GEORGIA MEMORABLE GAME
2009 (Georgia 30, Georgia Tech 24)
Things to know
1. The Bulldogs rushed for 339 yards, the most under coach Mark Richt. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King both rushed for at least 100 yards. Written on the eye black on Ealey’s face were “I Run” and “This State.” King had the same thing written on his arms. “I never could have predicted that,” Richt said. “We knew we wanted to run the ball, control the clock, keep the ball away from Georgia Tech as long as we could.”
2. Tech had allowed two running backs — Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon (106 yards) and Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams (100) — to surpass 100 yards before facing Georgia. It was the first two 100-yard rushing games in the careers of Ealey and King. The Yellow Jackets were allowing 117.2 rushing yards per game. Georgia outrushed Tech by 144 yards.
3. Demaryius Thomas dropped a pass that would have netted a first down on a fourth-and-10 at Georgia’s 46 with 1:28 remaining and the Jackets trying to rally. It was the Jackets’ fourth consecutive incomplete pass on the drive. Still, Thomas caught five passes for 127 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown. By comparison, Georgia’s receivers totaled 76 yards. A.J. Green missed the game because of an injury.
What happened next for Georgia: The Bulldogs (8-5) dismantled Texas A&M 44-20 in the Independence Bowl. Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez was let go after five years as defensive coordinator.
TECH MEMORABLE GAME
2008 (Tech 45, Georgia 42)
Things to know
1. The Jackets rushed for 409 yards in front of 92,746 people in the rain to snap Georgia’s seven-game win streak in the series. “We shocked the world today; we shocked the state of Georgia,” Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer said. Paul Johnson became the first Tech coach to win nine games in his inaugural year.
2. The Jackets trailed by 16 points at halftime, but scored 26 points in the third quarter. The first touchdown on the half’s first play: a 60-yard run by Dwyer to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 28-20. After Tech tied the score at 28-28, Marcus Wright recovered a fumble by Richard Samuel on the kickoff. Dwyer scored on the next play to give the Jackets a 35-28 lead.
3. Roddy Jones had 13 carries for 214 yards — for a school-record average of 16.5 yards per carry — and two touchdowns, including a 54-yard scoring run on a third-and-6. Jones brushed off several attempts to knock him out of bounds. Jones and Dwyer (144 yards) each surpassed 100 yards. “You can’t do that with this offense,” Johnson quipped after the game. “It’s 3 yards and a cloud of dust.”
What happened next for Tech: Johnson's first season ended with a 38-3 beat down by LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Jackets finished No. 22 in the AP and coaches polls.
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