Once so hopeful, Georgia Tech’s regular season ends with a thud

Less than a week ago, Georgia Tech had a clear path to its first berth in the College Football Playoff.

And into the fourth quarter Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, an upset of hated Georgia still remained viable.

0-for-2.

In time, the achievements of the Yellow Jackets’ season will be easier to embrace and celebrate. But, for now, lament for what fizzled away in a matter of days at the tail end of a season that was thrilling and hopeful for most of it — a spot in the ACC title game, which could have led to a CFP invitation, and a win over No. 4 Georgia — comes to the surface much more easily.

“Oh, of course,” Tech linebacker E.J. Lightsey said. “It’s all I’ve kind of been thinking about.”

The question posed to Lightsey asked if he had thoughts about how Tech might have fared if the defense had played against N.C. State and Pitt (when it surrendered 995 yards and 83 points in losing efforts) the way it did Friday against the mighty Bulldogs, who were held to season lows in yards (260) and points (16).

“If we gave up what, one touchdown, the last couple times we played, we’re still in it,” Lightsey said.

On Friday, the efficient and explosive offense led by quarterback Haynes King had its own questions to stew over. This time, with its defensive counterparts doing enough to keep the team in the game, the high-powered Tech offense had opportunities but didn’t capitalize.

The No. 23 Jackets advanced the ball inside the UGA 35-yard line four times and came away with a total of nine points.

The upset bid was squandered in the second half. Trailing 13-3 in the third quarter, Tech moved the ball to the Georgia 44 and had first-and-10, when King’s deep shot to wide receiver Dean Patterson was off target and intercepted.

On Tech’s next drive, still down 13-3, the Jackets had a third-and-2 on the Georgia 25 and called their trustworthy fake-toss run play, which invariably picks up yardage for King. But the Bulldogs didn’t bite on the fake, the play didn’t develop quickly and King was tackled for a loss, leading to an Aidan Birr field goal.

On the drive after that, now down 16-6 in the fourth quarter, the Jackets had third-and-2 on the Georgia 31 when a toss to running back Jamal Haynes was held for no gain. But a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct on right guard Keylan Rutledge thwarted the possession, pushing the Jackets to third-and-17 and out of field-goal range. Tech failed to convert on third down and punted with 10:31 left, giving Georgia the ball and the ability to run down the clock.

“(The defense) kept us in the game,” King said. “But, like I said earlier, we’ve got to find ways to score touchdowns in the red zone, not field goals.”

‘Same story’

If the Jackets defense had played closer to its potential than it did in the losses to N.C. State and Pitt — or even just in one of those games — Tech would be looking forward to playing for the ACC title Dec. 6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Win there and move on to the CFP.

And if the Jackets had found a way Friday to hit more big plays against the Bulldogs and make the plays necessary to keep drives going — as they did for just about the entire season — they would be delirious over the end of their losing streak to Georgia. It would have been a statement heard loudly and clearly across the state and beyond, regardless of Tech’s CFP status. Instead, coach Brent Key is left to burn over his fourth consecutive loss (including his interim season) to Georgia — the past three by a total of 17 points.

The losing streak overall is now at eight games.

Yes, the unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Rutledge was highly debatable. (Key said he saw the play and withheld comment on the officiating on the call.) But it wasn’t the difference; the Jackets had enough chances and couldn’t take advantage.

“Same story we’ve had as far as kicking field goals over touchdowns, where we moved the football several times and weren’t able to get in the end zone,” Key said. “You can’t (beat) good football teams when that happens.”

So how are Tech and its fans supposed to feel about this season?

At the beginning of November, the Jackets were the talk of college football at 8-0, undefeated and untied that far into a season for the first time since 1966. Tech was ranked No. 8 in The Associated Press poll. Betting favorites in three of the four remaining regular-season games, an 11-1 finish and a clear path to a CFP spot, quite incredibly, looked feasible.

When the AP poll is released Sunday on the final day of the month and the CFP rankings Tuesday, it’s quite likely that the Jackets will be out of the Top 25 altogether — on account of three losses, all three of which were entirely winnable if the defense had performed anywhere near its potential in the first two and the offense in the third. (There is a remote chance that Tech could still make the ACC title game, if Virginia, Miami and SMU all lose.)

For a program that hadn’t won even eight regular-season games since 2014, this is a strangely hollow 9-3 record.