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THE FLATS – Freshman quarterback Jeff Sims threw for three touchdowns and ran for 108 yards Saturday night for Georgia Tech, which scored its most points in a game under head coach Geoff Collins and amassed 377 yards on the ground in a 56-33 Atlantic Coast Conference football victory over Duke under the lights at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
In the 88th renewal of the longest continuous rivalry on Tech’s schedule, the Yellow Jackets took command in the third quarter and improved to 3-5 overall this season, 3-4 in the ACC. With three games still to play, the Jackets surpassed their ACC win total (2) and matched their overall victories (3) from a season ago.
Sims completed 13 of 23 passes for 146 yards for the Yellow Jackets, hitting Malachi Carter for 12 yards in the first quarter and connecting with Jalen Camp and Adonicas Sanders, each for 24 yards in the third period. Meanwhile, running back Jordan Mason posted the fourth 100-yard game of his career, getting 105 yards on 21 carries, and freshman Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 91 yards and two TDs in less than two quarters of play.
Leading 28-26 at intermission, Tech began to pull away in the third quarter of what had been a back-and-forth affair, capitalizing on Tariq Carpenter’s interception on Duke’s opening possession. Carpenter’s 43-yard return set up the Yellow Jackets at the Duke 24, where Sims hit Camp for a touchdown on the first play for a 35-26 lead.
The Blue Devils fumbled the ball away on each of their next two possessions, but eventually answered with a 28-yard pass from Chase Brice to Jalon Calhoun with 2:15 left on the third quarter clock, closing within 35-33.
That was as close as Duke would get, however, as Tech scored on its next three possessions and blanked the Blue Devils the rest of the way. The Jackets first moved 65 yards on four plays, covering the final 24 on Sims’ pass to Sanders for a 42-33 lead with 33 seconds left in the period. Dontae Smith’s 36-yard burst up the middle capped a six-play, 64-yard drive on Tech’s next possession to give the Jackets a 49-33 lead with 10:13 left on the fourth-quarter clock. The Jackets tacked on a third score when Smith went 22 yards down the right sideline, capping a 50-yard drive for a 56-33 lead at the 4:42 mark.
Tech ran for almost as many yards as Duke totaled (382), and rolled up 523 yards in total offense for the game, averaging 7.4 yards per play. The Jackets forced five turnovers.
The Jackets return to action next Saturday with a road game at NC State, who defeated Syracuse, 36-29, Saturday on the road. Kickoff time and television will be announced Sunday.
Jordan Domineck’s strip sack and fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter gave Georgia Tech the lead for good. (Photo: Danny Karnik)
Team Notes
- Georgia Tech moved to 3-5 overall on the season and 3-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
- Georgia Tech surpassed its ACC win total from a season ago (2).
- Georgia Tech matched its overall win total from a season ago (3) with three games still left to play.
- Georgia Tech moved to 3-0 in night games at Bobby Dodd Stadium under head coach Geoff Collins.
- Georgia Tech won its eighth-consecutive Saturday night home game. The Yellow Jackets haven’t lost a Saturday night game at Bobby Dodd Stadium since a 30-24 loss to Georgia on Nov. 28, 2009.
- The win was also Georgia Tech’s eighth-straight in Saturday night home games against ACC opponents. The Yellow Jackets haven’t lost a Saturday night game at Bobby Dodd Stadium to an ACC opponent since a 24-10 loss to Boston College on Sept. 15, 2007.
- Georgia Tech’s 56 points, 523 total yards and 377 rushing yards were its most in a game under Collins (prev.: 46 points vs. Louisville, Oct. 9, 471 total yards vs. UCF, Sept. 19 and 275 rushing yards at Syracuse, Sept. 26).
- Georgia Tech’s 56 points were its most in a game since it scored 66 in a 66-31 win over Louisville on October 5, 2018.
- Georgia Tech’s 523 yards of offense were its most in a game since it had 565 in a 38-28 win at North Carolina on Nov. 3, 2018.
- Georgia Tech’s 377 rushing yards were its most in a game since it had 461 in the 2018 win at UNC.
- Georgia Tech had three players with at least 90 rushing yards – Jr. RB Jordan Mason (105), true Fr. QB Jeff Sims (108) and true Fr. RB Jahmyr Gibbs (91).
- Georgia Tech forced a season-high five turnovers (prev.: 3 at Florida State, Sept. 12 and 3 vs. Louisville, Oct. 9).
- Georgia Tech’s five takeaways were its most in a game since it forced six in a 56-28 win over Pitt on Oct. 25, 2014.
