GEORGIA TECH 45, NO. 11 GEORGIA 42: AROUND THE STADIUM: MASSAQUOI’S MOMENT: Receiver has career day

The Bulldogs didn’t have a lot of positive things to say after Saturday’s loss, but one recipient of gushing praise was wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.

The senior had a monster game for his career finale in Sanford Stadium. He tied a school record with three touchdown receptions and finished with a career-best 11 catches for 180 yards. He didn’t drop anything, hauling in passes that were high, low and behind him. The Bulldogs felt he should have been credited for at least one more catch, which was ruled to have touched the ground.

“Mohamed is just a beautiful kid,” coach Mark Richt said. “He came here making plays right away. He’s a confident guy, but there’s humility about him. He cares about other people. He was a tremendous leader because of that. He really took A.J. [Green] under his wing. He’s just kind of looking out for everybody.

“I just can’t imagine him not being voted [a permanent] team captain. The players vote, but I would think they’ll honor him with that.”

Afterward, Massaquoi wasn’t feeling too cheery. He couldn’t get past the loss.

“You don’t get a chance to redeem yourself,” he said. “There’s no more playing at Sanford Stadium. The next time I come back it’ll be as a fan, a spectator. So knowing that, you just want to play your hardest. I’ll never get another chance to do this in my life.”

Massaquoi was asked if he’ll look back on Senior Day.

“This will not be a good memory. No matter how good you play, at the end of the day it’s still going to come out as a loss. It’s tough to lose to your rival because you don’t get a chance to redeem yourself.”

—- Chip Towers

NEXT STOP NFL?

Moreno, Stafford may have played last regular-season college game

Knowshon Moreno is not a professional football player yet, but he acted like one after Saturday’s loss to Georgia Tech.

A reporter asked what would be his process for deciding whether to go pro. Instead of answering, Moreno did his best impression of the Dallas Cowboys’ Terrell Owens.

He acted like he couldn’t see or hear the reporter and looked around to others for another question.

Pressed on the issue, Moreno allowed that he’d consult “coaches and family,” but added, “I’m not thinking about it.”

You can bet the pros are thinking about him. While the Bulldogs lost, Moreno put together a fairly impressive game —- 168 total yards on 21 touches and his 16th touchdown of the season.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford also rolled up some huge numbers. He threw for a career-high 407 yards and five TDs on 24-of-39 passing. But he threw a very costly interception that Tech’s Morgan Burnett returned for a touchdown.

“I don’t care,” Stafford said of his career day. “It’s all about wins. That’s the way I’ve been from the start, and that’s the way I’ll be the rest of my life. Quarterbacks are judged by wins, and we didn’t get it done today.”

Stafford took responsibility for Georgia’s anemic third quarter. The Bulldogs managed 35 yards and three first downs.

“That’s on me,” he said. “I’ve got to get first downs when we need them and get us moving. We needed to give our defense a rest, and I was killing them by missing guys and not executing.”

Georgia coach Mark Richt didn’t think that was fair. “Matthew’s one heck of a football player. He played well.”

Richt also acknowledged Saturday could have been the last game in Sanford Stadium for Stafford and Moreno.

“I think for those guys it’s going to be a hard decision period, because I think they are very talented young men, and I would imagine both of them have a pretty bright future playing football for a while,” Richt said. “I know Matthew had some goals besides making it to the NFL. I’m sure Knowshon did, too. These guys wanted to win championships. …

“They’ll have to do some soul-searching and decide, ‘Do I want college to end right now?’ But I think they’ve done a pretty good job of focusing on the here and now.”

Stafford was cordial while discussing the issue.

“I’ve just got to talk to some people and figure out what’s best,” he said. “I really don’t know. I’ve thought that little about it. That’s a question better asked later.”

—- Chip Towers

ROCKET MAN

Tech’s Roddy Jones streaks outside tackles for 214 yards on 13 carries

With Georgia clogging the middle, the Jackets launched a rocket named Roddy Jones outside the tackles.

The redshirt freshman shot down the sidelines for most of his 214 yards. He averaged a Tech-record 16.4 yards on his 13 carries.

With the Jackets leading 38-35 midway through the fourth quarter, Jones broke tackles and stayed inbounds for the decisive 54-yard touchdown run.

“He went off today,” said Jonathan Dwyer, who wasn’t bad himself with 144 rushing yards and two scores on 20 carries.

“That last one, tiptoeing down the sideline, that shows the great balance and athleticism that he has. Roddy has always been able to make big plays like that. He’s just been in the shadows. Now teams are going to have to pay attention to all of us.”

