Georgia Tech Football Top 50 Best Moments, #47: 2014 vs. Georgia Southern
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47. The Deon Hill Catch
September 13, 2014: Georgia Tech 42, Georgia Southern 38
Georgia Tech cruised during the first half by getting a 14-0 lead in only 7 minutes and then extending it to a 35-10 lead at the end of the half. I actually was at this game, and because I was with my grandfather, we went home. We were extremely confident that this team would dominate the rest of the game. *Record scratch* We were wrong.
Georgia Southern got off to a quick start in the second half, thanks to a 32 yard run by the Quarterback. No Tech fans were nervous, though, as the Yellow Jackets were still up 18, with Thomas coming out on to the field. Georgia Southern got the ball back and immediately scored on a 2 yard run to make it 35-24. Still, not a concern to many of us though. The concern started to set in when Kevin Ellison took the shotgun snap and threw to B.J. Ellison on the sideline who evaded D.J. White and scored the 68-yard touchdown to make it 35-30. That’s when the nerves started. Tech failed on the next drive to score, and so Georgia Southern drove down to the red zone, and the 11 yard line. Georgia Southern would go on to score the next play, and convert the 2 point conversion to make it 38-35. Tech’s defense held tight for the next drive, until forcing a fumble on an option play, with 4:12 remaining.
Tech’s offense obviously isn’t designed for a 4-minute drive, so most of us Tech weren’t very confident. Georgia Tech’s Offense rumbled down the field and got to the 13 yard line, with about :50 remaining on the clock. Tech then only got 3 yards on their first two plays, and so on 3rd down, Head Coach Paul Johnson had to make a difficult call. Would he risk it and throw it for the first down on 3rd Down, or would he run it and count on 4th Down to get the first.
Paul opted to throw it, and the play looked like it was done from the beginning, as #40 burst through the line. Thomas used his famous improvisation skills to avoid the tackle as Deon Hill streaked across. Thomas hit Hill on his route perfectly, as he ran under the Defense. Hill put his hands up, plucked the ball out of the air, and ran through the attempted tackle, as he cut up-field into the end-zone. The touchdown would make it 42-38, and Tech would hold tight the rest of the game to win it and get to a 3-0 record.
Next: Georgia Tech Football Top 50 Best Moments, #49: The First Win At Notre Dame
One can only wonder how the season would’ve gone had Georgia Southern been able to pull off the upset.