Final Score: (15) Georgia Tech 37, Jacksonville State 17

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 95 yards and two scores, and Anthony Allen had a touchdown catch, as 15th-ranked Georgia Tech crushed Jacksonville State, 37-17, in the 2009 opener for both teams.

Josh Nesbitt finished 6-for-11 passing for 141 yards and a touchdown throw and also rushed for 93 yards and a score for Georgia Tech (1-0), which had 497 total yards of offense. Demaryius Thomas had four grabs for 101 yards in the win.

Last season under then first-year head coach Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech finished 9-4 overall, including a 5-3 mark in the ACC, good for a share of the Coastal Division title. However, it was Virginia Tech that represented the division in the ACC Title game.

"It's much better to start 1-0 than 0-1 for sure," Johnson said. "It was a little more ragged than I would have liked. I don't know if we were very consistent really in any facet that I would have hoped to have been. I give credit to Jacksonville State; they played hard, hung in there."

Marques Ivory threw for 193 yards on 23-of-38 efficiency with two touchdowns and an interception, while Alan Bonner and Brooks Robinson had a touchdown catch apiece for Jacksonville State (0-1), which finished tied for second in the Football Championship Subdivision's Ohio Valley Conference with an 8-3 overall record last season. The Gamecocks dropped a 41-14 decision to Georgia Tech in their season opener last year, which was the first-ever meeting.

Jacksonville State was without its starting quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was suspended for the game due to a violation of team rules. Perrilloux transferred from LSU after being dismissed from the Tigers after the 2007 season.

"We gave up a lot of stuff, but I think we played hard," Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe said. "We had 22 guys on the field who hadn't played before here, and I think there was a lot of uncertainty. Some things happened that we didn't expect to happen. They have four premier players who are guys, that if they have room, are going to beat you by themselves."

Georgia Tech struck quickly, as Dwyer took an option toss on the first play from scrimmage and ran it in from 74 yards away, then on the next possession Scott Blair booted a 20-yard field goal for a 10-0 Yellow Jackets lead.

Dwyer then found the end zone again, running it in from five yards out to cap at nine-play, 73-yard drive with 2:38 left in the opening quarter. An Ivory- to-Robinson 20-yard touchdown connection near the 8 1/2 minute mark of the second got Jacksonville State on the board, but Nesbitt made it a 24-7 game when he scored on a 10-yard TD run near the midway point of the period.

Jerrard Tarrant's 68-yard punt return with 55 seconds left in the half gave the Yellow Jackets a commanding 31-7 advantage heading into the intermission.

After a scoreless third quarter, Patrick Tatum's 26-yard field goal early in the fourth made it a 31-10 game. However, Georgia Tech came right back for six when Nesbitt's 26-yard pass found Allen. Ivory connected with Bonner for a seven-yard TD strike in the closing seconds to account for the 37-17 final score.

Game Notes

Georgia Tech will host Clemson on Thursday, while Jacksonville State plays at Florida State on September 12.

09/05 17:57:46 ET