Georgia Tech defense steps up in 2nd half

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets locked down on defense to close out the game in their win over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, and that sort of performance is becoming a trend. The Yellow Jackets have shown major improvements on defense in the second half of their last two games, as ajc.com pointed out.

Duke jumped out to a halftime lead with 17 first-half points, but the Blue Devils could only muster seven points in the second-half as Georgia Tech came back and pulled away for the victory. That came off the heels of last week's 68-50 win over North Carolina, when the Yellow Jackets recovered from an awful first half to give up just 14 points in the final two quarters.

Georgia Tech has been excellent on offense, but their defense has been sporadic. The second halves of the last two games show that the group can do well after adjusting to a team's first half performance. That has allowed Tech's high-powered option attack to control the game.

The Yellow Jackets will likely need more than just a second half from their defense when they face the Georgia Bulldogs next weekend. Georgia has set a school record in touchdowns and is averaging 37.6 points per game.