NCAA 2004 Dynasty: Georgia Tech (2006 Season)

[Celeval]

This is a continuation of my NCAA 2004 Georgia Tech dynasty.

2003 Season
2004 Recruiting
2004 Season
2005 Recruiting
2005 Season
2006 Recruiting

Our record thus far:
2003: 8-5 (5-3) - Lost to WVU in the Continental Tire Bowl
2004: 5-7 (3-5) - No Bowl Invitation
2005: 12-1 (8-0) - Lost to UCLA in the Orange Bowl

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AI Settings
Penalties
(On a 1-10 Scale)
False Start: 10
Holding: 5
Face Mask: 5
Offensive Pass Interference: 10
Defensive Pass Interference: 10
Clipping: 5
Intentional Grounding: 10
Roughing the Passer: 5
Roughing the Kicker: 5
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: 5

Sliders

Sliders:
...............Hum...CPU
QB Acc.........10...13
PassBlk........8....10
WR Ctch........12...11
RB Abil........12...16
RB Blk.........8....20

Aware..........7....19
KnockD.........10...15
Ints...........8....8
BrkBlk.........10...14
Tackle.........10...10


Revised Sliders: Week Five

Sliders:
...............Hum...CPU
QB Acc.........10...13
PassBlk........8....10
WR Ctch........12...11
RB Abil........10...16
RB Blk.........8....20

Aware..........7....20
KnockD.........10...15
Ints...........8....8
BrkBlk.........10...14
Tackle.........10...10


More changes in Week Five. There's no way we should be running the ball this well against top-25 teams, is there?

CPU Awareness up to 20, Human RB Ability down to 10.

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2006 Schedule

1. at UAB
2. vs. #11 Florida
3. vs. #20 South Carolina
4. vs. #18 Florida State
5. at Clemson
6.
7. at #14 North Carolina State
8. vs. Wake Forest
9.
10. at #23 Maryland
11.
12. vs. Duke
13. at North Carolina
14. vs. Virginia
15. at #24 Georgia

Well, we are in Atlanta. So what better way to answer the offseason critics of our 2005 schedule than adding a pair of ranked SEC East teams? We open with a pretty decent Alabama-Birmingham squad, before a run of three top 20 teams. The plus is that all three are at home; but each test afterwards (NC State, Maryland, Georgia) will be on the road.

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2006 Roster: Quarterbacks - Grade B

#19 M.J. Burnett, So-RS
6'0", 215 lbs
169-299 passing for 3207 yards, 26 TD, 10 Int
109-(-12) rushing for 3 TDs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
89 85 51 65 89 75 57 53 88 83
Wow. Burnett broke onto the scene in a huge way last season, although much (most?) of that was due to Benjamin Holmes' incredible season at wideout. Either way, he brought an aspect to the game that Damarius Bilbo did not - the ability to escape pressure in the pocket and still make the big play. This year, he comes in as the entrenched starter.

#12 LaShaun Haston, So-RS
6'1", 195 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
85 41 51 77 42 45 45 42 85 92
Haston's redshirt year played to great effect - his Awareness and Accuracy improved by leaps and bounds; Haston could be a starter in his own right at many teams right now. He'll stay as Burnett's backup, but gives me a lot of confidence should M.J. choose to go pro or get injured early. Burnett's opposite - LaShaun is the second-slowest player on the team. That includes all the defensive line, and all but Snoop Dennison on the offensive line.

#17 Howard Manning, So
6'3", 196 lbs
14-28 passing, 209 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
3-(-19) rushing
OV SP ST AW AG AC CR BT TP TA
73 56 50 55 54 53 55 45 81 81
Manning came in during mop-up situations, and didn't play too badly. We'll redshirt him this season, as we shouldn't need him save in case of injury.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Running Backs - Grade B-

#22 Ray Jenkins, Fr
6'1", 181 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
78 95 44 40 93 90 62 52 51 88
What to do with these guys? Three great halfback recruits, all in the same mold - serious speed, but I'm not sure any could bench their own weight. Jenkins is the guy who wins the war - fast as hell, and there's a chance he won't go down like a feather; so he'll stay eligible and be our starter this year.

#23 Darvin Crockett, Fr
5'9", 172 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
78 90 51 37 88 93 63 57 57 87
Crockett will spell Jenkins when necessary. I have to admit that some of this is just the desire to see a 5'9" guy running around our backfield - Crockett would redshirt if I could only carry two eligible HB; I can't, so he'll play this season and redshirt next year. He'll see a ton of carries, I'm sure - with speedsters back there, we'll have to work out a rotation.

#27 Maurice Duffy, Fr
6'0", 176 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
77 96 41 39 89 93 63 52 49 86
Duffy is the fastest of the bunch, but also the weakest. He'll get the redshirt this season.

#26 Mike Hanson, So
5'10", 222 lbs
55-183 rushing for 5 TDs
3-41 receiving
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT SA
75 77 64 57 76 74 58 69 66 73
Mike Hanson did well enough as a number 2 back last season, but didn't really show a lot to stand out - he'll drop back to the third-string; and most likely will be a special teams guy.

For those interested - we carry two of the top five fastest backs (and 3 of the top 25) in the country. I can't wait to get these guys turning the corner.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[tucker342]

damn ur loaded at QB....

[Blade6119]

and their only sophmores...i have only had that great a QB group once...2011 with Boise State(but i never pick good teams..always bad ones...and right ewhen they start winning a lot i quit)...i had two sophmores with that talent...and a running back with 99 speed his senior year...broke my career rushing record despite not being able to break one tackle, so you should have good fortunes with those guys...speed is a killer in this game.

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Fullbacks - Grade C+

#42 Lyle Talley, So
6'1", 228 lbs
87-445 rushing for 5 TDs
3-31 receiving
OV SP ST AW AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
78 80 61 57 81 64 64 67 52 56 81
Talley is an interesting conundrum. He's a good running fullback, but Byron Wingate below is making strides as a much better blocker. I'm going to work Talley into a rotation this year - he'll start as the FB in the formations we like to run the Triple Option out of; and as RB in at least the Goal-Line set; as he's better at running through the tackles than really any of our running backs.

#39 Byron Wingate, So
6'0", 246 lbs
3-7 rushing
1-10 receiving
OV SP ST AW AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
73 57 73 50 60 58 62 72 49 66 62
Wingate is developing into a better run blocker than Talley is - although with his stanima, he can't play fulltime. He also doesn't fit too well into our triple option when we run it. With that in mind, he'll see some time as a blocking fullback in the Goal-Line set and possibly another power set.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

Originally posted by Blade6119
...and a running back with 99 speed his senior year...broke my career rushing record despite not being able to break one tackle, so you should have good fortunes with those guys...speed is a killer in this game.

Yeah... I have to admit that I really want to work through this recordkeeping to get these guys on the field. Looking forward to it, especially after having such a slow back in Eziemefe out there.

I'm tempted to look into a different playbook - last year's worked so well for me, but with this kind of talent; it's almost blasphemous not to run a Wishbone at least /some/ of the time.

[Blade6119]

you can only track the school records of your favortie team, so set it to G.T.

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Wide Receivers - Grade C+

#82 Benjamin Holmes, Sr
Preseason First Team All-American
6'2", 190 lbs
87-2135 receiving for 21 TDs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
89 90 45 64 91 91 90 50 96 46 93
Benji Holmes is coming off one of the greatest seasons ever from a Wide Receiver - at least any that I've seen. He's already rewritten the Georgia Tech record book in two seasons, this year is just money in the bank. One thing I don't think he'll do is repeat as the Heisman trophy winner - with the upgraded talent across from him and in the backfield, Burnett shouldn't need to look his way as often. Of course, this may just increase his effectiveness.

#80 George Cooper, Sr-RS
6'3", 216 lbs
27-335 receiving for 1 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
74 76 54 64 80 78 76 62 87 50 81
George Cooper began coming on late last season as the number two receiver opposite Holmes; although his final numbers weren't the most impressive, he had a few important catches. He'll start the season as the #2 wideout, although a strong early showing by Spivey may push him back to #3.

#85 Johnny Harris, Fr
6'2", 180 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
73 88 41 41 83 86 79 42 81 41 88
Harris is a very good-looking talent. He'll redshirt this season, and should take one of the two starting positions when Holmes graduates.

#87 Darnell Spivey, Fr-RS
6'7", 202 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
73 87 45 54 81 83 71 52 90 54 78
Can you believe this guy is nearly a foot taller than our #2 halfback? Spivey will be coming out of the slot as the #3 WR - sending him up against safeties should be a gimme on the lob.

#14 Josh Baker, So
6'0", 197 lbs
4-70 receiving
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA JM BT SA
70 87 41 57 85 85 68 49 75 43 85
Baker will continue to be our fourth receiver.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Tight End - Grade B-

#81 Freeman Dempsey, So
6'5", 244 lbs
22-349 receiving for 5 TDs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
82 76 68 60 72 77 78 65 66 60 68 85
Dempsey was quiet in the early part of the year, but began working his way into Burnett's rotation in the middle of the season; he ended up second on the team in touchdown catches. He's still not quite the blocker Maurio Altman is, so he'll stick as the #2 TE, although he will see a lot of time on the field.

