Music brings Yellow Jackets' defense to life

Print
E-mail

By Jim McConnell

For the AJC

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- With a little help from friends in the band, Georgia Tech’s defense was at its dancing, strutting best when Virginia’s offense reached the red zone yesterday.

Enlarge photo

Don Petersen, AP Virginia's quarterback Jameel Sewell (10) breaks free from Georgia Tech's Morgan Burnett (left) and Michael Petersen.

Latest Georgia Tech news »

Fueled by the traveling band’s rendition of Travis Porter’s “All the Way Turned Up,” which has become a rallying cry of sorts during the Yellow Jackets’ bid for the ACC Coastal Division championship, Georgia Tech limited Virginia to field goals when the game still hung in the balance and kept matters under control until the offense exploded for 21 second-half points in a 34-9 victory.

“They had a lot of chances to get the ball in the end zone, but we were turned up all the way,” linebacker Brad Jefferson said. “That song gets us hyped right there.”

Virginia’s offense ventured inside the Tech 20-yard line three times in the first half and reached the 21 on another drive, but came away with only nine of a possible 28 points on three Robert Randolph kicks.

The Jackets’ defense came up especially large in the face of adversity late in the first quarter, when Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt fumbled the ball away at his own 25 with the game deadlocked at 3.

Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell hooked up with Vic Hall for a 23-yard gain on first down, giving the Cavaliers four cracks at a momentum-changing touchdown from the Tech 2.

After the Jackets stuffed runs by tailbacks Mikell Simpson and Rashawn Jackson for no gain, they forced an incompletion by Sewell. Randolph gave Virginia a short-lived 6-3 lead with a 19-yard field goal, but Tech’s defense jogged off the field feeling victorious.

“That was big for our defense, even though we gave up three points and that’s not what we want to do,” defensive end Derrick Morgan said. “I think it kind of diffused Virginia’s momentum.”

For the game, Virginia ran eight plays inside Tech’s 20-yard line and produced a total of minus-7 yards. Sewell was sacked once by Morgan and failed to complete any of his five red-zone passes, including a 13-yard strike to Kris Burd that would have been a touchdown if not for a crunching hit by backup free safety Rashaad Reid.

“That’s all about attitude and want-to,” Morgan added. “We call ourselves a championship defense, so that was just one of the statements we needed to make.”

AJC Marketplace

Smart Shopping
starts here!
This week's inserts | Today's Deals | Grocery Coupons