In Context: Jacksonville State

Following a heartbreaking double overtime loss Monday night, Georgia Tech now turns its attention to week two FCS opponent Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks, who hail from Jacksonville, Alabama, have become a familiar FCS foe to Yellow Jackets fans in recent years having thrice met during the Paul Johnson era alone in 2008, 2009 and 2017. In this week’s edition of “In Context”, we will examine the series history between Jacksonville State and Georgia Tech and based on this history we will then make a prediction for the game.

Saturday’s matchup will be only the third time the Gamecocks and Yellow Jackets have met on the gridiron, with Georgia Tech owning the series lead 2-0-0. Fans may view 2008 and 2009’s matchups with Jacksonville State with some element of nostalgia, as the meeting in 2008 was Paul Johnson’s debut as head coach and 2009 was the beginning of a memorable season in which the Yellow Jackets won the ACC and thus earned a berth to the Orange Bowl.

In 2008, Georgia Tech entered the season with a plethora of doubts about new head coach Paul Johnson’s “gimmicky” offense and little fanfare. Indeed, Jacksonville State’s new quarterback, Ryan Perrilloux, a former 5 star prospect who transferred from LSU, seemed to garner the most attention in the Yellow Jackets’ week one matchup. The game, which ushered in the Paul Johnson Era, began by what seems in retrospect like the most Paul Johnson way possible: a pass attempt to A-back Roddy Jones, something no one but Paul Johnson himself saw coming.

The Jackets would go on to win in convincing fashion, 41-14, with 349 yards on the ground—highlighted by B-back Jonathan Dwyer’s 112 yards on 11 carries—and 140 yards through the air. (It might be noted that Georgia Tech’s 349 rushing yards against Jacksonville State, which at the time probably seemed incredible to most fans, foreshadowed later rushing performances in 2008 upwards of 400 yards against Miami and Georgia.)

The Yellow Jackets’ defensive performance in this game was just as impressive, as evinced by its limiting the much-ballyhooed Perrilloux to 136 passing yards on 37 attempts, good for a paltry 3.6 yards per attempt, and just 67 rushing yards on 18 carries.

In striking contrast to 2008, Georgia Tech entered the season in 2009 with the expectation of winning the ACC Coastal, determined, first, to assuage the pain lingering from the humbling Peach Bowl defeat to close out 2008 and, second, to prove the unexpected success of 2008 was not an aberration. The week one opponent would again be Jacksonville State. Adding to the drama of the beginning of the Yellow Jackets’ 2009 campaign would be the transfer of A-back Greg Smith, converted from wide receiver, to Jacksonville State. (Nothing significant came of the drama, with Smith grabbing four receptions for 27 yards.)

Georgia Tech once again emerged victorious, 37-17, although Tech had led 31-7 at halftime. The Yellow Jackets were able to grind out 335 yards on the ground—highlighted by B-back Jonathan Dwyer’s 74 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage—and 162 yards through the air—highlighted by quarterback Josh Nesbitt’s 141 yards passing on 11 attempts with one touchdown and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas’s 4 receptions for 104 yards.

The defense also held its own keeping Jacksonville State’s ground attack under 100 yards at 98 (something it did not do against the Gamecocks in 2008) and limiting their aerial attack to 213 yards.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the game for Jackets fans, however, was new Yellow Jacket Jerrard Tarrant’s electrifying 68-yard punt return touchdown (a feat no Yellow Jacket had accomplished since 2003, when Jonathan Smith returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown against Virginia).

Based on the prior two matchups, on Saturday we can expect Georgia Tech to surge to at least a 4 score halftime lead—that is, at least a 25 point lead—but such a lead will likely dwindle to either a 2 or 3 score lead by the final whistle. This will be a result of Coach Johnson resting most of his two deep in the second half while Jacksonville State’s two deep—which is, per usual, composed of several former FBS and Power 5 players—remains in the game, hence allowing the Gamecocks to cut into whatever deficit exists at halftime.

Historically based prediction: Georgia Tech defeats JacksonvilleState by a score of 42-20.