JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Dedrick Mills knew one thing for sure when Georgia Tech lined up to try to convert a fourth down from deep in its own territory during the second quarter Saturday.
The play was coming to him.
The freshman running back churned forward for a critical first down in the first half and then powered in for the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter to help the Yellow Jackets hold off Kentucky with a 33-18 victory in the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field.
"If it's there, we've got to get it," said Mills, who is from nearby Waycross, Ga., and estimated he had about 60 friends and family at the game. "I know we're going for it. It's coming to me, so we've got to get it."
Mills starred in his first bowl game, rushing 31 times for 169 yards to lead a triple-option attack that gained 266 yards on the ground.
No carry was bigger than the one that immediately followed a stunning call by Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson late in the second quarter.
With the Yellow Jackets facing fourth-and-1 from their 15-yard line, Johnson kept his offense on the field and made the surprising choice to go for it.
The move paid off when Mills powered ahead for three yards.
Seven plays later, redshirt senior Justin Thomas scampered into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown on a quarterback draw to put the Yellow Jackets up 17-3.
"I went brain dead there from my own 10," Johnson joked. "I was going to call a timeout. But when they didn't cover the guard, I figured we would let it roll."
The conversion was a huge boost for the Yellow Jackets, who gained possession to start the drive after stopping Kentucky on a fourth-and-one run by Jojo Kemp.
Wildcats coach Mark Stoops chose to pass up a field goal opportunity from the Georgia Tech five-yard-line, and Kemp was stuffed behind the line of scrimmage by defensive end KeShun Freeman.
"They converted a fourth down; we didn't," Stoops said. "Those are critical plays. I don't regret going for it on fourth-and-1 because I know we needed some points.
"We could have always done some different things, got a bigger set, taken our time, done that."
Georgia Tech (9-4) seemed to have just a few more answers than Kentucky (7-6) in each phase of the game.
The Yellow Jackets got things started with a huge defensive play.
Facing third-and-two from the Georgia Tech 49 on the opening possession of the game, Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson rolled to his left to buy time but was stripped of the ball by defensive tackle Patrick Gamble.
Linebacker P.J. Davis scooped up the loose ball and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Yellow Jackets an early 7-0 lead.
The defensive score was Georgia Tech's first in a bowl game since Quayshawn Nealy returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown during the 2011 Sun Bowl.
"We score, the offense hasn't touched the field, always a plus," Gamble said. "Extra points on the board. The offense kept moving the ball well today. It helped out in our favor."
Georgia Tech's special teams also contributed with a blocked punt right before halftime that led to a 52-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
Stoops argued that Yellow Jackets receiver Brad Stewart had not gotten out of bounds on the fourth-and-10 play before the field goal, and replay seemed to indicate Stoops was correct.
But Butker, who also was good on tries from 23, 44 and 26, got a chance and gave the Jackets a 20-3 lead.
"We have a lot of work to do, and it starts right away when we get back," Kentucky linebacker Jordan Jones said. "I remember last year right when we lost that Louisville game, we got right back to it.
"If we get right back to it when we get back, the only way we can go is up."
Playing in their first bowl game since the BBVA Compass Bowl in January 2011, the Wildcats did provide their many fans in attendance with a tense fourth quarter.
Johnson, who was sensational in a win over Louisville to end the regular season, hit receiver Dorian Baker on a 20-yard touchdown pass that cut Kentucky's deficit to 23-10 early in the quarter.
On the Wildcats' next possession, Johnson navigated his way through the Yellow Jackets' defense for a 21-yard rushing touchdown and then hit receiver Charles Walker on the two-point conversion attempt to pull to Kentucky within 26-18 with 3:57 remaining.
Johnson completed 19 of 34 passes for 175 yards and was sacked twice.
But it was Thomas, the three-year starter who led the Yellow Jackets to an Orange Bowl victory over Mississippi State two years ago before a disappointing 3-9 finish last season, who made the decisive play of the game when his team needed him the most.
Clinging to an eight-point lead and facing third-and-4 from the Georgia Tech 48, Thomas saw a blitzing cornerback and lofted a pass deep down the right sideline for a gain of 42 yards to receiver Ricky Jeune.
Three plays later, Mills barreled into the end zone to seal the outcome.
"They were firing the corners late in the game, like basically every play," Thomas said. "They knew we were trying to run the clock out. (Mills) was getting five, six yards a carry.
"We kind of changed up the play call how we did it, sent the guy in motion. They thought we were trying to run it again. (Kentucky) had nobody over top to help the far corner."
Thomas completed 6 of 14 passes for 105 yards and added 42 rushing yards in his final college game.
NOTES:
-- Georgia Tech K Harrison Butker became the program's all-time leading scorer with an extra point early in the first quarter. The senior entered Saturday with 322 career points, tied with three-time All-ACC kicker Luke Manget (1999-2002).
-- Georgia Tech finishes the season 3-0 against SEC opponents. The Yellow Jackets also had wins over Vanderbilt (38-7) and rival Georgia (28-27).
-- Kentucky DE T.J. Carter had a pass break-up on third down to force Georgia Tech to settle for a field goal in the first quarter.
-- The Wildcats blocked a Yellow Jackets punt on the first possession of the second half but were flagged for a personal foul after the play. Kentucky didn't score on the ensuing drive.
-- Saturday was the first meeting between Georgia Tech and Kentucky since Sept. 17, 1960, which the Yellow Jackets won 23-13.
