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Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech Preview

Nov 1, 2010 - 9:50 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Georgia Tech (5-3) at No. 22 Virginia Tech (6-2), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The winner of the last three meetings between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech has gone on to capture the ACC championship.

For the defending champion Yellow Jackets to even have a chance of representing the Coastal Division in this year's conference title game, they must win Thursday night in Blacksburg - no easy task considering how well the 20th-ranked Hokies are playing.

After a forgettable start to the season with back-to-back losses to Boise State and James Madison, Virginia Tech (6-2, 4-0) is playing like most expected. The offense is rolling, topping the 40-point mark five times during a six-game winning streak, and the program is first in the Coastal.

The Hokies, winners of the ACC title in 2007 and '08, haven't played since a 44-7 win over Duke on Oct. 23, when the offense racked up 491 yards and reached the 40-point mark for a fourth consecutive game - a first since 2000.

"I do think we've got things to work on, but when you play well and you have success, it builds confidence," coach Frank Beamer said. "You can't talk your way into it. You've got to build it. The last couple of games, we've taken steps where we want to go."

Much of the reason Virginia Tech is in position to win seven in a row for the first time since opening 8-0 in 2005 stems from the play of quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

The senior leads the ACC with a 171.1 passer rating while throwing for 1,602 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also leads the Hokies with 527 rushing yards and needs 95 total yards to surpass Bryan Randall as the school's career leader for total offense.

"It all starts with Tyrod Taylor," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "You give him opportunities and he's going to make the most of them.

"I don't see a college quarterback playing any better in the country. Period. He might be the best dual-threat quarterback in the country."

Georgia Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt was receiving similar praise prior to the season, but he hasn't enjoyed as much success.

Nesbitt, averaging 165.6 yards of total offense, endured one of the worst performances of his four-year career in a 27-13 loss to Clemson on Oct. 23, managing 85 total yards. He needed 44 yards to break the ACC career record for yards rushing by a quarterback but was limited to two yards on 15 carries as Georgia Tech's three-game winning streak was snapped.

Nesbitt had much better success running the ball in a 28-23 upset win over fourth-ranked Virginia Tech last October. Although he finished 1 of 7 passing for 51 yards with an interception, Nesbitt rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

In three seasons under coach Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech's formula for success is running the ball behind the triple option. The Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-2) average an FBS-best 317.4 rushing yards - 102.6 better than Virginia Tech, which is second in the ACC.

Georgia Tech's offense struggled to get in gear against the Tigers, though, finishing with season lows in points and yards (325). The loss significantly hurt the Yellow Jackets' chances of returning to the title game, as they now need to beat the Hokies and hope they lose at least once more.

Georgia Tech, however, is simply trying to focus on what it can control.

"Everything (opponents) are throwing at us this season we've seen in practice," said running back Anthony Allen, third in the ACC with 692 rushing yards. "We've practiced it. We went over it in meetings. It's just a matter of us recognizing and executing when we get out there."

The Hokies, fourth in the conference against the run at 136.0 yards per game, hope to get a boost in their ground game with Ryan Williams expected to see more playing time.

Williams, a first-team All-ACC running back a year ago, played two series against the Blue Devils after missing the previous four games with a hamstring injury. The sophomore rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts against Georgia Tech last season.