NCAA Game Summary - Georgia Tech at Duke
(Saturday, November 14th)
Final Score: (7) Georgia Tech 49, Duke 10
Durham, NC (Sports Network) - Josh Nesbitt threw a pair of touchdown passes
and added another score on the ground, as seventh-ranked Georgia Tech clinched
the ACC Coastal Division title with a convincing 49-10 victory over Duke at
Wallace Wade Stadium.
Georgia Tech secured a spot in the conference championship game slated to be
played on December 5 in Tampa.
Nesbitt finished with 195 yards on 6-of-10 efficiency for the Yellow Jackets
(10-1, 7-1 ACC), who scored 49 unanswered points after falling behind 10-0 in
the first quarter.
Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in the
win -- Georgia Tech's eighth straight.
Thaddeus Lewis completed 22-of-35 passes for 212 yards with a touchdown and
one interception for the Blue Devils (5-5, 3-3), who have lost two games in a
row.
Duke raced out to a 10-0 lead on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Lewis to
Re'quan Boyette and a 31-yard Will Snyderwine field goal.
Georgia Tech, though, mounted a comeback, scoring on three consecutive
possessions to assume control.
Orwin Smith sparked the rally for the Yellow Jackets, returning the ensuing
kickoff 83 yards to the Duke two-yard line. Nesbitt then ran the ball into the
end zone on the next play to put Georgia Tech on the board with 1:12 remaining
in the first quarter.
"We were excited and got off to a good start," said Duke head coach David
Cutcliffe. "I was a little concerned when we got the turnover and had a short
field, but we couldn't do anything with it. That is almost a little sign, a
little kiss of death. Certainly, when they ran the kickoff back, things got a
little difficult."
After the Blue Devils went three-and-out, Nesbitt guided Georgia Tech on a 10-
play 86-yard drive that extended into the second quarter and culminated in a
16-yard TD dash by Marcus Wright.
Dwyer's three-yard TD run and a 32-yard scoring reception by Stephen Hill gave
the Yellow Jackets a 28-10 lead at the break.
"We came out and started out playing good on defense and then missed a tackle
to give (Duke) a chance to keep the drive going. And to their credit they went
in and scored," said Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. "And then on the
punt we had a bad snap so we threw it back there on the ground and gave them a
turnover. We held them to a field goal and after that we settled down and
played a little better on offense, but we still had some penalties."
Georgia Tech continued to pile on the points in the second half as Dwyer
capped the opening drive of the third quarter with a 12-yard TD run.
Later in the frame, Nesbitt hit Demaryius Thomas streaking down the left
sideline for a 75-yard TD and 42-10 Yellow Jackets edge.
Richard Watson's seven-yard TD run accounted for all the scoring in the final
stanza.
Game Notes
Georgia Tech has won the last six meetings and leads the all-time series,
46-30-1...The Yellow Jackets totaled 306 yards on the ground, the ninth time
this season they have rushed for more than 300 yards in a game...The Blue
Devils were limited to 25 rushing yards...Duke's Sean Renfree completed five
of his six pass attempts for 44 yards before leaving in the third quarter with
an injury...The Yellow Jackets close out the regular season in two weeks
against Georgia...Duke visits Miami-Florida next Saturday.
11/14 17:40:27 ET

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