Associated Press

Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt dives in for a score during the second half against Virginia at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. Nesbitt rushed for 82 yards and two TDs.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The triple-option offense keeps working. And Georgia Tech keeps winning.

The 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets rushed for 362 yards and kept the ball for more than 42 minutes in a 34-9 win at Virginia on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

"They believe in what we're doing. I think they believe in themselves," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose team improved to 7-1, 5-1 in the ACC. "Everybody keeps doubting them, and every time they doubt them, they come back and try to answer the call."

Wait, does he really think people are still doubting Georgia Tech?

"Oh, I think so. Right, Heather?" Johnson said with a smile, looking at ESPN.com reporter Heather Dinich, who picked the Yellow Jackets to lose to Virginia Tech and Virginia the past two weeks.

Georgia Tech has won five straight games, a stretch that includes the team's first-ever win at Florida State; their first home victory over a top-5 team (Virginia Tech) since 1962; and their first win at UVa since 1990.

"We've had a lot of firsts this year, and this had to be one of the biggest ones," slotback Anthony Allen said of winning in Charlottesville.

Once again, the Georgia Tech offense dominated in the second half. UVa had the ball for just 7:12 after halftime.

"We controlled the game on offense," Johnson said.

Georgia Tech opened the second half with an 18-play, 82-yard drive that was capped with a 1-yard TD run by Allen on third-and-goal. The series took 10:47 and extended the Yellow Jackets' lead to 20-9.

"It was huge," Johnson said of the drive. "I looked up and there was, what, 4 minutes left in the third quarter? That's a pretty good way to do it."

Only three plays on that drive went for more than 6 yards -- two runs and the lone pass of the series.

The Yellow Jackets kept the drive alive by picking up first downs on third-and-6, fourth-and-2, third-and-2 and third-and-8.

The slotbacks on that drive "were rolling in and out. ... We're coming in, looking at the guy lining [up] across from us and they're dog tired. We just know we have them right there," Allen said.

"We had to come out in the second half and take it to them. We had to play smashmouth football, and that's what we did."

All afternoon, UVa had trouble stopping Allen when he was pitched the ball. The Louisville transfer ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

"The [defensive] guy we pitch off of, he was coming up, he was trying to play the pitch and the quarterback, but he had to determine which one he wanted," Allen said. "He'll take the quarterback sometimes and the pitch'll get out."

Jonathan Dwyer kept plugging along on the fullback dive play, eventually breaking off runs of 20 and 32 yards in the second half. He finished with 125 yards on 25 carries.

Quarterback Josh Nesbitt rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 85 yards. He teamed with Demaryius Thomas on a 52-yard pass that set up a first-half field goal.

"We have big-time players on this team," Nesbitt said. "If we go out and just give it our all, ... we can put up points."

It truly was a great day for the Jackets. Miami's loss later in the day means that if the Jackets win their final two ACC games, they win the Coastal Division.