Georgia Tech takeaways: Two versions of the Jackets persist at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Two versions of Georgia Tech showed up here on Saturday.

The disheartening form appeared first. You know, the one that lost three of the season’s first four games.

Virginia Tech built a 24-3 lead in the first half, helped by a Jackets defense that frequently missed tackles and an offense that committed two turnovers.

The encouraging version came around after halftime.

The Jackets scored two touchdowns and forced a Hokies’ punt in the first three minutes of the third quarter.

During that stretch, Georgia Tech looked like the team that upset Duke a week ago and could compete against every remaining ACC foe on the schedule.

But after such a disastrous first half, the Jackets needed a perfect final two quarters to win. That doesn’t often happen on the road in conference play, and it didn’t on Saturday.

Virginia Tech won 34-24, casting doubt on if Georgia Tech can consistently put performances together to even achieve bowl eligibility this season.

“When you lose a football game, yeah it should rot your gut,” said Jackets coach Brent Key. “You’re supposed to be pissed off. You’re supposed to be hurt.

“The margins are so small. So small. And you go down 24-3 in the first half and we come back in the second half and we look like a completely different football team. At that point, 24-3, that’s a large deficit on the road to make up.”

Cash in

Georgia Tech responded early after the Hokies needed just three plays to score a touchdown on the game’s opening drive.

The Jackets zipped down the field and were on the verge of a score with Trelain Maddox running toward the goal line. But the ball was punched out of his hands and rolled through the back of the end zone.

Georgia Tech came away with no points. That happened two of the four times the Jackets entered the red zone, with Aidan Birr missing a 32-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

On another red-zone trip, a short field set up by a Virginia Tech mishandled punt, the Jackets managed just six yards and settled for three points.

A potential fifth red-zone opportunity was nixed after a catch by Isaiah Fuhrmann near the goal line was wiped away by a penalty.

With Virginia Tech piling on points, Georgia Tech couldn’t keep up.

“Windows get tighter down there throwing the football,” Key said. “You’ve got to be able to consistently run the ball down there, have the run game and the throws that can complement it down there.”

Georgia Tech’s red-zone opportunities were hindered by a lack of success on first-down plays. The Jackets had five first downs inside the 20-yard line.

The results: the Maddox fumble, a 1-yard run, a loss for 20 yards on a sack, a 14-yard gain through the air and a 6-yard touchdown.

Those final two plays came on the Jackets’ last scoring drive of the game, when Virginia Tech was already essentially out of reach.

Getting home

Georgia Tech’s defense entered Saturday with just six sacks this season. Three came in the victory against FCS Mercer.

The Jackets nearly doubled that total, sacking Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer five times.

“Pretty much the mentality was just pin your ears back,” said Jackets defensive end Taje McCoy. “We’ve got to get off the field, and we came out with a different mentality in the second half and it showed.”

The pass rush helped spark the Jackets’ comeback bid. Of Grunkemeyer’s 250 passing yards, just 30 came in the third quarter as Georgia Tech chopped the Hokies’ lead to seven.

The increased pressure was an encouraging sign. The problem was Georgia Tech had a 21-point deficit before finding it.

“If you wait until the second half to make adjustments, usually you’re going to be too late,” Key said.