Dec. 21, 2004
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery
Georgia Tech finishes its 2004 season with a record of 7-5,marking the Jackets’ eighth consecutive winning season, and eighthconsecutive season of seven or more wins. The victory is Tech’ssecond bowl victory in calendar year 2004 (1/3 vs. Tulsa), andTech’s eighth in its last 11 bowl appearances. The Jackets hold thenation’s best bowl record amongst schools with 20 or more bowlappearances, improving to 22-11 in their history. Tech’s 51 pointsare the most scored by Tech in a game this season. The Jacketsscored 52 in a 52-10 win over Tulsa in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowlon January 3rd in Boise, Idaho. Tech compiled 514 yards of totaloffense in the game, the most during the 2004 season, and the mostsince November 10, 2001 when the Jackets recorded 560 yards againstVirginia. The Jackets recorded 286 rushing yards and 228 throughthe air, marking the second time this season Tech has posted 200+yards rushing and passing in the same game. Tech’s 286 rushingyards is a season-high. Coupled with a 45-point outburst againstNebraska in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl, Tech has posted 96 pointsin two games in its history at the Citrus Bowl. Calvin Johnson’s two first half touchdowns (one rushing, onereceiving) are his seventh and eighth of the season, establishing anew single season school record for touchdowns by a freshman.Johnson has recorded seven touchdown receptions (also the Techfreshman record for receiving touchdowns), and eight totaltouchdowns in 2004. Reggie Ball’s 207 passing yards bring his career total to4,821, moving him into fifth place on Tech’s all-time passing list.Ball recorded his fifth 200-yard passing game of the season.Following the game, Ball was named the Most Valuable Player of the2004 Champs Sports Bowl. Darryl Richard’s sack of Syracuse quarterback Joe Fields for asafety in the fourth quarter marked the first safety recorded byGeorgia Tech since October 10, 1998 when NC State a punt snappedsailed through the back of the end zone in Tech’s 47-24 win overthe Wolfpack in Raleigh. Tech recorded five sacks in the game,bringing its season total to 38. Darryl Richard recorded two sacks in the game, while Gerris Wilkinson, Dawan Landry and Darrell Robertson each recorded one. The Jackets’ openingtouchdown on Chris Reis’s interception return at 14:19 in the first quarterwas their quickest score recorded since October 8, 1994 when TommyLuginbill connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cassidywith 14:23 remaining in the first quarter against North Carolina.Chris Reis’s 20-yard interception return for a touchdown in thefirst quarter was the first interception of his career. The returnwas the second interception returned for a touchdown in 2004(KennyScott vs. NC State, 11/6/04). Tech limited Syracuse to just 51yards on the ground, marking the seventh time in 2004 that theJackets have held an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing. Techheld its opponent to less than 100 yards rushing for the 19th timein 38 games under defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta. The leading Orange ball carrier (Steve Gregory)tallied just 16 yards. P.J. Daniels’ 119 rushing yards marked hisfourth 100-yard rushing game of the 2004 season, and 10th of hiscareer. With tonight’s effort, Daniels has moved into fifth placeon Tech’s career rushing list with 2416 yards on the ground.Including Daniels’ 307 yard rushing performance against Tulsa inlast year’s Humanitarian Bowl, he has amassed 426 yards in hispost-season career. Reggie Ball’s first quarter 80-yard touchdown pass to Nate Curry marked the longest play from scrimmage by theJackets in 2004. The pass was also Ball’s longest of his two-yearcareer. Travis Bell’s 48-yard missed field goal attempt was the longestattempt of his career. The miss snapped a streak of 15 consecutivesuccessful field goal attempts. Bell successfully converted sevenPAT attempts in the game. Xavier McGuire’s blocked punt in the second quarter was thefirst of his career, and the fourth blocked punt by the Jackets in2004 (fifth blocked kick). Tech’s 35 points in the first half arethe most in the first half of a game since scoring 42 at Navy in2001. The Jackets scored 42 second half points in theaforementioned Humanitarian Bowl against Tulsa on January 3, 2004.
