From The Rumble Seat - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2015Drinkin' whiskey clear since 2008.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52811/From_The_Rumble_Seat_Minimal.0..png2015-09-24T16:00:02-04:00http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/rss/stream/90608102015-09-24T16:00:02-04:002015-09-24T16:00:02-04:00Roundtable 9/24: Notre Dame Recap & Duke Preview
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<figcaption>RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The panel returns to recover and regroup from the Notre Dame debacle before previewing this weekend's match-up against Duke.</p> <p>Once again this week, some of our writers got together to discuss YOUR questions from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2015/9/20/9359577/roundtable-discussion-questions-9-20-mailbag">this week's thread</a>, primarily surrounding the Notre Dame loss but also covering some other relevant topics. Join us again as I sit down with Ben, Kieffer, and Cade to talk about what happened in South Bend, how bad it was, and how bad Kieffer thinks things are going to be this weekend...or at least how bad he thinks it'll be for the Yellow Jackets' opponent.</p>
<p>As always, send in your questions to @FTRSBlog on Twitter, or via email to fromtherumbleseat@gmail.com! If we didn't answer your question this week, feel free to ask them again in the comments and we'll try to get them answered. Thanks to those who submitted them for this week!</p>
<p>Finally, as we continue to do this, we welcome your suggestions for how to make it better. If there's anything you'd like us to add in or do differently, let us know in the comments!</p>
<p><i>The audio (.mp3) version of this discussion can be found here: <a href="https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4092654/FTRS_Roundtable_9-23-15.0.mp3">link</a>.</i></p>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/2015/9/24/9393783/ftrs-roundtable-9-24-15-what-happened-against-notre-dame-and-whatsJoey Weaver2015-09-22T11:00:03-04:002015-09-22T11:00:03-04:00Advanced Box Score from Georgia Tech @ Notre Dame
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<p>Taking an in-depth look at the stats behind Saturday's loss</p> <p>Long time readers will remember the Advanced Box Scores from last year, and this year the format is basically the same. For those new readers I'll be presenting different visuals to help explain how the game unfolded and hopefully identify the real areas Georgia Tech excelled or struggled. Also sorry for the lack of these so far, actually, I was on vacation in Thailand so I'm actually not that sorry :) Hope you enjoy! As always comments and questions are welcomed in the comments or on twitter.</p>
<h3>Win Probability Chart</h3>
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<img alt="NDWP" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/um8c0lg92FbQBpEyNxLuJObQfBI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4083344/Screen_Shot_2015-09-21_at_6.33.18_PM.0.png">
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<table border="0">
<caption>Top 5 Plays</caption>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><br></td>
<td>Offense</td>
<td>Down</td>
<td>Distance</td>
<td>Spot</td>
<td>Quarter</td>
<td>Play Description</td>
<td>WPA+*</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>ND</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>GT 46</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">DeShone Kizer Pass to Will Fuller for 46, TOUCHDOWN</span></p>
</td>
<td>.183</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>ND</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>ND 39</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">DeShone Kizer Pass to Alizé Jones for 6, FUMBLE</span></p>
</td>
<td>-.144</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>GT</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>GT 37</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>Justin Thomas Rush for -2, FUMBLE</td>
<td>.139</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>GT</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>GT 42</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Broderick Snoddy Rush for 48, FIRST DOWN</span></p>
</td>
<td>-.136</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>ND</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>GT 32</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">DeShone Kizer Pass to Will Fuller for 36, FIRST DOWN</span></p>
</td>
<td>.135</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>(*) WPA+ = Win Probability Added for the Home Team</p>
<ul>
<li><span>This Win Probability Graph is a perfect example of how the final score can be misleading. At the start of the 4th quarter Notre Dame had a > 95% chance of winning the game and it quickly shot up to 99% after that. Georgia Tech was never the favorite at any point in the game, if you assume the teams were even at the start of the game. That's crazy. </span></li>
<li><span>We had our run after their Interception in the endzone about halfway through the 2nd quarter. We went from about a 15% chance of winning to having it basically be a toss up. Unfortunately Notre Dame got bailed out by another long jump ball to Will Fuller and from there their offense started to pick back up. </span></li>
