Tech Fights and Battles, and Loses, in Miami

Yellow Jackets Fall By 3– Despite Ongoing Improvement

Coach Geoff Collins brought his Yellow Jackets to south Florida with a clear cut goal. Win the game. By doing so, they would snap a 2 game losing streak. They would also preserve a chance to finish 4-4 in the ACC this season, a definite step up. And they would set a new high water mark for wins in the still-newish Collins era with win number 4 on the season. Beyond all that, it would just feel good to get a “W”. The players and the coaches would enjoy the satisfaction of knowing– KNOWING– that all that hard work and vigilance was paying off in the most apparent way.

But they lost. Despite fighting hard and battling throughout the game, they fell short by a mere three points– a smaller margin than….well….than many other times they’ve fallen short. With the loss, Tech remains stuck on the low plateau of another 3-win season. With an improving Boston College up next for Tech, followed by #7 Notre Dame and #1 Georgia, the current 3-win total may well be the final win total for 2021. Which would be most disappointing.

Because Tech players and coaches and staff have worked hard to improve. And they’ve been told that they are improving. The fans have likewise been told that the improvement is readily apparent. There is, we are told, much evidence of the widespread improvement. Except, say the skeptics, the most obvious evidence–wins.

In this most recent episode of Year 3 under Coach Collins, Georgia Tech again showed flashes of brilliance. There were 3 fumbles recovered, one for a score. There were long beautiful scoring runs from scrimmage– one each for Jordan Mason and Jahmyr Gibbs. There were, as Collins pointed out in a somewhat prickly postgame press conference, several good defensive stops by Tech on 4th downs. All those things are facts. But those plays were mere flashes. They represented a distinct minority of all the plays submitted by Tech this day, on both sides of the ball.

For the most part, Miami outplayed Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes gained a total of 563 yards, to 329 for Tech, a whopping advantage. On the strength of three recovered fumbles, Georgia Tech stayed in the game. The Jackets’ offense was not very offensive. Two rushing plays accounted for 100 yards of that 329 total on the day. Tech ran the ball 32 times for 135 total rushing yards. Thanks to Jordan Mason and Jahmyr Gibbs, who made scoring runs of 71 and 29 yards respectively, 100 of those yards came on two plays. Which means that Tech’s run game was not very effective overall. The remaining 30 carries delivered 35 yards total, barely over a yard per play. That is a fact. And through the air, thing weren’t much better. QB Jeff Sims struggled most of the day. He completed 21 of 38 throws (55%) for 194 yards and a score. He also threw for one interception and fumbled twice, recovering both. Sims had several short throws that were way off target, and even a couple of his completions were thrown such that the receiver had to stop to catch the throw. Sims’ “long throw” was a short pass to Gibbs, who showed his brilliance as he maneuvered 50 yards for the score. That was a great play. But removing that outlier play from the total numbers leaves 37 throws for a mere 144 yards. There was no threat of an effective downfield passing attack, which in turn, allowed Miami to sell out to stop the run. (see above).

Despite those anemic numbers from the offense, Collins and team held the lead at the half and still held it at the end of the 3rd quarter. But the Miami turnovers that made those leads possible dried up in the final stanza, . Tech’s only score in the 4th quarter came on yet another spectacular play. Safety Juanyeh Thomas picked off Miami pass on a 2 point conversion attempt following the ‘Canes final score. Looking to hike their 5 point lead up to 7 , Miami Coach Manny Diaz’ plan backfired as Thomas returned the ball 100 yards to score 2 for Georgia Tech, This shrank the newborn Miami lead to 3. No matter. When the game was on the line, Tech’s offense could generate no magic.

The final quarter began with Tech nursing a 4 point lead. About a minute and a half into the period, Miami’s kicker Berregales hit a 31 yard field goal to cut the lead to 1, at 28-27. From that point forward, the Yellow Jackets had four possessions. Here’s how they went;

–3 plays, 0 yards/ 00:54

–3 plays, 5 yards/ 1:39

–6 plays, 15 yards/ 3:31

–4 plays, -4 yards/ 2:34

Total 16 plays, 16 yards, 1 first down, 2 penalties– all with the game on the line. Meanwhile, Miami produced 122 yards in the 4th quarter on 20 plays with a single touchdown that put them in the lead, for good as it turned out. Ironically it was that Miami score and Thomas’ big play that allowed Tech to score at all in the fourth quarter.

Yes there were several plays that changed the course of this game- that is usually the case. But there were many more plays which more accurately defined the broader story. Tech’s defense was again pummeled for over 500 yards. That 500 yard barrier is no longer noteworthy. The special teams’ performance was workmanlike, notable mainly for an errant 50 yard field goal attempt by Brent Cimaglia on the final 3rd quarter possession. Said attempt was made a bit longer by a delay-of-game penalty on Tech prior to the the preceding play. Hard to fathom.

Tech had 7 other penalties on the day, claiming back 76 hard-earned yards. That’s a big number–comprising over 20% of the total offensive output for the game for the Jackets.

Afterward, Coach Colluns mentioned that some people want to “harp” on the negatives. He wanted more emphasis on the positives, including 4th down defensive stops, and the long runs and the like. And he wants to continue to recognize and praise the overall effort of his players and staff. All of which is understandable, to a degree. There has been much hard work, and that is laudable. But, as the old saying goes, “a difference, to be a difference, has to make a difference”.

Georgia Tech fans want more obvious evidence of progress in the the program. They cannot easily ignore the ”L-ephant” they see in the room. Too many losses.Not enough wins. Especially in games that feel winnable, like this one in Miami. Yes we see bright moments. They are real. But they are uncommon. Georgia Tech is 3-6 in 2021. Consider: if not for a miraculous finish at Duke, Collins and crew would be riding a 5 game losing streak, a stretch of erratic play which started with a big-margin home loss to Pitt, just after that win over UNC that was thought to be–declared to be–a turning point.

Tech next takes on visiting Boston College, who picked up a win last week over Virginia Tech, holding the Hokies to just 3 points. It will be another challenge for the Jackets.

Kickoff is at 3:30pm at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Nov.13.

Patrick Conarro

RamblinSports