Big plays by Georgia Tech’s running backs pushed the Yellow Jackets past Virginia 31-17 on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
They were needed, because the running game had a difficult time in developing any consistency against Bronco Mendenhall’s group.
“We never really got anything going running-wise,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “It was all big plays. Don’t know if we’ve played that bad up front. Didn’t block anybody at A-back either. It was a deadly combination.”
The highlights started with B-back Marcus Marshall’s 67-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that tied the score at 7-7. It was the longest run of the sophomore’s career, surpassing his previous mark of 64 yards set against Alcorn State last year.
Marshall took a pitch from quarterback Justin Thomas and outraced everyone down the right sideline with 10:20 remaining in the first half.
Marshall started for the second consecutive game in place of the suspended Dedrick Mills and continued to show his potential for making big plays.
The touchdown against the Cavaliers was Marshall’s sixth play this season of at least 20 yards, including five of at least 50 yards and came one game after a 56-yard touchdown run in last week’s upset of Virginia Tech. He finished that game with 143 yards, the most by a Jackets running back this season. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
Against Virginia, Marshall followed his long run with a 20-yard effort in which he broke several tackles, including two in the backfield. Getting yards after being hit was something that B-backs coach Bryan Cook said Marshall did very well last week against the Hokies. Marshall finished Saturday’s game with 127 yards on 16 carries.
“It hit outside where it wasn’t supposed to go,” Marshall said. “I knew when I ran out there I was on my own.”
The big plays continued with A-back Qua Searcy’s 60-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave the Jackets a 21-10 lead. It was the longest run of the sophomore’s career, surpassing a pair of 31 yard runs. Searcy started right, cut up field and then cut back to the left, running diagonally across the field. Thomas was one of a few Jackets running alongside Searcy, screening him from potential tacklers. Searcy finished with 65 yards on three carries as Tech rushed for 199 yards on 31 carries.
“Only thing I saw was all white,” Searcy said. “I saw Ricky (Jeune) and Justin in front of me so I knew to follow them.”
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