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Newsworthy Tony Hollings (RB) has torn a knee ligament and will miss the rest of the season. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter against BYU (Sept. 21). Hollings was leading the nation in rushing (633 yards and 11TDs in 4 games) at the time of the injury and will be sorely missed by the Yellow Jackets. Hollings was originally a safety, but converted to a tailback this year. Greg Gathers (DE) was found on campus visibly upset with a gun in his hand on Sept 26, 2002. Gathers is suffering from a kidney ailment and he be redshirted this season. Campus officials said he was suffering side effects from his medication. No charges were filed, but the gun was taken away. The Yellow Jackets have won five straight games against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Last Weeks Highlights A.J. Suggs (15-27 166 yards) and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets pulled out a close game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept 28, 2002. Eziemefe (RB) led the way for the Georgia Tech offense by rushing for 136 yards on 32 carries, including the game-winning 1-yard TD (plunge) in the third quarter. With the victory the Yellow Jackets improve to 4-1 and 1-1 in the ACC.
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The Yellow Jackets have plenty of talent but face a transitional year, with Chan Gailey replacing George O'Leary as head coach. Plus, they're breaking in a new QB and tailback. Gailey has been successful as a college head coach and an NFL offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Bill O'Brien is viewed as a top-flight offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta has made his mark as an excellent strategist.
While a quality staff is in place, this season's success depends largely on how quickly A.J. Suggs and Damarius Bilbo develop in what could be a two-QB system. Having a proven running back would take some pressure off the young QBs, but that's not the case here. With Joe Burns moving on, the spotlight is on former DB Tony Hollings at tailback. Hollings showed promise in the spring but had some troubles with fumbles, so he'll need to prove he can take care of the football in game situations. The starting offensive line looks fairly solid, led by standout OT Nat Dorsey, but depth is a problem.
The defense features speed and quality veteran personnel, highlighted by sack artist Greg Gathers. Gathers figures to receive a tremendous amount of attention as opponents focus on limiting his dominance, if possible. The concern on D is a lack of size overall and the lack of big-impact playmakers on the interior of the defensive line.