-2 196 Hahira, GA


42 Gray Griffith RHP So. 6-3 202 Alpharetta, GA


40 Justin Grimm RHP Jr. 6-4 193 Bristol, VA


46 Craig Gullickson LHP Jr. 5-11 215 Palm Beach Gardens, FL


5 Todd Hankins INF Fr. 5-11 175 Oviedo, FL


13 Chase Hawkins LHP So. 6-1 182 Snellville, GA


45 John Herman RHP Jr. 6-5 228 Atlanta, GA


3 Levi Hyams INF So. 6-2 184 Stafford, VA


30 Zach Laughlin RHP So. 5-11 176 Columbus, GA


31 Tyler Maloof So. RHP 6-1 176 Winder, GA


1 Lance Martin OF So. 5-7 171 Alpharetta, GA


25 Colby May INF So. 6-0 197 Guyton, GA


41 Clayton McKenney RHP Fr. 6-2 206 Atlanta, GA


32 Alex McRee LHP Sr. 6-6 236 Gainesville, GA


7 Cooper Moseley RHP/IF Fr. 5-11 170 Montgomery, AL


19 Robbie O'Bryan 1B Jr. 6-2 250 Marietta, GA


44 Michael Palazzone RHP So. 6-2 183 Marietta, GA


-- Justin Roberts OF Jr. 5-10 180 Bogart, GA


36 Kevin Ruiz RHP/OF So. 6-2 187 Alpharetta, GA


24 Carson Schilling C So. 6-1 204 Macon, GA


43 Robert Shipman OF Fr. 6-2 230 Quitman, GA


35 Eric Swegman RHP Jr. 6-6 208 Cumming, GA


28 Cecil Tanner RHP So. 6-6 223 Waycross, GA


2 Jonathan Taylor OF So. 5-8 180 Acworth, GA


10 Zach Taylor OF Fr. 6-3 220 Statesboro, GA


37 Evan Tieles RHP So. 6-0 239 Roswell, GA


15 Chance Veazey INF Fr. 5-9 175 Tifton, GA


16 Peter Verdin OF So. 6-0 198 Alexandria, VA


43 Jeff Walters RHP Sr. 6-3 192 Windermere, FL


33 Alex Wood LHP Fr. 6-4 216 Charlotte, NC

Dogs Hold Off Gators

Bill Sanders for the AJC
Tired, schmired. Good teams win when tired. And while Georgia might not yet be considered a good team, it took a step in that direction Saturday.


.On the heels of an exhausting battle less than 48 hours earlier in Nashville, Georgia withstood a furious Florida rally Saturday, winning 78-76 and showing that it was more tired of losing than anything else.



“It was important for us to pick ourselves off the mat and come beat Florida,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said. “Getting close is not what we came here to do, and I think our guys are starting to expect to win, and they’re beginning to believe that they are a pretty solid little team.”



Georgia improved to 13-14 and 5-9 in the SEC and play Kentucky on Wednesday night in Athens. Florida fell to 20-9 and 9-5 in the SEC.



After a 96-94 loss at Vanderbilt on Thursday night, Fox told his bench -- a group that he has maligned at times -- to be ready to play Saturday, and be ready to play well.



Ebuka Anyaorah, Vincent Williams and Demario Mayfield, not household names even in Bulldogs homes -- all contributed minutes, points and defensive stands.



In the end, Fox chose those three to address the media, rather than the starters.



“Our bench has been criticized, by me for one, but I really thought they helped us tonight,” he said. “Mayfield has waited for his turn all year, and he got it. Ebuka gave us some big minutes, too. I told them we were going to play a lot of people today.”



The box score won’t do the bench justice, unless you go to the very last stat -- minutes played. Anyaorah: 14; Williams: 15; Mayfield: 4.



Jeremy Price, who has been Georgia’s biggest bench player for most of the season, was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, scoring 13 points in 22 minutes.



“We knew with the Thursday-Saturday schedule, our starters were worn out,” Anyaorah said. “We tried to make an impact, and I think the whole bench brought a lot of energy. I’m here to help however Coach needs me. If I’m needed to sit on the bench, that’s fine.”



Florida unraveled a bit early, as Georgia went on a 14-0 run midway through the first half. Florida coach Billy Donovan was hit with a technical foul for arguing, and 13 minutes into the game, the Gators had only one basket from inside the 3-point line.



Georgia then ended the half on a 10-0 run to take a 15-point lead to the locker room.



Georgia maintained the double-digit lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half. But then, as has happened many times before, the lead dwindled, this time until it was almost gone.



“We were fortunate the clock ran out,” Fox said. “We didn’t guard well in the second half. We looked sluggish and heavy-legged.”



Leading 78-76 with 1:16 to play, Trey Thompkins missed a 15-footer, giving Florida the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.



The Gators did neither, as Erving Walker’s running jumper bounced out and into Thompkins’ hands. But Georgia, milking the clock, failed to get off a shot before the shot clock expired.



Florida called timeout and had 13.3 seconds to try to tie or take the lead. They were unable to get off a shot either, as Thompkins batted away a pass from Dan Werner with less than one second to play.



Thompkins led Georgia with 20 points. Chandler Parsons had 29 for Florida.

