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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia Tech wasn't in the mood for another
heart-stopping finish. The Yellow Jackets did not have to endure one, either.
|  | | Georgia Tech quarterback George Godsey normally relies solely on his arm, but Saturday he had a rare 33-yard TD run. |
After three straight games in the series were decided in the
final seconds or overtime, Georgia Tech (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 AP) built a 24-point
halftime lead and cruised to a 27-15 victory over the Bulldogs (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) on Saturday.
George Godsey reached the end zone both running and throwing,
Darryl Smith came up with a big defensive play and the Yellow
Jackets (9-2) won their third straight over Georgia (7-4), which
hasn't suffered that ignominy since 1961-63.
"A lot of people doubted us this year, but we stayed
together," Godsey said. "I'm proud of this team."
Georgia Tech, projected for a rebuilding year after the loss of
Joe Hamilton, turned out to be a major surprise. The Peach
Bowl-bound Yellow Jackets lost close games to Florida State and
North Carolina State before finishing the season with a seven-game
winning streak.
Asked if this was his best team, seventh-year coach George
O'Leary said, "I think chemistry-wise, it is. There's been better
athletes on the field for us, but as far as chemistry, I think this
is the best."
It was the first time since 1996 that the game wasn't decided at
the end. Last year, Georgia Tech won 51-48 on a field goal in
overtime after the officials mistakenly ruled a fumble against
Georgia in the final seconds of regulation.
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Sat, November 25
Georgia Tech appears to be one of the teams that, at the end of the season, is playing as well as anyone else in the country and they certainly showed it early when they had such a big lead. But as is the case in so many of these great rivalries there's no give-up. Georgia fought back and had an opportunity to get it close early in the fourth quarter but couldn't quite get it in.
Georgia Tech QB George Godsey was very sharp early in the game. Later in the game, he cooled off and it looked like Tech was just holding on. The Bulldogs came with more pressure and Godsey threw some balls that just weren't on the money.
The Yellow Jackets' defense did step up in the fourth quarter. That's an area that has hurt them in big games over the past few years. They haven't been able to stop teams when it counted, but they did it today.
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The Bulldogs can only consider this season a major
disappointment. Coach Jim Donnan thought he had a team capable of
winning the school's first Southeastern Conference championship
since 1982, but losses to South Carolina and Florida dashed those
hopes.
Now, the Bulldogs have to spend another year stewing on a defeat
to their state rival, which plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"A lot of teams would take 7-4," receiver Terrence Edwards
said. "But that's not the expectations around here. It's hard to
swallow going 7-4. We're a better team than 7-4."
Godsey completed 20 of 35 passes for 222 yards, virtually all of
his significant work coming in the decisive first half.
Surprisingly, Georgia Tech's first touchdown came on a run by
the slow-footed Godsey. Faking out the Bulldogs with an option, he
broke around right end without being touched for a 33-yard
touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
"I was surprised," Godsey said. "We had a guy do that for us
last year, some guy wearing No. 14 (Hamilton). I can't remember his
name."
Godsey smiled.
"I don't think I ever broke one that far in practice," he
said. "I was glad it wasn't an 80-yard run. I don't think I would
have made it."
Godsey was responsible for a more conventional TD later in the
period, hooking up with Kerry Watkins for an 8-yard scoring pass.
Before the quarter was over, Luke Manget kicked a 42-yard field
goal to give the Yellow Jackets a 17-0 lead.
Georgia finally got on the board with Billy Bennett's 23-yard
field goal. But Manget countered with a 21-yarder and Georgia Tech
went to the locker room on an emotional high because of a play by
Smith and Felipe Claybrooks.
Claybrooks tipped a pass by Cory Phillips at the line, Smith
picked it out of the air and raced 70 yards to the end zone for a
stunning interception return with just a minute left in the half.
Georgia made the score respectable, but Donnan will surely be
questioned about his decision to go for a 2-point conversion after
Phillips threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Damian Gary on the first
possession of the second half. Phillips' pass was incomplete,
leaving Georgia with a 27-9 deficit.
Phillips, who threw a staggering 62 passes and had a career-high
409 yards, tossed a 4-yard touchdown to Randy McMichael later in
the third. Once again, the Bulldogs went for 2 and failed.
Those plays came back to haunt the Bulldogs when they faced
fourth-and-9 at the Georgia Tech 10 with about 10 minutes
remaining. If Georgia had kicked two extra points, they could have
attempted a chip-shot field goal to get within seven.
Instead, the Bulldogs were forced to go for the touchdown.
Phillips threw behind Reggie Brown at the goal line, ending
Georgia's last threat.
"We were going for points because we thought Tech would score
some more points in the second half, based on the what they did in
the first half," Donnan said, defending the 2-pointers. "Who
would have thought they wouldn't?"
Phillips, starting his third straight game in place of the
injured Quincy Carter, was 36 of 62. McMichael had 12 catches for
156 yards and Gary 11 for 126, but the Bulldogs managed only 26
yards rushing.
Musa Smith, who gained career-high 144 in a victory over
Mississippi the previous week, was held to 12 yards on 11 carries.
"We did a good job getting off blocks, and I think that was the
key to stopping their running game," Claybrooks said. "That's
always was you want to do, make the offense one-dimensional, and we
sort of did that."
Georgia probably will have to wait until after next Saturday's
SEC title game to learn its bowl fate. The Music City or
Independence seem most likely.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Georgia Tech Clubhouse
Georgia Clubhouse
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