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Miami v. Georgia Tech Football Lines & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

gtech miami 91409 The 14th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the 20th ranked Miami Hurricanes kick off Week 3 college football action this Thursday night at the Orange Bowl in an ACC Coastal Division clash. The Yellow Jackets enter Thursday’s matchup at 2-0, but they are lucky to still be undefeated. Georgia Tech jumped out to a 24-0 lead against Clemson in Week 2 but had to put together a pair of field goal scoring drives late to hang on for a 30-27 win. The Hurricanes have just one game under their belts, but it was a big one. FSU was thought to be a team ready to, perhaps, make a run at the BCS, but Miami outlasted the Seminoles 38-34 in a shootout to move into the AP top 25. Football odds makers have listed the Miami Hurricanes as a 4.5-point favorite.

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If Georgia Tech is going to beat the Hurricanes, it is going to need an improved performance from quarterback Josh Nesbitt. Nesbitt had a good game on the ground last week, rushing for 91 yards, but his passing accuracy is not yet up to snuff. He completed just 3 of 14 passes for 83 yards and two interceptions. His struggles through the air were a big reason why the Jackets converted just 3 of 14 third downs. Also, this low third down conversion percentage was a big reason why Clemson was able to come back from 24 points down.

On a positive note, the Jackets can run the football. Tech eclipsed the 300-yard rushing mark for the fifth straight regular season game, led by Anthony Allen’s 127 yards on five carries. Running back Jonathan Dwyer, who moved into 16th place on Tech’s all-time list for all-purpose yards, is also a major threat. My personal thought is that Tech should just pound the ball on the ground until Miami can stop it as Nesbitt is clearly a more talented runner than passer. Defensively, end Derrick Morgan figures to be a major key to Tech’s success. He has five sacks in the first two games and the Jackets will be depending on him to put some heat on Miami quarterback Jacory Harris. If you think the Yellow Jackets have what it takes to beat the Hurricanes, bet Georgia Tech at +4.5 at BetUS.

Miami impressed in its season opening win, especially on the offensive side of the football, but its defense will have to come up big for it to prevail this week. Georgia Tech gashed the Miami defense for 472 yards in a 41-23 win in 2008. Last season, it was Nesbitt and Dwyer having big days for the Jackets and now they can add Anthony Allen to their list of weapons.

It is unlikely that Miami will be able to completely shut down the Yellow Jackets, but if it hopes to contain their powerful running offense, it will need a much better effort out of linebacker Sean Spence who was in on only three tackles last week. The team will also be looking to get a boost from defensive end Eric Moncur, who is expected to return this week.

While the Canes would like to shut down Tech, the more likely scenario is that they’ll have to outscore the Jackets. Coordinator Mark Whipple opened up the playbook last week and QB Jacory Harris starred with 386 passing yards and two scores. The running game produced only 90 yards against FSU, so the Canes will likely have to air it out again to move the football. Another player to watch is running back Graig Cooper. He was only able to gain 31 yards on the ground but he was a serious asset in terms of field position, running back five kickoffs for 177 yards. If you like the Hurricanes to get the job done at home, bet Miami at -4.5 at BetUS.

Make sure you check out World Champion Handicapper Jimmy Boyd’s football picks this Thursday to see who he likes in this matchup.

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