Hewitt doing little with talent

Tech drops out of the Top 25…and more you didn’t already know


 by Carroll Rogers AJC.com
Well, you knew it was coming. After Saturday’s loss at Wake Forest, Tech’s third in four games, the Yellow Jackets dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 today.
They’ve been hovering around No. 20 since early January. Now it’s Wake Forest’s turn, which entered the poll at No. 23, having won five in a row since that 21-point loss at Tech.
Since that game, when Tech seemed to have everything going, the Yellow Jackets have lost three out of four. As a result, Tech (17-8, 5-6) is in the “also receiving votes” category of the AP poll, actually also receiving vote – singular. Now Tech is in dire need of a win against North Carolina Tuesday night to stop the bleeding.
Lineup watch
So what to expect Tuesday after the Yellow Jackets went all topsy-turvy and got 40 points from their bench against Wake Forest and only 24 points from their starters? A change in the lineup perhaps.
(Tech got 12 points each from Moe Miller and Brian Oliver off the bench Saturday and 14 points from Glen Rice Jr.)
“We’re going to look maybe at a change, but we’ll see,” Tech coach Paul Hewitt said Monday before practice. “I’ve got a couple different possibilities in mind. I want to go through practice today and see how everybody looks.”
Hewitt was thinking about a change heading into Saturday’s game, replacing Mfon Udofia in the starting lineup, but changed his mind after Mfon had a strong practice.
Udofia needed another one today, if he wants to start against UNC.
“We’ll look at Glen,” Hewitt said. “We’ll look at Brian. Maybe even Moe. We’ll look at it. Could be Mfon.”
Shumpert slump
Iman Shumpert scored a career-high 30 points against North Carolina in Tech’s win at the Dean Dome on Jan. 16. But now, coming into the rematch, he’s just been shut out at Wake Forest.
Shumpert went 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range. He did not go to the foul line. He had one assist and three turnovers and played 21 minutes, six fewer than Moe Miller, the backup, backup point guard who ended up running the team for long stretches.
Hewitt said today that Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith was the difference down the stretch. It looked that way, both by Smith’s example, and the lack of point guard play from Tech over the last few minutes.
I just filed a story about Shumpert’s recent struggles (be on the lookout), but I’ll summarize – both he and Hewitt said today, more troubling than the lack of offensive production lately is how inactive he’s been on defense.
“He had two deflections in 21 minutes (vs. Wake); that’s not him,” Hewitt said. “I talked to him yesterday. He said he’s feeling fine. He feels like he’s just not in it defensively. He said he finds himself standing around and watching, which is something he never does. But he’ll work out of it. It’s just a little bit of a rut.”
Tired late vs. Wake
I asked Hewitt about how easily Wake looked to be breaking down Tech on the drive late in the game Saturday, and he said he thought that might have been a reflection of fatigue and maybe that was on him.
“I’ve been second-guessing myself about how much we may have practiced last week because we looked a little tired in the last four minutes,” Hewitt said. “I was going back and forth whether we should have practiced last Thursday. I decided after how we ended the game against Miami there were some things we had to go over, so I decided to have practice.”
Carolina injuries
North Carolina is down its third big man, and probably its best. Ed Davis broke his wrist falling to the floor last Wednesday against Duke. UNC announced Friday he’ll be out for six weeks. He joins Tyler Zeller, who’s been out since right before Tech played at North Carolina on Jan. 16, and Travis Wear, who has a sprained ankle, on the shelf.
Roy Williams said today on the ACC coaches teleconference that Zeller was supposed to practice today, but it’s the first time he will have done more in practice than a play or two here and there.
“I really do not see him playing tomorrow,” Williams said.
Wear still isn’t practicing at all, so don’t expect him.
Davis was Carolina’s second-leading scorer behind Deon Thompson with 13.4 points per game and their leading rebounder with 9.6 rebounds. The Tar Heels had talented freshman John Henson in his spot Saturday against N.C. State and he did well: nine points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the win.
The guy Georgia Tech has to watch out for is Will Graves, who burned the Yellow Jackets for 24 points, including 5-for-8 3-pointers on Jan. 16 in Chapel Hill.

Midseason recap and preview

Courtesy of the Sports Xchange
SEASON RECAP

Georgia is a game below .500 for the season (10-11) and only 2-6 in SEC play after beating Vanderbilt, but the Bulldogs have been out of only one game in the conference, a 16-point loss at Florida. Their other five losses were by a total of only 20 points, or an average of 4.0 a game.
PLAYER ROTATION
Usual starters -- F Trey Thompkins, F Travis Leslie, C Albert Jackson, G Ricky McPhee, G Dustin Ware. Key subs -- F Chris Barnes, F Jeremy Price, F Drazen Zlovaric, G Vincent Williams, G DeMario Mayfield.
GAME REVIEW

South Carolina 78, Georgia 77

Arkansas 72, Georgia 68

Georgia 72, Vanderbilt 58

GAME PREVIEW
at Auburn, Wednesday, Feb. 10

vs. South Carolina, Saturday, Feb. 13

at Tennessee, Wednesday, Feb. 17

vs. Alabama, Saturday, Feb. 20

at Vanderbilt, Thursday, Feb. 25
IN FOCUS
Perimeter defense will be the key for the Bulldogs at Auburn. They figure to have the advantage inside with Thompkins and Jackson and can match Auburn's athleticism on the perimeter.
ROSTER REPORT
--G Dustin Ware started and played 26 minutes against Vandy despite having flu-like symptoms earlier in the week. He scored 10 points and was 3-of-4 from the field. Freshman Vincent Williams had seven points and four assists in relief of Ware.
--Senior G Ricky McPhee had a career-high five assists against Vanderbilt after being blanked in the category in the previous game.
--F Trey Thompkins was 7-of-12 from the field against Vanderbilt, the third time in the last five games he has made more than half his field goal attempts in a game. He is 41-of-74 (55.4 percent) from the field over that span

Finishing touches to GT class

CBSsports.com
New defensive coordinator Al Groh helped Paul Johnson finish out another balanced, impressive recruiting class with some late pledges, including four-star cornerback Louis Young from Maryland, who had been committed to Stanford.

