The 2014 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public university, public research university and Institute of technology (United States), institute of technology in Atlanta, ...

in the

2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 27, 2014, and ended on ...

. The Yellow Jackets were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Johnson and played their home games at

Bobby Dodd Stadium Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field is the football stadium located at the corner of North Avenue at Techwood Drive on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. It has been home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football ...

. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...

. After going 7–6 in

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, the Yellow Jackets entered 2014 unranked. Georgia Tech won its first five games of the season, which included comeback victories over Georgia Southern and

Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

, and end a five-game losing streak to Miami (FL). After losing back-to-back games to

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, the Yellow Jackets won out the rest of its regular season, which was capped off with a 30–24 overtime victory over

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. The Yellow Jackets represented the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship Game, where they were defeated by Atlantic Division champions

Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

37-35, however the Yellow Jackets were invited to the

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

, where they defeated

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...

49–34. Georgia Tech ended the season with an 11–3 record and a #8 ranking in the final AP Poll.

Before the season

Previous season

The Yellow Jackets were members of the Coastal Division of the

, finishing the season 7–5 (5–3 in ACC play). They were invited to the

Music City Bowl The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998 in sports, 1998. Since 2020, it has been sponsored by ...

where they were defeated by

Ole Miss OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to: * Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain * Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole * Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains Co ...

. Three players from the 2013 team were taken in the

2014 NFL draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...

.2014 NFL Draft – Prospects By College: Georgia Tech. ESPN. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
/ref>

Preseason

Head coach Paul Johnson returned for his seventh year at the helm of the program. Vad Lee, who was Georgia Tech's starter in 2013, was replaced by

Justin Thomas Justin Louis Thomas (born April 29, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and is a former List of World Number One male golfers, world number one. In 2017, Thomas experienced a breakout year, winning five PGA Tour e ...

after Lee transferred to

James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...

.Henry, George
Justin Thomas takes over at QB for Georgia Tech. USA Today. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
/ref> The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish fifth in the Coastal Division in the ACC preseason media poll.Sugiura, Ken
Tech picked to finish fifth in Coastal
. ajc.com. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

Recruiting class

Spring game

Georgia Tech's spring game was held on April 14 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In a rain-soaked game, the White team, led by quarterback Tim Byerly, defeated the Gold team 20–12.
ramblinwreck.com. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Coaching staff

Schedule

*Schedule source:

Game summaries

Wofford

Near the end of the first half, Wofford took a 9–7 lead on a 92-yard touchdown run from Ray Smith. However, the Yellow Jackets were able to take a 10–9 lead into halftime with a 30-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. The Yellow Jackets expanded their lead in the third quarter 24–12 thanks to two touchdowns to wide receiver DeAndre Smelter. The Terriers closed gap 24–19 in the middle of the fourth quarter thanks to a 4-yard touchdown run from Octavius Harden, but the Yellow Jackets were able to score two more touchdowns towards the end of the game to win the matchup 38–19. In his first start as Georgia Tech's quarterback,

had 353 total yards of offense, including 282 passing yards.Thomas' 353 yards leads Ga Tech over Wofford 38–19
ESPN. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

Tulane

In the first game at

Yulman Stadium Yulman Stadium is the on-campus venue for football at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. It currently has a capacity of 30,000 spectators, with 4,500 premium seats in two fan clubs – the Westfeldt Terrace and the Jill H. and Avram A. ...

, Georgia Tech defeated Tulane, 38–21. Tulane took a 14–7 lead going into the second quarter. Georgia Tech tied the game, 14–14, on a 10-yard interception return from linebacker Quayshawn Nealy. Tulane took a 21–14 lead with 9:38 left in the half on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tanner Lee to Xavier Rush. An interception of Tanner Lee helped set up a 19-yard touchdown run from Tony Zenon to tie the game, 21–21. A 46-yard field goal from Harrison Butker gave Georgia Tech a 24–21 lead at halftime. Tulane was shut out in the second half, as Georgia Tech scored two more touchdowns to give the Yellow Jackets a 38–21 victory.

Georgia Southern

Georgia Tech dominated the first half, going into half with a 35–10 lead. However, Georgia Southern scored 28 unanswered points to give the Eagles a 38–35 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. Recovering a Georgia Southern fumble with 4:12 remaining in the game, Georgia Tech were able to take a 42–38 lead with 23 seconds remaining on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to Deon Hill to avoid a huge upset.GaTech blows big lead, rallies to beat GaSouthern
ESPN. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech led 13–3 in the middle of the second quarter. However, Georgia Tech was able to make it a 13–10 game on a 2-yard touchdown run from Justin Thomas. Georgia Tech took a 17–16 lead in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard interception return by Paul Davis. The Hokies then took a 24–17 when quarterback Michael Brewer recovered a fumble and ran 21 yards for a touchdown. Georgia Tech tied the game 24–24 on a nine-play, 67-yard drive that included a 4th-and-15 conversion and a 31-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Smelter. Michael Brewer was intercepted on the ensuing Hokies drive. Taking advantage of the interception, Georgia Tech won the game 27–24 on a 24-yard field goal from Harrison Butker as time expired.Georgia Tech rallies past Virginia Tech, 27–24
ESPN. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.Georgia Tech rallies past Virginia Tech, 27–24
USA Today. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015. The game not only marked Georgia Tech's first victory over Virginia Tech since

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, but also at Blacksburg since

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Miami

The Hurricanes scored first on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brad Kaaya to Braxton Berrios. Georgia Tech tied the game 7–7 on a 1-yard touchdown run from Justin Thomas. At the end of the first quarter, Miami took a 14–7 lead on a 24-yard touchdown run from

Duke Johnson Randy "Duke" Johnson Jr. (born September 23, 1993) is an American former professional football running back who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round (77th overall) ...

