On a handful of Saturdays during each Fall in the heart of Atlanta, one of the most unorthodox and exciting offensive sets in college football takes the field.
The triple-option offense, which Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson brought to Atlanta from a previous head coaching stint at Navy, has been a staple for the Yellow Jackets since 2008. That season was also David Cutcliffe's first in the ACC, and Johnson's offense welcomed him with a 27-0 victory. Since, the triple-option has had its way with the Duke defense for seven straight seasons.
After a statement win against a hot Miami team last week, No. 22 Georgia Tech hopes to continue to dominate on the ground this Saturday against the Blue Devils at Bobby Dodd Stadium. A win would make the Yellow Jackets a bowl-eligible team in the drivers seat of the ACC Coastal.
"I was proud of our football team last week," Johnson said. "We were able to beat a very good Miami team, a team that is very talented. We have gotten better each week, as we will continue to need to do. We have another division game, a conference game at home. They're all important. Division games are even more important."
Saturday's matchup will be an important factor in the Coastal race, but luckily for the Yellow Jackets, history is in their favor. The Georgia Tech margin of victory in the last six contests between it and Duke is 20.8 points, and only a 38-31 win in 2011 has been decided by seven points or less. It is easy to see why the games have been so lopsided, with Duke giving up 400 yards or more of total offense to the explosive Johnson-run offense.
This often forces the Blue Devil offense into a tough predicament to match the offensive production of Georgia Tech, something that has been nearly impossible to do during the Cutcliffe era. Only in 2010 did Duke out-gain the Yellow Jackets in a 30-20 loss in Atlanta.
"Coach Johnson is the best in the business at designing and running and managing calling this offense," Cutcliffe said. "They have really good players. They have speed. They have an offensive line that comes off the football and they know what they are doing."
This season, the Georgia Tech boasts a handful of weapons that can carry the ball out of the backfield or catch one of the few passes quarterback Justin Thomas will throw Saturday afternoon.
The workhorse of the offense is senior "B" back Zach Laskey, who is second on the team this season with 449 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Laskey has the ability to sear through the heart of the Duke defense in short yardage situations, which ultimately opens the field for passing plays or designed runs to a flurry of "H" backs. B.J. Bostic, Charles Perkins, Tony Zenon and Deon Hill share this responbility and are speedy runners who are counted on to make big plays.
Thomas, the undisputed leader of the offense, has used these weapons to have a breakout season thus far. The sophomore from Prattville, Alabama leads the team with 470 rushing yards on 78 carries, for an average of 6.02 yards per carry.
His play has been sharp in wins against ACC Coastal opponents Virginia Tech and Miami, capturing attention around the conference.
"He has made some crucial plays in critical situations, and that is always a great trait to have for a quarterback," Johnson said. "You never know until they play some, and like I've said all year, I think he's just going to get better the more he plays."
Thomas and his cohorts will be facing a Blue Devil defense that has not proved itself against the run this season, giving up 186.4 yards per game, which is 94th in the FBS. In addition, injuries to defensive linemen Dezmond Johnson and Jamal Wallace will deplete a somewhat inexperienced defensive line.
Georgia Tech's main worries will be linebacker David Helton and strike safety Jeremy Cash. Both players ranked among the top 10 tacklers in the ACC last season and seem poised to repeat this season. Cash will likely be moved into the box to defend the running portion of the option alongside Helton, which could create problems for the Yellow Jackets.
"[Cash] is a really good player," Johnson said. "He is a guy who makes plays for them and creates a lot of stuff. Their corners have played well. They've put their corners out there in a lot of man-to-man situations. I was impressed with them the way they played the speed of Miami. They've made plays, and inside, the linebacker I guess is the leading tackler, Helton. He's been a good player for them, too."
The few problems Georgia Tech has had is on the defensive side of the football. Earlier in the season, the Yellow Jackets gave up a whopping 38 points to FBS newcomer Georgia Southern and also allowed more than 20 points against Tulane and Virginia Tech.
But the defense seems to have shed its growing pains after limiting Miami to 352 yards and forcing freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya into a pair of interceptions. Quayshawn Nealy and Paul Davis lead a steady linebacking corp that has combined for 65 tackles,1.5 sacks and two interceptions this season. The duo will be tasked with a Blue Devil offense that continues to rely heavily on the run, averaging 225 yards per game.
An experienced secondary will look to pressure Duke quarterback Anthony Boone into mistakes, just like they did against Kaaya, in order to get the ball back into the hands of the offense.
Cutcliffe badly wants his first victory against Georgia Tech, but if the Yellow Jackets are able to get rolling on offense and the Blue Devils come out flat as they did against the Hurricanes, it will be a long day for his squad.
"The only way you are going to win those battles is to compete at a high level every snap and you try to get stops when you can," Cutcliffe said. "They take care of the football, four turnovers in five games, pretty special. You have got to know in your mind, you are getting ready for a long, physical, tough afternoon and embrace the challenge."
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