Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Georgia Tech football notes: Yellow Jackets take team chaplain Derrick Moore's words to heart

ATLANTA — The message was simple, to the point and apparently well-received.

Georgia Tech chaplain Derrick Moore delivers pregame sermons to the Yellow Jackets on topics he believes pertain to where the team is emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Speaking with passion he gave one of his most timely and appropriate addresses of the season Saturday afternoon.

With the Yellow Jackets huddled inside their Bobby Dodd Stadium locker room, he discussed one word as the basis of his oration: perseverance.

“You have to find a way to finish it, to finish the game,” he forcefully said, reiterating the point following Georgia Tech’s 30-27 overtime win over Wake Forest.

“Just try to finish, that was the main point he had (Saturday),” defensive end Derrick Morgan said. “He kind of hits it on the head every week.

“I don’t know if he has any premonitions or what, though.”

Moore continued, “It all starts with character — character, integrity, discipline. Those are the tools it takes to finish a game.”

With Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt successfully converting a fourth-and-short quarterback dive near Wake Forest’s goal line, and then scoring one play later, the Yellow Jackets found a way to persevere.

“You can see, it goes all the way down,” Moore said. “It comes from the coach, who calls the play late and then it extends to the players who find a way to finish — to persevere.”

Dwyer’s milestones

Georgia Tech’B-back Jonathan Dwyer set a pair of milestones Saturday.

After coming away with a career-high 186 yards rushing last week against Vanderbilt, the junior beat that performance with a 189-yard showing against Wake Forest.

He also surpassed the 1,000-yard season plateau for the second time of his career. Last season, he rushed for 1,395 yards before being named ACC Player of the Year.

Roster changes

Before the game, the Yellow Jackets announced three key roster changes.

As was expected, free safety Mario Edwards got his first career start at the position in place of injured Dominique Reese, who continues to nurse a bum shoulder.

Along with Edwards — a Virginia Tech transfer who played significant time last week in relief of Reese — received a start at cornerback in place of Jerrard Tarrant. Tarrant did, however, end up playing much of the game, being featured at nickel back and at punt return.

The final change came along the offensive line, where redshirt freshman Phil Smith received his first career start in favor of Austin Barrick, who is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.

Hall of Fame inductions

During halftime, five former Georgia Tech athletes were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.

Headlined by former Heisman Trophy hopeful Joe Hamilton, the group included former football player Craig Page, track star Angelo Taylor and baseball players Kris Wilson and J.J. Thomas.

Page and Hamilton were also the game’s honorary captains for Georgia Tech and met at midfield during the coin toss alongside the Yellow Jackets’ season captains.

School spirit

Some 10 minutes before kickoff, fans inside Bobby Dodd Stadium were treated to a flyover by a pair of F-18 fighter jets.

Immediately following the playing of the national anthem, the aircraft skimmed along the top of the stadium from the north before peeling off and disappearing into the western sky.

Near the start of the third quarter, the pilots and crew were honored on the field. As fans cheered, one of the pilots — a Georgia Tech graduate — unzipped his uniform to reveal a gold T-shirt that read “Beat the Dawgs.” When it was shown on the stadium’s MegaJacketTron, the cheering rose even louder.

Quick hits

Scott Blair’s 45-yard field goal to begin Saturday’s scoring was the longest of his career and the longest for Georgia Tech since 2007. ... B-back Preston Lyons secured a pair of personal records. The Colgate transfer scored Georgia Tech’s first touchdown when he ripped off a career-best 31-yard run for his first touchdown as a Yellow Jackets player.