. The Yellow Jackets would control the rest of the game, as Georgia Tech outscored Miami 21–3 to give the Yellow Jackets a 28–17 victory. The game marked Georgia Tech's first victory over Miami since

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

.Georgia Tech wears down Miami, stays unbeaten
ESPN. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

Duke

Georgia Tech entered the game ranked in the AP Poll for the first time since week 13 of the 2011 season.Sugiura, Ken
Now ranked, Tech becomes the hunted
myajc.com. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015. Duke took a 31–12 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run from Thomas Sirk. Georgia Tech was able to close the gap 31–25 thanks to two Tim Byerly rushing touchdowns. However, Georgia Tech was unable to recover their

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff (under American and Canadian rules) or punt (under Canadian rules only) deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a t ...

with 1:27 remaining in the game, giving the Blue Devils the victory. Georgia Tech turned the ball over three times and quarterback Justin Thomas was benched in favor of Tim Byerly the fourth quarter after Thomas threw his second interception. The game not only marked Georgia Tech's first loss to Duke since

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, but also at home since

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

.Duke ends 10-year skid, upsets No. 22 Georgia Tech
ESPN. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

North Carolina

Georgia Tech trailed 42–31 in the fourth quarter after a 36-yard touchdown pass from

Marquise Williams Marquise Javon Williams (born October 5, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Williams was signed by the Green Bay Packers of the National ...

to Mack Hollins. The Yellow Jackets then scored two unanswered touchdowns, the latter being a 75-yard touchdown run off a reverse from wide receiver DeAndre Smelter, to give Georgia Tech a 43–42 lead with 3:07 remaining in the game. However, North Carolina scored on a 2-yard touchdown run from T. J. Logan with 11 seconds remaining to give the Tar Heels a 48–43 victory. The game marked Georgia Tech's first loss to UNC since

.North Carolina edges Georgia Tech 48–43
ESPN. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Pittsburgh

Taking advantage of four Pittsburgh turnovers, Georgia Tech took a 28–0 lead early in the game. Pittsburgh closed the gap 28–14 in the second quarter with two rushing touchdown from James Conner. After trading touchdowns the third quarter, Georgia Tech pulled away from the Panthers with three more rushing touchdowns to give Georgia Tech a 56–28 victory.Yellow Jackets top mistake-prone Pitt 56–28
ESPN. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Virginia

At Georgia Tech's Homecoming game, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Cavaliers 35–10. Quarterback Justin Thomas threw three touchdowns and running back Synjyn Days ran for 147 yards while the Georgia Tech defense held Virginia to only 22 rushing yards.Thomas, Days lift Georgia Tech past Virginia 35–10
ESPN. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

North Carolina State

Georgia Tech trailed 13–7 near the end of the first quarter, but the Yellow Jackets outscored the Wolfpack 49–10 the rest of the game to win 56–23. Georgia Tech's offense rushed for 479 yards while the defense scored two defensive touchdowns.Georgia Tech beats NC State 56–23
ESPN. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Clemson

Georgia Tech took a 6–3 lead in the first quarter on an 85-yard interception return from Jamal Golden. In the third quarter, Chris Milton returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown to give Georgia Tech a 25–6 lead. Georgia Tech won the game 28–6. Georgia Tech's defense limited Clemson's offense to only 190 yards.Yellow Jackets return two interceptions for long TDs to rout Clemson
ESPN. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015. In the following bye week, Georgia Tech clinched the ACC Coastal Division title when North Carolina defeated Duke 45–20.Hale, David
Georgia Tech celebrates Coastal title
ESPN. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Georgia

Georgia took a 7–0 lead early in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run from

Nick Chubb Nicholas Jamaal Chubb (born December 27, 1995) is an American professional football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Cleveland ...

. Towards the end of the first quarter, Georgia drove deep into Georgia Tech's territory, hoping to expand their lead. However, Nick Chubb lost a fumble at Georgia Tech's 1-yard line. Taking advantage of Chubb's fumble, Georgia Tech drove to Georgia's 20-yard line. However, Georgia Tech came up empty when Harrison Butker's kick was blocked. On the ensuing Georgia drive, UGA drove once again drove deep Georgia Tech territory. However, Georgia once again lost a fumble at Georgia Tech's 1-yard line, this time a fumble by

Sony Michel Sony Michel (born February 17, 1995) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Ge ...