- Georgia Tech’s five takeaways included four fumble recoveries, also its most since the 2014 win over Pitt (6). The Yellow Jackets entered the game ranked eighth nationally with eight fumble recoveries.
- Georgia Tech scored 21 points off Duke’s five turnovers.
- Georgia Tech scored a defensive touchdown for the second-straight game on So. DL Jordan Domineck’s strip sack and fumble recovery in the end zone in the second quarter. In Georgia Tech’s previous game, So. DB Zamari Walton returned a fumble 93 yards for a touchdown vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 31).
- Georgia Tech’s 4 sacks were a season high (prev.: 3 vs. Florida State, Sept. 12 and 3 vs. Louisville, Oct. 9).
- Georgia Tech snapped a three-game losing streak against Duke and beat the Blue Devils for only the second time in the last seven meetings between the two teams.
- Georgia Tech’s 56 points were its most ever against Duke (previous 49, twice)
Individual Notes
- Georgia Tech Jr. RB Jordan Mason rushed for 105 yards on 21 carries (5.0 avg.), good his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season and fourth of his career. It was his first 100-yard game since he ran for 141 yards in a 28-26 win over NC State on Nov. 21, 2019.
- Georgia Tech true Fr. QB Jeff Sims’ 3 touchdown passes were a career high (prev.: 2 vs. Louisville, Oct. 9).
- Sims’ 108 rushing yards were also a career high (prev.: 82 vs. UCF, Sept. 19).
- Georgia Tech true Fr. RB Jahmyr Gibbs had the longest rush (61 yds. – prev: 33 vs. UCF, Sept. 19) and the longest reception (42 yds. – prev. 41 vs. Louisville, Oct. 9) of his career.
- Gibbs amassed 139 yards from scrimmage (91 rushing, 48 receiving) on just 10 touches (six carries, four receptions) before leaving the game in the second quarter due to injury.
- Gibbs scored two rushing touchdowns – 61 and 26 yards. He is tied for the team lead in both rushing touchdowns (4) and receiving touchdowns (3). His seven total touchdowns lead the team.
- Georgia Tech Jr. WR Malachi Carter (12 yds. in the first quarter) and Sr. WR Jalen Camp (24 yds. in the third quarter) both hauled in their third touchdown receptions of the season, pulling them into a tie for the team lead with Gibbs.
- Georgia Tech Jr. WR Adonicas Sanders’ 24-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the first touchdown of his career.
- Georgia Tech R-So. RB Dontae Smith’s two touchdowns were a career high.
- Georgia Tech So. DL Jordan Domineck scored his first-career touchdown on a strip sack/fumble recovery in the end zone in the second quarter.
- Domineck’s forced fumble on the play was his team-high-tying third of the season. He entered the game ranked fourth in the ACC with .29 fumble recoveries per game.
- Domineck’s 2 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss were both career highs (prev.: one sack, three times and two tackles for loss at Syracuse, Sept. 26).
- DB Tariq Carpenter’s interception in the third quarter was his first of the season and fourth of his career.
- LB David Curry’s forced fumble that was recovered by Jr. DB Tre Swilling in the third quarter was Curry’s second forced fumble of the season and fourth of his career and Swilling’s second fumble recovery of the season and third of his career.
- Georgia Tech Sr. DL Antwan Owens’ fumble recovery in the third quarter was his first of the season and second of his career.
Jordan Mason recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of the season with 105 yards in Saturday’s win over Duke (Photo: Danny Karnik)
Multimedia
Coach Collins Postgame Press Conference
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference (Jordan Domineck, Zach Quinney, Jeff Sims, Tariq Carpenter)
ACC Digital Network Highlights (Video)
Georgia Tech Sports Network from Learfield IMG College Highlights (Audio)
Fox Sports South on Twitter
Another one from @Jahmyr_Gibbs1 to give @GeorgiaTechFB the lead in the 2nd quarter. pic.twitter.com/W8xUP5sC2f
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 29, 2020
𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 @GeorgiaTechFB ❗ pic.twitter.com/zAf6zICvau
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 29, 2020
𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 ➡️𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒆@DukeFOOTBALL // @GeorgiaTechFB pic.twitter.com/NX1bBE9OYj
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 29, 2020
When you're up with 14 seconds left. @GeorgiaTechFB pic.twitter.com/s2p2iG4jY5
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 29, 2020
"We've been out for 28 days and these guys just came out and played a really good game"
-Geoff Collins, @georgiatechfb pic.twitter.com/KcNFuHRFFZ
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 29, 2020
