• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Choice, defense help Georgia Tech stuff Clemson

Sep 30, 2007 - 3:39 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Georgia Tech can thank its defense, the legs of Tashard Choice and the foot of Mark Buchholz for a much-needed win.

Choice rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown as Georgia Tech upended No. 13 Clemson, 13-3, on Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash.

Taylor Bennett completed 7-of-15 attempts for 67 yards and an interception, and the Yellow Jackets' defense limited Clemson to 34 yards on the ground.

"Stop the run. If you stop the run, then you gain a tremendous advantage," Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said. "And then I thought our pass rush was outstanding. They caught a couple of underneath things and ran it, but I thought we stuck their running game."

It was the first victory in three games for Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2 ACC Coastal), which started the campaign with a pair of convincing wins.

"Coming off two losses we didn't want to get on a skid," Choice said. "We still know it's a long road, there are a lot of games to be played. We have to win the next one, and that's what Coach Gailey really focuses on."

The Yellow Jackets also benefited from four missed field goals by Tigers' kicker Buchholz, who missed a kick in each quarter after making his first boot of the game.

After blocking a punt deep in Clemson territory late in the opening period, Georgia Tech went eight yards, capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Choice to make it 7-3.

Choice, who carried the ball 32 times, went over the 100-yard mark for the 13th time in his career.

The score remained 7-3 at halftime when Buchholz missed his second kick from 30 yards out just before the break. The junior kicker also missed a 50-yarder in the third and another from 48 just six seconds into the fourth.

"We've had two blocked punts and some missed field goals," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "We've got a good field goal kicker. We're asking a lot of him right now."

In the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets gained possesion at the Clemson 41 and moved into kicking range of Travis Bell, who drilled a 48-yarder with under six minutes left to make it 10-3.

"I feel for Buchholz," Bell said. "I actually know him from playing soccer against him and from growing up in Atlanta. It's hard for a kicker. Those weren't chip shots, three of them were for more than 40 yards."

After recovering a fumbled punt return at the Tigers' 33-yard line in the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech moved within range for a 41-yard boot by Bell to finish the scoring.

"Bell's had a healthy offseason, a good offseason of work," Gailey said. "We're very solid at snapper and holder and that has been consistent now for two years. I think our kicking unit has been a positive."

Cullen Harper went 17-of-39 for 199 yards but was intercepted once and sacked six times for Clemson (4-1, 2-1 ACC Atlantic), which was held to 228 total yards.

"Our statistics aren't very impressive running or throwing," Bowden said. "Nothing was very productive from what I saw."