North Carolina Tar Heels at #25 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Bobby Dodd Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia
Saturday, September 24, 2011, 12:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Georgia Tech -7
Current Line: Georgia Tech -6 1/2
Opening Total: 53
Current Total: 58 1/2
Opening Money Line: Georgia Tech -250 / North Carolina +210
Current Money Line: Georgia Tech -250 / North Carolina +210
After a record breaking rout last week against Kansas 66-24 Georgia Tech is 3-0 this season as they open conference play against North Carolina. North Carolina is also 3-0 after a 28-17 home victory over Virginia last week. Georgia Tech under coach Paul Johnson also has victories over Western Carolina 63-21, and Middle Tennessee St 49-21 this season. Georgia Tech has the number one rushing offense with 427 yards a game and scoring offense with 59.3 points a game. North Carolina, under interim coach Everett Withers, has wins over James Madison 42-10, and Rutgers 24-22 in addition to the Virginia win.
Georgia Tech leads the overall series 25-18-3 including the last 2. . The Yellow Jackets have won 5 of the last 6 and 11 of the last 13 against North Carolina but 4 of the last 6 have been decided by 7 points or less, including last year in Chapel Hill 30-24. The Yellow Jackets are 16-7 in Atlanta versus the Tar Heels including the last 6.
North Carolina had a tough game with Virginia last week in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers actually had more total yards than the Tar Heels (468-401) but 3 Virginia turnovers doomed them in the 28-17 loss, in which UNC covered the 1o point college football betting line. The Tar Heels had 222 rushing yards in the win to open ACC play for both teams. Quarterback Bryn Renner was 15/21 passing for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 6 carries fro 14 yards. Running back Giovani Bernard had 12 carries for 102 yards and 5 catches for 31 yards. Ryan Houston had 2 rushing touchdowns for Carolina, but only had 17 yards rushing on 9 carries. Dwight Jones had 5 catches 85 yards and a touchdown for the Heels. Jheranie Byrd also caught a touchdown pass.
Through three games North Carolina is averaging 422.3 yards and 31.3 points a game. The Tar Heels are averaging 179.3 rushing yards a game. They have 7 turnovers and have allowed 1 sack. Carolina is 14/32 on third and fourth down conversions. North Carolina is allowing 307.7 yards and 16.3 points a game. The Tar Heels are allowing only 76.7 rushing yards a game. North Carolina has forced 10 sacks and 3 turnovers. UNC opponents are 17/50 on third and fourth down conversions.
Renner is 57/70 passing for 693 yards, 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, along with 14 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown this season for the Tar Heels. Bernard has 37 carries for 247 yards, and 4 touchdowns along with 11 catches for 61 yards. Ryan Houston has 31 carries for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 5 catches for 60 yards. Dwight Jones has 20 catches for 336 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kicker Casey Barth is 11/11 on extra points and made one field goal of 46 yards. Thomas Moore is 2/2 on extra points.
For Georgia Tech last week, to say the option offense was humming would be a massive understatement. The Yellow Jackets rolled up a school record 768 total yards including 604 rushing yards in the 66-24 rout at home versus Kansas. Tech was only up 24-17 at halftime before scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half. Kansas scored a meaningless touchdown late in the game to get to the final score. Kansas had 362 total yards in the loss. Yellow Jacket quarterback Tevin Washington was 4/7 passing for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 6 carries for 32 yards. Orwin Smith had 5 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown, along with 2 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Embry Peeples had 5 carries, 110 yards, and a touchdown. Roddy Jones had 4 carries, 72 yards, and a touchdown along with a 52 yard touchdown catch. David Sims had 9 catches for 70 yards and 2 touchdown runs.
Georgia Tech is averaging a staggering 675.3 total yards a game including 427.7 rushing yards a game. As mentioned the Yellow Jackets have the number one rushing offense and scoring offense in the nation with 59.3 points a game. Even the passing offense is averaging 247.7 yards a game. The Yellow Jackets have 3 turnovers and have allowed 2 sacks. Georgia Tech is 27/38 on third and fourth down conversions. Georgia Tech is allowing 335 yards and 22 points a game. The Yellow Jackets have forced 6 turnovers and 5 sacks. Tech opponents are 25/52 on third and fourth down conversions.
Washington is 17/28 passing for 637 yards and 7 touchdowns along with 22 carries for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns. Georgia tech has 18 rushing touchdowns in 3 games this season. Smith has 12 carries for 270 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 4 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Synjyn Davis has 38 carries for 214 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Davis Sims has 30 carries for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns. Stephen Hill has 8 catches, 311 yards, and 3 touchdown catches. Kicker Justin Moore is 25/25 on extra points and 1/2 on field goals with a24 yard kick.
Georgia Tech is 3-0 against the spread and all three games have gone over the total. North Carolina is 2-1 ATS and two of the three games have gone under. North Carolina is 18-7 ATS in their last 25 as an underdog, including 7-3 as an underdog of between 3.5 and 10 points, and as a road underdog. The Yellow Jackets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 as a favorite, and following a straight up win. Georgia Tech is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 September games, and as a home favorite. Tech is 1-5 ATS in the last 6 as a home favorite of between 3.5 and 10 points.
Georgia Tech has been rolling on offense but haven’t faced a defense as stout as North Carolina. Recent history says Georgia Tech should win this game as they have won 11 of the last 13 meetings between the teams. The line really hasn’t moved on this game, but bettors thought the total was too low as it has been bet up from 53 to 58 1/2. This should be a close game, with Georgia Tech winning. They won’t rack up almost 800 total yards against the Tar Heels like they did against Kansas though.
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