Tech in Birmingham Bowl

[MtnWasp]

Vandy played 3 safeties . Kinda limits the downfield stuff. We got burned with the interception against this coverage. Majority of open throws were the flats.

One was shadowing King the whole game. Boyd has the size speed to be a good match-up against a Safety one on one. If they pull two back for a deep route, that opens the underneath stuff.

 

[Yaller Jacket]

Having read a summary of what happened after the delay, I got a totally different view of this game. We scored two touchdowns and forced punts on both of their possessions in the final seven minutes. For the game, we out gained them by almost a hundred yards. Like every game but Notre Dame, it could have gone either way. This year's team had the fewest turnovers of any team I can remember, and yet we had an interception and fumble on back to back possessions.

 

[LT 1967]

Our coaches always teach resilience and overcoming adversity. After our last two games and the issues we saw on the field which have been well documented on the Swarm, I am hopeful the Fan Base will exhibit those same qualities and stick with the Jackets!

I believe better days are ahead!

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Obviously bad calls by the ref didn't help, but King's interception and Rutherford's fumble in the middle of the field hurt us more than anything else. Oh, and our inability to tackle comes back to bite us.

Not much more to say about this game. We just looked off on defense and offense. This actually could have been a very special season with a few breaks....a 9-10 win season and a win over UGA. That's just how it goes sometimes.

I'm turning the page to 2025. Not much to be said about this glorified exhibition that hasn't already been said.

I guess it depends on how one thinks the universe is constructed. In my string theory, parallel universe, the interception and the fumble don’t happen because the 3 bad ref calls don’t happen. So, to me, the bad calls are much worse because they created the chain of events that led to the interception and fumble.

 

[awbuzz]

Good write up by Sugiura

https://www.ajc.com/sports/ken-sugiura/officiating-in-georgia-techs-bowl-game-awful-but-jackets-response-didnt-help-matters/AVST7EUMINDUPDIYZ3G3WMOU6M/

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I am torn on the question of how much we are going to miss him tbh. Obviously he was a starter so he was better than the guys behind him. Next year will be telling - is he a Nate McCollum/Amerean Brown or is he a Jared Ivey/Kyle Kennard type of loss. I will say this about Diego Pava - I had perceived him in my limited observations as a Josh Nesbitt/Tim Tebow style QB, But he threw some really nice balls last night. If Vandy had Bama's receivers, their O would be unstoppable )same might be said about ours as well).

Not having Singleton in this game definitely hurt us. Not having him next year will not hurt us. It’s the difference between losing a key player that the team has been playing around all year and having a completely different team next year in which team is used to a different player being in the lineup.

 

[Root4GT]

Good write up by Sugiura

https://www.ajc.com/sports/ken-sugiura/officiating-in-georgia-techs-bowl-game-awful-but-jackets-response-didnt-help-matters/AVST7EUMINDUPDIYZ3G3WMOU6M/

Excellent write up by Ken S!

 

[awbuzz]

Chad had a good write up too. Also some additional notes about the season.

Penalties derail Georgia Tech’s bowl hopes in loss to Vanderbilt

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There was no question as to what the turning point was to Friday’s Birmingham Bowl, and it turned the game very sour, very quickly for Georgia Tech in what ended up being a 35-27 loss to Vanderbilt at Protective Stadium.

www.ajc.com

 

[4shotB]

I guess it depends on how one thinks the universe is constructed. In my string theory, parallel universe, the interception and the fumble don’t happen because the 3 bad ref calls don’t happen. So, to me, the bad calls are much worse because they created the chain of events that led to the interception and fumble.

NES, I have read up on string theory in the past and the concepts elude me tbh. WTBS, I noticed that Vandy had 0 TO's last night. Using string theory, can we use this to mathematically conclude (95% CI specified here) that they had no bad callls go against them??

 

[g0lftime]

The turnovers were two of the most important factors in our loss if not the most important. Ref missing the punt blowup was a momentum changer.

 

[gtee91]

Not having Singleton in this game definitely hurt us. Not having him next year will not hurt us. It’s the difference between losing a key player that the team has been playing around all year and having a completely different team next year in which team is used to a different player being in the lineup.

Well he is gone. People leave all the time. We will make the best of what we got

 

[takethepoints]

I don't have much to add to what's above. I stayed at home; my wife insisted that freezing my hind end off in Birmingham was a recipe for illness. So I drank my beers dry and warm. Ok, I'm a wuss. My impressions:

• The game impressed me as being a lot like some of Paul's victories. The other side - like Tech used to and has this season - held the ball just enough of the time that at the end our comeback couldn't follow through. Two more minutes and and Tech would have won or tied. But this time it was Vandy that could sit on the ball. Buster, btw, called a really good game.

• You turn the ball over twice against a relatively equal opponent and you are very likely - it isn't certain - to lose. Tech way outgained them and played ok D. But you can't turn the ball over twice within your 20 and not expect the other team to make you pay for it.

