Jan. 3, 2004
Recap?|? Box Score?|? Photo Gallery
NOTING GEORGIA TECH . . .
Georgia Tech played in its school-record seventh straight bowlgame. Tech is one of only 11 schools in the nation that has playedin a bowl game each of the last seven years. The others are FloridaState, Florida, Georgia, Kansas State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon,Purdue, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Tech recorded its seventhstraight winning season, finishing the season with a 7-6 record.This is the second-longest string of winning seasons in schoolhistory; Tech had 15 in a row from 1908-1922 under John Heisman andWilliam Alexander. Georgia Tech improved its bowl record to 21-11for a winning percentage of .656. That is currently the bestwinning percentage in the nation among all schools with at least 15bowl appearances. If Oklahoma wins the Sugar Bowl, Tech will besecond to the Sooners, who enter tomorrow’s game at 23-12-1 (.653).Georgia Tech’s 52 points are the most the Yellow Jackets have everscored in a bowl game; the previous high was 45 versus Nebraska inthe Florida Citrus Bowl. Fifty-two points are the most the Jacketshave scored in any game since defeating Navy, 70-7, on Sept. 8,2001. Tech scored 42 second-half points, which matches the mostpoints scored in a half in the modern era. The Jackets also scored42 points in a half in the aforementioned Navy game. HumanitarianBowl MVP P.J. Daniels rushed for 307 yards, the second-highestsingle-game total in school history. Earlier this season, Danielsgained 240 against North Carolina, which was then the second-bestgame by a Yellow Jacket. The Tech record is 356 yards by Eddie LeeIvery at Air Force in 1978, a game that was played in the snow andice at Colorado Springs. Ivery’s game stood as the NCAA recorduntil 1984. Daniels’ effort is the third-best rushing total in ACChistory. Better games were by Jon Leach of Wake Forest, 329 yardsvs. Maryland, 1993; and Derrick Fenner of North Carolina, 328 yardsvs. Virginia, 1986. Tech was not a member of the ACC when Iveryachieved his feat. Daniels’ total of 307 yards is the best rushingperformance in NCAA history in a bowl game. The previous bowlrecord was 280 yards by James Gray of Texas Tech vs. Duke in the1989 All-American Bowl. Tech’s previous bowl high was 199 yards byEddie Prokop, ironically against Tulsa in the 1944 Sugar Bowl.Daniels tied the Tech record with four touchdowns, achieved mostrecently by Tony Hollings last year against Connecticut. Daniels’ 61-yardrun in the third quarter was the longest of his career and Tech’slongest run of the season Daniels raised his season total to 1,447yards, the second-best season in school history. Only Eddie LeeIvery gained more in a season with 1,562 yards in 1978. Danielsvaulted from 20th to 12th place on Tech’s career rushing list with1,702 yards. Backup quarterback A.J. Suggs played for just the second time this season. He sawhis first action against Georgia in Tech’s final regular seasongame. The Jackets used four quarterbacks against Tulsa: Reggie Ball, A.J. Suggs, Brian Camp (a fifth-year senior who threw the first pass of hiscareer) and Robby Brown Georgia Tech played every player on the travelroster except those who were injured or are redshirting thisseason, including four seniors who played for the first time intheir careers, Garren Findlay (a Utah native who had about 150 friends andfamily in attendance), Joseph Rearden, Christian Schroeder and Jonathan Rowe. Center Hugh Reilly was the only starter to play every snap; he hasplayed every offensive snap this season, a total of 888 plays. TheTech defense set a school record by holding Tulsa to -56 yardsrushing. The previous low for a Tech opponent was -30 yards byMaryland in 1995. Most of the negative yardage came on Tech’s sevenquarterback sacks, a school record for bowl games. Tech held Tulsato 20 yards of total offense in the first half. Earlier thisseason, the Jackets limited Florida State to 26 yards in the firsthalf. Tech scored seven touchdowns, all on the ground, matching theschool record for rushing touchdowns. The Jackets previously scoredseven rushing touchdowns vs. Wake Forest in 1983. The Tech defenselimited Tulsa to just 144 yards of total offense (200 passing, -56rushing), the best performance by the Jackets since 1988, when Techallowed just 84 yards against UT-Chattanooga. The last time Techheld an opponent under 200 yards was Wake Forest in 1991 (149yards).