#88 Maurio Altman, Jr
6'3", 259 lbs
39-538 receiving for 1 TD
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
82 68 74 67 70 72 74 70 67 67 69 85
Altman has decent hands, but his strength as a tight end is his blocking; and that's what has won him the top Tight End position. He caught a few more balls than last season, but less yardage as his yards/catch average dropped from 19.1 to 13.8. We'll still be looking for him as a safety valve.

#84 Max Vance, Jr
6'4", 240 lbs
3-49 receiving for 2 TDs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT CA BT PB RB SA
72 70 63 60 69 72 73 71 59 53 56 83
Not a bad tight end in his own right, Vance is mired behind the other two. His playing time will come in the Goal-Line set, but that's probably it.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Tackle - Grade C+

#79 Jerrell Craig, Sr-RS
6'4", 289 lbs
23 Pancakes, 7 Sacks Allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
82 85 74 74 84 73
A pretty good run blocker, Craig will be our starter at right tackle. Since Burnett is left-handed, this is his blind side - but M.J. spends enough time rolling out to the left that we want Crawford (our better pass blocker) on that end. He'll also sub out of the shotgun formations in favor of a better pass blocker and to keep him fresh for the run situations at the end of the game.

#71 Cal Crawford, Sr
6'3", 307 lbs
11 Pancakes, 8 Sacks Allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
78 83 58 80 79 74
As noted above, Crawford is a better pass blocker, so we'll set him on Burnett's rollout side.

#70 Alonzo McDowell, Fr-RS
6'6", 272 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
72 79 44 78 79 71
A decent blocker, McDowell will most likely start next season. He'll see a good bit of time this season as a starter in the shotgun formation as well as the top backup on the right tackle side.

#76 Randall Madison, Fr-RS
6'7", 275 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
71 72 57 76 74 71
Madison is in line for a starting job next year, although we'd ideally like to recruit someone better. He'll back up Crawford on the left side.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Guard - Grade C+

#72 Kyle Cox, Jr
6'5", 294 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
79 82 46 79 88 69
A very good run blocker, Cox has no endurance whatsoever. As such, he'll be our starting right guard, but will be pulled from shotgun formations, and possibly any 4-WR sets we end up with.

#75 John Austin, Fr
6'3", 312 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
74 85 48 76 81 81
Austin has the makings of a very good guard - I'd like to redshirt him this year, but we're thin enough here that he'll have to start, on the left side.

#69 Snoop Dennison, Fr-RS
6'5", 324 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
73 82 53 73 79 61
Dennison is a huge guy, but his stanima is a problem - he'll be a general backup along the line.

#77 Warren Barber, Fr
6'3", 312 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
70 82 44 78 75 82
Another pretty decent prospect, Barber will sub in for Cox in obvious passing formations.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Center - Grade B-

#66 Joseph Hayes, Jr
6'2", 284 lbs
12 Pancakes, 1 Sack Allowed
OV ST AW PB RB SA
81 75 63 75 87 83
Hayes has been consistant for us over the past two seasons, and we're looking to keep him as a starter for two more.

#61 Bobby Miller, Fr
6'3", 281 lbs
OV ST AW PB RB SA
74 73 51 71 84 82
Miller may shape up to be a better C than Hayes - we have to keep him active to meet roster requirements, but we're going to try a backhanded redshirt by keeping him completely off the field if possible.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

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2006 Roster: Defensive End - Grade B-

#93 Terron Pullen, Sr-RS
Preseason Second Team All-American
6'2", 281 lbs
43 Tackles, 16 Sacks
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
88 65 74 81 67 68 78 77
Pullen is a pretty solid end; but I didn't expect his sudden jump in sack totals from 8 to 16 last season. This will be his first year without Eric Henderson drawing attention from the right side; so we'll see how he does. We have the leeway to let him rest at times, so Pullen will sit the bench in the 3-4 sets.

#98 Norman Miles, So
6'3", 258 lbs
16 Tackles, 1 Sack
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
77 70 67 46 69 72 64 79
Our first year without a stud on the right side - Gathers, then Henderson; although neither have put up as good numbers as Pullen has on the left. Miles will start in a few situations - the Nickel, Dime, and 5-2 will see NM starting on the right side.

#92 Julius Meyer, Fr
6'3", 278 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
76 67 67 49 65 69 65 72
Meyer is the only true right end we have on the team. He'll split time with Miles, playing RE in the 4-3, 4-4, and Goal-Line defenses.

#94 Ulysses Owens, Fr
6'4", 227 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
74 75 59 45 74 74 59 73
Owens doesn't look like much right now - we'll redshirt him and see how things look on the flip side.

#96 Jonathon Blanks, Fr
6'3", 252 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
73 64 65 50 64 73 63 82
Blanks will be a general backup along the line; he'll start in the 3-4 as well on the left side.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Defensive Tackle - Grade C+

#91 R.J. Wagner, Fr-RS
6'4", 293 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
82 61 81 56 63 65 77 78
The top DT on the squad as a redshirt-freshman, Wagner could be a stud for us in a couple years. In an effort to keep the line rested, we're working in strict rotation. Wagner will be the sole DT in the 3-4 alignment, and will also start in the 4-3, 5-2, and Dime defenses.

#50 Brad Brezina, Sr-RS
6'2", 279 lbs
4 Tackles, 2 Sacks
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
75 48 81 64 50 49 76 72
Brezina is the only defensive tackle with experience. He's a starter in the base 4-3, and the middle man in the 5-2, and will also be in on the 4-4 set.

#63 Thurman Alexander, Fr
6'5", 293 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
75 66 73 47 57 64 74 79
Thurman Alexander is a pretty solid freshman, and should be a three-and-a-half year starter for us - he's not technically going to be a starter, but will be a starter for us in the Nickel and Dime defenses; he's the right-side of the 5-2.

#99 Brady Arrington, Fr
6'1", 275 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
71 60 69 52 61 64 69 72
Brady Arrington is the number four defensive tackle, but he'll see a good bit of time; as the smallest of the DTs, he won't play in the 5-2 but will in the 4-4 and Nickel defenses.

#90 Floyd Bearden, Fr
6'3", 300 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC TK ST
66 54 73 48 47 50 68 65
Bearden was pegged as a player of some potential during recruitment - he doesn't necessarily show it in these ratings, although he's the only guy on the line ringing in at 300 pounds right now. He'll be the only of the freshmen to redshirt.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Outside Linebacker - Grade B-

#16 Kingi McNair, Sr-RS
6'1", 228 lbs
44 Tackles, 8 Sacks
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK SA
86 76 67 71 75 78 58 78 86
This will be McNair's fourth year in the starting role on the left side of the defense, and we'll miss him coming around the corner next season. He's the top starter here.

#57 Alonzo Schneider, Fr
6'2", 246 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK SA
77 71 65 50 65 74 57 81 71
Scheider is a tackling machine as a freshman. He'll back up all three LB spots, and will be the second MLB in the 4-4 alignment.

#51 Adam Mathis, Fr
6'2", 219 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK SA
74 77 61 46 72 79 57 71 77
Mathis is another incoming freshman, he should be challenging for a starting role next season. We'd redshirt him if we could, but without enough OLBs to go around, Mathis will instead back up across the board and see significant time on special teams.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Middle Linebacker - Grade B-

#59 Anthony Blanks, Jr
6'2", 227 lbs
62 Tackles, 1 Sack
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK SA
80 86 65 57 85 73 57 85 88
Blanks is our starting ROLB; and is good in that role because of his speed. He led our team in tackles as a freshman and as a sophmore, and is a good bet to do so again this season.

#43 Trent Ball, Jr
6'2", 236 lbs
57 Tackles, 2 Sacks
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT TK SA
80 70 61 65 77 70 59 87 83
Ball is the other of our pair of MLBs. He sticks with the MLB role. Both he and Blanks suffered statistically somewhat last season - less sacks to the backers, muchly due to a lesser emphasis on blitzing up the middle and a somewhat weaker defensive line. That and our defense wasn't stuck on the field quite as long on average.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Cornerback - Grade B-

#7 Stanford Ingram, So
6'1", 186 lbs
49 Tackles, 3 Int, 2 Def. TD, 9 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
82 87 47 59 90 86 62 85 51 85
Stanford Ingram was our weak-side CB all last season, and moves to the strong side this year. Our secondary turned into a huge strength in 2005 after being such a liability in 2004 - a lot of that was the performance of Reuben Houston. With Houston out this season, Ingram will need to step up; I'm worried that his still-low Awareness will cause problems there.

#1 Shane Rodgers, So
6'2", 194 lbs
38 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 2 Int, Defensive TD, 3 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
77 87 47 58 84 83 57 50 81 53
Rodgers is another player moving up one notch on the depth chart. He picked up a large number of sacks last year after benefitting from our tendency to blitz the Nickel back in certain situations - he'll be in the weak-side corner role this season, but will move up to cover the slot in the Nickel.

