Article Jackets Brought the Juice to Tallahassee

Jackets Brought the Juice to Tallahassee

Courtesy of ACC Digital Network

A post-mortem following yesterday’s wild victory for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-0, 1-0) over the Florida State Seminoles (0-1, 0-1), starting with my overall takeaway.

We are an improved team.  We are not a good team, yet.

Based on Saturday’s performance, both the national media narrative and the Vegas narrative are likely to change going forward.  That is, the ceiling for this year’s Yellow Jackets squad is higher than most expected in the preseason.  Picked last out of 15 teams in the conference by the ACC media and pegged as a 13-point underdog by Vegas in the opener, the Jackets effectively shattered those expectations one game into the season following a 16-13 win on the road in Doak Campbell Stadium.

Let’s break down some of the highlights and opportunities for improvement, of which there are more than are included here.

What Went Well

• Quarterback Jeff Sims

What more can you say about the grit and poise out of the true freshman from Florida? Originally a Florida State commit and allegedly asked to look elsewhere by new Seminoles Head Coach Mike Norvell, Sims played up to his Elite 11 credentials and then some in a redemption game of sorts.  Connecting on 24 of 35 of his passes (68.5%) for 277 yards, along with 64 yards on the ground, Sims stat line by itself was a good one for his first collegiate game reps.

More than that, the intangibles showed up.  He showed above average awareness in the pocket, and above average ability to keep plays alive, and a selflessness to give up his body for the extra yards to extend drives.  There were absolutely freshman mistakes, some of which showed up in the stat line and others where he was more fortunate.  However the body of work as compared to that of a typical true freshman suggests the Jackets got a good one.

• Offensive Line Improvement

Much was made of the NFL talent on the Seminoles’ defensive line.  There probably aren’t many Yellow Jackets who would start for the Seminoles defense based on recruiting rankings and next level projections.  In the end the Yellow Jackets offensive line, now in year 2 under line coach Brent Key, conceded just one sack. The Seminoles generated six tackles for loss (TFL), some of which occurred on the perimeter on failed jet sweeps and wide receiver screens.

The offensive line can lay claim to the most decisive improvement for one position group from year 1 to year 2.  Credit goes to Offensive Coordinator Dave Patenaude and Quarterback Jeff Sims as well.  The Jackets’ offensive strategy appeared designed to get the ball out quickly and exploit the short and intermediate game, rarely taking the time required for shots downfield, and Sims was masterful at avoiding pressure when plays inevitably broke down.

• Defense Locked Down After Early Miscues

After the Seminoles’ opening possession ended in an all too familiar easy touchdown drive, there were likely few Tech fans who would have predicted that the Jackets would yield just 6 points the rest of the way.  That is exactly what Defensive Coordinator Andrew Thacker’s defense did.  The defense was disruptive and forced 4 turnovers (1 on downs).  They gave up just 3.8 yards per play and sacked Seminoles Quarterback James Blackman three times.  Yes, this was a beleaguered and much maligned Florida State offense, but how many times in recent past have we seen those same offenses move through the Jackets’ defense with ease?

• Confidence and Swagger

At the end of the day, fair or not, wins and losses often affect perception of the components as much as anything else.  In order to win though, one team needs to be the better team for 4 quarters, and that is exactly what the Jackets proved on Saturday.  The pregame ESPN match-up predictor suggested that the Jackets had a 24% chance of winning.  The in-game predictor suggested that the Jackets were underdogs into the 4^th quarter, up until Defensive End Curtis Ryans’ strip sack of Blackman. At no time did it appear that Tech lost focus.  “Competition is King” reared its beautiful face until the final whistle.

Room For Improvement

• Special Teams

There’s not much more that needs to be said that wasn’t readily observed.  The Jackets struggled with field goal protection, field goal kicking and in the kickoff return game.  Even famed Punter Pressley Harvin had a misfire, but past performance suggests his first punt attempt late in the 2^nd quarter (you read that right) was an aberration.  Nowhere to go but up from here.  Kudos to true freshman kicker Jude Kelley for delivering when it mattered most and hitting the game winner.

