The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
in the
2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's coach was former
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
,
Samford Bulldogs
The Samford Bulldogs are the 17 varsity teams (8 men's and 9 women's) that represent Samford University in NCAA Division I athletics. The men's basketball team made its first NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000.They were led by Reed Raw ...
, and
Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. Troy Univer ...
coach
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. (born January 5, 1952) is a former American football coach. Most recently in 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Gailey has previously served as the head ...
. The Yellow Jackets played their home games at
Bobby Dodd Stadium in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Previous seasons
Georgia Tech had posted four consecutive seasons with 7 wins under Coach Gailey. The team had been to four bowl games under Chan Gailey and had a 2–2 record in postseason play. Under Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech had become notorious for having a stifling defense and a ball control offense. In 2004 Georgia Tech held
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
to under 85 yards of total offense, while in 2005 Georgia Tech held No. 3
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
to only 10 points in Georgia Tech's victory in the
Miami Orange Bowl
The Miami Orange Bowl was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida from 1937 until 2008. The stadium was located in the Little Havana neighborhood west of Downtown Miami. The Miami Orange Bowl was considered a landmark and served as the ho ...
. Georgia Tech defeated two highly heralded
Auburn teams in 2003 and 2005 and only allowed 17 points in the two matchups (the 2005 game ended Auburn's 15-game winning streak).
Pre-season
Head Coach Chan Gailey returned for his fifth year at the helm of the program. Senior
Reggie Ball
Reginald Lewis Ball (born October 6, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia Tech.
Early years
Ball played his high ...
(
QB) was expected to lead the team as a seasoned veteran with three full years of starting behind him.
Junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
(
WR) was considered by many sports writers to be the top wide receiver in the nation.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
transfer
Tashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice (born November 20, 1984) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Georgia ...
(
RB) found the starting job behind an experienced offensive line.
Georgia Tech was in some pre-season top 25 polls.
Pre-season awards
Preseason Football Buzz
*
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
– All-America First Team
*
Joe Anoa'i
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
– Lindy's All-ACC First Team
*
KaMichael Hall
KaMichael Charles Hall (born January 22, 1985) is a Canadian football linebacker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football, ...
– Sporting News' All-ACC First Team
* Kenny Scott – Sporting News' All-ACC First Team
*
Reggie Ball
Reginald Lewis Ball (born October 6, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia Tech.
Early years
Ball played his high ...
– Athlon's All-ACC Third Team
* Andrew Gardner – Sporting News All-ACC Second Team
* Mike Cox – Sporting News All-ACC First Team
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries
Notre Dame
Pregame Line: Notre Dame −7.5
The game began with Georgia Tech taking a 10–0 lead over the Irish.
Reggie Ball
Reginald Lewis Ball (born October 6, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia Tech.
Early years
Ball played his high ...
connected with
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
for a touchdown and Travis Bell kicked a field goal. At the end of the first half, Notre Dame finally scored on a
Brady Quinn
Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
quarterback draw.
The second half featured two relentless defenses. Notre Dame would score the final points in the game on a
Darius Walker
Darius Adunte Walker (born October 21, 1985) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) and current college football analyst for Fox. He worked as a college football analyst and sideline reporter for Mounta ...
touchdown run.
The run followed a controversial late hit
penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
A p ...
, which took Notre Dame from 4th down to 1st down and goal.
The game had no turnovers and was highlighted by Calvin Johnson's 7 receptions, 110 yards receiving, and touchdown and Reggie Ball's 207 all-purpose yards.
Samford
![2006 Georgia Tech vs Samford Rashaun Grant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/2006_Georgia_Tech_vs_Samford_Rashaun_Grant.jpg)
Pregame Line: Samford +37
Georgia Tech returned two interceptions for touchdowns for the first time since their 1966 victory over Tulane in what would turn out to be another great defensive performance. Samford only scored two field goals in the first quarter and Georgia Tech only allowed 12 yards rushing to the FCS (I-AA) school. 69 Georgia Tech players saw action in the game, including four different quarterbacks and four different tailbacks. The game was highlighted by Calvin Johnson's two touchdown catches, a Tashard Choice rushing touchdown, Reggie Ball's 92 all-purpose yards, and Djay Jones and Jamal Lewis' interception touchdowns. Djay's interception was 28 yards long and Jamal's interception was 98 yards long.
