By Gregg Xenakes, College Football Staff Writer

GAME NOTES: Traveling all the way across the country, the 24th-ranked Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech prepare to take part in the fourth annual Emerald Bowl versus the Runnin' Utes of Utah at SBC Park in San Francisco. Although they fell to Virginia and Georgia by a combined 17 points over the final three weeks of the season, the Yellow Jackets (7-4, 5-3 in the ACC) still had enough going in their favor to remain within the national rankings and earn this bowl bid. Considering the final polls leading up to the bowls had a total of six schools from the ACC ranked in the top-25, the Yellow Jackets were certainly in good company. As for the Utes, who were under the command of first-year head coach Kyle Whittingham, they looked like a program that had lost its top man to Florida and saw its quarterback taken as the first pick in the NFL draft last year. There was a stretch when Utah dropped three straight decisions to the likes of North Carolina, Colorado State and San Diego State, but still recorded the requisite number of wins to be considered for the postseason thanks to a thrilling 41-34 overtime test against BYU in the regular season finale that left the team 6-5 on the year. Tech, which is facing the Utes for the first time in its storied history, has a record of 22-11 in bowl games, beginning with an 8-7 decision over California in the 1929 Rose Bowl and continuing with a 51-14 massacre of Syracuse last year in the Champs Sports Bowl. The victory over the Orange was the second straight and the third in the last four postseason appearances for the Yellow Jackets. Utah starting putting together its 7-4 bowl mark with a 26-0 shutout of New Mexico in the 1939 Sun Bowl, but the real success has come in the last half decade, with the team rattling off four straight postseason wins. Last year the team crushed Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl by a score of 35-7, a year in which the team earned its highest national ranking in school history.

It doesn't happen all that often, but the Yellow Jackets managed to make their way to the postseason despite scoring a meager 19.3 ppg, a number that ranks the program 98th in the nation. The team was able to do some damage running the ball, averaging 156.2 ypg and scoring 13 touchdowns, but it still wasn't nearly as productive as some would have thought with a guy like Reggie Ball testing the running lanes. Ball, who gained 379 yards and scored four TDs on the ground, was the primary passer for Tech as he averaged 190.7 ypg. However, Ball had some trouble finding a happy balance between running and passing the ball, which is one of the reasons why he finished with just 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through the air. His 48 percent completion percentage also left hints to defenses that he might prefer to break containment and make something happen on his own. Tailback P.J. Daniels led the unit with 821 yards on the ground, but his three touchdowns were just half the number that Tashard Choice (512 yards) posted. Clearly Ball had a single favorite target downfield in Calvin Johnson, a wideout who reeled in 52 balls for 869 yards and six scores.

With an offense that failed to scare many opponents, the Yellow Jackets needed a defense that could lock down offenses when it was most crucial, and that's what the team had on many occasions. Georgia Tech placed 18th in the country in scoring defense this season, allowing just 18.5 ppg, and yet that still didn't leave much room for error. What made the defense so strong was a front line that refused to bend for any reason, giving up a mere 98 yards per game on the ground to place 12th in the country. Opponents found it difficult to get the ball over the goal line to say the least, recording a total of just eight rushing scores through 11 games. Add to that a pass defense that surrendered only 198.4 ypg and 12 touchdowns, and the Yellow Jackets had one of the top defenses in the nation that few outside of the ACC even took notice of. Gerris Wilkinson stood out as the top tackler for Tech with 78 stops, posting eight and a half behind the line of scrimmage. Philip Wheeler had his hand in everything for the squad, recording 10.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and tying for the team lead with four interceptions.

As much as many would like to root for the Utes in this game, the simple fact is the team is beyond banged up. Quarterback Brian Johnson, who had huge shoes to fill with the departure of Alex Smith to the pro ranks, is not expected to see action due to his knee injury, which leaves Brett Ratliff to pick up the pieces. Ratliff appeared in five games this season, converting 50 percent of his attempts for 261 yards and four scores, but he'll be playing at a disadvantage because leading wideout John Madsen is expected to miss the contest with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Brian Hernandez is ailing with an ankle issue as well, which means one of Utah's big-play guys averaging 20.5 yards per catch could be watching from the sidelines. That leaves Travis LaTendresse as the main target for the youngster under center, and even though he recorded 39 receptions for four touchdowns, he too missed action because of injury. All that means for running back Quinton Ganther is that he'll have to go above and beyond the effort that forged him an even 1,000 yards and six TDs this year.

Utah had the second-best scoring defense in the Mountain West Conference this season, allowing just 25.4 ppg, but some of that had to do with the fact that Johnson and the offense controlled the pace of the game and kept possession of the ball for so long. The run defense for the unit was marginal, permitting 152.3 ypg and a total of 16 touchdowns, as opposing runners averaged an even four yards per pop. While the pass defense was ranked second in the MWC, allowing quarterbacks to complete just 55.2 percent of their attempts, the unit did give up 18 touchdowns through the air and an average of 220.5 ypg. Not that it falls under the heading of defense, it is worthy to note that Utah ranked second to last and 91st in the nation in punting this season, averaging just 34.1 net yards per kick. Although he is listed as probable against Tech, leading tackler Spencer Toone certainly can't be hitting at 100 percent with a broken hand that is on the mend. Toone, who finished with 106 tackles through 11 games, got plenty of help from the likes of Casey Evans (84 tackles, five interceptions) and Eric Weddle (75 stops, four picks). The latter also recorded 11 TFLs and four sacks, while Steve Fifita led the team with 12 TFLs and five sacks in 2005.

Youth and injuries are going to be the downfall of the Utes in this contest. Many didn't expect them to get this far, so hoping for a win will be asking a lot of Ratliff and the bunch. A seasoned Tech defense should be able to contain Utah, while the offense for the Yellow Jackets will make enough plays to get the win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Georgia Tech 38, Utah 24