Jones, out of Chamblee High, said the entire unit executed perfectly on the pitch he took to the end zone. That was Jones’ second score, and it gave Tech a 45-35 lead with 7:13 to go.

“We did a great job getting blocks on the perimeter, and [quarterback] Josh [Nesbitt] did a great job reading it,” Jones said. “I was fortunate enough to be able to make a play, just kept my feet moving down the sideline.”

Jones also made a 62-yard run in the third quarter, which set up a Scott Blair field goal.

“All growing up I heard how great Georgia was and how everybody wants to be a Bulldog,” Jones said. “It’s great to be a part of a streak like this —- to have it stopped.”

—- Larry Hartstein

DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND

Yellow Jackets ‘just kept fighting’

Georgia Tech’s normally stout defense was torched for 488 yards, and quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for five touchdowns. But the defense forced three consecutive punts in the third quarter. That’s when the game turned.

“We put a little bit more pressure on them than we did in the first half,” coordinator Dave Wommack said. “If you lay back on [Stafford], we found out the hard way that he’s good enough to pick you apart with those good receivers.”

Corner Jahi Word-Daniels missed his fifth consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and safety Dominique Reese, trying to come back from a knee injury, played little.

“The kids just kept fighting and fighting,” Wommack said. “I know it wasn’t a great defensive performance, but by golly our offense stepped up and we won as a team.

“We were preaching to them that we were just two scores down,” Wommack added, referring to the 28-12 halftime deficit. “All of a sudden, we were one score up.” …

Junior linebacker Shane Bowen has been diagnosed with a displaced cervical vertebra. Bowen underwent shoulder surgery in February, and the injury was discovered during a routine check-up of his shoulder last week. Bowen had been scheduled to start Saturday; now his career might be over. …

Morgan Burnett scored the first touchdown of his career on a 35-yard interception return. It was his seventh pick of the season, tying for fourth-most in Tech history. …

On a tackle eligible play, right tackle Austin Barrick caught a lateral and ran 11 yards to set up Scott Blair’s 28-yard field goal, putting Tech ahead 38-28 in the third quarter.

—- Larry Hartstein

ORLANDO NEXT?

Capital One bid likely for Bulldogs

All indications are the Bulldogs’ next game will be Jan. 1 in Orlando in the Capital One Bowl against a Big Ten opponent. The only realistic scenario that would take Georgia elsewhere would be if the Cap One opted for 8-4 Ole Miss.

Whatever the case, coach Mark Richt began some subtle politicking. “We’ll wait and see where we’re playing,” he said. “We’re looking forward to finding out where that is. The one thing I know about the Bulldog Nation is they’ll show up. We’ve already presold a high amount of tickets right now, and I’m sure they will continue to buy them to let these bowls know we’re serious about showing up.” …

Georgia did not bench freshman Richard Samuel after he fumbled a kickoff return that set up Tech’s second touchdown of the third quarter. “That was tough on him,” Richt said. “I’m not going to sit here … I’m just going to love the kid, you know what I mean? We all know he feels bad about it. He doesn’t need me to tell him about it. He knows that it’s important to hang onto the ball. But it came out.” …

The biggest ovation of the day was reserved for retired play-by-play man Larry Munson. He was carried out to the 10-yard line in a red golf cart after the first quarter. After a video tribute and remarks from P.A. announcer Brook Whitmire, Munson, with his chin quivering, doffed his cap to the crowd, which responded with a standing ovation.

—- Chip Towers

SHORT STAY

Nesbitt sidelined, but only briefly

Georgia Tech led 38-35 when quarterback Josh Nesbitt got the wind knocked out of him. As he walked slowly to the sideline, Tech fans had to be nervous.

Backup Jaybo Shaw’s 1-yard keeper set up third-and-4. He tossed to Roddy Jones for a 7-yard gain. After another 1-yard gain by Shaw, Nesbitt returned.

“Josh came to me, and I don’t think you could have kept him out of there with a team of horses,” coach Paul Johnson said, adding that he was proud of Shaw for moving the chains.

Two plays later, Nesbitt’s pitch to Jones turned into a 54-yard touchdown run, pushing Tech’s lead to 10.

Nesbitt didn’t put up big numbers: 40 yards rushing, 19 yards passing. But he executed the option well, freeing up Jones and Jonathan Dwyer for big runs. And he committed one insignificant turnover: a Hail Mary-interception at the end of the first half.

Nesbitt said the wet field wasn’t a problem.

“We’ve practiced in harder rain than that, rain where we couldn’t see in front of us,” he said. “As long as you can make the right read, get the ball pitched or handed off, you’re all good.”

—- Larry Hartstein