Oct. 29, 2004
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery
Virginia Tech 34, Georgia Tech 20
Post Game Quotes
Georgia Tech Head Coach Chan Gailey
On how the fourth quarter unfolded
“We obviously didn’t get the job done on either side of the ball in that situation. We need to move the ball a little bit better, and after that one drive we gave up three-straight big plays: the quarterback draw and a pass and then a real long pass. We had it there and we let it get away.
On Reggie
“I would like to watch the film. I don’t know exactly, but I know that he got a little banged up at times. He did some good things early but then later on he just kind of needed to throw the ball away a couple of times and he didn’t do it. That’s something that he hasn’t learned at this point.
On the points given up in the fourth quarter:
“It hurts to let one get away like this where we thought that we were in pretty good shape going into the fourth quarter. We gave up some big plays and just couldn’t sustain anything offensively, and that just hurt us tremendously.”
On losing PJ Daniels hurting the team.
“It did a little bit. I was trying to do some different things to move the football, and I felt like I had to. Had I known that Chris Woods was going to run like he did on that one drive in the fourth quarter we would have obviously done that earlier, but we were trying to do some different things to move the football and put the ball in Reggie’s hands and some of the other guys’ hands to get the ball down the field. There was just nothing consistent that happened there until that one drive.”
On holding Tech to the field goal and then answering with one of our own
“We drove right down the field and had it first-and-five at the five and then got maybe a yard and then took the sack and that really through us out of there. I didn’t feel comfortable taking a shot right there because if you throw an interception, you get no points and I wanted to make sure that we got it back to eight points because I felt good about that. Our defense was playing good and I thought that we would hold them and at worse we would end up in a tie, or maybe drive down one more time to kick a field goal or go to overtime and win the game. We just gave up too many big plays there at the end.”
On the 80-yard touchdown looking like blown coverage
“We didn’t jam the guys off the line like we should have and they got downfield. When you don’t get pressure that way then all of a sudden you have time to make the throw.”
On it being the most physical game of the season thusfar.
“We knew it would be going in. We knew they were physical and we knew that we were physical and we knew that it would be that kind of game. We had a big opportunity to win this game at home on a Thursday night and we didn’t take advantage of that opportunity. This will be one of those gut-check situations this week getting ready to go up to NC State. We went up there two years ago and played well, and we have to get ready and go do that again.”
Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer
“This is a great win. Georgia Tech is a good program, we just got some great plays down the stretch. It’s kind of like it was meant to be, and for a long time it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. We had the safety, and they kick off to us at about the 20, and you think you’re going to get great field position. Then we had first-and-goal at the one and didn’t get it in.
“This is one of those wins that is great for your football program, and I hope we build on it. The way we did it, the way we hung in there, we never gave up. Some big-time players made some big-time plays. A couple of those kids were freshmen, and that gives you a lot of hope for the future. I’m really proud of the way we hung in there and beat a good football team. When you come in here and beat Georgia Tech, we feel real fortunate and proud.
“Things were going wrong. We’re turning the ball over, and then everytime we’re about ready … like the kickoff after the safety. It looked like every time things were turning around for us, we did something else. To come back after that, boy, it took some big-time players. Eddie Royal, what a play that was. Josh Morgan, what a play that was. Bryan Randall, him making some really great plays there at the end. You know, Roland Minor. I guess there are three freshman I just named there.
[On making Tech settle for a field goal after the two long runs by Chris Woods changing the complexion of the game]
“Absolutely. And Adibi came up with some other big plays there at the end. There’s another freshman. He’s got the speed to run ` em down.
[On Bryan Randall directing the fourth-quarter comeback]
“Classic example tonight, and also a big, big heart. He had a couple plays early that you wouldn’t want to talk about. But when he gets into nitty-gritty time, and I said this a couple times this year, you can always count on Bryan Randall. That football team knows they can count on Bryan Randall, too.
“For a football team to hang in there with the way things went tonight, it really says a lot. It says a lot about the leadership on our football team, and closeness, and we’re probably a little bit lucky, too. I think we’re fairly good, and a little bit lucky.
[On not making the fourth-and-one plays]
“Both of them were sweep plays. We haven’t run that play a lot this year, and maybe we just need to work on it some more. It looked like they had a lot of people there, too. We haven’t run that play very much; we’re more of an off-tackle team. It looked like to me they had it defensed pretty well. I really think we need to go back inside than to keep stretching it out.
[One of your more gratifying wins?]
“The way it came about certainly makes you awfully proud. It makes you proud to be a part of this football team the way they hung in there and won this one. I feel for Georgia Tech, I tell you that. It’s a tough loss for them. They played great, and it’s a good football team. I’m proud of our guys.
[After the field goal to make it 20-12]
“I thought we still has a chance. Eddie Royal was wide open, and then the talent took over. We got the ball in the end zone, and then Bryan made a great play when we went for two. They had that thing fairly well defensed. Richard (Johnson) kept running. It was just some great plays by some great players there at the end.
Georgia Tech Player Quotes
On the game
“We had a two minute lull. A ballgame always comes down to big plays, we made two of them and they made three. I’m proud of the guys, we fought hard, and the outcome just didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”
On the defense in the 4th quarter
“We did have some mental errors, people weren’t in the right position, but I take my hat off to them because they were able to capitalize on our mistakes and they won the ballgame.”
On the loss
“This doesn’t feel good. This was a big loss for us. But we’re already looking ahead, we have NC State next week and we’re going to learn from our mistakes and get ready to face them.”
On the 4th quarter blown coverages
“We were in a cover 2, I saw a guy coming out of the flat, then the tight end went vertical so we had to cover him and it left number four [Eddie Royal] wide open and he made the catch and scored the touchdown.”
On throwing to his side a lot
“I expected them to throw to my side of the field tonight. The past couple of games I haven’t been tested that much, so we knew that they were going to focus on that side. We had a fourth quarter breakdown and they scored 22 points in the last five minutes of the game.”
On the fourth quarter
“It’s hard to say, I guess we didn’t concentrate when it counted.”
On the momentum of the game
“The whole game was filled with momentum shifts. One time it was going Georgia Tech’s way, then it switched to Virginia Tech and then back to Georgia Tech. So I don’t think the safety was the defining moment.”
On Virginia Tech’s go ahead touchdown
“I anticipated a play that I thought they were going to run based on film, but when you anticipate the wrong play, you now what happens.”
On the offense after P.J. Daniels left the game
“I think Chris Woods held it down for us out there. You hate to settle for three points when you have a running back bust his butt to get you down there, but we had to settle for three. We did struggle a little bit, but it was everywhere.”
On coming close to defeating another ranked team
“It’s tough. We had it in the palm of our hands … we just didn’t finish it. We have to carry over the positives to NC State next week and just keep fighting.”