• Penalties

Eight (8) flags for 80 yards just isn’t going to get the job done against most ACC teams, especially on the road.  While penalties rarely come at good times, one could argue that the timing of yesterday’s hiccups nearly handed the game to the Seminoles.  The Jackets moved the ball with relative ease between the 20’s, however ill-timed personal fouls created headwinds for an offense that is still trying to find and confirm its identity.  The missed field goals might not have been attempted at all if not for the Jackets’ miscues.  The good news is the penalties can be learning opportunities, which are much easier to swallow when complemented with a win.

• Quality of Opponent

Simply put, Florida State is not a great team.  Despite their talent and program history, the ‘Noles were average last year, finishing 6-7 (4-4) under since-fired Head Coach Willie Taggart.  Now they’re going through a transition of their own and we caught them during their first live game reps under new Head Coach Mike Norvell.  Their quarterback, Blackman, has struggled through a handful of different offensive coordinators to the point where any quarterback’s head would be spinning.  Then the program went through an offseason without a full install of their new offensive and defensive schemes due to Covid-19, along with off-field drama among the coaches and players.  Putting it mildly, it was a great time for the Jackets to catch the Seminoles.

Closing Thoughts

Restating my post in the game 1 preview thread:

“My hypothesis is that Week 1 will be sloppy in CFB. Whether that’s due to new practice schedules, revised team protocols (e.g., less contact), or off-field distractions/priorities, there are a variety of reasons this season and especially week 1 may not match expectations when compared to other years, regardless of roster talent and coaching. It might also mean some teams inadvertently appear to “click” more than they otherwise will, whether that’s due to random chance or an under-prepared opponent.

What does that mean for my week 1 expectations? I’m mentally prepared that anything can happen. And the results may not be indicative of future performance. I just hope we’re the benefactors of the unpredictability.”

May I emphasize “the results may not be indicative of future performance”?  Tech won and Tech improved.  It is hard to demand much more than that.  But as the areas for improvement suggest, we have a long way to go before we can say Tech has arrived.  The good news is there are many signs of hope and potential for continued improvement.  The speed at which the Jackets realize that improvement will go a long way toward determining their record in the 2020 season.

 

[CuseJacket]

Two things, one it made sense because of the yardage drove them from likely in FG range, to likely out, although they went to kick it anyways. It's very possible Collins thought that if we could hold them like we did they might choose to punt instead of go for a 53 yarder where as they may try a 45 yarder if they could pick up some yards running the ball on third. The second is that some penalties can't be declined, only the yardage. I believe these are usually dead ball penalties, like delay of game. But false starts can't be declined even if they play goes through. I believe that was an illegal motion, and I'm not sure if that's considered a dead ball foul or not.

My understanding is that you can decline illegal motion, supported by the fact that the play was allowed to go all the way through. Thus yielding 3rd and 10. False start is supposed to be stopped with a whistle. Someone smarter than me can correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't agree with the reasoning re: FG range, though the thought did go through my head during the game and prior to posting. I suspect there are analytics on how often a team picks up 5+ yards on that down and distance, which is in theory the break even on the decision. And maybe our coaches knew that and how that applied to FSU. But, not that I recall with 100% certainty, I remember that example happening a couple of times last year as well without points in play. And my instinct says to decline and go with 3rd and 10 vs. 2nd and 15.

I also wasn't thrilled with our timeout usage on Saturday, but I understood it. Just like I understood there's probably a number of logical cases to be made that 2nd and 15 is the better choice.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

My last thoughts on the game after watching again last night. Emphasis on some under the radar things that may have been discussed but maybe weren't as prominent. Take this as a dose of "things are never as good or as bad as it seems".

1) Sims almost had 4 turnovers in the first half. Two INTs which we know about. The other dropped INT that would have been a pick 6. That was a terrible decision, but it's not like linebackers are known for their great hands either. The fourth was a backwards pass to Mason that was blown dead and called incomplete in 1st quarter. The play was unquestionably a backwards pass - I thought so Live and confirmed via replay - and could have been a scoop and score leading to a 14-0 lead as opposed to 10-0 following next FSU possession that ended in a FG. Another big break.

