Anmelden » ffense.As for Johnsons personality, Stansbury said

BOSTON -- There were times in 2015 when it seemed like the end of the season couldnt arrive fast enough for Georgia Tech and Boston College.The Yellow Jackets stumbled to a 3-9 finish just a season removed from an ACC title and Orange Bowl victory. The Eagles matched that 3-9 record last year, while going winless in conference play.So it makes sense that the 2016 campaign for both teams will begin far away from those memories.Saturdays matchup in Dublin, Ireland, will be the Eagles third time playing abroad. They beat Army 38-24 at the old Lansdowne Road stadium in 1988 during the first American football game played in Europe. They also left the country in 1978 to play Temple in the Mirage Bowl in Tokyo.Georgia Tech is playing its first game off of American soil as it enters the programs 124th season.It will be the first step in what coach Paul Johnson hopes will steady a program that may have gotten overconfident after the 2014 run.To finish 3-9 last year surprised me but I wasnt surprised at all that we werent as good as everybody thought; I knew that in practice, I said it all along, Johnson said. I think this year is better but weve got to go play.This offseason has been a mix of healing and adjustments for the Eagles.They have five new assistants, including two new coordinators. Scot Loeffler replaces Todd Fitch as offensive coordinator, and on defense Jim Reid takes over for Don Brown, who left for Michigan.BC also brought in graduate transfer quarterback Patrick Towles to compete with sophomore Darius Wade. Wade returns after breaking his left ankle in the third game last season.Coach Steve Addazio has remained coy this week about who will be the starter, but did say he didnt anticipate having a two-quarterback system. Towles has impressed this preseason and would seem to have an advantage is a more pass active offense.Hes fit in great, Addazio said of Towles. You feel like hes been here his whole career.Here are some more things to watch for on Saturday:RISE AND SHINEAlong with the travel logistics of playing on foreign soil, both teams will be adjusting to a much earlier start time. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 a.m. EDT. Neither team has a kickoff before noon the remainder of the season. Johnson said his team has dealt with the different variables as best it could by having a strict itinerary. Youd hope that theyre going to be mature enough and experienced enough to understand the importance of the game, Johnson said. Weve talked a great deal about it but until you get over there and play, you just dont know.GROUND GAMEThe Eagles will likely throw the ball more in Loefflers offense, but they still have lots of options to run as well. Most notably, running back Jon Hilliman returns from a broken foot to help a unit that rushed for just 164.4 yards per game last year. If the Eagles offensive line can fix its issues, the sophomore could have a big season.IF IT AINT BROKEDespite BCs struggles, one unit that didnt last season was its defense. BC returns eight starters from a unit that allowed the fewest yards per game in the FBS (254.3). There doesnt appear to be many tweaks on the horizon after the arrival of Reid and new defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni. We havent changed anything, Addazio said.FRESH LEGSA total of 16 Yellow Jackets players combined to miss more than 80 games with injuries last season. A healthier roster should help out a team whose nine defeats came by eight points or less.HISTORICAL ADVANTAGESGeorgia Tech is 86-33-4 all-time in season openers, including a 7-1 record in openers under Johnson. The Yellow Jackets also hold a 6-2 edge in head-to-head meetings with the Eagles.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Cheap Air Jordan 1 Shoes . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. Cheap Air Jordan 1 For Sale . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. http://www.airjordan1cheap.com/ . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Wholesale Real Air Jordan 1 . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Air Jordan 1 From China . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. ATLANTA -- In just his third day on the job, Georgia Techs new athletic director made it clear hes a big fan of football coach Paul Johnson.Todd Stansbury, who took over at his alma mater this week, erased any doubts about Johnsons future with a glowing endorsement Wednesday.Stansbury was especially impressed by the final game of the regular season, as Georgia Tech rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to beat rival Georgia 28-27 in Athens. It was the third straight victory for the Yellow Jackets, pushing them to 8-4 and likely improving their bowl prospects.To me, that was a heck of a statement, said Stansbury, who attended Saturdays game. To go between the hedges -- I dont care who you are -- to win a game down there tells you a lot about where youre at.Stansbury also praised basketball coach Josh Pastner, who is in his first season of what will admittedly be a major rebuilding job. Pastner, who previously coached at Memphis State, was hired by the previous athletic director, Mike Bobinski, who left for the same job at Purdue.Hes a dynamo, Stansbury said about Pastner. In fact, in a lot of ways, he reminds me of a young Bobby Cremins, a reference to the longtime Georgia Tech coach who took the program to national prominence after it joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.Johnsons job security was questioned after the Yellow Jackets slumped to 3-9 last season, and the speculation intensified this year amid a three-game losing streak that knocked them out of ACC contention. But, if Stansbury was having any doubts about the coach, they were answered by the strong finish.In nine seasons at Georgia Tech, Johnson has a record of 69-48, which includes three trips to the ACC championship game, two appearances in the Orange Bowl and a 42-30 mark in conference play.Stansbury said his respect for Johnson goes beyond his record.Nobody out there wants to play us. That also tells you a lot about the state of the program and the fear that opposing coaches have of our head coach, the new AD said. I think we have a great coach that is known nationally for what he does, and hes had a lot of success here. My goal, and what I hope to bring to the table, is to help provide him what he needs to continue to build on that success and compete at the highest level.ddddddddddddFor all his success, Johnson has been a polarizing figure at Georgia Tech.Only a handful of schools use the run-oriented, triple-option offense that is the coachs specialty -- making it a convenient target of fans and media who believe the team should employ a more conventional system. Also, Johnson comes across as abrasive and downright snippy at times, which has rubbed plenty of people the wrong way.Stansbury said hes not least bit concerned about the triple-option, noting that Johnson has used it to win consistently throughout his career. Pointedly, he noted that in his previous job as Oregon States athletic director, he got an up-close look at the wide-open style of rival Oregon, which carried the Ducks all the way to the national championship game two seasons ago. This year, they plummeted to 4-8 and fired coach Mark Helfrich.If youre winning, I love your offense, Stansbury said. Having just come from Oregon -- where they have the wildest offense in America, an offense that everybody aspired to become for the last decade -- right now they dont like that offense.As for Johnsons personality, Stansbury said thats an area where he can help smooth out some of the rough edges. He intends to spend plenty of time with boosters and fans, pointing out all the positive things happening in the football program -- on and off the field.Its a tough job, Stansbury said. A lot of people only understand what happens on Saturday, what goes across the ticker. Typically, they dont know whats going on the other six days a week. Thats where I can help. ... My job is filling in the blanks of what those things are, regardless of any differences or likability. The proof is in the pudding. These are the results were getting. A lot of young men are benefiting immensely from life-changing benefits.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---For more AP college football coverage: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '