Tech Falls to Virginia
Offense is Lifeless in 16-9 Loss to Cavaliers
These are intriguing times for Georgia Tech football fans. Intriguing as in fascinating, but not as in gratifying. Thursday night offered the newly energized Tech players and fans a rare chance to wallow a bit in the recent successes. Those successes had been modest but still significant, at least relative to the goings-on of the past 3 plus years. But Thursday night brought Tech only frustration and disappointment as the (slightly) favored Jackets fell to a mediocre Virginia team. It was a defacto contest to see which team could find more varied or numerous ways to push away a win. You might think that team would be the Cavaliers, what with their 4 turnovers and 2 of 14 hit rate on 3rd down plays. But no. Tech stubbornly refused numerous gifts and opportunities. The Jackets provided hard lessons in how not to execute (players) and how not to strategize (coaches). The Yellow Jackets scored a total of 9 points. 6 of those were courtesy of the defense, in a 37 yard pick six by DB LaMiles Brooks.
The other 3 came from PK Gavin Stewart who had missed the PAT following that lone touchdown earlier.
The game began in a slightly ominous fashion for Tech. After taking the opening kick, Tech showed an unexpected up-tempo approach with their first series. On 3rd and 1, however, the Jackets drew a pre-snap motion penalty, setting up 3rd and 6 which they did not convert. A short punt by Shanahan gave the Cavs the ball at their own 42.
A few plays later came the first of several gifts from Virginia. A fumble was recovered by Tech’s Tatum and the Yellow Jackets were back in business at midfield. They moved the ball down inside the 10 where Jeff Sims threw an INT in the back of the end zone on 3rd down and Tech was turned away with no points.
Just s few moments later, Virginia QB Armstrong returned the favor throwing an etrant pass that was deflected to Tech’s LaMiles Brooks who obliged him with a 37 yard return for a TD to give Tech a 6-0 lead. Gavin Stewart missed the PAT. No obvious reason– snap and hold looked good and the pressure was not strong– he simply brought it a little left of the upright.
It didn’t take Armstrong long to take advantage of the missed PAT. From his own 25, he drove his team to the Tech one yard line where he finished with a run for the score. The PAT was good and the Cavs had a 7-6 lead. They scored again in the 2nd qtr on a 44 yard pass from Armstrong to Dontayvion Wicks that ended with a long run by Wicks back across the field after evading several Tech tacklers along the left sideline. It was one of the few mistakes Tech’s D would make this night. But it was a big one as it allowed UVa a second TD.
Now Tech rose up to block the Cavs’ PAT and the 13-6 score held. With time ticking down in the half, and with Zach Gibson now playing QB for Tech following an injury to Jeff Sims , the Jackets faced a 3rd and 1 inside the Virginia 10. With one timeout remaining, OC Chip Long called for a pass, a fade route to the left, which failed. Key then opted for the short field goal which Stewart made from 25 yards out the take the score to 13-9 at the half. Tech would score no more on this night. The Jackets went to halftime with a timeout unused.
In the 2nd half Tech had 8 possessions. They went as follows: punt, fumble, punt, punt, punt, punt, out on downs, And finally on their final possession the clock expired, along with Tech fans’ patience. Tech QB Zach Gibson inexplicably cruised out of bounds on the last play of the game. Granted, his chance of doing anything productive was miniscule. But crazy things do happen. Rarely, yes, but as the old joke goes, you have to buy a lottery ticket to win the lottery. (miracle on Techwood, anyone?) Gibson’s impulse to go out of bounds with the game’s final play put a curious bow on this sad occasion.
Post-game, Brent Key explained that Tech had gotten “one-dimensional” in Sims’ absence and that Virginia had taken full advantage. Perhaps. Sims had not been productive himself in this game, bothered maybe by lingering effects of an earlier injury. Whatever the reasons, with Gibson at the controls in the 2nd half Tech ran 32 plays and gained a total of 46 yards. 16 of those yards came on the final 3 plays, meaning that prior, Tech had run 29 snaps to gain 30 yards. Almost incomprehensible.
Though the Jacket defense played its 3rd consecutive strong game, that puny offensive performance proved too difficult to overcome. Not that there weren’t chances. With a margin of only 7 points, every play was an opportunity. But Tech’s offensive approach did not vary. Nor did the results.
The prospect now of playing more games without Jeff Sims, coupled with the unproductive play of Zach Gibson in this game combined to deflate the hopes of the Tech faithful. Much of next week’s prep will depend on the likelihood that Sims can play- unfettered– against FSU. If there will be no Sims, Techs staff must find ways to help the offense succeed. Tech’s offense on this night made Virginia ‘s defense look like the ’85 Chicago Bears. They’re not.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports.com