Georgia Tech’s loss to Notre Dame on Saturday was damaging not only in the record column. Multiple Yellow Jackets players suffered injuries in the game, including three starters on offense and another on defense.
Center Freddie Burden, A-back Broderick Snoddy and wide receiver Micheal Summers all left the game in the second half with injuries and did not return. Coach Paul Johnson did not have updates on those injuries after the game. The nature of the injuries were not clear except for Summers, whose injury was reported on the Tech radio broadcast to be to his shoulder.
All three, if serious, are particularly critical. Snoddy is Tech’s most experienced A-back and showed his worth Saturday with a team-high 77 rushing yards on seven carries.
Likewise, Summers is the only wide receiver with significant experience and showed a budding rapport with quarterback Justin Thomas with a touchdown reception in both of the Yellow Jackets’ first two games.
Burden has a capable backup at center in Andrew Marshall, but Burden has been one of the more underrated members of Tech’s offensive line, an athletic and agile player who is able to take on linebackers.
Defensive end Rod Rook-Chungong, who has made the starting lineup with his steady play, also left the game with an injury.
A-back Qua Searcy also did not return after an injury. It could leave Tech in a precarious spot if both Searcy and Snoddy were unable to play going forward. They have been part of the rotation at the position, along with Isiah Willis, TaQuon Marshall and Clinton Lynch. Johnson typically uses the A-backs to shuttle in plays, and thus would need at least three to continue that practice.
Freshman Mikell Lands-Davis could be a possibility if Searcy and/or Snoddy miss time, although he has yet to play as coaches seek to preserve his redshirt. At game’s end, walk-on A-back Austin McClellan was on the field as the Jackets made their last-ditch comeback try.
