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[figcap]Tim Byerly (#18) QB leads the offense after an injury sidelines Justin Thomas (#5)[/figcap][/float_left]ATLANTA, GA - A week after their finest performance of the year against the Miami Hurricanes, the #22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-1, 2-1) fell flat Saturday at home against the Duke Blue Devils (5-1, 1-1). The result was a 31-25 loss that took Georgia Tech out of the ACC Coastal division driver's seat.
The dichotomy between last weekend's emotional win versus the Hurricanes and yesterday's loss to the Blue Devils was pronounced. All of the old coaching axioms and formulas for winning and losing held true. Boiled down into simplest terms the Blue Devils did to the Yellow Jackets what the Yellow Jackets did to the Hurricanes. That is, they played cleanly and won the turnover and penalty battle.
Head coach Paul Johnson summarized all of the above after the game. "I was disappointed in the way we played. We're not good enough to lose the turnover battle three to nothing to anybody and win the game. Couple that with penalties, especially in the first half, that kept drives alive for them. And in the red zone we kicked field goals while they scored touchdowns, and there's the game."
There is never a good time for turnovers and penalties, and the Yellow Jackets proved as much on Saturday. On Duke's second possession of the game the Jackets' defense forced its second punt in two possessions, but the drive was extended following a special teams neutral zone infraction on a fourth down punt that gave the Blue Devils a first down. Duke took advantage of the extra opportunity and drove down the field for their first score and a 7-3 lead.
Following a halftime lightning delay of over 1 hour the Yellow Jackets reentered the field down 14-12 and with a chance to take the lead on the half's opening possession. The mistakes escalated. Running back Zach Laskey, known for his almost impeccable take-it-for-granted ball security, was stripped at the Georgia Tech 47-yard line and lost his first fumble of the year. "I felt [the defensive player's] arm get in and rake it out. I should have had two hands on the ball going through the first level," said Laskey.
The Blue Devils again took advantage of the short field and drove down for their third touchdown of the game, making the score 21-12 with 10:28 remaining in the third quarter. "Duke doesn't beat themselves and their guys made plays," said senior linebacker QuayShawn Nealy.
Laskey's miscue was the first of three turnovers for the Yellow Jackets in the second half, the latter two coming off of interceptions thrown by quarterback Justin Thomas. The game stood in stark contrast to the crisp execution the Yellow Jackets displayed last week against the Hurricanes, a game in which the Jackets won the turnover battle by two and time of possession by more than 20 minutes.
Senior running back Tony Zenon sounded like a broken record of coach and player comments after the game. "When you have turnovers like we did and penalties like we did, 9 times out of 10 you won't win the game," said Zenon.
Despite the miscues and lost opportunity on Saturday the Yellow Jackets still recognize that most of their goals are still in front of them. Nealy, one of the team's three captains, closed by looking at the positives, "My role is just to keep guys' heads up. We're still in a good position in the standings."
And they are, for now. However Saturday's loss to the Blue Devils is also a reminder that the margin for error for this year's Yellow Jackets squad is thin. The good news is that they are competing amidst an ACC Coastal division that seemingly has a new leader every week.
Can the Jackets reassert themselves as the Coastal division favorite after giving up the unofficial title this week? Next weekend at North Carolina will be telling. Hopefully the answer on the field is clean, crisp, and emphatic.
The dichotomy between last weekend's emotional win versus the Hurricanes and yesterday's loss to the Blue Devils was pronounced. All of the old coaching axioms and formulas for winning and losing held true. Boiled down into simplest terms the Blue Devils did to the Yellow Jackets what the Yellow Jackets did to the Hurricanes. That is, they played cleanly and won the turnover and penalty battle.
Head coach Paul Johnson summarized all of the above after the game. "I was disappointed in the way we played. We're not good enough to lose the turnover battle three to nothing to anybody and win the game. Couple that with penalties, especially in the first half, that kept drives alive for them. And in the red zone we kicked field goals while they scored touchdowns, and there's the game."
There is never a good time for turnovers and penalties, and the Yellow Jackets proved as much on Saturday. On Duke's second possession of the game the Jackets' defense forced its second punt in two possessions, but the drive was extended following a special teams neutral zone infraction on a fourth down punt that gave the Blue Devils a first down. Duke took advantage of the extra opportunity and drove down the field for their first score and a 7-3 lead.
Following a halftime lightning delay of over 1 hour the Yellow Jackets reentered the field down 14-12 and with a chance to take the lead on the half's opening possession. The mistakes escalated. Running back Zach Laskey, known for his almost impeccable take-it-for-granted ball security, was stripped at the Georgia Tech 47-yard line and lost his first fumble of the year. "I felt [the defensive player's] arm get in and rake it out. I should have had two hands on the ball going through the first level," said Laskey.
The Blue Devils again took advantage of the short field and drove down for their third touchdown of the game, making the score 21-12 with 10:28 remaining in the third quarter. "Duke doesn't beat themselves and their guys made plays," said senior linebacker QuayShawn Nealy.
Laskey's miscue was the first of three turnovers for the Yellow Jackets in the second half, the latter two coming off of interceptions thrown by quarterback Justin Thomas. The game stood in stark contrast to the crisp execution the Yellow Jackets displayed last week against the Hurricanes, a game in which the Jackets won the turnover battle by two and time of possession by more than 20 minutes.
Senior running back Tony Zenon sounded like a broken record of coach and player comments after the game. "When you have turnovers like we did and penalties like we did, 9 times out of 10 you won't win the game," said Zenon.
Despite the miscues and lost opportunity on Saturday the Yellow Jackets still recognize that most of their goals are still in front of them. Nealy, one of the team's three captains, closed by looking at the positives, "My role is just to keep guys' heads up. We're still in a good position in the standings."
And they are, for now. However Saturday's loss to the Blue Devils is also a reminder that the margin for error for this year's Yellow Jackets squad is thin. The good news is that they are competing amidst an ACC Coastal division that seemingly has a new leader every week.
Can the Jackets reassert themselves as the Coastal division favorite after giving up the unofficial title this week? Next weekend at North Carolina will be telling. Hopefully the answer on the field is clean, crisp, and emphatic.
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