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Virginia (4-3, 2-1 ACC) vs. No. 21 Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC)
Game 8 Saturday, Oct. 25 3:30 p.m.
Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field (55,000) Atlanta, Ga.
Surface: Natural Grass
Series vs. GT: Virginia leads, 15-14-1
Last Meeting: 2007 (Virginia 28, GT 23)
Television: ESPNU
Radio: Virginia Sports Network
Satellite Radio: XM Radio Ch. 190-192
School Websites: VirginiaSports.com, RamblinWreck.com
Television Coverage
ESPNU is televising the game.
Doug Bell (play-by-play) and Charles Arbuckle (color analysis) have the call.
Radio Coverage
All Virginia games are broadcast on the Virginia Sports Network, originating at WINA/WWWV in Charlottesville.
Dave Koehn (play-by-play), Frank Quayle (color analysis) and Tim Sherman (sidelines) have the call.
Series vs. the Yellow Jackets
Virginia holds a slim 15-14-1 edge in the 43-year-old series, but has won four of the last five games to take the series lead.
Overall the home team has won 12 of the last 13 meetings.
The home team won nine straight from 1995 until UVa’s 30-10 victory in Atlanta in 2004.
The Cavaliers are 6-12 in Atlanta but have a 9-2-1 edge at home and have won the last eight on their home turf.
Four of the last five meetings have been decided by double digits.
Last Five Meetings
2007 – Virginia 28, Georgia Tech 23
2006 – Georgia Tech 24, Virginia 7
2005 – Virginia 27, Georgia Tech 17
2004 – Virginia 30, Georgia Tech 10
2003 – Virginia 29, Georgia Tech 17
home team denoted in bold
Things You Need to Know
Virginia has won four of the last five meetings with Georgia Tech.
The home team has won 12 of the last 13 games in the series, dating to 1995. The lone aberration was UVa’s win at Tech in 2004.
Virginia has averaged 27.3 points and 377.3 total yards per game during its three-game winning streak. The Cavaliers averaged 9.0 points and 251.2 yards per game in starting the year 1-3.
The game features the ACC leader in sacks (Georgia Tech) versus the ACC co-leader in fewest sacks allowed (Virginia).
With 1.14 sacks per game this year, Clint Sintim ranks sixth nationally and leads the ACC in sacks. He also is the national leader in sacks among linebackers.
More on the UVa-GT Series
Georgia Tech’s last win in Charlottesville came in 1990 when the No. 16 Yellow Jackets knocked off the top-ranked Cavaliers 41-38 on a last-second field goal.
All six meetings between 1996-2002 were decided by a touchdown or less.
Since 1996 Virginia’s seven victories have come by an average of 8.4 points, while Georgia Tech’s five wins have come by an average of 13.8 points.
The Yellow Jackets’ average is skewed by a 35-0 win in 2000, the only blowout in the last decade.
Tight Games or Routs
Since the Yellow Jackets began playing an ACC schedule in 1983, the teams have met 25 times and 13 of the games have been decided by eight points or fewer.
Since 1983, the series has featured one tie and other games decided by one point (two games), three points (3), four (2), five (1), six (1), seven (2) and eight points (1).
Turnovers Make a Difference
Since 1982, the Cavaliers are 9-1 vs. Georgia Tech when committing fewer turnovers. The lone loss occurred in 1991.
Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is 6-4-1 when it commits fewer turnovers.
There have been five games since 1982 (82, 87, 98, 02, 05) where the teams had equal turnovers; UVa won only in 1987 and 2005.
In the last six meetings, Virginia has recorded 12 takeaways and turned them into 50 points, including two takeaways for 14 points last year.
Since Al Groh took over as Virginia’s head coach in 2001, the Cavaliers have committed 10 turnovers in the seven games against Georgia Tech.
Conversely, the Yellow Jackets have turned the ball over at least once in every game since 2001.
Georgia Tech Uses Field Goals to Sink Virginia …
Georgia Tech has kicked 22 field goals vs. Virginia since 1990 and has seen five games decided by those kicks.
The Yellow Jackets won the 1990 and 1991 contests with last-second field goals by Scott Sisson.
The Jackets connected on two field goals to win the 1996 meeting by six points.
Georgia Tech booted two field goals and won by three points in 1998.
In 2004 the Yellow Jackets kicked three field goals in an eight-point win.
… but Virginia Turns It Around of Late
Connor Hughes tied the school record by booting a school-record tying five field goals in UVa’s 29-17 win in 2003.
The following season he made three field goals in a 30-10 win and in 2005 he connected on two more field goals.
UVa has not hit a field goal in the last two meetings and has just 12 field goals in the last 13 contests with Tech.
2007: Virginia 28, Georgia Tech 23
Jameel Sewell threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Staton Jobe one play after a muffed punt recovery in the fourth quarter, and Virginia rallied after blowing an early lead and beat Georgia Tech, 28-23, in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers also got 138 rushing yards from Cedric Peerman and several big plays from defensive end Chris Long.
Long batted several passes away, one turning into a 25-yard interception return, and sacked Taylor Bennett on fourth down at Virginia’s 30 late in the game.
Sewell finished 16-for-25 for 177 yards and the winning TD pass.
Wahoos Win on the Road When Scoring First
Virginia has started slow on the road this year, going 0-2 after posting a 4-2 mark away from home last season.
Since 1987, UVa has played 113 games at opponents’ stadiums, winning 55.
One of the keys in the 55 wins is UVa’s ability to score first. The Wahoos are 40-15-1 (.723) in that span when they score first.
Virginia has scored first in six of its last nine road wins dating back to 2004.
Something Has to Give
The game this week features the ACC’s leader in sacks against the leader in fewest sacks allowed.
UVa is tied for first in the ACC in fewest sacks allowed (eight), while Georgia Tech leads the ACC in sacks (23). UVa is second to the Yellow Jackets in sacks (19).
UVa has allowed more than one sack just once (USC), while Georgia Tech has two or more sacks in five of seven games this year.
Virginia vs. Ranked Teams
Virginia is 1-1 vs. ranked teams this year with a win last week over then-No. 18 North Carolina and a loss in the season opener to then-No. 3 Southern California.
Virginia is 11-17 against ranked teams since 2001 under head coach Al Groh.
UVa has not faced ranked teams in consecutive weeks since 2005 when it played No. 24 Georgia Tech, No. 7 Virginia Tech and No. 10 Miami (Fla.) in succession from Nov. 12-26.
The Cavaliers have not defeated a ranked team on the road since Sept. 22, 2001, at then-No. 19 Clemson (26-24).
Virginia vs. Ranked Georgia Tech Teams
UVa last faced a ranked Georgia Tech team in 2005, a 27-17 win at home over the No. 24 Yellow Jackets.
Virginia is 4-5-1 all-time against ranked Georgia Tech teams, including an 0-4 mark in Atlanta.
Last Five Meetings vs. Ranked Georgia Tech Teams (home team in bold):
2005 – Virginia 27, No. 24 Georgia Tech 17
2001 – Virginia 39, No. 20 Georgia Tech 38
2000 – No. 24 Georgia Tech 35, Virginia 0
1999 – Virginia 45, No. 7 Georgia Tech 38
1998 – No. 25 Georgia Tech 41, No. 7 Virginia 38