Game is being played in Dublin,Ireland
A pair of ACC teams looking to rebound from difficult campaigns will try to find their footing overseas on Saturday when Georgia Tech and Boston College meet in Dublin, Ireland in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Both squads suffered through a high volume of injuries and finished last in their respective divisions, combining to go 1-15 in ACC play, but a clean slate could make all the difference.
That is especially true for a Yellow Jackets squad that is just two years removed from an Orange Bowl win and has the pieces to re-energize its vaunted wishbone attack. "I think last season helped our players focus," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson - who reached a bowl game in his first seven years at the helm - told reporters. "Nobody wants to go through that again. That was a real reality check for them." Johnson feels that the skill position players in a rushing attack that has often averaged close to 300 yards a game before dipping to 256.2 last year - led by senior quarterback Justin Thomas - is more prepared and he likes the athleticism along the offensive line. The Eagles, who averaged only 9.1 points in ACC action but boasted the top-ranked defense in the country, has Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles and returning sophomore Darius Wade battling to claim a quarterback position that had all sorts of issues in 2015.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (2015: 3-9): Thomas' passing yards dropped from 1,719 in 2014 to 1,345 and his rushing total from 1,086 to 488, a solid indication of the Yellow Jackets' overall issues on the offensive end. He will have support in a deep stable of backs led by sophomore Marcus Marshall, who led the league with 7.6 yards per attempt, and a line spearheaded by Freddie Burden, a member of the Rimington Award's preseason watch list. Georgia Tech was 1-6 in games decided by eight points or fewer and could use some improvement in several special teams units that ranked near the bottom of the ACC.
ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (2015: 3-9): Towles is the expected starter, although coach Steve Addazio did not name anyone in Monday's press conference and might give Wade - who played the first three games in 2015 before a broken ankle ended his season - a solid look. "They're throwing the ball well. They're leading the offense well," Addazio told reporters. "We have confidence in both of those guys. ... I feel much better going into the season knowing that we have two guys that are game ready." Seventeen of the top 21 tacklers return to a defensive unit that topped the nation in yards allowed (254.3) and surrendered the fourth-fewest points (15.3), led by junior linebacker Connor Strachan.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Eagles RB Jon Hilliman, who ran for 860 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2014, returns after an injury limited him to four games last year.
2. The Yellow Jackets have scored at least 21 points in 21 straight games, the longest streak in the ACC.
3. The teams have not met since 2012, when Georgia Tech recorded a 37-17 win at home.
That is especially true for a Yellow Jackets squad that is just two years removed from an Orange Bowl win and has the pieces to re-energize its vaunted wishbone attack. "I think last season helped our players focus," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson - who reached a bowl game in his first seven years at the helm - told reporters. "Nobody wants to go through that again. That was a real reality check for them." Johnson feels that the skill position players in a rushing attack that has often averaged close to 300 yards a game before dipping to 256.2 last year - led by senior quarterback Justin Thomas - is more prepared and he likes the athleticism along the offensive line. The Eagles, who averaged only 9.1 points in ACC action but boasted the top-ranked defense in the country, has Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles and returning sophomore Darius Wade battling to claim a quarterback position that had all sorts of issues in 2015.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (2015: 3-9): Thomas' passing yards dropped from 1,719 in 2014 to 1,345 and his rushing total from 1,086 to 488, a solid indication of the Yellow Jackets' overall issues on the offensive end. He will have support in a deep stable of backs led by sophomore Marcus Marshall, who led the league with 7.6 yards per attempt, and a line spearheaded by Freddie Burden, a member of the Rimington Award's preseason watch list. Georgia Tech was 1-6 in games decided by eight points or fewer and could use some improvement in several special teams units that ranked near the bottom of the ACC.
ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (2015: 3-9): Towles is the expected starter, although coach Steve Addazio did not name anyone in Monday's press conference and might give Wade - who played the first three games in 2015 before a broken ankle ended his season - a solid look. "They're throwing the ball well. They're leading the offense well," Addazio told reporters. "We have confidence in both of those guys. ... I feel much better going into the season knowing that we have two guys that are game ready." Seventeen of the top 21 tacklers return to a defensive unit that topped the nation in yards allowed (254.3) and surrendered the fourth-fewest points (15.3), led by junior linebacker Connor Strachan.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Eagles RB Jon Hilliman, who ran for 860 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2014, returns after an injury limited him to four games last year.
2. The Yellow Jackets have scored at least 21 points in 21 straight games, the longest streak in the ACC.
3. The teams have not met since 2012, when Georgia Tech recorded a 37-17 win at home.
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