Georgia Tech has room to grow as conference play begins

Georgia Tech has its first win, even if it came against a far outmatched opponent.

The Yellow Jackets, who dropped their first two games to Colorado and Tennessee at home, rebounded with a 44-11 victory over Mercer on Saturday. There won’t be much applause for accepting a freebie, but this team needed it.

Now, the conference slate begins. And Tech still has plenty of runway to achieve its goals.

Getting to 2-2 for the bye week would be a nice place to start. That requires a win in Palo Alto, California, next week against Stanford. The Jackets emerge from the bye with an October of: vs. Duke, at Virginia Tech, vs. Boston College and at Pittsburgh.

The story on this season could shift seismically over the next six weeks. But it’ll take the Jackets growing into a form they haven’t yet reached.

Tech wasn’t going to lose to Mercer. But it wasn’t going to dominate the Bears for four quarters with how it performed either. This was a sloppy showing in the first half, one that would’ve put Tech in a hole against a quality Power Four opponent.

The Jackets simply aren’t as explosive offensively as they were under Buster Faulkner — not a surprising reality — and they lack an offensive line that can control games (the unit was down three starters Saturday, but it struggled when healthy). They made strides Saturday with more big plays, but they’ll need to show it against better competition.

Quarterback Alberto Mendoza is still green. But he’s shown plenty to get you excited. His deep ball to a wide-open Jaiven Plummer for a 37-yard touchdown just before halftime was perhaps the day’s highlight. There are weapons emerging, like Dalen Penson, a converted defender who had three catches for 58 yards.

After running the ball better against the Volunteers, the Jackets started slow (again) before exerting themselves as the game continued. They found a rhythm when they went more up tempo. “The first half wasn’t our standard,” Mendoza said, acknowledging the team’s slow start before coach Brent Key’s fiery halftime speech helped spark the team into a more dynamic second half.

It’s also evident if this Tech team will realize its greatest form, it will be on the back of running back Justice Haynes, its most talented player.

Haynes enjoyed his first 100-yard performance back home Saturday, running for 141 yards on 22 carries. He had two scores, including a 31-yard scamper in the third quarter.

Offensive coordinator George Godsey shouldn’t be shy about using Haynes. He came here for the opportunity, and he’s trying to better his draft stock. He’s also the type of player who can produce in uneven circumstances surrounding him (the offensive line has tested that to start this season).

The defense cost Tech what could’ve been a legendary season a year ago. The Jackets’ run defense again appears a major weakness. Colorado gashed them for 183 yards on the ground. Tennessee followed with 299 yards rushing. Mercer’s 188 yards, though, is the biggest indictment. The Bears have a good rushing attack for their level, but this was the chance for Tech to look more formidable up-front, and it didn’t. Teams haven’t needed to throw the ball because Tech’s run defense is so poor.

“We’re still a major work in progress with stopping the run,” Key said.

Key has preached a need for his team to get stronger in the trenches. That’s the path for Tech to be a sustainable eight-plus-win team. Good trench play will also provide the avenue to become something more. The recruiting suggests better days are ahead on both sides of the ball.

But right now, Tech needs to be more disciplined in its run fits. It needs to tackle better. There are elements it’s capable of improving. And whether it can will determine this team’s ceiling. Struggling against the run is a recipe for losing to inferior opponents, much less those of equal ability.

“You can’t play good run defense if you don’t set the edges,” Key said.

Tech’s new season begins next weekend. They’re expecting healthy representation out West, since so many Tech products have ended up in Silicon Valley, and they’ll hope to bring those folks some pride.

The Cardinal, by the way, have the ACC’s second-worst rushing offense, averaging 108.0 yards per game on the ground. Only rival California (106.7 rush YPG) ranks worse in the ACC.