Tech Legend QB Joe Hamilton Talks On Tech-Clemson Rivalry During Clemson Week

Former Tech star quarterback Joe Hamilton has been around college football long enough to see many changes in the landscape. This season marks the 25th year since Hamilton became Tech’s starting QB as a redshirt freshman under Coach George O’Leary. He arrived in 1995 from Alvin, South Carolina. Following his redshirt year, he won the starting job the following season to begin his stellar four-year stint as Tech’s starting QB. His college football career at the Institute culminated in 1999 with him garnering All-American honors, winning the Davey O’Brien award as the nation’s best quarterback and finishing 2nd in the Heisman Trophy voting.

In a recent conversation, Hamilton related his experience playing as Tech’s QB against Clemson.

1) On why he came to Tech in 1995, instead of heading upstate to his (initially) preferred Clemson:

” They (Clemson) recruited me hard, and I would have gone there but they would not take the ‘athlete’ (ATH) designation off of my name, despite their promises that I would be able to compete for the quarterback spot.”

Obviously, Georgia Tech, under new Coach George O’Leary made it clear to Joe that he was being recruited as a quarterback. Based largely on that pledge, Hamilton brought his game to North Avenue in 1995. He had been widely recruited fom Macedonia High School and he made official visits to Penn State and Nebraska, among other notables. He did not anticipate Penn State changing up their pro-style offense (Kerry Collins, et. al.). And though he greatly enjoyed his visit to Lincoln, Nebraska (national champions in ’94 and ’95), and felt ready to commit to the Cornhuskers, his mother pointedly reminded him that it was “… a long way from home.” On that basis, Joe Hamilton arrived at Tech in ’95 under the first year of George O’Leary’s term as official head coach. O’Leary had finished the 1994 season as Tech’s interim head coach after Bill Lewis was turned out following an 0-6 start to his third year post-Bobby Ross.

During his time at Georgia Tech, Hamilton held no special animus for Clemson, he just wanted to beat them. He recalled the outcomes of each of the games his Tech teams played against the Tigers. Tech lost to Clemson in 1996, but beat the Tigers in each of the next three seasons with Hamilton at QB, coincidentally winning each time with a three point margin..

2) On how he responded to George O’Leary’s coaching style:

Hamilton stated he really responded well to Coach O’Leary’s approach. ” I liked playing for Coach O’Leary”, he said. He said the Tech coaching staff promised him a fair chance in the open competition for the quarterback position and that was all he needed to hear. He enjoyed O’Leary’s practice of making sure his players knew why they were getting playing time– or why they were not. Joe applauded that style of communication– tough but transparent– between coaches and players. In general he said O’Leary touted the idea of open and frank talk. So, like many others, he was shocked to hear a couple years later of O’Leary’s fall from grace only five days after leaving Tech to take the coveted Notre Dame job . A review of O’Leary’s resume showed “irregularities” , both athletic and academic, that pertained to his college and and early career record and that could not be substantiated.

3) On the nature of the Tech- Clemson rivalry:

Hamilton said he recalls the rivalry being quite even “…. until the last few years”. The records bear out his memory. In the 10 games between 1990 and 1999, Tech won 5 and the average margin was only 5 points, with the largest single game margin at 21. From 2000 through 2009, the average margin between the two teams grew to 9 points , with the largest single game difference at 36. Georgia Tech won 6 of those 10 games.

And from 2010 through 2019, the average margin grew more, to 21 points. The largest single margin was 38, and Clemson won 8 of those 10.

This compilation does not include the 2009 ACC championship game (won by Tech by 4 points). Nor does it include last year’s game, won in Atlanta by Clemson with a 73-7 score with the second largest margin ever in the series going all the way back to 1898.

Hamilton looks forward to a time when the Jackets can again compete with Clemson on a more even basis. Over the past 6 years, since that last Georgia Tech win in 2014, the Tigers have won six straight. With a string of dynamic Clemson QB’s including Deshaun Watson, Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence, the Tigers won those last six games by an average margin of over 30 points.

4) on his impression of Tech QB play so far this year:

“Jeff Sims was a true freshman last year when he first started for Tech. That’s a big jump.” His point being, that more playing time will likely lead to continued improvement.

Hamilton noted the high level athleticsm of Sims and said when he watches Sims play, he is reminded of the marked improvement in his own play that occurred back between his first and second years as a starter. “And I was a redshirt freshman,” he said.

As for Jordan Yates, Joe was very impressed with his play last week vs Kennesaw State. “He looked comfortable running the offense and the guys really responded to him,” Hamilton said. Regarding Yates’ intangibles, Hamilton pointed out, “There are some things you just can’t measure.” Asked if he sees something of himself when watching Yates play, Joe Hamilton answered with a resounding ” Yes!”

Patrick Conarro

RamblinSports