The Bulldogs (6-5) began preparations for the Yellow Jackets (10-1) Sunday. Speaking on his weekly media conference call, Georgia coach Mark Richt said that the Bulldogs have more practice and preparation time this week to get ready for the Yellow Jackets. Due to the Thanksgiving break, there are no classes at the university this week.
“We’re not going to wear them out, but we can spend a little more than the normal 20-hour week of preparation,” said Richt. “We’ll do certain things to help simulate the blocks and plays that we’ll be seeing. We’ll have to get off blocks and make tackles, and that will be everybody’s challenge when you play this type of offense. It’s assignment football. You have to beat some blocks and make some plays.”
Along with its option attack, Georgia Tech has improved its passing numbers from a year ago. Josh Nesbitt is completing 46 percent of his passes, completing 58-of-125 attempts for 1,418 yards and eight touchdowns. His top target is Demaryius Thomas, and he’s tallied 39 catches for 950 yards and six touchdowns this season.
“Georgia Tech is going to get a bunch of man coverage period; everybody tries to stop the run,” said Richt. “They have a guy that’s making plays, they’re throwing to him, he’s benefiting from man coverage, and they’re doing a nice job of putting it on him. It makes them more dynamic.”
Richt provided an injury update on a couple of Bulldogs who missed this past Saturday’s game with Kentucky due to injuries. The league’s top receiver in sophomore starting flanker A.J. Green (left shoulder AC-sprain) along with redshirt freshman safety Baccari Rambo (concussion) may play this week.
“They’re getting there, we’re pretty hopeful on both of them but neither of them is a slam-dunk,” said Richt. “By Tuesday, we’ll have a real good feel.”
Georgia has been plagued by turnovers this season, and Richt said it’s been frustrating. The Bulldogs had four turnovers in the second half of the Kentucky game, and the Wildcats converted two of them in to 14 points. Nineteen of Georgia’s 26 turnovers this season has been in Bulldog territory. Opponents have scored 102 points off Bulldog miscues this year. Georgia ranks 119th nationally with a turnover margin of minus 18.
“Turnovers have never been like this, and that’s really the thing that did us in last night,” said Richt. “The penalties are not good, and definitely it’s been frustrating no doubt. It looked like we turned the corner last week, our penalties were down, and we won the turnover ratio. If we don’t turn it over yesterday, we win but that’s not what happened.”
Richt added that all programs go through cycles, and while Georgia had a good upswing for a while, this year has been down considering the team’s record.
“We will get it back on track and get back to our winning ways, no doubt about that,” said Richt. “We need the fans to keep supporting us, believing in us, and we’ll keep working hard to make them proud.”