If you're Georgia Tech, you take this win over Clemson and bury it in the ground, in case someone asks for it back, claiming, "You didn't deserve this."
You got outscored 21-3 in the middle two quarters. Your kicker completed nearly as many passes as your quarterback.
You got outscored 21-3 in the middle two quarters. Your kicker completed nearly as many passes as your quarterback.
Yet you beat Clemson 30-27 Thursday with a steady ground game, defense when it counted and some tom foolery in the form of a fake field goal when kicker Scott Blair threw a touchdown pass. (Clemson should have been prepared for it; Blair was 0-for-7 on field goals beyond 40 yards, and he was lining up for a 50-yarder.)
As Paul Johnson became the first Tech coach since damn near the Middle Ages to open 2-0 in his first two seasons, quarterback Josh Nesbitt connected just thrice out of 14 attempts. The pass is your surprise play in this offense, so your accuracy rate should be considerably north of 50 percent.
When the pollsters fill out their ballots Sunday, the details will long be forgotten. All they'll remember is that Tech beat a formidable ACC foe, which should bump them up a few notches in the rankings.
But mid-game disappearing acts and misfiring passers are no recipe for long-term success.
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