In the place where something always goes wrong for Georgia Tech — where two penalties undid the Yellow Jackets in 2008; where Joshua Nesbitt broke his arm in 2010; where a last-minute lead became an overtime loss on Labor Day 2012 — the weirdest possible something had occurred. A forced fumble was recovered by Virginia Tech’s quarterback and taken for the go-ahead touchdown.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson was caught between disbelief and chagrin. “Here we go again,” he thought to himself, and 5 1/2 minutes later, his Jackets were positioned to lose a winnable game simply because, for Tech, no game here is ever winnable.
Fourth-and-15, 2:37 remaining, ball on the 50, the Jackets seven points down: Even with three timeouts remaining, Johnson never considered punting. He told quarterback Justin Thomas, who’d completed only 4 of 14 passes, “Just give him a chance to catch the ball.”
By “him,” Johnson meant DeAndre Smelter, the converted baseball pitcher. “I knew it was coming my way,” Smelter said, and so it did.
Thomas’ throw was a bolt of lightning, the prettiest pass delivered by any Tech quarterback since … Joe Hamilton? Kim King? Billy Lothridge? Slanting from the right, Smelter snagged the ball in front of cornerback Chuck Clark for 19 yards and the first down that changed a losing game and maybe the way we’ve come to look at Tech.
Much more would happen. Thomas would beat a blitz to find Smelter, running free again, for the tying touchdown. Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer would throw another awful interception, this one taken by D.J. White. Thomas would throw to Smelter again — in the final five minutes, he caught four passes for 83 yards — for the first down that yielded Harrison Butker’s game-winning kick at the final horn. For all that, fourth-and-15 carried the day. One precise throw, one tough catch, one massive victory for a program in dire need.
Not since Oct. 29, 2011, had Georgia Tech beaten a ranked opponent. Virginia Tech wasn’t ranked and won’t be again anytime soon, but given the difficulties the Jackets have had against this team and especially in Lane Stadium, this had the feel of a breakthrough. Not since 2009, Johnson’s second season on the job, had Georgia Tech beaten the Hokies anywhere; not since 2006, when Chan Gailey was the coach and Reggie Ball the quarterback, had the Jackets prevailed here.
A case can be made that Virginia Tech lost this more than Georgia Tech won it, and the Hokies did waste enough chances to win three games. But the Jackets made the plays to seize the game at the end, which is what Virginia Tech had spent the better part of a decade doing to them. Thomas made his throws. Smelter made his catches. Butker made his kick. The Jackets’ defense limited the Hokies to one fluke touchdown after halftime.
“It was our turn, maybe,” Johnson said. “They looked like they had us on the ropes, just like it looked like we’ve had them on the ropes.”
Tech will enter October unbeaten, which has happened twice in Johnson’s seven seasons. None of the victories has been a show of force, but in the ACC Coastal Division, how forceful do you have to be? “We’re excited to be 4-0,” Johnson said. “I don’t think many people thought we’d be there.”
This always figured to be the day the Jackets sustained their first loss, and they were indeed one play from 3-1. But Thomas stepped forward and threw straight, prompting this from Johnson: “He’s a gamer. He makes plays. He’s not afraid of the moment.”
In the first half, Tech went for it on fourth-and-2. Darren Waller popped open for what would have been a touchdown, but pressure forced Thomas to throw off his back foot. “That was one you wished you had back,” Thomas said, and on this wild day the Jackets not only got their mulligan, but hit it dead solid perfect.
The fourth-down play with 2:37 left? “Same call,” Johnson said. But a different result for what could well be a different swarm of Yellow Jackets.
About the Author
