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 or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

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 D ...

. 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 Historic Grant 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 foo ...

. They were a member of the Coastal Division of the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

. After going 7–6 in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

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

Georgia Southern Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...

and Virginia Tech, and end a five-game losing streak to Miami (FL). After losing back-to-back games to Duke and North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets won out the rest of its regular season, which was capped off with a 30–24 overtime victory over Georgia. The Yellow Jackets represented the Coastal Division in the

ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of ...

, where they were defeated by Atlantic Division champions Florida State 37-35, however the Yellow Jackets were invited to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Mississippi State 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 where they were defeated by Ole Miss. 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 Lavaedeay Monlique "Vad" Lee (born April 27, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). He previously played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions of the Canadian F ...

, who was Georgia Tech's starter in 2013, was replaced by Justin Thomas after Lee transferred to James Madison.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 DeAndre Tremaine Smelter (born December 3, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Georgia Tech. College career Smelter originally was drafted by the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball in 2010, bu ...

. 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, Justin Thomas 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, 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 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, but also at Blacksburg since

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Miami

The Hurricanes scored first on a 21-yard touchdown pass from

Brad Kaaya Bradley Mathias Kaaya Jr. (born September 3, 1995) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Miami from 2014 to 2016, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Kaa ...

Braxton Berrios Braxton Berrios (born October 6, 1995) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami Hurricanes football, Miami (FL). He was a star a ...

. 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 football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. ...

. 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 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

.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 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 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, but also at home since

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

.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 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 T. J. Logan (born September 3, 1994) is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina. Professional career Arizona Cardinals L ...

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. 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 football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round o ...

. 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 Darren Charles Waller (born September 13, 1992) is an American football tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Tech. He is the great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist ...

. 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 Hutson Taylor Mason (born September 20, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Georgia and was the Bulldogs starting quarterback in 2014. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Redskins ...

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 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

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 their 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 their 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 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 an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...

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. 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

Eight 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 :: Justin Thomas ::Adam Gotsis ::Zach Laskey *Third team ::Quayshawn Nealy ::Jamal Golden *Honorable mention ::Synjyn Days

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 football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...

References

{{Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football navbox Georgia Tech 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 Division 1 Collegiate Competitors in the sport of American football. The Yellow Jackets college football team competes in the NCAA Div ...