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 Sunday, August 26, 2001
Campbell saves the day in new-look offense
By Marc Connolly
ABC Sports Online
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If the Georgia Tech program is going to continue to fancy itself as one that is led by a Heisman candidate on offense, it better at least shift its focus from behind center to the flanks. Kelly Campbell, no matter what type of season he has, is without a doubt a complete long shot for such an honor, but he is the best receiver in the ACC and the top all-around player on his unit, as he showed time and time again on Sunday.
|  | | Kelly Campbell breaks free for a 72-yard reception, but Georgia Tech wasn't able to capitalize on the play. |
The senior receiver playing for the new-look, Ralph Friedgen-less, unimaginative offense, torched a veteran Syracuse secondary for 10 catches and 193 yards to power an otherwise stagnant Yellow Jacket squad to a 13-7 victory over the Orangemen in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium to open up its 2001 campaign.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder broke the Kickoff Classic receptions record, surpassing three players who hauled in nine balls, including his old nemesis to the south, Florida State alum Peter Warrick. His performance earned him game MVP honors and set the Georgia Tech all-time receiving yards record with 2,392, passing Harvey Middleton (1994-97).
Campbell, who admitted that he never once thought in the offseason that he'd break the school's receiving record in the first game of the season, set the tone for the game early on. With George Godsey not sharp and hanging several balls in the air much too long (a.k.a. hospital passes) on simple out routes, Campbell was challenged to showcase his tremendous hands and agility in the first quarter alone by making three catches for 44 yards.
The two-time All-ACC performer was surprised as soon as he stepped onto Giants Stadium's beat-up turf (thank you, NFL preseason football). Rather than double-team the speedster or bang him up at the line, Syracuse corner Willie Ford gave him room to roam the swamps of New Jersey.
"They got me open a lot underneath, something we didn't expect," said the soft-spoken Campbell. "Coming into the game, we thought they'd press us up a lot. But we took what they gave us."
It was the only offense the Tech offense could muster, considering the Syracuse defense was excelling at getting through the O-line and bottling up both Godsey and workhorse running back Joe Burns, who had just five of his 113 rushing yards in the first stanza.
Holding a 3-0 lead in the early portion of the second quarter, Godsey finally opened up the engines when he saw Campbell beat Ford down the left sideline on a well-executed play-action pass. His No. 1 target raced furiously towards the end zone after making the catch uncovered, but was brought down at the Syracuse 8 by Quentin Harris.
For a guy who prides himself for running a 4.34 40 his last time out and who has maxed out at a Deion-like 4.28, he was awed that someone caught him.
"I didn't see that guy coming at all," said Campbell, who also owns the Tech record for career touchdown receptions with 21. "I slowed up a bit, but he has a lot of speed too and he made a great play."
Little did he know that his squad's foray into the red zone would be one that was stalled on four straight rushes. One had to wonder whether the departed Friedgen would've at least called one play for his main receiver in the same situation.
"It was getting a little frustrating getting to the red zone and not getting anything," Campbell said.
A touchdown plunge by Burns gave the Yellow Jackets a 10-3 lead that they took to halftime, and never relinquished in the second half behind a more controlled running attack. But Campbell remained the story and the focal point of the entire attack, so much so that Godsey often never looked away from his first option and threw into coverage that a defensive back coach would be proud of.
"I made some poor decisions a few times," said Godsey, who threw for 224 yards on 15-of-26 passing. "Certainly, there were some times that I forced it in there and he still made the catch."
Whether it was coming back on an underthrown ball, waiting with stunned eyes at a dead-duck ball hanging in the wind or making a sideline catch while getting blown out of bounds, Campbell continued to produce.
"He did what he should do. When you're open, you should catch the ball," said O'Leary with tongue-in-cheek at the postgame podium with Campbell to his left. "I thought he caught the ball well."
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I was kind of surprised. I guess they wanted to keep getting beat down the field.
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— Kelly Campbell |
"He kept us off-balance and gave us some problems," said Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni. "He's a good receiver."
Yet, at the same time, coverages weren't altered to stop him.
"I was kind of surprised," said Campbell, a native of Atlanta, Ga. "I guess they wanted to keep getting beat down the field."
Campbell said that matter-of-factly, too. Not with a sly smile or a media friendly wink. He seemed like a man who was genuinely perplexed by how he was played. With Godsey on his game, he could have realistically made 20 catches, but Campbell defended the team's leader.
"We had a couple of plays that didn't get executed well," he said. "A lot of guys were in his face and he had to get rid of the ball quickly, but we'll go look at film and correct what happened.
"I feel George Godsey is better than he was last year."
After accounting for more than 55 percent of the team's offense in an overall team display from the nation's 10th-ranked squad that had to have those in Tallahassee and Death Valley licking their mouthpieces, perhaps that vote of confidence and show of loyalty to his fellow senior was his most impacting play of the day.
Marc Connolly is a senior writer for ABC Sports Online. He can be reached at Marc.Connolly@abc.com
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 Kelly Campbell splits the defense for a 72-yard catch and run to eclipse the Georgia Tech all-time receiving record (Courtesy: ABC Sports).
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Jonathan Cox steps in front for the interception, then Joe Burns capitalizes with a 1-yard TD plunge (Courtesy: ABC Sports).
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Troy Nunes punches it in from the one to cap off an 80-yard drive to open the third quarter (Courtesy: ABC Sports).
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