ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s football schedule has a challenging opening month, with next Saturday’s game at South Florida and a Sept. 15 Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Pittsburgh followed by No. 2 Clemson visiting Bobby Dodd Stadium in three weeks.
Oh yeah, the Yellow Jackets also kick off the season Saturday against Alcorn State.
Don’t count Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson among those dismissing the Braves, a Football Championship Subdivision program. He hasn’t forgotten his Jackets were upset six years ago by Middle Tennessee State. Although the Blue Raiders – like the Jackets – compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision, coming from Conference USA they were another opponent that was supposed to roll over early in the game, at least in the pregame opinions of many observers.
The Jackets, like most FBC schools, usually win these kinds of games easily – matchups during the past five Septembers against Alcorn State, Elon, Mercer and Wofford were lopsided – but Johnson knows his players can’t afford to make mistakes in the first half and give Alcorn State hope.
The Braves are accustomed to success at their level, and they’re picked to win the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the fifth straight year.