Tech muscles up to deliver on key fourth-down stop

Kyle Cerge-Henderson and Brandon Adams came first, forcing their way through Vanderbilt’s line into the backfield. The Georgia Tech defensive tackles led the surge that constricted space for Vanderbilt running back Khari Blasingame.

The play ended with linebacker P.J. Davis meeting Blasingame square up in a hole and Adams wrapping up Blasingame and lugging him backwards with all the strength of his 337 pounds. The Tech defense’s 4th-and-1 stop against Vanderbilt was a pivot point in the Jackets’ 38-7 win over the Commodores Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. It was a star play for a defense that hasn’t amassed many this season and, moreover, accomplished against an offense taking its identity from its power-running game.

“We had big Brandon in there,” linebacker Brant Mitchell said. “He’s a big ole boy. He got some penetration and basically we just fed of him. Everyone was in the right spot doing their assignment, and it turned out perfect.”

At the time, Tech led 17-7, and Vanderbilt opened the second half with the ball, gaining a 1st-and-10 on the Yellow Jackets’ 37-yard line. The Jackets held Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb to two yards each on first and second down, and then Blasingame gained five yards on third down to set up the 4th-and-1.

Adams’ role in the play had a twist. In the summer of 2015, Adams committed to Vanderbilt as a rising senior at Brentwood Academy outside of Nashville, Tenn. He switched allegiances to Tech just days before national signing day. Tech coveted him for situations like this one. As he had put it earlier in the week when asked why he might help Tech against the Commodores’ run game, “I’m big.”

“We went with a ‘sharp’ man front, so basically we had all big guys in,” defensive tackle Patrick Gamble said. “We just wanted to get some pressure, penetrate the backfield. Actually, freshman Brandon Adams went in there, stood a guy up, got some penetration.”