. Taking advantage of the fumble, Georgia Tech was able to tie the game 7–7 near the end of the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to Darren Waller. In the third quarter, Georgia took a 14–7 lead after UGA's Damian Swann returned a Justin Thomas fumble 99-yards for a touchdown. After blocking a Georgia field goal, Georgia Tech tied the game 14–14 on a 4-yard touchdown run from Zach Laskey.Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Georgia Bulldogs play-by-play
ESPN. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015. Early in the fourth quarter, Georgia took a 17–14 lead on a 19-yard field goal from Marshall Morgan. Georgia Tech responded with an 8-yard touchdown run from Zach Laskey to give the Yellow Jackets a 21–17 lead. Georgia Tech was then able to recover their own kickoff at Georgia's 27-yard line. However, Justin Thomas fumbled with 2:41 remaining in the game. Taking advantage of the fumble, UGA took a 24–21 lead with 18 seconds remaining on a 3-yard passing touchdown from Hutson Mason to Malcolm Mitchell. A squib kickoff gave Georgia Tech good field possession. After Justin Thomas scrambled 21 yards, Harrison Butker kicked a 53-yard field goal to tie the game 24–24 and send the game into overtime. Georgia Tech received the ball first in overtime and took a 30–24 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run from Zach Laskey. However, the extra point was blocked and the game remained 30–24. On the ensuing UGA possession, Georgia was able to drive to Georgia Tech's 9-yard line, needing a touchdown and extra point to win. However, on a 2nd and goal play, Georgia Tech cornerback D.J. White intercepted a Hutson Mason pass intended for Malcolm Mitchell, sealing a victory for Georgia Tech. The game was Georgia Tech's first win over Georgia since

.No. 16 Georgia Tech pulls out wild OT win over No. 9 Georgia
ESPN. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Florida State (ACC Championship Game)

In the ACC Championship Game, Georgia Tech took on Florida State, the defending national champions. Georgia Tech's offense scored on their first three possessions to give Georgia Tech a 21–14 lead in the middle of the second quarter. However, FSU scored two unanswered touchdowns to give FSU a 28–21 lead into halftime. Georgia Tech was able to tie the game 28–28 on the opening drive in the third quarter. However, Florida State scored three field goals from

Roberto Aguayo Roberto Jose Aguayo Jr. (born May 17, 1994) is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, where he was the most accurate kic ...

as the Seminoles were able to limit Georgia Tech's offense and pull ahead 37–28. Georgia Tech was able to cut Florida States' lead to two on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to Darren Waller to make it a 37–35 game with 1:47 remaining. However, Georgia Tech was unable to recover their onside kick and Florida State was able to run out the clock, giving FSU the ACC Championship.FSU holds off Georgia Tech to win ACC; eyes CFP spot next
ESPN. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Mississippi State (Orange Bowl)

Appearing in its seventh Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech defeated Mississippi State 49–34. The Yellow Jackets went up 14–0 before Mississippi State scored 13 straight points to make it a 14–13 game. Georgia Tech was able to extend its lead 21–13 on a 13-yard touchdown run from Justin Thomas. On the final play of the first half, Mississippi State's

Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...

completed a 42-yard

Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with a very small chance of achieving a completion (American football), completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes r ...

to make it a 21–20 lead going into halftime. On the second play of the second half, Georgia Tech went up 28–20 on a 69-yard touchdown run from Synjyn Days. Two more rushing touchdowns from Justin Thomas helped expand Georgia Tech's lead 42–20. In the first play of the fourth quarter, Mississippi State cut into Georgia Tech's lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to De'Runnya Wilson to make it a 42–27 game. Georgia Tech was able to respond with a 4-yard touchdown run from Synjyn Days to give Georgia Tech a 49–27 lead. The Bulldogs were able to cut into Georgia Tech's lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to De'Runnya Wilson with 2:20 remaining in the game to make it a 49–34 game. However, the Bulldogs were unable to recover their onside kick, and Georgia Tech was able to seal the win after running out the clock.Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play-by-play

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. Retrieved 1 January 2015. Georgia Tech rushed for 452 yards and Justin Thomas, the game's MVP, accounted for four total touchdowns. The game also marked Georgia Tech's first Orange Bowl victory in 63 years.Justin Thomas' four total TDs lead Georgia Tech over Mississippi State
ESPN. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

Rankings

Awards

Conference awards

* ACC Coach of the Year :: Paul Johnson

Honors

All-ACC

Nine players were honored as All-ACC selections by coachesAtlantic Coast Conference Announces 2014 Football Coaches' Awards, All-ACC Team
. theacc.com. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015. *Second team : :DeAndre Smelter : :Shaq Mason ::

::Adam Gotsis ::Zach Laskey *Third team ::Quayshawn Nealy ::Jamal Golden *Honorable mention ::Synjyn Days ::KeShun Freeman (who was also selected as a Freshman All-American)

NFL draft

The following Georgia Tech players were selected in the

2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...

References

{{Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football navbox

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football seasons Orange Bowl champion seasons

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football program represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in the sport of American football. The Yellow Jackets college football team competes in the Football Bowl Subd ...

2014 in Atlanta