Georgia Tech opens season of high expectations

ATLANTA -- So much for being the scrappy underdog with the throwback running game.

At Georgia Tech, the expectations these days are much higher.

After a trip to the ACC championship game and a victory in the Orange Bowl, the 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets open the season Thursday night by hosting lower-division program Alcorn State, a game that most expect to be little more than a warmup for the tougher contests to come.

“We can go out and start developing our identity as a team,” head coach Paul Johnson said.

Georgia Tech has 13 returning starters, most notably quarterback Justin Thomas, the MVP of a 49-34 win over Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.

Johnson said he hasn’t thought about how much Thomas or the other starters might play against Alcorn State, pointing out that the Yellow Jackets struggled in their 2014 opener against another FCS opponent, Wofford, before pulling away in the second half.

With Alcorn State coming off a 10-win season and its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title since 1993, Johnson said he’s not assuming the Yellow Jackets will race out to a big lead, giving the backups a chance for plenty of playing time.

“I hope I have that problem. Then I can figure it out,” said Johnson, who agreed to a new contract late last season that runs through 2020. “We’re just trying to go out, play well, and win the game. That’s my focus.”

Georgia Tech goes into the first game with its highest preseason ranking since 2010.

No longer are there questions about Johnson’s option offense, which led the FBS in rushing last season with a school-record 342.1 yards per game.

While he’s always been a bit feisty when called on to defend his unorthodox scheme, Johnson insisted that he’s never tried to portray his team in a David-vs.-Goliath mold or used the skeptics as a motivational tool.

“I’m going to coach the same way I did every other year,” he said. “I think more is made of that than there actually was. It’s not like every game we went into the locker room saying no one thinks we can win, we’re not worth a crap, and we’ve got to fight for respect. We just kind of approach the game and play. This hasn’t been any different.”

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech opens season of high expectations ."