BYU running back Williams ready for Georgia Tech

PROVO, Utah — When BYU running back Jamaal Williams suffered a nasty concussion in a loss to Utah last month, his thoughts turned to his mother.

Williams wasn't worried about if he had suffered a serious neck injury or if he would be able to play again this season. He was more concerned about disappointing his mom.

"When I got hurt, I feel like I let her down," Williams said. "And the next game, when I came back, I felt like I was playing for her to show her that I was going to be ready and be the same Jamaal."

The good news for BYU is Williams finally feels like the same Jamaal again. It's also bad news for Georgia Tech.

No team understands the damage Williams can do better than the Yellow Jackets, who face the Cougars in Provo on Saturday. Georgia Tech had no answer for him a year ago. He rushed for 107 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries in a 41-17 BYU victory. It was one of three games where Williams had more than 100 yards on the ground during his freshman season.

It ended up being a game where Williams, who has tallied 457 yards on 90 carries this season, proved he could be a special runner for the Cougars.

"It was just my opportunity to show what I can do," Williams said. "I wasn't a normal freshman. I was here to play and show that I could contribute to the offense."

Slowing down Williams is only one concern for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets also need to figure out how to move the ball against a stout BYU defense.

Georgia Tech ranks eighth nationally in third-down conversion percentage (.542), but failed to convert a single third down against the Cougars a year ago.

"Physically, on the edge, they got after us pretty good," Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson said. "We were 0-for-10 on third down and we had one third down that was less than five yards. So we got ourselves behind the eight ball. They did a great job."

How well Georgia Tech fares against BYU this season could come down to the team's ability to set the tone on the ground. The Yellow Jackets average 300 rushing yards per game, while the Cougars allow just 132.6 rushing yards per contest.