Jackets crush Devils to clinch Coastal Division

DURHAM

Orwin Smith bobbled the kickoff, recovered just in time to find a seam and took off toward the goal line.

Just like that, No. 7 Georgia Tech was off to the races -- and headed straight for the ACC title game.

The Yellow Jackets clinched the Coastal Division and a spot in the league-championship game by routing Duke 49-10 yesterday behind 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Jonathan Dwyer and another big day from Josh Nesbitt.

Smith's 83-yard kickoff return sparked slow-starting Georgia Tech (10-1, 7-1). Duke's Jordon Byas tracked him down from behind at the 2, but none of the Yellow Jackets' pursuers can catch them in the standings.

"We've been talking about elimination every week, and we finally got everybody eliminated on our side," Coach Paul Johnson said. "We're division champs (but) that wasn't the goal. We're still playing for the goal."

Nesbitt accounted for three scores, finishing 6 of 10 for 195 yards with touchdown passes covering 32 yards to Stephen Hill and 75 yards to Demaryius Thomas and a 2-yard scoring run. Dwyer, the reigning ACC player of the year, had touchdown runs of 3 and 13 yards in his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. Georgia Tech scored on five of six possessions to break open the game, outgained Duke 519-281, rolled up 306 yards rushing and won its eighth straight while sewing up the Coastal for the second time in four years. Now, after a week off and a visit from instate rival Georgia, it's on to Tampa, Fla., to face the Atlantic champion with a trip to the Orange Bowl on the line.

As the final minutes ticked off the clock, some Tech fans near the goal line unfurled a banner that read, "Tampa Bound."

Thaddeus Lewis was 22 for 35 for 212 yards with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Re'quan Boyette and an interception in garbage time. He also broke Ben Bennett's 26-year-old school record with his 826th career completion.

But the Blue Devils had minus-1 yard rushing through three quarters and finished with 25. Duke (5-5, 3-3) has lost two straight, and must beat No. 12 Miami and Wake Forest to qualify for its first bowl since 1994.

"We have to get these guys together and rally," Lewis said. "It's not over. We still have two games left, and we have a great opportunity ahead of us. We obviously have to have a short-term memory and keep moving."

Yet for a while the Blue Devils kept this one interesting, taking a 10-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter before Smith's big special-teams play.

He muffed the ensuing kickoff at about the 15, started out toward the hash marks and cut back down the right sideline before he was dragged down deep in Duke territory.

Nesbitt powered in on the next play, Marcus Wright took an option pitch 16 yards for a touchdown and Dwyer scored from 3 yards out to make the score 21-10.

Georgia Tech 7 21 14 7 -- 49

Duke 10 0 0 0 -- 10

First Quarter

Duke--Boyette 18 pass from Lewis (Snyderwine kick), 10:47.

Duke--FG Snyderwine 31, 1:30.

GaT--Nesbitt 2 run (Blair kick), 1:12.

Second Quarter

GaT--Wright 16 run (Blair kick), 11:22.

GaT--Dwyer 3 run (Blair kick), 5:50.

GaT--S.Hill 32 pass from Nesbitt (Blair kick), :32.

Third Quarter

GaT--Dwyer 12 run (Blair kick), 12:36.

GaT--D.Thomas 75 pass from Nesbitt (Blair kick), 2:43.

Fourth Quarter

GaT--Watson 7 run (Blair kick), 4:48.

A--25,899.

TEAM STATISTICS

GaT Duke

First downs 22 15

Rushes-yards 52-306 24-25

Passing 213 256

Comp-Att-Int 7-11-0 27-41-1

Return Yards 47 4

Punts-Avg. 3-51.7 7-37.1

Fumbles-Lost 5-1 1-0

Penalties-Yards 5-48 4-38

Time of Possession 29:18 30:42

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Georgia Tech, Dwyer 14-110, Peeples 5-48, Wright 5-47, Allen 5-37, Nesbitt 9-30, Shaw 6-27, Jones 2-10, Watson 2-8, Lyons 2-6, Team 2-(minus 17). Duke, D.Scott 6-20, Kurunwune 6-18, Boyette 3-17, Hollingsworth 2-9, Team 1-(minus 7), Lewis 4-(minus 12), Renfree 2-(minus 20).

PASSING--Georgia Tech, Nesbitt 6-10-0-195, Shaw 1-1-0-18. Duke, Lewis 22-35-1-212, Renfree 5-6-0-44.

RECEIVING--Georgia Tech, D.Thomas 2-89, S.Hill 2-38, Peeples 1-37, Allen 1-31, McKayhan 1-18. Duke, Boyette 6-65, D.Scott 5-45, Vernon 3-18, Huffman 3-16, Varner 2-34, Kelly 2-23, B.King 1-29, Williams 1-9, Trezvant 1-8, Bell 1-5, Parker 1-5, Hollingsworth 1-(minus 1).