Georgia Tech left Saturday’s trip to Virginia Tech with a 34-24 loss, and the game looked a lot like several others in this season’s pile of frustrations. The Yellow Jackets had injury issues to work through, but the bigger issue was familiar: the same errors that have followed them through earlier losses showed up again and helped decide the outcome.
There were at least some real signs of life from Georgia Tech’s defense, even in defeat. The Yellow Jackets finished with more total yardage than Virginia Tech, but the game split sharply in two.
In the first half, Jason Semore’s defense gave up 307 total yards, including 215 passing yards to Hokies quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Virginia Tech was averaging more than 10 yards per play, and Georgia Tech had no real answer.
The second half told a different story. Virginia Tech managed only 102 yards after the break, while Georgia Tech sacked Grunkemeyer three times and held the Hokies to 67 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per play. If the Yellow Jackets had avoided the explosive plays they surrendered early, the final result might have looked a lot different.
Even with the loss, there were a few encouraging pieces to pull out of the night. Alberto Mendoza set a career high in passing yards.
Trelain Maddox found the end zone again with another explosive touchdown. Jordan Allen kept making his case as the top wideout.
The defense also finished with five sacks and eight tackles for loss.
Still, the game came undone in ways that have become too familiar. Georgia Tech gave up busted coverages that turned into touchdowns, Mendoza threw an interception, Maddox lost a fumble that went out of the back of the end zone for a touchback, and the Yellow Jackets also missed a field goal from under 35 yards. Mistakes happen to every team, but for Georgia Tech, this has been a recurring pattern.
The offense does at least seem to be inching forward. The line remains a problem, and the mistakes were costly, but there are signs this unit is starting to click in spots. Mendoza threw for 335 yards, Maddox has been Georgia Tech’s most explosive back for two straight weeks, Allen continues to look underrated in the ACC, and Kevin Roche Jr. remains a favorite target for Mendoza.
None of that means Georgia Tech has suddenly turned into Miami on offense. But there is something here to build on if the line can get patched together. If it can’t, the Yellow Jackets may keep running into the same wall: a few flashes, some promising stretches, and not enough to finish the job.
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