Stanzi, Iowa Lead Ga Tech in Orange Bowl | Ricky Stanzi threw for 220 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns

Ricky Stanzi threw for 220 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns, and No. 10 Iowa's defense clamped down on No. 9 Georgia Tech as the Hawkeyes took a 17-7 lead over the Yellow Jackets into the fourth quarter of the Orange Bowl on Tuesday night.

Playing for the first time since Nov. 7 after surgery on a badly sprained right ankle, Stanzi completed 15 of 23 passes, with one big mistake — an interception Jerrard Tarrant ran back 40 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds left in the first quarter, Stanzi's only incompletion in his first 10 attempts.

Other than that, the first half was all Iowa, even with the Hawkeyes turning the ball over twice. The scoreboard didn't show the extent of how much Iowa controlled the half, outgaining Georgia Tech 257-32 by intermission.

And in the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets didn't make much of a dent.

The Yellow Jackets nearly tripled their yardage total on the opening drive of the second half. What had been a dominant Iowa showing suddenly seemed tenuous, but Scott Blair's 41-yard field goal attempt was short and right. And although Georgia Tech gained 59 yards, its eighth possession ended just like its first seven — pointless.

At least it wasn't a punt.

By halftime, Georgia Tech had already matched a season high with six punts, a stunning development for a team that had a total of seven in its previous five games. The Yellow Jackets entered with the nation's second-ranked rushing offense, the spread option piling up more than 300 yards per game.

But in the first half of this Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech's rushing offense was colder than the air: 18 carries for 32 yards, punctuated by Josh Nesbitt getting sacked for a 14-yard loss on the final play of the half.

And the team went three-and-out only 14 times in its first 13 games, the fewest in the country, didn't get their initial first down against Iowa until 7:20 remained in the half. It was the Yellow Jackets' only first down of the half, too. Iowa led that department 11-1 at intermission, and 15-6 entering the final quarter.

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