Our columnist Mark Bradley gives his take on the game — from a Georgia Tech perspective.
1. The Yellow Jackets did everything they wanted — except win. They scored on their first four possessions. They outgained Georgia 495 yards to 437. For the first half, they outpassed the Bulldogs 171 yards to 114. At the end of regulation, Tech had held the splendid Todd Gurley 72 yards on 16 carries. The Jackets sacked Hutson Mason five times and intercepted one pass. They were flagged for only three penalties. They did not lose a fumble. They turned the ball over twice, the first on an intercepted Hail Mary at the first half's end. They even punted to great effect. They were the better team for most of the day. Somehow they lost.
2. In bitter defeat, Vad Lee proved himself as a passer. He exploited Georgia's weak secondary from the start. On the game's third snap, he converted a third-and-8 by throwing long to Darren Waller, and the 68-yard completion set a tone that would resonate until deep into the fourth quarter. On Tech's second possession, Lee found Robert Godhigh in the left flat for 43 yards on third-and-10. After the Bulldogs drew within 20-17, Lee hit DeAndre Smelter on a slant on third-and-goal from the 7 to re-establish a 10-point lead. For the day, Lee completed 11 of 24 passes for 232 yards — that's 21.1 yards per catch — with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
3. As great an effort as it was, the loss raises even more questions about Tech. The Jackets lost to Georgia 31-17 in 2011 and 42-10 last season in games that weren't close. This time they lost on a day when they probably should have won. And this, remember, while playing at home against a Georgia team that has had, by its standards and expectations, a deflating season and was playing without quarterback Aaron Murray for the first time since 2009. If you're a Tech fan, you have to be wondering if the Jackets' best chance in years — and maybe for the next good while — just came and went.
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