IN REVIEW: Georgia Tech ~ Game-by-Game in 2008

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Yellow Jackets enjoy resurgent nine-win season in 2008; now looking for No. 10

by Matt Reynolds
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor

(At left) Running back Jonathan Dwyer has led the charge in 2008

Here is a game by game account of the 2008 Georgia Tech football season:

Georgia Tech 41, Jacksonville St. 14
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Paul Johnson’s option offense was a hit for Georgia Tech, and Ryan Perrilloux couldn’t keep pace for Jacksonville State. Jonathan Dwyer and quarterback Josh Nesbitt each ran for two touchdowns, Morgan Burnett intercepted two first-half passes by Perrilloux and Georgia Tech beat Jacksonville State 41-14 on Thursday night. Perrilloux was 22-for-37 passing for 136 yards, including two touchdown passes to Maurice Dupree. Perrilloux led the Gamecocks with 18 carries for 67 yards.

Georgia Tech 19, Boston College 16
Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
(Byrd Stadium)
After surviving three fumbles in the first half, Georgia Tech knew a big play of its own could quickly turn things around in the second. Jonathan Dwyer scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 43-yard, fourth-quarter run, rushing for 108 yards as the Yellow Jackets came back from a turnover-filled first half to beat BC.

Virginia Tech 20, Georgia Tech 17
Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008
Blacksburg, Va.
(Lane Stadium)
The Virginia Tech defense forced three turnovers and then held on in a harrowing finish as Virginia Tech beat Georgia Tech 20-17 in a critical early-season matchup. The Hokies drove 76 yards for the winning 21-yard field goal by Dustin Keys after the Yellow Jackets tied it at 17 with 9:28 to play. The drive was helped by two 15-yard personal foul penalties against Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech 38, Mississippi St. 7
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Jonathan Dwyer had 141 yards rushing on nine carries. Greg Smith, Embry Peeples and backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw also ran for touchdowns. Shaw, a freshman who also threw a touchdown pass, took over after starter Josh Nesbitt suffered a hamstring injury on a 21-yard run on Georgia Tech’s first drive.

(At left) Josh Nesbitt

Georgia Tech 27, Duke 0
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Jaybo Shaw kept it simple in his first start for Georgia Tech: pass to Demaryius Thomas and hand it off to Jonathan Dwyer. Shaw had 230 yards passing on nine completions, all to Thomas, Dwyer ran for a career-best 159 yards and Georgia Tech shut out Duke 27-0.

Georgia Tech 10, Gardner-Webb 7
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Derrick Morgan tipped a 43-yard field goal attempt by Gardner-Webb’s Ryan Gates with three seconds left, helping Georgia Tech squeak out an unexpectedly difficult 10-7 victory over an FCS opponent. Despite boasting a ground game that ranked fifth in the nation, the Yellow Jackets (5-1) rushed for just 79 yards, nearly 210 under their average as third-string quarterback Calvin Booker struggled with his timing in coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack.

Georgia Tech 21, Clemson 17
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Clemson, S.C.
(Clemson Memorial Stadium)
Josh Nesbitt threw for one touchdown and rushed for another to lead Georgia Tech to a 21-17 victory over Clemson and new coach Dabo Swinney on Saturday. It was an emotional day for the Tigers in their first game since Tiger coach Tommy Bowden stepped down Monday. Clemson and oft-criticized quarterback Cullen Harper rallied in the second half with two TD passes to Aaron Kelly to wipe out an 11-point deficit and lead 17-14.

Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 17
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Virginia rallied for the latest win in its comeback of a season, and now the Cavaliers find themselves in a most improbable spot. Cedric Peerman rushed for 118 bruising yards, including the winning touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes left, and Virginia won its fourth straight with a 24-17 upset of No. 21 Georgia Tech.

(At left) Demaryius Thomas

Georgia Tech 31, Florida St. 28
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Marcus Sims fumbled into the end zone to end No. 16 Florida State’s comeback hopes in the final minute, and Georgia Tech held on to beat the Seminoles 31-28. The Yellow Jackets defeated Florida State for the first time since 1975, after going 0-12 against Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles in the ACC.

North Carolina 28, Georgia Tech 7
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008
Chapel Hill, N.C.
(Kenan Stadium)
Ryan Houston ran for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to help No. 19 North Carolina beat No. 22 Georgia Tech 28-7. Cameron Sexton added two touchdown passes for the Tar Heels (7-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who earned a critical win in the muddled Coastal Division race and ensured their first winning season in seven years. North Carolina–among the nation’s leaders in turnover margin–also hung in defensively against the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense and converted a pair of fumbles into Houston’s touchdowns to break the game open.

Georgia Tech 41, Miami 23
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
(Bobby Dodd Stadium)
The Yellow Jackets ran No. 23 Miami ragged in a game that could have moved the one-time powerhouse to the cusp of playing for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a spot in a major bowl. Georgia Tech piled up 472 yards on the ground - the second-most ever allowed by the Hurricanes - in a 41-23 rout. Jonathan Dwyer ripped off 128 yards with just 10 carries in the first half, including a 58-yard touchdown on a play that typified a Miami defense that looked as though it had never even seen film on Georgia Tech’s unique, run-oriented scheme. Two linebackers got caught out of position and Dwyer was off to the end zone.

Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42
Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008
Athens, Ga.
(Sanford Stadium)
The Georgia Tech players gathered in front of their small contingent of fans in a corner of Sanford Stadium. They sang the “Ramblin’ Wreck” fight song. They bounced up and down. Then pinched off pieces of the famous hedge that surrounds the field. This was a celebration eight years in the making. The Yellow Jackets unleashed their triple-option offense on Georgia with devastating results Saturday. Roddy Jones rushed for a career-best 214 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Jonathan Dwyer ran for 144 yards and two scores of his own. When it was done, No. 18 Georgia Tech had overcome a 16-point halftime deficit to stun the 13th-ranked Bulldogs 45-42, its first win in the series since 2000.