#4 Delvyn Aristegui, So
6'1", 194 lbs
52 Tackles, 4 Int, 7 Pass Defl
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
77 79 52 56 79 78 69 88 57 95
Aristegui played a huge role for us in 2005 in the strong safety spot - he played very well, and came up with two huge interceptions to seal wins against Florida State and Maryland. For his efforts... he's dropping a notch on the depth chart. He'll take over Rodger's weak-side corner in the Nickel and Dime defenses.

#2 Landon Allison, Fr
6'0", 192 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
76 84 48 49 92 87 58 84 48 90
One benefit to a deep defensive secondary - the ability to redshirt. Allison will take a year to watch and learn; hopefully to improve his awareness and tackling. He should challenge for a starting spot next season.

#11 I-Perfection Harris, Sr-RS
5'10", 173 lbs
19 Tackles, Int
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
76 89 38 63 81 82 51 75 42 77
Harris has seen his playing time and statistics decrease every season since 2003, and he'll see it again this year. Harris will sit in the strong-slot in the Dime defense; but has lost his PR spot. He will continue to return kicks.

#3 Greg Gonzalez, Fr
5'11", 160 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
73 90 36 46 85 87 52 77 36 82
A tiny guy with a ton of speed - Gonzalez couldn't tackle a fly, and that's assuming he could even lift one. He'll redshirt and hit the weight room.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Free Safety - Grade C+

#24 Jamar Simms, Jr
5'11", 204 lbs
20 Tackles, 4 Int
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
82 83 53 67 89 83 60 88 62 92
Simms was great early on - getting his four interceptions very early in the season before being lost for much of the year with a broken jaw against Central Michigan. He'll return to his starting role this season.

#30 Terrance Gonzalez, So
6'2", 197 lbs
33 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Int
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
75 77 58 57 82 80 65 83 57 79
Gonzalez did a solid job filling in for Simms last season. This year he returns to a backup role, as well as helping out on special teams.

#28 Jamaine Youngblood, Fr
6'1", 194 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
70 80 52 55 86 85 52 79 47 88
Youngblood is pretty decent for a first-year; he'll redshirt and most likely challenge for the starting spot once Simms graduates.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Strong Safety - Grade C+

#29 Tracy Cage, So-RS
6'0", 187 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
74 77 47 74 79 76 59 82 56 82
Cage was able to take last season to redshirt - he'll step out from the redshirt into the starting SS slot this year, pushing Delvyn Aristegui aside. His speed and tackling ability is similar - what got Cage the job was his ability to read-and-react to defenses. He should have three strong years in front of him here.

#21 Domonique Woodard, Fr-RS
6'1", 218 lbs
OV SP ST AW AG AC CT JM TK SA
71 81 51 55 84 83 59 84 63 86
Woodard serves as a decent backup across the board in the defensive secondary; he'll also get some playing time on special teams.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Kicker - Grade B-

#40 Kevin Fernandez, Fr
5'11", 186 lbs
OV AW KP KA
77 49 86 89
Fernandez comes in as the top kicker in the country - after David Jordan surprised us by declaring early for the draft. Kevin doesn't quite have the same leg strength as DJ did, but he's more accurate right now and will only improve with time.

2006 Roster: Punter - Grade B-

#41 Jermaine MacPherson
6'0", 202 lbs
51 punts, 2134 yards (41.8 Avg)
OV AW KP KA
77 71 84 88
J-Mac improved his average by about three-quarters of a yard on his kicks last season. He was also more accurate, downing 11 of the 51 inside the twenty yard line.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Roster: Special Teams

Kick Returners:
CB I-Perfection Harris: 21 returns, 417 yards (19.9 Avg)
RB Darvin Crockett (Freshman)

Punt Returner:
RB Darvin Crockett (Freshman)

Harris will continue to return kicks, but Crockett is the man now. He steps into the role, breaking my usual wariness about using offensive starters; since he's not a starter - he'll backup Jenkins this season, so using his speed and elusiveness to return kicks should be a plus.

(OVerall, SPeed, STrength, AWareness, AGility, ACceleration, CaTch, CArry, JuMp, Break Tackle, TacKle, Throw Power, Throw Accuracy, Pass Block, Run Block, Kick Power, Kick Accuracy, StAnima, INjury)

[Celeval]

2006 Playbook

We've decided to go with the UTEP playbook this season.

Texas El-Paso:
Ace-Bunch - 4 WR, HB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, Spivey and Dempsey, HB: Jenkins.
Ace-Normal - 2 WR, 2 TE, HB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, HB: Jenkins
Ace-Spread - 4 WR, HB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, Spivey and Baker, HB: Crockett
I-Normal - 2 WR, TE, HB, FB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, HB: Jenkins, FB: Talley
I-Tight - WR, 2 TE, HB, FB - WR: Holmes, HB: Jenkins, FB: Talley
I-Twins - 2 WR, TE, HB, FB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, HB: Jenkins, FB: Wingate
I-Y-Trips - 2 WR, TE, HB, FB - WR: Holmes, Spivey, HB: Jenkins, FB: Talley
Shotgun-Normal - 3 WR, TE, HB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, Spivey, HB: Crockett
Strong-Slot - 3 WR, HB, FB - WR: Holmes, Cooper, Spivey, HB: Crockett, FB: Wingate
Goal-Line - 3 TE, HB, FB - FB: Wingate, HB: Talley
Hail Mary

[Celeval]

Coach Report Card
Kevin Donnelly (25-13), 3 Years
Coach Prestige: ****

"Time to make a statement in the polls. Show them your Yellow Jackets are for real."

Job Security: A+

Next Game: Week 1 at UAB

[Celeval]

Preseason:

SI Cover:
WR Santiago Holmes, Ohio State
The Winning Addiction
Can Holmes and the Buckeyes go undefeated again in 2006?

Preseason Top 25:
Hopes Renew: Fans in Miami are excited about their 2006 Hurricanes.
1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. Miami
4. Auburn
5. Oklahoma
6. Virginia Tech
7. Georgia Tech
8. Tennessee
9. Louisville
10. UCLA
11. Florida
12. Michigan
13. Penn State
14. North Carolina State
15. Oregon State
16. Fresno State
17. Oregon
18. Florida State
19. Pittsburgh
20. South Carolina
21. Iowa
22. USC
23. Maryland
24. Georgia
25. Kansas State
36. Clemson
39. Virginia
53. North Carolina
65. UAB
74. Wake Forest
98. Duke
117. Idaho

Heisman Watch:
Preseason Hopeful: Georgia Tech's Holmes has big hands to go with his big heart.
WR Benjamin Holmes, Georgia Tech (Sr)
HB Darrell Blackman, North Carolina State (Jr-RS)
WR Chandler Klein, Fresno State (Jr)
HB Zach Shaw, Oregon State (Jr)
HB Dominque O'Neal, Virginia Tech (Jr)

Preseason All-Americans
Top Talent: The Georgia Tech star is looking forward to 2006.
First Team:
QB Kyle Wright, Miami
HB Darrell Blackman, North Carolina State
HB Kalvin Eaton, Rice
HB Matt Allison, Utah
HB Dane Scott, New Mexico State
WR Benjamin Holmes, Georgia Tech
WR Chandler Klein, Fresno State
TE LaTroy Lloyd, Florida
C D.D. Sterling, Ohio
G Terrance Perry, Ohio State
G Charles Grady, Alabama
T Herbert Taylor, TCU
T Germayle Franklin, Middle Tennessee State
DE Dylan Faulk, Stanford
DE Clifton Ryan, Michigan State
DT Levi Morris, TCU
DT Benji Jackson, San Diego State
OLB Bobby Pearl, San Jose State
MLB Ryan Brown, UCF
OLB Ed McGill, Navy
CB Scott Sloan, UAB
CB John Finlay, Louisville
FS Bryce Young, UCF
SS Ryan Foreman, Arkansas State
K Gaylon Kirk, Oklahoma State

Second Team
QB Justin Newson, Tennessee
HB Joe Bwire, Nevada
HB Tramaine Billie, Clemson
WR Nick Dunn, Marshall
WR Pete Woods, San Deigo State
TE Alvin Woods, Missouri
T Demetrie Gill, Kansas State
G Jacob Jean, New Mexico State
C Jon Wilson, Air Force
G Chad Meacham, SMU
T Herschel McGuire, Kansas State
DE Lamar Weiss, Ball State
DE Terron Pullen, Georgia Tech
DT Blake Schroeder, Fresno State
DT M.J. Archie, Louisville
OLB Branden Snyder, Ohio
MLB Ahmad Brooks, Virginia
OLB Nick Stuart, SMU
CB DeMarcus Johnson, Eastern Michigan
CB J.C. Jamison, Maryland
CB DeMarco Christiensen, Florida
FS Brook Garrison, UCF
SS Thornton Gutierrez, Auburn
K Kevin Metcalf, ECU

Preseason ACC Prediction
1. Georgia Tech
2. North Carolina State
3. Florida State
4. Maryland
5. Clemson
6. Virginia
7. North Carolina
8. Wake Forest
9. Duke

[Celeval]

Week One Action:

#7 Georgia Tech at UAB

Preview:
UAB (0-0)
Overall: C+
Offense: C+
Defense: C+
Special Teams: B

Key Players:
CB S. Sloan: 87 OVR
T I. Hynes: 81 OVR
MLB D. Bearden: 79 OVR

We open the season on the road at a decent University of Alabama-Birmingham squad. Technically a road game, but with UAB just a two-hour drive from downtown Atlanta; there is a lot of white and gold in the stands (and a lot of whiskey clear at the tailgates).

