Hopped up on the desperation of a season on the line and the chance to dethrone a national champion aspirant, Georgia Tech delivered the performance of the season.
In a stunner, the Yellow Jackets pulled a U-turn on their two-game slide and coldcocked undefeated Clemson 31-17 Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
"With adversity, you've got to either stand up or lay down," quarterback Tevin Washington said. "I think we've got the type of team we're going to try to stand up and come back and just fight, no matter what the situation may be."
Playing with crispness and speed and receiving breaks that had eluded them in recent weeks, the Jackets breathed new life into their season, which had started with a 6-0 start and then stalled with losses in the past two weeks.
"I am really proud of our guys," coach Paul Johnson said. "I could not be prouder."
Said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, "You've got to give all the credit to Georgia Tech. They just flat-out whipped us, out-executed us and no excuses."
The Tech defense, tasked with slowing down an offenses on course to become one of the most prolific in ACC history, suppressed the Tigers long enough to render a late charge insufficient. Defensive back Jemea Thomas stood at the front, forcing a fumble that was converted into a Tech touchdown, breaking up two deep balls and intercepting Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd in the end zone in a game-turning fourth-quarter play and then finishing the night with his second interception to kill the Tigers' final rally.
Said Thomas, who also played several snaps on special teams, "Whatever they want me to do, I'm down for my team."
Witnessed by a sellout crowd chilled by the late October night, the win ranks as one of the most significant in Johnson's Tech stewardship. The Jackets (7-2, 4-2 in the ACC) have beaten a top-five team at Bobby Dodd Stadium only twice since 1962 and Johnson has helmed both victories. The first was a 2009 defeat of Virginia Tech that fast-tracked the Jackets to the ACC championship.
"It wasn't me," Johnson said. "[The players] bowed their necks and they played."
The win keeps the Jackets' hopes of their fourth ACC title in school history afloat and sets up a crucial Coastal Division showdown with rival Virginia Tech (No. 12 in the BCS standings) in two Thursdays at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Hokies, who escaped Duke 14-10 Saturday, will have an open date this week, like the Jackets, to prepare.
The Jackets have now beaten Clemson (8-1, 5-1) five out of the last six, the first time they've owned the series that thoroughly since 1970-75.
"I know a lot of people are disappointed that wrote us off, but we have a chance to play again next week," Johnson said. "Like I said earlier, let us finish the season before you do our tombstone."
The Jackets managed a near clean sweep of their game-plan objectives. Their offense, which had been toothless against Miami a week ago, punched out long drives to keep Clemson's offense off the field. After a slow start, they broke a 92-play streak without a play of 20 yards or more and turned in four total.
Washington, who had deviated from his steady start in the past four games, operated the option plays with efficiency, including a delicious fake toss that opened up an alley for a 46-yard run in the second quarter. His 176 rushing yards broke Joshua Nesbitt's school record for most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback.
The defense prevented Clemson from fast breaking. The Tigers averaged 5.9 plays of 20-yards or more in their first eight games and had three Saturday night. They had none in the first half, when their possessions ended in a field goal, lost fumble, punt, punt, missed field goal and end of half. Tech terminated four Tigers possessions with turnovers, the Jackets' season high, as well as the most committed by Clemson this season. Defensive tackle T.J. Barnes played his best game of the season, contributing 1.5 tackles for loss and disrupting several other plays by crashing the Clemson backfield.
"The last two weeks, I wasn't really producing, so I was just trying to do all I could this week to really help out," Barnes said.
Defensive coordinator Al Groh repeatedly sent blitz pressure at Boyd, shaking him up and at the same time showing trust in his secondary to handle man coverage. Aside from the third quarter, when Boyd threw for 179 of his 295 yards, the Jackets limited the damage of the ACC player of the year candidate.
"For the most part, I think we were pretty on point with knowing when they were getting ready to take a shot deep," Young said. "We were in great position to make plays on the ball."
The special teams unit, which had under fire for inconsistent play, gave a clean performance, including a strong effort from punter Sean Poole (Net average of 44.0 yards on three punts).
"I thought the game went pretty much the way we wanted, except for the fumble on the goal line," Johnson said, referring to a lost third-quarter fumble caused by an apparent offsides.
Clemson, which averaged 15.5 possessions in its past two games in piling up 115 points, got the ball only 12 times Saturday night. The penultimate was the most decisive. With the score 31-17 and 11 minutes remaining, Washington was intercepted deep in Tech territory. On Clemson's first play from scrimmage from the 9-yard line, Thomas intercepted a fade route from Boyd to Sammy Watkins, igniting delirium in the nearby student section.
After the interception, "I was the happiest man out there on the field," Washington said.
Tech held the ball for the next nine minutes to secure the game. After the Jackets gave up possession with 1:29 to play, Thomas intercepted Boyd again on the fourth play of the drive to start the celebration. Tech's student body flooded the field, forming a happy mob at midfield. B-back Preston Lyons, who chipped in 42 tough yards in a rotation with starter David Sims, displayed his veteran savvy. As a sophomore two years ago, Lyons got trapped on the field for 45 minutes when students rushed the field after the win over Virginia Tech.
"Right when I saw them storm today, I got out of there real quick," he said, "but I was able to see them storm the field. It's a fantastic feeling."
About the Author
