Jackets tacking Cavaliers seriously

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson is not taking underdog Virginia lightly for this Saturday’s clash of Coastal Division leaders ...
The Yellow Jackets’ coach said he hasn’t had to mention their losing streak in Charlottesville to his team because they’ve been hearing about it all week. Tech hasn’t won at Virginia since 1990, an eight-game drought over that span.
“[The players] are aware of it because everybody else has mentioned it,” Johnson said during Wednesday’s ACC Coaches Teleconference. “I don’t know how much motivation [the streak] is. These kids could care less about what happened in 1990.
“How this all serves our kids is they know we’re in for a tough game and our kids already know that because [Virginia] hit us in the mouth last year,” Johnson added. “We know we’re in for a tough, physical game.”
Georgia Tech was about a two touchdown favorite last year at home and riding high with a 6-1 record when the Cavaliers came in and upset the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Two-headed monster
Al Groh had a good explanation of what it’s like trying to shut down a Georgia Tech running game that’s ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Option quarterback Josh Nesbitt is Tech’s leading rusher, ahead of last year’s ACC Offensive Player of the Year, tailback Jonathan Dwyer.
“It’s like if you take some of the outstanding runners in the league, like Clemson’s C.J. Spiller or Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams,” Groh said. “Instead of having one Spiller in the backfield, imagine Clemson having two, or Virginia Tech having two Ryan Williams.
“That’s the way it is with Dwyer and Nesbitt, side by side. Nesbitt is a throwback to the old days when you had Single Wing triple threat quarterbacks.
Will the Thrill
With defensive end Matt Conrath out for this week’s game due to the leg injury he suffered at Maryland last Saturday, Virginia has elected to start true freshman Will Hill of Williamsburg. Hill was the player allowed to enroll early at mid-semester and has been deemed ready to start against the Yellow Jackets.
“He’s in the same circumstance in week seven that some of his predecessors were in week one of their freshman seasons,” Groh said. “Blackstock, Lundy, Ferguson, all started in the first game of their freshmen year. We feel he’s ready.”
Groh said people are making too much out of the use of freshmen. He has already played 12 this year, same as Maryland and Florida State.
“Everybody gets hung up on this redshirt thing,” Groh said. “Just because a player doesn’t redshirt this season doesn’t mean they can’t redshirt later. We’re not looking any further beyond next Saturday. That’s what’s important.”
The devil you say
Watch out for Duke. This isn’t your father’s Blue Devils as evidenced by their lopsided win over N.C. State a couple of weeks ago.
Duke gets Maryland on Saturday and should be favored to beat the struggling Terps.
“This isn’t an old Duke team where people just run all over them,” said Wolfpack senior running back Jamelle Eugene. “You’re going to get a fight. This is a new Duke team. Their coach has them looking good and playing with a ton of confidence. They outplayed us. They were the better team.
Thursday night confusion
Warning: Stay away from Chapel Hill this afternoon and tonight. Guaranteed mass confusion ahead.
Well, North Carolina officials and Chapel Hill residents hope that’s not the case when the Tar Heels host their first ever Thursday night football game when Florida State comes to town for the nationally-televised ESPN showcase.
The game is having a major impact on the way of life in Chapel Hill because of traffic, parking, and the like.
UNC Hospitals, which are located behind Kenan Stadium, will close its clinics down at 3 p.m. in order to clear traffic for the game. Some offices on campus are closing their offices two hours early, at 3 p.m., just because of the game and possible congestion.
Heels coach Butch Davis said hosting a Thursday night game is a big step forward in the growth of Carolina’s program.
Not if you don’t win.
No go at FSU
While Carolina is the only ACC school to never host a Thursday night game, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said Wednesday that fans shouldn’t expect to see one again in Tallahassee.
FSU has hosted a Thursday night game only once, back in 2002, when the Seminoles defeated Clemson. That was the one and only.
“If I’m going to play a Thursday night game, Id like to play it in Tallahassee,” Bowden said, obviously not crazy about tonight’s road game in Chapel Hill. “We have a policy [at FSU] that we’re not going to do it (host one). Too much disruption.”
By the way, Virginia has an overall record of
5-5 in Thursday night games, 3-1 at home. The Cavaliers last played on Thursday night in 2006, twice, beating North Carolina 23-0 in Charlottesville, and losing 24-7 at Georgia Tech.
Turtle soup
If it seems that Maryland might be reaching for the panic button, you’re right.
The Terps, now 2-5, threw everything they had at Virginia last Saturday in rain-soaked Byrd Stadium and still fell, 20-9.
If you’ll recall our scriblings from last week, we mentioned that Terps’ linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield would play with two broken bones in his hand because the Virginia game was sort of a line in the sand for Maryland. Hartsfield did play and it appears his hand is damaged more than originally suspected. He underwent surgery the day after the loss to Virginia and will be out of action for the next four weeks.
Coach Ralph Friedgen has played nine true freshmen thus far, sending defensive tackle Justin Anderson into action against UVa, and the Fridge said he is considering giving time to true freshman QB Danny O’Brien.
Kowalkowski passes
Former Virginia football great Bob Kowalkowski, who captained the 1965 Wahoos, has passed away in Michigan.
Kowalkowski, 65, was a star offensive lineman for UVa and then for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. He spent 11 seasons with the Lions and played in 138 games, starting every game at guard for one five-year stretch (1972-76).
“Bob exemplified the tough, physical player you had to be to succeed in the NFL,” Lions’ Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders said of his former teammate.
“Bob was a little undersized compared to most offensive linemen, but he made up for it with hard work and always going the extra measure in the weight room, film room or during practice,” said former Lions quarterback Greg Landry.
Kowalkowski’s wife, Judy, is a longtime front office employee for the Lions organization, and his son, Scott, played eight years with the Lions.
Quote of the week
Boston College coach Frank Spaziani on the record-setting 264 yards rushing by Eagles tailback Montel Harris last week against N.C. State:
“We’ve had a lot of good backs here and I can’t really make comparisons, but he is a special back. He’s got great vision and he floats, like the puck in air hockey.”
Stat of the week
Virginia’s defense has been tough on third down so far this season. The Cavaliers have held opponents to a 29.3 percent rate of conversion on third down, best in the ACC.
Other UVa defensive numbers: No. 11 nationally in pass defense (162.33 yards per game); No. 21 in total defense (293.83); No. 29 in scoring defense (18.67 points allowed per game); and No. 59 in rushing defense (131.50).
Short yardage
The ACC’s Atlantic Division is a mess. No one seems to want to take control, with all six teams having at least two conference losses. Note that the Atlantic Division is 0-6 against the Coastal this season. ...Is Boston College one of those teams that can only win at home? The Eagles are 5-0 at home and 0-2 on the road, including a 54 yards of total offense performance in a 25-7 loss at Clemson and a 48-14 defeat at Virginia Tech. Looks like BC’s six-game win streak over Notre Dame will end this week in South Bend.
The picks
Last week: 3-2 (finally got N.C. State right!); To date: 34-16. Tonight: Florida State 33, North Carolina 17. Saturday: Notre Dame 36, Boston College 24; Miami 27, Clemson 20; Duke 40, Maryland 26; Wake Forest 27, Navy 24; Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 23 (the streak lives).