Georgia Tech Enjoys the Moment

The memory of getting blown out at Virginia Tech simmered for Georgia Tech all year.

Now, the Hokies know how it feels.

Reggie Ball and the No. 24 Yellow Jackets made their second consecutive visit to Lane Stadium a huge success Saturday, jumping out to a big lead and beating the 11th-ranked Hokies, 38-27, at their own disruptive game.

“I challenged our guys to go out and win on special teams,” Georgia Tech Coach Chan Gailey said. “There was a lot of positive things today. Our guys accepted the challenge.”

The Yellow Jackets, 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, used a blocked punt to set up a 25-yard touchdown drive, then scored on defense too -- a 38-yard fumble return.

They also downed several punts deep in their own territory.

“Things like that shouldn’t happen to us,” Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer said.

Georgia Tech made the Hokies (4-1, 2-1) look ordinary with Ball finding receivers Calvin Johnson and James Johnson with ease early on, and mixing in enough of his own running to keep Virginia Tech on its heels.

It looked similar to last year’s game between the Techs, won by the Hokies, 51-7, except this time it was the visitors who had the upper hand all the way.

“We were motivated by that game,” said Calvin Johnson, who caught six passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. “We were humiliated last year. We had a chip on our shoulders.”

It showed right away.

A sea of fans clad in orange and maroon filled Lane Stadium, but the Yellow Jackets quickly silenced them, taking a 21-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old.

The first drive covered 80 yards in five plays, starting with a 59-yard pass to wide open James Johnson and ending with Ball’s two-yard pass to Calvin Johnson.

“The things we did tonight, we’d have a hard time beating a bad team,” Beamer said. “I really feel like we helped the situation for them, and they didn’t need our help.”