RALEIGH — Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson gave kicker David Scully a chance on kickoffs after Tech’s unsatisfactory performances in the first four games. He had had three career kickoffs before Saturday.
With the wind behind him, Scully registered the Yellow Jackets’ second touchback of the season. His eight kickoffs averaged 66.5 yards, or to the N.C. State 3.5-yard line.
“He hit some pretty good,” Johnson said. “We’ll evaluate it, but it wasn’t all bad. I thought he did some good things.”
Tech managed to prevent N.C. State’s dangerous returner, T.J. Graham, from breaking loose. The best field position the Wolfpack had on the eight kicks was the N.C. State 35-yard line. Five of the returns did not cross the 30.
Johnson also made switches on the kickoff return team, putting Tony Zenon at returner in place of Orwin Smith. The change did not produce the anticipated results. In five kickoff returns before N.C. State’s final onside-kick try, the best field position gained was the Tech 30-yard line.
Displeased with penalty
Johnson was irate after a holding penalty on Smith wiped out what would have been an 71-yard touchdown run by A-back Roddy Jones at the end of the first half. It would have made the score 28-7 in Tech’s favor. Tech ended up not scoring on the drive. Smith appeared to cleanly cut block an N.C. State defender, and an official watching from across the field called a hold.
“I think maybe when I threw my arm — the hook, it’s a technique we use — they called the hold then,” Smith said.
Smith said he didn’t hear Johnson, but “being around him for three years, I kind of know what he said.”
Injury report
Outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu left the game in the third quarter with a right leg injury and later walked to the locker room under his own power before the game was over. After the game, Johnson said he didn’t know the severity, but said he thought Attaochu, who received a national defensive player of the week award after a nine-tackle, three-sack game against North Carolina, was all right. Malcolm Munroe came in for him and on the same series captured his first career sack that helped end N.C. State’s drive.
Long snapper Tyler Morgan injured his hand in the first half. Johnson took the redshirt off backup Sean Tobin — the first long snapper that Johnson offered a scholarship out of high school — to replace him. Johnson was satisfied with Tobin’s performance. Morgan had his hand X-rayed, but Johnson didn’t have a diagnosis.
Thomas delivers
Jemea Thomas played another standout special-teams game with an open-field tackle on Graham and a 27-yard run on a fake punt on Tech’s opening series. Thomas took the ball to the N.C. State 25-yard line, helping set up the game’s first touchdown.
“The fake punt was devastating,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said.
Washington struggles
Quarterback Tevin Washington was 4-for-12 for 117 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first game this season in which he completed less than half of his pass attempts. He missed a number of open receivers, sometimes throwing off his back foot. He did complete an important 30-yard pass to Smith on the drive that put Tech ahead 28-14 early in the fourth quarter.
“I think I was just rushing myself,” Washington said. “I think I was in a hurry a lot back there in the pocket. I had more time than I thought I did.”
Said Johnson, “It wasn’t one of his better days.”
Etc.
Inside linebacker Julian Burnett led the team in tackles for the fourth time in five games with 12 stops. ... Smith had a team-high 74 yards on nine carries, including three touchdowns. B-back David Sims was just behind with nine carries for 73 yards, including a career-long run of 41 yards. ... After scoring on the first play from scrimmage in the first three games and a 21-yard pass play in the fourth, Tech’s first play Saturday was a 5-yard run by Smith on which he fumbled the ball out of bounds. ... Attendance was 55,811.
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