Wreck ‘Em nips Swarm 20-19 to win White and Gold Game

“It’s really about just staying patient, trusting the process and now I got the opportunity to go show my abilities and what I can do,” Taylor said of his day. “I just gotta make the most of it every time I get the chance.”

Philo was 19 of 34 passing for 275 yards and was picked off twice. Knowles was 11-for-20 for 133 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Tech senior quarterback Haynes King was 9-for-12 for 66 yards in limited action.

Taylor hauled in seven balls and totaled 156 receiving yards and wide receiver Bailey Stockton made six catches for 107 yards.

Running back Jamal Haynes was limited as well and had just one carry, but did throw a touchdown pass. Running backs Malachi Hosley and Chad Alexander, defensive back Rodney Shelley, wide receivers Malik Rutherford, Eric Rivers and Isiah Canion and linebacker Kyle Efford were among the notable inactive Tech players Saturday.

“Today was a perfect example of why I think it’s important to play spring games,” Tech coach Brent Key said. “There’s a lot of reasons behind it from external, fans and student body and people around, but the importance is when you go out and scrimmage and you have people in the stands, it’s a different environment. You don’t know how you’re gonna scrimmage by the way you practice, necessarily. You hope you do.

“Then you don’t know how you’re gonna scrimmage in a stadium with people in it as opposed to a stadium that is empty. Everything we’re doing trying to shrink that gap between our preparation and playing in a game. This is another step toward that.”

Aidan Birr started the scoring Saturday with a 47-yard field goal from the left hash mark to give Wreck ‘Em a 3-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, freshman running back J.P. Powell capped an 11-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge making it 10-0 Wreck ‘Em. Philo’s 15-yard pass to Gatling, a South Carolina transfer, set up Powell’s score.

Team Swarm then dipped into its bag of tricks. King whipped a ball out to Haynes in the right flay, Haynes caught it on the 45 and chucked a deep ball for Taylor who caught it at the 10 and dragged a defender into the end zone.

“We’re trying to build depth at quarterback,” Key joked during the ESPN livestream after the play.

Said Haynes postgame: “We put it in (Friday). We just wanted to bring a little fun to the game. Luckily, I had a great receiver to track down the ball because that (throw) was a little duck.”

Omar Daniels had the first big play from a defensive player when he picked off a Philo pass with five minutes left in the second quarter. About four minutes later safety Clayton Powell-Lee picked off a Knowles pass.

The latter play led to a 43-yard field goal from Birr making it 10-10 at the halftime break.

Andrew Nelms kicked a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter putting Wreck ‘Em ahead 13-10. Birr countered with a 50-yard make at the third quarter buzzer tying the score at 13-all.

Midway through the fourth quarter, A.J. Cheeks made a one-handed interception on the goal line on 4th-and-1 to keep the score tied. That’s where it would remain until Knowles’ late throw.

Per Saturday’s livestream on ESPN, Wreck ‘Em will be treated to a steak and lobster dinner for its victory.

“This is a reward for the players, too,” Key added. “You go through 14 days of practice, and I promise you our practices are real practice now. That’s the thing about spring, you go through all those practices and there’s no real reward other than the spring game. The reward is you’re getting better. So, give them an opportunity to go out there and play and you wanna see guys have fun, too.”