Article Jackets Brought the Juice to Tallahassee

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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 4th 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 2nd 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.

 
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stech81

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I was incredibly impressed with 3 areas. First, Jeff Simms was incredibly accurate. He was also incredibly poised. He stood back there and delivered catchable ball after catchable ball. He almost looks like he is intentionally trying to take steam off the ball when throwing. I was extremely impressed. Also, I have been a real critic of Patenaude. He called an excellent game tonight.

Second, the oline was amazing. The difference from last year to this year was a super jump.

Last, the Dline played lights out and when you consider they lost to major players that were being counted on make it more impressive.
Agree I was critic to Coach P last ( which was not fair ) but I thought he called a great game with a freshman QB. Sims is going to be that QB a lot of us have been looking for a long time ( Thanks again to FSU for telling him you didn't want him) , The Defense worried me after the first couple of times they had the ball. But Coach T called a good game and a BIG shout-out to the defense players that did not lower their heads and keep playing. And Coach Key and the offensive line good game we will only get better during the year.
 

wvGT11

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The thing that strikes me with coach p. Is that it was more obvious that when we transitioned to the triple option, that it was easier . Howver having a team built for the option and switching back isn't as easy without the right players
 

MWBATL

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Just reflecting on yesterday's game. I try to wait and let my emotions settle down after a game. Thoughts:
  1. whether FSU is good or bad this year, it is always great to beat a "name" program and it elevates our brand. Very pleased with that.
  2. to steady the ship and come back and frankly dominate the 4th quarter the way we did....impressive (and unexpected)!
  3. I think we will be more interesting and more competitive this year. But I am still not sure we will be any better than 6-5. It's a long season and depth will be key. I am not sure about our O line depth in particular
  4. NEXT year, on the other hand.....well, I am really looking forward to that!
  5. Hoping we can win next weekend and then beat Syracuse on the road to elevate the remaining 2021 recruiting. I don't think we have many open 'ships, but you never turn down 4 stars and we need more depth on both lines
  6. Kicking game had me swearing and stomping out of the TV room. How can you be that bad at blocking for placekicks? Better get that straightened out IMMEDIATELY
  7. So far, I really like this coaching staff. They look like they can recruit AND coach. Well, except for the kicking game.
Go Jackets. I'll be in the stands next weekend cheering them on in person!
 

85Escape

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I think this game starts to show what Coach C means by "We are a developmental program." Players on this team are simply better than they were last year. I was a big fan of CPJ and quite frankly love watching the 3O, but what we saw last night is something we didn't see a lot of during Coach J's tenure. Players are developing into real talents. And I'm not saying players didn't get better under CPJ, just that we didn't see this kind of physical and skill development pace that we see now.

This bodes well both for the program and for recruiting. Come to GT and get better if you want a shot at playing on Sundays. I hope we can keep the core of this staff around for at least four or five years. I worry about losing Keys early.
 

slugboy

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I actually think we were ready to play against Clemson last year, at least as much so as possible. But having been at that game, my take on it was that the team was ready to play, but the coaches were not. Thank God that changed this year.
Last year against Clemson was a ritual sacrifice. Our OL last year wasn’t nearly as physically strong as this one, against one of the best—probably THE best DL in the country. The team prepped for that game, but Clemson’s third string could start on most ACC teams. It’s not Clemson’s first string that is brutal, but having two more first strings after the first string that’s really brutal. That game was about getting crushed through physical superiority.
This year, our OL is bigger and stronger, and while they didn’t push FSU’s DL around, they held their own well enough to make a solid pocket—and that’s something I haven’t seen in years. FSU’s DL is good, and were hell for us to deal with. I think our OL played a better game than we think.
—-
We need more depth and speed at linebacker. That was showing up in special teams. But not only did we get a win, we’re showing potential.
 

85Escape

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  1. Kicking game had me swearing and stomping out of the TV room. How can you be that bad at blocking for placekicks? Better get that straightened out IMMEDIATELY
  2. So far, I really like this coaching staff. They look like they can recruit AND coach. Well, except for the kicking game.
Go Jackets. I'll be in the stands next weekend cheering them on in person!

CGC totally owned the blocked kicks. He said in his presser that they didn't practice PATs as much as normal due to C19 protocols. He said they'd fix that this week.
 

