Coming into Saturday’s contest with No. 6 Clemson, Georgia Tech led the ACC and was ranked sixth nationally in rushing yards with a 311.8 yards per game average. The Yellow Jackets left Death Valley averaging 271.7 yards per game.

“We told them if you do X,Y and Z, we will not only win the game, but we would dominate them, and they did,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said.

The Tigers dominated Georgia Tech by holding its famed triple-option rushing attack to 71 yards on 42 carries – the lowest total since Paul Johnson became the head coach in Atlanta in 2008. It also marked the first time in 83 games the Yellow Jackets were held below the century mark as a team.

“We had so many negative yardage plays,” Johnson said. “For us, we have to establish the run, and we couldn’t do it.”

Clemson (5-0, 2-0 ACC) held the Yellow Jackets to 1.7 yards per carry. Tech finished the game with only 230 total yards. Overall, the Tigers recorded 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and had two sacks. Linebacker Dorian O’Daniel had three tackles for loss, as did safety Jayron Kearse.

Linebacker Ben Boulware led the team with nine tackles, had one tackle for loss and broke up a pass.

“We weren’t really surprised we would dominate them. We knew all week, really,” the junior said. “We weren’t really scared or unexpected on what we could to do. We knew we were going to beat them.”

Tech (2-4, 0-3 ACC) had just 10 total yards in the first quarter and had just 142 going into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Justin Thomas, who is considered one of the best players in the ACC, was held to a career low three rushing yards. His longest run of the day was eight and was thrown for losses that totaled minus-25 yards.

“We were focused on doing your job on every single play. Don’t get bored doing the little things,” Boulware said. “It gets boring playing the dive 40 times. Coach Venables talked about that all week. Don’t get bored doing the little things, just do the little things right and we did it.

“We did our job. We did it right and it paid off.”

There were a couple of times when the Tigers did get bored and did not trust their eyes. But those times were few and far between. Thomas found Clinton Lynch for a 50-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, when the Tigers were already ahead 26-3, and then Ricky Jeune for a 46-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Clemson was leading 43-17 when that happened.

“You are never going to play that perfect game against the triple-option,” Venables said. “We have great respect for Coach Johnson and his staff and that quarterback that we just played.”

And that respect showed in the way Venables’ defense played throughout the day.

“I’m the first one to remain humble. We are not beating our chest or proclaiming we are the ’85 Bears, but I recognize when our guys need the recognition when they deserve it, and our guys deserve it today,” he said.

“That was fun to be a part of.”