Though the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looked to be in the driver’s seat against the Tennessee Volunteers all game, it was Rocky Top that came out on top in double overtime, 42-21.
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That was partially because of Georgia Tech’s dominance on the ground. The other four kickoffs were returned to the Tennessee 40-, 45-, 28- and 39-yard lines. Aaron Medley’s PAT tied the game at 7-7 with 8:11 to go in the second quarter.
He came into the 2017 season as the Vols’ leading returning receiver.
John Kelly absolutely punished the opposing defense throughout the night.
They did. Again it was quarterback LaQuan Marshall that ran across the goal line.
Dodd served as an assistant with the Yellow Jackets for 14 years, often opting to stay with the program despite head coaching offers elsewhere.
The loss came despite the Jackets (0-1) overwhelmingly owning practically every statistical category – total offense (655 yards to 369), total offensive plays (96-59), time of possession (41:27-18:33) and third-down conversions (13 of 18 to 5 of 12).
The Vols’ trash can is lined with a strip of the orange and white checkerboard.
You had to see it to believe it.
Much like a year ago, Tennessee will need to play much better defense as the season moves along or it will be in big trouble, and the offense has to find a rhythm with Dormady or redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano, who did not play in the opener.
Daniel pinned the Yellow Jackets inside the 20 five times. After all, they hadn’t stopped them all night. Because before you know it, January will be here and college football will be a solid eight months away. Francois was hurt during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to Alabama in Atlanta. “The leadership is going to take over with our defense and our team”.
Not crushed by the thought that Georgia Tech’s obvious scheme to infiltrate, then rule, the SEC East like some super virus had run into a real complication.
Callaway didn’t have a catch in the first half.
But the first half will be remembered for drops, not catches.
Because winning at least momentarily erased the fact that the Vols were doubled by Tech in nearly every important statistical category except the final score. Nine of the carries picked up first downs or scored a touchdown. I’m not sure they would’ve had enough time to score twice. “We have a pretty good idea who the quarterback will be for us, and we have a pretty good idea who the quarterback will be for them as well”, Jones told reporters this week. The Vols were two of seven. Even Larry, the Dr. Pepper joker, knew it would be Quentin Dormady.
Quinten Dormady shook off a slow start and helped rally the Vols as he went 20-for-37 for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Not exactly Peyton Manning numbers. Meanwhile Georgia Tech kept the football 21:17 minutes in the first half. His receivers – excepting the wonderful efforts of Marquez Callaway – could be way more sticky-fingered.
Bolstering the outlook for embattled coach Butch Jones, the Volunteers pulled off a remarkable season-opening victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a game they seemed to have no business winning. They were eating the game clock like they were being treated to an all you can eat night at Atlanta’s Varsity Drive-in.
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Both teams battled hard, but it would be the Volunteers that would get a big neutral site win over the Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech.
