The Commodores are looking to break a four game losing streak against one of college football's hottest teams. You know the drill: Expect the worst, hope for the best, and check out @hustlernews for up to the date commentary and news on the game.
9:35 Georgia Tech's made good on the fumble with a 15-yard Roddy Jones touchdown. Guess it's going to be a #vandymisery night afterall.
9:29 And that's probably it for Vanderbilt tonight. In 13 seconds, Josh Nesbitt hit Peeples for an 87-yard touchdown making it 49-31. Warren Norman fumbles on the return, and Georgia Tech recovers. Good, great, wonderful, get on the bus.
9:16 Well, damn it. Jamie Graham fumbles at the Vanderbilt 19, then recovered by Tech. Roddy Jones twists the knife with a 16-yard rush. Jonathan Dwyer pulls the knife out, cuts up a lime with it, mixes a rum and coke, drinks that, then stabs us with it again. Tech 42, Vandy 31 as Dwyer puts his third TD of the game on the board.
9:09 Jonathan Dwyer chips in with a little three-yard run for a touchdown. Vanderbilt had Tech on the ropes (...sort of) with a 4th & 1 deep in Vandy territory, Georgia Tech elected to go for it, but we never got to see that conclusion because Vandy jumped offsides. 40 yards and a lot of little rushing plays for GT to give them the lead.
8:58 Upson, not so much. Only a 34 yard punt.
8:56 Oh boy oh boy. Greg Billinger forced a fumble and John Stokes picked it up killing Georgia Tech's redzone drive dead in its tracks. Vanderbilt goes three and out, calling on Upson to make it all worth it.
8:48 Okay, you want hear about some insanity? Mackenzi Adams overthrew (I think) Brandon Barden, this pass was nearly intercepted and therefore tipped by Georgia Tech, and then picked up by Udom Umoh for a 42-yard completion. Follow that up with a few poor showings of the rush offense and you have a 23-yard Vanderbilt field goal good for the lead early in the second half.
8:11 Stormin' Norman becomes only the second SEC player to ever return three kick returns for touchdown. Willie Gault also did it for Tennessee in 1980.
8:05 At the risk of developing a pattern here, ZAC STACY puts seven on the board with a 62-yard rush, beating out all Tech secondary to tie this ball game up at 28 with three minutes to go.
7:57 WARREN NORMAN puts seven on the board with his third kick return for a touchdown this season; this is the first time this has happened in Vanderbilt History. Stupid kick on Georgia Tech's part -- a bouncing line drive down the middle, leaving a big ol' gap for Stormin' Norman to blast through.
7:53 Aaaaand we just took a stroll through hell. Mackenzi Adams fumbled on the Vanderbilt 22, recovered by Georgia Tech, leading to a quick, quick Georgia Tech score on two plays and 22 rushing yards for Jonathan Dwyer.
7:45 Demaryius Thomas breaks free from Myron Lewis to catch a 35-yarder from Josh Nesbitt in the endzone. Touchdown Georgia Tech, time to answer for Vanderbilt with 8:06 left in the half.
7:42 Nesbitt finally gets off a big, fast-looking pass for first down -- 30 yards to Embry Peeples. Nesbitt only put up 29 yards on 2-4 attempts in the first quarter.
7:40 Possibly seeing the difference between Adams and Smith here, with a bullet of a pass to Brandon Barden. Upson came out for his first punt of the night.
7:32 Georgia Tech responds in kind with a 12 play, 69-yard drive with QB Nesbitt putting the ball in the endzone himself on a one-yard rush. Vandy defense had some troubles stopping the Tech offense on third down, particularly on the 3rd & 8 on the Vandy 25, where Tech rushed to a first and goal.
7:22 Larry Smith pulled his hamstring. He is unlikely to return. Is GT likely to score here after the quarter break? MAYBE, they just converted on 3rd and 10 after a weird, weird "Grabbed his leg" tackle by Myron Lewis to make it first and 10 on Vandy's 25.
7:14 Zac Stacy leaps for the endzone and gets it. Deserving: He threw down on a 47-yard rush to put Vandy in the redzone. All in all: 88 yards (88 YARDS) on seven plays to put 14 Vanderbilt points on the board in the first quarter.
7:07 Larry Smith has left the game after breaking off a 35-yard rush. Right now it's unclear whether it's a cramp or knee/ankle injury. More on that when we get it, but Mackenzi Adams is in for right now -- and just completed a huge 47-yard play with Zac Stacy rushing the Commodores into the red zone.
7:03 Vanderbilt cracked down on Georgia Tech at midfield, cutting them short on a 3rd & 3 at midfield, with Eddie Foster breaking up Josh Nesbitt's pass.
6:49 Vanderbilt ties the game up with a drive that, excitement, included a completed pass (it's when the quarterback throws the ball and someone catches it) for Alex Washington of 16 yards, a filthy double reverse netting Jamie Graham a 21-yard first down. Money play: Smith to Norman for 11 yards and six points. All in all: 71 yards on eight plays to tie everything 7-7 with 8:52 to go in the first.
6:40 At's already looking like long night. 25-yard return, Dwyer then breaks off a charming 38-yard rush, a quick pitch to first and goal, and then a Nesbitt draw for the touchdown.
