Tag Archives: Georgia Tech Football

Video and predictions: Duke vs. Georgia Tech football

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After a bye week and losses to ACC powerhouses Clemson and Florida State, Duke football returns to action this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. vs. Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jacket triple-option offense.

For everything you need leading up to Saturday’s Duke-Georgia Tech football action, visit our event page.

Here this week’s edition of Four Downs, The Chronicle’s weekly football video show with Duke Student Broadcasting, discussing Georgia Tech’s two quarterbacks, postseason implications and Duke’s health:

And here are the predictions with Duke +13.5 and the over/under for the game set at 66 points:

Chris Cusack: 41-34 Georgia Tech:

Danny Nolan: 42-31 Georgia Tech:

Andrew Beaton (not in this week’s video): 38-34 Duke

LIVE BLOG: Georgia Tech 27, Duke 0 (FINAL)

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Zachary Tracer/The Chronicle

Zachary Tracer/The Chronicle

POSTGAME NOTES: It was a rough day all around for Duke. The Blue Devils failed to get anything going offensively until it was far too late, and even then Duke couldn’t  put any points on the board. Lewis finished 15-of-28 for just 97 yards, and the rushing attack netted 35 yards on 20 carries — not nearly enough production against a quality ACC opponent like Georgia Tech. Some notable quotes from the postgame press conference:

  • Head coach David Cutcliffe has been known to crack some jokes in his press conferences. Despite the loss, today was no different. Upon walking into the Hugh Spruill Fitness Center — which is exactly what it sounds like, a weight room — Cutcliffe quipped, “It’d be nice to get a workout while I’m in here, get something out of this. Do you mind if I lift while we talk? I probably should, in all honesty.” It was that kind of day for Duke.
  • But Cutcliffe wasn’t down on his squad by any means: “We can’t measure ourselves as a team just in wins and losses alone at this stage. There’s a lot of growth involved in everything that we do…. Obviously, we failed the test on the field to a great degree. We played a team that played really well, played far superior to us today…. We’ll learn from it.”
  • Navy head coach Paul Johnson, on backup QB Jaybo Shaw having a lot of time to think about his upcoming start this week in place of injured Josh Nesbitt: “I’m sure you couldn’t have driven a straight pin up his tail with a sledgehammer. I’m sure he was a little nervous.” Shaw did just fine, going 9-of-14 for 230 yards — all of them to WR Demaryius Thomas — and an 88-yard touchdown pass.

27-0 GEORGIA TECH, FINAL: Duke is shut out in its first road game of the year, mustering virtually no offense until it was too late. Quotes and more analysis to come later.

27-0 GEORGIA TECH, 0:54, 4TH QUARTER: Georgia Tech just misses a touchdown, as WR R.B. Clyburn is ruled out of bounds. Blair tacks on a field goal.

24-0 GEORGIA TECH, 2:25, 4TH QUARTER: Lewis’ third-down pass is tipped and picked off by Alex Walker. Walker returns it to the 12, putting Georgia Tech in great position to add to its lead in the final minutes.

24-0 GEORGIA TECH, 6:35, 4TH QUARTER: Facing a must-convert fourth-and-15 from the Georgia Tech 21, Lewis is pressured and has to dump it off to Clifford Harris, who is tackled short of the first down. The Yellow Jackets’ first play is a long completion to Thomas, who now has the second-best receiving day in Georgia Tech history.

24-0 GEORGIA TECH, 9:11, 4TH QUARTER: Georgia Tech puts an exclamation point on the game, in all likelihood sealing a victory on an 88-yard touchdown pass from Shaw to Thomas, the third-longest pass play in Yellow Jacket history. Thomas now has 197 yards receiving in the game, good for ninth-best in school history.

17-0 GEORGIA TECH, 13:05, 4TH QUARTER: Zack Asack enters the game, but a different quarterback produces the same result. The Blue Devils go three-and-out, with Asack’s third-down pass sailing past Riley. Kevin Jones rebounds with a 60-yard punt, but Duke needs to move the ball on offense and they have just been unable to do so.

17-0 GEORGIA TECH, 14:56, 4TH QUARTER: Georgia Tech punches it in on a Shaw keeper to the left side. Duke’s going to need a huge quarter to come back — a tall order for a team that currently has 48 total yards.

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Riley Listed As Questionable For Saturday

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Duke senior wide receiver Eron Riley is listed as questionable for Saturday’s noon game at Georgia Tech because of a hand injury he sustained during midweek practice. The team’s injury report went out today, and Sports Information Director Art Chase confirmed the time of the injury.

Riley, who leads the ACC and is third in the nation with six touchdown receptions, was previously listed as probable for Duke’s Sept. 13 game against Navy. He played, and score three touchdowns in the process.

This week’s game has extra meaning for Riley, who hails from Georgia and was snubbed of a scholarship offer from the Yellow Jackets. And given quarterback Thaddeus Lewis’ comments Tuesday, we would expect Riley to be burning Georgia Tech cornerbacks in Atlanta come Saturday.

“I know that with Georgia Tech, Eron Riley is ready to play,” Lewis said. “You could cut one of his fingers off and that guy’s still going to play in this game.”

Freshman cornerback Lee Butler is doubtful Saturday. Complete injury report after the jump. Continue reading →

Talking Football: Duke-Georgia Tech Video Preview

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Fifth episode of Talking Football, this time filmed on the Bryan Center Plaza. Both Cohen and Iles pick Georgia Tech to beat Duke, and for different reasons. Some points of discussion: the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense, how playing Navy will help Duke and whether Georgia Tech’s defense can stop Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley.

Feel free to offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

Riley, Georgia Natives, Ready For Revenge

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For 15 players this weekend, going on the road to Georgia Tech really means going back to their home state.

And for one player in particular, that means it’s time for revenge.

“I know that with Georgia Tech, Eron Riley is ready to play,” quarterback Thaddeus Lewis said. “You could cut one of his fingers off and that guy’s still going to play in this game.”

Riley, out of Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, Ga., has made a habit of producing big plays against the Yellow Jackets. In  three games against Georgia Tech, the senior wide receiver—who has the most touchdown catches in the ACC and third-most in the country—has caught passes of 38, 47 and 64 yards, with the last two resulting in touchdowns. Although Riley has only managed seven total catches and two touchdowns in those games, those receptions have gone for 208 yards on nearly 30 yards a catch.

Riley, who was a two-star recruit and did not receive an offer from Georgia Tech, was not available Tuesday at the team’s weekly media luncheon, but Lewis did not hesitate in expressing Riley’s excitement for Duke’s first road game.

“You want to shine on the people you play against—tell them, ‘Just because I’m not playing with y’all, I’m still doing big things on this end,’” Lewis said. “[With Riley] being from Georgia, there might be a little Facebook talk going back and forth and some text messaging.”

SEE FULL STORY IN THE CHRONICLE WEDNESDAY.

—by Stephen Allan