The season that began two months ago with a bang – although beating Florida State has depreciated as an accomplishment – has now reached a point where Georgia Tech isn’t quite so percussive. A rigorous set of games – losses to No. 1 Clemson, Boston College and No. 4 Notre Dame – sent the Yellow Jackets into their second open date of the year on a three-game losing streak with a record of 2-5, 2-4 in the ACC. It’s still a respite to heal and prepare for the final month of coach Geoff Collins' second season.
Tech is a team with clear promise, but also obvious areas of improvement. As the Jackets gird up for the closing run of Pitt, at No. 11 Miami, Duke and at N.C. State, here’s a look at what to look for when they resume play Nov. 14 against the Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
1. Tightening pass protection
After giving up two sacks in the first four games, the Jackets have permitted 15 in the past three. Part of the sharp uptick is playing teams with strong defensive fronts, but Tech will need to brace for more.
In the final four games, offensive tackles Jordan Williams and Zach Quinney will have a lot on their plates. With Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver on the edges, Pitt leads the FBS in sacks (31) and tackles for loss (79). Miami defensive end Quincy Roche, who transferred from Temple after winning American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year, is a menacing mix of speed, power and quickness.
Duke defensive ends Victor Dimukeje and Chris Rumph are tied for the FBS lead in sacks, with 7.5.
“You’re going to play three really good defensive lines,” said Roddy Jones, an ACC Network analyst and a former Tech captain.
Beyond Quinney and Williams continuing to progress in staying in front of swift ends, it’s incumbent upon Tech to find ways to move quarterback Jeff Sims away from pressure, equip him with quick-hitting plays and give the tackles help.
2. Strong finish for Jeff Sims
After seven games, Sims' upside is obvious. A freshman quarterback, he can make all the throws, hit targets in stride, move well in the pocket and on designed run plays and is physically tough. His 39-yard pass to wide receiver Jalen Camp in the Notre Dame game was an example of his ability to make highly accurate downfield throws into tight coverage. But he also missed on throws to open targets, thwarting chances to get more points on the board. He did, however, avoid throwing an interception for only the second time this season.
Sims presumably has a long road ahead of him, and he can go into the offseason on an upward trajectory. He can improve upon his 55.7% completion rate (near the bottom among starting FBS quarterbacks), take better care of the ball and continue to cultivate his awareness of when to throw, get rid of the ball or run. After the loss to Notre Dame, Sims said he would be focusing on finishing drives during the open date.
“We tend to hurt ourselves a lot, and we can’t do that,” he said.
3. More consistent play from defense
Among the remaining opponents, Miami’s offense is to be feared most, with quarterback D’Eriq King and a collection of playmakers. Tech could luck out if Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett remains out with an ankle injury. Duke is the only FBS team with more turnovers (23) than Tech (19). N.C. State is without starting quarterback Devin Leary, though he could be back by the time the Wolfpack and the Jackets meet Dec. 5 in the final game of the regular season.
Improved tackling – wrapping up, taking better angles, not overrunning the ball – can all be better. Developing more pass-rush threats – Chico Bennett, Ja’Quon Griffin and Djimon Brooks have all shown one-on-one ability, among others – would be another objective as the Jackets close the 2020 regular season.
“They’ve struggled with (tackling) at times, and angles plays into that,” Jones said. “Some of that can be a skill thing. They got pushed around a little bit (against Notre Dame), but that’s to be expected, but there’s not a Notre Dame-type of line left on the schedule.”
Continuing their success at ripping balls out – the Jackets' nine forced fumbles are third in the FBS – would help conceal their difficulties with third-down defense and defending the red zone.
4. Bring on the freshmen
A year ago, defensive linemen Jordan Domineck, Mike Lockhart and Curtis Ryans emerged in the final games of the season to earn significant playing time after having played little, or not at all, earlier in the season. All three put the experience to use, winning spots in the rotation and in the starting lineup.
Collins has indicated that members of the freshman class have similarly made strides this fall. Linebacker Tyson Meiguez, defensive linemen Emmanuel Johnson and Akelo Stone and cornerback Miles Brooks are candidates who could see time with the defense. Wide receiver Nate McCollum has begun to earn more time with the offense.
5. Make field goals
With a new set of kickers, Tech might finish last in the FBS in field-goal accuracy for the second year in a row. The Jackets have made one of six field-goal tries, with four of the five misses having been blocked.
It’s not as though Jude Kelley can’t make field goals – he won a national high-school kicker-of-the-year award last year at Allatoona High. For that matter, Gavin Stewart was 9-for-9 last year on field-goal attempts (with a long of 47) and 55-for-55 on point-after tries at Benedictine Military School in Savannah.
Whatever the issue, the Tech coaching staff has to figure it out before it costs the Jackets a game.
6. Improve competitiveness
While the level of competition was a factor, the Jackets lost their past three games by a combined 105 points and lost their other two games by a total of 45 points. Moreover, the two teams they’ve beaten (Florida State in the season opener and Louisville in the fourth game) are a combined 4-9. Of the five teams to defeat Tech, four recorded either their most decisive win of the season (Central Florida, Clemson and Boston College) or their only win (Syracuse). The Jackets, who Collins reminded media after the Notre Dame loss were picked to finish in the ACC, have made a habit of compounding matchup disadvantages with their own mistakes.
Still, while Miami – a team the Jackets beat last year – is a taller order, the other three opponents are beatable if Tech doesn’t beat itself. The Jackets' play against Notre Dame on Saturday – one turnover, six penalties, below season averages in both categories – was a step forward.
“You’d love to be competitive in all of those games,” Jones said. “I think the biggest thing, you just want to see development.”
About the Author
