| *Vanderbilt points out weaknesses in Georgia Tech D*
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By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) -- Georgia Tech keeps proving that offense
isn't a problem with coach Paul Johnson's spread option.
The Yellow Jackets need to show they can be a little defensive
as well.
They rolled up a season-high 597 yards offense in a 56-31
victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday night that moved them up to
No. 10 in the AP poll Sunday. But they also allowed a team that
hadn't scored more than 10 points in any game against a
Southeastern Conference opponent to light up the scoreboard and
finish with 397 yards offense.
"I'm disappointed in the way we started," Johnson said. "We
missed some tackles that just killed us in the first half on big
plays. They hit a ton of big plays."
Georgia Tech gave up at least five runs of 10 yards or longer,
including a 35-yarder that could have been worse if Vanderbilt
quarterback Larry Smith hadn't pulled his left hamstring at the
end. Zac Stacy was nearly untouched on a 62-yard touchdown run,
and that didn't include a 47-yard catch-and-run by Stacy on a
pass from Smith's replacement, Mackenzi Adams.
The Yellow Jackets did recover three fumbles, though, and held
Vanderbilt to 140 yards in the second half.
Josh Nesbitt, who ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more,
credited the defense with firing up the offense. The defense got
him the ball back after he fumbled at the Vanderbilt 3 in the
third quarter, and Jonathan Dwyer scored his second of three TDs
to put Georgia Tech back ahead to stay 35-31.
"That was the spark we were looking for the whole game," Nesbitt
said.
Georgia Tech (8-1) has won six straight for the first time since
2000 - also the last time the Yellow Jackets won four road games
in a season. They return home after consecutive road games and
will host Wake Forest in the teams' first meeting since the 2006
ACC title game.
Dwyer ran for a career-high 186 yards on 22 carries. Nesbitt ran
16 times for 56 yards, and was 6 of 13 for 193 yards passing.
"There are a lot of areas we can get better at," Johnson said.
"All in all, we went on the road and won the game, and we are
back on task next week."
Special teams is one unit that will need some attention.
Freshman Warren Norman returned a kickoff 80 yards for a
touchdown to become the first player in Vanderbilt history with
three TDs off kickoff returns in a season. That also tied Willie
Gault of Tennessee as the only players in SEC history to do
that, with Gault doing it in 1980.
"I thought we did a better job of covering kicks in the second
half," Johnson said.
Still, Norman finished with 184 yards off five kickoff returns
and now has the single-season school record with 852 yards this
season.
Vanderbilt (2-7) lost its bid for the first back-to-back bowl
berths in school history after ending a drought dating to 1982
last season. The Commodores are playing 12 straight games this
season with no break - and next up is No. 1 Florida.
"We still have a lot to play for," Vanderbilt coach Bobby
Johnson said.
The improved offense was good to see from a unit that had been
110th in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game.
"Our offense needed this success (Saturday), and it was good to
get the production we've been looking for," Johnson said.
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