Technical Tidbits 8/26: Special Teams Moving Upward

Since being hired as Georgia Tech’s head coach in December of 2018, Geoff Collins has placed a special emphasis on special teams. Unfortunately, that emphasis did not turn into great special teams play on the field, as the unit regressed heavily from 2018. The kicking game was bad, with the two primary kickers (who are no longer with the team) going 3-8 on FG attempts. Both kickoff and punt returns were bad, with punt return team ranking no. 110 in the nation. And kickoffs were also bad, with one of the worst touchback rates in the nation. The sole bright spot was punter Pressley Harvin III, who (unfortunately) got a lot of opportunities, leading the nation in punts with 81. An offseason of bulking up and practice should hopefully remedy some of the Yellow Jackets’ problems on special teams from 2019.

While other areas on campus are not doing the best in regards to COVID-19, the Georgia Tech athletes are fine. In the recent two-week roundup of testing, it was shared that the GTAA had zero athletes test positive for COVID-19. This shows how well coaches like Geoff Collins and Josh Pastner are doing in making sure that workouts and practices are as safe (and effective) as possible. Hopefully, the athletic COVID situation continues to stay great, and the rest of the COVID situation at Tech gets under control.

The PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup Playoffs are in full swing, with the second of three tournaments coming this week in Chicago, IL. Two former Jackets will be in the field for the BMW Championship, Matt Kuchar and Richy Werenski. Kuchar needs strong play this week, as he sits at no. 55 in the FedEx Cup standings, with only the top 30 advancing to the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. Werenski is in better position, at no. 37, but still has some work to do to get to East Lake. Check them and the other #ProJacket golfers above!

Joey Bart has had a good first few games in the MLB for the San Francisco Giants. This was expected from the former number two overall pick in the MLB Draft, as he was high on many prospect lists headed into the season. Recently, Bart’s former college coach Danny Hall was on the ACC Network show “Packer and Durham” to discuss his former star player’s MLB debut. It’s worth a watch!

This is a cool way to commemorate a lost full-attendance season. And, the poster is only $10 dollars. What a steal!

Question of the Day: What do you think about Georgia Tech special teams?