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Game 8 Microscope: Florida State Seminoles

After my daily call with CTR yesterday, I learned that CPJ is bringing in a motivational speaker to fire up our guys Saturday just prior to the game...

goodman_display_image.jpg


...his main message is going to be "you gotta win homecoming!"
 
We're gonna need to see improvement from the defense to hold FSU to 31 or less (as the three optimistic bloggers predict). What has happened on that side of the ball this season is at least as disappointing as the o-line cluster f. It's also more disturbing because bad defense has become a defining characteristic of the program under CPJ, whereas the offensive line struggles will likely get fixed sooner or later.
 
I have a bad cold. Thinking about driving down to Tallahassee to sneeze all over everything in their locker room. Pretty sure that's our best chance of winning... if their entire team has fever, aching head, stuffy nose, chest congestion...
 
Had a guy tell me yesterday that GT's defense needs some players who "can't actually graduate from Ga Tech."

I wonder how much truth there is in that statement...
 
I have a bad cold. Thinking about driving down to Tallahassee to sneeze all over everything in their locker room. Pretty sure that's our best chance of winning... if their entire team has fever, aching head, stuffy nose, chest congestion...
I'll pay for the Gas
 
Another reason for optimism, FSU has zero offensive turnovers this season - nada! You all know what that means...they are due! The due theory comes into play in a big way Saturday evening. We're talkin' 3, 4, maybe even 5 turnovers...enough to turn the tide in favor of the Good Guys!

Add in some bio-warfare from Melanie and an inspirational pre-game speech by the head football coach of Adams College, and an upset victory at BDS is looking very likely. Wait for the spread to widen before kickoff and play GT on the money line.
 
Had a guy tell me yesterday that GT's defense needs some players who "can't actually graduate from Ga Tech."

I wonder how much truth there is in that statement...
Sorry I'm too old now. By the time I ran on the field I won't need a time out
 
Trust me I'm going to call it now. If we score more than FSU we win. If not we lose. I have not missed this year.
 
I'll pay for the Gas

I think she said sneeze on them, not fart on them, mate. Of course, farting on them may achieve the same objective and to that, I applaud Mel's spirit.

Btw, have you ever noticed women never fart, but they are often near a dog that has. I've been married almost 30 years and SWMBO has never farted apparently, but my loveable beagle, Ginger, just rips away all day long...apparently.

But, I digress.
 
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Maybe that's why my marriage didn't last, we didn't have a dog.

Seriously, I was told that I went to too many GT games. A duh, when you met me I had season tickets for three different sports. For better or worse, and we were real bad back then. She leaves me after 1990, the greatest year in Tech Sports History! Side note: bought her a brand new Toyota Camry, title clear to attend my softball games in. She owned more shoes than the entire Seminole Football Team had.
 
Things I hope for tomorrow...

1. Roof brings some blitz packages. What do we really have to lose at this point? Throw the proverbial kitchen sink at them. If it bites us with some long gains and/or TD's, then so be it. Be aggressive. Try to set the tone. Shake up the defensive packages and personnel some. Try to confuse the FSU QB so he has little clue who is coming and where.

2. Survive the first half. Keep the homecoming crowd in it. A bad thing would be for FSU to jump out to an early lead and our fans along with more importantly players start looking around wondering "here we go again".

3. Protect the damn ball. JT5 getting a 15 yd gain and then inexplicably fumbling at the end of the play near our sidelines last week is exactly the kind of play that has been killing us. I can handle the occasional lost fumble due to a bad pitch on the option. That is going to happen sometimes. But, once we get the first down and you are heading towards the sidelines, just get out of bounds or go down. I know JT5 and the others are competitors and want to get the extra yardage. I appreciate and admire that. But, we've got to play smarter. Turnovers are drive killers. Keep FSU's defense on the field as long as we can, eat clock, and wear them out.

4. Get Marshall out into open field. Run the option with MM as the primary runner outside with JT5 several times. MM is a big play opportunity every time we can get it to him, but especially out in space. I'd love to see us give him the ball so often he is asking to come out for a breather. I know Cook is the featured guy tomorrow, but I'm hopeful tomorrow night people are saying the better back on the field (at least in this one game) was MM.

