Georgia Tech had rehearsed its goal-line gadget play on a daily basis, wide receiver Malachi Carter said. Finally, the Yellow Jackets revealed it Friday night against Louisville at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“When they said they were going to call it, we were so excited,” Carter said.
And it wasn’t even a play for him. But a trick play dialed up by offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude for wide receiver Ahmarean Brown worked as planned, generating a touchdown late in the first half. In a win for Tech fans to savor, Brown’s spiraled 9-yard pass off a reverse to wide receiver Jalen Camp in Tech’s 46-27 win over the Cardinals was a delectable highlight along with running back Jahmyr Gibbs' hurdle over a Cardinals safety into the end zone in the third quarter.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness,’” quarterback Jeff Sims said after the game of Gibbs' leap into the end zone.
Brown’s play was called on first-and-goal from the 9. He lined up to the left and ran right as Sims took the snap and ran left behind the offensive line, bringing Louisville’s defense with him. But Sims flipped the ball to Brown as they passed each other, leaving the swift-footed Brown running away from most of the Cardinals defense, with Camp and tight end Dylan Deveney pivoting out to the right side of the end zone as two Louisville defenders tried to catch up.
“Since the season started, we’ve been practicing that play every time we go short yardage, goal line, and it’s on the money every time,” Carter said.
Brown had a run/pass option. With Camp well in the clear, he flipped a pass to him from about the 14-yard line. Brown’s arms were raised even before the ball reached Camp. Watching from the far side of the field, Sims had faith in Brown. Sims said Brown always completes the pass in practice, and the two also sometimes throw together after practice.
“He swears he’s a QB, so he got himself a touchdown,” Sims said.
It was Tech’s first touchdown pass thrown by a non-quarterback since punter Pressley Harvin against Miami last year. The last time a wide receiver threw a TD pass for the Jackets was Jonathan Smith’s 26-yard scoring pass to Nate Curry against North Carolina in 2003. (Tech running backs coach Tashard Choice also threw a touchdown pass against UNC in 2007 to quarterback Taylor Bennett out of a wildcat formation.)
Sims was in proximity to assess Gibbs' highlight play as well. Midway through the fourth quarter, with Tech down 27-26, Gibbs dropped back on a third-and-goal from the Louisville 19, with the Jackets having been backed up because of an illegal-block penalty on guard Ryan Johnson. Given Tech’s troubles getting off placement kicks, a touchdown was the far preferable option.
With linebacker Nick Okeke coming through a gap up the middle on a stunt, Sims needed to get rid of the ball quickly. Gibbs looped out of the backfield and bent his choice route back to the middle of the field, where Sims found him just before getting taken down by Okeke.
As Gibbs turned upfield, safety Isaiah Hayes waited at the goal line and bent his knees in preparation to uncoil into Gibbs, who had other ideas. Gibbs stutter stepped, then launched upward off his right foot, treating the 6-foot-1 Hayes like a track hurdle.
“I saw one man in front of me, so I had to do what I had to do, so I just jumped over him,” Gibbs said.
Hayes could only grab Gibbs' lower right leg, which was at eye level, and linebacker C.J. Avery made an unsuccessful swipe at the ball. Gibbs landed safely in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and the fifth of his career, now three games old. Going into Saturday’s games, only one FBS freshman had more.
“I was going to try to lower my shoulder, but then I was debating,” Gibbs said. “Because if I jump, there’s no way he can knock me back. So I just used that to my advantage.”
Gibbs said he hurdled a player once before, as a high-school junior at Dalton.
“At first I got scared when he was in the air,” Sims said. “I was like, ‘Come on, Jahmyr.’ But then he landed. I was good.”
For Gibbs, it was only the latest play in which he showcased his speed, power and will.
“Jahmyr, he’s a great player,” Sims said. “You can’t find anybody like that.”
One suggestion might be to look up.
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