GEORGIA TECH BACKUPS REIGN SUPREME AS THE JACKETS DEFEAT VIRGINIA TECH IN BLACKSBURG, 30-20

I NEED ALL CAPS FOR THIS BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW HOW ELSE TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS.

AFTER ANNOUNCING THE SUSPENSION OF STARTING B-BACK DEDRICK MILLS, GEORGIA TECH BROUGHT MORE DREADFUL TIDINGS THIS MORNING WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT BOTH STARTING QUARTERBACK JUSTIN THOMAS AND STARTING CENTER FREDDIE BURDEN WOULD NOT PLAY. SOMEHOW, INCREDIBLY, NONE OF THAT MATTERED ON THIS COOL AUTUMN EVENING.

VIRGINIA TECH SET THE TONE EARLY AFTER FUMBLING THE OPENING KICKOFF. PAUL JOHNSON’S OFFENSE DIDN’T TURN IT INTO A TOUCHDOWN, BUT THEY DID TURN IT INTO POINTS, WHICH TURNED OUT TO COME AT A PREMIUM THIS DAY. NOT ONLY DID QUARTERBACK MATTHEW JORDAN KEEP THE OFFENSE HUMMING AS THE OFFENSE GAINED 211 YARDS AND 20 POINTS IN THE FIRST HALF, SPECIAL TEAMS AND TED ROOF’S MUCH MALIGNED DEFENSE CAME UP BIG WITH A BLOCKED FIELD GOAL AND END ZONE INTERCEPTION TO PITCH A FIRST HALF SHUTOUT.

(DESPITE THIS, ESPN DEIGNED TO INTERVIEW HOKIES COACH JUSTIN FUENTE AT HALFTIME INSTEAD OF PAUL JOHNSON. TRYING TO KEEP THE JACKETS OFF YOUR AIRWAVES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, GUYS. GOT IT.)

THE SECOND HALF..... DID NOT START SO WELL. A BAD SNAP EXCHANGE LED TO THE JACKETS FUMBLING ON THE FIRST PLAY FROM SCRIMMAGE, GIVING THE HOKIES A SHORT FIELD AND ALLOWING THEM TO FINALLY GET ON THE BOARD. WE’D SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE: GEORGIA TECH ESTABLISHES DOMINANCE IN THE FIRST HALF, ONLY TO BLOW IT ALL AND THEN SOME IN THE SECOND. AND YET, TODAY, THEY DID NOT: AFTER A 3 AND OUT, LAWRENCE AUSTIN SNAGGED INTERCEPTION NUMBER TWO ON THE DAY, STOPPING THE HOKIES’ MOMENTUM COLD IN ITS TRACKS.

THE DEFENSE WASN’T DONE AFTER THAT: AFTER A SHORT DRIVE FROM THE OFFENSE, THE DEFENSE FORCED A TURNOVER ON DOWNS (WITH A BIT OF A GIFT VIA A DROPPED PASS BY ISAIAH FORD). A FIELD GOAL LATER, AND LAWRENCE AUSTIN SCORED ANOTHER TAKEAWAY THANKS TO A FUMBLE HIS BROTHER LANCE FORCED. MARCUS MARSHALL SCORED ON A 56 YARD RUN TWO PLAYS LATER TO ICE THE GAME.

SIX PLAYERS TOUCHED THE BALL ON OFFENSE FOR GEORGIA TECH, AND THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR 343 YARDS AND THE W.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? WELL, FIRST, IT GIVES PAUL JOHNSON AND THE JACKETS THEIR SIGNATURE WIN OF THE YEAR SO FAR. SECOND, IT WAS A BIG DAY FOR SEVERAL BACKUPS WHO LIKELY BOOSTED THEIR STOCK TO START NEXT YEAR. FINALLY, IT MEANS YOUR GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS ARE BACK TO BEING BOWL ELIGIBLE, A WEEK EARLIER THAN WE ALL WERE EXPECTING.

FOOTBALL IS AMAZING. GO JACKETS.