Oct. 6, 2005
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
ATLANTA (AP) – Jay Davis threw two long touchdown passes to Brian Clark, including an 80-yard go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, and Garland Heath’s interception in the end zone with 26 seconds left protected the lead as North Carolina State beat No. 24 Georgia Tech 17-14 on Thursday night.
Georgia Tech had a first-and-goal at the 2 with 33 seconds left. Reggie Ball fired a pass in the end zone that hit the hands of receiver Calvin Johnson who was in the air as he was hit by Marcus Hudson. Heath grabbed the ball and got two feet down before going out the back of the end zone.
Johnson set a career high with 10 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to keep North Carolina State (2-2, 1-2) from snapping a six-game losing streak in Atlantic Coast Conference games and a four-game losing streak against the Yellow Jackets (3-2, 1-2). The Wolfpack won in Atlanta for the first time since 1988.
Clark, who had only three catches this season because of an ankle injury, had four receptions for 148 yards and the two touchdowns.
Georgia Tech’s Travis Bell missed a 27-yard field goal attempt early in the game and then was wide right again from 24 yards in the fourth quarter – the two shortest misses of his career. Bell has missed five straight field goal attempts over three games after missing only two attempts as a freshman in 2004.
One play after Bell’s second miss, Davis threw over the Tech defense to Clark, who outran the secondary for the 80-yard touchdown play and a 17-14 lead with 7:39 to play.
Davis passed for 230 yards.
Ball passed for 279 yards and rushed for 88, but threw two interceptions.
Johnson’s 10th catch, on a fourth-down play, moved Tech to the N.C. State 44 with about one minute left. A 14-yard pass from Ball to P.J. Daniels pushed the Yellow Jackets to the 17. On first down, Ball ran 15 yards to the 2.
Ball completed only six of 25 passes in the first half as Tech trailed 10-0. Ball gained momentum on a 97-yard touchdown drive on his first possession of the second half and Kenny Scott’s interception set up the Yellow Jackets’ go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Daniels scored on a 12-yard run, charging through safety J.J. Jones’ tackle attempt to give Tech a 14-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The only touchdown of the first half came on a trick play – a 40-yard flea-flicker.
A 20-yard pass from Davis to Clark set up a first down at Tech’s 40. From there, Davis handed off to Toney Baker, who flipped the ball back to Davis, who passed to Clark for the touchdown.
John Deraney’s 36-yard field goal in the second quarter made it 10-0.
Tech’s first touchdown came on a 27-yard scoring pass from Ball to Johnson.
