Technical Tidbits 9/28: Another Tough Loss For Yellow Jackets

Saturday’s game proved to be a disappointment for the Yellow Jackets as they lost their second game in as many weeks. What hurts more about this loss than the one to UCF is that Syracuse was an opponent that Tech probably should have defeated. The article breaks down some of the miscuses that cost the Yellow Jackets the game. Turnovers were the biggest factor as it led to 17 points by the Orange. Aside from the turnovers, penalties also proved costly for the Yellow Jackets and part of that blame falls on the coaching staff. Another costly mistake they made was not scoring when there were opportunities to do so. Particularly when the team was in the red zone. That happened in Week 2 against UCF as well and it’s indicative of bigger problems. Tech has a bye week this week and one would hope that they utilize the time to work out the kinks. Ideally, this will be a good time for the team to work on its discipline and execution

So for its postgame coverage of the Yellow Jackets, the AJC has been running these articles featuring the comments of head coach Geoff Collins. One thing I appreciate about Collins is reflected in these three words from the article “That’s on me.” Collins’ willingness to accept blame and not just pass the buck is an admirable quality. Contrition can be a key quality to a successful leader and can help a team through difficult times. This season may still turn out to be a good one for the Yellow Jackets, and if it is not, it’s understandable given this is only the second year of a major transition. With time, though, it won’t cut it to just make excuses. And a loss like this one would not be acceptable in a third season.

This AJC article focuses on the takeaways from Tech’s bitter loss to Syracuse. Two of them that I definitely agree with include the take on Sims and his inexperience. The shine has started to wear off of Tech’s supposed starting quarterback of the future. Being as young as he is, perhaps the expectations were too high after the stellar debut against FSU. Another takeaway that is spot on is in regards to Tech star punter Pressley Harvin. His play continues to be a positive aspect of the team. It’s strange to say it, but Harvin actually makes the punt one of the more interesting plays to watch from a Tech game.