There may yet be more accomplishments ahead for Georgia Tech in the final three games of the season. But the Yellow Jackets delivered a fourth win of the season Saturday, their third with interim coach Brent Key at the wheel.
This one, a 28-27 decision over Virginia Tech, was not without flaws (principally poor play by the punt team) but also commendable efforts, such as the performance of freshman quarterback Zach Pyron and a defense that limited the Hokies to 304 yards of offense and forced four turnovers.
Five takeaways from the win in Blacksburg, Va.:
Red-zone decisions paid off
Had the Jackets lost, two decisions that would have come under heavy scrutiny were Key’s twice opting for field goals on fourth-and-short situations deep inside the red zone. The first was a fourth-and-goal from the Virginia Tech 2-yard line in the first quarter (the Jackets led 7-0 at that point) and the second a fourth-and-3 from the Hokies’ 5 about halfway through the third quarter (the Jackets trailed 20-13 at that point).
While percentages may have favored going for the first down and continuing to press for a touchdown, Key said he didn’t regret “one bit” his decision to twice send out kicker Gavin Stewart. Key incorporates analytics in game decisions – football research and analytics coordinator Pat Boyle is rarely far from him on the sideline.
However, “I believe in going with your gut when the game’s going,” he added. “That’s what it is.”
In this case, Key said he had confidence in the defense’s ability to stop the Hokies and create turnovers to give the offense additional chances and also Stewart’s ability to make the field goals, not a small factor given Tech’s inconsistency in that area prior to Stewart’s becoming the first-string kicker. That the Jackets have not been effective moving the ball close to the goal line was probably also worth considering.
While it’s unknowable what would have happened had the Jackets gone for it, the decisions at least worked to Georgia Tech’s benefit. Stewart’s six points on the two field goals helped secure a one-point win for the Jackets.
Key’s opting to try for a first down on a fourth-and-1 from the Jackets’ 32 early in the fourth quarter with the Jackets behind 27-19 – Pyron’s sneak came up short – would indicate that the decisions to take the field goals reflected his thinking steps ahead and not an unwillingness to take calculated risks.
Said Key, “It’s all based on the flow of the game at the time.”
Perhaps the larger issue, though, is that offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offense continues to falter near the goal line. The Jackets have scored nine touchdowns in 31 red-zone possessions this season. That 29% rate is second to last in FBS, according to cfbstats. The 50th percentile rate is 63%.
More to fix in kicking game
Georgia Tech has evidently solved its issues with getting punts blocked. But covering them has now become its own trial. Virginia Tech’s Tucker Holloway amassed 188 yards on seven punt returns, including a 90-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was the second game that Holloway, a freshman, had returned punts. Further, Virginia Tech had gained all of 18 yards on punt returns in its first eight games.
The 90-yard return was the longest by an opponent in Georgia Tech history and Holloway’s 188 yards appear to also be the most ever by a player in a game against the Jackets. Even without the 90-yard return, Holloway still averaged 16.3 yards on the other six returns.
On the touchdown, punter David Shanahan’s hang time (3.9 seconds) was suboptimal, and coverage failed to effectively converge on Holloway.
“We’ll go back to the tape and make sure we have the exact things that went on with the punt and be able to go into (Sunday) night, address ‘em, fix ‘em, get on the field (Sunday) night and start correcting them and get ready for next week,” Key said.
Part of Tech’s coverage issues has been its use of three linemen on its punt-protection shield in front of Shanahan. While they have formed an effective barrier against attempted punt blocks, their relative lack of speed makes them a liability in chasing down punt returners. It was instituted after the Jackets gave up four blocked punts in the first four games of the season, leading to the firing of coach Geoff Collins, but Georgia Tech has now allowed two touchdowns off punt returns in the past four games.
The collapse by the punt team marred an otherwise effective afternoon by Georgia Tech’s special teams. Stewart made all three of his field-goal tries to improve to 12-for-12 this season. He also had three touchbacks out of six kickoffs, and the other three were not returned past the Georgia Tech 25. D’Quan Douse blocked an extra-point try, the Jackets’ fourth blocked kick of the season.
Supporting roles
After his starring role in the Jackets’ win, Pyron was quick to share credit with the other quarterbacks on the roster: Jeff Sims, Zach Gibson, Taisun Phommachanh and Brody Rhodes. He recounted how, after he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, Sims came over on the sideline and offered him encouragement.
“That’s something I’m super appreciative of Jeff and Zach and Taisun and Brody, is we compete every single day and everybody wants to be the guy out there, but no matter who the guy is, those four other guys are your most important people on the field no matter who you are,” Pyron said. “That’s what I’m most thankful for, is those four guys right there. It’s kind of unheard of. Those four guys make me a way better player than what I could be.”
Much better showing on defense
After enduring a thrashing from Florida State, Georgia Tech’s defense responded well. While Virginia Tech’s offense doesn’t compare favorably with Florida State’s, the Jackets nevertheless held the Hokies offense to two touchdowns in 13 possessions.
Defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker’s unit extracted four turnovers out of Virginia Tech and held the Hokies to 4-for-12 on third downs. Moreover, the Jackets were at their best with the game on the line. With the team trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Jackets direly needing defensive stops, Georgia Tech came up with a fumble recovery and an interception on back-to-back possessions to enable the offense to go on consecutive touchdown drives to take the final 28-27 lead.
Linebacker Charlie Thomas set a career high with 16 tackles and also forced the fumble by Hokies quarterback Grant Wells (recovered by safety Clayton Powell-Lee) that sealed the win for the Jackets.
Douse turned in one of the best games of his career, making seven tackles (2.5 for loss, all on sacks) in addition to creating a takeaway with a forced fumble and blocking a point-after try.
Clutch player
Needing help in his first career start, Pyron turned to one of the biggest playmakers on the roster, wide receiver Nate McCollum. He had seven catches for a career-high 103 yards. Most important, he made a lunging catch on a corner route and turned it into a 56-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, barely avoiding stepping out of bounds as he sprinted to the end zone. The play, which was the longest reception of his career, held up after replay scrutiny. McCollum gave thanks to “my shoe size and good camera angles.”
The touchdown cut Virginia Tech’s lead to 27-22. On Georgia Tech’s next drive, the Jackets faced a third-and-19 at their 45-yard line. There was 5:12 remaining. If the Jackets came up short and had to punt, at the least, the Hokies could run down the clock more. Certainly, they could drive for a score or hold onto the ball for the rest of the game.
But, running a crossing route, McCollum got free for Pyron, who hit him for a 20-yard catch-and-run reception that was good for a first down. Pyron was in the end zone four plays later with the go-ahead score, a 9-yard scramble.
McCollum said the offense was hoping that Virginia Tech would bring blitz pressure to create more space downfield.
“They ended up playing man,” McCollum said. “I think they did end up bringing some pressure. I just had to shake that one man, and I knew if I caught it just get upfield as much as I could.”
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