It was five years ago when Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson heard a late-night knock on his front door and, hoping only for no more than a fruit basket, instead was presented with a goal post from several delirious and possibly drunk members of the student body.
It was a special time on campus. There was euphoria over the football team. The Yellow Jackets had just stunned No. 4-ranked Virginia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium. That led to a celebration resulting in the goal being climbed and toppled, and its fallen carcass being carried off the field, through a tunnel and down the street to Peterson’s home. Because, well, what else do you give a school administrator who has everything?
Georgia Tech won another big game Saturday night. It wasn’t on the same level as the one over Virginia Tech. Miami wasn’t even ranked. Students stormed the field again and around like 6-year-olds after too many bags of Skittles. But they left the defenseless goal posts alone this time.
But the 28-17 victory against the Hurricanes was similar in terms of affirmation.
In 2009, everybody knew the Jackets had to be taken seriously after their upset of the Hokies. They went on to an ACC championship and their first BCS bowl game.
In 2014, after consecutive victories against Virginia Tech and Miami, it’s equally apparent that these Jackets have come together and they’re fully in control of things in the ACC Coastal Division.
“The best we can be is 5-0 and that’s what we are,” coach Paul Johnson said. “It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it makes the next game bigger. We’ve beaten two teams they picked in front of us. I don’t know if we’ll finish in front of them but we’ve got these two.”
Johnson will never miss an opportunity to take a jab at the media. But he deserves to. His team was picked to finish in fifth place in the Coastal behind Miami, Duke, Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
“They haven’t been right yet, so what makes them so smart this time?” Johnson said before the season.
Then again, he was as unimpressed by the Jackets as anyone after non-conference victories against Wofford, Tulane and Georgia Southern, the last two requiring great escapes.
Something clearly has changed since. Quarterback Justin Thomas keeps getting better. The option is running efficiently, with fewer turnovers. The defense actually made plays against Miami (two interceptions and two sacks, as well as two fumbles that were reversed on replay). The Hurricanes scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions but were held to a field goal the rest of the game.
“We did a much better job after the start of the game just keeping (the play) in front of us,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to overwhelm anybody on defense. We just have to play the way we play and make them make field goals or make them screw up, so we don’t screw up.”
The Jackets are doing more than just not screwing up. They showed something by putting together strong performances in consecutive games, which has been a problem over the past four seasons (composite record: 28-25). They also have had a recent history of problems against Miami, losing five consecutive meetings.
It looked like a similar story when the Hurricanes drove 75 yards (in 2:41) and 92 yards (in 1:25) to touchdowns on two of their first three possessions. But Miami’s defense was worse – and unlike the Jackets, didn’t get better.
Perhaps that’s one reason why, with a 21-17 lead in the fourth quarter, Johnson opted to go for it on fourth-and-two from the Miami 8-yard line. I know, it’s just not in Johnson’s DNA to kick a field goal, even in semi-obvious situations. But the call was a little surprising.
“I thought about it for a minute,” he said. “But the way the game was going, I wasn’t comfortable being up seven. And if you don’t make it, it’s (deep in Miami territory). I told the guys, ‘We run this play every day, so let’s run it.”
Miami came up with a unique way to defend the triple option: They didn’t cover the pitch.
Thomas took the snap, ran right, drew a lone defender and pitched to Deon Hill, who could’ve stopped, sat down, made a sandwich, eaten it and watched a couple of movies and still had time to walk into the end zone around right end. That made it 28-17.
The Hurricanes’ next two drives: punt, interception (by Jamal Golden with 1:11 left). Celebration ensued.
Georgia Tech has everybody’s attention now. Something special might be happening again.
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