Georgia Tech (9-4) found the end zone inside the first two minutes and never looked back as it scored a 33-18 victory over Kentucky (7-6) on Saturday in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida.The Yellow Jackets' triple-option rushing attack put up 266 yards on the ground. Quarterback Justin Thomas helped lead the charge, wrapping up his collegiate career by posting 147 total yards and a touchdown. Dedrick Mills added 169 rushing yards.Stephen Johnson had a strong performance in a losing effort for the Wildcats. The quarterback tallied 175 passing yards, 49 rushing yards and a pair of TDs. He didn't get enough help from his teammates until it was too late, though.Here's a look at the quarter-by-quarter scoring recap for the 72nd edition of the event, which was originally known as the Gator Bowl:Although smaller bowl games don't generate a ton of mainstream attention, Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union spoke with people on both sides who downplayed any notion the contest was meaningless. Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson provided his outlook on the season-ending trip."These guys get to play one more game with their teammates...we get one more time to be around them," he said. "It sounds hokey sometimes but it is kind of like a family. You're surrounded with your family on kind of a mini-vacationwith a job to do at the end."Johnson's Yellow Jackets certainly didn't lack intensity while rushing out to a 20-3 halftime lead.The defense jump-started the effort by contributing a touchdown on the opening drive. Patrick Gamble sacked Johnson, who failed the protect the football while trying to scramble, and P.J. Davis picked up the loose ball en route to a 38-yard scoop and score.Dr. Saturday noted turnovers have been a problem for the Wildcats all season:After an exchange of field goals, Georgia Tech stretched the lead to 14 with less than a minute left in the first half on a 21-yard touchdown run by Thomas. The senior quarterback got to the edge and outraced the Kentucky defenders to the pylon for his sixth rushing TD of the year.PJ Zucco of ESPN Radio Coastal Georgia summed up a strong opening 30 minutes for the QB, highlighted by the run to cap a 94-yard scoring drive:The Yellow Jackets defense, which came up with a key fourth-down stop before the offense's long touchdown journey, came up big again to close out the second quarter.A quick three-and-out gave the team another chance to score. Thomas proceeded to complete a key throw to Brad Stewart on fourth down to move into scoring range. Harrison Butker connected on a 52-yard field goal as the clock expired to put his team up 17 at halftime.It capped a record-breaking first half for Butker, as Georgia Tech Football shared after an earlier PAT:As expected, the Jackets turned down the tempo in the second half and leaned heavily on their rushing attack to run out the clock. The strategy was effective in a third quarter that witnessed only one score, another Butker field goal.Kentucky finally tallied its first touchdown of the day with just under 14 minutes left, and it took a highlight-reel grab from Dorian Baker to make it happen.The Wildcats used 12 plays to travel 75 yards in under four minutes to get back within two scores. It ended with Johnson lofting a high lob for Baker on third down, and the junior wideout made a terrific diving grab for the TD.The TaxSlayer Bowl spotlighted the catch amid tight coverage:Kentucky cut the lead to eight with 3:57 left after another long drive against a Tech defense that started to wear down late. The Wildcats used nine plays to drive 75 yards to score their second straight touchdown. This time Johnson got to the edge and tiptoed down the sideline for the 21-yard TD.Kyle Tucker of SEC Country commented on the scoring play:The Kentucky defense couldn't get the stop it needed to complete the comeback attempt, though.Thomas and Ricky Jeune hooked up on a crucial third down from midfield on the ensuing drive for a 42-yard Georgia Tech gain. Mills powered into the end zone three plays later to seal the game for the Yellow Jackets.Georgia Tech Football celebrated the triumph:Looking ahead, the result sends Georgia Tech into the offseason riding a wave of momentum. The Yellow Jackets finished the year with four straight victories, including wins over Virginia Tech and Georgia, and just a single loss over their last seven games.Thomas is a player to watch as he attempts to earn a spot in the NFL. He's unlikely to remain at quarterback given the more traditional passing offenses at the next level, but he could carve out a niche role for himself as a running back and a specialist for gadget plays and select packages.Meanwhile, Kentucky failed to build off its upset of Louisville in the bowl game. While the Wildcats' victory over the Cardinals provided the season with a memorable moment, blowout losses to Alabama and Florida showed how much work is left to do if they want to compete atop the powerful SEC. Postgame ReactionESPN passed along comments from Mills, the game's MVP, about the win:The outlet also highlighted the Yellow Jackets' trophy ceremony:As for Kentucky, head coach Mark Stoops is happy with the Wildcats' progress despite the loss, mostly because of the high level of competition in the SEC, per Joe Mussatto of SEC Country."If you think it's easy to build a program in this conference, you don't know a lot about football," Stoops said. "We've come a long way."
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