Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech Wrap Up
Here’s an interesting stat from an article that came out after Tech’s loss to Temple earlier this year:
“Georgia Tech has not been shutout in 278 games, which is the seventh-longest streak in the nation (last time GT was shut out: Oct. 18, 1997 – 38-0 at Florida State).”
Tech was lucky to get two points in that game on a safety to avoid a shutout. Well, they weren’t as lucky today. Georgia Tech lost to Virginia Tech by a final score of 45-0. To make matters worse, it was Tech’s first home shutout in over 61 years.
Needless to say, things didn’t go well for Georgia Tech at all in this game. Virginia Tech’s defense held the Yellow Jackets to 134 total yards of offensive production. Here’s a look at the team’s performance in all three phases of the game.
The Offense
By the end of the first half, the Yellow Jackets offense had accrued only 33 passing yards and 15 rushing yards for a putrid 48 yards of total offense. This is compared to a total of 299 yards of offensive production by the Hokies in the first half, but more on that later.
The offense seemed to have taken steps backwards. They looked worse than they did earlier in the season. The offensive line failed to protect both James Graham and Jordan Yates, who took over late in the game. With this trend backwards for Tech, it’s hard to say what to expect of them in their upcoming matchup against North Carolina State — a team they should be able to beat.
The Defense
On defense, the Yellow Jackets had what easily could be considered one of their worse games of the season. They gave up 461 yards of offense, including 299 in the first half. Like the offense, the defense seems to have taken steps backwards. The Hokies offense had its way, passing as it pleased into non-existent coverage, or rushing it in whatever direction necessary against a floundering defensive line. The lack of a pass rush didn’t help matters either. In the end, it was a sad showing for the defense as well.
The Special Teams
What’s to say about the Yellow Jackets special teams? The punting team had a lot work to do today, but that’s nothing new. One good sign is that punter Pressley Harvin III seems to have returned to his normal form. He averaged 48.2 yards on 9 punts. At least that was one positive takeaway from today’s game.
Looking Ahead
Sadly, this was a game that can be summed up with one word: Regression. The Yellow Jackets have a short week ahead of them to fix things. Their next game will be the second game of their three game homestand. The North Carolina State Wolfpack will visit for what will be Tech’s second Thursday night game of the season.