by Mike Mitchell
12/18/06
9:57 pm est
Georgia
is playing in its 42nd bowl game while Virginia Tech is making
just its 20th trip. But the Hokies have garnered more invitations
in recent history with 14 consecutive bowl appearances to the
Bulldogs' 10.
Georgia has fared better in the won-loss column with seven victories
in their last nine bowl games. Virginia Tech is just 6-7 in its
previous 13 bowls, but that includes a national championship
game loss to Florida State in 1999 and three other BCS/Alliance
bowl dates in which it went 1-2. Georgia has played in just two
BCS/Alliance Bowls on its run (the Alliance pre-dated the BCS
which began in 1998).
The Hokies have never won bowl games in consecutive seasons under
Frank Beamer. In fact, the only time the school has ever won
two bowl games in-a-row, they were seven years apart - Bill Dooley
led Virginia Tech to its first bowl win in history in this game
in 1986, and Frank Beamer's first bowl team won the Independence
Bowl in 1993.
Virginia Tech is 1-1 all-time in this game which was known as
the Peach Bowl through last season. Georgia is 2-2.
The consensus of observers is that this game should be an all-out
defensive war. Virginia Tech leads the nation in points allowed
with 9.3, yards allowed, and passing yards allowed. Bill Foster's
defense also ranks 13th in rushing yards allowed.
Georgia is 9th in total yards allowed, 5th in passing yards allowed,
but 21st in points allowed and 31st in stopping the run.
Both teams intercepted 16 passes.
Virginia Tech ranks just slightly ahead of Georgia on offense,
scoring 26 points per game to Georgia's 24.7. The Bulldogs, however,
averaged 321.1 yards per game to the Hokies' 304.
Virginia Tech is expected to have a healthy Branden Ore in the
backfield. Ore left the game against Wake Forest in the first
quarter with a high ankle sprain. Even though he missed the last
7-1/2 quarters of the season, he ran for 1,095 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kenny Lewis had 210 yards as his back-up but saw meaningful action
only in the last two games of the season as Ore's replacement.
Georgia's running game was paced by Kregg Lumpkin with 759 yards
and 5 TD's. Fullback Brannan Southerland (6-0, 244) was used
frequently in short-yardage and goal line situations and he responded
with 7 touchdowns on just 40 carries.
Neither team had a great year throwing the ball, but the Hokies'
Sean Glennon would appear to have a big edge over anyone the
Bulldogs put behind center. Georgia used three different quarterbacks
who combined to throw 11 TD passes and 14 interceptions.
Virginia Tech's Glennon was 157-of-276 (56.9) for 2,097 yards
with 11 touchdowns and 8 picks.
Georgia lists Matthew Stafford at the top of the quarterback
depth chart for the bowl game. Stafford was 126-of-235 for 1,620
yards. He threw only 6 touchdown passes while being intercepted
12 times and sacked 10 times.
The Bulldogs were far better at pass protection, though, allowing
14 sacks compared to 25 for Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech's receiving corps is talented and deep. Seven pass-catchers
snagged at least 12 passes for over 100 yards, four caught 20
passes or more, seven different receivers scored touchdowns,
three went over 400 yards, and eight had at least 1 reception
of 40 yards or more.
Eddie Royal, the Hokies' leading receiver in yardage with 452,
had 1,122 all-purpose yards. Ore had 1,298 yards combined rushing
and receiving.
Georgia running backs combined for 43 catches and 430 yards,
accounting for a quarter of all Bulldogs receptions. Only two
receivers had over 20 catches, and only two caught a pass over
40 yards.
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