The Blazers shouldn't stand too much of a problem for us - they were decimated by graduation last season. Their largest set of statistics returning is Senior Wide Receiver Carl Duncan, who caught 53 balls for 871 yards and 5 scores last season. Practially all the other skill positions will be freshmen or players with little game experience.

UAB's strength is their defense, which boasts a pair of very good players. MLB Dawon Bearden is a sophmore who managed 91 tackles and a pair of sacks in his first year on campus; while Junior CB Scott Sloan (coming off a 63-tackle, 6-pick season) is on everyone's All-American ballot. Outside of those two, this team should not pose a challenge.

The game is at midday and packed. Nationally broadcast, with a heavy wind blowing, should make for a fun introduction to our new K. UAB gets the ball first and after we give up an early third-down conversion on an inadvertant face mask, they begin to move the ball downfield. Four first downs, and they're into our territory. The Blazer quarterbackis true freshman Felix Madsion, and he hits on his first three passes during this drive. The fourth is picked off by Stanford Ingram - and Ingram takes it to the house. 78 yards, he just outruns the entire UAB team for a 7-0 lead.

Other than Ingram, R.J. Wagner is looking great - he's already beaten the UAB RG for 2 sacks during the first quarter. Our first offensive series results in nothing - some rust - but MacPherson's punt drops to the one yard line. We send the house on first down, then again on second down - it's R.J. Wagner again, his third sack of the first quarter, and a safety for a 9-0 lead. A big bad sign for our second possession of the day - Burnett goes down, hurt his leg. Haston comes in and hits Maurio Altman for our first touchdown of the season on his first pass of the day. We're not worried about the score, just about Burnett at this point... and with good reason. Torn hamstring - he may be back for the Wake Forest game in week eight. All of a sudden, our season don't look so good.

Good signs from the rest of the team - Ingram picks up a second interception, Fernandez hits a 40+ yard field goal, and Jenkins shows off his speed on a 40-yard touchdown reception after a screen pass. Still, the feel of the game is not good.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 33, UAB 0

Not an awful lot shown in the second half. Haston throws the ball around a lot, and I find out how much we're going to miss the mobility of M.J. Burnett for the first half of the season.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 40, UAB 14

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 14-33, 251 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int
GT QB M.J. Burnett 1-2, 11 yards
UAB QB Jason Teague 10-16, 159 yards, Int
UAB QB Felix Madison 6-12, 58 yards, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 20-118 yards, TD
UAB HB Bo Moncur 14-58 yards, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 5-69 yards
GT HB Ray Jenkins 3-60 yards, 2 TD
UAB TE Marquis Valentine 4-54 yards
UAB WR Thurman Forrest 4-67 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT CB Shane Rodgers 6 Tackles (1 TFL)
GT CB Stanford Ingram 5 Tackles, 2 Int, TD
GT FS Jamar Simms 4 Tackles, Int
GT DT R.J. Wagner 4 Tackles (4 TFL), 4 Sacks, Safety
UAB MLB Dawon Bearden 10 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack
UAB CB Keith Mitchell 3 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 20-118-1 Rushing, 3-60-2 Receiving
UAB CB Keith Mitchell 3 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

[Celeval]

Week One Results:

SI Cover:
Player, Florida State
A Strong Start
Seminoles knock off #19 Pittsburgh 20-17 in season opener.

Top 10:
Showdown in Raleigh: Hokies look ahead to playing #14 NC State and extending their win streak.
1. Ohio State (37) (0-0): BYE
2. Texas (21) (0-0): BYE
3. Miami (1) (1-0): W 49-20 ARIZONA
4. AUburn (0-0): BYE
5. Oklahoma (0-0): BYE
6. Virginia Tech (1-0): W 37-13 ISU
7. Georgia Tech (1-0): W 40-14 UAB
8. Tennessee (0-0): BYE
9. Louisville (0-0): BYE
10. UCLA (0-0): BYE
23. Georgia (0-0): BYE

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Coach Report Card
"Keep doing what you're doing. Changing the ingredients of success is unwise."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 50,192
Next Game: Week 2 vs. #11 UF

Heisman Watch:
Talking Heisman?: If O'Neal remains healthy, he could be the next Heisman Trophy winner.
WR Benjamin Holmes (Sr), Georgia Tech: 5-69 Receiving
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 34-263-1 Rushing, 5-50-2 Receiving
WR Chandler Klein (Jr), Fresno State
HB Zach Shaw (Jr), Oregon State
HB Dominque O'Neal (Jr), Virginia Tech: 32-190-2 Rushing, 2-54-1 Receiving

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 34-263-1 Rushing, 5-50-2 Receiving
CB Stanford Ingram (So), Georgia Tech: 5 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

(ACC)
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 34-263-1 Rushing, 5-50-2 Receiving
CB Stanford Ingram (So), Georgia Tech: 5 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

ACC Standings
1. North Carolina State (1-0, 0-0) W 37-18 Wyoming
2. Georgia Tech (1-0, 0-0): W 40-14 UAB
3. Florida State (1-0, 0-0): W 20-17 Pittsburgh
4. Duke (0-0, 0-0): BYE
5. Clemson (0-0, 0-0): BYE
6. Maryland (0-0, 0-0): BYE
7. Wake Forest (0-0, 0-0): BYE
8. Virginia (0-0, 0-0): BYE
9. North Carolina (0-0, 0-0): BYE

[SirFozzie]

G! Tech! Rambling! WRECK!

Keep up the Good Work Celeval

[Celeval]

Heh.. I'm just hoping to survive until Burnett comes back at this point. I picked the UTEP playbook based on option capability - revising the whole strategy. Up for the next seven weeks - lots of multi-receiver sets, lining running backs up in the slots; maybe some flexbone.

[Buzzbee]

Where did Celeval go? I need a Georgia Tech fix.

[Celeval]

I made the mistake of purchasing Gauntlet: Dark Legacy for my fiancee last week and haven't been able to get on the PS2 since. :-D But I'll be continuing this today at some point.

[Celeval]

Week Two Action:

#11 Florida at #7 Georgia Tech

Preview:
Florida (0-0)
Overall: B
Offense: B+
Defense: B
Special Teams: B+

Key Players:
MLB T. Charles: 92 OVR
QB G. Dickey: 91 OVR
DE S. Harris: 90 OVR

An entirely new game plan with Burnett shelved. We're going to have to take this game to the air against the Gators. There's a potential shootout in the mix; Florida is led by Senior-RS QB Gavin Dickey (91 OVR) in his first starting role for Florida. Dickey is a mobile guy, and he'll be throwing to a pair of solid WRs in Andre Caldwell (89 OVR, 92 SPD) and Jemalle Cornelius (86 OVR, 89 SPD). The Gators are awful deep at WR - seven wideouts on the roster; but the most dangerous is First-Team All-American Tight End LaTroy Lloyd - 13 touchdowns on 50 catches (624 yards), and we've always had trouble defending tight ends. Jimtavis Walker (86 OVR) is the halfback, he scored 10 touchdowns on 107 carries (449 yards) last season.

Defensively, the leaders are DE Steven Harris - a Senior, with 14 career sacks - and All-American corner DeMarco Christensen. Even with Christensen, the Gators aren't terribly deep at corner, which lends itself to our hopeful passing attack.

We're actually going to go back to basics with our own Georgia Tech playbook this game. Heavy on the one-back with some flex-bone in; looking to air the ball out and get some non-option running.

We said we'd need some serious help from our defense with M.J. out - Corso agrees, calling for us to win on account that Florida would turn the ball over 3-4 times. The first one comes on Gavin Dickey's first pass; right into the hands of Anthony Blanks, and we take over inside the 20. We find ourself in trouble already offensively - Haston is sacked a third down, and the field goal try is hooked to the right. Not a good start. Three plays into the Florida drive - Stanford Ingram picks the ball off, and returns it for a score. The crowd loves it, and so do I - 7-0 GT. Ingram drops his second interception of the day not two minutes later, but our defense is playing very well. Our offense, however, is not. Haston throws his first interception late in the first quarter, which leads to a Gator touchdown and a tie score.

