Georgia Tech may not have needed the assurance, but the Yellow Jackets’ Saturday scrimmage provided more evidence that the team is fairly secure at the backup quarterback spot.
Starter Justin Thomas left the scrimmage four plays into the session, slightly hobbled when he was brought down releasing a pass. No. 2 quarterback Tim Byerly effectively handled the first-string offense, leading the unit to a touchdown, a field goal, a missed field-goal attempt and a red-zone trip in five possessions, each starting at its 30-yard line.
“Tim Byerly did some good things,” coach Paul Johnson said.
Thomas’ injury was not serious; Johnson said he likely would have continued had it been an actual game. But, with the opportunity, Byerly produced. He gained a first down on a fourth-and-1 keeper on the first drive, which ended with a 44-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
On his second drive, he found A-back Tony Zenon down the seam for an 18-yard pass to convert a third down and then on the next play, faked an option pitch and used a downfield block from wide receiver DeAndre Smelter to weave 50 yards for a touchdown.
“I love the option stuff,” Byerly said. “I think it’s my fit of an offense. My eyes are a lot quicker, and I think that’s helping my game right now.”
Thomas remains the firm No. 1, but Byerly figures to have a role on the field. Byerly has a knack for gaining tough yards up the middle, dragging tacklers forward as he goes to the ground. Johnson has described Thomas as a “make-you-miss guy” where Byerly is “more of a run-through-you, run-over-you guy.”
Byerly also had a firm handle on the offense when it went no-huddle, leading the unit from the 30 to the opposing 16 in 12 plays with a string of option plays. The offense converted two third downs and a fourth down. The drive ended, however, when linebacker Quayshawn Nealy jarred the ball loose from Byerly on a run play.
It was one of three turnovers forced by the defense. Cornerback Lynn Griffin made an acrobatic interception off freshman quarterback Matthew Jordan. Defensive tackle Pat Gamble stood out with at least two tackles for loss.
While Gamble mostly played against the freshman-dominated second-string offensive line, defensive coordinator Ted Roof said that “I’m not worried who he played against. He made some plays.”
After focusing heavily on the 4-2-5 defense in spring practice, the defense played out of a 4-3 in the scrimmage. Linebackers Paul Davis, Tremayne McNair and Nealy played behind ends Tyler Stargel and KeShun Freeman and tackles Shawn Green and Adam Gotsis. (Linebacker Tyler Marcordes, expected to be a starter, was injured and did not play.) The nickel defense remains Roof’s base defense, but Tech worked out of the 4-3 to “get more reps at that because we’ve been away from it for a long time,” Nealy said.
Tech’s countdown to its season opener against Wofford is now inside three weeks.
“Overall, there was a lot of good but too much bad,” Roof said. “Like any first scrimmage.”
