Tech defense gets over early nerves

By Ned Barnette

For the AJC

DURHAM, N.C. -- When a team is 9-1 and No. 7 in the nation, it’s hard to imagine it being nervous entering a game against Duke, but Saturday, Georgia Tech’s defense looked uneasy early against the Blue Devils.

Duke took the opening kickoff and marched 73 yards in nine plays to go up 7-0. Two series later, Tech bobbled a snap on a botched punt that set up a 31-yard Duke field goal.

Just like that, it was Duke 10, Georgia Tech 0.

“Duke can be an explosive offense,” said safety Morgan Burnett, “We might have been a little nervous and trying to do too much.”

But it wasn’t long before the butterflies turned back into the bees.

The Yellow Jackets defense locked down, and the Blue Devils managed only 50 yards the remainder of the half. Meanwhile, Tech’s offense exploded for 28 consecutive points as the Jackets ended the half with a 28-10 lead on its way to a 49-10 victory.

Defensive tackle Ben Anderson was big part of the lockdown. He spent much of the afternoon in Duke’s backfield and came away with two sacks.

“Opportunities came up. I just took advantage of them,” said Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound junior. “After my first sack, I just turned it up, I guess. A big play like that really gets you motivated.”

For some reason, Tech’s defense has trouble finding the start button, but once it does, the other team stops. In their past four games, the Yellow Jackets have allowed 61 first-half points. In the second half and overtime? A total of 16.

“It’s been kind of like that all this season. At the beginning of the game, the first drive, the first half, we need to just get it together, settle down and just play,” Anderson said.

Tech coach Paul Johnson said it’s not a case of being uncomfortable early. It’s just a matter of adjusting and tackling.

“I don’t think we came out with nerves,” Johnson said. Rather, he said, Duke started out throwing short passes to offset Tech’s man-to-man coverage, and Duke’s backs were picking up yards after the catch.

“They got the backs out in the flat, and we were missing tackles,” he said.

Along with misses in the open field, Tech’s defense had a bit of luck when a play-action call by Duke left receiver Connor Vernon wide-open downfield in the first half, but quarterback Thaddeus Lewis sailed the ball well past him.

Tech’s defense had few such lapses against one of the ACC’s most potent passing offenses, holding Duke to less than 300 yards in the air.

On the ground, it was almost flawless, allowing only 25 yards net rushing.

It took a few minutes for the defense to settle, but the lockdown started when Tech stiffened after the failed punt and held Duke to a field goal.

“The way it started, it gave us some hope,” said Duke coach David Cutcliffe. “I was a little concerned when we got the turnover and had a short field, but we couldn’t do anything with it. That was almost a little sign, a little kiss of death.”