Troy
Pregame Line: Troy +17.5
Georgia Tech needed two late interceptions from Gary Guyton and Jamal Lewis to help put down the Trojans. The game was tied 14–14 going into the fourth quarter before the Yellow Jackets got the go ahead touchdown on a play action pass to
fullback Mike Cox. The next Trojan possession saw a tipped pass get intercepted by Guyton and Tech would drive down the field for a Tashard Choice rushing touchdown. Jamal Evans would score another rushing touchdown following a second GT pick by Lewis. The game was highlighted by Rashaun Grant's 53 yards and a touchdown on two end around plays, Tashard Choice's 73 yards rushing and a touchdown, Reggie Ball's single game GT QB rushing record of 138 yards, and James Johnson's 74 yards receiving with a touchdown.
Virginia
Pregame Line: Virginia +16.5
Georgia Tech ended its three-game losing streak to UVA with a dominating defensive effort and superb performances by Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson. Reggie Ball is now 1–3 against the Wahoos and had 205 yards passing, 2 touchdown passes, and a rushing touchdown. Calvin Johnson set his personal longest touchdown reception record twice recording 58 and 66 yard touchdowns in a 165-yard effort. Tashard Choice, Rashaun Grant, and Jamaal Evans added 103 yards on 26 carries between them. Patrick Nix called three risky plays in the game. The first was a fullback pass from Mike Cox to Reggie Ball. The blocking back has never rushed for yardage but managed to complete a 17-yard pass to Ball. Rashaun Grant also received two reverse pitches from Tashard Choice, which netted only 7 yards. The defense held the Cavs to 166 yards of offense and forced three turnovers (two interceptions by Djay Jones and Jahi Word-Daniels and a fumble recovery by Jamal Lewis). The only Cavalier score was made possible by a fourth quarter fumble by Ball and Choice on a speed option. Also of note, Georgia Tech sported a white helmet and mustard uniform from the
Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson (April 28, 1930 – December 7, 2005) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 27–27. Carson then co ...
era (1969–1971).
Virginia Tech
![2006 Viginia Tech Georgia Tech at the line](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/2006_Viginia_Tech_Georgia_Tech_at_the_line.jpg)
Pregame Line: Virginia Tech −8.5
Georgia Tech opened with 21 straight points and never relented against the Hokies. The first play from the line of scrimmage was a 59-yard pass from Reggie Ball to James Johnson. Georgia Tech would block a punt to help set up their third touchdown. The defense also added points to the effort with a Philip Wheeler strip on Sean Glennon, which was recovered by Gary Guyton and returned for a touchdown. Calvin Johnson added 115 yards and 2 touchdowns, Tashard Choice accumulated 104 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, and Reggie Ball added 211 yards of total offense to the victory.
Maryland
Pregame line: Maryland +14
Georgia Tech needed a 13-point fourth-quarter rally to rid Bobby Dodd Stadium of
Terrapin
Terrapins are one of several small species of turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae.
The name ...
red. Georgia Tech's first drive resulted in a touchdown but the celebration was short-lived as Maryland's cornerback Josh Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff for a 104-yard touchdown. Georgia Tech's placekicker Travis Bell faulted three times in the game, missing two field goals and throwing an incompletion to punter–holder Durant Brooks. The missed field goals allowed a stuttering Maryland offense to keep the game close. Maryland drove to the 7 yard line with 1:02 left in the game. QB Sam Hollenbach was sacked two times on 3rd and 4th down by end Michael Johnson in the last minute to seal the victory for Georgia Tech. The game featured a 133-yard and one-touchdown effort by Calvin Johnson, 245 yards of offense and two touchdowns from Reggie Ball, and most importantly a dominating effort by Tashard Choice of 137 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Georgia Tech's defense held Maryland to only 87 yards rushing, garnered 5 sacks, had 1 fumble recovery, and picked off 1 Hollenbach pass. Georgia Tech had not been 5–1 and 3–0 in conference since GT's co-ACC Championship in 1998. The game was also the 90th anniversary of the
222–0 victory over
Cumberland College.
Clemson
Pregame Line: Clemson −7.5
Georgia Tech suffered its first conference loss to Clemson in Death Valley.
C. J. Spiller
Clifford "C. J." Spiller Jr. (born August 5, 1987) is an American football coach and former running back who is currently the running backs coach at Clemson University. He previously served as a graduate intern at Clemson in 2020.
Spiller play ...
and James Davis accounted for 92% of Clemson's offense in the loss. Georgia Tech's vaunted rush defense gave up over 300 yards on the ground after only allowing 81 yards a game coming into the contest. Calvin Johnson was held to no catches for the first time since his first game as a Yellow Jacket and only had −4 yards rushing on a speed option. Reggie Ball had 130 yards of offense and James Johnson had the Jackets only touchdown on an awkwardly deflected 35 yard pass. The Jackets forced two turnovers and had one sack. Djay Jones had the Ramblin' Wreck's pick and Philip Wheeler recovered a fumble after Tyler Grisham got drilled by Djay Jones. This game continued the Yellow Jackets' streak of losing in
ESPN ''College GameDay'' events with an overall record of 0–4–1.