• Yes, it was the inexplicable decision to pick up the kick return interference penalty that probably lost the game for Tech. The team was rolling and the game in doubt. Then it wasn't and they got very favorable field position after the exchange and scored. I thought Key was going to beat up one of the officials on that and I would have cheered him on. Shoot, if I had been there I might have gotten out of the stands to help.

• I was watching Pavia and he reminded me of someone. This morning I remembered who it was: Gary Lanier. Like Lanier, Pavia is slow. Like Lanier, he can find a crease in an instant. Like Lanier, if he wants the ball to go any distance he has to wind up. And - unfortunately for Tech - like Lanier he makes running the option look down right easy.

• I think a lot fo teams will try to do what Vandy did yesterday - make stopping King's runs a priority. That made a real difference early on when King would try to do his usual running magic and they stopped him. It looked like they had two people spying him on downs where Tech might run. Of course, that meant Haynes ran wild, but in the end I think it was a good strategy.

Well, disappointing, despite a valiant comeback from mistakes. Despite that, I look forward to good and maybe great things from next year's team.

 

[bobongo]

The turnovers were two of the most important factors in our loss if not the most important.

The turnovers were potential game changers, but I think a lot of credit is due to Vanderbilt for causing them. The interception was a really good play by the safety of an on-target pass and the fumble didn't just happen, they made it happen while Rutherford was trying himself to make something happen. They weren't negligent turnovers; they were turnovers caused by good play by the opponent.

 

[Yaller Jacket]

We will need to add a serious deep threat to compliment Malick next year. One with some height would be welcomed too

 

[LT 1967]

A pretty good article by Jackson Caudell (SI). Excerpt below concerning the officiating shown under his UGLY category.

"The officiating was horrible yesterday, but the Yellow Jackets seemed to let it affect them and things spiraled. Trailing 14-13 in the third quarter, Georgia Tech was called for pass interference on third down and that would have ended the drive and gave the ball back to them. Instead, that call seemingly sent the Yellow Jackets into a spiral and it turned into an unsportsmanlike conduct on head coach Brent Key. After that, a defensive holding was called on Georgia Tech and then another scuffle between the two teams resulted in offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Vanderbilt scored to make the game 21-13 and then it was an avalanche of turnovers and mistakes for the Yellow Jackets that sent them into a defeat in Birmingham."

Georgia Tech Football: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly From The Loss to Vanderbilt

Turnovers, poor defense, and some questionable officiating calls in the second half of yesterday's Birmingham Bowl between Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt sent the

www.si.com

 

[gtee91]

We will need to add a serious deep threat to compliment Malick next year. One with some height would be welcomed too

Can you at least let the new guys have Spring practice before you declare them useless????

 

[7979]

I love Haynes King. When he is healthy, he is our #1 guy… but not by much… and he was not 100%..
I foresee a QB battle through spring practice… This is not a good thing…. it is a GREAT thing…I also believe that the HS QB we signed from OK will push Philo in 2026…
We are loaded at the most important position in football at every level…
I hate the fact that our DBs cannot tackle and do not cover well.. at all.
OL was very spotty yesterday, however in fairness, it was one guy getting beaten on each failed play… and it was a different guy each time…
need some help for #11 at RB and
need some LBs who can run..
oh well, I’m done until August.
Looking forward to 2025

 

[alagold]

Anyone feel like maybe Key should have used Philo to provide a spark late in the 2nd quarter?
It looked like King had no zip on his passes.
The interception was a really good play by Vandy; not sure if a “fastball“ would have changed that outcome or not.
I was honestly shocked at the size of Vandy’s offensive and defensive lines.
Tech needs more beef and speed on the defensive line.

Well, we may need more DL beef but we are losing at least 5 guys there and getting replacements is HARD.This will be a concern next yr for sure.

 

[alagold]

I love Haynes King. When he is healthy, he is our #1 guy… but not by much… and he was not 100%..
I foresee a QB battle through spring practice… This is not a good thing…. it is a GREAT thing…I also believe that the HS QB we signed from OK will push Philo in 2026…
We are loaded at the most important position in football at every level…
I hate the fact that our DBs cannot tackle and do not cover well.. at all.
OL was very spotty yesterday, however in fairness, it was one guy getting beaten on each failed play… and it was a different guy each time…
need some help for #11 at RB and
need some LBs who can run..
oh well, I’m done until August.
Looking forward to 2025

One questionable spot you didn't mention was CTr.We 've got almost no exp there for this guy calling assignments AND snapping the ball every play. Lots of potential for problems.

 

[alagold]

Can you at least let the new guys have Spring practice before you declare them useless????

wow, I didn't see useless in that description .It remains to be seen if the new guys can replace ES.After all he was rated the # ONE WR in the portal and our guy was #17.--for some reason.