|
Vanderbilt Falls In Overtime to Georgia Tech 9/27/2003
Vanderbilt Falls In Overtime to Georgia Tech In their first overtime game since 1999, Vanderbilt fell to Georgia Tech 24-17 Saturday night in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Nashville. The Commodores gained a 17-10 lead late in the game on a touchdown by junior tailback Norval McKenzie, but it was not enough to secure the victory. Georgia Tech scored the first points of the game on a 35-yard field goal by senior place kicker Dan Burnett. The Yellow Jackets followed with a 2-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back P.J. Daniels. They did not score again until senior tight end John Paul Foschi caught a six-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left in the game, tying the score at 17. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
Vanderbilt’s offense heated up in the second quarter as McKenzie scored the first of his two touchdowns on a nine-yard run. The touchdown was set up by sophomore quarterback Jay Cutler’s 32- yard run for a first down on a preceding play. Tolga Ertugrul tied the score at ten with a 32-yard field goal as the clock wound down before halftime.
The Commodores scored again with just over two minutes to go in the fourth quarter on a two-yard McKenzie run. The touchdown was also set up by a 33-yard Cutler pass to junior wide receiver Brandon Smith. McKenzie’s run culminated the three-minute, 76-yard drive for Vanderbilt and gave them the lead at 17-10.
Georgia Tech tied the game with 32 seconds left in regulation on Foschi’s catch. Junior free safety James Butler then blocked Ertugrul’s 44-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing Vanderbilt drive, sending the game into overtime.
With the first possession in overtime, freshman quarterback Reggie Ball scored the winning touchdown on a 25-yard bootleg run. Butler then intercepted Cutler’s pass on first down to seal the victory for the Yellow Jackets.
Cutler led the Commodores in rushing with 61 yards, and also completed 14-of-27 passes for 185 yards on the night.
Sophomore tailback Kwane Doster contributed 50 yards on 13 carries. Smith added a career-high six receptions and 91 yards, and sophomore wide receiver Erik Davis had 52 yards on 4 receptions. McKenzie finished the game with 43 yards rushing and 24 yards on two receptions.
Additionally, Vanderbilt had two interceptions, one by sophomore cornerback Dominique Morris in the first quarter and another by sophomore linebacker Moses Osemwegie in the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt returns to action next Saturday when the Commodores travel to Starkville, Miss., to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. CT. |