The class features plenty of solid defensive talent and is heavy with defensive backs, an area of specific concern for Georgia Tech last season.
The class isn't getting much national attention, in part due to its size—the Jackets have just 18 commitments, due to a lack of available scholarships.
But on paper, the class compares favorably to the best the Jackets pulled in during any signing period in the last decade, including the 2007 class that yielded Jon Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt, among others. It is composed almost entirely of in-state players.
There are no quarterbacks in this class, but there are a couple of athletes—Barry Bostic and Synjyn Days among them—who were talented option quarterbacks in high school. Bostic, for one, is projected as a defensive back, although he's happily offered in the past to do some work on offense if Paul Johnson needs it.
Offensive lineman Morgan Bailey is another highlight, bringing size and athleticism in the kind of package Paul Johnson prefers along his line.
Defensive lineman Denzel McCoy is one to watch as well. He stuck by the Jackets when others, including former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin particularly, came in hard for him last fall.
McCoy has already organized much of the Georgia-based portion of this class into a network of phone calls and texts, and some have even gotten together fairly regularly.
It won't get a lot of love from recruiting services, but this is a solid class for the Jackets that fills a lot of holes, and, if those same services are to be believed, projects a lot of future starters, particularly on defense.

Giff out at Tech and on to the NFL

by Zachary Osterman  cbssports.com
There were no pictures of Giff Smith in the image bank, which is probably the way it should be for a defensive line coach, even at an ACC school.

But the problems for Georgia Tech are twofold:
1.He was also Tech's recruiting coordinator.
2.He's not Tech's recruiting coordinator anymore. Chan Gailey just hired him away .
Remember that puff piece I just wrote on Al Groh coming in and making an immediate impact on Georgia Tech's recruiting efforts? Forget it.
All that talk about solidifying a solid class in 2010? Unimportant now.
Giff Smith was with the Jackets for six years, and he earned for himself a solid reputation as a recruiter. He was raised in Mableton and played at Pebblebrook High School. He's worked for Tech, Georgia Southern, and UGA, a man of his home state through and through.
In charge of recruiting since 2006, Smith was responsible for classes that brought players like Dwyer, Josh Nesbitt, Demaryius Thomas, and Derrick Morgan to the Flats. His crowning jewel was the heralded 2007 class, but he's quietly kept solid recruiting momentum over Paul Johnson's first two years, and as the AJC's Mark Bradley points out, Georgia Tech was setting up for a really pretty haul in 2011.
Now that's up in smoke and Gailey has again found a way to haunt the Yellow Jacket faithful.
Like it or not, recruits commit to people much moreso now than they commit to schools. Personal relationships and a necessary comfort level rule the recruiting scene in a time when a player's every action is magnified to unprecedented levels.
Losing Smith, no matter the reason, burns those bridges. Perhaps not beyond the point of repair, but now it's on Johnson and his staff to simultaneously strengthen those relationships and find someone who can successfully carry on what Smith built in Atlanta.
The departures of Dwyer, Morgan, Thomas, and Morgan Burnett were blows, but expected.
And replacing Dave Wommack with Al Groh is an obvious upgrade from any angle.
But recruiting is so important in college football, and now Johnson is faced with yet another challenge to meet. How he answers this one could decide the course of his program for the next four or five years—or beyond.

State of Georgia Alumni in the Super Bowl - AJC

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The football pipeline otherwise known as the state of Georgia extends to the Super Bowl.
Five New Orleans Saints and four Indianapolis Colts played high school or college football -- or both -- in Georgia. And for the most part, they're impact players.
The Saints' Jon Stinchcomb (Parkview High, UGA) started every game at right tackle and made the Pro Bowl as a reserve. Defensive end Charles Grant (Miller County High, UGA) started every regular-season game, posting 5.5 sacks, before a triceps injury ended his season. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (Georgia Tech) had five sacks and a forced fumble while playing in every game.
Safety Chris Reis (Roswell High, Georgia Tech) and cornerback Leigh Torrence (Marist High) made 17 and 10 tackles respectively, mainly on special teams. Torrence went on injured reserve in November with a shoulder injury.
For the Colts, center Jeff Saturday (Shamrock High, now a DeKalb County middle school) started every game and made the Pro Bowl as a backup. Defensive end Robert Mathis (McNair High) was voted a Pro Bowl starter after getting 9.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
Linebacker Philip Wheeler (Shaw High, Georgia Tech) made 61 tackles in the regular season, plus three in the AFC Championship Game. Corner Tim Jennings (UGA) made 57 tackles and two interceptions.
With the Pro Bowl coming up Sunday, a week before the Super Bowl, Mathis, Saturday and Stinchcomb will be honored but won't play.
Georgia's strong representation at Super Bowl XLIV comes as no surprise. A 2008 study by USA Today found that Georgia high schools sent the fourth-most players to the NFL, behind only California, Texas and Florida

Dawgs Take Care of Business; Jackets Don't

My Friday post talked about how important this weekend was going to be for both teams. One team took care of their business in an impressive manor. The other team underachieved again. The bulldogs played the spoiler role again in a 15 point win over #8 team in the country Tennessee Vols. Georgia Tech lost late to a Florida State team that had already beat them in Atlanta in December. This looks to be what both these teams are going to be this season. They both play up to and beyond the level of their good opponents, and they play down to the level of the less talented teams they play.  UGA is glad to be showing signs of improvement under coach Mark Fox. Georgia Tech continues to underachieve under the leadership of Paul Hewitt.

