Tech Blows Out Bowling Green

Yellow Jackets Employ A Simpler Approach In Their 63-17 Romp Over Falcons

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson summed it up nicely: “That was a lot more fun.” This came just after his squad completed a systematic dismantling of Bowling Green before a mid-sized, noon-time crowd on a sunny Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Tech came into the day bearing the heavy burden of a 3 game losing streak, including 2 games which they “coulda/shoulda” won. The visiting Falcons, vulnerable to the run, provided a timely tonic to help Tech right their ship. Johnson had vowed to make changes following a bad loss to Clemson a week ago. His plan included simplifying some calls on both offense and defense, and opening some positions to competition for possible new starters.

Georgia Tech’s offense works best when the option play is clicking, the passing game is opportunistic and mistakes are few. This was all on display Saturday as Tech scored touchdowns in all 4 possessions in the first half.

Bowling Green came in at 1-3, with a reputation for being strong in the passing game. They looked the part early as QB Jarrett Doege hit 7 of 8 passes on the opening possession to guide the Falcons down to the Tech 12. There the drive stalled and Nate Needham hit a 29-yard field goal to give the visitors an early 3-0 lead.

Tech broke out a simpler version of their signature ground attack, blending it with a surprisingly strong passing game of their own– their very first play from scrimmage was a 33-yard toss from. QB TaQuan Marshall to WR Jalen Camp. From there the Tech ground game took over, covering 36 yards on 6 snaps with Jordan Mason scoring from 9 yards out to give Tech a lead they would not relinquish.

And here came a new wrinkle for Tech. Freshman walk-on placekicker Wesley Wells came in to hit the PAT. Wells, Johnson would later say, had won the kicking job in open competition held in practice earlier in the week. In prior games, Johnson had seen his sophomore kicker Brenton King miss 2 PAT’s, this after junior Shawn Davis had struggled with consistent accuracy himself.

Thus came the open competition in practice which Johnson said “the freshman won”. Wells’ reward was moving up the depth chart to the first team on a day when his teammates scored 9 touchdowns. He had a big day, hitting all 9 PAT’s. In typically blunt fashion, Johnson later said the kicking job belongs to Wells “until he misses”.

Marshall finished the day 5 of 6 passing for 160 yards, an artful complement to the running game which tallied 376 yards for Tech with a robust 7.6 yard per carry average. Marshall’s backup, Tobias Oliver, got extended playing time in the 2nd half and ended up leading the team in rushing with 116 yards on just 7 carries.

The Yellow Jacket defense gave up big yardage, mostly thanks to Falcon QB Doege who went 27 of 44 through the air for 305 yards. Tech did, however, grab 2 big interceptions– one by LB David Curry in the end zone and the other by DE Henri Saint-Amour which he returned 3 yards for a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets were stingier against Bowling Green’s ground attack, yielding only 63 yards on 38 carries.

Tech’s kicking game was much improved, with several Shawn Davis kickoffs yielding touchbacks, along with Wells’ perfect day on PAT’s. Punter Pressley Harvin made the most of his one kick, going for 53 yards and pinning the Falcons deep in their own territory.

All in all, it was a solid team effort for Georgia Tech, allowing the team to regain some confidence in the grander scheme. The dreaded fumble bug so prevalent a week earlier, all but disappeared. The Jackets had but a single bobble, which they recovered.

Next up for Georgia Tech is a matchup in Louisville on the Friday night primetime stage. This will be the first meeting between the two schools in football. It will be a challenge, what with the short week of preparation, not to mention Tech’s recent road woes. Viewing that challenge as an opportunity, QB TaQuan Marshall said he reminded his teammates that a high profile game like this “…is the reason you play”. Like the Yellow Jackets, Louisville is 2-3 and is looking for its 1st ACC win in 2018.