Nov. 1, 2014
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GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS (7-2, 4-2) 35, VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (4-5, 2-3) 10 NOVEMBER 1, 2014 • ATLANTA, GA. • Bobby Dodd STADIUM (46,657)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES • With the win, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson earned his 100th at the FBS level and improves his FBS record to 100-63, which includes his six seasons at Navy and his six-plus at Georgia Tech. His 161 career wins (including five years at Georgia Southern) rank 10th among active FBS coaches. • Georgia Tech captains: senior LB Quayshawn Nealy, senior RG Shaquille Mason and sophomore QB Justin Thomas • With the win today, Georgia Tech ensures its 20th consecutive season of finishing .500 or better in ACC play, which extends the nation’s longest streak. • Saturday was the 37th meeting between the ACC Coastal rivals. Georgia Tech leads the series, 19-17-1 and has won five of the last six meetings. • Head coach Paul Johnson is now 5-2 all-time vs. Virginia. • Georgia Tech is now 4-2 vs. UVA on homecoming. • The Yellow Jackets are now 50-15-1 on homecoming and have won 17 of their last 19 homecoming games.
TEAM NOTES • Georgia Tech has scored on its first drive of the game seven out of nine games this season. Five of those scores have been touchdowns, including Deon Hill’s 14-yard touchdown run against Virginia. • The Yellow Jacket defense held Virginia to just 22 yards rushing, which is the fewest yards rushing Georgia Tech has held an opponent to in the Paul Johnson era since holding Pitt to -5 yards on Nov. 2, 2013. • Georgia Tech entered the game out-scoring the opposition 105-50 (+55) in the fourth-quarter – the third-best margin among Power-5 teams. Tech outscored Virginia 7-0 in the fourth quarter and has outscored opponents 112-50 (+62) this season. • Senior B-back Synjyn Days recorded two touchdowns against Virginia – one rushing and one receiving. The last time that a Yellow Jacket rushed for a score and had a touchdown reception was DeAndre Smelter at North Carolina on Oct. 18, 2014.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES • After rushing for four yards against Virginia, sophomore QB Justin Thomas ranks 6th all-time in career rushing yards for Georgia Tech quarterbacks with 955 yards. Thomas needs 45 rushing yards to become just the sixth 1,000-yard career rushing quarterback in Georgia Tech history. • Thomas’ 721 rushing yards this season rank fifth on Georgia Tech’s rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season list. He is 279 yards shy of becoming just the second QB at Tech to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, joining Joshua Nesbitt, who rushed for 1,037 in 2009. • Thomas threw seven completions for 141 yards and three touchdowns, marking his sixth 100-yard passing game of the season. • Thomas has 14 touchdown passes this season, making him the 11th Georgia Tech quarterback to throw at least 14 TD passes in a single season and the first to throw at least 14 since Reggie Ball threw 20 in 2006. His 14 touchdowns in a single season are tied for 10th on Tech’s all-time list for touchdown passes in a single season. • Senior Synjyn Days recorded his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game of his career with a career-high 147 yards. Days also had a career-long 33-yard rush. • Days recorded his third multiple touchdown game of his career and the first where he rushed for a touchdown and had a touchdown reception. • Senior defensive back Jamal Golden recorded his third interception of the season against Virginia. His three picks are a team-best. • Senior A-back Deon Hill scored his third touchdown of the season on a 14-yard rush on the first play of the game. • Junior Adam Gotsis recorded his second career interception in the third quarter against Virginia. Gotsis finished the game with three solo tackles. • Senior wide receiver DeAndre Smelter recorded his fourth career 100-yard receiving game with four receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown. • Senior DB Isaiah Johnson ranks third in career tackles by a DB with 255 tackles after recording two against UVA. • Sophomore kicker Harrison Butker checks in at ninth on Tech’s career points by kick list with 145 after going 5-for-5 on PATs. • Redshirt freshman Corey Griffin made his first career start against Virginia at free safety. • Redshirt sophomore Patrick Gamble made his first career start at defensive end against Virginia.
