In a shootout at 4,700 feet, Georgia Tech found out Saturday night that if the altitude around here doesn’t get you, the attitude will.
Playing like it owned the place, BYU rolled over the Yellow Jackets 38-20. It was the third consecutive loss for Tech, matching the longest losing streak in coach Paul Johnson’s five-plus seasons there.
It was newsworthy this week when a vendor mistakenly stocked an on-campus location with a caffeinated version of Coke. Students at the Latter Day Saints-run university — which discourages the consumption of coffee, tea or any other stimulating beverage — reportedly rushed the vending machine.
That was nothing compared with the way the BYU football team happily consumed every Tech mistake Saturday. Two second-half Jackets turnovers were converted into touchdowns. Ten Tech penalties also aided the BYU cause.
“Not a whole lot to say about it. Pretty disappointed,” Johnson said.
“I thought it was a tale of two halves. The first half defensively we couldn’t get out of our own way, and offensively we had a bunch of penalties but managed to move the ball a little bit,” he continued.
“The second half we got squared away defensively, made some plays, got off the field and couldn’t finish a drive or do anything offensively.”
First it was BYU quarterback Taysom Hill, recalling the days of school namesake Brigham Young’s great-great-great grandson Steve Young, who passed the Cougars to a first-half lead that Tech could not overcome.
And when defense was required, the Cougars found enough of it to keep the Jackets at arm’s length down the stretch. In fact it was a defensive play that put the game away for BYU. With just more than 11 minutes to play, Tech quarterback Vad Lee’s pass was plucked by linebacker Alani Fua and returned 51 yards for a touchdown.
It was the first of two second-half turnovers committed by the Jackets that doomed any possibility of a comeback. Both were converted by BYU into touchdowns.
Following the interception, Johnson inserted Justin Thomas at quarterback, who finished the game. He led a 75-yard, 2:18-minute touchdown drive at game’s end. His touchdown pass to Deon Hill was the evening’s anticlimax.
The Cougars defeated Texas this season on the strength of Taysom Hill’s running (259 yards). His arm would be called upon on this occasion. Averaging 204 passing yards over his first five games, Hill threw for 226 in the first half against the Jackets.
Hill, who finished 19-of-27 for 244 yards, completed his first eight attempts. Included in the streak was a deft 45-yard touchdown toss to receiver Cody Hoffman. Hoffman hardly seemed to notice that he was wearing Tech’s cornerback Louis Young like a cape.
It required but 4:39 for 14 more points to be posted, but already Tech was not in a position where it could simply trade its 70-yard touchdown drive (featuring a 49-yard throw from Lee to Micheal Summers) for the Cougars’ 61-yard response. The Jackets were in catch-up mode again.
Against a defense that had begun showing cracks a week ago in Miami, BYU’s offense scored its 24 points on four consecutive possessions.
To the Jackets’ credit, they came out in the second half and found the answers to stopping the Cougars’ offense. The third quarter was a shutdown all the way around. Tech gained only three first downs and 67 yards. BYU was held to 33 yards and two first downs.
“We knew our defense would come out strong the second half. We had to rise to the challenge. We need to score and we couldn’t do it,” Lee said. He finished with 41 rushing yards and 133 in the air on 7-of-20 passing.
That was a half of missed opportunities for Tech. It got the ball to start the second half and with the chance to turn around the momentum, but promptly went three-and-out. Tone set.
Still trailing, 24-13, the Jackets got another break when Chris Milton partially blocked a BYU punt, setting up the Jackets at the BYU 34 with 1:08 left in the third quarter. Tech moved the ball to the 12, then went into reverse. Two negative plays, including a big sack by Kyle Van Noy ultimately left the Jackets looking at a 42-yard field-goal attempt. Harrison Butker was wide left.
“That’s our time to step up,” said receiver DeAndre Smelter. “We needed touchdowns not field-goal (attempts).”
Largely, it was Tech’s two turnovers that defined the fourth quarter.
Now the Jackets find themselves looking ahead to a struggle to maintain their 16-year bowl streak. To become bowl eligible this season, they must win three of their final five FBS games, against Syracuse, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Clemson and Georgia.
“We’re coming back home (vs. Syracuse), and we gotta win at home,” nose tackle Adam Gotsis said. “We can’t afford to lose any more games this year.”
About the Author