If we can accomplish the 2nd hope above, I like our chances. Our guys respect FSU as we should, but we don't fear them by any means. Go Jackets!
 
Things I hope for tomorrow...

1. Roof brings some blitz packages. What do we really have to lose at this point? Throw the proverbial kitchen sink at them. If it bites us with some long gains and/or TD's, then so be it. Be aggressive. Try to set the tone. Shake up the defensive packages and personnel some. Try to confuse the FSU QB so he has little clue who is coming and where.

2. Survive the first half. Keep the homecoming crowd in it. A bad thing would be for FSU to jump out to an early lead and our fans along with more importantly players start looking around wondering "here we go again".

3. Protect the damn ball. JT5 getting a 15 yd gain and then inexplicably fumbling at the end of the play near our sidelines last week is exactly the kind of play that has been killing us. I can handle the occasional lost fumble due to a bad pitch on the option. That is going to happen sometimes. But, once we get the first down and you are heading towards the sidelines, just get out of bounds or go down. I know JT5 and the others are competitors and want to get the extra yardage. I appreciate and admire that. But, we've got to play smarter. Turnovers are drive killers. Keep FSU's defense on the field as long as we can, eat clock, and wear them out.

4. Get Marshall out into open field. Run the option with MM as the primary runner outside with JT5 several times. MM is a big play opportunity every time we can get it to him, but especially out in space. I'd love to see us give him the ball so often he is asking to come out for a breather. I know Cook is the featured guy tomorrow, but I'm hopeful tomorrow night people are saying the better back on the field (at least in this one game) was MM.

If we can accomplish the 2nd hope above, I like our chances. Our guys respect FSU as we should, but we don't fear them by any means. Go Jackets!


The only thing I would add is NO special teams mistakes.
 
The only thing I would add is NO special teams mistakes.

Amen! Preach it, brotha!

FSU has perhaps the top placekicker in the nation. I'd like to see him out there kicking FG's obviously a lot more than XP's. He kicked 3 FG's in Charlotte last year in the 2nd half (their only 9 pts after scoring 4 TD's in the 1st half). Butker didn't attempt any in that game, but if he does tomorrow, we need the snap/hold/kick to be true. Can't leave any points on the field - even FG's - and expect to upset a top 10 team normally.

Hopefully we see Harrison kicking off a lot and preferably thru the endzone. More "hopefullys" I realize, but fingers crossed the punt snaps over heads are a thing of the past and we won't see anymore of those for a long time. Then again, I'd prefer we don't see our punting team at all of course. As far as returns go, I guess my expectation is so low, my "hope" is that we just don't fumble.

edit note: I think losing Cottrell for the season potentially hurt our chances of a game changing threat at KO and punt return out there among other things. I am willing to bet - though obviously hypothetical at this point - if Nathan had stayed healthy, he would be our primary returner on both KO's and punts right now.
 
of course ga tech can win ! i think you will not - however, you always play the noles very tuff ... think we are still trying to figure if we are a good team - hopefully, better than good ... hope we win, but good luck to tech !!
 
Amen! Preach it, brotha!

FSU has perhaps the top placekicker in the nation. I'd like to see him out there kicking FG's obviously a lot more than XP's. He kicked 3 FG's in Charlotte last year in the 2nd half (their only 9 pts after scoring 4 TD's in the 1st half). Butker didn't attempt any in that game, but if he does tomorrow, we need the snap/hold/kick to be true. Can't leave any points on the field - even FG's - and expect to upset a top 10 team normally.

Hopefully we see Harrison kicking off a lot and preferably thru the endzone. More "hopefullys" I realize, but fingers crossed the punt snaps over heads are a thing of the past and we won't see anymore of those for a long time. Then again, I'd prefer we don't see our punting team at all of course. As far as returns go, I guess my expectation is so low, my "hope" is that we just don't fumble.

edit note: I think losing Cottrell for the season potentially hurt our chances of a game changing threat at KO and punt return out there among other things. I am willing to bet - though obviously hypothetical at this point - if Nathan had stayed healthy, he would be our primary returner on both KO's and punts right now.

