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Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

Breakdown: Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3 ACC) at No. 10 Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1)

Where: Atlanta

When: 3:30 p.m./ABC

Last meeting: Wake Forest 9, Georgia Tech 6, Dec. 2, 2006 (ACC Championship).

Offense

Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech has amassed an average 440.4 yards per game of total offense while also rolling up 304.1 rushing yards per game. The rushing total is the second-best in FBS football. As reigning ACC player of the year Jonathan Dwyer has begun to heat up in recent weeks, Georgia Tech’s offense has come right along with him. He ranks third in the ACC in rushing average and is just 96 yards shy of surpassing 1,000 for the season.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons got a jolt Friday when they received news that quarterback Riley Skinner was cleared to play today. The four-year starter took a rough hit near the end of last week’s game against Miami and received a concussion. One of the ACC’s candidates for offensive player of the year, he has already passed for more than 2,200 yards. That makes him one of three quarterbacks in ACC history to have passed for more than 2,000 yards in each of their four seasons.

Edge: Georgia Tech

Defense

Georgia Tech: A revolving door of issues have hampered Georgia Tech’s defense this season. From poor tackling to a slew of injuries, the Yellow Jackets have not found themselves playing four consecutive clean quarters of football yet this season. While second-half adjustments have seemed to prevail in their recent contests, they will need an inspiring performance for their secondary if they hope to neutralize Skinner.

Wake Forest: On paper, the defenses match up similarly. Like the Yellow Jackets, the Demon Deacons give up an average 360 yards of total offense per game. They also surrender an average 23.3 points per game, while Georgia Tech allows 24.7. The key to Wake Forest’s success relies on how long its defense is on the field. As the ACC’s time of possession leader, the Yellow Jackets have put up several long drives that have worn defenses down.

Edge: Push

Special Teams

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have gone eight consecutive quarters without punting. Most times head coach Paul Johnson has a fourth-and-short, he goes for it. As a result, punter Chandler Anderson may be seldom used today, but place-kicker Scott Blair could be. After posting 56 points on Vanderbilt last week, the Yellow Jackets turned to their place-kicker often for kickoffs. But after one squib kick bounced into returner Warren Norman’s hands last week, Georgia Tech was burned for an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown. Poor coverage remains an issue for the Yellow Jackets.

Wake Forest: Special teams have not been a source of inspiration for the Demon Deacons. They have not had a kick of any kind returned for a touchdown, and punter Shane Popham is averaging a modest 37.7 yards. Much like Georgia Tech, place-kicking has been an issue, too. Wake Forest is 9-for-15 on field goals this season. Two of the makes, however, were from beyond 40 yards. The Yellow Jackets have not made a field goal beyond 40 yards in two years.

Edge: Push

Coaching

Georgia Tech: Paul Johnson is 8-1 at Georgia Tech in games decided by fewer than five points. He has also lost only one game at Bobby Dodd Stadium in that near two-season span. He has a knack for getting his teams inspired at just the right moments and in much the right venues. With an expected large home crowd, there is no reason he will not have his team ready for another big nationally-televised conference showdown. There is, however, one negative statistic he has coming into this game: he is 0-2 all-time versus Wake Forest.

Wake Forest: Jim Grobe last faced Georgia Tech in 2006’s conference championship. Although nearly all of the players are different and the offensive and defensive philosophies have vastly changed, Grobe understands how important a victory over the Yellow Jackets could be. In that game, with the Atlanta-based program flying high, Grobe found a way to coach Wake Forest to a 9-6 win. For the second time in four seasons, he hopes to stand in the way of another storied season for Georgia Tech.

Edge: Georgia Tech

Key Matchups

Offense: Georgia Tech offensive guards vs. Wake Forest defensive tackle John Russell. A heralded tackle, Russell has 30 tackles including a team-high seven for loss this season. Situated next to the near 300-pound nose guard Boo Robinson, Russell can be a challenge for the Yellow Jackets’ already banged up line to slow down.

Defense: Georgia Tech’s linebackers vs. Wake Forest quarterback Skinner. As a four-year starter, Skinner knows the ins and outs of his position. He’ll be finding ways to check down and out of certain packages based upon how the Yellow Jackets line up. It will be incumbent upon linebackers like junior Brad Jefferson to communicate defensive strategies in easy-to-understand methods to counter Skinner’s line changes.

Prediction: Georgia Tech 41, Wake Forest 28