Jackets look to start strong

ATLANTA --- Paul Johnson didn't know what to expect when making his debut as Georgia Tech's coach in 2008.

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As it turned out, Johnson inherited some pretty good talent from former coach Chan Gailey, including four players -- Demaryius Thomas, Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett -- who helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the 2009 ACC championship before entering the 2010 NFL Draft as juniors.

Some Georgia Tech fans may be wary of the possibility of a dropoff from last year's 11-3 finish entering today's opener against South Carolina State. After all, Thomas, Dwyer, Morgan and Burnett led the team in receiving, rushing, sacks and interceptions, respectively.

Johnson sounded anything but wary as he compared his No. 16 Georgia Tech team with the 2008 team.

"We're a lot better football team. A lot," Johnson said this week. "I had no idea two years ago ... what we were going to see. I've got a pretty good idea, I think, what we'll see on Saturday.

"But I've got to see it."

Johnson might need more than one game to have his beliefs about his team confirmed. It might be difficult to evaluate the Yellow Jackets based on the opener, even though South Carolina State is an elite FCS team.

South Carolina State finished 10-2 last year and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship before losing to Appalachian State in the FCS playoffs.

"Certainly they have some guys who could play at Georgia Tech, I don't think there's any doubt about that," Johnson said. "The more tape I watch, the more impressed I am with them. I think they've got a good plan. They've got some really good individual players and they play well together as a team."

South Carolina State lost at South Carolina 38-14 last season. Then-No. 23 Clemson beat the Bulldogs 54-0 in 2008.

"This is the fourth straight year that we have played a major school," said South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough. "I'd like to think we have made some strides."

South Carolina State is led by senior Malcolm Long, who passed for more than 2,500 yards last year. The offensive line returns every starter, but the Bulldogs lost their top three receivers and Will Ford, the MEAC's all-time leading career rusher with 4,660 yards.

Georgia Tech also is led by a senior quarterback. The school this week unveiled a Web site to promote Joshua Nesbitt as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Nesbitt, who often keeps the ball on short-yardage plays, ran for 18 touchdowns in 2009.

This will be the debut of new defensive coordinator Al Groh's 3-4 scheme at Georgia Tech. Groh, fired as Virginia's coach last year, was hired to revamp a Georgia Tech defense that gave up 30 or more points in six games last season, including a 30-24 home loss to in-state rival Georgia to end the regular season.

"We won't know about our defense probably until we've played two or three games," Johnson said. "I think they're excited. I think they'll fly around."