We swap scores in the second quarter, both offenses beginning to move the ball with 70+ yard drives; then Haston begins to discover the joys of fast halfbacks on the ends of passes. We put up another 8-play, 80 yard drive to take a 21-14 lead with under a minute to play; with Jenkins and Crockett beating slower linebackers and safeties for catches - Crockett's for the score.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 21, Florida 14

The Gators control the ball - and the flow - for much of the third quarter, and take the lead on another touchdown pass from Dickey. The quarter ends with Fernandez setting up for a tying field goal - but he misses his second of the game, hooking to the right again. We trail 24-21 in the fourth - make that 31-21 after Aristegui misses a tackle and we watch Cornelius take another score in. Still plenty of time - eight minutes to play. We answer quickly - Darnell Spivey's first touchdown catch of his career, and we pull to within a field goal with six and a half to go. We need to rely on our defense - and a huge play by Shane Rodgers; picking off Gavin Dickey and returning the ball inside the five yard line. We line up three times and power it three times - just short. Big decision time, here. Fourth and goal at the one, and we line up for the play. LaShaun Haston falls into the end zone from the goal line formation, and we take a 35-31 lead with 5:07 on the clock. Florida responds right away - Dickey up top beats our deep safety zone, and it's 38-35 Florida with 4:39 to go. We drive slowly, taking the ball down into the red zone. 2:11 to play, first and ten from the 18. Lyle Talley breaks a nice run, and it's first and goal from the seven. Again to Talley - ball on the ground! But Dempsey falls on it. Second and goal, under a minute. We call timeout with 0:20 to play, third and goal. We line up in a bunched shotgun, run a hitch to Benjamin Holmes - threads the needle, and Holmes hangs onto the ball! Touchdown Tech, right in front of the Yellow Jacket band, and we lead 42-38 with 0:18 to play. Fernandez's kick is returnable, but not much... Florida takes over with 0:14 to play at the 23 yard line. Two straight downs with the ball dropped by GT defensive backs, and third down sees only six on the clock. Last play of the game - thrown up - and Shane Rodgers picks it off to end things. Hell of a game, won by our defense.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 42, Florida 38

Greatest Game: #3 (737)

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 27-40, 407 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int
UF QB Gavin Dickey 23-41, 412 yards, 5 TD, 4 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT FB Lyle Talley 10-51 yards
GT HB Ray Jenkins 16-24 yards, TD
UF HB Jimtavis Walker 5-29 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 8-141 yards, TD
GT HB Ray Jenkins 6-74 yards
GT HB Darvin Crocket 3-39 yards, TD
GT WR Darnell Spivey 2-50 yards, TD
UF WR Jemalle Cornelius 6-119 yards, 3 TD
UF WR Ray Gatlin 5-106 yards, TD
UF WR Andre Caldwell 4-110 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT SS Tracy Cage 7 Tackles
GT CB Stanford Ingram 6 Tackles, Int, TD
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 4 Tackles (1 TFL), Sack, Int
GT CB Shane Rodgers 2 Int
UF MLB Taurean Charles 14 Tackles (4 TFL), Sack, Int
UF FS Joey Lewis 9 Tackles (1 TFL)

Old Spice Players of the Game:
UF WR Jemalle Cornelius 6-119 yards, 3 TD
GT CB Stanford Ingram 6 Tackles, Int, TD

[MrBug708]

Kevin, if giving up 38 points is a game "won by your defense", you need some help....

[Celeval]

Week Two Results:

SI Cover:
Players, Louisville
Narrow Scrape
Kentucky couldn't quite pull off the upset against rival Louisville.

Top 10:
Tight Battle: The Yellow Jackets prevail against #11 Florida 42-38.
1. Ohio State (36) (1-0): W 35-0 MIZZOU
2. Texas (22) (1-0): W 49-3 TULSA
3. Miami (1) (2-0): W 62-14 MISS ST
4. Auburn (1-0): W 26-16 USF
5. Oklahoma (1-0): W 48-7 MTSU
6. Georgia Tech (2-0): W 42-38 UF
7. Tennessee (1-0): W 65-3 ARK ST
8. Louisville (1-0): W 30-23 UK
9. NC State (2-0): W 34-10 VT
10. UCLA (1-0): W 26-5 UL LAF
UNR. Georgia (0-1): L 13-17 BC

Dropped out of Top Ten: #6 Virginia Tech

Coach Report Card
"Our kids expected to win and it showed in the Florida game."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 50,266
Next Game: Week 3 vs. #18 S CAR

Heisman Watch:
Benjamin!: Holmes' Heisman candidacy is in full force in Atlanta.
WR Benjamin Holmes (Sr), Georgia Tech: 13-210-1 Receiving
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 59-365-1 Rushing, 9-94-3 Receiving
WR Chandler Klein (Jr), Fresno State: 47 Rec. Yads, TD
HB Zach Shaw (Jr), Oregon State: 18-93-1 Rushing, 2-26 Receiving
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 34-219-3 Rushing, 7-55-1 Receiving

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
QB Isaiah Stanback (Sr-RS), Washington: 31-58-425 Passing, 4-15 Rushing, 6 Total TDs
CB Ray Earl (Fr), Indiana: Tackle, 2 Int, TD
(ACC)
QB London McKinney (So), Maryland: 25-38, 305 yards, 3 TD
CB Stanford Ingram (So), Georgia Tech: 6 Tackles, Int, TD

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (2-0, 1-0): W 24-17 North Carolina
2. Virginia (1-0, 1-0): W 27-17 Duke
3. North Carolina State (2-0, 0-0): W 34-10 Virginia Tech
4. Wake Forest (0-1, 0-0): L 21-27 Kansas State
5. Maryland (1-0, 0-0): W 44-20 Louisiana Tech
6. Georgia Tech (2-0, 0-0): W 42-38 Florida
7. Clemson (0-1, 0-0): : 24-27 Indiana
8. North Carolina (0-1, 0-1): L 17-24 Florida State
9. Duke (0-1, 0-1): L 17-27 Virginia

[Celeval]

Upon further review, we're swapping playbooks again - this time to Ole Miss. Ole Miss will still allow us to open up the passing game, but has more I-Formation runs, which we sorely missed against UF.

[Celeval]

Week Three Action:

#19 South Carolina at #6 Georgia Tech

Preview:
South Carolina (1-0)
Overall: B
Offense: B-
Defense: B-
Special Teams: A-

Key Players:
HB E. Terrell: 2 Rush TD
HB D. Summers: 98 Rush Yards
CB M. Thornton: 2 Ints

The Gamecocks put up 325 yards of rushing on Division I-AA Wofford (24-17 win) last week, and that's what we're looking out for. The USC starting QB is a true freshman - David Sawyer was only 8-20 for 87 yards; but he doesn't need to do much with Senior Demetrius Summers (95 OVR) running the ball. Summers is coming off a 900-yard season last year, is up over 2000 yards for his career, and should shoulder the load for SC this season. His backup got the lion's share of the carries against Wofford - Freshman Ernie Terrell put up 168 yards and 2 TDs. No great shakes on defense - a pair of solid bookend corners in Matt Thornton and Kareem Hayes will keep the passing down.

Meanwhile, we're looking to bump the running game back up to prominence after leaving it behind against Florida.

The Gamecocks move the ball well of the bat with a run-pass mix, but again the defensive secondary steps up - Tracy Cage coming up with an interception deep in our territory to stop the first drive. After a three-and-out, Delvyn Aristegui picks off another USC pass to stop another drive. This time, we see what we've been waiting for from these backs - Jenkins takes the handoff off the right tackle, beats the safety to the corner, and is absolutely gone - 68 yards for a 7-0 lead.

We trail 7-3 the next time we get the ball, so we hand it off to Jenkins again. 78 yards later, it's 14-3. USC just can't stop us defensively in the first half - we pull comfortably away, and Ray Jenkins has a half for the ages - 10 carries for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 41, South Carolina 3

Jenkins sets the school record for most touchdown runs in a game (5) by the midway point of the third quarter, and that's the total of the excitement. We win this going away in a surprise - the breakout party of Ray Jenkins.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 55, South Carolina 13

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 13-20, 170 yards, TD, 2 Int
USC QB David Sawyer 16-32, 253 yards, TD, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 13-325 yards, 5 TD
GT HB Darvin Crockett 13-76 yards, D
GT FB Lyle Talley 7-37 yards
USC HB Demetris Summers 12-50 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 4-44 yards, TD
GT WR George Cooper 3-66 yards
USC TE Carson Ross 5-76 yards, TD
USC WR Noah Whiteside 3-100 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT SS Tracy Cage 7 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack, Int
GT CB Stanford Ingram 7 Tackles
GT MLB Trent Ball 6 Tackles (TFL), Sack
USC OLB LeRon Gregory 7 Tackles (TFL)
USC MLB Doug Henley 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 13-325 yards, 5 TD
USC MLB Doug Henley 2 Int

[Celeval]

Week Three Results:

SI Cover:
HB Ray Jenkins, Georgia Tech (Fr)
Toying With 'Em!
#6 Georgia Tech tops #18 South Carolina in a decisive 55-13 victory.

Top 10:
Time to Celebrate: Tallahassee is celebrating after a sweet victory over ACC rival #21 Maryland.
1. Ohio State (33) (1-0): BYE
2. Texas (22) (2-0): W 36-10 MIAMIU
3. Miami (2) (3-0): W 21-13 TCU
4. Auburn (2-0): W 34-27 WMU
5. Oklahoma (1) (2-0): W 53-10 NEVADA
6. Georgia Tech (3-0): W 55-13 S CAR
7. Tennessee (2-0): W 41-22 PITT
8. Louisville (2-0): W 38-10 ISU
9. NC State (3-0): W 35-21 WAKE
10. UCLA (2-0): W 28-14 MTSU
UNR. Georgia (1-1): W 20-17 RUTGERS

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Coach Report Card
"55-13 Victory! This is why we made you head coach."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 52,962
Next Game: Week 4 vs. #16 FSU

Heisman Watch:
Talking Heisman?: The 5'10", 215 lbs Senior running back has performed well in the spotlight.
WR Benjamin Holmes (Sr), Georgia Tech: 17-254-2 Receiving
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 77-476-2 Rushing; 10-116-3 Receiving
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 49-467-7 Rushing, 10-149-2 Receiving
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 56-352 Rushing, 10-97 Receiving, 5 TDs
WR Chandler Klein (Jr), Fresno State: 7-133 Receiving, 10 Rushing, 3 TDs

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 13-325-5 Rushing 15 Rec. Yards
OLB Leroy White (Sr-RS), Tulsa: 8 Tackle (1 TFL), Sack, Int, FF, TD

(ACC)
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 13-325-5 Rushing 15 Rec. Yards
SS Tracy Cage (So-RS), Georgia Tech: 7 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack, Int, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (3-0, 2-0): W 45-22 Maryland
2. North Carolina State (3-0, 1-0): W 35-21 Wake Forest
3. Virginia (2-0, 1-0): W 47-3 UNLV
4. Clemson (0-2, 0-0): L 19-24 Oregon
5. Georgia Tech (3-0, 0-0): W 55-13 South Carolina
6. Maryland (1-1, 0-1): L 22-45 Florida State
7. Duke (0-2, 0-1): L 17-27 Memphis
8. Wake Forest (0-2, 0-1): L 21-35 North Carolina State
9. North Carolina (0-2, 0-1): L 21-31 San Diego State

[Celeval]

Week Four Action:

#16 Florida State at #6 Georgia Tech

Preview:
Florida State (3-0)
Overall: B+
Offense: B+
Defense: B
Special Teams: B+

Key Players:
HB L. Booker: 5 Total TD
QB V. Mathis: 670 Passing Yards
OLB G. Williams: 22 Tackles

We prepare for the Florida State game with a similar gameplan to the South Carolina win - try and hold up the star tailback and force the quarterback to beat us. In this case the quarterback is Sophmore Vin Mathis - he beat out last year's starter Ell May in the preseason after a 21-TD, 5 Int season by May. Mathis is 50-100 for 670 yards, 3 TDs, and 4 picks this year.

The runner, however, is possibly the best tailback in the NCAA this year - Lorenzo Booker (99-OVR) is the complete package. He has speed, power, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He's rushed for 257 yards and four scores this season, in addition to catching six passes for one touchdown. Outside of Booker, the Florida State offense isn't any scarier than the others we've faced - the WR core is solid but not as spectacular after graduation of a couple top guys.

Defensively, the Seminoles lost defensive line leader Kameron Wilbley to injury; which hurts greatly. The entire Florida State defense now looks mortal if not vulnerable - their best asset (similar to USC) is a stellar shutdown corner in Antonio Cromartie.

Game of the Week in the NCAA, nationally televised, and beautiful weather awaiting us in Atlanta. The GameDay crew has the crowd fired up, and we're ready to go.

Florida State obviously didn't watch their USC game tape from last week - Jenkins rolls up 150 yards on the ground in the first half. It begins to turn into a shootout, but we score on each end of the half to take a comfortable lead into the break. Nearly 650 yards of offense combined in the first half, but we're happy with our lead.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 35, Florida State 14

Florida State makes a mini-run early in the fourth, putting ten points on the board, but we've just got too many weapons. I'm not sure when this offensive turnaround began, but I like it. Florida State blows some chances by being desperate - going for it on fourth down, and a pair of fake field goals (both failures), all before the fourth quarter. Jenkins is handled pretty well in the second half, but Lyle Talley busts a few solid plays up the middle.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 49, Florida State 28

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 19-30, 321 yards, TD, Int
GT HB Ray Jenkins 1-1, 46 yards
FSU QB Vic Mathis 21-39, 394 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 13-176 yards, 4 TD
GT FB Lyle Talley 8-47 yards, 2 TD
FSU HB Lorenzo Booker 21-79 yards
FSU HB Reshard Edwards 6-28 yards, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 6-153 yards, TD
GT HB Ray Jenkins 4-36 yards
FSU WR Decody Fagg 5-101 yards, 2 TD
FSU HB Lorenzo Booker 4-34 yards
FSU WR Rickey Harrington 3-136 yards, TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT WR Jamar Simms 8 Tackles
GT MLB Trent Ball 8 Tackles (3 TFL), Sack
GT SS Tracy Cage 7 Tackles, Int
GT CB Stanford Ingram 2 Tackles, Int
FSU CB Chuckie Gilmore 7 Tackles
FSU SS Freddie Rhodes 5 Tackles (2 TFL), Sack

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 13-176 yards, 4 TD
FSU QB Vic Mathis 21-39, 394 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int

[Celeval]

Week Four Results:

SI Cover:
QB Gavin Dickey, Florida
Last Minute Thriller!
Florida prevails in overtime against Fresno State 50-47.

Top 10:
Not Getting It Done: Bulldogs return home after a 50-47 nightmare to Florida.
1. Ohio State (31) (2-0): W 52-20 KU
2. Texas (22) (2-0): BYE
3. Miami (5) (4-0): W 37-6 CLEM
4. Auburn (1) (3-0): W 52-16 VANDY
5. Oklahoma (3-0): W 37-12 MSU
6. Georgia Tech (4-0): W 49-28 FSU
7. Tennessee (3-0): W 31-17 WASH
8. Louisville (3-0): W 41-7 ULM
9. NC State (4-0): W 43-7 WISC
10. UCLA (3-0): W 34-20 MISS
UNR. Georgia (1-2): W 23-33 S CAR

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Coach Report Card
"Great Teams don't settle for a win, they find ways to keep winning."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 52,480
Next Game: Week 4 vs. #16 FSU

Heisman Watch:
Heisman Form: The Wolfpack are 4-0 and Blackman is a big part of their success.
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 62-643-11 Rushing, 14-185-2 Receiving
WR Benjamin Holmes (Sr), Georgia Tech: 23-407-3 Receiving
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 102-610-4 Rushing; 15-171-3 Receiving
HB Dominque O'Neal (Hr), Virginia Tech: 89-534-6 Rushing, 6-126-2 Receiving
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 76-443 Rushing, 12-116 Receiving, 5 TDs

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 13-176-4 Rushing 4-36 Receiving
DE Jacques Brannon (Jr), Northern Illinois: 11 Tackles (6 TFL), 5 Sacks, FF, FR

(ACC)
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 13-176-4 Rushing 4-36 Receiving
OLB Bryan Andrews (Sr-RS), Wake Forest: 14 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 Sacks

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (3-1, 2-1): L 28-49 Georgia Tech
2. Georgia Tech (4-0, 1-0): W 49-28 FSU
3. North Carolina State (4-0, 1-0): W 43-7 Wisconsin
4. Virginia (2-1, 1-0): L 10-23 Air Force
5. Clemson (0-3, 0-0): L 6-37 Miami
6. Maryland (2-1, 0-1): W 19-3 San Jose State
7. North Carolina (1-2, 0-1): W 20-14 Louisiana Tech
8. Duke (1-2, 0-1): W 32-18 Utah
9. Wake Forest (0-3, 0-1): L 0-23 Cincinnati

[Celeval]

Some slider changes before the Clemson game, detailed in the first post.

[Celeval]

Week Five Action:

#6 Georgia Tech at Clemson

Preview:
Clemson (0-3)
Overall: B-
Offense: B-
Defense: B-
Special Teams: B+

Points/Game: 16.3 (96)
Total Offense: 299.9 (94)
Rush Offense: 99.3 (97)
Pass Offense: 200.6 (68)
Total Defense: 429.3 (89)
Rush Defense: 145.9 (53)
Pass Defense: 283.3 (101)
Turnover Diff: -0.60 (81)

Key Players:
OLB J. Weiss: 24 Tackles
MLB C. Berlin: 25 Tackles
RB T. Billie: 240 Rush Yards

Clemson was making its way up the ACC ladder for a bit, but hasn't done so well this season with losses to Indiana, Oregon, and #3 Miami. Their offensive firepower - as with much of our schedule this early season - is tied up in a single good back. Tramaine Billie is a second team All-American; but isn't playing quite to that level, averaging 80 yards/game and 5 yards/carry. The starting quarterback is RS-Senior Will Proctor; his only game action is this season, and he has 3 TDs and 3 picks with a 37% completion percentage. Defensively, Clemson hasn't stopped anyone; giving up at least 24 points to each opponent.

A night game in Death Valley, regionally televised. After Clemson goes three-and-out, a big pass play to Holmes gets us inside the red zone, but a Haston interception cuts our first drive short.

Jenkins puts up an early touchdown, but this game is much closer - we put up just under 250 yards of total offense, but trail at the half.

