Injuries

I don't ever want to hear anything from Nebraska fans about injuries or lack of talent, especially on the OL. GT produced an 86 yard game winning drive with their 4th string tackle in the game. Players like Clyde Yandell are found all over high schools throughout the state and the kind of players Nebraska used to get to walk on and contribute. Offensive success is about putting your players in a position to be successful-something Shawn Watson knows nothing about:

Lost amid the 469 yards Georgia Tech piled up in its 39-34 win against Clemson in the ACC championship game Saturday night were the players on the offensive line that paved the way.

By the end of the game, redshirt sophomore Clyde Yandell was manning left tackle, which was being held down by Nick Claytor before he left in the second half with an injury. He was filling in for starter Phil Smith, who broke his leg in the first half. Smith was filling in for Austin Barrick, who was injured against Vanderbilt. Thin at tackle before the game started, coach Paul Johnson said he had no more available interior lineman left because of injuries.

"They did good. Nick Claytor and Clyde Yandell, they came through and held their own," quarterback Josh Nesbitt said. "We didn't miss a beat."

Guard Cord Howard, a senior, said he told Yandell when he jogged into the huddle: "It's your time man. Play. If you need anything ask me, as always. Just play, man. Don't leave anything out here."

He didn't. Jonathan Dwyer's 15-yard game-winning touchdown run came on the left side, where Yandell was lined up.

The Tigers had kept Dwyer mostly in check until the final possession, when he accounted for 33 yards of the 86-yard winning drive. Johnson said a few tweaks to the blocking scheme finally got Tech clicking on its last possession. Dwyer carried the ball the final four times on the drive.

"The last drive, I knew I needed to make a play and if the ball was in my hands, I was just going to give it all I had and leave my energy on the field, just give it all I had and try to make plays," Dywer said. He finished with 110 yards, including 51 in the final quarter.