Mississippi State
1-3
Georgia Tech
3-1
Yellow Jackets Run Past Bulldogs, 38-7
September 20, 2008 | Football
? Official Statistics
ATLANTA, Ga. - A potent Georgia Tech rushing attack, coupled with a solid defensive effort and Mississippi State miscues, led the Yellow Jackets to a 38-7 victory over the visiting Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Tech (3-1) rushed 54 times for 438 yards on the afternoon, including four touchdowns, and tallied exactly 500 yards in total. The effective ground game was led Jonathan Dwyer, who amassed 141 yards and a score on nine carries and also hauled in one pass for 20 yards. Three other Yellow Jackets - Jaybo Shaw, Greg Smith and Embry Peeples - rushed for over 50 yards and a touchdown each. State (1-3) manufactured 407 yards of total offense of its own on the afternoon, but could never capitalize when it penetrated into GT territory other than a single score late in the contest. Highlighting MSU's offensive day was receiver Brandon McRae, who hauled in 10 aerials for 102 yards. Star running back Anthony Dixon totalled 94 yards on 13 rushes. Tech opened the game with an impressive 11-play, 79-yard scoring drive, with all 11 plays being rushes. The touchdown came on a 7-yard run by the running back Peeples. On the drive, the Jackets lost their starting center and quarterback to injuries. Center Michael Voss would return but Tech did not seem to miss a beat with QB Josh Nesbitt on the sideline and the backup signal caller Shaw under center the rest of the day. State would help assist Tech's second score of the afternoon, as a bad snap on the ensuing drive resulted in a fumble recovery for the Jackets at the MSU 40. On a second-and-long play from the 20-yard line, Shaw released the ball as he was being hit and found Demaryius Thomas in the end zone for a great catch as he was being shaded by State's defender. Tech led 14-0 with 6:06 to go in the first period. Mississippi State appeared to regain some momentum on its next drive, as Dixon took a handoff on the first play and ran 71 yards to the GT 9-yard line where he was finally tripped up. But State's drive from there stalled on the Tech 1 and Adam Carlson's 18-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Michael Johnson. The teams went scoreless until midway through the second period when the Yellow Jackets would take a 21-0 lead with 7:55 before halftime. Facing a fourth-and-3 at the Bulldog 25-yard line, Tech elected to go for it and that proved to be a good decision, as Shaw exercised the quarterback option off the left side, split the defenders and darted to the end zone. MSU dodged a bullet on its next drive when quarterback Wesley Carroll was picked off on the first play from scrimmage at the MSU 27. But the resulting GT drive was halted on three plays and MSU took over after a punt on its own 18. State would drive 65 yards on 15 plays as time wound down in the first half, but a pair of penalties put State in a third-and-long situation and Carroll was intercepted at the Tech 2 just a few ticks before the intermission. The second half would see Georgia Tech continue its momentum from the first. After State's half-opening drive stalled inside Tech territory, it would not take the Jackets long to put more points on the board. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Shaw pitched to Dwyer who went 88 yards for a score, giving GT a 28-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets added to their lead on their next drive, driving 53 yards on six plays to set up a 28-yard field goal from Scott Blair with 7:05 left in the third period. Georgia Tech's running attack struck again early in the fourth period. An eight-play, 87-yard drive - all rushes once again - was capped when Smith escaped down the left sideline for 45 yards. Blair's extra point put Tech up 38-0. State lone score of the contest came with 8:09 to go. Robert Elliott capped a 38-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run. GT now leads the series with State 3-0 as the teams met for the first time since 1929. All three meetings have been in Atlanta. MSU now hits the road again next Saturday, September 27, facing nationally-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge in a 6:30 p.m. CT contest which will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Following an open date, the Bulldogs then return home Oct. 11 to welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores to Davis Wade Stadium.
? Official Statistics (PDF)
? Postgame Notes & Quotes (PDF)
Team Stats
MS 0, GT 7
GT - Peeples, E. 7 yd run (Blair, S. kick), 11 plays, 79 yards, TOP 5:05
MS 0, GT 14
GT - Thomas, D. 20 yd pass from Shaw, J. (Blair, S. kick) 4 plays, 40 yards, TOP 2:07
MS 0, GT 21
GT - Shaw, J. 25 yd run (Blair, S. kick), 8 plays, 54 yards, TOP 4:26
MS 0, GT 28
GT - Dwyer, J. 88 yd run (Blair, S. kick), 1 plays, 88 yards, TOP 0:14
MS 0, GT 31
GT - Blair, S. 29 yd field goal 6 plays, 53 yards, TOP 2:32
MS 0, GT 38
GT - Smith, G. 45 yd run (Blair, S. kick), 8 plays, 87 yards, TOP 4:05
MS 7, GT 38
MS - Robert Elliott 6 yd run (Adam Carlson kick), 7 plays, 49 yards, TOP 2:30
