Dec. 1, 2001
By BRENT KALLESTAD
Associated Press Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chris Rix threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as Florida State ended its first two-game losing streak since 1991, beating Georgia Tech 28-17 Saturday.
Greg Jones rushed for 101 yards to help Florida State rally from a 10-7 halftime deficit.
Rix, wrapping up his freshman season, hit P.K. Sam on a 10-yard TD, teamed with Javon Walker on a 47-yard scoring play and added an 8-yard touchdown run.
The Seminoles (7-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) play Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day. They remained unbeaten against Tech in 10 games since joining the ACC.
Joe Burns scored both Georgia Tech touchdowns on 1-yard runs, his first giving the Yellow Jackets (7-5, 4-4) the halftime lead. Luke Manget added a 23-yard field goal.
Florida State came back with 21 straight points, building a 28-10 lead on William McCray’s 2-yard TD run with 11:18 left in the game.
Burns, whose long run on a 60-yard pass play set up the go-ahead touchdown, was held to 39 yards on 20 carries. He finished the season with 1,165 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Georgia Tech pulled within 28-17 with 7:26 left on Burns’ second touchdown, but any chances for victory ended when Florida State’s Chris Hope intercepted George Godsey in the end zone with 4:17 left.
Godsey completed 25 of 39 passes for 275 yards, but didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time since the season opener.
Rix, the ACC Rookie of the Year, completed 13 of 24 passes for 219 yards and ran for 60 more on 15 carries, finishing his first year with a league-record 3,123 yards total offense.
Jones, a 247-pound sophomore tailback, gained 95 yards in the second half as Florida State’s sluggish offense came to life.
Rix’s 8-yard scoring run six minutes into the second half gave Florida State a 14-10 lead and he led Walker on a 47-yard scoring pass to push the Seminoles into a 21-10 advantage with 4:45 left in the third quarter. Rix’s TD throw to Walker came two plays after a long touchdown pass to Craphanso Thorpe was nullified by a holding penalty.
Florida State was without senior middle linebacker Bradley Jennings, the team’s leading tackler, who missed the game with a cartilage tear in his right knee. But sophomore tackle Darnell Dockett was in Godsey’s path most of the game, creating havoc in the Jackets’ backfield.
Dockett had five tackles for losses to match a 34-year-old single-game school record and finished the year with a single-season best 22.
