ATLANTA -- Georgia Tech was struggling to put Mercer away.Coach Paul Johnson wanted to keep his offense on the field.So he called a fake punt that worked to perfection.Chase Alford rumbled 21 yards after taking a direct snap, leading to a touchdown that clinched the Yellow Jackets 35-10 victory over Mercer on Saturday.Quarterback Justin Thomas ran for a touchdown before sitting out the second half with what was described as a minor injury.Backup Matthew Jordan had a couple of 1-yard TD runs, the second one coming after the fake to finally finish off the scrappy Bears , a 4-year-old Southern Conference program playing its first game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.I was like, `Lets go. Weve got another shot, Jordan said.The Yellow Jackets (2-0) overcame an early 7-0 deficit. Thomas tied the game on a 13-yard scoring run late in the first quarter, and short-yardage specialist Jordan put the Yellow Jackets ahead to stay with his first TD.Mercer (0-2) started the second half with a 17-play, 61-yard drive that consumed nearly 8 1/2 minutes, leading to a field goal that cut the deficit to 21-10. On Georgia Techs next possession, the Bears appeared to force a three-and-out.With the temperature climbing into the 90s on a sunny, sweltering day, Johnson didnt want his defense to go back on the field so quickly.So he turned to Alford to pull off the fake.We needed to get another possession, the linebacker said. Coach said to run it. I was able to get some good blocking and get the first down.Thomas ran seven times for 69 yards and completed 5-of-10 passes for 80 yards before calling it a day. He couldve gone back in if needed, according to Johnson.No need. Jordan did just fine, rushing 12 times for 44 yards.Mercer stunned the home crowd by jumping ahead on John Russ 32-yard TD pass to Avery Ward, after Georgia Tech fumbled the ball away on the opening possession of the game.Im awfully proud of the effort and grit they showed out there, Bears coach Bobby Lamb said.The Yellow Jackets turned to their running game to wear down Mercer, finishing with 364 yards on the ground. Qua Searcy led the way with 91 yards and six other players were in double figures rushing.I was hoping we would play better, Johnson said. Theres a lot of things we can improve on, a lot of things we can get better at. Its a process.Russ was 24 of 38 for 225 yards. The Bears were limited to 85 yards rushing.SHAKING THINGS UPJohnson followed through on his threat to make lineup changes after a lackluster win over Boston College in the season opener.Searcy got the nod at A-back, Andrew Marshall started at left tackle and Grant Aasen took over the punting duties (though only for one ugly kick). Also, Marcus Marshall started at B-back after freshman Dedrick Mills was suspended for violating team rules.Andrew Marshall wound up playing extensively at right tackle when Trey Klock went out in the first half with what appeared to be an injured right leg.THE TAKEAWAYMercer: The Bears picked up a $300,000 payday for making an 87-mile trip to Atlanta, which didnt even require a hotel stay. We take a lot of money home, Lamb quipped.Georgia Tech: Its hard to read much into a victory over an outclassed opponent, though the Yellow Jackets at least got a chance to send out some little-used players. Third-string quarterback TaQuon Marshall scored his first college touchdown on a late 11-yard run.UP NEXTMercer: The Bears return home to meet Tennessee Tech, still looking for their first win of the season.Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets will take a step up in competition when they host Vanderbilt from the Southeastern Conference next Saturday. This will be the first meeting between the schools since 2009. Georgia Tech has not lost to the Commodores since 1941, going 11-0-1 since then.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at
http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP College Football site:
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Miikka Salomaki Jersey . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.
