Chick-fil-A Bowl Post-Game Notes

Dec. 31, 2008

Recap |  Final Stats

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Notes

… Georgia Tech wore blue jerseys for the first time since the 2006 ACC Championship loss to Wake Forest

… Tech’s captains tonight: Seniors Vance Walker, Darryl Richard and Michael Johnson

… Tech won the coin toss and elected to defer

… Georgia Tech trailed 7-0 early in the first quarter for the fourth time in the last five games

… LSU’s first touchdown of the game came at the 11:58 mark of the first quarter – the quickest a Yellow Jacket opponent has scored this season

… Jonathan Dwyer’s 40-yard reception on Tech’s first offensive play was the Yellow Jackets’ 18^th play of 40 yards or more this season

… Georgia Tech’s first-quarter field goal by Scott Blair resulted from a 13-play scoring drive that took 7:05 – the longest scoring drive in terms of number of plays and time elapsed since a 14-play drive at Miami on Oct. 13, 2007 that took 7:59 – it was also Tech’s longest drive in a bowl game in terms of plays since a 13-play drive against Stanford on Dec. 27, 2001 (Seattle Bowl)

… Tech attempted passes on three of its first four offensive plays – the only other time this season it attempted three passes on its first drive came in the win over Miami when he attempted passes on its first three plays

… Entering tonight’s game, Tech had trailed by more than seven points for just 27 minutes and 44 seconds all season

… The 35-point losing margin and the 38 points allowed were the most for Tech since a 51-7 defeat to Virginia Tech on Sept. 24, 2005

… Tech allowed 14 first-half points for just the fourth time this season

… LSU is the first team this season to be successful in an on-side kick against the Yellow Jackets

… Georgia Tech’s 21-3 deficit marked its largest deficit of the season – previously 16 points (28-12) at Georgia

… Tech’s failed fake punt attempt made the Yellow Jackets 0-for-3 in fake punts this season

… LSU’s 35 first-half points were the most in any half by a Tech opponent in at least 12 seasons (1997-2008)

… LSU’s 28 second-quarter points were the most in any quarter by a Tech opponent since Clemson scored 28 points in the second quarter on Nov. 13, 1999

… Tech’s 32-point halftime deficit was its largest since trailing Georgia 34-0 at halftime on Nov. 30, 2002

… The three largest halftime deficits in Chick-fil-A Bowl history, unfortunately, involved Tech – Tech trailed Mississippi 38-6 at halftime in 1971 and trailed Purdue 34-7 in 1978

… Tech has a streak of 145 consecutive games without being shut out

… Tech failed to score a TD for the first time since Nov. 1, 2007 vs. Virginia Tech (27-3)

… LSU’s 53-yard field goal in the third quarter was the longest by a Tech opponent in more than 12 seasons

… Georgia Tech’s 35-point deficit entering the fourth quarter was its largest deficit entering the final quarter since trailing Virginia Tech 48-7 on Sept. 24, 2005

Georgia Tech’s Loss Tonight Gives the Yellow Jackets…

… a final record of 9-4, tying for the ninth-most single-season wins in school history

… a tie for the  most wins by any ACC team this season (if Virginia Tech loses to Cincinnati)

… a 2-1 record this season against the SEC (wins over Georgia and Mississippi State)

… a 12-7 all-time record vs. LSU including five straight losses to the Tigers and an 0-2 record vs. LSU in bowl games

… a 201-206-23 all-time record vs. SEC opponents

… a 2-16-1 all-time record when playing the defending national champion

… an 0-4 record in the Chick-fil-A/Peach Bowl

… a 1-3 all-time record when playing on New Year’s Eve

… a 22-15 all-time record in bowl games

… a 2-3 record after trailing at halftime

… an all-time record of 662-446-43 in program history

Georgia Tech’s Loss Gives Head Coach Paul Johnson…

… a first-year record of 9-4 at Georgia Tech

… a 116-43 record in his 12^th season overall (second only to Tom Osborne for wins in first 12 seasons of a coaching career)

… an 0-1 all-time record vs. LSU

… a 2-3 record in bowl games

… a 16-6 record in postseason games (including I-AA playoffs while coaching at Georgia Southern)

Jonathan Dwyer, So., RB

… his 40-yard reception on Tech’s first offensive play of the game was his eighth play of 40 yards or more this season

… had a career-high for receptions in a game – he had never caught more than one pass in a game before tonight and entered tonight’s game with just seven career receptions

… went over 1,800 career yards tonight (67 yards vs. LSU, 1,831 now for his career) … he ranks 10^th on the Jackets’ career list

Michael Johnson, Sr., DE

… passed Tom Johnson and Philip Wheeler for seventh place on Tech’s career sack list with two tonight (has 19)

… his three tackles-for-loss of the game gave him 18 for the season and 31 for his career, moving him into a tie for 14^th place on Tech’s career tackles-for-loss list

Demaryius Thomas, So., WR

… has caught at least one pass in every game he has played this season (11 – he missed the Virginia Tech game with an injury)

Josh Nesbitt, So., QB

… his 30^th rushing yard tonight gave him 1,000 for his two-year career – only Joe Hamilton and Reggie Ball, among Tech’s all-time quarterbacks, had more career rushing yards (finished game with 1,025)

Scott Blair, So., PK/P

… his first-half field goal was his fourth consecutive made field goal over the last three games, making him 12-of-19 on the year

Morgan Burnett, So., S

… recorded his fourth double-figure tackles game of the season