Halftime: Clemson 17, Georgia Tech 10

It's our ball to start the second half, and start well with three consecutive first downs; but an ill-advised deep ball by Haston is the third interception of the day; and we're beginning to get concerned. Clemson responds with a big drive - from their own four yard line down inside the ten; then stopped short inside the three on third down. The Tigers line up for a fourth and goal shot, and Cage gets into the backfield on the pitch to hold Billie short. Still 17-10, and we take over on the 3. We move the ball again - a big pass play to Altman on second and twelve is key - and get inside the ten ourselves. We give the ball to Lyle Talley up the middle, and he gets in to tie the game up heading into the fourth quarter. The Tigers respond, pulling off big plays on third and sixteen and a tipped blocked pass grabbed by a wideout to drive for a touchdown - 24-17, and Clemson is over 400 yards in the air. We take our time with an extended drive - finally hitting Benji Holmes for a tying touchdown on third and long with 2:27 on the clock. Clemson's drive comes down to a third-and-inches - we stuff the fullback for no gain, and return the ensuing punt to midfield. 1:46 on the timer. We move the ball slowly, riding Jenkins into the red zone. We run the ball twice to set up positioning, finally down to the one yard line with 0:02 to play. A timeout called to set up a chip shot for Fernandez - up and through! 8 plays, 50 yards, 1:46 for the winning field goal!

The slider changes definately made a difference - much harder to break to the outside on the off-tackle runs that got Jenkins his yards and scores in previous games. Took about a half to adjust, but we still moved the ball (and should have) against this team.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 27, Clemson 24

Greatest Game #10: 294 points

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 15-30, 266 yards, TD, 3 Int
CLEM QB Will Proctor 23-43, 406 yards, 2 TD, Int

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 19-174 yards, TD
GT FB Lyle Talley 11-45 yards, TD
CLEM HB Tramaine Billie 14-38 yards, TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 6-144 yards, TD
GT HB Ray Jenkins 3-16 yards
GT TE Maurio Altman 2-61 yards
CLEM TE Chip Irwin 5-74 yards, 2 TD
CLEM WR Shane Harrison 5-120 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT CB Shane Rodgers 6 Tackles (1 TFL), Sack
GT SS Tracy Cage 5 Tackles (1 TFL), Int
CLEM OLB Paul Walters 8 Tackles (2 TFL)
CLEM FS Ernie Haston 7 Tackles (1 TFL), 2 Int

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 19-174 yards, TD
CLEM QB Will Proctor 23-43, 406 yards, 2 TD, Int

[Celeval]

Week Five Results:

SI Cover:
Players, Tennessee
Great Escape
The #7 Volunteers flirt with disaster against rival Florida.

Top 10:
Can't Be Stopped!: UCLA keeps its win streak alive after beating a talented NC State team.
1. Ohio State (39) (3-0): W 52-14 OK ST
2. Texas (20) (3-0): W 52-20 HAWAII
3. Miami (5-0): W 48-20 BC
4. Auburn (4-0): W 41-3 NAVY
5. Oklahoma (3-0): BYE
6. Georgia Tech (5-0): W 27-24 CLEM
7. Tennessee (4-0): W 24-23 UF
8. UCLA (4-0): W 48-16 NCSU
9. Louisville (3-0): BYE
10. Michigan (4-0): W 47-16 ZIPS
UNR. Georgia (1-1): W 20-17 RUTGERS

Dropped out of Top Ten: #9 North Carolina State

Coach Report Card
"Your success has led to some interesting phone calls."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 52,480
Next Game: Week 7 at #17 NCSU

Heisman Watch:
Heisman Material?: Jenkins has put up some impressive numbers being in the national spotlight.
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 81-817-12 Rushing; 17-201-2 Receiving
HB Dominque O'Neal (Jr), Virginia Tech: 117-705-8 Rushing; 6-126-2 Receiving
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 84-481 Rushing, 13-121 Receiving, 6 TDs
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 130-718-5 Rushing; 18-232-3 Receiving
WR Benjamin Holmes (Sr), Georgia Tech: 29-551-4 Receiving

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
HB LenDale White (Sr), USC: 22-122 Rushing, 10 Receiving Yards, 4 TDs
FS Kwame Landrum (Jr), Washington State: 7 Tackles, 2 Int, TD

(ACC)
HB Lorenzo Booker (Sr-RS), Florida State: 22-184-3 Rushing, 2-29 Receiving
MLB Ahmad Brooks (Sr), Virginia: 12 Tackles, 2 Int, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0): W 27-24 Clemson
2. Florida State (4-1, 2-1): W 47-17 Troy State
3. North Carolina State (4-1, 1-0): L 16-48 UCLA
4. Virginia (2-2, 1-0): L 13-35 Oregon State
5. Maryland (3-1, 0-1): W 34-13 Temple
6. North Carolina (1-3, 0-1): L 24-32 Penn State
7. Duke (1-3, 0-1): L 13-35 Illinois
8. Clemson (0-4, 0-1): L 24-27 Georgia Tech
9. Wake Forest (0-3, 0-1): L 0-23 Cincinnati

[MrBug708]

It'll be interesting where Holmes is drafted....

[Celeval]

Week Six Results:

We have a bye week.

Game of the Week
#7 Tennessee 27
South Carolina 23

SI Cover:
HB Darrell Blackman, NC State (Jr-RS)
No Love Lost
NC State sneaks past rival North Carolina 20-17.

Top 10:
No Place Like Home? Louisiana Tech downs Purdue on their own turf 24-17.
1. Ohio State (33) (4-0): W 49-16 NU
2. Texas (22) (4-0): W 48-2 TOLEDO
3. Miami (2) (6-0): W 36-14 NMSU
4. Auburn (1) (5-0): W W 52-6 TULANE
5. Oklahoma (1) (4-0): W 28-15 RU
6. Georgia Tech (5-0): BYE
7. Tennessee (5-0): W 27-23 S CAR
8. UCLA (4-0): BYE
9. Louisville (4-0): W 27-10 WYO
10. Michigan (5-0): W 41-13 IU
22. Georgia (2-2): W 42-21 LSU

Dropped out of Top Ten: None

Coach Report Card
"Use this time to rest up, but make sure we get a few practices in."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 52,480
Next Game: Week 7 at #17 NCSU

Heisman Watch:
Rolling Along: Moss credits his O-line for allowing him to put up the numbers he has.
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 81-817-12 Rushing; 17-201-2 Receiving
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 157-877-6 Rushing; 21-278-4 Receiving
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 105-610 Rushing, 14-152 Receiving, 7 TDs
HB Dominque O'Neal (Jr), Virginia Tech: 117-705-8 Rushing; 6-126-2 Receiving
HB Donnie Johnson (Sr-RS), Penn State: 138-748 Rushing; 11-127 Receiving; 8 TDs

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
QB Stuart Fleming (Jr), San Diego State: 26-43, 416 yards, 7 TD; 5 car, 13 yards
OLB Bam Colvin (Jr), Army: 13 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 FF, TD

(ACC)
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 27-159-1 Rushing, 3-46-1 Receiving
DE DeWayne Fields (Jr), North Carolina State: 2 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. Florida State (5-1, 3-1): W 31-28 Duke
2. Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0): BYE
3. North Carolina State (5-1, 2-0): W 20-17 North Carolina
4. Virginia (3-2, 2-0): W 27-17 Wake Forest
5. Maryland (4-1, 0-1): W 32-25 West Virginia
6. Clemson (0-4, 0-1): BYE
7. Duke (1-4, 0-2): L 28-31 Florida State
8. North Carolina (1-4, 0-2): L 17-20 North Carolina State
9. Wake Forest (0-4, 0-2): L 17-27 Virginia

[Celeval]

Week Seven Action:

#6 Georgia Tech at #16 North Carolina State

Preview:
North Carolina State (5-1)
Overall: B+
Offense: B+
Defense: B
Special Teams: A

Points/Game: 30.8 (29)
Total Offense: 436.3 (21)
Rush Offense: 180.9 (36)
Pass Offense: 255.3 (23)
Total Defense: 299.6 (18)
Rush Defense: 103.9 (12)
Pass Defense: 195.6 (42)
Turnover Diff: -0.40 (75)

Key Players:
HB D. Blackman: 877 Rush Yards
QB M. Stone: 1422 Pass Yards
OLB S. Tulloch: 44 Tackles

The North Carolina State Wolfpack are back to their usual competitive selves; losing their first game two weeks ago to top-ten UCLA. Junior Marcus Stone is someone we've seen before - he's the starting quarterback, and is playing well with 14 touchdown passes against six interceptions. As always, the man to watch is All-American halfback Darrell Blackman - he's averaging over five and a half yards per carry, and is poised to rush for over 1500 yards on this pace. The receivers are fast but ordinary; Junior Robert Jamison taking the brunt of the load with 27 catches for 412 yards, nearly matching his total of a season ago. Tight End Jamesly Jean has hurt us in the past, and we'll be watching him closely. The defense is one of the best we'll face this year, with only three starters of below OVR 80 starting - we want to keep an eye on OLB Steve Tulloch as the best of the bunch.

We're in Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, and the rain is coming down. This plays into the hands of the Wolfpack, as the rain should neutralize some of the speed of our backs. Either way, it'll most likely be a game based on the run and run defense. Very little wind, and that may play a part as well.