Favors Ready to Prove Himself

By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It has been more than a month and a handful of ACC games since Georgia Tech last played Florida State. In the development of freshman Derrick Favors, it has seemed a lot longer than that.
On Dec. 20, Favors was muscled around by the Seminoles, who welcomed him to conference play by halting his streak of nine consecutive double-digit scoring games to start his Tech career. Favors looked lost against Duke, when he had more traveling calls (three) than field goals (two). He disappeared altogether against North Carolina, playing only 19 minutes because of foul trouble.
But after using 12 points against Virginia to show glimpses of progress, Favors heads to Tallahassee on Sunday to take on the front line of Florida State with the confidence of his team-high 17 points against Clemson.
Ask Favors what's changed and he says adjusting to the physical play in the ACC.
"It was just hard work paying off," he said. "Go hard, practice hard, lift weights, get your body ready for all the punishment that goes along in the paint."
He has followed junior Gani Lawal's lead, lifting weights after every game. He'll do push-ups in his room.
"In high school, he had some guy leaning on him who was about 6-3, 185," Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. "Now he's got a guy like [FSU's Solomon] Alabi who's 7-1, 250. It's a big difference."
Hewitt said Favors' added strength translates into a better position down low, which made him a better target against Clemson.
"He understood what he had to do to hold position," Hewitt said. "When we threw the ball into him, he made sure he grabbed it and made a strong, decisive move. I thought there were times early in the year when we'd throw him the ball, and he didn't really go to it strong or didn't present a big-enough target. So our guys were a little afraid to throw it in."
Now guards Iman Shumpert and Mfon Udofia don't mind going in, or up. Favors has put together a highlight package of dunks, including a reverse alley-oop finish against Clemson.
The question circling now is whether Favors still is prepared to make a quick exit to the NBA, as most expect. In a mock draft at NBAdraft.net, Favors has fallen from No. 2 to No. 6 in a month.
Len Elmore, a former standout post player at Maryland and the NBA, has watched Favors in Tech's past two wins, over Clemson and North Carolina, as an analyst for ESPN.
He thinks another season or two of college play would benefit Favors, though admittedly, he believes that's true for all players coming out of high school.
"[Favors] is obviously a big, strong, athletic young man that has a great deal of potential," Elmore said. "The upside is almost unlimited in what he may be capable of doing. The question is understanding and learning the game."
Elmore thinks Favors could use more time to work on his footwork, his man-to-man defense, his face-up jump shot, and overcoming foul trouble.
"I think the most important thing is he appears to be a solid individual," Elmore said. "He's not so totally in love with himself and his skills that he can't work to get better."
For his part, Favors is focusing on the season.
"One of the things I tell him is don't worry about that," said South Atlanta coach Michael Reddick, who talks to Favors at least once a week. "Play as hard as you can, learn as much as you can, and when the season is over, you can evaluate that and make a decision whether you play another year or two or declare. Right now I want him focusing on Florida State."

Dawgs Take Down the Vols at Home

The Dawgs take care of business! An impressive performance by the Bulldogs at home against the #8 Tennessee Volunteers in a fifteen point win that was never really close in the second half. Thompkins and Leslie combined for 40 of Georgia's 78 points. This was a win they needed in athens to get any respect in the SEC. They had suffered close loses in conference, but when your opponent sees that you are winless in conference its hard to muster respect.

A win against Florida this week will give Georgia a fighters chance to make their way back up in the conference ranks.

Crucial Week of Basketball

This upcoming week is crucial for both schools' basketball squads. Georgia is sitting at 0-3 in the SEC with a big game on Sunday against the #8 in the nation Tennessee Volunteers followed by a Wednesday matchup against the Florida Gators. The Dawgs have been good in the upset role this season with big wins over Illinois and Georgia Tech. Even with all the trouble they have run into this season this Volunteer team is very talented and will give them everything they can handle. This Bulldog team isn't going to make any postseason noise this year, but they have the talent to give top tier teams a run for their money.

Georgia Tech is coming off two recent wins over North Carolina and Clemson and they need to keep rolling and avoid their usual rollercoaster ride of a season. North Carolina has been exposed as not being as good as advertised; despite some big non-conference wins over Michigan State and Ohio State. Tech needs to prove they are as good as their record by beating a Florida State team that already beat the Jackets in Atlanta earlier this year.

Georgia needs to get an SEC win. Georgia Tech needs to avoid a letdown.

680 The Fan interview with Todd Grantham

New defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, Todd Grantham, was on 680 The Fan this morning doing an interview with the crew from the Rude Awakening. I was very impressed with what the new coordinator had to say. It sounds like UGA's defense is in very good hands. Visit 680 The Fan to hear the audio.
Todd Grantham interview
This is what former UGA quarterback and current 680 radio host,Buck Belue, had to say about the interview.
So I listened to Georgia's new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on 680 The Fan on Thursday morning and left very impressed. His reputation on the field is "fiery." Off the field, in an interview setting he was very personable. Didn't hear him talking down to the guys, as he explained his 3-4 scheme and how it would fit at Georgia. Impressive. This guy looks to be a great fit.
Grantham is busy recruiting and analyzing his new personnel. He plans to meet with his new players starting tomorrow (Friday). In perperation for those meetings, he has put together tapes on each player, involving about 30 plays from last season. After the meetings, he will begin putting together a depth chart for spring football.
Richt is playing this recruiting angle correctly. Not much time is left, so Grantham is targeting guys that are hanging in the balance right now. That's smart. Let him sell Jeffrey Whitaker, Mike Thornton and Deon Rogers.
Coach Grantham's sales pitch is right on the money too. We want guys that want to come to Georgia and win. And I'll coach those guys up "just like I was coaching DeMarcus Ware or Jay Ratliff." Recruits know Grantham can help them develop and get a shot at the NFL. I like the first part...guys that want to come to Georgia and win.
The transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4 shouldn't be that radically different, once they get the personnel in place. DeAngelo Tyson wants to be the nose tackle. Abry Jones is thinking he's a better fit at DE. There will be some shifting around on the D-Line. And one of the big keys to a smooth transition is finding some playmakers at the OLB position. Not sure who those guys are right now.
It took 42 days, but it appears as though Georgia found a good fit for the job. Todd Grantham is a very impressive guy right now.

