Ankle-breaking cuts, bone-jarring battles in the trenches and tough, hard-nosed football will likely be the story Saturday when Georgia Tech visits Scott Stadium to face Virginia as both teams show off their solid running game.
Although Georgia Tech (2-1, 0-1 ACC) ranks first in the ACC in rushing yardage with 237 yards per game and Virginia (2-1, 2-0 ACC) ranks ninth in the ACC in rushing yardage with 109 yards per game this season, both teams' running games are centered around equally impressive running backs. Senior Tashard Choice will lead the way for the Yellow Jackets while junior Cedric Peerman will carry the ball for the Cavaliers.
Choice, a candidate for the nation's top running back and player of the year awards, currently boasts a 112.3 rushing yards per game average, good enough for second in the ACC behind Peerman's 113.7 yards per game. He has also rushed for four touchdowns this season.
Choice is "a terrific back, certainly the equal of any back in this conference," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "He can really hit the crease, he finds the smallest of slivers and he's through it quickly. He's very elusive in the open field and he's obviously a very durable player. He had more carries than any back in the country last year."
Choice stumbled on some problems last weekend though. His streak of nine consecutive games of at least 100 yards rushing ended at the hands of Boston College, who defeated the Yellow Jackets soundly in Atlanta 24-10. Additionally, he came out of that game with a hamstring injury and is questionable for Saturday.
Still, Groh is preparing for the game as if Choice will start.
"We are just going forward with full expectation that he is going to play," Groh said. "All our preparations are with that in mind."
If Choice does not play, do not expect the Jackets to shy away from their running game. They have three capable running backs prepared to back up Choice if he does not play.
"[Senior] Rashaun Grant, [sophomore] Jamaal Evans and [freshman] Jonathan Dwyer have all been successful in games," Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey wrote on the school's athletic Web site.
Dwyer holds a notable rushing average of 7.9 yards per carry and actually has five touchdowns, one more than Choice.
"We've had backups torch us before," senior defensive end Chris Long said. "There are some great players in sports that back up even greater players. That's nothing to discredit [Dwyer], that he's taking the back seat to some degree there. You're backing up the best running back in the ACC."
Virginia's running game, on the other hand, seems also to be in solid hands. Peerman's ascension into a solid and reliable running back has been on display over the last two games for the Cavaliers as he has broken the 100-yard mark in both games.
"It's been great watching Cedric come into his own these past couple weeks," Long said. "He gets up after big runs and looks at the sideline. It just energizes guys."
Peerman and the offensive line that paves paths for him will be up against their greatest challenge of the year so far in Georgia Tech's defense, which only allows 56 rushing yards per game (2nd in the ACC).
"[Senior linebacker Philip] Wheeler's been a tackling machine for them," Groh said. "The two defensive ends are very difficult to handle [and they] provide a lot of pressure from the outside and have a lot ... of range."
The Georgia Tech passing game, however, has not been forgotten after the departure of current National Football League wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
Junior quarterback Taylor Bennett has been solid thus far this season, completing 39 of 71 passes (54.9 percent) for 410 yards. He has no touchdowns, but he has also limited his mistakes and has no turnovers.
Virginia, however, seems to have Georgia Tech's number at home as the Cavaliers have not lost to Georgia Tech at Scott Stadium since 1990. It will be challenging, however, for the Cavaliers to extend their winning streak in Charlottesville to eight games Saturday against a strong Yellow Jacket squad.
"We're playing the defending divisional champion," Groh said. "So that certainly sets the bar at the highest level of competition that we've faced so far this year"
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