There was plenty to correct from Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Gibson’s performance Thursday night against Virginia. Filling in for starter Jeff Sims after a leg injury sidelined him in the second quarter of the Yellow Jackets’ 16-9 loss to the Cavaliers, Gibson had difficulties in particular with accuracy on some passes and getting rid of the ball quickly. As far as quarterbacking goes, those are two of the bigger priorities.
“Obviously, I played a really poor game in my opinion,” Gibson said after the game. “I did not do what I needed to do in order for us to win, and it showed.”
College Football Hall of Famer Joe Hamilton, who called the game for the Tech radio network, saw those mistakes but also holds out hope for Gibson to play better should he be called on to play for the Jackets on Saturday at Florida State.
“There were some flashes and some glimpses of what he can do and how he can deliver the football,” Hamilton said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s why I think a whole week of him thinking he might be the guy or knowing he might get some reps, he’ll grow and get better.”
Gibson completed 10 of 25 passes against the Cavaliers for 99 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked seven times.
Hamilton complimented Gibson for leading a 70-yard field-goal drive late in the first half – he pointed out that, on a critical third-and-1 play inside the Virginia 10-yard line, wide receiver Nate McCollum slipped in the end zone, leading to an incomplete pass – “and then it looked like the dam kind of broke in the second half on him,” Hamilton said.
In the second half, over Tech’s first 10 pass plays, Gibson either threw incomplete (seven times) or was sacked (three times). It heavily impacted the Jackets going three-and-out (or fumbling the ball away on third down) on six consecutive possessions to start the second half.
Over the course of the night, Gibson threw incomplete under pressure, was off target when he had time and had balls tipped away at the line and downfield. While there were clearly problems in pass protection and run blocking, Gibson also contributed to some of the sacks by holding the ball too long.
“At some points in time also, I also thought he felt some pressure that wasn’t there, and then you have to know where your checkdowns are,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also said offensive coordinator Chip Long could have helped him more by calling more plays that Gibson could make with relative ease. Gibson threw a number of deep balls but struggled to connect. On passes thrown at least 20 yards past the line of scrimmage, he was 1-for-7.
That said, Gibson also couldn’t execute on a seemingly simple toss to tight end Dylan Leonard on a rollout in the third quarter by throwing it low and behind him.
Hamilton saw Gibson revive on Tech’s second-to-last drive, the one extended by Virginia’s leaping penalty on David Shanahan’s punt.
Gibson completed a pass to wide receiver Malachi Carter behind the line that Carter turned into a 4-yard gain. He followed with another pass to Carter behind the line that he converted to a first down with blocking help from Leonard and McCollum. He hit McCollum on a shallow crossing route for a 6-yard gain.
He would have drawn a defensive pass-interference penalty on a throw to wide receiver Leo Blackburn had Blackburn not grabbed defensive back Coen King’s facemask, drawing offsetting penalties. On the next play, a third-and-4, he hit McCollum on a short slant. He made one of his better throws of the night on the next play, hitting Leonard in stride on a route to the sideline for what looked like a 22-yard gain for a first-and-10 near the Virginia 29. But the play was nullified because of Tech’s pre-snap alignment that rendered Leonard an ineligible receiver.
After getting sacked on third-and-2 from the Virginia 43, Gibson made another on-target throw to Carter on fourth-and-11 that would have converted the first down, but Carter was unable to secure the pass, giving the ball to Virginia on downs. It came near the end of a substandard performance, but Gibson was making the throws on that drive.
“All’s not lost on his performance,” Hamilton said.
As for the final play of the game, when Gibson ran out of bounds rather than attempt a desperation pass downfield, Hamilton said he felt badly for Gibson and knew that Gibson would want that play back.
“I like the fact that he ate it (in postgame comments), like the fact that he didn’t make any excuses about it and that he just owned up to it,” Hamilton said. “He understands that that’s going to live with him for a long time.”
Should Gibson play this week – it could be a game-time decision for Sims – Hamilton suggested a game plan that is heavy on quick-hitting throws that he can make. Productivity on first down would be essential.
“So that would be my No. 1 focus of Zach Gibson as the (starter),” Hamilton said. “Make sure whether it’s a short pass on first down, slant, quick game, to get it to a manageable situation on the next two downs.”
Hamilton also felt that Gibson should be more comfortable this week, having gotten extended playing time for the first time this season and going into the game against Florida State knowing there’s a good chance he could be counted on again.
If Gibson ends up behind center, the Jackets will surely need him to show better form. Tech, which ranks 125th in FBS in scoring offense (16.1 points per game), was a 23-point underdog to the Seminoles as of Tuesday morning.
“Stepping in, playing quarterback, I’ve got to take charge and take control of what’s going on out there, and I did not do a great job of that (Thursday),” Gibson said after the game. “But I will going forward.”
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