Couple UGA commits earn Bobby Dodd TD club award

Atlanta Journal Constitution
Newnan safety Alec Ogletree has been named the Bobby Dodd National High School Back of the Year, and Douglass defensive tackle Garrison Smith has been named the Bobby Dodd National High School Lineman of the Year.
Ogletree led Newnan to 25 wins against two losses in his junior and senior seasons and had 85 tackles and 40 receptions this past season. He was GHSF Daily's Class AAAAA defensive player of the year.
Smith is a four-year starter who was a bright spot for 1-9 Douglass. He was named co-defensive player of the year in Region 2-AAAAA.
Both have committed to Georgia.
The awards are selected by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta, and Ogletree and Smith will be honored at Georgia Tech on Feb. 13, when the TD Club also will announce its all-metro team.

GT drops 3rd top 25 team in 11 days

CBSSports.com wire reports ATLANTA -- Derrick Favors had a breakout performance, and Gani Lawal provided the 1-2 punch Georgia Tech has been expecting all along from its two big men.
At the end, though, it was the former starter who came through.
Zachery Peacock made two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining and the No. 19 Yellow Jackets knocked off another ranked team, beating No. 17 Clemson 66-64 on Tuesday night.
Both teams turned the ball over in the final seconds, squandering chances to put up the winning shot. Finally, Georgia Tech inbounded to Peacock with 5.1 seconds left. He drove toward the free throw line and lost control of the ball, but Trevor Booker was called for a reach-in foul. The senior calmly sank both foul shots on a night the Yellow Jackets made just 11 of 22 at the line.
"Just like another day in practice shooting free throws," Peacock said. "I feel as calm and cool as I want to be."
Surpassing its Atlantic Coast Conference win total for all of last season, Georgia Tech (14-4, 3-2 ACC) improved on its best start since 2006-07 with its first back-to-back wins over ranked teams since a run to the Final Four in 2004.
The Yellow Jackets have beaten three Top 25 teams over an 11-day span, knocking off Duke and North Carolina before edging the Tigers (15-4, 3-2).
Georgia Tech got big production from its big men. Finally looking like one of the nation's top freshmen, Favors had 17 points, 14 rebounds and several spectacular dunks. Lawal contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds despite running into foul trouble.
Peacock, who started all 30 games last season, had to accept a role off the bench after Favors signed with the Yellow Jackets and Lawal decided to return for another season rather than enter the NBA Draft. It's a spot that seems to suit the senior just fine.
"It's all about finishing games, not starting 'em," said Peacock, who had six points and five rebounds. "I've beat that into my head so much it's just second nature. It doesn't bother me at all."
Favors has struggled a bit in his first -- and what's expected to be his only -- college season. But he was a force in this one, also coming up with three blocks and a steal. The only number he'd like to have back was a 1-of-5 showing at the foul line.
"I'm starting to play a lot better," Favors said. "All the hard work is paying off."
The game was hardly a masterpiece by either team. Georgia Tech shot just 39 percent from the field, including a dismal 3 of 17 from 3-point range. Clemson was even worse -- a mere 37 percent shooting -- and only 10 of 20 at the line.
Booker put the Tigers ahead 64-62 on a pair of foul shots with 1:25 left, but D'Andre Bell knocked down a couple of free throws to tie it up again with 1:09 to go.
That's when things got really sloppy. With about a six-second difference on the shot clock and the game clock, Georgia Tech's Mfon Udofia drove toward the lane, fell down and was called for walking. Clemson had a chance to set up for a winning shot, but Demontez Stitt took off toward the basket a little early, had Iman Shumpert and at least one other defender get a piece of the ball, then watched in dismay as it skidded out of bounds off his left thigh.
"That was the play of the game," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who wasn't sure which players got a hand on it.
Clemson had its final inbounds pass knocked away around midcourt and never got off another shot. Booker led the Tigers with 19 points.
"Our guys don't have anything to hang their heads about," coach Oliver Purnell said. "They came on the road in the ACC against a hot team and we put ourselves in position to win."
Georgia Tech got off to a miserable start, missing nine of its first 11 shots and squandering four other possessions with turnovers as Clemson raced out to a 9-2 lead.
But the Yellow Jackets finally got it going just before the midway point of the opening half, beginning with Lawal's dunk that provided the home team with its first lead, 13-11. They wound up making nine shots in a row, stretching out the margin to 31-21, before the streak ended on an airball by Favors.
Georgia Tech led 35-29 at the break, continually breaking Clemson's press with a series of high-flying dunks. But this one became an ugly grind, coming down to which team could deliver the final blow.
"That was a rough game to watch because both teams really played hard defensively," Hewitt said. "It just became a game of trading punches."

ESPN thinks Georgia Schools NFL losses are a big hit

Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com rates Tech the second-biggest loser, Georgia the fifth-biggest. His reasons:

“Georgia Tech: I was tempted to make the Jackets No. 1 on this list because every player who realistically could consider declaring did. Tech says goodbye to its two best defenders in DE Derrick Morgan and safety Morgan Burnett as well as quarterback Josh Nesbitt’s top two weapons, running back Jonathan Dwyer and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
“I still think Nesbitt, RB Anthony Allen and RB Roddy Jones are big-time players, but the offense takes a huge hit, especially when you consider that Thomas accounted for about two-thirds of the team’s receiving yards this past season. Meanwhile, Morgan had half the team’s 25 sacks.
“Tech could’ve been a preseason top five or six. Now I think it might not be in the top 20 …
“Georgia: The Dawgs’ defense has been really shaky the past few seasons and is in rebuilding mode. A new defensive coordinator is coming from the Dallas Cowboys (Todd Grantham), but he’ll have to retool Georgia’s scheme without the team’s two leading tacklers, LB Rennie Curran and safety Reshad Jones. Curran, a fireplug, had 130 tackles last season, while Jones, who put on a dazzling show against rival Georgia Tech, also picked off four passes this past season.”
Stewart Mandel of SI.com sees it pretty much the same. He has Florida first among his list of four losers, with Tech second and Georgia fourth. His comments:
“Georgia Tech: The defending ACC champs had a chance to return a staggering 19 starters, but leading rusher Jonathan Dwyer, leading receiver Demaryius Thomas, second-leading tackler Morgan Burnett and ACC sacks leader Derrick Morgan all turned pro. The Jackets’ running game should be fine with Josh Nesbitt and Anthony Allen, but Thomas was their lone receiving threat, Morgan and Burnett their best defenders …
Georgia: The Bulldogs’ defense struggled in 2009, costing coordinator Willie Martinez his job. New coordinator Todd Grantham would have inherited a depleted unit regardless, but his job wasn’t made any easier by the defection of Georgia’s two best juniors, linebacker Rennie Curran and safety Reshad Jones. The defense will now return just four starters.“

