JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Georgia Tech will bring the 2016 season to an end Saturday in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Kentucky. There is little chance that anything that takes place upon EverBank Field will displace A-back Qua Searcy’s 6-yard touchdown run against Georgia as the most memorable and evocative play of the Yellow Jackets’ season.
Down 27-21 with 36 seconds to play, with Tech facing a third-and-goal from the Georgia 6, Searcy took a toss from quarterback Justin Thomas for a halfback option play and a throw back to Thomas. Instead, with Thomas covered, he pulled the ball down and ran it in for the game-tying touchdown.
Tech fans everywhere will remember it for a long time. Those directly involved have memories of their own.
A-back Qua Searcy
The decision to run the ball? That was not rehearsed.
“Actually, every time I repped it (in practice), I threw the ball,” he said.
Reminded by coach Paul Johnson not to force the pass, Searcy approached the play with that mindset — don’t throw an interception.
“Just focusing on if there was someone over there with Justin, just try to make something happen or just run out of bounds,” he said.
