Marshall, Lynch record big plays in Georgia Tech victory
The big-play abilities of Marcus Marshall and Clinton Lynch were evident again Saturday.
Marshall, a sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, picked up two more gains of 20-plus yards against Virginia and now has seven this season. Lynch, a sophomore from Norcross, had two 20-yard plays and now has 15 this year.
Marshall scored on a 63-yard run, his fifth 50-yard play of the year. He has popped four runs for 50 or more yard and has one long reception.
Marshall also had a 20-yard run that was mostly second effort. He was nearly knocked down at the line, but he escaped and then stepped out of an ankle tackle the big gain.
“It definitely feels good to get some things going,” Marshall said. “In the game, once you get some positive plays, it helps you with your confidence and helps you play better.”
Lynch caught a decisive 56-yard touchdown pass that put the Yellow Jackets ahead to stay. He hauled in a 22-yard completion to begin that go-ahead drive. The 56-yard catch was his sixth touchdown of at least 45 yards.
Lynch finished with 96 all-purpose yards — 85 receiving and 11 rushing. He is averaging 17.5 yards per touch — 15 catches for 474 yards and 31 rushes for 33 yards.
Searcy returns from exile
Welcome back, Qua Searcy.
The sophomore A-back from Lamar County has been the forgotten man since a great start to the season, when he had four plays of 20-plus yards in the first two games. He didn’t even have a carry last week against Virginia Tech.
Searcy got a chance Saturday and had a 60-yard touchdown run that stretched Georgia Tech’s lead to 21-10. Searcy took the pitch and was able to cut back across the field and race to the end one. He got the final block from quarterback Justin Thomas. The run was the longest play of his career.
Searcy finished with 65 yards on three carries and now has 231 yards this season.
Austin’s Pick-Six
Junior Lance Austin’s second interception of the season turned out to be a profitable one. The Lamar County product fielded an overthrown pass from Virginia quarterback Matt Johns, made a couple of nice moves and raced into the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The interception return essentially sealed the victory for the Yellow Jackets.
“It’s always good to score on defense,” Austin said. “I have a little shiftiness, so it feels good to get back into the end zone.”
Austin also had three tackles and broke up three passes.
This story was originally published November 19, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Marshall, Lynch record big plays in Georgia Tech victory."