CLEMSON, S.C. --- When Demaryius Thomas runs a stop-and-go route, he likes to take a peek behind him during the most important part of his motion.

That way, he can sometimes see what's going to happen, like on the most important play of Saturday afternoon's game at Clemson. Thomas, Georgia Tech's sophomore wide receiver, said he saw the defender slip and quarterback Josh Nesbitt preparing to release the ball toward him. Moments later he was hustling underneath the heave for a 24-yard score that decided Tech's 21-17 win over Clemson, which was playing five days after coach Tommy Bowden announced his resignation.

"They had been jumping on the (short) route all day," Nesbitt said.

Said Thomas, "I knew I was going to be wide open."

Thomas, the only Tech player with more than five receptions this year, said it was the first time he ran that route in the game. The reception, on third-and-6 with 5:22 remaining, came one possession after Thomas dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone. His redeeming effort, coupled with a defense that gave up fewer than 250 yards, surged Tech (6-1, 3-1) to its best start since 1999.

A whirlwind of a week left Clemson right where it began the season: losing to an opponent its fans probably expected to outclass. Benched quarterback Cullen Harper played all but 15 offensive snaps because of a shoulder injury to first-time starter Willy Korn and threw two third-quarter scoring passes that looked like they would be enough until Thomas' late reception. A holding penalty on center Thomas Austin negated a 27-yard fourth-down completion into Tech territory in the final 3 minutes that could have set up an interesting conclusion.

"I'm not disappointed in these men today. I'm proud," said Clemson interim coach Dabo Swinney, the former wide receivers coach who took over for Bowden, who coached Clemson the past 10 seasons. "These guys are not losers ... this is just the start of a unified Clemson team."

Said Harper, "We are 100 percent behind coach Swinney, and we're going to keep fighting. He's brought us together; we're a big family."

It was Georgia Tech's first win at Clemson since 2004, when it famously blew past the Tigers 28-24 by scoring three TDs in the final 4:36. It looked like it would be much easier this time when the Yellow Jackets forced four first-half turnovers to lead 14-3 at intermission.

But their first four possessions of the second half netted 61 yards and none lasted longer than 3:37. The Yellow Jackets never sustained a time-consuming drive with their deceptive option attack and were held to their second-lowest offensive output of the year (298 yards).

"They played one (defensive) front and we blocked the wrong guys about four or five times," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We have a lot of things that we can work on. We can play a lot better."

Tech created its first offensive score late in the first half by going 80 yards in 4:19. Off to a bad start -- Nesbitt was sacked on the first play for a 9-yard loss, crippling for a run-based offense -- the drive changed when Jonathan Dwyer (109 rushing yards) raced 31 yards off left tackle to convert a third-and-16. Six plays later Nesbitt scored from 5 yards out.

It took Tech's offense 32 more plays to score again, but it hardly mattered in the end when -- for the sixth time this season -- its players raised their helmets toward the marching band and belted each line of the school fight song.

"The kids have shown some toughness and character on the road; it makes you proud as a coach," Johnson said. "They fight back and never hang their heads."

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: With their fourth win in a row, the Yellow Jackets are off to their best start since in nine years. The Tigers have dropped three consecutive games, their longest skid since 2005.