College Hoops
North Carolina vs Georgia Tech
By Larry Williams/4SHOT Sports
Sep 10, 2005, 03:30 EST

"Yellow Jackets" win home opener!
Bilbo comes up big
Bobby Dodd Stadium - Atlanta, GA

Ga Tech Offensive Coordinator has to like what he sees forming between QB-Reggie Ball and WR-Calvin Johnson and WR-Damarius Bilbo.

The Georgia Tech “Yellow Jackets” are off to a great start and have shown that they can get it done on both sides of the ball despite the defense giving up 21 points in their home opening 27-21 win over North Carolina.

If people were having their doubts about the play and leadership abilities of junior quarterback Reggie Ball (Stephenson H.S.) they are certainly starting to see that he had not doubts about what he was capable of doing. For the second week in a row Ball has stayed away from the interception bug that plagued him last season and spread the ball around to a receiving core that quietly is becoming the most dangerous group in the ACC.

It’s pretty much a given that “The Freak”, All-ACC WR-Calvin Johnson is gong to be doubled and sometimes tripled teamed in some games this season and for Ball to be as affective as he can be it is a most that Damarius Bilbo step up at the other wide-out position and use some of that untapped potential that he brought to the Tech campus a few years ago as a highly touted quarterback prospect. Bilbo took a giant leap in that direction Saturday against the “Tar Heels” coming up with 8 big catches for 131-yards, one was a bigtime touchdown grab that covered 48-yards.

Georgia Tech started their first possession backed up on their 14-yard line after a North Carolina punt. Ball got off to a shaky start when his first pass attempt was intercepted but thanks to instant replay it was overturned. Ball quickly took advantage of the reprieve hitting WR-Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek H.S.) for 17-yards and a first down out to the 39-yard line. Tech’s leading rusher RB-P.J. Daniels then ripped off a 42-yard run to the North Carolina 11-yard line. A few plays later Ball hit Daniels with a short pass that he carried into the endzone for the touchdown. The PAT by K-Travis Bell made the score 7-0.

Former Cedar Grove star DL-Shelton Bynum draws a bead on RB-P.J. Daniels.

In the second-quarter Ball led the “Yellow Jackets” on a 12 play drive that was highlighted by a 48-yard touchdown pass to WR-Damarius Bilbo, who made a great catch taking the ball from North Carolina DB-Jacoby Watkins as the two hit the endzone turf. Bell’s PAT made the score 14-0.

The “Yellow Jackets” defense led by DE-Eric Henderson (from New Orleans), SS-Chris Resis (Roswell H.S.), DE-Darrell Robinson (Jonesboro H.S.) and LB-Adamm Oliver which had held the “Tar Heels” and QB-Matt Baker in-check much of the first half started to show some cracks in their armour as Baker started to find his groove.

Starting from their 36-yard line Baker connected on passes of 12 and 23-yards to WR-Jesse Holley as the “Tar Heels” moved the ball to the Georgia Tech 25-yard line. A few plays later Baker finished off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. The PAT by K-Connor Barth cut the lead to 14-7 with 5:40 left in the half.

Former Benjamin E. Mays star Chris Wood returned the kick-off 23-yards out to the 25-yard line. Wood stayed on the field briefly replacing Daniels at running back and caught a 12-yard pass from Ball on third down but they needed 14-yards and were forced to punt.

When North Carolina got the ball Baker went right to work going deep to WR-Derrele Mitchell, who got behind the “Yellow Jackets” secondary, hauled in the pass and raced 87-yards for the touchdown. Barth’s PAT tied the game at 14-14 heading into the half.

Georgia Tech received the second half kickoff and they gave the “Tar Heels” a heavy dose of RB-P.J. Daniels who ripped off runs of 14 and 7-yards moving the ball out to the 41-yard line. Ball then hit Johnson for 9-yards and Bilbo for 33-yards and a first down on the North Carolina 17-yard line. The drive stalled and the “Yellow Jackets had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from K-Travis Bell that made the score 17-14.

P.J. Daniels breaks a couple of tackles to score this touchdown.

Late in the third-quarter Tech got the ball and Ball again marched his “Yellow Jackets” down field connecting on a couple of passes to Bilbo and a big 43-yard gain to Johnson down to the North Carolina 9-yard line. The “Tar Heels” defense got a big play from former South Cobb star SS-Mahlon Carey and LB-Tommy Richardson stopping Daniels behind the line of scrimmage, forcing a 22-yard field goal attempt that Bell connected on to give Tech a 20-14 lead as the third quarter came to a close.

Early in the forth-quarter it looked as if the “Yellow Jackets” were going to put the game away when Ball led the team on an 8 play drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown run by the star signal-caller giving them a two touchdown lead 27-14.

North Carolina playing in their season opener fought back behind the passing of Baker who threw his second touchdown of the game, hitting WR-Jarwanski Pollack for 17-yards cutting the lead to 27-21 with 4:16 left in the game.

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