Vad Lee shines off bench for Georgia Tech
From Michael Cunningham
Once Vad Lee got his chance to play it didn’t take long for him to show why he was a prized quarterback recruit for Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson.
Lee led the barrage of big plays against Presbyterian College Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The sophomore tossed an 82-yard touchdown pass and also ran for 101 yards with a touchdown in Tech’s 59-3 victory.
Lee’s big night came against an outmatched foe. Then again, Lee hadn’t played in an official game since leading Hillside High School to a 16-0 record and earning the AP North Carolina player of the year in 2010.
“I am just happy to have the opportunity to be here and make big plays and showcase my abilities,” Lee said.
Lee was a redshirt in 2011 and didn’t play during Tech’s season-opening defeat at Virginia Tech. His debut got off to a shaky start in the first quarter but it wasn’t Lee’s fault.
Jeremy Moore dropped Lee’s first collegiate pass and Orwin Smith bobbled the second during a three-and-out series. Lee scored on a one-year touchdown run in the third quarter but didn’t figure to get many chances to pass when he came back in with Tech leading 38-0 and starting inside its 20.
But on third down Lee dropped back and floated a soft spiral to Jeff Greene, who fought through contact from two defenders and corralled Lee’s pass near the 50-yard line.
“I seen Jeff collide with the corner and I knew Jeff would get off of him,” Lee said. “I just wanted to throw it up and lead him a little bit and give him time to go get it and make a play.”
The 82-yard TD pass was the sixth-longest pass play in Tech history. Lee wasn’t done setting records, though his second mark wasn’t what he had in mind.
On Tech’s next possession he bobbled a high shotgun snap but recovered and took off running on a QB draw. He drew clear and looked to be headed for his second rushing touchdown but was tripped up two yards short of the end zone by Presbyterian’s Brandon Leston.
Lee said his teammates ribbed him for getting caught from behind. After the game, both Tech coach Paul Johnson and athletic director Dan Radakovich told Lee his 79-yard run was the longest non-scoring run in school history.
“I did not want that record,” Lee said. “That was tough. We’ve got film on Monday and hopefully we will watch it and then it will be washed out of everyone’s mind.”
The more lasting memories will be Lee’s big plays in his first game for the Yellow Jackets.
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166 comments Add your comment
GT Joe
September 10th, 2012
3:49 pm
TW is 2-6 in his last FBS starts! But he’s a nice guy! So let him keep playing!
Dawg48
September 10th, 2012
4:14 pm
GT Joe
September 10th, 2012
3:49 pm
TW is 2-6 in his last FBS starts! But he’s a nice guy! So let him keep playing!
_________________________________________________________________
I agree! No argument from me.
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
4:17 pm
awww… sad you now wanna drag politics into this otherwise light conversation.
But to answer your question, no I encourage mine by teaching them to keep working hard and doing all things they can to get better – definitely not to go and hide or give up. When they dont win (and it will happen to even Vad) I certainly dont turn my back on them. I work even harder to help them reach success on every level… yes including being a nice person!
When I ride with a team – I ride with the team! When they lose, I leave the trashing to others – I see my job as building them up!… “We’ll go back to the drawing board and come back better next week”, Its just one game team we still have a whole season ahead of us”, “Hmmm I think I”ll design a few new plays to surprise the next team”, “I see your strengths son, now lets work on those weaknesses”… you know things like that!
I like to call it being constructive not destructive!!
GT wins and loses with class... unlike another team we know over in athens...
September 10th, 2012
4:19 pm
One thing I just cant stand and I have no idea why he does it…. If TW is right handed, why does he turn left when he takes the snap regardless of whether its PA or just a straight drop before a pass? He wastes so much time having to turn his entire body and get set to throw the ball. This has led to way too many sacks and is one of the reasons I think he freaks out and sprints out of the pocket at the first sign of trouble. It drives me nuts.
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
4:25 pm
Do we now believe that 2-6 record rests solely on one players’ shoulders?? Hmmmm and there I was thinking that football was a team sport! Couldn’t be that we need a few new plays, different coaching decisions with 44 seconds left in regulation, or a little bit more on O-line… Nevermind that teams see us coming with those same 3-4 plays and know exactly how to shut it down, yet we KEEP running the same play! Nahhhhh Vads definitely the answer to that
We better just throw the baby on out with the bath water then…lol
GT Joe
September 10th, 2012
4:34 pm
TWFan: at some point, you are going to have to come to the realization that TW has peaked, and this is all we are going to get from him. Hard work and dedication isn’t enough. You must have talent too. I’m trashing the team? Just cause I say TW should be benched? okay.
Any one loss can be explained away however you wish. But 2-6 is a pattern. There is not positive trend here. At some point, players need to be accountable.
And you know why it seems that defenses “know exactly how to shut us down”? TEVIN. He is a non-threat. Can’t pass the ball. Can’t really run it. Defenses key on the B backs and A backs, make us beat them with Tevin. And we can’t.
Ever wonder why the B back position had it’s worst output last year in the CPJ error? Ever wonder why we didn’t have a 1000 b back last year? Ever wonder why the b back position got nothing at VT? Two words. TEVIN WASHINGTON.
Defenses will have a real threat to defend when Vad plays. They’ll have to finally respect our QB’s legs and arm.
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
4:42 pm
We
Will
See
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
4:46 pm
You almost make me route against Tech! Almost
damngooddawg
September 10th, 2012
4:49 pm
Dear GT wins and loses with class… unlike another team we know over in athens…I think I have to agree with you. The only reasonable excuse for us is that the Dawgs are not as used to loosing as Tech and/or UGA fans expect more from their team than Tech due to long years of conditioning. I hope it stays that way.
GT Joe
September 10th, 2012
4:53 pm
TWfan: that explains a lot. more loyal to TW than GT. now it all makes sense…
damngooddawg
September 10th, 2012
4:56 pm
By the way, before I leave this pitiful blog site and go over to a real one, what’s this little pinky “stinger” thingy???? I’ve always thought that there might be a little stinger envy among you guys but this???? No need to reply. I’m out of here to go follow old man football.
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
5:09 pm
Run with that however you will!
No… more loyal to the team (hence “Almost”) than to fellow “supposed fans”! People like you make me eager to see you eat your words is all. Not taking anything away from VL just know that he will have his head handed to him if he were to be put in the situations that TW has faced…PC game is no reflection of ANYTHING!
I repeat HE IS UNTESTED! And unless some other things change too, QB position alone is not going to turn this team 180 degrees!
In any case I will talk to ya afterVA where TW opens up a lead for Vad to finish off… AGAIN
TWfan
September 10th, 2012
5:11 pm
BTW thanks for not feeding the trolls!
Michael Veli a.k.a Jim Donnan's financial advisor
September 10th, 2012
5:33 pm
damngoodgrownparoleofficer: Sorry i offended you, now go back and watch grown men pee in a cup. As for my family, we are very very well off so i doubt you ever shined a flash light on any of them(except maybe my brother.)
Stephen CC
September 10th, 2012
7:59 pm
Lee scored on a one-year touchdown run? Funny.
The Price was right
September 10th, 2012
8:24 pm
2 things, TW showed against VT that he couldn,t run the option very well and Reggie Ball would have been perfect for this offense. He was a much better athlete that TW is. Seems alot of fans have already forgoten how TW handed the ball to the B back over and over and over and over. Get my point. I think Vad Lee could do just as well, and he would definitly be better in the passing dept. He should be given alot of playing time in the Va. game. I can’t imagine that he would be as bad as TW. One thing that Vad has done is make TW raise the level of his play or he could be riding the pine(aluminum). GOOOOO TECH.