Nov. 25, 2017
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ATLANTA (AP) — Sony Michel ran for 85 yards and a touchdown, Jake Fromm threw two touchdown passes and No. 7 Georgia protected its playoff hopes with a 38-7 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
”It was important to us,” Michel said. ”It was important to Dawg Nation. By us playing so well today, it means a lot.”
The Bulldogs had 247 yards rushing and 471 total yards as Michel, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift ran for touchdowns. Fromm threw scoring passes of 21 yards to Javon Wims and 78 yards to Ahkil Crumpton .
The win gives Georgia (11-1, No. 7 CFP) momentum for next week’s Southeastern Conference championship game against the winner of Saturday’s game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Auburn. Winning their first SEC title since 2005 could give the Bulldogs a chance to make the College Football Playoff.
”It’s an awesome feeling. To get to play for an SEC title is something we’re really looking forward to,” said safety Roquan Smith, who led Georgia’s defense with nine tackles, including three for losses.
Georgia Tech (5-6), which had won two of the last three games in the state rivalry, was denied the win it needed to become bowl-eligible. The Yellow Jackets could be a contender for a waiver based on their academics if there is a shortage of bowl-eligible teams.
”I don’t know if my frustration has ever been this high,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said.
Georgia Tech, which was 0-5 on the road this year, saw its eight-game home winning streak end. But a home loss was nothing new for the Yellow Jackets in the rivalry. Georgia has won nine straight games at Georgia Tech since the Yellow Jackets’ last home win in the series in 1999.
Fromm completed 12 of 16 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Michel ran to his right before cutting back to his left, leaving Georgia Tech cornerback Lance Austin face down on the field, on his third-quarter scoring run.
Austin said the defense struggled with ”just wrapping up.”
”They’ve got good backs,” Austin said. ”They did a good job. I’ll give them credit. We couldn’t get off the field on third downs.”
The Yellow Jackets were held to a season-low 226 yards.
”We were able to get it around them a few times, but they’re a good defense … flying everywhere,” said Georgia Tech’s Nathan Cottrell, who had five carries for 43 yards.
The Yellow Jackets’ only points came on TaQuon Marshall’s 10-yard scoring pass to Ricky Jeune, who was left uncovered in the end zone late in the first half.
MICHEL MOVES UP
Michel has 3,314 yards rushing to pass Garrison Hearst for third place on Georgia’s career list. Michel trails only Herschel Walker (5,259) and Chubb (4,522).
MILESTONE FOR MARSHALL
Marshall ran for 72 yards set a new school single-season school record for yards rushing by a quarterback with 1,146. Justin Thomas set the previous mark with 1,086 in 2014.
NO RUSHING TD
Georgia Tech was held without a rushing touchdown for the first time since its 13-7 loss to Georgia in 2015.
UP NEXT
Georgia: Will play No. 1 Alabama or No. 6 Auburn in the SEC championship game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday.
Georgia Tech: Barring a waiver, the Yellow Jackets’ season ended. Georgia Tech could receive a bowl invitation at 5-6 because of its strong 983 Academic Progress Report score, but only if there aren’t enough .500 teams to fill all the slots.
Postgame Notes
Team
- Georgia Tech fell to 5-6 overall.
- Georgia Tech fell to 2-2 over the last four seasons, 26-36-4 in Atlanta and 41-66-5 overall in 112 all-time meetings against Georgia.
- The loss was Georgia Tech’s first at Bobby Dodd Stadium since a 35-21 loss to Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 1, 2016, snapping an eight-game home winning streak. The eight-game home winning streak was the Yellow Jackets’ longest since they also won eight in a row at Bobby Dodd Stadium from Nov. 21, 1998-Sept. 2, 2000.
- Georgia Tech lost to Georgia at home for the ninth-straight time (the Yellow Jackets’ last home win in the series was a 51-48 overtime victory on Nov. 27, 1999).
- The 31-point margin of victory was the largest for either team in the series since Georgia beat Georgia Tech, 42-10, in Athens on Nov. 24, 2012. Each of the last four and 10 of the last 13 meetings had been decided by seven points or less.
- Georgia Tech was held without a rushing touchdown for the first time since a 13-7 loss to Georgia on Nov. Nov. 28, 2015.
Individual
- With 72 rushing yards on the afternoon, Georgia Tech junior QB TaQuon Marshall set a new single-season school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,146 (prev.: 1,086 — Justin Thomas, 2014).
- Marshall also became the 13th student-athlete in Georgia Tech history with 1,100 rushing yards in a season, regardless of position.
- Georgia Tech senior WR Ricky Jeune caught two passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He finished the regular season with career highs for receiving yards (545 — prev.: 520, 2015) and touchdown receptions (six — prev.: four, 2015) and tied for his career high in receptions (25 — prev.: 2016).
Multimedia
Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson Postgame Press Conference (Video)
Georgia Tech Student-Athletes Postgame Press Conference (Video)
Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson Postgame Press Conference (Audio)
ACC Digital Network Highlights (Video)