D-Coordinators

Both schools made great hires this past week when they brought in their new defensive heads. Georgia Tech brought in a defensive mind that is respected all over the football world (except in Charlottesville, VA). UGA brought in a defensive line coach from the NFL who is going to emphasize their most glaring need on defense; getting to the quarterback. The progress will be immediate for both teams and these coordinators will give ACC and SEC quarterbacks a lot of trouble.

Overall you have to give the nod to Al Groh over Grantham right now. That is only because GT's coordinator has a resume that has to be respected. Grantham is younger and will have the edge in talent that could produce immediate results.

Next years Thanksgiving bash may look a little different than it has in the past few years.

Jackets avoid collapse; Beat UNC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Georgia Tech overcame everything -- a blown 20-point lead, the ear-ringing screams of North Carolina's blue-clad crowd and a second-half scoring barrage from Will Graves -- to prove it has plenty of fight to go with all that talent.


Now the defending national champions have to find the same kind of confidence.

Zachery Peacock made the go-ahead shot with 25.7 seconds left to rescue the Yellow Jackets (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP), who shook off that blown big lead and held off the Tar Heels (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP) 73-71 on Saturday.

Fast Facts
• Iman Shumpert set a career high with 30 points as the Yellow Jackets got their first win at Chapel Hill since Feb. 10, 1996.
• The win was the Yellow Jackets' 13th of the season -- one more than they totaled last season.
• For the Tar Heels, Will Graves (24 points) led the way with a career high, but the team suffered consecutive losses for the first time since Feb. 25 and March 1, 2007.

Iman Shumpert finished with a career-high 30 points to lead the Yellow Jackets (13-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who figured out a way to pull out a win after falling behind in the wild final minutes. Peacock managed just six points with one second-half field goal, but that shot in the lane rolled around the rim before dropping through to give Georgia Tech its first win in Chapel Hill since 1996.

"They made plays down the stretch," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said of his team. "It wasn't about Xs and Os."

North Carolina's comeback seemed perfectly tailored for the program's storied history, but the Yellow Jackets regrouped and kept the pressure on the Tar Heels (12-6, 1-2), refusing to let the game slip away.

After Graves buried a 3-pointer to give North Carolina its first second-half lead at 64-63, Brian Oliver responded by knocking down an off-balance jumper from the right side. D'Andre Bell answered Marcus Ginyard's hanging layup with a jumper of his own. Then, after freshman Travis Wear put the Tar Heels up 71-70 on a short hook shot with 41.4 seconds left, Peacock answered with what turned out to be the game-winner.

The teams traded the lead seven times in the final 4½ minutes.

"I wasn't surprised that they came back," Shumpert said. "I was surprised that they got a lead on us. I knew they would make their run, so we just had to take the blow and come out and win the game."

The game bore an eerie similarity to a matchup between the teams four years ago, when the Yellow Jackets led by 20 points at halftime before a freshman named Tyler Hansbrough led the Tar Heels back with a 40-point effort in the 82-75 victory. This time, Graves did his best to rally the Tar Heels by scoring 22 of his career-high 24 points after halftime, but missed a desperation 3-pointer at the final buzzer.

"It shows our toughness," Peacock said. "To come into a tough environment like this and get a win, it just shows how tough we are. Our problem is being consistent, which we're not too far away from."

Shumpert had 17 points in the first half and finished 10 of 17 from the field with six assists in his best game since returning from knee surgery, while Gani Lawal added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Georgia Tech.

Still, there's no escaping just how disastrous a loss this would have been for the Yellow Jackets, who ran out to a 29-9 lead and led by 16 points with about 12 minutes to play. They followed last weekend's upset of Duke with a loss at Virginia -- a team picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC -- and squandering this one would have left a lingering sting.

Instead, the Tar Heels -- who have lost two straight and three of four -- are the ones questioning themselves.

"I'm not used to coaching [Kansas] Jayhawk basketball or Tar Heel basketball without any confidence," coach Roy Williams said. "We put ourselves in this spot and we've got to figure out a way to dig out of it. We can go belly up, but I choose not to do that and I told them that in the locker room."

They were coming off an 83-64 loss at Clemson on Wednesday night, the most lopsided defeat for the Tar Heels in seven seasons under Williams. In that game, the Tar Heels fell behind by double figures in the first 4 1/2 minutes and trailed 35-12 midway through the first half.

In a disturbingly similar opening, the Tar Heels fell behind by 10 points in the first 6 minutes Saturday and trailed 29-9 with 8:23 left before halftime.

"Point blank," point guard Larry Drew II said, "we've got to come out and swing first instead of always being swung on first."

Graves offered probably the only real highlight for the Tar Heels. After managing just two free throws in the first half, the junior had a burst of eight points in 2 minutes -- including two 3-pointers -- to help the Tar Heels close within 60-56. A few minutes later, he took a feed from Ginyard and knocked down the 3 for the 64-63 lead -- a basket that sent the Smith Center crowd into an ear-ringing roar.

But after Peacock's basket, Drew missed a layup and Georgia Tech got the rebound and managed to burn about 10 seconds off the clock before the Tar Heels were able to foul. Bell made 1 of 2 free throws with 3.4 seconds left, setting up Graves' final miss on an inbounds play near midcourt after a timeout.

Groh is a Jacket

CBSsports

A week after firing Dave Wommack, Georgia Tech has already found it's new defensive coordinator.


Former Virginia head coach Al Groh, who was fired from his position at the end of UVA's disappointing season, has agreed in principle to take the job on The Flat's, joining Paul Johnson on a sideline that now includes some of the greatest knowledge in the business.

Though the Jackets are losing All-American DE Derrick Morgan to the NFL Draft, Groh will have great centerpiece in 6'7", 341lb. TJ Barnes in which to build his 3-4 defense, which has been feared at both levels for over 20 years.

“They’ve got that program winning in a hurry,” Groh said on Sunday. “If winning impresses you, you have to be impressed with what Paul [Johnson] has done there.” said Groh in an interview with the AJC on Sunday.

If Georgia Tech looks to continue winning, they are going to have to do it with an improved defense, which ranked 54th in the nation this past year. The offense, though it is losing several key playmakers, should continue its production just fine.

Groh, whose resume includes several stints with Bill Parcells in the NFL, also includes two ACC Coach of the Year awards. The hire now gives the Yellow Jackets the last three ACC CoY award winners. (Groh won the award in 2007, and CPJ has taken the last two.)

5 Questions for UGA in 2010

Tim Tucker of the AJC

Like much of the country, Georgia's football program is hoping for a better year in 2010.
Here are five that leap to mind:

1. Who’ll take over at quarterback?

For a second consecutive season, Georgia will open the season with an unproven, untested quarterback. But this time the starter probably will be a redshirt freshman and will not be a fifth-year senior.

Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger have been prepping for what should be a spring-practice battle to succeed Joe Cox in an offense that returns its other 10 starters. Rising junior Logan Gray also could be in the competition, but his ongoing consideration of a possible position switch indicates he’s not in the forefront of the quarterback picture.

The 6-foot-5 Mettenberger, from Watkinsville, has the stronger arm of the two freshmen, while the 6-1 Murray is more mobile and well-known for bouncing back from a broken leg to lead his Tampa high school to a state championship.

“They are two guys who come out and compete every day at practice,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said recently. “It’s going to be a fun spring.”

After a 2009 season undermined by turnovers, Richt said the quarterback competition might swing on how the candidates protect the ball.

“They want to do something great to win the job,” Richt said, “but they also have to understand that ultimate respect for the football ... is a big part of the job description.”

2. How will Todd Grantham transform the defense?

After allowing 34 or more points in 10 games over the past two seasons, Georgia needs a new start on defense. And it's getting one.

There's a new defensive coordinator in Grantham, coming to Athens after 11 years in the NFL. There will be at least two other new defensive coaches. There will be a new scheme, Grantham's 3-4 replacing the 4-3. There will be at least six new defensive starters, replacing those lost to graduation and the NFL draft.

The defense is almost a blank canvas.

"I look forward -- not only myself but with the people we bring in -- to developing an aggressive style of defense that all Bulldogs fans across the country can be excited to watch," Grantham said Friday. "If you ask me to describe the type of defense I want, I can tell you I want big, physical, aggressive players and guys that want to be relentless every play."

3. Can the late-2009 improvement in the running game provide a foundation for 2010?

As the Bulldogs left the field after their Independence Bowl victory over Texas A&M, Bobo excitedly asked a reporter: "How many yards rushing did we have?" The answer was 208, all but 28 in the second half.

The biggest difference in how Georgia started the season (4-4) and how it finished (4-1) was vast improvement in the running game. After averaging 3.4 yards per carry in the first six games, Georgia averaged 5.5 yards per carry in the final seven games.

With the team in transition at quarterback and on defense, the running game appears the best bet to build around for 2010. Washaun Ealey likes the sound of that after finishing his freshman season as part of a strong tailback tandem with Caleb King.

"We had a lot of success running the ball," Ealey said. "I hope we do a lot more of it in the future."

4. What position changes will be made?

Richard Samuel was the starting tailback for the first six games in 2009 but never really found his stride falling far behind the King-Ealey tandem by late season. Richt has acknowledged the possibility of moving. Samuel to linebacker but has been noncommittal on the idea.

Samuel, who played both running back and linebacker in high school, said recently that he expects to remain at running back but is open to a move.

“I liked both positions equally,” he said. “It’s hard to pick.”

As for Gray’s long-rumored move from quarterback to wide receiver or safety, Richt has said coaches “want to respect what he wants to do,” whether that’s battling for the quarterback job or trying a different position.

A few other position moves are being considered, but Richt resisted revealing them yet. “There’s going to be some thought about [those possibilities] as a staff,” Richt said. “What you want to do ... is get everybody in the right spot to have the greatest chance of success.”

5. Will 2010 be the last season at UGA for A.J. Green?

At a Bulldog Club meeting early last year, someone asked Richt if he thought Green would play four years at Georgia. Richt laughed and said he was just glad football players, unlike basketball players, can't turn pro after their freshman season.

Green will be a junior in 2010 and will be eligible to enter the 2011 NFL draft. So the odds are that Georgia fans have one more season to enjoy the mega-talented wide receiver.

As good as Green has been in his first two seasons, a nagging groin injury bothered him all of 2008 and two late-season injuries -- a bruised lung followed by a separated shoulder -- sidelined him for 3-1/2 of the final four regular-season games of 2009. Georgia would love to see what he could do in 2010 if healthy from start to finish.

New DCs affect recruiting

Chip Towers of the AJC

Georgia and Georgia Tech both hired defensive coordinators in the last 24 hours. The timing is not a coincidence.


The Yellow Jackets are expected to name former Virginia head coach Al Groh as defensive coordinator later today. The Bulldogs tabbed Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham head of their defense earlier Friday.

Why now? The NCAA calendar on Friday flipped out of the red of a dead period into the yellow of a quiet period. On Monday, it switches to the full-out green of a contact period that will continue for two weeks. Both schools are hosting official visits this weekend.

