Jackets Leap Over Louisville Under the Lights, 46-27Jackets Leap Over Louisville Under the Lights, 46-27
Football

Jackets Leap Over Louisville Under the Lights, 46-27

Georgia Tech outscores Cardinals 32-6 in the second half of primetime triumph

Box Score

Final Stats (.pdf) | Final Stats (.html) | Postgame Notes | Multimedia | Photo Gallery

THE FLATS — True freshman quarterback Jeff Sims amassed 313 yards of total offense while throwing for a career-high two touchdowns and rushing for one more, as Georgia Tech came back from two scores down to defeat Louisville, 46-27, under the lights at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Friday night.

After falling behind 21-7 in the second quarter, Georgia Tech outscored Louisville 39-6 the rest of the way, while outgaining the Cardinals by a 262-182 margin in the second half. The Jackets also tightened things up on defense, recovering three Louisville fumbles, the last of which led to the go-ahead touchdown. Six different players scored for the Jackets, led by freshman running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who ran for one touchdown and caught another while finishing with 121 yards from scrimmage.

Georgia Tech struck early in the first quarter after junior defensive back Charlie Thomas forced a fumble that was recovered by junior linebacker Quez Jackson. The Jackets were able to capitalize on the ensuing drive, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by Gibbs, to go up 7-0. The Cardinals went on to score the next 21 points before late in the second quarter when Sims flipped the ball to sophomore wideout Ahmarean Brown who found redshirt senior wide receiver Jalen Camp wide open in the end zone to cut the Cardinals’ lead to seven.

Tech carried that momentum into the second half, scoring on its first drive on a 3-yard run by sophomore running back Jamious Griffin. Louisville blocked the extra point to make it 21-20. The Cardinals would re-take the lead though when Malik Cunningham rushed for his second touchdown of the night.

But it would be all Jackets from there, as Georgia Tech outscored the Cardinals 20-0 in the fourth quarter.  After redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Domineck was able to force and recover a fumble giving the ball back to Tech with 11:36 left in the game, Sims found Gibbs for a 19-yard touchdown to re-take the lead, and sealed the deal on a dime to junior wideout Malachi Carter for 34 yards and a score. Redshirt sophomore running back Dontae Smith put on the finishing touch on a 12-yard touchdown run with under a minute to play as Georgia Tech evened its record at 2-2 in thrilling come-from-behind fashion.

Georgia Tech returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 17 when it hosts Clemson at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. for the nationally televised contest on ABC or ACC Network.

DSK_3503-1-e1602306201542
Jeff Sims totaled 313 yards of offense (249 passing, 64 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in Friday’s win.

 

Team

  • Georgia Tech evened its record at 2-2 overall and upped its record in ACC play to 2-1.
  • Georgia Tech moved to 2-0 all-time versus Louisville.
  • Georgia Tech moved to 8-4 all-time in regular-season games played on Fridays, including a perfect 4-0 record in Friday games played at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Previous Friday wins at Bobby Dodd Stadium included a 59-0 win over Presbyterian on Sept. 24, 1937, a 13-7 win over Georgia Navy PF on Oct. 27, 1944 and a 17-3 win over Florida State on Sept. 26, 1958.
  • The win was Georgia Tech’s 14th in its last 15 games against rotating opponents from the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
  • Georgia Tech’s 46 points were a season high (prev.: 21 vs. UCF, Sept. 19).
  • Georgia Tech’s 46 points were its most in 16 games under head coach Geoff Collins (prev.: 28, three times in 2019).
  • With 450 yards of total offense, Georgia Tech has eclipsed the 400-yard plateau in each of its first four games of the season. The Yellow Jackets have surpassed 400 yards of total offense in four-consecutive games for the first time since 2014, have done so in the first four games of the season for the first time since 2011 and have achieved the feat in the first four games of the season when facing all NCAA Division I-A/FBS opponents for the first time since 1999.
  • After committing five turnovers in each of its last two games (vs. UCF on Sept. 19 and at Syracuse on Sept. 26) and 12 over its first three games of the season, Georgia Tech did not commit a turnover in Friday’s game.
  • Georgia Tech forced a season-high-tying three turnovers (prev.: three at Florida State, Sept. 12).
  • Three different Yellow Jackets (Jalen Camp, Jahmyr Gibbs and Malachi Carter) caught touchdown passes in the same game for the first time since Sept. 12, 2015 (TaQuon Marshall, Qua Searcy and Michael Summers).

 

Individual Notes

  • True Fr. RB Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns (12-yard run in the first quarter, 19-yard reception in the fourth quarter), giving him five touchdowns in the first three games of his collegiate career.
  • Gibbs finished with 121 yards from scrimmage (60 receiving, 61 rushing), marking the third time in three career games that he has surpassed 100 yards from scrimmage.
  • True Fr. QB Jeff Sims two touchdown passes were a career high (prev.: 1 – three times).
  • WR Ahmarean Brown’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Sr. WR Jalen Camp was the first touchdown pass of Brown’s career, the first touchdown pass by a Georgia Tech non-quarterback since P Pressley Harvin III’s 41-yarder at Miami (Fla.) on Oct. 19, 2019, the first touchdown pass by a Georgia Tech non-QB skill position player since RB Tashard Choice (now GT’s running backs coach) 17-yarder vs. North Carolina on Nov. 17, 2007 and the first touchdown pass by a Georgia Tech wide receiver since Jonathan Smith’s 26-yarder vs. UNC on Nov. 15, 2003.
  • RB Bruce Jordan-Swilling forced and recovered Louisville’s fumble on a kickoff return midway through the third quarter, which ultimately led to Georgia Tech touchdown, putting the Jackets up by five. The forced fumble and fumble recovery were both the second of Jordan-Swilling’s career, and his first in each category since his freshman season in 2017, when he played linebacker for the Yellow Jackets.
  • LB Quez Jackson matched a career high with nine tackles (prev. 9 – four times, last vs. UCF, Sept. 19). Jackson led the Yellow Jackets in tackles for the third time in four games this season.
  • Jackson also had a fumble recovery, the first of his career.
  • WR Malachi Carter finished with a career-high 89 receiving yards (prev.: 74 vs. NC State, Nov. 21, 2019).
DSK_4408-e1602305663816
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a touchdown, caught another and amassed 121 yards from scrimmage in Tech’s victory over Louisville.

 

Multimedia

Highlights – ACC Digital Network

 

Jeff Sims Highlights – ACC Digital Network

Ahmarean Brown Finds Jalen Camp for Touchdown – ACC Digital Network 

Condensed Game – ACC Digital Network

Highlights – Georgia Tech Sports Network

Jahmyr Gibbs Touchdown Reception – Georgia Tech Sports Network

Jeff Sims Touchdown Run – Georgia Tech Sports Network

Jahmyr Gibbs Touchdown Run – Georgia Tech Sports Network

Postgame Press Conference – Head Coach Geoff Collins

Postgame Press Conference – Georgia Tech Student-Athletes

Around Social Media