Oct. 8, 2011
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ATLANTA (AP) – – Tevin Washington ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Georgia Tech’s least impressive offensive showing of the season was enough to beat Maryland 21-16 on Saturday.
Georgia Tech led 21-3 before holding off the Terrapins’ fourth-quarter comeback.
Georgia Tech (6-0 overall, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) matched its wins total from 2010, when it finished 6-7. The Yellow Jackets averaged almost 52 points in their first five wins and began the day ranked first in the nation in rushing and second in scoring.
Quarterback C.J. Brown, who replaced starter Danny O’Brien, had a 77-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter for Maryland (2-3, 1-1). Davin Meggett, who had 86 yards rushing, scored from the 1 with 7:33 remaining to cut the lead to 21-16.
But Maryland was stopped on a fourth-and-8 play from its 46 on Brown’s incomplete pass with 2:31 remaining, ending its comeback bid.
Brown was 4-of-17 passing for 36 yards and an interception. He had nine carries for 124 yards.
O’Brien was replaced after completing only 1 of 6 passes for 17 yards and an interception.
Washington had scoring runs of 7 yards in the first quarter and 3 yards in the third. Orwin Smith had a 10-yard scoring run in the second quarter.
Maryland’s only points in the first three quarters were Nick Ferrara’s 30-yard field goal at the end of a 14-play drive on the Terrapins’ first possession.
Washington was Georgia Tech’s leading rusher, but he struggled as a passer as he completed only 6 of 19 passes for 114 yards and an interception.
Maryland is left with a possible quarterback controversy. Coach Randy Edsall pulled O’Brien after the sophomore’s second-quarter interception, his sixth of the year.
Brown took over and remained in the game after he was picked off by Rod Sweeting in the end zone in the third quarter.
Georgia Tech led 14-3 at halftime but wasted two second-quarter chances to stretch the lead.
Linebacker Quayshawn Nealy, making only his second career start, intercepted a pass from O’Brien to give the Yellow Jackets the ball at Maryland’s 28. A false-start penalty helped stall the drive after one first down, and Justin Moore was wide left on a 34-yard field goal attempt.
Maryland turned to Brown on its next possession.
Maryland left guard Andrew Gonnella was taken off the field in an ambulance after suffering an apparent left leg injury in the fourth quarter.
With most Maryland players standing or kneeling on the field, the game was delayed for about 15 minutes as medical personnel from each team worked in a circle around Gonnella. A cart was first driven on the field but then left as the ambulance followed.
