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Yellow Jackets run past Tar Heels 24-7
Davis says North Carolina played poorly in all phases while losing first game of season and its ACC opener
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Published: September 27, 2009
ATLANTA
Georgia Tech used Jonathan Dwyer's strong, churning legs to generate a dominating ground game yesterday and hand North Carolina a loss in its ACC opener.
With Dwyer, last season's ACC player of the year, grinding out 158 yards rushing and quarterback Josh Nesbitt contributing 97 yards and two rushing touchdowns, Georgia Tech won 24-7 to extend its dominance over North Carolina at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets marched 88 yards, all on the ground, on their first possession after forcing a punt to score a touchdown and take a 7-0 lead. They never trailed after that. Dwyer and Nesbitt helped the Yellow Jackets keep possession for 42:06, which left the Tar Heels only 17:54, little more than a quarter, to try and come back.
And that was only one of several matters that left Coach Butch Davis of North Carolina disappointed in the performance of his previously unbeaten team.
"It was a sound defeat," Davis said. "We didn't play well. In every single one of the major, measurable intangible things that determined the outcome of the ball game, we didn't play very well."
Quarterback T.J. Yates suffered through one of his most trying games, playing only miles from his Marietta, Ga., hometown. Yates was intercepted twice, which led to three turnovers, and completed only 11 of 26 passes for 137 yards.
Yates was out of sync the entire game. Some passes sailed over receivers. Others were low and uncatchable. When he needed to loft short passes, he fired them and vice-versa.
In the first half, with the Tar Heels down 7-0, Yates had communication problems with reserve center Cam Holland, who has been thrust into the starter's role because of an injury.
Yates was in Shotgun formation, about 4 yards behind Holland, and was looking to the left when Holland suddenly snapped the ball and it flew deep into the backfield.
Yates tried to run down the ball but couldn't. Georgia Tech recovered at the North Carolina 32 and drove for a field goal and a 10-0 lead. The fumble took place three plays after North Carolina had gotten its initial first down of the game, with 9:58 left before halftime, and on the first play after crossing midfield for the first time.
"It's embarrassing," Yates said. "That's all it is. It's embarrassing."
Yates was asked if yesterday was the most embarrassed that he has ever felt in his football career, going back to his childhood days.
"This kind of tops them," Yates said.
North Carolina fell to 3-1, absorbing its sixth consecutive loss at Georgia Tech. It also took its ninth consecutive ACC opening-game loss. North Carolina fell to 2-7 in ACC road games under Davis, who is in his third season.
The Yellow Jackets improved to 3-1 and 2-1. Their ground game produced 317 yards. The Tar Heels had been giving up an average of 52.3 yards rushing per game.
Georgia Tech settled for its 10-0 lead at halftime, leaving North Carolina an opening if Yates could get the offense moving. Yates had little chance.
After being saddled with poor field position in the first half, North Carolina had the ball for only 6:14 in the second half.
Georgia Tech knocked almost nine minutes off the clock at the start of the third quarter in a drive from its 29 to the North Carolina 10, where a field-goal attempt missed.
Yates was intercepted for the first time on North Carolina's second possession of the quarter and the turnover led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Nesbitt that extended the lead to 17-0 early in the fourth quarter.
Yates fired back immediately, passing the Tar Heels to their only touchdown in four plays. He connected with freshman receiver Erik Highsmith in the end zone on a 40-yard touchdown pass.
The Tar Heels still had 12:30 to attempt a comeback, but the Yellow Jackets kept playing keep-away. Nesbitt and Dwyer led a 17-play touchdown drive that covered 76 yards and took 8:15 more off the clock.
Nesbitt scored on a 10-yard run that sealed the win.
North Carolina's Marvin Austin, a defensive tackle, said the defense didn't wear down despite playing almost three-fourths of the game, and that no one was frustrated with the offense's inability to move the ball.
"I was just frustrated with the way we were playing defense," Austin said. "We weren't getting 11 guys to the ball. It doesn't feel good to lose at all. I don't care how it's done."
North Carolina 0 0 0 7 -- 7
Georgia Tech 7 3 0 14 -- 24
First Quarter
GaT--Jones 13 run (Blair kick), 9:03.
Second Quarter
GaT--FG Blair 34, 6:26.
Fourth Quarter
GaT--Nesbitt 1 run (Blair kick), 13:31.
UNC--Highsmith 40 pass from Yates (Barth kick), 12:30.
GaT--Nesbitt 10 run (Tanner kick), 4:10.
A--50,114.
TEAM STATISTICS
UNC GaT
First downs 8 24
Rushes-yards 18-17 69-317
Passing 137 89
Comp-Att-Int 11-26-2 7-11-0
Return Yards 23 55
Punts-Avg. 5-47.2 3-46.7
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-0
Penalties-Yards 2-9 7-65
Time of Possession 17:54 42:06
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--North Carolina, Draughn 7-26, Houston 6-24, Blue 1-(minus 1), Yates 2-(minus 5), Little 1-(minus 7), Team 1-(minus 20). Georgia Tech, Dwyer 19-158, Nesbitt 32-97, Allen 5-27, Jones 4-20, Lyons 3-14, Wright 1-3, Cox 1-2, O.Smith 1-1, Team 3-(minus 5).
PASSING--North Carolina, Yates 11-26-2-137. Georgia Tech, Nesbitt 7-11-0-89.
RECEIVING--North Carolina, Highsmith 6-107, Little 2-24, Boyd 2-5, Draughn 1-1. Georgia Tech, D.Thomas 3-35, S.Hill 2-38, Allen 1-11, O.Smith 1-5.
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