Yellow Jackets roll to victory
Crush Mississippi St. with impressive ground game
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Trapped behind the line of scrimmage, Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas escaped by veering sharply upfield, leaving a defender flailing and Yellow Jackets fans cheering another touchdown.
Thomas and his teammates were tough to tackle Wednesday night in the Orange Bowl, rolling up 452 yards rushing to beat Mississippi State 49-34. Thomas ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for 125 yards and a score. Synjyn Days ran for 171 yards and three scores, including a 69-yarder that defused Mississippi State’s comeback bid.
No. 10 Georgia Tech (11-3) earned its first Orange Bowl victory in 63 years. The Yellow Jackets improved to 2-8 in bowl games in the past 10 seasons.
No. 8 Mississippi State (10-3) lost three of its final four games after being ranked No. 1 for five consecutive weeks.
Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott threw for 453 yards, an Orange Bowl record and a career high. Mississippi State outgained Georgia Tech 605-577, and the two-team total was an Orange Bowl record, but the Bulldogs twice lost the ball on downs in the second half, and two onside kick attempts failed.
Mississippi State scored on a 42-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the first half to trail 21-20, but the Yellow Jackets were unfazed, bouncing back with touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half to lead 42-20.
Georgia Tech ran its triple option with uncharacteristic balance in the first half, when Thomas threw 10 times for 125 yards. But the nation’s second-ranked rushing offense revved it up in the third quarter, when the Yellow Jackets pulled away by gaining 208 yards, all on the ground. The Yellow Jackets set an Orange Bowl record with their 452 yards rushing.
The 75,000-seat stadium was a third empty at the start and two-thirds empty with 10 minutes left. But fans made plenty of noise, especially Tech rooters.
Thomas was chosen the game’s outstanding player.