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Georgia Tech Football Countdown: Juanyeh Thomas’s touchdown against UGA

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 24: Juanyeh Thomas #28 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets runs back a kickoff for a 100 yard touchdown in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs on November 24, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 24: Juanyeh Thomas #28 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets runs back a kickoff for a 100 yard touchdown in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs on November 24, 2018 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Tuesday officially marks 100 days until Georgia Tech kicks off their 2019 season against Clemson which mean our official countdown can commence.

In 100 days, toe will meet leather in Death Valley as Geoff Collin’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to Clemson to take on the defending National Champions. Over the course of the next 100 days, we will countdown the days using a variety of ways, using current players, using alumni, using plays in Georgia Tech history, or using certain seasons.

Today, we begin our countdown using a play from just last season.

Last season, Georgia Tech fans saw the breakout and exciting play of cornerback and kickoff returner Juanyeh Thomas. Thomas first showed his potential in a kickoff return against the USF Bulls. But his more exciting touchdown and the one we are showcasing here today was his 100-yard kickoff return against Georgia last season.

Towards the end of the first quarter in last year’s Clean Old’ Fashion Hate game against UGA, the Jackets were trailing 14-0 and needed a spark. Step in Juanyeh Thomas. Thomas took the kickoff at the goal line of the endzone, just a few feet to the right of the left hash marks.

From there, Thomas would take it out of the endzone before cutting to the left and in the process getting past seven Bulldogs. He would then outrun two Bulldogs over the last 40-yards as he took the kickoff all the way back for a touchdown. You can watch the full play below;

While the kickoff definitely provided a spark for the Yellow Jackets, it just wasn’t enough for the Jackets to truly get themselves back in the game. The Jackets would go onto lose the game 45-21 in what would be the last time that Paul Johnson would coach the Yellow Jackets in a Clean Old Fashion Hate game.

Thomas all in all had a tremendous freshman season and earned Freshman All-American honors in the process. He returns as a sophomore in 2019 and it will be exciting to see what tricks he has up his sleeve this upcoming season.