Georgia Tech comes through in must-win situation

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Posted 9:32AM on Monday, October 28, 2002

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech's season was teetering on the brink of collapse. Now, at least, there's some hope. The Yellow Jackets came through Saturday in an absolute must-win situation, holding on to beat Virginia 23-15 and snap a two-game losing streak. Lose again and Georgia Tech would have been looking ahead to next season. A bowl bid would have been a longshot. No one would have blamed coach Chan Gailey for sending out more of the younger players with an eye on 2003. "That's what happened a little bit last year," quarterback A.J. Suggs said. "We lost a couple in a row and the season went downhill. We needed to get out confidence back. This was a big hurdle for us." The Yellow Jackets (5-3, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will head to North Carolina State next weekend as underdogs, but feeling a whole lot better about themselves. They need only one more victory to become eligible for a sixth straight bowl, with woeful Duke still left to play and Florida State not looking so fearsome anymore. "We needed this more than anything," said Jeremy Muyres, who preserved the victory over the Cavaliers with an interception. "We played with so much intensity, so much heart." Georgia Tech built a 23-0 lead at halftime, then withstood Virginia's usual second-half charge. There were many encouraging signs. Suggs had his best game of the season, thriving as the Yellow Jackets went to more spread formations and used the no-huddle offense. Luke Manget kicked three field goals, equaling his output for the entire season. Walk-on P.J. Daniels was a punishing runner on the inside, gaining a career-high 95 yards on 21 carries. "This definitely made me feel more confident, more relaxed, more at ease," Manget said. "That should really help in future games." Suggs, a frequent target of boos, had the home fans cheering this time. He completed 26 of 41 passes, spreading the ball around to seven receivers. He avoided any sacks, actually gaining 30 yards on five carries. He didn't throw an interception for the second week in a row. Suggs played so well that Gailey didn't feel the need to use backup Damarius Bilbo, who has played in six games. No one seemed to mind. "A.J. is such tough-minded kid," offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien said. "The last two games, we've seen what he can do." Georgia Tech opened up the offense with four-receiver formations and surprising Virginia in the second quarter by going without a huddle. That led to an 11-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. "We should be getting yards. We should be scoring points," O'Brien said. "We decided to start throwing the ball quick. That's what we've been known for around here." The Yellow Jackets wound up with nearly perfect balance on offense: 211 yards rushing, 220 yards passing. Virginia, on the other hand, had to rely almost totally on its passing game. Matt Schaub completed 41 of 58 for 371 yards, but no one ran for more than 14 yards. Overall, the Cavs finished with just 53 yards on the ground. Virginia, which has outscored opponents 192-76 in the second half, fell short of another miracle comeback. Already this season, the Cavs overcame a 17-point deficit against Wake Forest and a 21-0 hole against North Carolina. "We didn't play very well in the beginning of the game," coach Al Groh said, "and we paid the price for it." Virginia (6-3, 4 (2)- had a six-game winning streak snapped and missed a chance to become bowl eligible. This was certainly the Cavs' best opportunity; the remaining games are against three ranked teams - Penn State, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech - and defending ACC champion Maryland. "I don't want to give too much credit for a valiant effort," Groh said. "To me, that means we're willing to settle for second place."