Statistically Speaking - Georgia Tech | by Pat
Ground game success. Notre Dame had 138 yards rushing against Georgia Tech, which isn't a great total in the grand scheme of things. However, the total sounds a bit better when one considers that from the start of the 2003 season, the Yellow Jackets have held 20 of their 38 opponents under 100 yards total rushing for the game. Even better is the accomplishment of Darius Walker. Walker totaled 99 rushing yards, which again doesn't sound all that great. Yet, in the past 3 seasons, Georgia Tech has only allowed two runners to rush for more yards while playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Rushing for the record books. With those 99 yards added to his career total, Darius is now 146 yards away from being the #10 all-time rusher in Notre Dame history. He will be hard pressed to get that all in the next game against the tough Penn State linebackers, but over the course of the season, I'd say that he has Julius at #4 in his sights.
Career RushingReceiving for the record books. One more career acheivment type list for you and it has to deal with ND wide receivers and career receptions. Expect to see Samardzija and McKnight climb this list rapidly during the season. The only real question is, which one will finish out on top?
1. Autry Denson, 1995-98 - 4318 yards (854 attempts)
2. Allen Pinkett, 1982-85 - 4131 yards (889 attempts)
3. Vagas Ferguson, 1976-79 - 3472 yards (673 attempts)
4. Julius Jones, 1999-01, ‘03 - 3018 yards (634 attempts)
5. Jerome Heavens, 1975-78 - 2682 yards (590 attempts)
6. Phil Carter, 1979-82 - 2409 yards (557 attempts)
7. George Gipp, 1917-20 - 2341 yards (369 attempts)
8. Randy Kinder, 1993-96 - 2295 yards (404 attempts)
9. Tony Brooks, 1987-91 - 2274 yards (423 attempts)
10. Emil Sitko, 1946-49 - 2226 yards (362 attempts)
Darius Walker, 2004-present - 2081 yards (460 attempts)
Career ReceptionsShut Out. Jeff noted below the drastic changes in the ND defense in terms of effectiveness against Georgia Tech in the 2nd half. Putting it in a historical context, the last time that Notre Dame shut out a team in the 2nd half was the game against the 1-10 Washington team in 2004.
1. Tom Gatewood, 1969-71 - 157
2. Jim Seymour, 1966-68 - 138
3. Tim Brown, 1984-87 - 137
4. Maurice Stovall, 2002-05 - 130
5. Derrick Mayes, 1992-95 - 129
6. Ken MacAfee, 1974-77 - 128
7. Tony Hunter, 1979-82 - 120
8. Malcolm Johnson, 1995-98 - 110
9. Jeff Samardzija, active - 107
10. Rhema McKnight, active - 106
Blitzkrieg. Part of the aforementioned second half shutout can be attributed to the new look, aggressive Notre Dame defense. It sure seemed like the Irish blitzed more than in the past. For an exact look, here's the blitz breakdown.
| Down | # of blitzes | # of chances | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | 24 | 38% |
| 2nd | 10 | 20 | 50% |
| 3rd | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Total | 24 | 54 | 44% |
Freshman on the field. According to the box score and a second look at the game, twelve different freshman worked their way into the game against Georgia Tech. Sergio Brown, John Ryan, Raeshon McNeil, Richard Jackson, George West, and Jashaad Gaines were all in on special teams, while Sam Young (OL), Darrin Walls (CB), Munir Prince (RB), Will Yeatman (TE), Morrice Richardson (DE), and Toryan Smith (LB) all saw game action on either offense or defense. Comparatively, only eleven sophomores and juniors combined got into the game.
Season Long Running Averages
Here are the standard stat breakdowns of the season long running averages that we will track. As the games are played we will list out the individual game stats, the cumulative 2006 stats, and the 2005 stats for the sake of comparison. Remember though, many of the cumulative rankings and averages are pretty meaningless until the Irish get a few games under their belt.
Offense
| Category | Ga. Tech | 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Yards Per Rush | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| Avg. Yards per PA | 6.5 | 8.7 |
| Avg. Yards per PC | 10.7 | 13.5 |
| Pass Completion % | 61% | 65% |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 7/16 (44%) | 90/184 (49%) |
| Rushing Yd Avg. | 138.0 (53rd) | 147.08 (55th) |
| Passing Yd Avg. | 246.0 (31st) | 330.24 (4th) |
| Quinn Passing Eff. | 114.9 (70th) | 158.40 (7th) |
| Total Offense | 384.0 (40th) | 477.33 (10th) |
| Scoring Offense | 14.0 (78th) | 36.67 (8th) |
| Time of Possession | 35:25 | 32:51 |
| Red Zone TDs | 2/3 (66%) | 38/55 (69%) |
Defense
| Category | Ga. Tech | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yards per rush given up | 4.2 | 3.9 | |
| Avg. yards per PA | 5.8 | 7.7 | |
| Avg. yards per PC | 11.7 | 14.6 | |
| Pass completion % | 50% | 53% | |
| Quarterback sacks | 1 | 31 | |
| Rushing yards against | 119.0 (64th) | 132.33 (34th) | |
| Passing yards against | 140.0 (34th) | 264.6 (103rd) | |
| Passing Eff. defense | 112.75 (48th) | 121.41 (53rd) | |
| Total yd. against | 259.0 (35th) | 396.92 (75th) | |
| Scoring Defense | 10.0 (28th) | 24.5 (53rd) | |
| Red Zone defense | 2/2 (100%) | 31/41 (76%) | |
| Red Zone TD defense | 1/2 (50%) | 23/41 (56%) |
Turnovers
| Category | Ga. Tech | 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Interceptions by ND | 0 | 13 |
| Fumbles forced/recovered | 0 | 20/11 |
| Turnovers gained | 0 | 24 |
| Had intercepted | 0 | 8 |
| Fumbles / Lost | 0 | 17/6 |
| Turnovers lost | 0 | 14 |
| Turnover Margin | 0 | +10 |
Special Teams
| Category | Ga. Tech | 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Kickoff Return average | 39.5 | 19.0 |
| Kickoff Return avg. allowed | 17.5 | 21.2 |
| Punt Return average | 7.5 | 14.1 |
| Punt Return avg. allowed | 8.0 | 6.4 |
