Contributing to Georgia Tech defeat: Loose cleat

Georgia Tech cornerback Lamont Simmons addresses media after his team's practice September 9, 2018.

Georgia Tech cornerback Lamont Simmons addresses media after his team's practice September 9, 2018.

Georgia Tech did plenty of wrong Saturday in its loss to No. 3 Clemson on Saturday. It turns out that the Yellow Jackets’ Adidas equipment had its own failures.

On Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s first touchdown pass, Tech cornerback Lamont Simmons leapt to deflect the pass, but he said he was affected by one of his cleats coming loose.

“I was very close (to the ball),” Simmons said Monday. “My shoe came off and the ball grazed my fingertips. I was so upset. But I was very close.”

The television broadcast appears to show that the cleat did not come all the way off, but Simmons seemed to try to put his foot more securely back in the shoe after the play, a 17-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Hunter Renfrow, was completed.

“I was wearing new cleats,” Simmons said. “I thought I had ’em tied up tight enough, but apparently not. And as soon as I reached out, they came off.”