COLLEGE BOWL NEWS: Georgia Tech Too Much Early for Mississippi State

FLORIDA SPORTS WIRE

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla --Justin Thomas accounted for four touchdowns and No. 10 Georgia Tech gouged eighth-ranked Mississippi State for an Orange Bowl record 452 rushing yards in a 49-34 rout on Wednesday night.

Thomas finished with 121 yards on the ground with three touchdowns and also threw for 125 yards with a score and an interception, earning Orange Bowl MVP honors.

Synjyn Days rushed for 171 yards and three scores for the Yellow Jackets (11-3), who responded from a close loss to Florida State in the ACC Championship Game and broke down a solid SEC defense.

Dak Prescott went 33-of-51 passing for 453 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for the Bulldogs (10-3), while also rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Josh Robinson, who declared for the NFL Draft prior to the game via his Instagram account, rushed for a team-high 75 yards in the setback. De'Runnya Wilson hauled in nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

"A tough loss for us," Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said according to the team's website. "Give Georgia Tech a lot of credit."

Although Georgia Tech allowed an improbable Hail Mary as time expired in the second quarter, the Ramblin' Wreck scored on their first three drives and opened the game up in the third quarter.

Georgia Tech opened the third with a swift scoring march that lasted 55 seconds. Following a short run by Charles Perkins, Days sprinted off the left guard and tip-toed down the sideline for a 69-yard touchdown which gave the Yellow Jackets a 28-20 lead.

Thomas then concluded an 81-yard trek on Georgia Tech's next touch with a 32- yard TD run for a 35-20 lead with under eight minutes left. He added a 15-yard scoring run to give the Yellow Jackets a commanding 22-point edge.

Mississippi State finally got on the board in the second half with Prescott's 7-yard TD pass to Wilson on the first play of the fourth quarter, but Days answered with a 4-yard touchdown scamper on the next drive for a 49-27 edge.

Prescott and Wilson hooked up for a 12-yard touchdown to account for the final margin late in the fourth.

Mississippi State scored 13 straight points after going down by two touchdowns entering the second. Evan Sobiesk kicked a 32-yard field goal to cap a 13- play, 60-yard drive and get the Bulldogs on the board.

After a quick three-and-out from Georgia Tech, it took Mississippi State just four plays to reach the end zone. Prescott hit Joe Morrow for a 32-yard strike on the first play of the sequence, then rushed for a 5-yard score with under 10 minutes left in the half.

The Ramblin' Wreck orchestrated a drive on the next possession, but Thomas was picked off by Beniquez Brown. That turnover set up Sobiesk's 30-yard field goal to make it a 14-13 game.

Georgia Tech had an answer, however, when Thomas' 13-yard touchdown run on a rollout to his right capped a drive of 4:43 and gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-13 lead.

Just when it looked like Georgia Tech halted the momentum, the Bulldogs dealt what could have been a crushing blow just before the half. Mississippi State got the ball back with 29 seconds left and moved the ball just past midfield to set up a Hail Mary attempt on the final play. 

Prescott dropped back, fired to the end zone and the ball deflected off a handful of players prior to a trailing Fred Ross getting his arms underneath it and securing the 42-yard touchdown catch.

Prescott got off to a rough start, throwing an interception to Chris Milton on the second pass of his night. The Yellow Jackets took advantage with their patented rushing attack as Perkins bolted for a 23-yard gain two plays later, then Days capped the four-play series with a 3-yard TD.

The Bulldogs responded with a drive to the Georgia Tech 32, but Prescott tossed an incompletion on 4th-and-4.

Late in the first, Thomas went up top to Darren Waller for a 41-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Orange Bowl Notes: The Bulldogs fell to 10-8 in bowls, while Georgia Tech is now 24-19 all-time during bowl season ... Ross caught six passes for 102 yards in the loss ... Mississippi State had 152 yards rushing ... The Yellow Jackets held the ball for 34:47 ... Waller led the Yellow Jackets with 114 yards receiving ... This was the seventh trip for Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, the last of which was a 24-14 loss to Iowa in 2010.