The State crowd is rocking, and the offense doesn't disappoint - Blackman goes for ten yards on the opening carry of the game, and Marcus Stone immediately goes to the play-action - up top to Jamison and the 'pack lead 7-0 thirty seconds into it. Our first play from scrimmage is a quick hitch towards Holmes - but Tulloch jumps in front of it, and comes up with the interception. Jamison catches his second touchdown of the day on the very next play; we're down 14-0 and shellshocked in the huddle. We need someone to step up on offense, and it's a combination of Benji Holmes and Darrell Spivey - Holmes is over 125 yards receiving in the first half, and Spivey catches two touchdown passes, including one as time expires - we still trail at the half, but are starting to move the ball against this defense. Spivey's last catch is a Phyrric victory - he makes the catch in traffic, but hurts his shoulder on the way down and is gone for the game.

Halftime: North Carolina State 24, Georgia Tech 21

We swap touchdowns early, and punts later - we still trail by three heading into the fourth quarter. Our biggest problem is brought into sharp relief again - Haston puts the ball on the ground after a sack, and we lose possession. That's our third turnover - State has none. That fumble turns into a field goal, and we trail 34-28 with just over seven to play. Even worse - Crockett fumbles the kick return, and State falls on it again; a chance in the red zone to break the game open, and they do. QB draw from the three for a touchdown, and we're in trouble. The Wolfpack go for two and fail - which helps - but it's still a two-touchdown game at 40-28. We get a huge opportunity on our next drive, coming right down the field; but still inside the five. Fourth and goal from the three, and we have to go for it - give the ball to Jenkins, and he's hit at the one... but somehow makes his way in, and we cut the lead to 40-35. We're under five to play now, and we need a turnover in the worst way. We don't get the turn, but force the field goal attempt from well over fifty yards - /just/ wide to the left, and we get it back at our own 39 with 2:46 to play. Plenty of time, but we need to move... and Jenkins breaks one, down inside the twenty. 1:51 to go. Three rushes net six yards, and we're at 0:30 and fourth and four. The hitch to Holmes - he has it in his hands, but drops the ball upon the hit, and that's the ballgame. A disappointment, and a game we had our chances to win. Something for the fans to talk about - and we get M.J. Burnett back next week.

Final Score: North Carolina State 40, Georgia Tech 35

Greatest Game #4: 556 points

Leading Passers:
GT QB LaShaun Haston 14-27, 317 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int
NCST QB Marcus Stone 13-20, 222 yards, 2 TD

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 20-155 yards, TD
GT FB Lyle Talley 10-29 yards, TD
NCST HB Darrell Blackman 21-104 yards, 2 TD

Leading Receivers:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 8-222 yards, TD
GT WR Darrell Spivey 3-77 yards, 2 TD
NCST WR Robert Jamison 6-128 yards, 2 TD

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT MLB Anthony Blanks 5 Tackles (TFL)
NCST SS Torrance Leslie 6 Tackles (2 TFL)
NCST DT Sydney Martinez 4 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 Sacks

Old Spice Players of the Game:
GT WR Benjamin Holmes 8-222 yards, TD
NCST WR Robert Jamison 6-128 yards, 2 TD

[Celeval]

Week Eight Results:

Game of the Week
#4 Auburn 38
#7 Tennessee 24

SI Cover:
QB Herbert Rutherford, Texas (Jr)
Tradition Continues
Red River Shootout pits #2 Texas against #5 Oklahoma.

Top 10:
Painful Setback: Yellow Jackets can't quite put away NC State, lose 40-35.
1. Ohio State (35) (5-0): W 31-26 BC
2. Texas (21) (5-0): W 37-13 KSU
3. Miami (2) (7-0): W 63-22 WVU
4. Auburn (1) (6-0): W 38-24 TENN
5. Oklahoma (5-0): W 65-28 ISU
6. UCLA (5-0): W 48-10 WASH
7. Louisville (5-0): W 25-12 USF
8. Michigan (6-0): W 31-28 IOWA
9. Penn State (6-0): W 28-6 WISC
10. Oregon State (6-0): W 38-6 CAL
14. Georgia Tech (5-1): L 35-40 NC ST
UNR. Georgia (2-3): L 23-26 BAMA

Dropped out of Top Ten: #6 Georgia Tech, #7 Tennessee

Coach Report Card
"Georgia Tech fans are not happy with rumors of you leaving after the 2006 season."
Job Security: A+
Average Attendance: 52,480
Next Game: Week 8 vs. Wake

Heisman Watch:
Gaining Momentum: Jenkins has put up some impressive numbers being in the National Spotlight.
HB Tyrone Moss (Sr), Miami: 1705 All-Purpose Yards, 10 TDs
HB Darrell Blackman (Jr-RS), North Carolina State: 178-981-8 Rushing; 21-278-4 Receiving
HB Dominque O'Neal (Jr), Virginia Tech: 136-814-9 Rushing; 8-144-3 Receiving
HB Ray Jenkins (Fr), Georgia Tech: 101-972-13 Rushing; 18-203-2 Receiving
HB Donnie Johnson (Sr-RS), Penn State: 162-882 Rushing; 12-144 Receiving; 9 TDs

Players of the Week
(NCAA)
HB Sean Frye (So), Rice: 58-306-2 Rushing
OLB Garrett Lee (Jr), UNLV: 7 Tackles, Int, 2 TD

(ACC)
QB Antwaun Stamps (So-RS), Wake Forest: 14-24, 267 yards; 5-13 Rushing, 3 TD
DT Sydney Martinez (Jr), North Carolina State: 4 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 Sacks, FF, FR

ACC Standings
1. North Carolina State (6-1, 3-0): W 40-35 Georgia Tech
2. Florida State (5-1, 3-1): BYE
3. Georgia Tech (5-1, 2-1): L 35-40 North Carolina State
4. Virginia (3-3, 2-1): L 17-31 North Carolina
5. Maryland (5-1, 1-1): W 30-20 Clemson
6. North Carolina (2-4, 1-2): W 31-17 Virginia
7. Duke (1-5, 0-2): L 25-31 Toledo
8. Wake Forest (1-4, 0-2): W 24-9 Toledo
9. Clemson (0-5, 0-2): L 20-30 Maryland

[Buzzbee]

Yea! Celeval's back!!! I was afraid you would abandon us for that other silly dynasty. Glad to see you sticking with this one too.

[Celeval]

Week Eight Action:

Wake Forest at #14 Georgia Tech

Preview:
Wake Forest (1-4)
Overall: C
Offense: C
Defense: C+
Special Teams: C+

Points/Game: 16.6 (103)
Total Offense: 277.6 (112)
Rush Offense: 120.8 (80)
Pass Offense: 156.8 (103)
Total Defense: 380.8 (60)
Rush Defense: 155.0 (60)
Pass Defense: 225.8 (74)
Turnover Diff: +0.60 (26)

Key Players:
OLB B. Andrews: 48 Tackles
MLB P. Easley: 42 Tackles
QB A. Stamps:

Wake Forest comes to town in time to meet a peeved Georgia Tech squad, led by a quarterback returning one week too late. M.J. Burnett comes off injury and back to the field; hopefully to stay.

He'll be met by a Wake Forest squad who is having very little luck. Usually a solid team, Wake has put very little points on the board - picking up their first win just last week against 1-5 Tulane. They are led by starting QB Antwaun Stamps - a pocket passer, which is a lot of the problem. Stamps isn't bad, but Wake's option attack is designed to be used by a scrambler, which Stamps is not. Add in the lack of experience and talent at halfback, and Wake is in for all kinds of trouble. We'll probably see true freshman Houston Larson as a starter; he's gone for 311 yards so far this year. Defensively, Wake has a decent LB corps but not much elsewhere.

We break from form and take the ball first - time to get M.J. back onto the field. He takes the ball, and drives right down the field, Burnett taking the ball in himself on the option for a 7-0 lead. We blow out to a quick lead in this one and don't look back.

Halftime: Georgia Tech 42, Wake Forest 10

We leave our starters in with the intent of getting back into the swing of things - getting used to Burnett in the backfield again. The lowlight of the half is a Burnett interception returned for a touchdown... the highlight I-Perfection Harris returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown... and M.J. Burnett's fourth rushing touchdown, a record-setting 93-yard run off an option.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 70, Wake Forest 17

Leading Passers:
GT QB M.J. Burnett 9-22, 155 yards, TD, Int
WF QB Antwaun Stamps 14-20, 155 yards

Leading Rushers:
GT HB Ray Jenkins 15-150 yards, 4 TD
GT QB M.J. Burnett 11-131 yards, 4 TD
WF HB Houston Larson 24-65 yards

Leading Receivers:
GT TE Maurio Altman 4-43 yards
GT WR Benji Holmes 3-65 yards, TD
WF WR Nate Morton 5-70 yards

Outstanding Defensive Players:
GT FS Jamar Simms 7 Tackles
GT DE Terron Pullen 6 Tackles (3 TFL), 2 Sacks
GT MLB Trent Ball 5 Tackles (2 TFL), 2 Sacks
WF FS Garret Robinson 7 Tackles
WR CB D. Blount 2 Tackles, Int, TD

Old Spice Players of the Game:
QB M.J. Burnett: 9-22, 155 yards, 11 carries, 131 yards, 5 TDs
WR CB D. Blount 2 Tackles, Int, TD