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Virginia Falls Short at Georgia Tech, 33-21
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ATLANTA (AP) – Anthony Allen ran for 195 yards and three touchdowns and Georgia Tech posted its best rushing total in an Atlantic Coast Conference game to beat Virginia 33-21 on Saturday.
Allen had touchdown runs of 6, 18 and 8 yards in the second half. The Yellow Jackets had 477 yards rushing, the fifth-best total in school history and the top total in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.
Quarterback Joshua Nesbitt added 21 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown. Georgia Tech (4-2, 3-1) has back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Virginia (2-3, 0-2) suffered its second straight ACC loss under first-year coach Mike London.
The Yellow Jackets’ previous best rushing total in an ACC game was 472 yards against Miami in 2008.
London took over for Al Groh, who was fired last year after nine seasons and became Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator.
The Georgia Tech defense held the Cavaliers to 376 yards, including 209 through three quarters. Virginia quarterback Marc Verica completed 18 of 31 passes for 239 yards and no touchdowns.
Virginia fullback Max Milien had a 37-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. The Cavaliers trailed 20-14 after a 1-yard touchdown run by Keith Payne with 6:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Virginia was then held without a score until Payne’s 1-yard run with only 49 seconds remaining. Payne led Virginia with 14 carries for 56 yards.
The Cavaliers trailed 27-14 when they were stopped on Verica’s incomplete fourth-down pass from the Georgia Tech 2 with 10:58 remaining.
The Yellow Jackets put the game away with the 11-play touchdown drive which ended with Allen’s third score.
Allen needed another 5 yards to become Georgia Tech’s first player to rush for 200 yards since Roddy Jones had 214 in a win over Georgia on Nov. 29, 2008.
Georgia Tech, slowed by two first-half turnovers, dominated the statistics but led only 13-7 at halftime.
The Yellow Jackets stretched their lead as Allen ran for two touchdowns in the third quarter.
Scott Blair had field goals of 40 and 28 yards in the first half for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets finally reached the end zone on Nesbitt’s 1-yard run with only 36 seconds remaining in the half.