Georgia Tech has practically re-written the entire rushing chapter of the school record book under coach Paul Johnson. The Yellow Jackets apparently added a new page Saturday.
B-backs Zach Laskey and David Sims and A-back Robert Godhigh all eclipsed 100 yards rushing, with 133, 107 and 111, respectively. It’s believed to be the first time Tech has had three 100-yard rushers in the same game in the school’s modern era, dating to 1950.
All three recorded career highs. Godhigh needed only five carries.
“I was disappointed in the way we blocked, and yet we rushed for 394 yards, so I don’t know what that means,” Johnson said.
Tech has had two 100-yard rushers multiple times, most recently with Orwin Smith and Tevin Washington against Clemson in 2012. It also was the first 100-yard rushing game by a B-back against an FBS opponent since Preston Lyons gained 138 against Utah in the 2011 Sun Bowl. With former B-backs Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen, 100-yard games by B-backs once were a common occurrence. Having two B-backs sharing carries has made it more difficult.
Quarterback Vad Lee said that Virginia played its defensive ends wide, giving the Jackets more space up the middle.
“I know coaches were pretty happy about (the 100-yard games),” Laskey said. “Even still, with all the yards put on the ground, there’s still a ton of room for improvement, so hopefully we can get out there and fix that.”
Clutch throws: Lee made one of the bigger plays of the game when he converted a third-and-9 play early in the fourth quarter after Virginia had scored to draw to 21-17. Lee threw a sideline pass to wide receiver DeAndre Smelter, who was tightly covered, for a 13-yard gain.
“It should have been pass interference,” Johnson said.
On the next play, Godhigh ran 65 yards for a touchdown.
Of the pass play, Lee said: “They had people in the right spots, but I just tried to fit it in there because I knew it was really all or nothing. … DeAndre ran a great route, and I was just able to get it over the ’backer.”
Lee also hit Godhigh on a second-and-10 play two possessions later as the Jackets tried to run out the clock, and Virginia was loading up against the run.
“We had it set up pretty good, and I just felt like we needed to throw it,” Johnson said. “Wasn’t any use to running it up in there and punting it back to ’em. They converted the last (possession). I did not want to give it back. I’ve got confidence in our defense, but I would just as soon keep the ball.”
Staying on the ground: After averaging 17.7 passes in the first six games, Tech has thrown a total of 14 in the past two games, five against Syracuse and nine against Virginia. Lee was 3-for-5 for 78 yards with an interception, while Justin Thomas was 2-for-4 for 38 yards and an interception.
Said Johnson, “We’d like to throw the ball a little more if we could protect it a little better.”
Thomas played the last three possessions of the first half, leading the team to a touchdown before he ended the next series with a poor toss to Godhigh and the next with an interception. On the last series, which began with 1:30 in the half, Johnson said he wanted to put Lee back in the game, but he couldn’t find him on the sideline, so he sent in Thomas again. Lee said he was behind Johnson. Lee played the entire second half.
Family affair: Playing in front of family did the trick again for defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu. After a 10-tackle game against Virginia Tech and a three-sack game against Maryland, Attaochu (from Washington, D.C.) had two sacks and a forced fumble Saturday. He played in front of about 20 family members and friends.
“It definitely helped a little bit, but football’s football,” he said. “Every time I get on the field, I get angry.”
Safety Jemea Thomas also played one of his better games of the season, with 15 tackles, many of them big hits coming up in run support.
He said it: "We got down there and obviously, we could have kicked the field goal, but this team is 2-5. We are trying to score a touchdown." — Virginia coach Mike London on his decision to go for a touchdown at the end of the first half with six seconds to go and the ball on the 1-yard line
Etc.: With the win, Tech is one win shy of earning bowl eligibility for the 17th season in a row. … The Jackets also clinched a .500 record in league play for the 19th consecutive season, the longest such streak for any team in the country. … Tech committed nine penalties after committing none last week. The Jackets had 22 in their three-game losing streak. However, only two were false starts, the penalty they had committed in droves.
