When Georgia Tech tackle Tyler Kidney got to the sideline after his second false-start penalty, coach Paul Johnson grabbed him by the facemask for a scolding.
Some Tech fans cheered when the scoreboard video showed the scene. Apparently plenty at Bobby Dodd Field were just as frustrated as Johnson with the sloppy play of Tech's offense.
The Yellow Jackets beat Maryland 21-16 on Saturday but not because their offense hummed like usual. Penalties, dropped passes, missed reads and an interception in the end zone were among the issues that plagued the Jackets
“Offensively we struggled,” Johnson said. “We had no continuity. It was a myriad of things. I don't think we did anything very good.”
Worse, a Tech offensive miscue gave Maryland a window to rally late.
After the Terrapins cut the lead to 21-10 12:01 to play, Tech needed to make at least one first down and run off some time. But on third down, quarterback Tevin Washington couldn't connect with Orwin Smith, who was wide open on a crossing pattern and couldn't handle the pass.
Just 89 seconds later, the Terps scored to make it a four-point game. Smith's was one of at least four key drops in the game for the Jackets. And for the second consecutive week, Tech also had a handful of plays in which Washington threw in one direction while his receivers ran in another.
The Jackets had focused on correcting such miscues in practice during the week.
“It's a work in progress,” Washington said. “We had some miscommunications out there but I don't think it's anything to dwell on. We are going to work on it and next week we will be ready to play.”
The offense is showing some areas for concern as the competition stiffens. Maryland ranks in the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference in yards allowed and Tech still must face the tougher defenses of Virginia, Miami, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
The Jackets ran up a season-low rushing 285 yards and a season-high tally of eight penalties for 63 yards.
“We didn't block the perimeter very good,” Johnson said. “We didn't block inside very good. We didn't read things very good. It was like popcorn trying to get it fixed.”
It would have been a better day for the Jackets if they'd hit on only some of their missed chances.
In the first quarter wide receiver Stephen Hill dropped a potential long touchdown pass. That drive ended in a punt after wide receiver Daniel McKayhan juggled and then dropped a third-down pass inside the Maryland 15.
Hill dropped another long pass in the second quarter after breaking free at the Maryland 43 and appeared to be clear for a touchdown. Washington had a pass intercepted in the end zone late in the first half when he threw off his back foot into the wind. The previous Tech drive ended on a missed field goal after Kidney drew a false start penalty.
“It just wasn't a clean game anywhere,” Johnson said.
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