Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech in-game blog

FIRST QUARTER

VT--FG Slye 41, 10:20. Drive: Eight plays, 38 yards, 3:20. Key play: McMillian 17 pass from Jackson to GT 26. Virginia Tech 3, Georgia Tech 0.

GT--Marshall 3 run (King kick), 5:25. Drive: Eight plays, 80 yards, 4:48. Key play: Cottrell 69 run to VT 14. Georgia Tech 7, Virginia Tech 3.

SECOND QUARTER

GT--Marshall 1 run (King kick), 4:12. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 6:00. Key play: Benson 21 run to VT 30 Georgia Tech 14, Virginia Tech 3.

VT--Savoy 14 run (pass failed), 3:43. Drive: One play, 29 yards, :17. Key play: McMillian 70 kick return to GT 29. Georgia Tech 14, Virginia Tech 9.

THIRD QUARTER

GT--Stewart 60 pass from Marshall (King kick), 12:10. Drive: Three plays, 52 yards, 1:23. Georgia Tech 21, Virginia Tech 9.

VT--Holston 8 run (King kick), :00. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:02. Key play: Kumah 26 pass from Jackson on third-and-14 to VT 48. Georgia Tech 21, Virginia Tech 16.

FOURTH QUARTER

VT--Stroman 24 interception return (pass failed), 7:27. Key play: Marshall pressured by Mihota. Virginia Tech 22, Georgia Tech 21.

GT--Jeune 80 pass from Marshall (King kick), 6:30. Drive: Two plays, 83 yards, :52. Georgia Tech 28, Virginia Tech 22.

SOLO-ASSISTS-SACKS

Virginia Tech, Motuapuaka 7-5-0, Shegog 8-3-0, Tr. Edmunds 6-3-0, Reynolds 5-1-0, Hill 3-1-0, Mihota 2-1-0, Te. Edmunds 1-2-0, Walker 2-0-0, Hewitt 2-0-0, Gaines 2-0-0, Floyd 2-0-0, Newsome 2-0-0, Watts 1-0-0, Facyson 1-0-0, Settle 1-0-0, Huelskamp 1-0-0, Stroman 1-0-0, Totals 47-16-0.

Georgia Tech, Mitchell 6-3-1, Branch 5-2-0, Griffin 5-1-0, Gray 5-0-0, Law. Austin 3-2-0, Alexander 3-2-1, Simmons 2-2-0, Glanton 1-3-0, Saint-Amour 2-0-0, Lan. Austin 2-0-0, Johnson 2-0-0, Simmons 1-0-0, Adams 1-0-0, Roof 1-0-0, Durham 1-0-0, Kerr 1-0-0, Dawson 0-1-0, Freeman 0-1-0, Henderson 0-1-0, Totals 41-18-2.

UPDATES (latest on top)

FOURTH QUARTER

-Georgia Tech wins 28-22.

-Hokies throw deep on fourth-and-1, intended for Phillips. It's knocked away. GT is going to win.

-ANOTHER FOURTH DOWN. Wow. Hokies burn a timeout with 1:09 left, trying to decide how to pick up a yard at the GT 32, trailing 28-22.

-Jackson scrambles, helicoptered by the hit after a nice gain.

-False start moves it back to a fourth-and-8, and Jackson hits Kumah along the left sideline to keep the drive alive.

-Another fourth down upcoming for Hokies. This time they need 3...

-Hokies thought they'd converted a third down but review shows Phillips didn't reach the sticks. Brings up a fourth-and-1, and Jackson runs up the middle to move the chains.

-Touchdown, Jackets. Marshall uncorks a bomb to Jeune, who got behind the VT defense. He scrapes the pylon to complete the 80-yard score. Two offensive penalties make GT think twice about the 2-point try. Jackets kick instead. GT back in front, 28-22.

-Touchdown, Hokies. Mihota pressures Marshall, who throws a terrible pass down the right sideline that's picked by Stroman at the GT 24 and returned to the end zone. Two-point conversion fails (they only had to go because of the ill-advised attempt earlier). It's 22-21 VT -- exactly the score Andy predicted on our podcast. 7:27 still left, though

-Holston fumbles on third-and-4. VT recovers but will have to punt it away. Holston had been running hard and fairly effectively before that fumble.

-Quick first down for Hokies.

-Hokies stuff GT on fourth-and-1. Tremaine Edmunds blew it up. A "Let's Go Hokies" chant breaks out from the VT contingent, which senses a momentum shirt. VT gets the ball at its own 41, trailing 21-16 with 10:36 to play.

THIRD QUARTER

-Touchdown, Hokies. Holston runs up the middle for the 8-yard score as the quarter expires. VT still trails 21-16.

-Nice play on third down Jackson hits Kumah on a quick pass over the middle. Hokies have a first-and-goal.

-Bush in at QB. Runs the show on three consecutive plays (two of him rushing attempts by him, the other a handoff to McMillian), gains a first down.

-Circle that play. Jackson makes a desperation heave into triple coverage. Should have been intercepted. Instead, the ball is tipped and Kumah brings it in for a 28-yard gain at the VT 48.

-Jackson sacked on second down. Mitchell.

-Jackson hammered on first down incompletion.

-Georgia Tech misses a 43-yard field goal. That drive was humming before a chop-block call (first of the day) put the Jackets behind the sticks. Let's see if the Hokies can take advantage of that potential momentum shift. VT down 21-9 with 5:02 left in the third.

