Tech Falls To BC 41-30
Collins’ Crew Drops 4th Straight In Another Groundhog Day Grind
Anybody else hear that song by Sonny and Cher? ” I Got You Babe” is heard in the opening moments of Groundhog Day, the old Bill Murray movie in which life replays itself day after day? I swear I heard it last Saturday, mid-afternoonish. It was just another edition of a growing string of losses for the Yellow Jackets. Tech has not won since that very narrow escape vs Duke some 5 weeks ago. All those losses share some common traits for Tech. Consider:
1) a porous defense yielding 500 plus yards per game
2) a big day for the opposing QB
3) a big day for a particular opposing RB
4) an uncanny tendency to have a key failure in one part of the team just as another part seemingly stands out.
5) another great performance by Tech RB Jahmyr Gibbs, who stands out weekly as the most dynamic player on the field.
The common denouement is some failure of some part of the machine– offense or defense or special teams– that leaves Tech with another narrow loss — one that somehow feels less narrow than it is on the scoreboard.
In this past week’s episode, BC started fast by throwing long. Anymore, opponents can almost guarantee success by throwing long vs Tech. BC scored in 2 minutes. But Gibbs returned the kickoff for a tying TD. Then, against expectations, the Jackets rattled off 2 more scores under the leadership of QB Jordan Yates. Tech is up 21-7. But reality sets in, BC recalls the soft spots in Tech’s D and the visitors score 21 unanswered points to take a 28-21 lead into the half.
Tech draws close in the second half, but PK Brent Cimaglia misses a PAT to leave Tech a point short at 31-30. From there, the defense goes back into retreat and BC steps back up with a long clock-eating touchdown drive and a field goal to yield a 41-30 result. It all reads like the first draft of a mediocre novel. And yet, it’s now familiar.
Georgia Tech is now 3-7 on the year. They play Notre Dame next, followed by Georgia. Those games represent a steep uphill climb. But funny things happen in college football sometimes. On to South Bend!
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports