It's all about being greedy
Georgia Tech's defense wants perfection, and that means posting a shutout Saturday vs. North Carolina
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Some teams talk about defense in modest terms. Just give the offense a chance to win the game, they'll say. But for Georgia Tech, what fun would that be?
Its defense has already been one of the best in the country. Now, as the Yellow Jackets prepare to face North Carolina on Saturday, they want more. They want a shutout.
"That's the one thing this defense really needs," senior safety Djay Jones said. "Of course, that's our goal every week ... but we feel like we need a shutout sooner or later."
Greedy? Sure. Unrealistic? Perhaps. But not entirely.
Georgia Tech ranks sixth in the nation in total defense and has made a mockery of their opponents' pass protection, leading the country with 4.2 sacks per game. It has yet to shut out a team this season but has come close twice, beating Notre Dame 33-3 and Clemson 13-3.
The last team the Yellow Jackets shut out was North Carolina. They beat the Tar Heels 7-0 in November 2006 to clinch the Coastal Division title, their first shutout in six years and first road shutout since 1985.
For Georgia Tech defensive players, it was one of the most memorable games in their careers. Several of them re-lived it by watching it on tape Monday.
"We were not necessarily surprised," defensive tackle Vance Walker said. "But when you look back at it, that was a big thing - 7-0. If they had gotten a score, we could have went to overtime."
Granted, with a first-year head coach in Butch Davis and a redshirt freshman quarterback in T.J. Yates, this is not the same team Georgia Tech faced in Chapel Hill a year ago. But it is still a team that hasn't won a game outside its home state since 2002. Since their last visit to Atlanta, a 27-21 Georgia Tech victory in 2005, the Tar Heels have lost their nine out-of-state games by an average score of 37-10.
For the Yellow Jackets' defense, a repeat of last year's shutout Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium would be the ideal way to go into next week's match-up with Georgia.
"Definitely, it's a goal that we need to have right now," defensive tackle Darryl Richard said.
Head coach Chan Gailey said a shutout isn't something he thinks about going into a game. But that would probably change if North Carolina is still scoreless in the second half.
"I don't think you ever start the game with that," Gailey said. "I think that's something that if you get to the third quarter and the fourth quarter and you've got it, then it's something that guys start to talk about."
North Carolina's rushing offense ranks near the bottom of the conference. But the Tar Heels have a threat in Yates, who has been among the best freshman quarterbacks in the country. Also, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks ranks third in the ACC with more than six receptions per game.
Even if Georgia Tech has a stellar defensive outing, Gailey said that alone still probably will not be enough for a shutout.
"The rest of the team has got to factor in that, too," he said. "The offense has got to not give up the ball on their end, and special teams can't give up the ball on their end. You've got to make them go the long way."
In short, it's a long shot. But at this point, what else is left for Georgia Tech's defense to aim for?
"If we can pitch a shutout, that would make us feel like we're that much better, especially going into the UGA game," Jones said. "We need to totally dominate one game."