Miami
Pregame Line: Miami +6
Georgia Tech got off to a rocky start when a Reggie Ball fumble was returned for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The two teams then exchanged field goals until Georgia Tech's offense kicked out of neutral. Reggie Ball connected on a
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
–
Campbellesque 46 yard play action touchdown to James Johnson. Six field goals were kicked in the game by both squads, three by Travis Bell. Calvin Johnson had a 1-yard touchdown reception and 67 yards receiving. James Johnson had 69 yards receiving and his 46-yard touchdown bomb. Tashard Choice had 101 yards rushing and a 24-yard break away touchdown that put the game out of reach. Mike Cox had 2 receptions of 36 total yards, which resulted in punishing hits to Miami defenders. The Georgia Tech defense and special teams managed to force 4 turnovers and the defense sacked Kyle Wright 7 times (Pat Clark interception, Avery Roberson fumble recovery, Chris Dunlap fumble recovery, and KaMichael Hall fumble recovery). Durant Brooks pounded 6 punts at 51 yards per kick and his last punt sailed over the returner's head, was mishandled, and recovered by GT for the victory. Georgia Tech now has an 11-year winning streak in homecoming games.
NC State
![ncstaestole](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Ncstaestole.jpg)
Pregame Line: N.C. State +6
The Georgia Tech defense shut NC State out of the end zone and continued Georgia Tech's dominance over
Chuck Amato
Charles Michael Amato (born June 26, 1946) is a former American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive coordinator for the Akron Zips football team. He served as the head football at North Carolina State Universi ...
. The only NC State touchdowns were scored off of an interception return and kickoff return. NC State could not capitalize on field position and the second Georgia Tech interception turning all red zone attempts into field goal attempts. NC State also misfired on 2 of their 5 field goal attempts and committed 102 yards in penalties. Reggie Ball, James Johnson, and Calvin Johnson lit up the skies with over 215 passing yards and four touchdowns. Tashard Choice also contributed 165 yards on the ground behind a solid Georgia Tech offensive line effort. Georgia Tech has now outscored their last four opponents 47–21 in the fourth quarter of play.
North Carolina
Pregame Line: North Carolina +13.5
Georgia Tech shut out the Tar Heels in a game reminiscent of the 1990 tie that almost cost
the Jackets the
1990 UPI title. The game marked the first shutout for Georgia Tech in six years and featured the longest drive of the year by an ACC team. The ten and half minute drive was the only score for the Jackets as Tashard Choice pushed his way into the end zone. Choice accumulated 119 yards on 32 carries. The defense added two picks by Jamal Lewis and Kenny Scott, which staved off any real Tarheel threats to score. The Tar Heels were held to only 65 yards rushing and gave up two sacks. Tech's offense had an 11-minute advantage in time of possession. Georgia Tech has now clinched the ACC Coastal division and will be playing in
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
on
December 2
Events Pre-1600
*1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
* 1409 – The University of Leipzig opens. 1601–1900
*1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren followin ...
.
Duke
![Georgia Tech football team Sept 9 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Georgia_Tech_football_team_Sept_9_2006.jpg)
Pregame Line: Duke +26.5
Tech finished its ACC schedule with an easy victory over mismatched Duke. The game was won on the legs of Tashard Choice and the big connections between Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson. Choice ran for 118 yards and a score while Reggie connected with Calvin for 5 passes, 78 yards, and two touchdowns. Ball finished the day by the end of the second quarter with 7–13 passing for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns against the maligned Blue Devils. Taylor Bennett lead the second team in the third and fourth quarter adding another score on his second pass on a 20-yard dart to Greg Smith. Bennett and Smith connected later on another score of 25 yards. Third string back Jamaal Evans added another 90 rushing yards and a score. The defense added 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries.
