Football Fix

GAILEY: BALL WILL BE OUR STARTER
Travis Parker sure defends Reggie:

Ball, whose hold on the job is tenuous, retains a hold on the hearts of his teammates, who have defended him consistently even in the wake of consecutive 20-plus point losses.

"Reggie's my quarterback. He's going to win a lot of football games for us," Tech defensive end Travis Parker said.

"If we need an extra yard, Reggie will put his head down and run through somebody. That's what you need in a quarterback - somebody who's willing to go an extra yard for you."

CALVIN JOHNSON TREATED LIKE A VETERAN
Also note that B.Brezina will NOT play and will be replaced by Matt Rhodes. Tidwell-Neal and G.Wilkinson are questionable and PJ Daniels is probably.

STRATHAM FINALLY GETS A FAMILIAR FOE

ACC PREDICTIONS
CFN predicts a loss for the Jackets:

Saturday, October 9th
Georgia Tech (2-2) at Maryland (3-1), 3:30 pm EST ABC
Why to watch: It's about at this point each year that Maryland starts to turn it on and become a powerhouse. After blowing away Duke two weeks ago, the Terps don't get a chance to breathe the rest of the season with one of the nation's most difficult schedules. Georgia Tech needs to prove itself after losing two straight games in ugly fashion and has to show it's a threat to the ACC's top teams. Going down 27-3 to Miami is one thing, but losing to North Carolina 34-13 shows how much work still needs to be done. While out of the ACC title race, Tech has to beat the Terps to have any hope for a bowl game.
Why Georgia Tech might win: Maryland doesn't have a glaring weakness, but the run defense is a bit of a concern allowing 145 yards per game. Tech's running game has to work to win, and it should be able to move the ball a bit even if top RB P.J. Daniels is iffy. Chris Woods ran for 74 yards on Miami and 79 against North Carolina, and he should be effective against the Terps.
Why Maryland might win: The Yellow Jackets are having a hard time hanging on to the ball losing it 12 times. Not only is the offense having turning it over, it's not scoring only managing 18 points per game despite not playing any tough defenses outside of Miami's. Maryland's offense is averaging over 454 yards and close to 35 points per game; Georgia Tech won't be able to keep up.
Who to watch: Georgia Tech needs better play out of Reggie Ball. The sophomore quarterback is completing less than 50% of his passes with eight interceptions (three in each of the last two games) and seven touchdown passes (one in the last two games.) For Maryland, Sammy Maldonado has taken on more of the rushing workload from Josh Allen, but each will get plenty of work.
What will happen: Georgia Tech occasionally pulls big wins out of nowhere, but it's not going to happen here. As long as Maryland QB Joel Statham plays well, the Yellow Jackets won't be able to match the Terps point for point.
CFN Prediction: Maryland 31 ... Georgia Tech 17 ... Line: Georgia Tech -12 | Discuss this game with experts
Must See Rating: (5 lock yourself in a room to watch - 1 The Tony Danza Show) ... 3

EVEN DUKE MEDIA THINKS GT IS...
...their best chance for a victory.

Georgia Tech—Duke ended its record-breaking 30-game ACC losing streak with a 41-17 victory over the Yellow Jackets last season, and as they did last year in Durham, they may get their first ACC win of the season against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are more talented, but the game will come down to which Georgia Tech teams shows up. The Yellow Jackets started the season 2-0 with solid wins over Stanford and Clemson but have since sputtered on offense, losing badly to North Carolina and Miami.

GT PUMPKIN TEMPLATES
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