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[figcap]Georgia Tech RS Senior A-Back Lynn Griffin (#27) gets the first down with a 12-yard run against #14 Miami Hurricanes at Bobby Dodd Stadium.[/figcap][/figure]ATLANTA, GA – In a matter of seconds, Saturday’s ACC Coastal division showdown between Georgia Tech (3-2, 1-2) and Miami (4-0, 1-0) was decidedly one-sided.
The Yellow Jackets started their 4th drive of the game from their own 25, down 14-7, after trading touchdowns with Miami on each team’s previous possession. It was Tech’s turn to respond. Two plays later, touchdown.
Except it was the Hurricanes who scored. A strip sack by defensive lineman Trent Harris led to a scoop and score by linebacker Shaquille Quarterman, and Miami’s defense quickly flexed the Hurricanes’ lead to 21-7.
Unfortunately, a feeling of déjà vu set in two Tech offensive plays later. Another backfield hit on quarterback Justin Thomas, this time on a routine option pitch, led immediately to another Hurricanes’ defensive touchdown.
In less than 1 minute, both momentum and the scoreboard were firmly in Miami’s favor. Ultimately the Jackets fell 35-21, the two touchdown difference pronounced by Tech’s disastrous minute in the 2nd quarter.
Said head coach Paul Johnson, “There are very few teams good enough to turn the ball over twice for touchdowns and come back and win the game.” His point, while not necessarily prophetic, is that Georgia Tech is not one of those teams.
Despite the 28-7 deficit in the 2nd quarter, the Jackets closed the lead to 28-21 with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Running back Dedrick Mills continued a strong freshman campaign with a trio of touchdowns Saturday afternoon, one of which came leaking out of the backfield for his first career touchdown catch. He finished the day 1 yard shy of his first career 100-yard rushing game.
Mills final touchdown proved to be Tech’s last, though the Jackets had their chances with two 4th quarter drives ending in Miami territory.
On the heels of back-to-back losses to ACC foes early in the season, it becomes commonplace to speculate about how the 2016 version of the Jackets will respond. Optimistically, it could look like 2014. Pessimistically, it could look like 2015. Thankfully, it is not senior captain Pat Gamble’s wont to think about anything other than the next game.
“[Today’s game] is over now,” said Gamble. “It’s in the past and we move on to the next game. We got a lot more games to play and [we] all know how the Coastal could work out. So we just got to keep playing and get better every week. We can’t take a week off or take a day off.”
Up next is a return visit to Pittsburgh, where two years ago the Jackets were the beneficiaries of another bizarre sequence of turnovers. The Panthers fumbled six times during their Homecoming game, and Tech took advantage and cruised to a 56-28 victory.
And wouldn’t you know – next Saturday is Homecoming 2016 for the Panthers.
The Yellow Jackets started their 4th drive of the game from their own 25, down 14-7, after trading touchdowns with Miami on each team’s previous possession. It was Tech’s turn to respond. Two plays later, touchdown.
Except it was the Hurricanes who scored. A strip sack by defensive lineman Trent Harris led to a scoop and score by linebacker Shaquille Quarterman, and Miami’s defense quickly flexed the Hurricanes’ lead to 21-7.
Unfortunately, a feeling of déjà vu set in two Tech offensive plays later. Another backfield hit on quarterback Justin Thomas, this time on a routine option pitch, led immediately to another Hurricanes’ defensive touchdown.
In less than 1 minute, both momentum and the scoreboard were firmly in Miami’s favor. Ultimately the Jackets fell 35-21, the two touchdown difference pronounced by Tech’s disastrous minute in the 2nd quarter.
Said head coach Paul Johnson, “There are very few teams good enough to turn the ball over twice for touchdowns and come back and win the game.” His point, while not necessarily prophetic, is that Georgia Tech is not one of those teams.
Despite the 28-7 deficit in the 2nd quarter, the Jackets closed the lead to 28-21 with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Running back Dedrick Mills continued a strong freshman campaign with a trio of touchdowns Saturday afternoon, one of which came leaking out of the backfield for his first career touchdown catch. He finished the day 1 yard shy of his first career 100-yard rushing game.
Mills final touchdown proved to be Tech’s last, though the Jackets had their chances with two 4th quarter drives ending in Miami territory.
On the heels of back-to-back losses to ACC foes early in the season, it becomes commonplace to speculate about how the 2016 version of the Jackets will respond. Optimistically, it could look like 2014. Pessimistically, it could look like 2015. Thankfully, it is not senior captain Pat Gamble’s wont to think about anything other than the next game.
“[Today’s game] is over now,” said Gamble. “It’s in the past and we move on to the next game. We got a lot more games to play and [we] all know how the Coastal could work out. So we just got to keep playing and get better every week. We can’t take a week off or take a day off.”
Up next is a return visit to Pittsburgh, where two years ago the Jackets were the beneficiaries of another bizarre sequence of turnovers. The Panthers fumbled six times during their Homecoming game, and Tech took advantage and cruised to a 56-28 victory.
And wouldn’t you know – next Saturday is Homecoming 2016 for the Panthers.
