Georgia Tech at Mississippi State,Take II...taking the sting out

Last year’s contest had all the makings for a great ACC vs. SEC classic. With only two prior games in the series, and none in the modern era, few knew what to expect as MSU took their tough-nosed SEC defense to Atlanta to match it up against the high-powered option attack from GT.

Coming into the game, things looked promising for Tech. They held a 2-1 record. They had managed to beat a good Boston College team on the road, but dropped a game to Virginia Tech (eventual ACC champ) by only 3 points. 

Mississippi State, on the other hand, held a 1-2 mark and entered Atlanta one week after an embarrassing 3-2 loss to Auburn. It was a game that displayed two of the worst offensive performances in recent history and was the talk of the week on most sports shows and chat boards.

State limped to Atlanta as an 8.5 point dog (no pun intended), MSU fans wondered if they could shake off the prior week and come away with a victory over the rushing machine that was emerging at Georgia Tech.

Much to their dismay, at the sound of the final whistle it was all Tech.  State failed to score a point until the fourth quarter as the second and third tier defenders manned the field for the Yellow Jackets. 

In spite of playing most of the game with back-up quarterback, Jaybo Shaw, the Yellow Jackets turned in a record day. Johnathan Dwyer (2008 ACC Player of the Year) set a school record with an 88-yard scamper for a touchdown.

The GT rushing attack continued its onslaught to the tune of  438 yards (fifth highest in school history) and finished with 500 yards in total offense. The Dawgs were sent home from Bobby Dodd Stadium on the losing end of a 38-7 margin.

The final sum of the 2008 seasons marked both a beginning and an end for each program. 

Coming into the season, expectations were relatively low for first year coach Paul Johnson who was determined to successfully implement his option attack into the ACC.  Sports Illustrated had projected a 3-9 finish and had rated the Yellow Jackets 80^th overall in the FCS.

Much to the surprise of pretty much everyone outside of Atlanta, Johnson´s formula worked.  He led his young team to a 9-4 season and maintained a share of the ACC Coastal Division title. 

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