A revamped group of A-backs helped Georgia Tech’s offense, but they weren’t enough as North Carolina handed the Yellow Jackets their third consecutive loss, 38-31, on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
With Broderick Snoddy out at least this week, joining two other A-backs who can’t play because of season-ending injuries and another who moved to quarterback because of Tim Byerly’s season-ending injury, Tech began using a few players at A-back who haven’t played much this season.
Clinton Lynch had seven carries for 51 yards and a 14-yard touchdown run by the end of the third quarter. Lynch, a redshirt freshman from Norcross, had eight carries for 79 yards and a touchdown in the previous four games. He finished with eight carries for 48 yards.
“I feel like everybody, since they are here, they should be able to make plays,” Lynch said. “We just need experience, just reps. I think we are still learning.”
Making his first appearance this season, Mikell Lands-Davis caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas in the third quarter to give Tech a 28-17 lead. Lands-Davis, a freshman from Douglasville, moved from B-back to A-back during camp in August. He added three carries for 18 yards.
Austin McClellan, who played in three games this season with no carries, had three rushes for 26 yards in the first half and came a yard short of scoring his first touchdown in the second quarter. Thomas would score two plays later to give the Jackets a 21-0. A redshirt junior, McClellan had four carries the previous three years.
“They played well,” quarterback Justin Thomas said. “For (their) first time being out there, they did what they were supposed to do and made big plays.”
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