ATLANTA — One year after winning a national championship, unranked LSU found renewed reason to hope for a return to glory.
Charles Scott ran for three touchdowns, freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed his first nine passes and LSU made big plays on special teams in a surprisingly easy 38-3 victory win over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-Bowl on Wednesday night.
LSU outscored the No. 14 Yellow Jackets 28-0 in the second quarter and led 35-3 at halftime. Scott, who had 65 yards rushing, had two touchdowns in the decisive quarter.
LSU (8-5) lost three of its last four regular-season games but regrouped for the dominant bowl victory.
“I was real comfortable,” Jefferson said after only his second start. “I had faith in my line.”
When asked if he believes he should start in 2009, Jefferson said “Possibly. We’ll see.”
Jefferson was 16-of-25 for 142 yards and a touchdown. He added nine carries for 33 yards.
“He wasn’t a freshman tonight,” Scott said. “He was poised. He was smooth. He grew up a lot tonight. When he called my number, I had no hesitation.”
The biggest special teams plays all fell in LSU’s favor. LSU recovered an onside kick and a Georgia Tech fumbled punt return and made a fourth-down stop on the Yellow Jackets’ surprising fake punt from Tech’s 22.
“We have some pretty nifty special teams guys,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We felt like we needed to maybe steal some possessions and keep the ball away from their offense.”
LSU turned the fumbled punt and stop on the fake punt into quick touchdowns while outscoring Georgia Tech 28-0 in the second quarter.
“We know we can do it,” said LSU tight end Richard Dickson, who had a 25-yard touchdown catch. “We can beat anybody. We just had to come out and put it all together.”
As if to affirm its mastery of special teams, LSU pulled off a successful fake punt in the fourth quarter, with punter Brady Dalfrey running for 21 yards for the first down. LSU led 38-3 when Miles called for the fake, and Georgia Tech fans booed the decision.
“We’ve kind of had that fake ready to go for a while,” Miles said. “End of the season, we were getting itchy.”
Georgia Tech (9-4) was denied its first 10-win season since 1998.
“I think the turning point in the game was when we lined it up and kicked it off,” said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson.
Johnson wasn’t kidding.
The opening kickoff by Scott Blair bounced out of bounds, setting the stage for what Johnson called “the worst special teams game I can remember.”
The Yellow Jackets lost three turnovers, including a fumble by quarterback Josh Nesbitt on a fourth-down run from the LSU 10 with 2:37 remaining.
“We got outplayed,” Johnson said. “We got outcoached. It was a good beating.”
Scott scored on runs of 1, 2 and 4 yards. Backup tailback Keiland Williams added an 18-yard touchdown run with 1:27 left in the first half.
The Tigers’ defense, a weakness most of the season, was rarely fooled by Georgia Tech’s spread option attack.
Nesbitt completed a pass to top running back Jonathan Dwyer for 40 yards on the Yellow Jackets’ first play, but that was the only first down of the opening drive.
The Yellow Jackets held the ball for 13 plays on their next drive, but LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson deflected a third-down pass for Demaryius Thomas from the Tigers’ 7. Georgia Tech had to settle for Scott Blair’s 24-yard field goal after holding the ball for more than 7 minutes.
“It just went downhill from there,” said Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson, who said LSU was effective in seizing the momentum.
“When you get a team down, you have to put your foot on their throat. The second quarter just doomed us. That’s a physical team. ... This was embarrassing.”
After Scott’s second touchdown run gave LSU a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter, the Tigers recovered Josh Jasper’s onside kick. Stefoin Francois recovered the ball at the LSU 45.
LSU had to punt four plays later, but Andrew Smith fumbled the punt at the Georgia Tech 19. Ron Brooks recovered for the Tigers, setting up Scott’s third touchdown run for a 21-3 lead.
Georgia Tech attempted a fake punt on a fourth-and-8 play from its 22, but defensive end Derrick Morgan gained only 2 yards.
Only two plays later, Jefferson completed the touchdown pass to Dickson.
The three touchdowns gave Scott 18 for the season, one behind LaBrandon Toefield’s school-record 19 in 2001.
Colt David’s 53-yard field goal late in the third quarter was the longest in the bowl’s history.
