Website . .RamblinWreck.com Sports Information Office . .404.894.5445 Primary Contact . .Dean Buchan E-Mail . [email protected] Buchan’s Cell . .404.295.8703 Secondary Contact . .Seth Gerard E-Mail . [email protected] Gerard’s Cell . .774.279.4461 The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl / Atlanta, Ga. GT-LSU Capsule SURPRISING YELLOW JACKETS MEET LSU IN DEC. 31 CHICK-FIL-A BOWL Georgia Tech, one of college football’s biggest surprise teams in 2008, ranked 14th in the Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 BCS standings and the Associated Press poll, will play defending national champion LSU New Kickoff: 7:36 p.m. Year’s Eve in the 41st annual Chick-fil-A Bowl (7:30 p.m./ESPN). Television: ESPN. Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Bob The Yellow Jackets, 9-3 overall, 5-3 in the ACC and co-champions of the ACC’s Coastal Di- Griese (color), Paul Maguire (color) and Jack Arute vision, will play in their 12th consecutive bowl game, two miles from the Georgia Tech cam- (sidelines) call the action. Bob Goodrich is the pro- pus at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. ducer. Georgia Tech’s first-year coach Paul Johnson, whose team was projected by Sports Illus- Radio: Georgia Tech ISP Network, including Atlanta trated to win just three games in 2008, is the ACC Coach of the Year and the CBS Sportsline flagship WQXI-AM 790 The Zone, and Atlanta FM National Coach of the Year. Sophomore B-back Jonathan Dwyer is the ACC Player of the Year. stations South 107.1 and WREK 91.1 (night Senior defensive end Michael Johnson was named an AFCA first team All-American. games only). Wes Durham is in his 14th season LSU, 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the SEC, closed the regular season with losses to Mississippi as play-by-play voice. Former Georgia Tech quar- and Arkansas. The Tigers, a preseason top-10 team, began the season 4-0. terback Rick Strom is the color analyst. 790 The Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 12-6. The last time the two teams met came in the Zone’s Jeff Woolverton reports from the sidelines. 2000 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. More on the series on page three. National Radio: ESPN. Dave Barnett, Dennis Fran- chione and Dave Ryan call the action. TODAY’S TIP-OFF XM Satellite Radio: Channels 190-192. What a win would mean: A Georgia Tech win would give the Yellow Jackets 10 victories Live Statistics: RamblinWreck.com. and three straight wins to close the season for the first time since 1998. A win would also Series History: Georgia Tech leads, 12-6. give Tech its highest ranking in the final polls since the 1998 season. ACC’s youngest team: Tech will likely start 16 freshmen or sophomores against LSU. Tickets: Sold out. ACC vs. SEC: Georgia Tech is attempting to go 3-0 vs. SEC teams in 2008. Records: Georgia Tech is 9-3 (5-3 in the ACC). LSU 12 Straight Bowls: The Yellow Jackets have played in a bowl game every year since 1997. is 7-5 (3-5 in the SEC). PJ in good company: Only Tom Osborne won more games in his first 12 seasons than Paul National Rankings: Georgia Tech is ranked 14th in Johnson (116-42). the Associated Press poll, 15th in the USA Today poll and 14th in the final BCS standings. LSU is not ranked. 2008 Georgia Tech Schedule/Results Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson: Johnson Date Opponent TV Time/W-L Series (Western Carolina ‘79) is 9-3 in his first season with the Yellow Jackets, 116-42 in his 12th sea- Aug. 28 JACKSONVILLE STATE ESPN360 W, 41-14 GT leads 1-0 son overall. Paul Johnson’s Tech debut a success; 484 yards of total offense Sept. 6 *at Boston College Raycom W, 19-16 GT leads, 5-2 LSU Coach Les Miles: Miles (Michigan ‘76) is 41- 11 in his fourth season in Baton Rouge, 69-32 in Dwyer, defense lead 4th-quarter rally to win ACC opener eight seasons overall. Sept. 13 *at Virginia Tech ABC L, 17-20 VT leads, 4-2 Jackets out-rush, outpass Hokies, but lose on 2 4th-quarter FGs LSU Media Contact: Sept. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE Raycom W, 38-7 GT leads, 3-0 Michael Bonnette (o) 225.578.8226 / (c) 225.241.4845 Tech rushes for 438 yards including 141 by Jonathan Dwyer [email protected] Oct. 4 *DUKE (Family Weekend) ESPNU W, 27-0 GT leads, 45-30-1 LSUsports.net Defense pitches shutout, Thomas hauls in 230 receiving yards Oct. 11 GARDNER-WEBB W, 10-7 GT leads, 1-0 Defense steps up again, Jackets hold off pesky FCS opponent Oct. 18 *at Clemson ESPN W, 21-17 GT leads, 46-24-2 Inside The Numbers Nesbitt’s TD pass to Thomas rallies Jackets in fourth quarter Redshirt freshman Roddy Jones averages more Oct. 25 *VIRGINIA (Homecoming) ESPNU L, 17-24 VA leads, 16-14-1 yards per carry (9.14) than any player at an FBS Cavaliers score in every quarter to erase 14-3 Tech lead school... over the last seven seasons, Paul John- Nov. 1 *FLORIDA STATE ABC W, 31-28 FS leads, 12-8-1 son’s teams are 23-8 when having more than True freshmen make game-saving play; Dwyer 145 yards rushing seven days to prepare... Johnson won more games in his first season than any coach in Yellow Nov. 8 *at North Carolina Raycom L, 7-28 GT leads, 23-18-3 Jacket history... Georgia Tech’s four starters on Dwyer rushes for 157 yards; Tar Heels get three 4th-quarter TDs the defensive line have combined for 96 career Nov. 20 *MIAMI ESPN W, 41-23 GT leads, 10-4 starts and 97.5 career tackles-for-loss... Tech Tech rushes for 472 yards in Thursday night win over Hurricanes has had 64 offensive plays of 20 yards or longer Nov. 29 at Georgia CBS W, 45-42 GA leads, 59-39-5 in 2008... the Jackets trailed by more than seven Tech erupts for 26 3rd-quarter points; Jones rushes for 214 yds. points for less than 28 minutes all season... sen- ior defensive end Michael Johnson gives Georgia Dec. 31 LSU (Chick-fil-A Bowl) ESPN 7:30 GT leads, 12-6 Tech a first team All-American for the fourth con- Yellow Jackets, Tigers share national spotlight New Year’s Eve secutive season. * ACC game ACC Standings & Schedule Georgia Tech’s Tentative Bowl Schedule COASTAL ACC Overall Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday *Virginia Tech . .5-3 9-4 Georgia Tech . .5-3 9-3 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Miami . .4-4 7-5 11:30-1:00 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Off Chick-fil-A Bowl Practice (closed) Practice (closed) Practice (closed) Practice (closed) Practice (closed) North Carolina . .4-4 8-4 Coaches on campus on campus on campus on campus on campus Virginia . .3-5 5-7 Luncheon and Players, Players, Players, Players, Players, Press Confer- Duke . .1-7 4-8 coaches avail- coaches avail- coaches avail- coaches avail- coaches avail- ence (Marriott able post-prac- able post-prac- able post-prac- able post-prac- able post-prac- Marquis) ATLANTIC ACC Overall tice tice tice tice tice *Boston College . .5-3 9-4 2:00 Florida State . .5-3 8-4 Practice (closed) on 23 24 25 26 27 28 Clemson . .4-4 7-5 campus (play- Off Off Christmas TBA 10:30 Practice 8:45 a.m. Maryland . .4-4 7-5 ers available Practice (closed) (closed) on cam- Practice NC State . .4-4 6-6 post-practice) at site (TBA) pus (post-prac- (closed) on tice interviews) campus (last Wake Forest . .4-4 7-5 Team arrival at day of post- * won tie-breaker 22 Marriott Mar- 2:00-3:30 practice inter- Off quis MLK, Jr. Na- views) tional Historic December 20 4:30-6:30 Site Visit 11:15-11:45 Eagle Bank Bowl (Washington, D.C.) Team Welcome Press Confer- Party (ESPN 7:00-9:00 Wake Forest vs. Navy, 11:00 a.m. (ESPN) ence -- Paul Zone) Georgia Power Johnson and Football Feud two players December 27 (Marriott Mar- (Sheraton At- Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.) 29 30 31 quis) lanta) North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 1:00 (ESPN) 7:45 a.m. 11:00-12:00 12:30-2:00 FCA Breakfast Joint Head Chick-fil-A Bowl Georgia Tech Media Interviews 1:00 Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) (Marriott Mar- Coaches Press Parade Atlanta Falcons quis) Conference Florida State vs. Wisconsin, 4:30 (ESPN) 7:30 All requests for specific player interviews must vs. St. Louis (Sheraton At- 12:30-1:00 Chick-fil-A Bowl be made prior to the conclusion of practice Rams (Georgia lanta) Emerald Bowl (San Francisco, Calif.) Press Confer- Georgia Tech vs. with Dean Buchan or Seth Gerard of the Geor- Dome) Miami vs. California, 8:00 (ESPN) ence (Sheraton 12:00-2:30 LSU (ESPN) gia Tech sports information office. Atlanta) -- Co- Texaco Scholar- ordinators/2 Buchan’s cell (404.295.8703) December 29 ship Luncheon players and Chalk Talk Gerard’s cell (774.279.4461) Papajohns.com Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.) (Marriott Mar- 1-2:30 p.m. On December 28th, the two players who will NC State vs. Rutgers, 3:00 (ESPN) Team hospital quis) attend the press conference will not be avail- visit (Egleston) able for interviews after practice.