Pekka Rinne Predators Jersey . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford.IRVING, Texas -- Keegan Bradley had no thoughts about a course record, or the possibility of a 59, after consecutive bogeys in the middle of his opening round at the Byron Nelson Championship. Until his 136-yard wedge shot on his final hole Thursday. "It was going right at it. (A 59) crossed my mind for a second, and it would be unbelievable if I buried this," Bradley said. "But I had 3 feet to shoot 60. I was actually very nervous, uncomfortable over it and thank God I made it." Bradley shot 10-under 60, completed by that short birdie at the 428-yard ninth hole, to break the TPC Four Seasons course record and match the best round ever at the Nelson. He topped his career PGA Tour best by three strokes and equalled Phil Mickelsons opening 60 at Phoenix as the best round on the tour this season. After missing the fairways off the tees and making bogeys at No. 18 and then No. 1, the latter starting his back nine when he drove into a bunker and had a par putt lip out of the cup, Bradley was at 3 under. He made a 17-foot birdie putt at the 221-yard second hole, and was 7 under his final eight holes with an eagle-birdie-birdie finish. "It was rare to match up a ball-striking day and make everything. ... It happened today," Bradley said. "The hole looked huge. Even the putts I missed almost went in." The 60, with 10 birdies and an eagle 3 at the 542-yard seventh, gave Bradley a three-stroke lead over 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel. Robert Karlsson, Harris English and Ted Potter Jr. shot 64, and two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, Ryan Palmer and Camilo Villegas were at 65. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Calgarys Stephen Ames opened with a 67. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is another stroke back at 68. Ottawas Brad Fritsch shot a 69. Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old amateur from China, shot 70 in his second tournament since making the cut at the Masters. The eighth-grader also made the cut in New Orleans three weeks ago. Guan was among 97 players at par or better -- 76 were under par -- on the 7,166-yard course after 1 1/2 inches of rain fell on the course Wednesday night from a storm system that spawned at least 13 tornadoes and killed at least six people in North Texas. There was no significant damage to the course, where players were able to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways. "Seems like you dont get many of those opportunities, so being out here first was a bit of an advantage," said Schwartzel, who hit all 18 greens in regulation. "So much rain, it softened up. Played long off the tee, but its a big advantage going into the greens with the second shot. ... You could attack flags." Arron Oberholser shot 60 in the second round of the 2006 Nelson on the Cottonwood Valley course across the street that used to bee used the first two rounds.dddddddddddd Sam Snead shot 60 in the 1957 tournament at Glen Lakes Country Club, which at the time tied the PGA Tour record. Five players have shot 59 in official PGA Tour events. Al Geiberger had the first in the 1977 Memphis Classic, while Paul Goydos and Stuart Appleby had the last three years ago. Ryo Ishikawa had the lowest round on a major tour, shooting a 12-under 58 on the Japan Tour in 2010. Bradley, the nephew of former LPGA Tour star Pat Bradley, got his first PGA Tour victory when he won a one-hole playoff with Palmer at the Nelson two years ago. Bradley has four consecutive top-10 finishes earlier this season, but missed the cuts in his last two tournaments. Palmers opening 65 came two days after attending the funeral of one of his best friends, who was killed in a car accident last week. Palmer found out about Clay Aderholts accident while at The Players Championship, where with a heavy heart and his friends initials on his cap he tied for fifth. "Trying to get back in the swing of things," said Palmer, who lives in nearby Colleyville. "Being at home is nice, my own bed, so that made it easier when I got back (from the funeral) Tuesday night." Palmer gave the white cap that he wore Sunday to Aderholts wife and signed it to his 4-year-old son. He gave a black cap with the initials to his late friends father. "We will always remember him and maybe we can honour him even more on Sunday afternoon," Palmer said. Defending Nelson champion Jason Dufner shot a 70 in a group with good friends Bradley and Matt Kuchar (69). "It was a regular round with Duff and Kuch. It felt like a Saturday morning round with my buddies," Bradley said. "It felt easy." There were even pre-round shenanigans when Bradley went into the champions locker room Thursday morning to find his clubs spread out on the floor and his open umbrella near his empty golf bag, courtesy of Dufner. "He loves to mess with me," said Bradley, who slyly retaliated. "Im too scared to do anything too much because I dont know what he will do. He could throw my clubs in the water. ... I did remove something from his locker that he is going to have trouble finding and hes going to need." Guan had a bogey at the par-3 second after his tee shot off the back of the green. He blasted out of a bunker to 3 feet for a birdie at the seventh hole, then got under par with a 13-foot birdie putt at the ninth hole. A three-putt bogey at the 406-yard 14th dropped him back to even. "I missed a couple of birdie putts in the middle but overall not a bad round," Guan said. "After the Masters and New Orleans, I still feel nervous on the first tee but not too much, and I handle it pretty good in the middle fairway and kept it going." ' ' '
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