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As College Gameday was ending today, I was opening my first beer. I was nervous. NC State was 5-4, with their losses coming to 4 very good teams. They play extremely well at home, and took defending national champs Florida State well into the fourth quarter about 6 weeks ago. Sure, Georgia Tech was coming off of two straight wins, and yet something about this game had me very, very nervous.
Well, apparently those nerves were good for nothing.
Georgia Tech came into this game and absolutely ravaged NC State. They held the ball 8 times, scored 6 touchdowns, fumbled once inside the red zone, and ended the game inside the 5-yard line on the final possession. In fact, P Ryan Rodwell could have spent the entire game in his dorm room, and we never would have known the difference. Heck, the offense had the second string in before the end of the third quarter.
The defense stepped up in a BIG way, creating 3 turnovers and allowing a pesky and athletic NCSU offense to score a mere 7 points after halftime -- and even that score came against the second-team defense.
I'm fully satisfied with this game and have no complaints.
Oh, and the other thing? Weirdly, I find myself looking forward to the Clemson game next week. I have this weird, uncomfortable feeling of optimism. Georgia Tech's really good offense has only gotten better through the year, and the defense is starting to impress. Interested to see how they handle next week's challenge.
Satisfied with this game? Any complaints? Feelings about next week's Clemson game?