DURHAM, N.C. --- Orwin Smith bobbled the kickoff, recovered just in time to find a seam and took off toward the goal line.
Just like that, No. 7 Georgia Tech was off to the races -- and headed straight for the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.
The Yellow Jackets clinched the Coastal Division and a spot in the league championship by routing Duke 49-10 on Saturday behind 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Jonathan Dwyer and another big day from Josh Nesbitt.
Smith's 83-yard kickoff return sparked slow-starting Georgia Tech (10-1, 7-1). Duke's Jordon Byas tracked him down from behind at the 2, but none of the Yellow Jackets' pursuers can catch them in the standings.
"We've been talking about elimination every week, and we finally got everybody eliminated on our side," coach Paul Johnson said. "We're division champs (but) that wasn't the goal. We're still playing for the goal."
Nesbitt accounted for three scores, finishing 6 of 10 for 195 yards with touchdown passes covering 32 yards to Stephen Hill and 75 yards to Demaryius Thomas and a 2-yard scoring run. Dwyer, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, had TD runs of 3 and 13 yards in his fourth consecutive 100-yard game.
Georgia Tech scored on five of six possessions to break open the game, outgained Duke 519-281, rolled up 306 yards rushing and won its eighth in a row while sewing up the Coastal for the second time in four years. Now, after a week off and a visit from instate rival Georgia, it's on to Tampa, Fla., to face the Atlantic Division champion with a trip to the Orange Bowl on the line.
As the final minutes ticked off the clock, some Tech fans near the goal line unfurled a banner that read, "Tampa Bound."
Thaddeus Lewis was 22 for 35 for 212 yards with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Re'quan Boyette and an interception in garbage time. He also broke Ben Bennett's 26-year-old school record with his 826th career completion.
But the Blue Devils had minus-1 yard rushing through three quarters and finished with 25. Duke (5-5, 3-3) has lost two in a row, and must beat No. 12 Miami and Wake Forest to qualify for its first bowl since 1994.
Yet for a while, the Blue Devils kept this one interesting, taking a 10-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter before Smith's big special-teams play.
He muffed the ensuing kickoff at about the 15, started out toward the hash marks and cut back down the right sideline before he was dragged down deep in Duke territory.
"Once we saw the big play, we just kept following that, using that as momentum for us," Dwyer said.
Nesbitt powered in on the next play, Marcus Wright took an option pitch 16 yards for a TD and Dwyer scored from 3 yards out to make it 21-10. Nesbitt's scoring strike to Hill with 32 seconds left made it an 18-point game at the break and sent Duke to its 39th consecutive loss to a nationally ranked opponent.
That looked like much less of a certainty early on, because Lewis and the Blue Devils couldn't have been much better during their opening drive. The fourth-year starter was 5 for 5 for 54 yards, and the 20-yard pass he dropped over Boyette's shoulder put Duke up 7-0 roughly four minutes in.
"It was evident the way we started the game (that) we were ready to play," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said.
ACC Championship
WHO: Georgia Tech vs. Atlantic Division winner
WHEN: Dec. 5
WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: Winner gets BCS bid to the Orange Bowl
COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS
2005: Virginia Tech Hokies
2006: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2007: Virginia Tech Hokies
2008: Virginia Tech Hokies
2009: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
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Some Tech fan should comment on this so the AC will know there is at least one person in Augusta who cares about Tech.
CONGRAT'S TECHIES!! winning a title in a conference that sports teams like duke, virginia, and maryland is quite an accomplishment. and to do it in front of a whopping 29,000 people must give you chill bumps.
Great game by the Jackets. Cannot wait for the UGA game. Should be interesting to see just how many points the Jackets can post up in that win!!! Go Jackets!!!!!
This offense for Tech is a site to see. I hope Clemson wins next week so there could be a rematch for the ACC championship game. Tech has a week off before Georgia and the dawgs still need to play Kentucky. I know I am in the minority but I wish Georgia-Ga. Tech & Clemson-South Carolina could be played as the first game of the year. Playing a non-conference game at the end of the year makes no sense. I know fans, history & tradition! How about Georgia vs. Clemson and South Carolina vs. Ga. Tech being played every year! I know there are more conference games now, but football fans in this area are being denied what would be some interesting games. Ga.-Clemson played some of the best games in college football in the 70s & 80s. How would you like to see Steve Spurrier going up against Paul Johnson?
Not to be picky mark, but I fail to see the intrigue of Johnson/Spurrier. Maybe I am missing something.
There goes JTF...who posts something negative every time Tech has (wins) a game.
The Jackets are strong this year. A well coached team. The Dawgs will have to have their best game of the year to win. I love college ball.
Let me put it this way, would you want to see Ga. Tech vs. South Carolina and Georgia vs. Clemson? Or would you rather watch Georgia vs. Tenn. Tech, Ga. Tech vs. Jacksonville St., Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina or South Carolina vs. Florida Atlantic?
mark, I suppose I would rather see GT vs SC. I just don't get the intrigue of the coaches involved. But, with the current process of the BSC, you have to play a few weak opponents. Especially SEC teams.
Hotfoot, take your pill.
Justthefacts sounds like a sour Dawg fan! ha ha Like I've been saying all season....GO JACKETS!!!
How so sueboo?
It's just not the coaches. It's everything. C.J. Spiller against that Bulldog defense. Eric Norwood and the USC defense against that Tech triple option. The 1983 Ga.-Clemson tie. The Kevin Butler field goal in 1984. Steve Spurrier was a quarterback coach at Tech in 1979. It's the stories, matchups, players and yes, sometimes the coaches. The playing of weak opponents has nothing to do with the BCS. Playing weaker opponents plays against the BCS for some schools. Some of these easier schedules are the decisions of athletic directors. Sometimes teams don't want to play Boise State or TCU. Georgia-Clemson & Georgia Tech-South Carolina are on future schedules, but as I said they should play every year.
My only point was, I doubt Johnson has ever met Spurrier. There is no intrigue there. I certainly don't see how improving your record against weaker opponents has no effect on the BCS rankings. But, whatever. I was at both Clemson/UGA games you mentioned. They were great. When the SEC went to an 8 game schedule, that non conference game was a victim. Now, they only play every few yrs.
UGA - GT will be 60 - 60 in the 4th quarter. As good as Tech's offense has been, most of the year their offense is almost as bad.
Do you think you might need to re-phrase that?