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Today we get right back to it with the final five plays of our countdown of the best moments of the 2013 season. To recap, so far we’ve seen:
Robbie’s shifty touchdown run vs Pittsburgh
DeAndre Smelter’s first two collegiate receptions
Tyler Marcordes’ warp-speed 95-yard pick six (watch the gif closely to witness the burners)
Justin Thomas’ serious playmaking ability
Waller climbing the ladder for a key touchdown
The final five plays we have on tap for you showcase some very talented Yellow Jackets. In my opinion, the 2013 rendition of the Georgia Tech football team probably ranks second overall in terms of total team athleticism in the Paul Johnson era (the 2009 squad takes first by far – those boys were nasty). I think the final top five plays we’ll cover this week will do a good job supporting this claim. Enjoy!
Play number five takes place on a cool Thursday night in mid-November during Tech’s second road trip to Death Valley in two years. Clemson’s star quarterback Tajh Boyd has lead his eighth-ranked team to an 8-1 (6-1) record. He has had his way with most of the defenses he’s faced all season, with the exception of FSU’s national championship caliber squad.
Jeremiah Attaochu, however, has other plans.
The Situation: It’s late in the first quarter, and the Clemson offense has struggled to do much of anything against a hard-playing Georgia Tech defense. As the Tigers cling to their 3-0 lead, the Clemson faithful watch on as their team threatens to start "Clemson-ing" at any moment. (For those who don’t know, "Clemson-ing" is an increasingly popular term describing Clemson’s knack for catastrophic meltdowns in high stakes environments; see the 2013 FSU game or the 2012 Orange Bowl for an example.)
It’s 3rd and seven with less than four minutes to go in the first quarter. Clemson’s got the ball inside the Georgia Tech 40.
The Play: Tajh Boyd is lined up in the gun. Attaochu is lined up on the left side of the defensive line. The ball is snapped and he gets a great jump, easily blowing by Clemson OT Gifford Timothy and flushing Tajh to his left.
Attaochu is in pursuit. Tajh is scrambling and still looking downfield, hoping he can spot an open receiver and dump the ball off.
However, he can’t outrun Sneezy, who makes a great play and sacks him for a five yard loss, halting the drive in its tracks and forcing Clemson to kick a long field goal.
We chose this play to be in our top five because it is just one play in what was overall a fantastic game for Attaochu. It wasn’t his first time getting to Tajh that night and it certainly wasn’t his last. Below you can see a play from earlier in the first quarter where he similarly blows up the Clemson OL and sacks arguably the most talented quarterback he would face all season.
We’re definitely going to miss Sneezy on defense this year. What’s your favorite play from Jerry’s Georgia Tech career? Join us tomorrow for play #4!