#21 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at North Carolina St Wolfpack
Carter-Finley Stadium – Raleigh, North Carolina
Saturday, October 1, 2011, 3:30 pm Eastern, TV: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Game Plan
Opening Line: Georgia Tech -10
Current Line: Georgia Tech -10
Opening Total: 61 1/2
Current Total: 63
Opening Money Line: Georgia Tech -425 / NC State +340
Current Money Line: Georgia Tech -365 / NC State +305
Georgia Tech is 4-0 for the first time since 1990 when they split the national championship with Colorado. The Yellow Jackets are #21 in both polls as they travel to 2-2 North Carolina St Saturday. Georgia Tech leads the overall series 17-10 against NC State including 7-6 in Raleigh. The Wolfpack won last year in Atlanta 45-28. Georgia Tech is coached by Paul Johnson, and has wins over Western Carolina 63-21, Middle Tennessee St 49-21, Kansas 66-24, and last week at home 35-28 over North Carolina. North Carolina St is coached by Tom O’Brien, and has wins over Liberty 43-21 and South Alabama 35-13, and losses at Wake Forest 34-27 and last week at Cincinnati 44-14.
Georgia Tech was up 28-14 at home last week against North Carolina at the end of the third quarter. The Tar Heels scored 2 touchdowns to tie it up, but Georgia Tech scored with just over 5 minutes to go to take the lead and held off a final drive by North Carolina to secure the 35-28 victory and cover the 6.5 point spread. Georgia Tech had 496 total yards in the game including 312 rushing yards. Tech quarterback Tevin Washington had 258 combined rushing and passing yards, along with 3 touchdowns and an interception. Receiver Stephen Hill had 6 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. He made a brilliant one handed leaping catch that has been Sports Center’s top play all week. The Yellow Jackets held North Carolina to 332 total yards and 15 first downs. Both teams had 2 turnovers apiece in the game. Georgia Tech had 7 quarterback sacks in the game.
Georgia Tech is averaging a staggering 630.5 total yards a game including 398.8 rushing yards a game. The Yellow Jackets have the number one total offense, #2 rushing defense and #1 scoring offense in the nation with 53.2 points a game. Even the passing offense is averaging 231.8 yards a game. The Yellow Jackets have 5 turnovers and have allowed 2 sacks. Georgia Tech is 37/54 on third and fourth down conversions, and 19/21 scoring in the red zone with 17 touchdowns. Georgia Tech is allowing 334.2 yards and 23.5 points a game. Teams are running for 132 yards a game against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have forced 8 turnovers and 12 sacks. Tech opponents are 28/60 on third and fourth down conversions, and 12/13 scoring in the red zone with 11 touchdowns.
Washington is 27/42 passing for 821 yards and 8 touchdowns and an interception, along with 47 carries for 146 yards and 4 touchdowns. Georgia Tech has 21 rushing touchdowns in 4 games this season. Running back Orwin Smith has 19 carries for 349 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 5 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown. David Sims has 43 carries for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns. Synjyn Days has 38 carries for 214 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Hill has 14 catches, 462 yards, and 4 touchdown catches. Kicker Justin Moore is 28/28 on extra points and 3/5 on field goals with a long of 40 yards.
It was an ugly forgettable day for NC State last Thursday night as they traveled to Cincinnati for a nationally televised ESPN game. Cincinnati jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and cruised to a 44-14 victory. The Wolfpack had just 322 total yards including an abysmal -26 rushing yards. North Carolina St had 13 first downs and 3 turnovers. The Wolfpack gave up 503 total yards including 240 rushing yards to the Bearcats in the rout.
The Wolfpack don’t really have what you would call a balanced attack on offense. The passing game averages 279 yards a game but the ground game is among the worst in the country with 85 yards rushing a game. NC State is averaging 364 total yards and 29.8 points a game. The Wolfpack have 9 turnovers and have allowed 14 sacks this season. NC State is 24/59 on third and fourth down conversions, and 9/10 scoring in the red zone with 7 touchdowns. NC State is allowing 408.2 yards a game including 269.2 passing yards a game. The Wolfpack are allowing 28 points a game. North Carolina St has forced 12 turnovers and 12 sacks this season. NC State opponents are 30/63 on third and fourth down conversions, and 13/14 scoring in the red zone with 7 touchdowns.
NC State quarterback Mike Glennon is 84/128 passing with 1,079 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Running back Curtis Underwood Jr. has 42 carries, 226 yards, and 1 touchdown, along with 5 catches, 43 yards, and a touchdown. James Washington has 47 carries, 169 yards, and 3 touchdowns, along with 13 catches for 114 yards. Receiver T.J. Graham has 19 catches, 428 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Tobias Palmer has 13 catches, 170 yards, and a touchdown. Taylor Gentry only has 6 catches, but 2 of them for touchdowns. Kicker Niklas Sade is 14/16 on extra points, and 3/3 on field goals with a long of 45 yards. NC State has 10 players listed as questionable, doubtful, or out.
NC State is 0-4 ATS this season and the total is 2-2 in those games. Georgia Tech is 4-0 ATS and all four games have gone over the total. Georgia Tech is 4-0 ATS in the last four as a favorite, following a straight up win, and in their last 4 overall. The Yellow Jackets are 8-2 in their last 10 as a road favorite, 4-1 in the last 5 on grass, 7-2 ATS in their last 9 October games, and 16-6 ATS in their last 22 road games. The Wolfpack are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 following a straight up loss, 7-2 in the last 9 as a home dog, 18-7-1 in their last 26 as an underdog, 5-2 in their last 7 conference games, 22-10-1 in the last 33 on grass, and 13-6-1 in their last 20 home games.
North Carolina St is actually decent at stopping the run allowing only 139 yards a game, but they haven’t faced one as powerful as Georgia Tech. You know you are putting up some monster numbers when you have almost 500 yards including over 300 rushing yards and 35 points in your last game and it actually drops your average in all three categories! Expect a lot of points and the Yellow Jackets should win easily.
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