ATLANTA —
Jamaal Williams scored four touchdowns, quarterback Riley Nelson accounted for two TDs and Brigham Young snapped a two-game losing streak with a 41-17 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
The Cougars (5-4) recovered from last week's three-point loss at No. 5 Notre Dame by holding Georgia Tech's triple-option attack without a rushing touchdown for the first time in two years and without an offensive touchdown for the first time since 2008.
Georgia Tech (3-5) has lost three of four. The Yellow Jackets' offense failed on all 10 of its third-down attempts while their defense was gouged for 411 yards.
BYU, which began the afternoon with the nation's fourth-ranked defense, finally got a break on the road after losing its last three away games by a combined seven points.
The Cougars never trailed after opening with a 17-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Williams converting a fourth-and-goal from the 6.
Their lead grew to 38-17 on the first snap of the fourth quarter when Nelson and Williams hooked up for a 39-yard TD.
Georgia Tech's Jamal Golden returned a second-quarter kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown, but the Yellow Jackets otherwise struggled on special teams before halftime.
Justin Moore missed a 35-yard field goal wide left that would've cut the lead to four, and Ryan Rodwell had a punt blocked by Kyle Van Noy that set up Nelson's 10-yard TD run and gave the Cougars a 21-7 lead.
Williams ran 28 times for 107 yards. Nelson completed 19 of 28 passes for 204 yards and helped BYU's offense convert nine of 16 third-down attempts.
The Cougars held the ball almost 18 minutes more than Georgia Tech, which began the game with nation's No. 3 rushing attack.
The Jackets finished with just 117 yards rushing, nearly 223 under their average.
David Sims led Georgia Tech with 32 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Tevin Washington, who was benched late in the second half as coach Paul Johnson sent in Vad Lee, was just 1-for-5 passing for nine yards.
Washington was picked off by Daniel Sorensen late in the third, and Williams scored from the 1 two snaps later.
Homepage
Related Photos
-
Brigham Young quarterback Riley Nelson (13) throws from the pocket in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) AP Photo/John Bazemore
Williams, Nelson lead BYU past Georgia Tech 41-17
- Local News
-
-
Wreck with ambulance, TCSO vehicle leaves no injuries, one charged
A three-vehicle wreck Sunday afternoon involving an ambulance, pickup truck and a Tift County Sheriff’s Office deputy car resulted in no injuries.
Continued ... - Elderly woman attacked in her residence
- Northside kicks off Olympic Field Games
- George A. Wright Award presented to Holly Hall
- Summer AR program on track to earn 5 million points
-
Wreck with ambulance, TCSO vehicle leaves no injuries, one charged
- Local Sports
-
Brannen Greene shoots against St. Anthony in January’s Hoophall Classic.
- Explore
-
-
Embrace glorious stories with a visit to LaGrange, Ga.
Guess who cooked my lunch on a jaunt to LaGrange, Georgia? The great-great grandson of the legendary town philanthropist, that’s who.
- Explore the edges Mississippi Gulf Coast
- St. Augustine: Abounding with excellence suiting every taste
-
Embrace glorious stories with a visit to LaGrange, Ga.
- Opinion
-
-
May 21 Column – George F. Will
Leaving aside the seriousness of lawlessness, and the corruption of our civic culture by the professionally pious, this past week has been amusing. There was the spectacle of advocates of an ever-larger regulatory government expressing shock about such government's large capacity for misbehavior. And, entertainingly, the answer to the question "Will Barack Obama's scandals derail his second-term agenda?" was a question: What agenda?
- Rants & Raves – May 21
- Rant & Rave for May 16
- Rants & Raves - May 15
- Letter to the Editor for May 15
-
May 21 Column – George F. Will
- Obituaries
- Police Reports
- Your Agenda
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
