In Georgia Tech’s 52-21 loss to Pittsburgh at Bobby Dodd Stadium, there were no shortage of plays that reduced the Yellow Jackets’ probability of winning. Two of the more significant were fourth-down plays when Tech had the ball that didn’t go as planned, one a fourth-and-2 in the second quarter and another a fourth-and-4 in the third quarter.
On the first, Tech ran the ball into the teeth of a Pitt defense that was having considerable success stopping the run, an up-the-middle handoff to running back Jordan Mason that was stopped for a loss of one yard. On the second, with Tech down 49-21 and the third quarter about to expire, coach Geoff Collins opted to punt from the Tech 34-yard line, banking on a quick stop by his defense to get the ball back, but relinquishing the ball when possessions were at a premium.
Collins explained the two calls Tuesday at his weekly news conference, shedding more light on the punt decision than the run call for Mason.
“We go throughout the week of prep, putting our plan together, understanding what they do,” Collins said in explaining the run play for Mason. “It’s a high game of chess, not checkers, and understanding there’s complementary things to what you’re doing and then there’s answers to what they’re going to do based on film and based on setting up plays. We executed our plan. It didn’t work out. Give credit to Pitt. They’ve got really good players. They’ve got a good scheme as well.”
After Pitt got the ball back on the Tech 45-yard line, the Panthers were in the end zone two plays later, lifting their lead to 42-14.
As for the punt decision, Collins said he was guided by a book that provides guidance on various situations such as whether to go for a fourth down that incorporates time, score and field position and is “based on all the metrics and all the analytics that we have at our disposal, so we rely on that.”
Collins said that the resource offers guidance of green, yellow or red lights, with green and red being clear “yes” or “no” instructions, where yellow giving the coach leeway to make a decision based on feel.
“In that situation, it was punt,” Collins said.
Further, Collins said, “we had started playing some good defense. We started figuring ‘em out. The adjustments were clicking. Get a stop, punt, get a stop, you’ve still got time to get a couple more possessions in there.”
At that time, being down 28 points, Tech needed four possessions. Two of Tech’s three touchdown drives that day had taken 2:02 or less. The Jackets defense had indeed generated a three-and-out on Pitt’s previous drive, although the Panthers had completed an 11-play, 77-yard touchdown drive on the possession before that.
However, the Panthers took the ball at their 12-yard line after David Shanahan’s punt and drove 60 yards for a field goal and the final 52-21 advantage. The possession took 4:56 off the clock to effectively drain any remaining hope of a Tech comeback.
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