Axe\'s Time Machine, Top 10...
...welcome to the first edition of Axe's Time Machine. We all know GT should be solid on the o-line and in the LBs corps, but what surprises will pop up and help send GT to a bowl this year. I cranked up the old time machine to try and find out. After my trip, I found 10 reasons GT went bowling in '03...
10. Levon Thomas "catches on" with the Jackets. Levon Thomas finally combined his tremendous athletic ability and speed with improved hands to become GT's latest deep threat. Thomas caught 35 for 667 and 7 TDs. Thomas was one of the leagues most feared receivers.
9. Landry and Butler put the sting back in Tech's Dbees. GT's most athletic safety duo in more than a decade shook off some early season growing pains to become the ACC's hardest hitting safety duo. When asked what the secret to their success was, Butler kept it simple. "We just don't like receivers messing around in our secondary," the young safety responded.
8. Discount kickers provided Coach Gailey with plenty of value. Most walk-ons never get the chance to see the field in major college football, but former walk-ons Dan Burnett and Hal Higgins provided Coach Gailey with plenty of bang for his buck.
7. He used to be the second most famous Tenuta behind Judy, but oppossing offenses found nothing funny about Jon's ability to mask an undermanned defensive front and take advantage of an explosive LB corps to create the ACC's most opportunistic defense. Tenuta's Jackets led the ACC with a +13 turnover margin.
6. It took 5 years but this Jacket's shell finally Hatched. Jermaine Hatch provided valuable carries and downs for the GT backfield. The Senior RB also provided GT with an excellent short yardage back and great leadership for the young GT RBs.
5. You better look quick because Grant is Gone. Rashaun Grant was the ACC's most exciting true freshman in 2003. The Florida speedster, led the ACC with a 5.2 yard per carry average on the way to 811 yards rushing. The young freshman combined with veterans P.J. Daniels and Jermaine Hatch to give the Jackets a three-headed TB monster
4. It was just like old times for Buddy Geis and Chan Gailey. The former NFL partners combined with rising star Patrick Nix to give GT one of the best offensive braintrusts in the ACC. The trio did an excellent job of constructing a simple offense that played to the strengths of athletic QB Damarius Bilbo and a veteran o-line.
3. Trainer Jay Shoop had to cut down on his staff this year. Shoop summed it up, "I usually need twice as many folks as I did this year. I had a big staff at the beginning of the season, but I just didn't have enough work for them. We had to let some good kids go."
2. Somebody put something in the Cheerios of GT's young d-lineman. Starters Travis Parker and Brad Brezina bulked up 15 lbs. each to give the Jackets a solid pair of starters. Omar Billy used his impressive athletic ability to become a skilled third down specialist. Big youngsters Mansfield Wrotto and LaShawn Newberry didn't show their age, both averaged 10 downs per game and finished with 13 tackles each.
1. One thing that can't be debated at the end of 2003, the GT QB job belongs to Damarius Bilbo and someone will have to work very hard to pull it away from him. Bilbo's strong arm and outstanding speed helped Gailey keep the offense simple and GT's options open. Bilbo used plenty of roll-outs to keep his TEs and FBs involved in the offense, while his strong arm kept defenses honest deep. Bilbo didn't put up big numbers, finishing with 14TD passes but he only turned it over 8 times and did a good job protecting the football. Like Mike Vick in '02, Bilbo used his feet to make key plays when he had to.
...welcome to the first edition of Axe's Time Machine. We all know GT should be solid on the o-line and in the LBs corps, but what surprises will pop up and help send GT to a bowl this year. I cranked up the old time machine to try and find out. After my trip, I found 10 reasons GT went bowling in '03...
10. Levon Thomas "catches on" with the Jackets. Levon Thomas finally combined his tremendous athletic ability and speed with improved hands to become GT's latest deep threat. Thomas caught 35 for 667 and 7 TDs. Thomas was one of the leagues most feared receivers.
9. Landry and Butler put the sting back in Tech's Dbees. GT's most athletic safety duo in more than a decade shook off some early season growing pains to become the ACC's hardest hitting safety duo. When asked what the secret to their success was, Butler kept it simple. "We just don't like receivers messing around in our secondary," the young safety responded.
8. Discount kickers provided Coach Gailey with plenty of value. Most walk-ons never get the chance to see the field in major college football, but former walk-ons Dan Burnett and Hal Higgins provided Coach Gailey with plenty of bang for his buck.
7. He used to be the second most famous Tenuta behind Judy, but oppossing offenses found nothing funny about Jon's ability to mask an undermanned defensive front and take advantage of an explosive LB corps to create the ACC's most opportunistic defense. Tenuta's Jackets led the ACC with a +13 turnover margin.
6. It took 5 years but this Jacket's shell finally Hatched. Jermaine Hatch provided valuable carries and downs for the GT backfield. The Senior RB also provided GT with an excellent short yardage back and great leadership for the young GT RBs.
5. You better look quick because Grant is Gone. Rashaun Grant was the ACC's most exciting true freshman in 2003. The Florida speedster, led the ACC with a 5.2 yard per carry average on the way to 811 yards rushing. The young freshman combined with veterans P.J. Daniels and Jermaine Hatch to give the Jackets a three-headed TB monster
4. It was just like old times for Buddy Geis and Chan Gailey. The former NFL partners combined with rising star Patrick Nix to give GT one of the best offensive braintrusts in the ACC. The trio did an excellent job of constructing a simple offense that played to the strengths of athletic QB Damarius Bilbo and a veteran o-line.
3. Trainer Jay Shoop had to cut down on his staff this year. Shoop summed it up, "I usually need twice as many folks as I did this year. I had a big staff at the beginning of the season, but I just didn't have enough work for them. We had to let some good kids go."
2. Somebody put something in the Cheerios of GT's young d-lineman. Starters Travis Parker and Brad Brezina bulked up 15 lbs. each to give the Jackets a solid pair of starters. Omar Billy used his impressive athletic ability to become a skilled third down specialist. Big youngsters Mansfield Wrotto and LaShawn Newberry didn't show their age, both averaged 10 downs per game and finished with 13 tackles each.
1. One thing that can't be debated at the end of 2003, the GT QB job belongs to Damarius Bilbo and someone will have to work very hard to pull it away from him. Bilbo's strong arm and outstanding speed helped Gailey keep the offense simple and GT's options open. Bilbo used plenty of roll-outs to keep his TEs and FBs involved in the offense, while his strong arm kept defenses honest deep. Bilbo didn't put up big numbers, finishing with 14TD passes but he only turned it over 8 times and did a good job protecting the football. Like Mike Vick in '02, Bilbo used his feet to make key plays when he had to.
