A quarter-by-quarter look at Georgia Tech’s 69-6 victory over Alcorn State on Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
FIRST QUARTER
Big play: Marcus Marshall's 49-yard touchdown run, the fourth rushing TD of the quarter. After Tech QB Justin Thomas was sacked for an 18-yard loss on first-and-10 from the Alcorn State 31, Marshall took the handoff on second down and sprinted untouched to the end zone.
Turning point: Thomas' 13-yard touchdown run on the team's first possession. The TD run was set up by a 31-yard run by Qua Searcy on a pitch from Thomas.
The takeaway: Thomas and the offense was solid and efficient. The Yellow Jackets finished with a record for points in a quarter, surpassing the previous record of 32 in the fourth quarter of a 1985 victory over Chattanooga.
Score: Tech 34, Alcorn State 0
SECOND QUARTER
Big play: Patrick Skov's 21-yard TD run on the Jackets' first possession of the quarter. Skov would eventually finish the game with 72 yards and three touchdowns.
Turning point: Backup QB Tim Byerly's 14-yard run on third-and-3 from the Tech 36. It was Tech's first third-down play of the game, and the Braves failed to stop the Jackets and force a punt.
The takeaway: Offense continued to dominate on ground with 12 runs in 13 plays on its two scoring drives.
Halftime score: Tech 48, Alcorn State 0
THIRD QUARTER
Big play: Marshall's 64-yard TD run with 1:03 remaining. It was the second score for Marshall, who became the first freshman since Embry Peeples in 2008 to score a rushing TD. Marshall had a 37-yard run earlier in the quarter and eventually finished the game with 184 yards on only eight carries.
Turning point: Arron Baker's 7-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Tech 8. The Braves were successful on their first fourth-down play of the game, keeping their scoring drive alive.
The takeaway: Byerly solid at QB, Marshall's big runs continue. Alcorn State broke its scoring drought on Baker's 1-yard run following his key fourth-down run.
Score: Tech 62, Alcorn State 6
FOURTH QUARTER
Big play: Tech recovers fumbled punt at the Alcorn 5. Three plays later, Brady Swilling scored on a 1-yard run.
Turning point: Not much activity with the outcome long determined, but Alcorn State missed a scoring opportunity midway through the period on an incomplete pass with the receiver streaking down the field.
The takeaway: Offense strong throughout the game, finishing with a point of the modern-day school record of 70 (vs. Navy in 2001 and Elon in 2013). The Jackets finished the game without any major injuries.
Score: Tech 69, Alcorn State 6
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