Georgia Tech Bows Deeply To Bowling Green
The Jackets Took Off Early– Then Took Two Entire Quarters Off –As Falcons From The MAC Flew To A 38-27 Win
Just like that, it was gone. Much of the good will and quiet-but -growing optimism that had enveloped Tech football since Brent Key took the reins a year ago was washed away in one wasted afternoon. This gut- wrenching loss, to a visiting squad who was paid to come here to provide a W, brought back rough memories from the era of The Last Guy. Remember The Citadel? Recall Northern Illinois? It was a similar feeling, only more profound, because this wasn’t a nail-biter in overtime. It was a Grade-A butt- whipping, and yet another example of the wildly undulating performances that have been the hallmark– yes, the hallmark– of Tech football since 2019. (That sound you might hear in the background is Paul Johnson’s rendition of Toby Keith’s ” How Do You Like Me Now?”)
On a day where Tech expected to win, to get their third win before the end of September, and to head to Miami with a dash of confidence, it all fell apart. Adding to the futility were splashy all-black uniforms (a curious choice for a hot September afternoon) and a brief celebration of the visit to the Flats of one Bill Curry, who starred here as a player, returned as a successful coach and has since been held in high esteem by all TechWorld for decades. The boys from Bowling Green didn’t care about all that hoopla . They came here to play football, and after absorbing a pretty good punch by the home team in the form of a 14-0 Tech lead not 6 minutes in, the Falcons took off. They scored the game’s next 38 points, spread over almost 3 quarters, and by the time Tech reawakened, it was too late.
Brent Key was hard-pressed to explain it all. He did call Tech’s two successful opening possessions ” outliers”, and acknowledged that his team was bested in all phases of the game. When asked about the halftime mood, as Tech trailed 17-14 and surely realized by then that they were in a true tussle, he said they talked about “coming out and playing a second game that day and doing something about it. That obviously didn’t happen.”
Whatever the chatter, it didn’t much matter. Bowling Green scored 21 third-qiarter points before Tech scored again, and the game was decided. The Jackets did manage a few late scores that made the margin slightly less embarrassing to a casual score-checker, but the verdict was in well before that time.
Georgia Tech did have some bright moments. Freshman WR Eric Singleton scored again, his fifth consecutive game with a touchdown catch. WR Dominique Blaylock had 7 catches for 131 yards. QB Haynes King was 23 of 37 for 348 yards and four scores, but also with two painful picks .
Punter David Shanahan had a 60 yarder.
That was about it for the good news. Tech garnerd only two sacks, and no turnovers. They yielded three of each, plus had two failed 4th down attempts.
The second failed 4th down, came when King repeated the sneak he had tried on 3rd down, with the same poor result. Later Key was asked about the decision to go for it vs taking a short field goal. Key was barely able to control his frustration as he declared ” It was that far!”, holding his thumb and finger about 5 inches apart.
Two big questions for Key.: How did this happen, and what to do next? Tech’s head man seemed as bewildered as he did angry post game. He said extensive review of the film would be ongoing and that he would be taking steps to assure that the problems were identified and addressed.
Meanwhile, the road doesn’t get any easier for the Jackets. They travel to Miami next week to face the Hurricanes, who are 4-0 and coming off a bye week. Tech’s recent history has been to play their best when the outlook seems most dire. And just two weeks ago, Tech upset undefeated Wake Forest on the road. So all things are possible– as the big boys from Bowling Green, Ohio demonstrated last Saturday in Atlanta.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports.com