Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, GA
When: Saturday, September 25th, Noon
TV: ESPN
Records: UNC 3-0, 1-0 ACC; Georgia Tech 3-0; 0-0 ACC
I am going to be upfront with you. I don’t have a good feeling about this one. First of all, it is in Atlanta and we all know how things go for UNC in Atlanta. At this point it is possible UNC fans might be the only group of people in history that hate Atlanta more than General Sherman did. It is the Bermuda Triangle of UNC athletics and a place UNC has not won at since 1997 in football.
As for the more tangible reasons, Georgia Tech comes in boasting the #1 offense in the country at a gaudy 675 yards per game or 10.3 yards per game. Yes, this came against less than stellar competition so one would expect there will be some watering down of these numbers once the Yellow Jackets play a few ACC games. However this is still looking like a fairly powerful offense. Like all Paul Johnson teams, the triple options drives offense but in this season’s version the pass plays a more prominent roll. This is still a rushing offense but Georgia Tech has also had five pass plays in excess of 70 yards this season. With the way UNC’s secondary has played, it would not be shocking to see more of the ball in the air, especially if UNC’s front seven can slow down the Jackets’ rushing attack. Speaking of which, UNC has not had much success in the past three years doing that so who knows if it will be different this time.
It is possible UNC’s best chance in this game might be to win a shootout. GT’s offense comes in ranked 49th in the country which came against inferior teams meaning it might not be as good as the ranking suggests. A low turnover, highly efficient offensive effort will be UNC’s best shot at a win here. Much like the game last year this could come down to a mistake or two for a stop rather than simply forcing punts. UNC has shown it is capable of moving the football and scoring points providing players hold onto the football. Since Georgia Tech’s rushing attack can consume clock, short possessions by the UNC offense would really fatigue the defense.
Overall, I am sort of expecting a loss and would be pleasantly surprised with a win. Georgia Tech’s offense has always been a tough challenge, even when UNC’s defense was top ten. With a questionable secondary, I am not convinced there will be enough stops to allow UNC to get ahead.
Georgia Tech 33 UNC 31
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granted, I don’t know the best way to tackle someone, but I know that diving from 5 yards away and grabbing at ankles isn’t it
Come on Nix!
Inexcusable. Just sorry effort.
Paul Johnson, Paul Johnson, Paul Johnson…thanks for the insight regarding the game. Please make it stop.
Bob Davie, please shut the hell up….
pretty hilarious that they’re going to review this
This game is like groundhog day. It looks exactly the same every year… which is why I am so glad we are getting a new coaching staff next year.
Both Highsmith and Boyd are out????
UNC has the ball, driving down the field…”Paul Johnson, Paul Johnson, Paul Johnson - Triple Option, Triple Option…” Commercial break for announcer clean-up. Tissue please.
I’m not happy losing to GT but we have game. Turnovers are going to be important for UNC in the 4th quarter. Hope we get some.
Indeed, I been saying to anybody that will listen, we have hated Withers defensive schemes for three years. His defenders would say it was probably Butch dictating the schemes. Well Butch ain’t here and it looks like the same old stuff to me. A defense with this much supposed talent shouldn’t be getting gashed like this by the option. Hell, Western Carolina held them to less yardage on the ground in the first half than we have. I don’t care if we find a way to win this game or not the coaching defensive game plan is crap!
Way to answer….. we need defense to shut Davie up!!!
if we can get a stop we can win this game “fingers not crossed”
I do love a QB that spreads the he ball around like peanut butter. Sharing the love. Love Renner, need to play until he graduates. Barnesbot downloading information to Brynbot.
Wrap up the opponent, this is tackle info from Pop Warner people. Warp-up. Come on Carolina.
finally a few great tackles and tech has to punt
Attack on offense….momentum is shifting…
Dammit Renner!!!!!
Sweet mercy, is Bob Davie on the GT payroll? Enought with the triple option. If it was that good, they’d be in the top 10 every year, but they’re not. It’s a gimmick offense that works against teams that aren’t great, which is us-good but not great.
not remotely open. at least 2 others were.
*click*
That was a poor decision !!!
the only thing sadder than renner’s pass was that drop lololololol
Does Renner not see the defenders or is he just cocky enough to think he can still throw the ball in there?
We still have a chance…. glad Hill dropped it…
Grow up fast, Renner. You’re TJ’ing us already.
Review the catch!
Renner is going to get some leeway this season on his decisions because he is inexperienced. Remember, even T.J. Yates learned to make better decisions.
Bryn Renner versus Paul Johnson…
Let’s go Heels! Who wants to be ranked?
Offensive line….FAIL!
can ryan houston get in a little?
Again….why can’t we get some blocking? Stupid!
Awesome effort!
Withers with the spot, very nice.
Gio, you’re a stud!!!!!
GET A STOP!!!!!!
announcer called him “a special little guy” but what a hoss
Awesome run GB…… Go Heels!!!
Gio Bernard really is a special player.
Holding downfield?????
Renner, please do no throw into triple coverages!!
Go Heels. We got game!!
4 plays 61 yards give me a break
Goodbye Everitt Withers. The last blown play by your defense has guaranteed that you will not be here next year. You’ve had FIVE YEARS to figure out how to stop this offense…
850, couldn’t agree more!
Once again….crappy offensive line play.
Ugh…..complete crap blocking.
Have to go for it!!!!!
end of game management is horrible absolute sidney lowe/paul hewitt level garbage
embarrassing
pathetic
absolutely inexcusable
Hand the ball off 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage on 2nd and 17 … only John Shoop could give you a dumb call like that.
Terrible playcall by Shoop, and questionable defense by Tech. If that ball was remotely catchable it’s PI.
Terrible last 3 plays.
Crap penalty!
Mistakes hurt us, coaching killed us.
UNC is being coached by Larry, Moe & Curley!
Why is Tech allowed to block engaged defenders?
If our offense hadn’t gone into ball control for three straight possessions in the first half we could have had a chance.
And then there’s the defense … and the guy who coached them… the sooner he’s gone the better.
on the plus side they came back and fought to tie it, so we know they players have it in them to face adversity within games.
on the negative side the coaching staff is absolutely incompetent and will continue to squander any momentum that players manage to create
Still have a chance….
We should win every game. ?
let’s see which offense comes out
Plus Leroy and I missed a golden opportunity … if we had taken a drink every time they said “Paul Johnson” we’d be smashed by now…
mmm yeah 4 yard pass to the middle of the field. game’s over
Great, the UNC rule screwed us.
Awful line play and horrible game management by Renner. Withers and co should be fired in the locker room.
and we will never be a good team with late game management like that
That’s an appropriate end to this cluster.
receivers need to be coached on when to just bat a ball down, or, we should stop dumping the ball three yards when there’s 90 seconds left in the game and we have to go 70 yards.
I just don’t understand. Every mistake we make is a common sense fix and for YEARS it never gets fixed.
That was as sloppy as it comes to end the game….
it’s like john shoop is up in the booth with a playstation and he’s pressing “ask Madden” before every play
Renner has never faced what he did today, i cant be upset with him more than a minute.
the O line coaching is awful, tho.
and if you can’t prepare better than this after seeing the same O for this long, you failed. Period.
you think an NFL D coordinator wouldnt BURY the QB every snap?
Please. Washington shouldve been punished from the start. then lets see him wait to pitch it.
but what do i know, i didnt give up 500 yds of offense.
Tech was supposed to be a lot better than we are.
They aren’t. We are a credible football team.
This is way closer than I thought it would be. The season will hold its disappointments, but it’s going to be a lot better than the catastrophe some people were moaning about in August.