THE FLATS – In recognition of its 28-23 win over No. 4-ranked and previously unbeaten Miami (Fla.), Georgia Tech has been named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America, the FWAA announced on Monday.
The award comes on the heels of Georgia Tech holding the nation’s top-ranked offense to season lows for points, yards (436), third-down conversion percentage (.300) and time of possession (25:11). Miami entered the game averaging 47.4 points, 556.9 yards and .588 on third-down conversions, which were all good for tops nationally. The Hurricanes’ 34:02 average time of possession ranked third nationally.
Offensively, the Yellow Jackets’ bullied the Hurricanes to the tune of 271 rushing yards, 9-of-14 third-down conversions (.643) and a whopping 34:49 of possession time. Tech’s 271 rushing yards were nearly triple the 95.2 yards per game that Miami had allowed going into the game, which ranked eighth nationally.
The Jackets did it all despite being down several key players, including starting cornerback Warren Burrell, who did not see action, and top running backs Jamal Haynes and Chad Alexander, who both left the game due to injury. Haynes, in particular, had 83 yards and a touchdown on just three carries before leaving the game on the first play of Tech’s second possession of the game.
Making his first start after missing the previous two games due to injury, quarterback Haynes King ran for 93 yards on a career-high 20 carries, completed all six of his passes, and accounted for two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing). King split time behind center with true freshman Aaron Philo, who completed five passes for 67 yards. Philo’s highlights included a 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Chase Lane and, perhaps the biggest completion of the game, a 27-yarder to wideout Bailey Stockton on third-and-18 that led to a 5-yard touchdown run by King three plays later, stretching the Jackets’ advantage to 28-16 early in the fourth quarter.
Game Highlights (ACC Digital Network)
With the victory, Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3 ACC) clinched bowl-eligibility for the second-straight season and assured a .500-or-better finish in Atlantic Coast Conference play for the third year in a row. The Yellow Jackets moved to 6-1 against nationally ranked ACC opponents under head coach Brent Key with their first win over a top-five team since 2009.
The Cheez-It National Team of the Week Award marks the fourth time that the FWAA has chosen Georgia Tech as its Team of the Week since the award originated in 2002. The Yellow Jackets had most recently earned the honor in 2015, when they defeated No. 9 Florida State, 22-16, in the “Miracle on Techwood Drive” game.
In addition to being named National Team of the Week, three Yellow Jackets also earned individual awards on Monday, as King was named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s weekly Great 8 list, right tackle Jordan Williams was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week and Key was named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week for the second time this season.
Tech, which is 4-0 at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field this season, closes the home portion of its schedule on Thursday, Nov. 21 when it hosts NC State for a nationally televised ACC duel. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be shown nationally on ESPN. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online by clicking HERE.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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