No. 24 Georgia Tech used a wild second quarter to win its eighth game of the season, a 56-23 win over N.C. State Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets took advantage of two defensive touchdowns in the span of seven plays to help generate a 21-point quarter in which the Tech offense didn’t get on the field until the Wolfpack had run the first 25 plays of the period.
Cornerback D.J. White ran back an interception 38 yards for a touchdown and then linebacker Quayshawn Nealy returned a fumble 43 yards for another score, taking the score from 14-13 in Tech’s favor at the end of the first quarter to 28-14 with 7:12 to play in the second quarter.
Tech improved to 8-2, the Jackets’ best record after 10 games since the 2009 team started 9-1. Tech has been 8-2 or better just six times since coach Bobby Dodd’s retirement after the 1966 season.
B-back Synjyn Days continued to drive the Tech offense, running for a career-best 157 yards on 19 carries, better his previous career best from last Saturday. He put Tech into the lead for good with a career-best 53-yard run for a touchdown at the end of the first quarter, following blocks by right guard Shaquille Mason and center Freddie Burden.
Starting in place of the injured Zach Laskey, who missed his third consecutive game with a shoulder injury, Days recorded his third consecutive 100-yard game, the longest streak by a Tech player since Jonathan Dwyer had four 100-yard games in a row in 2008 and 2009.
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