Georgia Tech’s season, once thought to include a second consecutive appearance in the ACC championship game, is spiralling toward something that few would have predicted: missing a bowl game.
The Yellow Jackets have qualified for a bowl game for 18 consecutive years, the nation’s second-longest streak. But Tech has lost four consecutive games following Saturday’s 43-24 defeat to Clemson on Saturday to drop to 2-4 this season.
To extend the bowl streak to 19 consecutive years, Tech must win at least four more games with a schedule that continues with Pittsburgh and includes Florida State, at Virginia, Virginia Tech, at Miami and Georgia.
But Tech’s coaches players were more concerned after Saturday’s humbling performance in Death Valley with just trying to move forward from a posting a program-low 71 rushing yards under coach Paul Johnson.
“We don’t have anywhere we can rely on,” Johnson said. “Can’t count on offense for sure. Can’t count on the defense, special teams either. It’s really frustrating.”
Tech has also finished at least .500 in conference play in each of the past 20 ACC seasons, a streak that’s also in jeopardy following its 0-3 start.
“We’ve got to flush it, we’ve got to start over,” offensive lineman Freddie Burden said. “Of course we are down on ourselves, we are disappointed. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
Defensive lineman Adam Gotsis said the team has to have the same philosophy as if it wasn’t in a losing streak.
“Right now our record sucks, but our mentality has to be 1-0 every week,” he said. “We can’t look and say ‘Oh shoot, we’re 2-4.’ We have to go 1-0 every week. That’s what we want. That’s what we have to go for.”
To do that, Johnson and Gotsis said the players have to relax and just do their jobs with great effort. Johnson said he thinks the players are trying too hard, something Gotsis said he can see.
“You have to reach a point where you are doing your job with effort and not running around like a headless chicken trying to make a play,” Gotsis said.
“That’s everything. Guys have to handle their assignment. Make a play when it’s there. Once that play is done you have to flush it.”
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