The seventh-ranked Dawgs over-matched the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 38-7 in the battle for the
Governor’s Cup Trophy Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) win
marks its ninth-straight win over the instate rival in Atlanta dating back to
2001. Georgia Tech’s season concludes with a 5-7 overall mark, a win shy of
bowl eligibility.
"They've got a good football
team,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “It's a very hard offense to
prepare for. Our kids took the challenge head-on and did a good job preparing
for it. Thought we controlled the ball offensively in the second half. Those
are some good things."
The Dawgs used a balance attack
offensively with 224 passing yards and 247 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback
Jake Fromm went 12-for-16 in the air for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while
senior wide receiver Javon Wims led the team in receiving with 77 yards on five
catches and a score.
Six Dawgs recorded rushing
yards, five of which had more than 20 yards. Senior tailback Sony Michel had a
team-high 85 yards, senior back Nick Chubb tallied 53 yards and freshman
running back D’Andre Swift notched 37 yards – each with a score. Sophomore
running backs Elijah Holyfield (35) and Brian Herrien (17) along with Fromm (20)
rounded it out.
Defensively, junior inside
linebacker Roquan Smith collected team-high nine tackles including three for a
loss and one sack. Fellow linebackers D’Andre Walker and Natrez Patrick chipped
in six and five tackles, respectively, while Deandre Baker recorded the only
takeaway with a second-half interception in the GT end zone.
"Our kids have played really
hard,” Smart added. “They've gotten better throughout the year. They've bought
into what we're trying to do as a program. We're really excited about where we
are, and we've got a challenge next week."
After forcing a Yellow Jacket punt
on the game’s opening possession, the Dawgs coordinated a 12-play, 61-yard
touchdown drive. Chubb scored from one yard out, while Michel compiled 25 yards
on the drive including a critical 3rd down pickup where he shed two tackles.
Georgia Tech put together a
12-play, 56-yard drive that started in the first quarter and spilled into the
second quarter, but boiled over with a failed fourth-down attempt. The Dawgs
turned it into a touchdown quickly with six-straight run plays for 44 yards and
then a 21-yard pass from Fromm to Wims for the score.
The Yellow Jackets got on the
scoreboard in the final minute of the first half on a 10-yard touchdown pass
from TaQuan Marshall to Ricky Jeune. The Dawgs offense moved efficiently
with 42 seconds left setting up a Rodrigo Blankenship 37-yard field goal to
head into the half with a 17-7 lead.
At the half, Fromm was 8-for-10
for 91 yards, while Wims had four catches for 61 yards and his team-leading 6th
receiving touchdown of the year. Michel tallied 67 yards on the ground on eight
carries to move up to third all-time in rushing yards behind Chubb.
Georgia scored on three of its
five possessions in the second half to seal the victory. The only non-score
drives consisted of a punt and the final possession in which Georgia controlled
the ball for 7:19 leaving GT the ball with only seven seconds left.
Michel tallied the first touchdown
on a four-yard run after a 39-yard catch by sophomore receiver Mecole Hardman
set it up. In the subsequent drive, Georgia marched down the field 67 yards,
all but five yards on the ground. Swift highlighted the last two plays with a
31-yard run on a 3rd-and-9 and an over-the-top 2-yard score.
The final score came on three
plays as Fromm connected with junior college transfer receiver Ahkil Crumpton
for a 78-yard touchdown strike, Georgia’s longest of the season.
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