Nesbitt completed a 47-yard pass to Marcus Wright, leaving the Georgia Tech at the LSU 16 as the third quarter ended. The Yellow Jackets couldn’t take advantage of the big play, as Nesbitt was sacked by Lazarius Levingston on fourth down from the 13.
Nesbitt was 8-for-24 passing for 150 yards with an interception.
The Tigers improved to 5-0 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, including a similarly lopsided 40-3 win over Miami in the 2005 game.
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Comments » 24
gnm53108 writes:
Wow!
rabidvol1998 writes:
ess eee see .... ess eee see .... ess eee see
gnm53108 writes:
Thought GT would be abe to run all over them.
Very impressive D.
Coach Cahvis is going to like workin with this group.
And sorry but I forgot about the 1st thing.
ncvol17 writes:
Now Chavis dons the Purple and Gold.....Rassle that Tiger
lomas98 writes:
A 6-6 team in Vandy beats the loser of ACC championship game. Now a 7-5 LSU destroys the team most felt was the best team in ACC. Nice try ACC
blitzshoot writes:
I was wrong on this game. Never thought this would happen to this Ga Tech team. LSU was much improved than the regular season team. Go SEC!
TommyJack writes:
Don't know, but it was an azz whuppin. Can't blame the option..just got out played.
ctownvol writes:
Ouch.
onevolfan99 writes:
SEC=football
Eric_Freaking_Berry writes:
I was originally thinking this would be one of the better bowl games of the season. Guess I was way off base. Terrible blocking by the Jackets, no fluidity in anything they were trying to accomplish on offense.
FWBVol writes:
First, I'm a UTK grad and was a Speech Comm major. Second, I supported CPF and would have preferred that Hamilton had given him one more year. Third, none of us are God and can know if Fulmer and his staff could have turned things back around, but I still think they could have.
All that said, I am first a Tennessee Volunteer and Lane Kiffin is now the coach so I will support him and the staff he is assembling until they give me reason not to do so.
gnm53108 writes:
Ditto to everything except the speech major.
Coach Kiffin sure is generating alot of excitement from the Vol Nation.
And I'm most definately included.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Got to hand it to LSU.
Dominating performance.
Keep it up, SEC.
gnm53108 writes:
D@mn pd,general.Yaw up this early?
I atleast hope the surplus of Killians and Makers Mark have been deminished.
gnm53108 writes:
Hahaha
So you're up this late.
Well if yaw left anything cold and frost brewed in nashville its fixin to be attacked.
Hard.
PennVol writes:
Looks like GT was reading the newspapers and took a 7-5 SEC team a little lightly. I saw the "America votes" on ESPN was around 76% that GT would win.
tennisvol writes:
Good luck, Coach Chavis.
TommyJack writes:
A couple of points...
I bet Paul Johnson (still a great coach) learned a lesson in preparation.
Not smart to underestimate Les Miles and his material.
GhostofRobertNeyland writes:
I know people like you...lonely people who have no friends and no life. I feel very sad and sorry for you. As REO Speedwagon sang, "Some people just love to hate".
rabidvol1998 writes:
Iowa is taking the ess and see out of my chant right now.
Oh well, at least I can take pleasure in the demise of Visor.
Vol_in_Mich writes:
Congrats to Vandy & LSU. Both outcomes a little bit of a suprise. Thought GT would do better, but looks like LSU found a QB who wouldn't give the game away. Big improvement over Lee.
The Ole Ball Coach & SC are getting a MAJOR AZZ whipping by Iowa right now. I can't remember a Big Ten team beating up on a SEC team this bad since, Oh yeah Michigan wooping the Gators last year.
Go VOLS!!!
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Lots of loser teams playing in bowl games, and we are made to think WOW, a bowl game! Look at all of the teams with 3 4 and 5 loses. Even some with 6?
Vol_in_Mich writes:
I see your point, but the bowl games are fun. You get to see teams playing each other that don't normally meet. It gives some of these kids a chance to go out as winners & the fans something to talk about. It kinda sucks when your team's not in one.
At least the bowls don't have a 8&8 team making it while a 11&5 team sits out like the NFL.
Anyway, things are looking up in Vol land & hope you have a happy new year.
Go VOLS!!!
ncvol writes:
Glad LSU made SEC a winner....
Go Vols!
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