Can Georgia Tech Contain Russell Wilson?

The most widely known individual coming to Atlanta on the NC State squad is Russell Wilson, the dual-threat quarterback who won the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year. If you haven't seen much of Wilson think of him similar to Tyrod Taylor's legs combined with Christian Ponder's arm. He can make all the throws but just as easily can tuck it and run down the field.

The Jackets are focusing heavily on stopping the threat that is Wilson. If we can stop Wilson, we should be able to stop the Wolfpack.  Year-to-date, the quarterback is 57-for-101 passing with 8 touchdowns and has run it himself 26 times in three games. The best chance any of us would have had to see NC State play was last Thursday on ESPN against the Cincinnati Bearcats where Wilson took advantage of the national spotlight.  He was 26-for-40 passing which included three passing touchdowns. He also threw to 11 different receivers, which shows us he has good vision for the field and has the ability to make quick reads.

Earlier this year, we gave Wilson a high fear factor because of his agility and the simple potential of him turning a failed play into a successful one. Now, with three games under our belt and our defensive line surrounded by question marks, his threat level is EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.

However, we do have an ace in our pocket in the form of Coach Andy McCollum. Before coming to The Flats this year, Coach McCollum spent time as a defensive coach for the Wolfpack. Count on him bringing in knowledge as to how to contain Wilson this week.

Paul Johnson (via Coley Harvey) quotes:

"That's an issue [allowing quarterback to run] we've got to clean up...We've got to contain guys on pass rush. It's been atrocious. The last quarterback we played was not so much a runner, so it didn't hurt us. But a (player) like (Wilson) can kill you if you don't contain him. And he thrives outside the pocket."