So he's not exactly the great Mike Rozier and we haven't seen a truly great option runner since 1997 and Ahman Green, but Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer will most definitely do. Before leaving late in the first half with an injury, Dwyer did the following with his 10 carries against a hot Miami defense:35-yard-carry, 0 yards, 3 yards, 12 yards, -1 yard, 58 yards (touchdown), 2 yards, 10 yards, 3 yards, 6 yards (touchdown). Most of his carries were inside Miami's 10 yard line where the defense could slow him down, but in the open field he was electric, including a certain highlight-reel cult hit 58 yard touchdown run where he barreled over, juked and then outran several defenders.
It was power, speed, shakes, vision and want-to all in one amazing play. And it wasn't his first like that this year. Watch enough Georgia Tech football and its obvious that as talented a runner quarterback Josh Nesbitt is (93 yards tonight, 591 yards in nine games this year), he keeps the darn ball too much. Backfield mate Dwyer is the real deal, and his 128 first-half yards and two touchdowns against Miami point to a bright future in college football.
Dwyer has always had the talent (a PS#5 Phil Steele consensus ranking among running backs in his class), but the man met the machine when triple option guru Paul Johnson signed on to coach at Georgia Tech. There were doubts about whether the offense could function in a major football conference, but those doubts are forever dashed after Tech rushed for the second-most yards by a Miami opponent, ever.
The Yellow Jackets totaled 472 yards, breaking off big gains at will in an exciting and forceful showing. Four players were a threat to go over 100 yards, although only Dwyer crossed the threshold with his 128. Our hero Dwyer was the catalyst, pounding Miami inside the ten and breaking their spirit with the 58-yarder in the second quarter to help Tech to a 17-3 lead that quickly soared to a 41-16 thrashing before things finally slowed down. What a showing!
He now leads the ACC in rushing as a sophomore with 1,184 total yards to go with his 11 touchdowns. Even while sharing time with Tashard Choice and his 1,379 yards last year, Dwyer rang up almost 500 yards of his own hinting at what might be. That day has arrived. What we have is a big, fast, aggressive and powerful option back that can succeed in multiple systems and roles but has come into his own as a lead back in the first year of Georgia Tech's triple option.
Next year should be a fascinating encore. In the meantime, he has one more national showing in the old fashioned hate rivalry game with Georgia next weekend. If he can do what he did in a half against Miami, with a little more consistency he'll do it against anyone.
Welcome to stardom, kid.
