MIAMI -- There’s no more sleeping on Georgia Tech. The team picked to finish sixth in the ACC Coastal to start the year ended the season with a dominant 49-34 win over No. 7 Mississippi State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Wednesday, winning 11 games for only the second time since 1990.
How the game was won: That Georgia Tech so thoroughly dominated the game was a surprise to most, but how the Yellow Jackets did it shouldn’t be. This was the same game plan Tech employed all season en route to winning the ACC Coastal division: Run the option until the opposing defense breaks and create takeaways on defense to secure the win. In all, Tech rushed for 452 yards in the game and scored six times on the ground -- including three each by Synjyn Days and Justin Thomas -- while a Dak Prescott interception on Mississippi State’s first drive and a fumble midway through the third quarter both turned into Yellow Jackets TDs. After Mississippi State pulled to within one point on a Hail Mary to end the first half, Georgia Tech scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half to put the game away.
Game ball goes to: Thomas. While most of the pundits scoffed at Georgia Tech’s chances this season, those who understood what Thomas could bring to the offense knew better. He was the perfect addition to what Paul Johnson wants to do offensively, and it showed in spades Wednesday night. Thomas bludgeoned Mississippi State with his arm (125 yards passing, one touchdown) and with his legs (121 yards rushing and three touchdowns), becoming just the second Tech quarterback in history to top 1,000 yards rushing for the season in the process. Of course, it’s a group effort on offense for the Jackets, but it’s clear Thomas is the perfect QB to direct the option.
What it means: In the big picture, it’s a huge boon for the ACC. After the league went 4-0 against SEC East foes in the final week of the regular season, the knock was that the real opponents played in the SEC West. Well, Georgia Tech thoroughly dominated a team that spent a good portion of the season atop the polls from that dreaded SEC West, so the criticism of the ACC certainly loses some luster now. Moreover, it’s another reminder that Johnson’s offense is incredibly dangerous, particularly when he has a QB like Thomas running it, and that makes the Yellow Jackets the likely favorites in the Coastal heading into 2015. For Mississippi State, it’s a woeful way to end what had been a magical season. It doesn’t diminish the progress the Bulldogs made under Dan Mullen in 2014, but it is a reminder there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Best play: Is it fair to give the best play of the game to Mississippi State, despite the loss? Certainly Georgia Tech had its share of highlights, led by Days’ 69-yard touchdown run and a trio of TDs by Thomas. But for sheer ridiculousness, the most unbelievable highlight was the Bulldogs’ Hail Mary touchdown from Prescott to Fred Ross to end the first half.