Georgia Tech football falls to Virginia Tech, putting bowl hopes in question

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Georgia Tech’s turnaround lasted just a week.

The Yellow Jackets fell behind Virginia Tech by three touchdowns in the first half Saturday and lost 34-24, putting a dent in the progress from last week’s upset of previously undefeated Duke.

The matchup represented a chance for Georgia Tech (2-4, 1-2 ACC) to climb back to .500 and remain in the early ACC race. Instead, the Jackets left Blacksburg needing four wins over their final six games to reach bowl eligibility.

“This team needs to understand, anybody can beat anybody on Saturdays,” said Jackets’ coach Brent Key. “We’ve shown that we can play with anybody on Saturdays, and we can get in a hole and then turn it around and come out of it and play. But it’s the consistency that goes through that.”

For a few minutes in the third quarter, Georgia Tech threatened to erase a disastrous first half.

After trailing 24-3 at halftime, the Jackets scored 14 points — on touchdowns by Trelain Maddox and Dalen Penson — in less than three minutes and on just five offensive plays.

Then the comeback bid sputtered.

Georgia Tech’s offense went three-and-out on consecutive possessions, and Virginia Tech (5-2, 1-2) answered with 10 points. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw a touchdown pass to Jeffrey Overton, and John Love added a 24-yard field goal.

Georgia Tech had another opportunity to cut into the deficit, but Aidan Birr missed a 32-yard field-goal attempt with just over 10 minutes to play. Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza connected with Javien Plummer on a 6-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter as the game’s final score.

“I’m not sitting here trying to blow smoke by any means, but there was improvement made in places,” Key said. “That’s what you have to show the guys. Guys have to understand, we improved here, here and here and we didn’t here. Well, let’s find out why we didn’t.”

Mendoza finished 29-of-38 for a career-high 335 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Maddox rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Cayman Spaulding had six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and the Jackets’ defense recorded a season-high five sacks.

Virginia Tech seized control quickly to start the game.

The Hokies scored in just three plays on the opening possession, Grunkemeyer connecting with Que’Sean Brown for a 60-yard touchdown.

Georgia Tech appeared to have an answer.

Maddox, starting in place of the injured Justice Haynes, found a running lane toward a touchdown on the Jackets’ opening drive. But the ball was punched from Maddox’s hands and rolled through the end zone for a touchback.

Virginia Tech piled on from there. And Georgia Tech didn’t come close to the end zone again until Maddox raced 42 yards for a touchdown near the start of the third quarter.

Grunkemeyer finished 15-of-22 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Brown had 182 yards receiving on six catches, and Overton had 85 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Next up for Georgia Tech is a matchup with Boston College next Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Eagles (3-3, 1-2) defeated Pitt 27-21 on Saturday.