Georgia Tech had its chance to seize the game and continue its run to Charlotte.
A closed fist, a fourth-down call gone awry and the playmaking duo of Virginia Tech's economy-sized quarterback and punishing running back extricated the game from the Yellow Jackets' grasp. On a brisk Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium, No. 21 Georgia Tech succumbed to the No. 10 Hokies 37-26. Twelve days after a stunning upset of Clemson that had re-inserted Tech into the middle of the ACC title picture, the loss dropped the Jackets out of the chase for good.
"We had everything out in front of us," defensive end Jason Peters said. "We had worked ourselves back into a position where we could do something. Unfortunately, we let it slip through our hands."
The Jackets (7-3 overall, 4-3 in the ACC), whose goals of going undefeated at home and winning the ACC fell by the wayside Thursday night, must re-train their sights on finishing strong in games against Duke and rival Georgia and ending their six-game losing streak in bowl play.
A season potentially bound for the ACC title game in Charlotte and even the Orange Bowl may now re-route itself for the Sun Bowl. How bitter a pill was the loss to the Hokies?
Said A-back Embry Peeples, "Can you imagine trying to swallow a baseball?"
As has been the case in the first three meetings between Tech coach Paul Johnson and Hokies counterpart Frank Beamer, the game turned late. After falling behind 21-10 in the first half, the Jackets rallied with touchdowns in their first two drives of the second half. Tech drove through the Hokies (9-1, 5-1) with a mixture of big-play flash and grinding efficiency to take a 26-21 lead with 4:29 to play in the third quarter.
On a third-down play on the ensuing possession, Tech linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu closed in on Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas and jumped on the back of the 6-foot-6 Thomas. Unable to tackle him solo, Attaochu was joined by more Jackets. As the scrum persisted, Attaochu struck Thomas in the helmet with a closed fist, drawing a personal foul penalty. Instead of having to punt from their 15-yard line and give the Jackets the ball somewhere around midfield with a chance to add to a five-point lead, the Hokies had a first down on their 30-yard line. Five plays later, Thomas powered through the Tech line for a 12-yard touchdown run on a play intended to gain a first down on a 3rd-and-1 play.
The penalty "was huge and it compounded with the fact that they drove it down and scored," coach Paul Johnson said.
It was an uncharacteristic play by Attaochu, who said he was trying to knock the ball out of Thomas' grasp.
"I was just going so hard," he said. "When I made contact with him, I was just mad he wouldn't go down, so I kept trying to hack the ball."
Attaochu accepted responsibility for the penalty.
"Just an overdose of adrenalin," he said. "There's no excuse for it, though."
Now down 27-26 after the Hokies failed on a two-point conversion try, Tech faced a 4th-and-1 on its own 31-yard line with a little less than 14 minutes to play. Johnson elected to try for the first down, a decision that backfired when quarterback Tevin Washington was stopped for no gain.
"I elected to go for it on fourth down because I felt like we needed to score," Johnson said. At that point, the Hokies had scored touchdowns on four of their previous five possessions and Johnson didn't see that trend stopping.
"We needed to go down and score," he said. "I thought we could make a yard, and we didn't. We didn't do a very good job with the play, maybe we could have had a different play call. We didn't execute the one that was called."
Washington said that he should have followed the B-back's block but instead went behind center Jay Finch. Taking the ball on the Tech 31, the Hokies went up 34-26 on a 14-yard pass by Thomas to tight end Chris Drager.
Following that score with 9:49 remaining, a 3-and-out by Tech and a Virginia Tech field goal drained any remaining doubt of the outcome.
On the night, Thomas accounted for all five Hokies touchdowns, three through the air and two on the ground. He helped Virginia Tech convert 10 of 16 third downs, including conversions of seven, nine, 11, 12 and 13 yards. He was a load to stop on third-and-short plays, as well, powering his 254 pounds into the line.
"We had him as a target to stop, and we just couldn’t do it," said linebacker Julian Burnett.
Tech ended up surrendering a season-high 476 yards, including 267 on the ground. Hokies running back David Wilson lit up the Jackets with 175 rushing yards on 23 carries, the most the Jackets have given up to an individual player.
After probably the strongest game of the season against Clemson, Tech's special teams did not provide much, although kicker Justin Moore made field goals of 36 and 41 yards. Tech's offense manufactured three touchdown drives of 74 yards or more, but also had three three-and-outs in its 10 possessions. A-back Embry Peeples led Tech with 84 rushing yards on just three carries. Washington had 77 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
"We just didn't make enough plays, we didn't get it done," Johnson said. "Offense, defense, special teams – nobody got it done."
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