-Hokies have to punt.

-Touchdown, Jackets. Stewart wide open deep and Marshall hits him for a 60-yard bomb. GT up 21-9. That was a third-and-18 play. First completion for GT, but the threat has been there all day. Longest completion of the year for Jackets.

-Third down dump off goes nowhere. Hokies have to punt. GT to start at its own 48.

-Jackson had Kumah open but threw high.

-First play of the second half is a sack of Jackson for a 12-yard loss.

SECOND QUARTER

HALFTIME: Hokies trail 14-9, and it's not 14-10 because they chased points way earlier than they should have.

VT is averaging 3.0 yards per rushing play, continuing a bad trend from the year. GT is averaging 5.3 yards per rush, by contrast. Jackson is 5-for-10 for 65 yards.

The Hokies have 113 total yards. They'll get the ball first to start the second half.

-Hokies head to the locker room trailing 14-9.

-Hokies give up some yardage but ultimately force a punt, which is downed at the VT 3. Probably looking at two runs and head to the locker room.

-Fuente has made more head-scratching decisions in the last six quarters than he had in his previous 22 games combined.

-Touchdown, Hokies. Savoy takes a jet sweep to the right, reverses field and crosses up the GT defense. Tackled just as he crosses the goal line. Quick strike for Tech. The Hokies go for 2 for no good reason, don't get it. VT now trails 14-9.

-Jackson goes for Cam in the end zone. Incomplete, but there's a PI on GT. Crowd doesn't like it, and replays suggest they have a legitimate beef.

-Big kickoff return by McMillian -- 70 yards to the GT 29. Boy, the Hokies needed that.

-Runs of 16, 8, 21, 7, 7 and 12 on that touchdown drive for GT.

-Touchdown, Jackets. Marshall with a 1-yard run and it's 14-3 GT.

-Another first down by the Jackets. Nine straight runs on this drive.

-Benson bolts for 21. Georgia Tech feeling it.

-GT fakes a punt on fourth-and-1. Successful. Freeman, one of the blockers, gains 3.

-Nifty run by Lynch on the quick pitch. Lateral dodge, then spin move. Gains 16.

-Settle's back in. He was back in the last GT possession, as well.

-GT fumbles on the punt return but recovers it.

-Jackson misses an open Phillips on second down. Not great throwing conditions today, to be fair.

-Hokies get a big third down stop. GT punts.

-Bush in again, this time on fourth down. He's whacked for a loss immediately. That play seemed doomed from the start. Hokies turn it over on downs.

-On third-and-2, deep handoff to McMillian is blown up by Austin.

-Bush comes in at QB for the second time today. This time he hands off to McMillian, who barrels ahead for 8 yards. Subs back out.

-Nice pass from Jackson to McMillian on the wheel route goes for 27 yards.

FIRST QUARTER

-Quarter ends with GT up 7-3.

-Hokies get a break. Low snap on the GT punt, and Harver is swallowed up by Newsome for a loss of 13. VT takes over at the GT 45.

-Tim Settle shaken up for Tech. He's not a guy you want to lose when facing the option. Redshirt freshman Jimmie Taylor subs in for the big defensive tackle, weighing 79 pounds less.

-Mook Reynolds comes in late after a GT back is tackled. Not smart; didn't even get his money's worth. Tack on 15 yards for GT, which has moved into Hokies territory.

-Dropped pass by Savoy on third down. He might have been just shy of the sticks anyway, but at least VT would have had a decision to make. Instead, Hokies will punt it away.

-Big third down conversion for Virginia Tech, as Jackson hits Kumah on the quick slant for 15 yards. If the Hokies don't get that, the time of possession disparity would only widen.

-Touchdown, Jackets. On third and goal, Marshall takes the option to the right and cuts inside Stroman, who was left alone on the perimeter. If one guys has to handle both the QB and the pitch man, as was the case there, it's easy pickings for GT.

-Nice tackle by Tremaine Edmunds on the misdirection that looked like it had a chance to be a TD.

-Jackets convert a third-and-6 with a run up the gut. First-and-goal at the 3 for GT

-Jackets pop a long one on the reverse, with Cottrell bolting 69 yards down the right sideline. Had a nice blocker in front of him in Jeune, the wideout, who had Stroman engaged.

-Hokies stall but get a 41-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 10:20 left in the first quarter.

-Bush comes in at QB for one play, runs for 3-yard gain.

-On offense for the first time, Hokies start with three straight runs.

-Marshall tackled in the backfield by Tremaine Edmunds. Hokies looked great other than the first play on that three-and-out, but that was a big escape.

-First option of the game is blownup by Shegog.

-First play of the game, Marshall has a WIDE OPEN receiver in Ricky Jeune and overshoots him. Should have been a touchdown. Oh, my.

PREGAME

Greetings from Atlanta, where we're awaiting kickoff of Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech. Today's game day column was on Virginia Tech playing a rare numbers game during the season's home stretch.

Hokies are favored by a field goal. Wasn't sure how much excitement there'd be surrounding this game, and I'm sure you'll see plenty of empty seats here at Bobby Dodd, but the atmosphere around the stadium was lively. Good Virginia Tech fan contingent on hand, as well. Chilly and breezy conditions.

Nijman, Carroll, Peoples and Alexander all have been ruled out of today's game because of injury.