684Bee

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Just reflecting on yesterday's game. I try to wait and let my emotions settle down after a game. Thoughts:
  1. whether FSU is good or bad this year, it is always great to beat a "name" program and it elevates our brand. Very pleased with that.
  2. to steady the ship and come back and frankly dominate the 4th quarter the way we did....impressive (and unexpected)!
  3. I think we will be more interesting and more competitive this year. But I am still not sure we will be any better than 6-5. It's a long season and depth will be key. I am not sure about our O line depth in particular
  4. NEXT year, on the other hand.....well, I am really looking forward to that!
  5. Hoping we can win next weekend and then beat Syracuse on the road to elevate the remaining 2021 recruiting. I don't think we have many open 'ships, but you never turn down 4 stars and we need more depth on both lines
  6. Kicking game had me swearing and stomping out of the TV room. How can you be that bad at blocking for placekicks? Better get that straightened out IMMEDIATELY
  7. So far, I really like this coaching staff. They look like they can recruit AND coach. Well, except for the kicking game.
Go Jackets. I'll be in the stands next weekend cheering them on in person!

Regarding #6: if you listen to the CGC post-game comments, you’ll understand a little better. I feel confident it will get fixed.
 

LibertyTurns

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I think CGC briefly mentioned one of the key reason for the changes in his press conference. I know the staff was high on the chaotic type practices, but CGC mentioned they had to stop doing that and have more disciplined sessions. I really think that may have been key to why we were so out of whack last year. It became more about the extracurriculars and less about the fundamentals. What we saw last night was a disciplined team schooled on the basics. Teams that do that win.
 

CuseJacket

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New Article Posted
Jackets Brought the Juice to Tallahassee

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 ...

 
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GTFLETCH

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I think this game starts to show what Coach C means by "We are a developmental program." Players on this team are simply better than they were last year. I was a big fan of CPJ and quite frankly love watching the 3O, but what we saw last night is something we didn't see a lot of during Coach J's tenure. Players are developing into real talents. And I'm not saying players didn't get better under CPJ, just that we didn't see this kind of physical and skill development pace that we see now.

This bodes well both for the program and for recruiting. Come to GT and get better if you want a shot at playing on Sundays. I hope we can keep the core of this staff around for at least four or five years. I worry about losing Keys early.
Spot On 100% agree!
 

Pointer

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I think this game starts to show what Coach C means by "We are a developmental program." Players on this team are simply better than they were last year. I was a big fan of CPJ and quite frankly love watching the 3O, but what we saw last night is something we didn't see a lot of during Coach J's tenure. Players are developing into real talents. And I'm not saying players didn't get better under CPJ, just that we didn't see this kind of physical and skill development pace that we see now.

This bodes well both for the program and for recruiting. Come to GT and get better if you want a shot at playing on Sundays. I hope we can keep the core of this staff around for at least four or five years. I worry about losing Keys early.
I think recruiting was starting to uptick since Todd became AD here and started putting more resources into the program. Look at the standout players from last night's game that were from the previous coaching regime. But the current staff also has their own edge on recruiting. Those two things combined mean good stuff for Tech. I will say this though, if we put up 400 yards offense and only 16 points with the 3o, there would be people complaining about that. But there is no denying that Jeff Sims showed out and there's real potential for some special things to happen here. Defense is fun and exciting to watch and seems like we use guys who are multiple (similar to what woody wanted to do), and that is key for Tech defensively. Let's see what happens.
 

iopjacket

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Well, okay. But this is one game against another mediocre FSU team. Curb your enthusiasm, so to speak. It's better to win than lose, particularly after that miserable first year, but give it some time.

The team needs to stay grounded, but we fans ought to scream it from the rooftops about this giant win especially after last year. Its been a long time since we displayed a good passing offence. Jeff Sims could have folded after those two interception or could have pulled from the game by Dave Patenaude, but he stayed in and showed incredible poise to lead us to a win. The defence played extremely well without several key players. Let's enjoy the hell out of this one.
 

4shotB

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On a random note, as the game was delayed twice, I had the thought of how appropriately 2020 it would be if they decided to cancel the game. And I am not usually nihilistic in my outlook on things. Did anyone else have this same concern? Or am I the only crazy one here? :unsure:
 

CuseJacket

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On a random note, as the game was delayed twice, I had the thought of how appropriately 2020 it would be if they decided to cancel the game. And I am not usually nihilistic in my outlook on things. Did anyone else have this same concern? Or am I the only crazy one here? :unsure:
 
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