Georgia Tech thumps Duke

“Duke, in my eyes, they’re better this year than they were last year, and they went to a bowl last year,” guard Will Jackson said. “They’re a very good football team, so I think that it speaks volumes to how good we can be this year.”

After an open date last week, Tech (2-0 overall, 1-0 ACC) opened conference play with its ninth consecutive win over the Blue Devils and 18th victory in the past 19. The Blue Devils (2-1, 0-1) took an early 7-3 lead, but were overrun by a Tech offense that was efficient but not exceedingly so and a defense that gave them little room to operate.

The box score gives a taste of the Yellow Jackets’ superiority — 28 first downs to Duke’s 13, 344 rushing yards to 132 for Duke, four passing touchdowns to Duke’s none.

“I’m not sure we played a great game, but our kids, we hung in there and fought and made enough plays,” coach Paul Johnson said.

Quarterback Vad Lee ran the show on offense in his emotionally charged return to his hometown. Lee, who could spot family and friends in the stands, continually positioned the Jackets into third-and-short situations, enabling them to convert 11 of 17 third downs and steadily march up and down the field.

Lee led touchdown drives of 79, 64, 74, 73 and 74 yards. On a day when the Jackets’ bread and butter — dives by the B-back into the line — was plugged by Duke’s interior, Lee answered with 8-for-16 passing for 125 yards and four touchdowns as well as 22 rushes for 76 yards and another touchdown.

“I think Vad, he brings just a completely new dynamic to the offense this year in the fact that he can sit back and he can throw the 5-yard out, but he can also hit a guy 60 yards downfield running a wheel route,” Jackson said.

Lee became the first Tech quarterback to throw four touchdown passes since Reggie Ball against N.C. State in 2006. On that evening in nearby Raleigh, Ball threw two touchdown passes to star Calvin Johnson. On Saturday, Lee threw a pair of scoring passes to the receiver who might be the Jackets’ next receiving threat, DeAndre Smelter.

Smelter played three seasons with the baseball team before trying football this season and has won glowing reviews from teammates and coaches. He had a wider audience Saturday. He beat All-ACC cornerback Ross Cockrell to the inside to reel in his first score on his first career catch, a 24-yarder, in the second quarter and fought his way for a 10-yard score later in the quarter.

They were among the highlights of a day when the Jackets themselves weren’t so overwhelmed by their performance.

“To be honest, I think we could have played a lot better,” Lee said.

There were communication problems on the offensive line. A potential touchdown by Lee to wide receiver Darren Waller was overthrown. Lee missed another potential touchdown when he threw to the wrong receiver. The kicking game was off.

“Offensively, we were too hit and miss,” Johnson said.

For two drives, at least, Duke had the better of the defense. But on the whole, the unit played well for defensive coordinator Ted Roof, making his first appearance at Wallace Wade Stadium since the 2007 season, when he was fired as the Blue Devils’ head coach.

Tech made great strides in the one area that Roof stressed in the past two weeks, third down. Duke converted only three of 14 third downs.

“We just go out and play hard every week for coach Roof,” outside linebacker Brandon Watts said. “He coaches us hard and puts us in position to make plays, so we just try to go out there and execute the plan.”

Tech will need more Saturday, when it faces North Carolina. The Tar Heels had this weekend off.

If they were tuned in to the goings on just down the road from Chapel Hill, they probably saw enough.