Georgia Tech and Florida State face off in Atlanta this week with first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference on the line. Tech leads the series 7-6-1, but the Seminoles won last year 38-0. The last time Georgia Tech defeated FSU was in 1975, by a score of 30-0. Here's what the coaches had to say this week.

Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary

The mood of the Yellow Jackets
"I think that after a game like Virginia it is good we are playing a team like Florida State It gets our team's attention very quickly because they know who they are playing and what they have done in the past. ... This Tech club is a very confident football team, but they know they are in for a big ballgame this weekend. There is no question we are focused. The question right now is can we do the things we need to do to win the game."

What it takes to beat Florida State
"I think to beat them you need big-play people. I don't think you can line up and slug it down the field against these guys. You need to create big plays for yourself on either side of the ball. Big play, explosive offense is what you need to beat Florida State. I think special teams and field position make the difference in big games. You can't afford to give up a lot of points, because it is very difficult to score a lot against them from a speed and match-up standpoint. In order to get things done we have to be consistent and execute on offense and go in and do what we need to do. We need to make them drive down the field, giving more opportunities for mistakes and for us to make big plays."

The FSU offense
"(Chris) Weinke is playing very well right now and doing the right things. He has great speed outside and a big offensive line that creates situations. He is throwing balls that are very catchable and is a very confident athlete back there. I think Saturday's game comes down to match-ups. It comes down to our receivers getting off coverages, establishing a running game inside and matching up with their great wideouts in Peter Warrick and Laveranues Coles."

Quarterback Joe Hamilton's status
He went out with a slight knee sprain (against Virginia), but he’s a tough kid. My only concern was that if we didn’t get the game back in hand, I didn’t want to see him getting beat up out there. He said, Coach, I can run. He’s a competitor and there’s no question, you want to see him out there.

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden

Assessing Georgia Tech
"Georgia Tech is on a roll. They have scored over 40 in their last five games and their defense has scored in each of those games. They are the only undefeated team in the conference right now. We are in the situation right now where if we lose another conference game, we're out."

Georgia Tech's offense
It is the best offense that we have seen. They have a very good quarterback that is extremely accurate and can run. He presents much of the same problems that the NC State quarterback gave us. He is a Charlie Ward type."

Defending Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton
"Hamilton is playing as good as any quarterback in the country. He has really developed and is much better than he was a year ago, much like Jamie Barnette (N.C. State). He is the key to their offense."

Injured running back Travis Minor
Travis ran and looked good (Tuesday). Right now, I would say that we would go with the other guy (Jeff Chaney). But he (Minor) is a good guy to bring in."