North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Georgia Tech
10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 1, 2003
NC STATE ( 3-2, 1-1) at GEORGIA TECH ( 2-3, 0-2)
DATE: Saturday, October 4, 2003
TIME: Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. (EDT) Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field, Atlanta, GA (55,000)
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network. AIRTIME: 11:00 a.m. (EDT)
TELEVISION: Jefferson-Pilot Sports (ACC Regional)
OPPONENT---- Georgia Tech snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Saturday night.. Outplayed much of the evening and less than a minute from losing to Vanderbilt, Tech rallied behind Reggie Ball, Eric Henderson and James Butler. The result was a 24-17 overtime victory before 25,007 at Vanderbilt Stadium.
For much of the night Ball struggled, but came alive just in time. After Vanderbilt scored with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter to take a 17-10 lead, the true freshman quarterback took over. Ball kept an 89-yard scoring drive alive when he scrambled for 45 yards down the sideline on third-down. Five plays later, he tied the game by throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Paul Foschi with 32 seconds left.
Ball accounted for all but three yards in that final drive, rushing for 54 yards and passing for 32. For the game, he was 11-for-22 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown, but threw two costly interceptions. Ball also rushed 10 times for 103 yards.
With the clock winding down, Vandy quarterback, Jay Cutler, drove the Commodores into field goal range, but Henderson blocked Tolga Ertugrul's 44-yard field goal attempt on the final play of regulation.
After Vanderbilt won the toss and chose to start the overtime on defense, Ball ran a naked bootleg. With the Commodores keying on tailback P.J. Daniels (25 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown), Ball was able to race 25 yards into the end zone.
Tech sealed the critical win when Butler intercepted a Cutler pass at the goal line intended for Norval McKenzie on Vanderbilt's first overtime snap. The victory helped Tech avoid a three-game losing streak after a 39-3 loss at home the previous week.
Following a season-opening 24-13 loss at BYU, Tech upset No. 17 Auburn 17-3 and nearly upset No. 10 Florida State before falling 14-13. The Seminoles gained only 26 total yards and one first down in the opening half of that game.
Offensively, Georgia Tech is averaging 14 points and 271 yards a game. Ball is completing 49 percent of his passes for 768 yards and 2 touchdowns. He is also the team's No. 2 rusher (157 yards, 1 TD). Daniels, a former walk-on, is the top tailback. He's third in the ACC in rushing (69.8 ypg.) after a career-high 113 yards against Florida State and 105 versus Vanderbilt.
The offensive line is experienced with four starters returning. The anchor is center, Hugh Reilly (6-4, 285, Sr.), a three-year starter. Tech is averaging 115 yards rushing a game, but the line has allowed 14 sacks.
Ball's top receiving targets are Jonathan Smith (5-10, 189, Sr.), who also returns punts, and Nate Curry (5-10, 190, Jr.). Smith, with 24 catches, is the team's most versatile skill player. He's fourth in the ACC in receiving yards (75.2 ypg.) and sixth in all-purpose yards (101.6). Curry has 15 catches for 174 yards.
Defensively, Tech is surrendering 19.4 points and 327 yards a game, but has been good against the run. The Jackets are third in the ACC and 25th nationally in run defense (105 ypg.) and they've held three of their five opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.
The defensive line is young, but Henderson, a redshirt sophomore end has played well and leads the team with 5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. The linebacker tandem of Daryl Smith (6-2, 235, Sr.) and Keyaron Fox (6-3, 220, Sr.) is outstanding. Between them they have 63 career starts and 64 tackles for loss. Fox leads Tech and is fourth in the ACC with 60 tackles (12 per game) while Smith has 51 hits, including 6 TFL.
The return of All-America end, Greg Gathers, is on hold. The fifth-year senior has not been medically cleared for contact after missing most of the 2002 season with a kidney ailment.
The Yellow Jackets are allowing 222 passing yards a game and have surrendered 7 touchdowns through the air. The secondary has intercepted 7 passes so far, including two each by redshirt sophomore cornerback, Ruben Houston (6-0, 195), junior corner Dennis Davis (6-0, 185) and free safety James Butler (6-3, 210, Jr.).
Tech's special teams have turned in several big plays this season, including a blocked punt, blocked field goal and a pair of successful fake punts. Punter Hal Higgins, who was granted a rare sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA after battling Hodgkin's Disease in 1999-2000, has a 40.6 average on 29 attempts this season. Redshirt senior, Dan Burnett, has stepped in as Tech's placekicker after three years as backup to three-time All-ACC selection Luke Manget. Burnett has made 7 of 9 field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards.
Georgia Tech has won seven of the last eight meetings with NC State and has a six-game winning streak over the Wolfpack in Atlanta. The last NC State victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium was in 1988.
INJURIES--NC State: OT Chris Colmer-Doubtful, Parsonage Turner Syndrome; WR Sterling Hicks-Out, knee; TB T.A. McLendon-Questionable; hamstring; FS Troy Graham-Probable, broken toe. Georgia Tech:No Report available.
