BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The officiating shortchanged Georgia Tech Friday night, and anyone in white and gold would likely replace “shortchanged” with a more colorful synonym.
Further, the officiating crew led by referee Mark Kluczynski lost control of a chippy bowl game between two physical teams. In a game that was clearly important to both programs, the officials’ performance did not measure up.
They were a factor in the outcome, a 35-27 loss for Tech to Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl.
With the score 14-13 in Vanderbilt’s favor just above the five-minute mark of the third quarter, what looked like a kick-catch interference penalty against the Commodores was waved off on the (debatable) grounds that the Vandy player was blocked into punt returner Bailey Stockton by a Tech player, but the fact that the player made no attempt to avoid Stockton – and, in fact, tackled him – was disregarded.
Rather than taking the ball near its 35-yard line with a penalty, Tech started out at its 2-yard line, where the Jackets fell on the ball after Stockton was denied the chance to field the punt. Pinned in, Tech went three-and-out and Vanderbilt started possession on its 44.
Its ensuing drive was kept alive by a dubious pass-interference call on linebacker Trenilyas Tatum on a third-and-6 from the Vanderbilt 48. Tatum was step-for-step with Commodores receiver Sedrick Alexander but did not show obvious intent to impede him as the rule requires.
Key then drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for unleashing his fury on line judge John Wiercinski. Now at the Tech 22 instead of facing fourth-and-6 near midfield, the Commodores soon got in the end zone to take a 21-13 lead.
And, unfortunately, Kluczynski did not have the chance to explain his crew’s performance because a request by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to arrange a pool interview with him after the game was not met by the bowl staff.
Tech players, coaches and fans have a right to feel that they didn’t get a fair shake by officials at Protective Stadium. The frustration is understandable.
All of that.
However, Tech has to own its own unproductive response to the officiating, however egregious it may have been. In a stretch of about 10 minutes of game time starting with the non-call on the kick-catch interference, Jackets players’ body language and play on the field strongly suggested a team that was coming undone and getting distracted by the officiating decisions, to say nothing of Key’s own sideline histrionics.
A team that prides itself on playing smart, for each other and with no regard for the score lost its focus.
And the result was that Vanderbilt went from leading 14-13 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter to a 35-13 advantage with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter.
That Tech was able to rally after a 52-minute lightning delay and, had it been able to execute a successful onside kick with 1:30 left, would have had the ball and a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, makes the lapse all the more lamentable.
The post-delay comeback exemplified the unshakable Tech that its fans have rallied behind, the one that took down then-No. 4 Miami and scared the daylights out of then-No. 7 Georgia in Athens.
But the frazzled version that made the rally necessary was a form that needs to be left behind for the Jackets to continue to progress.
When Tech was forced to start at its 2 after the kick-catch interference penalty went uncalled, it could have done better than go 3-and-out.
And when Tatum’s pass-interference call went against the Jackets, Tech had an opportunity to limit the damage to a field goal. Instead, Key lost his cool. Two plays later, cornerback Ahmari Harvey scuffled with wide receiver Junior Sherrill. There was no advantage gained as there were offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but Harvey’s behavior gave a clear picture that he was not dialed in. The Commodores got into the end zone two plays later for a 21-13 lead.
Tech turned the ball over on its next two possessions, including just its third lost fumble of the season, leading to two more Vanderbilt touchdowns. During the delay, defensive tackle Zeek Biggers posted a tweet complaining about the officiating before taking it down. It was understandable, but also an indication of where players’ heads were.
Key’s response to a question about his drawing the penalty was interesting.
“Anybody that knows me and has seen me the entire time I’ve been a head coach knows that I never let emotions become part of the game with me,” he said. “Everyone knows how I coach on the sideline and the reason I coach that way on the sideline.”
Safety LaMiles Brooks, playing his final game in a Jackets uniform, recognized what had happened clearly.
“Emotions got the best of us at times,” he said. “But, ultimately, it’s on us to try to keep our composure and our emotions in check.”
It was an unfortunate conclusion to the season. Tech (7-6) had a shot at an eighth win, a second consecutive bowl victory and the always delicious chance to stick it in the eye of the SEC. Key, clearly thrilled to be coaching his team in his hometown, missed out on what would have been a memory of a lifetime.
It doesn’t detract from what the Jackets accomplished and the clear progress that Tech has made with Key after two full seasons.
But the whole night left a sour taste for the program.
Going into a long offseason, maybe that’s not the worst thing.
