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By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor B.J. Bennett reflects on Georgia Tech’s 30-27 overtime victory over Wake Forest. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin
*Saturday's win was a major step towards Tampa for the Yellow Jackets, as Georgia Tech now just needs a win over Duke to lock themselves into the ACC Championship Game as the representative from the ACC Coastal Division. Losses by Miami and/or Duke could get also get the Yellow Jackets into the title game, but GT needs just one more ACC win to solidify themselves a trip to the league title game.
*For the second consecutive week, Georgia Tech responded after a disappointing first half performance. Last week, the Yellow Jackets were tied 28-28 with Vanderbilt at the break, before winning 56-31. On Saturday, they trailed Wake Forest 17-10, only to score on their opening play of the second half. They didn’t pull away from Wake Forest like they did Vanderbilt, but their second half turnaround, followed by their effort in overtime, was still evident. Georgia Tech is a second half team and they find so much late game success because their offensive scheme takes its' toll on opposing defenses. In addition to tiring the front seven both mentally and physically with the triple option, the offense often lulls defensive backs to sleep and opens up the big play via the pass in the fourth quarter.
*The Yellow Jackets are going to get their rushing yards. The consistent productivity of the triple option offense is really amazing. Georgia Tech rushed for a season high 412 rushing yards against Wake Forest, with running back Jonathan Dwyer compiling near 200 yards rushing. After a somewhat slow start to the season, Dwyer has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games. Georgia Tech, as a team, averaged nearly eight yards per rush, a stunning figure. Quarterback Jonathan Dwyer, who didn’t have his best game, converted a season-defining 4th down and 1 in overtime and scored on the game-winning touchdown on the very next play. That call was a testament to how much faith Paul Johnson has in Nesbitt and his offense. Nesbitt is a warrior.
*Though the GT defense did not play well, Derrick Morgan’s 3rd down sack of Riley Skinner on Wake Forest’s final drive of regulation may have won the game. The Demon Deacons were just a few yards away from being in field goal range. Morgan’s sack not only knocked Wake Forest out of kicker Jimmy Newman’s range but also made the 4th down to long to go for. Morgan may have saved Tech’s ACC title game hopes with that play.
*Give Wake Forest a lot of credit for their resiliency. After Georgia Tech scored on their first play from scrimmage in the second half to tie the game, then took the lead in the fourth quarter with a Josh Nesbitt touchdown run, the Demon Deacons responded to tie the football game with a touchdown pass from Riley Skinner to Devon Moore. With the Yellow Jackets driving for the potential go-ahead field goal late in the fourth, Wake Forest toughed up with their backs against the wall and recovered a Nesbitt fumble. Though they fell short, it was a gritty performance by Jim Grobe’s bunch.
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