Wake Forest Athletics
Georgia Tech Game Preview
11/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 5, 2009
Video: Game Preview With Jim Grobe
Game Notes: Wake Forest 
| Georgia Tech
Television Coverage: ABC/ESPN2
Radio Coverage:
In-Game Updates:
By Alex Botoman, WakeForestSports.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest (4-5, 2-3 ACC) will travel to Atlanta on Saturday to face Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1) in the first meeting between the two teams since Wake's 9-6 win in the 2006 ACC Championship Game. The No. 10/11-ranked Yellow Jackets will be the highest ranked opponent for the Demon Deacons since they faced No. 5 Louisville in the 2007 FedEx Orange Bowl.
Behind head coach Paul Johnson's triple-option offense, Georgia Tech has won six consecutive games and currently occupies first place in the ACC Coastal Division.
"When Coach Johnson was at Navy they had a really good offense and a really good defense. Now that you take his scheme to the ACC where you have ACC-caliber players you kind of expect (them to succeed)," quarterback Ryan McManus said. "It makes our film study and preparation that much more difficult because we are going against a top-10 team -- they're not up there by accident."
Complicating the task for the Demon Deacons is that four-year starting quarterback Riley Skinner sustained a mild concussion after a fourth-quarter hit against Miami last weekend and is listed as questionable for Saturday's game.
"He seems to be clear-headed, he doesn't have headaches or dizziness, so hopefully we'll have him by Saturday. I'm hopeful it's more than 50-50 whether he'll play," head coach Jim Grobe said. "With head injuries it really is a day-to-day process. My hope is that he'll play, but certainly his health and well-being are more important than playing Saturday."
In the event that Skinner is unable to go, McManus, a fifth-year senior and former walk-on, will take his place behind center. McManus saw the most significant action of his career in relief of Skinner last weekend, completing five of nine passes for 42 yards and also picking up 17 yards on three rushes.
"I know our team is not worried at all because Ryan knows this offense probably better than anyone except Coach Lobo," center Russell Nenon said. "I feel very confident in Ryan and I think our coaches feel very confident in him. He's a great guy and if he's at quarterback he's going to give us a great opportunity to win."
Even if Skinner cannot play, the Deacons have offensive talent to fall back upon. Devon Brown caught a career-high 12 passes for 101 yards against Miami while Josh Adams chalked up 119 total yards. Chris Givens ranks second among freshmen nationwide with six touchdown receptions.
In order to have a chance at the upset, Wake will have to find a way to contain Georgia Tech's dynamic offense, which ranks first in the conference with 35 points per game. Their 304 rushing yards per game also leads the conference and ranks second overall in the NCAA.
The Yellow Jackets seemingly have an endless list of offensive threats. Running back Jonathan Dwyer ranks third in the ACC with 100 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Josh Nesbitt is fourth in the conference with 85 rushing yards per game, and his 13 rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in the ACC.
"Watching film you can see that they break a lot of tackles," linebacker Joey Ehrmann said. "They just run through those arm tackles. Wrapping up and tackling will be a huge thing."
Despite the fact that Georgia Tech runs the ball 84 percent of the time, when Nesbitt does throw his main target is one of the best receivers in the ACC in Demaryius Thomas. Thomas ranks first in the conference with 91 receiving yards per game and is one of 10 finalists for the Biletnikoff Award which goes to the nation's best receiver.
The Yellow Jackets also boast playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Derrick Morgan is considered one of the best pass rushers in the nation, and leads the ACC with 8.5 sacks so far this season.
"We definitely have to know where he's at all times - whether he's speed-rushing and what types of stunts he might be doing," McManus said. "I think across the board, they've got a lot of guys who fly to the ball, that play hard and play pretty sound defense so we've got to have a good game plan for it - especially for (Morgan). I know he gets a lot of hype, and he lives up to it too. He's a player."
The Demon Deacons must win two of their three remaining games in order to become bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season. In order to accomplish that, they will have to win a game on the road, a task that they have yet to accomplish this season.
"Mentally we have to phase out all of the challenges that going on the road poses. You don't need to think about the surroundings or the next play, you just have to do your job," said Nenon.
"Our attitude isn't phased. I think we're all optimistic," added Nenon. "We play three great teams. Duke is 5-3, Florida State is doing well, and Georgia Tech is doing really well so we're in for a war but I think we're going to come prepared. We know we're a good team and we're going to finish the year strong."
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC and ESPN2 and can also be heard on the Wake Forest ISP Sports Radio Network.
