Bulldogs make major statement on ground

ATLANTA --- The Bulldogs might not have wanted to make a statement with the opening possession, but that's what they did.

Georgia motored 74 yards in 10 plays on its first possession with every step coming on the ground.

Georgia started the drive with three consecutive runs by Caleb King to net 12 yards and a first down. Washaun Ealey took over for the next set of downs and carried twice for 11 yards.

Quarterback Joe Cox got into the act with a 1-yard sweep and plowed over a Georgia Tech cornerback.

Ealey ran 35 yards to the Yellow Jackets' 1-yard line. After a false start penalty, King carried six yards to the end zone to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with under 10 minutes left in the first quarter.

King carried six times for 32 yards, Ealey carried three times for 46 yards and Cox had a single 1-yard run in the drive. Georgia ran on its first 13 plays.

JONES PICKS ON TECH: Reshad Jones made his third interception of the season and the 10th in his career in the second quarter.

Georgia Tech backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw tried to hit a play-action deep pass over the middle. Jones tracked back and made a one-handed pickoff at the Georgia 43.

Jones, a reshirt junior, has had interceptions in all three games he's played against Georgia Tech.

LATE TIMEOUT: Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson called a timeout with three seconds left in the first half that faked out many of Georgia's players.

Georgia Tech had the ball at about the Yellow Jackets' 40-yard line after sack and a short third-down run. Johnson let the clock run down from 20 seconds to three before calling timeout. Before Johnson called timeout, many Georgia players had already run to the locker room, including most of the first-team offense and starting cornerback Prince Miller .

Assistants recalled Georgia's team and Miller ran directly from the tunnel to his position in the secondary. All the late drama went for naught as Josh Nesbitt ended the half with an incompletion in the end zone.