Georgia
Pregame Line: Georgia −3
For the third straight year, the Tech-UGA game has been settled by a touchdown or less in a defensive brawl. The Jackets could not overcome three turnovers to end their losing streak to the Dogs and lost on a
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected ...
touchdown pass with 1:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. The true bright spots for Tech in the loss were the spectacular play of Tashard Choice, Durrant Brooks, Travis Bell, and the Tech Defense. The defense recorded two sacks and held the Bulldog offense to less than 100 yards rushing. The defense also recovered a fumble to help set up a Travis Bell field goal. Travis Bell was 2 for 2 on field goals. Durrant Brooks boomed 5 punts for a 44.6 yard average. 3 of the 5 punts landed within the 20. Tashard Choice continued his streak of 100 yard games with a 143-yard and 1 touchdown performance. Choice's touchdown lifted the Jackets to their final lead early in the fourth quarter but the lead would only last for 7 minutes. Georgia Tech's last possession saw Tech starting within their own 20 and needing a big play downfield. UGA's defensive line aided Tech with a personal foul on 4th down and 12, but Reggie Ball, who finished the game 6–22 for 42 yards with 0 TDs, 2 interceptions and a lost fumble, threw the ball right into the arms of Georgia cornerback
Paul Oliver
Paul Hereford Oliver MBE (25 May 1927 – 15 August 2017) was an English architectural historian and writer on the blues and other forms of African-American music. He was equally distinguished in both fields, although it is likely that aficion ...
to seal the Bulldogs win.
ACC Championship Game
Pregame Line: Wake Forest +2.5
On a day that featured heavy rain and a soggy field, conservative play-calling, the kicking games of Tech and Wake Forest, Wake prevailed by kicking a field goal with 2:55 left on the game clock to go ahead for good 9 to 6 after a long pass completion gave the Deacons good field position. Both teams punted a combined 12 times for almost 550 yards. There were 6 field goal attempts made, the ony miss coming from Wake's backup field goal kicker. The Tech defense recorded 4 sacks and held the Demon Deacons under 100 yards rushing. Tashard Choice recorded 99 yards rushing, Calvin recorded 117 yards receiving, and Reggie Ball recorded 170 all-purpose yards. Also of note, Georgia Tech sported navy blue jerseys for the game, a style not worn since
Bill Lewis
William Lewis (born 1 August 1953) is an English artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer.Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p. 86, National Museums Liverpool 2004, . Pages 6–30, Charles Thomson's essay, "A Stuckist on ...
' 1994 season.
Gator Bowl
Pregame Line: West Virginia −10.5
Georgia Tech opened the game with fireworks taking as much as an 18-point lead at the start of the 3rd quarter. However, WVU rallied to the tune of 21 3rd quarter points and beat the Jackets by 3 in the highest scoring Gator Bowl in the 61 years of its operation. Taylor Bennett started for Georgia Tech as Reggie Ball was, shockingly, found academically ineligible at the completion of the Fall semester.
Taylor had a career-high 335 yards and 3 touchdowns. His lone pick was one of the few mistakes Taylor made in his 2007 coming out party. Tashard Choice dominated against a supposedly stingy WVU run defense racking up 169 yards on 27 carries along with 2 touchdowns, yet, unsurprisingly, couldn't bring the Jackets to victory. Choice also accumulated 36 yards receiving. Calvin Johnson highlighted Georgia Tech's offensive efforts with 9 catches, 186 yards receiving, and 2 touchdowns. The defense recorded 1 sack and Durrant Brooks boomed 4 punts for a 46.3 yard average.
Postseason awards
Roster
Coaching staff
*
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. (born January 5, 1952) is a former American football coach. Most recently in 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Gailey has previously served as the head ...
– Head Coach
*
Joe D'Alessandris – Offensive Line
*
Buddy Geis
Buddy may refer to:
People
*Buddy (nickname)
*Buddy (rapper), real name Simmie Sims III (1993–Present)
*Buddy Rogers (wrestler), ring name of American professional wrestler Herman Gustav Rohde, Jr. (1921–1992)
*Buddy Boeheim (born 1999), Amer ...
– Wide Receivers/Assistant Head Coach
*
Jeep Hunter – Tight Ends
*
Brian Jean-Mary
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
...
– Linebackers
*
Charles Kelly – Special Teams Coordinator
*
Curtis Modkins
Curtis Modkins (born November 15, 1970) is an American football coach who is the current running backs coach and run game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). A 25-year coaching veteran, Modkins has spent ...
– Running Backs
*
Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix is an American football coach and former player. He played college football as a quarterback at Auburn University from 1992 to 1995. Nix served as the head football coach at Henderson State University from 1999 to 2000, compiling a ...
– Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
*
Giff Smith
Giff Smith (born October 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the interim head coach for the 2023 ...
– Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator
*
Jon Tenuta – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
References
{{Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football navbox
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football seasons
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Program represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the NCAA Division 1 Collegiate Competitors in the sport of American football. The Yellow Jackets college football team competes in the NCAA Div ...