2) Does Collins maintain a culture of discipline? This is mainly tongue in cheek. Last year some fans suggested Collins' priorities were incorrect. Focused too much on music, juice crew, etc. There was one terrible game with dead ball penalties that cost us the W (Citadel). Yet we were top 25-ish in fewest penalty yards/game. First game in 2020? We racked up the penalties. But what caught my attention as much as anything was when Collins burned our 3rd timeout at the end of the first half to try to freeze the FSU kicker. As he was trying to bring the team to the sidelines during the TO, there was clearly a lack of compliance. Reading his lips... "What the **** are you doing?" He clearly has expectations that he expects the team to meet.

3) Time/game management. One area of concern for me last year, though not at the very top of the list, was coaching decisions around use of timeouts, penalties, etc. I have to admit that this concerned me again on Saturday. I also have to admit there were gray areas though and therefore I could very well be wrong in my assessment. One play reminded me of this last night. We got a stop that would have meant 3rd and 10 for FSU. Instead we accepted a 5 yard penalty against FSU that made it 2nd and 15. Ultimately this decision worked out for us based on the yardage subsequently gained by the FSU O, but I'm just not sure if that's typically the right call.

4) The game really had very little flow. It makes me wonder how much that helped or hurt us. I'm inclined to think it was neutral. FSU had a FG drive in the 2nd half with 3-4 injury delays. They had a subsequent drive with 2-3 injury delays. This was on top of the weather related issues, flags, etc. The pace was ratcheted down, which is an interesting juxtaposition against what we're expecting this coming weekend vs. UCF.

5) How much did depth play into Saturday's outcome? Obviously we were shorthanded. FSU became shorthanded throughout the game, especially on the OL. I liked how Ryans got to the QB in the 2nd half vs. FSU. In some ways this was due to the FSU OL becoming depleted. Not trying to take it all away from Ryans. He still had to produce and he did. Might our lack of depth and pace of play affect us more this Saturday vs. UCF?

Good stuff, Cuse.

I also still have my concerns with game management and use of timeouts.

I also knew we really caught a break on the other 2 possible turnovers.

I think the jury is still out on whether CGC can keep a balance of discipline and "fun/juice" that he wants - this is probably the hardest thing coaches have to do these days.

I'm rooting for all of these things to go well - Sims leaves his bad decisions (at least not 4 in one half) behind. Hoping coaches get better at not wasting timeouts early in the half (especially in the 2nd half) - knowing sometimes it cannot be avoided. Also, hoping our Coach is the best in America at holding guys accountable but still allowing them to have some fun.

 

[RamblinRed]

Finally got to watch the game. Was much easier to watch knowing the outcome.
I agree with the thought that the chemistry between Sims and the WR's was excellent.
Lots of mistakes but impressed with the ability to stay in the game and persevere.
ST's were awful.

I suspect UCF will play differently on defense than FSU did. FSU was pretty content to let Sims throw short. I expect UCF will crowd the line alot more and see if GT can hit more deep throws.
D held up better than I expected. Probably a combination of being a little better than last year as well as FSU still not being a good offensive team. (Other than Terry their WR's were forgettable).

 

[CuseJacket]

 

[slugboy]

...
I suspect UCF will play differently on defense than FSU did. FSU was pretty content to let Sims throw short. I expect UCF will crowd the line alot more and see if GT can hit more deep throws.
...

With our receiver speed, if they play that way and if we CAN connect on intermediate to deep throws, then hellloooooo nurse!

Sims made a couple of poor deep passes last Saturday and Samuel feasted on both. Hopefully, he’s done with those.

 

[UgaBlows]

With our receiver speed, if they play that way and if we CAN connect on intermediate to deep throws, then hellloooooo nurse!

Sims made a couple of poor deep passes last Saturday and Samuel feasted on both. Hopefully, he’s done with those.

AB is gonna feast on that coverage