If our d can play 4 qtrs. like it did the 2nd half last year... watch out.

speaking of special teams. it seems they were better when there was a dedicated coach for them.
 
Whatever happened to the riverboat gambler Admiral Johnson circa 2008? Recall that guy who would onsides kick at random times, for instance. When's the last time we've tried a reverse on a return? The one thing the return units have done a decent job on is punt blocks over the last few years. Otherwise, it has been one big yawn.
 
While *I* have never farted in 17 years of marriage (because, DOG), my 11 year old daughter is loud, proud, and will damn well announce hers verbally if no one comments. She's a delicate little flower, practicing with my make up and hair spray one minute and out kicking the boys butts at tether ball the next. :D
 
A well-rounded young lady who I have great respect for. Hopefully she can fart all of Up With The White And Gold. That would impress the guys. Well, anybody for that matter.

I've found over the years that the verse "till our bow wows rip through the air" has a new meaning once you master farting the song.

But, once again, I digress.

My prediction for tomorrow FWIW...

Noles win 34-24. :(
 
34-24 is a reasonable prediction (unfortunately).

Your point #1 above is what I'm most hoping to see tomorrow evening. CTR has taken the uber-bland vanilla route this season and it's not working. We just don't have the talent on the front 7 to play vanilla and be effective. Not having even one guy who can play the 1-technique on the DL is killing us - we miss Shawn Green in a big, bad, terrible way. OTOH, we have guys in the secondary who are on the radar of NFL scouts - let them do their thing. Man them up, bring 'em on blitzes, use their athleticism to cause disruption. It worked last year - go back to that well, Ted. Please.

ETA: What's going down with GT's D this season is ominously and sadly analogous with what happened to *MY* Miami Dolphins under DC Kevin Coyle. Coyle's best athletes were on the defensive line and he had those guys running a 2-gap scheme - WTF?
 
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Congratulations. You kicked our ass and it looks like we needed it. We will be a force to reckon with now that our players have been brought back down to earth.

See you in the ACCCG....next year.
 
Updated topics earlier in this thread...

1. Last time FSU lost a game to a team entering the game with a losing record... October 24, 2015. GT 22-16.

2. Last time FSU lost a game against an ACC team... October 24, 2015. GT 22-16.

(note, those streaks still remain incredibly impressive for the Noles...the thing of envy from the rest of the conference, IMO)
 
Speaking of streaks, some are now more in scope of continuing for the Jackets than 24 hours ago...

1. Avoiding a losing record in conference play...goes back to 1995 for Tech...longest of any team in the nation.

2. Postseason appearances...currently tied for 2nd with the Cesspool. (note, the Hokies at #1 are in danger of their streak ending at 3-5...still have to play UNC, travel to GT, etc.)
 
Updated topics earlier in this thread...

1. Last time FSU lost a game to a team entering the game with a losing record... October 24, 2015. GT 22-16.

2. Last time FSU lost a game against an ACC team... October 24, 2015. GT 22-16.

(note, those streaks still remain incredibly impressive for the Noles...the thing of envy from the rest of the conference, IMO)
I tried to tell ya this could happen. Fisher wastes more 4 and 5 star talent than any coach going. His inept offense will lead to at least two more losses this year, maybe three. Congrats to Jackets!!!
 
Miracle on Techwood from every camera angle. I could watch this all day long. Enjoy.

To see the Austin twins crossing the goal line together is so great. What a special moment that had to be for them.

Envious of the fans in the first row of the North stands who had that play coming right at them.
 
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Yep, and the one-handed hold worked out perfectly! Buddha only knows what would have happened if there wasn't a hold - could have been blocked fully into the backfield killing the Miracle on Techwood Dr. A two-handed hold could have had the ball splitting the uprights (and in that case it surely wouldn't have been called). Thank you Mr. #78 on Florida State for your small part in bringing happiness and elation to the Georgia Tech Family!
 
How's that for a prediction. Half sincere as it was.

College football is up and down. Man can it be exciting.

Ga Tech certainly has a good record against top 10 teams.
 
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