Georgia Tech running back Synjyn Days kept his ailing teammate close Saturday. Days made his first career start at B-back in place of Zach Laskey, who was out for the game with a shoulder injury, and honored Laskey by wearing Laskey’s T-shirt under his jersey and shoulder pads.
He paid tribute even further by running in Laskey’s hard-charging style. The senior ran a career-high 22 times for 110 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career. He ran 10 times in a 16-play, 8:54 drive in the third and fourth quarters that significantly reduced Pittsburgh’s chance at a comeback, although the drive ended with Days losing the ball on a fumble inside the red zone.
“After the game, he said he was proud of me,” Days said of Laskey. “That’s always a good thing when your teammates say that they’re proud of you.”
Laskey watched from the sidelines with his arm in a sling. He had anticipated this particular game, as he has Pittsburgh roots.
Said Days, “I just wanted to go out there and represent him the right way.”
Days’ play and the Jackets’ lead relieved coach Paul Johnson from having to take off freshman B-back C.J. Leggett’s redshirt by putting him in the game. Leggett was suited up. Backup Matt Connors finished the game. Johnson said after the game that Laskey “won’t be back for a couple weeks.”
Fumble frenzy: Before Saturday, Pittsburgh had lost five fumbles this season. The Panthers lost that many in the first 15 minutes Saturday, including four in their first six plays.
“It was a fluke, I guess, having that many fumbles in a row,” said running back James Conner, who lost one of them just outside the goal line.
Tech works daily on forcing fumbles, but hadn’t had much success this season. The Jackets had five forced fumbles all season and one recovery, against Georgia Southern. But safeties Isaiah Johnson and Jamal Golden, linebacker P.J. Davis and cornerback D.J. White each forced one in the first quarter, and the Panthers lost another on a center-quarterback exchange. It tied an FBS record for lost fumbles in a quarter.
On the sidelines, “we were just like, ‘Seriously, this is happening again?’” running back Synjyn Days said.
In the fourth quarter, Davis knocked the ball loose from quarterback Chad Voytik, but Voytik recovered. On the next play, the shotgun snap sailed over Voytik’s head, and defensive end Kyle Travis recovered for Tech’s sixth recovery. It tied the school record for fumble recoveries in a game. The Jackets previously recovered six fumbles against Tulsa in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl and against Furman in 1995.
“Obviously, we got lucky on a few, and we worked hard for them,” defensive tackle Adam Gotsis said.
Replay win: Two weeks ago in the Jackets' loss to Duke, Tech wide receiver DeAndre Smelter tried to catch a ball just above the turf that was ruled an incomplete pass, a call that stood after video replay and was a critical moment in the game. On Saturday, Smelter got one back. On a third-and-6 play on the opening drive of the third quarter, with Tech trying to expand a 28-14 lead, Smelter made a similar play on a pass from quarterback Justin Thomas. It was ruled a catch on the field and it stood after replay, much to the opposition of the announced 44,734 in the stands. Tech went on to score a touchdown for a 35-14 lead.
Smelter said he thought he caught the ball by getting his hands under it. Still, he watched the replay along with the rest of Heinz Field on the stadium video board.
“There was one replay in particular that definitely looked like I caught it, from the side,” Smelter said. “The play stood, so I guess there wasn’t enough evidence (to overturn it).”
Etc.: A-back Charles Perkins suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and did not finish the game. After the game, Johnson said he thought it was a sprain. … A-back Broderick Snoddy had a career game with six carries for 82 yards and three touchdowns of 4, 34 and 28 yards. Snoddy has worked to get more playing time at A-back behind several seniors. "I was proud of him, happy for him," Johnson said. … Tech recorded three sacks, its most since the Tulane game. Gotsis had two, tying his career best. … Errin Joe made his first career start at right tackle in place of the injured Chris Griffin.
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