2014 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL
POSTGAME NOTES [GAME 14 – #ORANGEBOWL]
#12 GEORGIA TECH (11-3) 49, #7 MISSISSIPPI STATE (10-3) 34
DECEMBER 31, 2014 • MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. • SUN LIFE STADIUM
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
• Georgia Tech captains: senior LB Quayshawn Nealy, senior RG Shaquille Mason, and sophomore QB Justin Thomas
• This is Georgia Tech’s seventh Orange Bowl appearances and first since 2010.
• Georgia Tech is 2-4 in New Year’s Eve bowl games.
• Paul Johnson is 2-5 as GT head coach in bowl games.
• Georgia Tech is 10-7 in Florida bowl games – Orange Bowl (4-3), Gator Bowl (3-4), Carquest/Champs Sports Bowl (2-0), Florida Citrus Bowl (1-0).
• 2014 Orange Bowl is the program’s 43rd bowl appearance.
• Georgia Tech is 24-19 all-time in bowl games. 2014 Orange Bowl is the program’s 43rd bowl appearance.
• Georgia Tech leads the series 5-0.
• Georgia Tech is 33-32 all-time record in pro venues, including a 56-28 win this season at Pitt’s Heinz Field.
• Georgia Tech reached the 11-win mark for only the fifth time in school history – 1951 (11-0-1), 1952 (12-0), 1990 (11-0-1), and 2009 (11-3).
• Georgia Tech’s 49 points are the most in a bowl game by the Jackets since scoring 51 in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl (a 51-14 win over Syracuse).
TEAM NOTES
• Georgia Tech has played 225 consecutive games without being shut out – the second-longest active streak in the ACC. The Jackets haven’t been shut out since Oct. 18, 1997 at Florida State.
• With the win, Georgia Tech defeated a former No. 1 team in a bowl game for the second time and three years (USC in 2012 Sun Bowl).
• Georgia Tech is playing a Top 25 team for the fourth consecutive game for the first time since 1959 (SMU, Clemson, Tennessee, Auburn).
• Georgia Tech opened the second half with a TD for the 10th time in 14 games this season. Tech has scored a TD on its first drive of the second half in seven of its last eight games.
• Georgia Tech has rushed for 300+ yards in 48 of 94 games. The Yellow Jackets are 38-10 when rushing for 300+ yards, including a 13-3 mark in the last 16 games. Johnson is 73-19 at the FBS level when his teams rush for 300+ yards.
• Georgia Tech has now rushed for 200 or more yards in 14 consecutive games – the longest active streak among FBS schools.
• Georgia Tech is 11-13 vs. Top 25 teams under head coach Paul Johnson.
• Georgia Tech is playing a Top 25 team for the fourth consecutive game for the first time since 1959 (SMU, Clemson, Tennessee, Auburn).
• Tech has now forced a turnover in 11 of 14 games this season. Georgia Tech is 10-1 this season when forcing a turnover this season.
• Georgia Tech is 4-7 vs. current SEC teams in bowl games. The win snapped the Jackets’ seven-game bowl losing streak to the SEC. Prior to tonight, the Jackets’ last win over an SEC team in a bowl game was the 1956 Cotton Bowl (W, 14-6 over Arkansas).
• Georgia Tech set the school single-season rushing mark. The previous mark was 4,357 set during the 2012 season.
• Georgia Tech set the school single-season total offense mark. The previous mark was 6,175 in 2012.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Sophomore QB Justin Thomas became the second QB in Georgia Tech history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. He surpassed Josh Nesbitt’s mark of 1,037 to set the Tech record for single-season rushing yards by a QB in school history.
• Thomas’ 18 TD passes are now tied for fourth on Tech’s single-season list with George Godsey (2001).
• Senior WR Darren Waller posted his career-first 100-yard receiving game. He set career-highs for receiving yards and receptions.
• Senior B-Back Synjyn Days‘ 69-yard third-quarter run was the longest by a Georgia Tech B-Back since Jon Dwyer (69-yard TD run) vs. Florida State in 2009.
• Days posted his fourth career 100-yard rushing game – all this season. Three of Days’ four 100-yard games have come away from home this season.
• Senior B-Back Zach Laskey became the 14th player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career.
