Georgia Tech’s 45-17 win over Kennesaw State on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium was a drastic improvement in performance from the Yellow Jackets’ 22-21 loss to Northern Illinois the previous Saturday.
Certainly, the Owls are an FCS team, and a convincing win should be the expectation for any power-conference team against any FCS opponent, but coach Geoff Collins drew a distinction between the last time his team played an FCS opponent – an overtime loss to The Citadel in 2019 – as a marker for his team’s progress.
More from the game:
Play of the game
Tech defensive end Jordan Domineck produced a season highlight in the first quarter when he batted down KSU quarterback Xavier Shepherd’s option pitch, scooped it up and ran 70 yards for Tech’s second touchdown of the day. The play was so breathtaking – he stiff-armed Shepherd into the ground as he tried to tackle him – that it was even retweeted by Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson.
The play was born on the practice field, where Domineck did extra practice work with the scout team this week to practice reaching out to deflect option pitches. The way the play happened, he said, “was exactly like I thought it would come when we were doing the scout team.”
Quote of the game
Domineck on pushing linebacker Charlie Thomas into a KSU player who was trying to tackle him as he neared the goal line on his fumble return:
“We were ready to celebrate into the end zone, but I saw out of the corner of my eye that somebody was coming. So I apologize to my boy Charlie, but for the greater good, I had to throw him into the block. He got a great block, though.”
About Jeff Sims
His left arm heavily protected after an injury against Northern Illinois, quarterback Jeff Sims watched from the sideline, highly engaged with his teammates and supporting starter Jordan Yates. Collins said that Sims was “living” in the training room during the week trying to mend enough to be able to play.
Asked how he will balance playing time between Sims and Yates once Sims is healthy, Collins gave a lengthy response about how proud he was of the character that Sims showed this week, but did not directly answer the question.
Breaking barriers
Largely unknown by most in the stadium, history was made by field judge Karina Tovar, who called her first game as the ACC’s first female on-field official. Her impact on the game was, as might be hoped, largely unnoticed. Tovar worked Conference USA games the past two years.
“I was very proud to see a woman in a male-dominated industry in a role like that,” wide receiver Kyric McGowan said. “Really happy to see that actually.”
Secret weapon
Collins gave profuse credit to the offensive scout team for its work in preparing the Jackets defense for the Kennesaw State option offense. He said that this was his 33rd game as a coach or player against a triple-option offense, and that the scout team did the best job of portraying the opposing offense of any of them.
“That was the reason we won,” Collins said.
In the shadows
On eight kickoffs, kicker Gavin Stewart put six balls into the end zone for touchbacks, and the other two were fair caught. Stewart, the younger brother of former Tech receiver Brad Stewart, now has nine for the season. The Jackets had 11 all of last season.
Playmaker
McGowan caught six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns, all team highs. Last week, the grad transfer from Northwestern had three catches for 32 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown.
“I think my mind-set going into any game is, I just want to be that reliable receiver for whatever quarterback is back there, that whether we’re in the red zone or not, if it’s third down, just being able to make the play when my name is called,” he said.
What’s next
Tech will travel to No. 6 Clemson for its ACC opener at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Tigers, 10-3 losers to Georgia in the season opener, played South Carolina State on Saturday. The Tigers have a six-game win streak over the Jackets, including a 73-7 thrashing last year on Grant Field.
