Fed Ex Orange Bowl Preview: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

January 5, 2010

The Fed Ex Orange Bowl will be played Tuesday night on FOX. This match-up is intriguing as both teams have different philosophies on winning. Georgia Tech runs a spread option attack that has baffled opposing defenses all season, while the Iowa Hawkeyes have played stout defense to get to their 10-2 record.

The Iowa Hawkeyes started the season 9-0 and ranked in the top-10 in the country. A convincing win over then 5th ranked Penn St in week 5 made it seem as though this was the year that the Hawkeyes would finally break through. However, a stunning loss to Northwestern it what many experts would call a “look ahead” situation, shot down any hopes of a National Championship. Iowa did respond the following week as they gave the 11th ranked Buckeyes all they could handle in a 27-24 defeat. Now Iowa faces the high-flying ACC offense of Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, and will have to rely on their Big-10 hard nosed defense to come away victorious. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi has had a descent season passing for almost 2200 yards and 15 touchdowns. His only weakness is trying to make difficult throws by forcing passes into coverage. This has led to 14 interceptions this season. In order for the Hawkeyes to be competitive in the Orange Bowl they will need to eliminate mistakes, and not give the Yellow Jacket offense good field position. Expect Iowa to run the ball consistently and play keep away from G-Tech’s potent offense.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have arrived at this bowl game in a much different way. After a close call against Clemson in week 2 (30-27), they were caught off guard by a much improved Miami Hurricanes team that went on to win 9 games. It has been an uphill battle ever since for the Yellow Jackets, but they have responded by winning 9 of their last 10 games. QB Josh Nesbitt isn’t an NFL prospect, but he plays his role to perfection in this run based offense. When he does throw, it is usually for a big chunk of yards as opposing defense are generally caught off guard. His main target is Demaryius Thomas who has caught 46 passes this season for an amazing 1154 yards (over 25 yards per reception). Georgia Tech’s bread and butter is their spread option attack. Running back Jonathan Dwyer and QB Nesbitt have accounted for over 2300 yards on the ground this year, and many headaches for opposing defensive coordinators. Iowa’s defensive front 5 is amongst the best in the country, but they will need to be at their best Tuesday night against G-Tech’s option attack.

Expect a close game regardless of the tempo. If Iowa falls victim to the Yellow Jacket run game, they may need to get vertical on offense. This doesn’t bode well for the Tech defense as they have allowed almost twice as many points as Iowa this season. Tune in Tuesday night as both of these top-10 teams try to put the finishing touches on what has been a great year.

Written by Cover The Number · Filed Under NCAA Football

Comments

Got something to say?