Tech and Georgia needed to have these situations resolved so they could introduce their defensive recruits to the men they’d be playing for if not just be able to say with certainty who it would be.

Ten of the Yellow Jackets’ 13 commitments so far are with either slated to play defense or have extensive experience on that side of the ball. Twelve of the Bulldogs’ 19 commitments are defenders.

“I got a text message from one of the players on the team this morning,” longtime Georgia Tech commitment Denzel McCoy said. “I think it’s a great hire. I think he’s going to bring some new things with him and that’s going to be good for us. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him.”

Georgia players are excited about Grantham’s pro experience.

“I’m kind of excited about it,” said Port St. Lucie linebacker Deon Rogers, who was about to board a plane for an official visit to LSU. “I didn’t know [the new defensive coordinator] was going to be from the NFL. I’m shocked but shocked in a good way.”

Rogers has been taking visits at other schools since Willie Martinez was fired as Georgia’s defensive coordinator last month. But he said he remains committed to the Bulldogs and the hiring of Grantham “definitely” helps.

Grantham’s hiring has helped with at least one other recruit. Manning, S.C., defensive end Dexter Morant has canceled a weekend visit scheduled for Clemson this weekend because he now intends to stick with the Bulldogs, according to DawgPost.com.

That does not mean Georgia’s top 10 recruiting class has been preserved. For the moment (Mark Richt doesn’t address media until 5:15 p.m.) we don’t know how Grantham’s hire will affect recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach Rodney Garner. The lone holdover of the defensive staff happens to coach defensive line, the same position Grantham has handled most of his career.

Garner is directly responsible for several of Georgia’s commitments, including high-touted defensive linemen Garrison Smith of Douglass and T.J. Stripling of Southwest DeKalb. He’s also the lead recruiter of defensive tackle prospects Mike Thornton and Jeff Whitaker

Jackets Allen Considered Draft

Interview by Heather Dinich of ESPN with GT's Anthony Allen

Earlier this week, I spoke to Georgia Tech's Anthony Allen about his upcoming role in the Jackets' offense now that leading rusher Jonathan Dwyer has decided to leave school early for the NFL. On Wednesday, coach Paul Johnson said Allen will enter this spring as the B-back. Here are the highlights of my interview with Allen, who could be Georgia Tech's next 1,000-yard rusher:


How did you take the news that Dwyer was leaving and how do you see this affecting your role?

Anthony Allen: The first thing, I was happy for Jon. He gets the opportunity to go to the NFL and do some big things with the rest of his life. Another part of me would say it’s a good friend leaving the program, a good player who’s dedicated to the team, dedicated to the school. As far as my role goes, it opens an opportunity for me to compete. We’ve got some good backs back there competing for that B-back position. We can get some more touches, do some more things next year.

Did Dwyer talk to you about his decision? Did you know it was coming?

AA: Oh yeah, I knew it was coming. With us being the same position, running backs, we hang out sometimes, but me and Jon definitely talked about it. I asked him questions about me leaving, and he asked me questions about him leaving. I knew what he was going to do, what his heart was leaning towards.

Did that influence you at all to stay?

AA: Oh, I don’t want to make it seem like, ‘Oh, Jon’s, gone, so I’m going to stay.’ I don’t want to make it seem like that, but it definitely played a part in my decision.

What do you think you’re capable of next year? Have you even thought about individual goals?

AA: You always think about individual goals. I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen after spring time, when we get into camp and everything. When I see what exactly I’ll be doing, I’ll make my goals from there, but I know when I get the ball in my hands I’m going to try to make something happen with it.

Is there any chance of you playing any A-back, or is it pretty much a given that you’ll be a B-back?

AA: I don’t even know. The coaches aren’t back yet. I haven’t met with Coach yet to talk about next year. I’m kind of taking this week to relax a bit. Of course when Coach comes back in we’ll talk about what we’re going to do for next year and we’ll find out.

Do you think you guys could be as productive offensively without Dwyer and, what is it, two starters on the offensive line?

AA: I mean of course, that’s how college football goes. You lose players and you get more in. It’s just a matter of us staying consistent.

What was up with the rumors I heard about you possibly leaving early?

AA: I sent my stuff in to the draft board. I had my two years of tape from Louisville, along with this year. I was just weighing the possibilities, if I went into the draft what would go on, but I talked to my family about it, and of course we decided to stay in school.

Are you willing to share what they said?

AA: I didn’t want to leave the Georgia Tech fans after just one year. I wanted to come back and of course get my degree and everything like that.

I mean the draft advisory board.

AA: Oh, you’re talking about them. [He laughed.] I said all I want to know is what round y’all are projecting me in. Let me know if it’s going to be in the first two, and if it’s not, then I’m straight. If you tell me it’s not the first two rounds, I’m good. I don’t need to know any more.

With all of the depth back there, do you want to be the guy, or will it be a group effort?

AA: We’ve got some great backs. I’m a big guy, but I played the A-back position. Coach is going to do whatever he can to get the best guys on the field. If you watch tape from his early years at Georgia Southern and Navy and everything, he’s always had a main B-back and a guy who came in to relieve him, and his A-backs rotated. I feel we’re going to do the same thing this year, regardless of who’s at the B-back position.

Tough Day for the Jackets

Tuesday January 5th 2010 was a day that most jacket fans would love to forget. While coming up short in the Orange Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes down in Miami, the Tech basketball team had it taken to them by none other than the hated in state rival. UGA took the jackets down 66-73 for Tech's 13th straight loss in Athens. Talk about adding salt to the wound of a dissapointing night.

While Tech fans can't be too disappointed with the outcome of the 2009 season; many are concerned that this offense will continue to be exposed in bowl games for years to come. When the opponent has over a month to prepare for the running offense it seems to not be as effective.