<li><span>Our first missed field goal, right at the end of the first quarter, only cost us 6 percentage points of Win Probability. However, that ignores the alternative of making the field goal, which would have given us about 3-4 percentage points back. So really the missed field goal cost us just shy of 10 percentage points of win probability, good for around the 7th most important play of the day. </span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Drive Chart</h3>
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<ul>
<li><span>Tech's first 4 possessions; Punt, Punt, Missed Field Goal, Punt. I mean, I can't remember the last time we started that bad. Ok I looked it up, we actually had three punts and a missed field goal in our first 4 drives against BYU in 2013 and Clemson in 2008. At least there weren't any real turnovers?</span></li>
<li><span>Give Notre Dame credit, they gave us crappy field position pretty much the whole game and when they didn't we couldn't capitalize. </span></li>
<li><span>Also our Defense deserves a ton of credit as well. After ND's 2nd touchdown we held them to a Fumble, a Field Goal where ND started on our 18, a Punt after our offense turned it over on downs, and then finally allowed a touchdown when Notre Dame only had about 60 yards to go. It's tough to consistently stop teams when your offense is giving you no help. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>Unfortunately I don't have the Advanced Box Score template where I want it right now, but as soon as Bill C posts his I'll link to it here.</div>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/2015/9/22/9367309/notre-dame-advanced-box-scoreMatt Mills2015-09-21T07:00:03-04:002015-09-21T07:00:03-04:00MMQB: Jackets Squander Opportunity in South Bend
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<figcaption>RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It was a rough game, and the grades reflect that.</p> <p>Man, that was bad.</p>
<p>I think the worst part of this loss, especially for the fans, was spending all week hearing talking heads go on and on about how Georgia Tech was favored (and rightfully so), and a lot of folks expected this team to pull off a huge win.</p>
<p>And then, after all of that...well, Saturday happened.</p>
<p>The team laid an egg on national television with a performance that was really hard to stomach.</p>
<p>Not only did they not win by 2 touchdowns, not only did they not win to begin with, but they didn't look good for most of the game. You just knew that the team was capable of more than it was delivering. That's not a great feeling.</p>
<p>That said, there were a few bright spots that we'll hit on here, particularly the defense. Otherwise, the grades are pretty brutal. This isn't fun, but it's all part of the job. Let's get into it.</p>
<h3>Quarterbacks</h3>
<p>You'd be pretty hard-pressed to find a worse game that <span>Justin Thomas</span> has played at Georgia Tech. Something was just...off about him. Decisions seemed less crisp, pitches were off-target, and he didn't complete a pass in the first half. He was very visibly frustrated at a couple of points in the game, which is troublesome given how calm, cool, and collected he usually is. He spent 4 timeouts throughout the game to save the offense from a delay of game penalty as he spent a long time directing traffic before the snap.</p>
<p>He got a little better in the second half, but a lot of times he wasn't getting help in the form of pass protection or receivers getting open. In general, it was an iffy-to-bad afternoon from Thomas. Hopefully there aren't any repeats of it.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: D+</b></i></p>
<h3>B-Backs</h3>
<p>This was perhaps the only spot on offense that had some level of consistency. <span>Patrick Skov</span> got almost all of the work here, and did a fairly nice job for the most part. (Marcus Marshall played very limitedly and finished with a single carry for no gain.) There were a few mental errors where he went the wrong way, and he did fumble once (and then recovered it), but handing the ball to Skov was one of Georgia Tech's most consistently productive options (even if it wasn't <i>that</i> productive). Skov finished with 66 yards on 18 carries (3.67 YPC) to be the second-leading rusher on the offense. He also caught a pair of touchdown passes for 39 yards, finishing as the Yellow Jackets' leading receiver.</p>
<p>Skov wasn't perfect by any means on Saturday, but he was probably the best thing going on the offense.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: B</b></i></p>
<h3>A-Backs</h3>
<p>This group had some good moments, but was pretty problematic when not carrying the ball. Perimeter blocking was really lacking, and a major root cause of the offense's struggles. <span>Broderick Snoddy</span> had a couple of nice runs and is a real weapon with the ball in his hands, and there were a few other times where the group gained yards in chunks. <span>Qua Searcy</span> had a few good plays as well, finishing with 6 carries and a reception. He should be a star before his career is over. <span>Clinton Lynch</span> did a really nice job when he was able to get involved, and saved a touchdown when Notre Dame recovered a fumble in the third quarter.</p>
<p>Again, there were some good moments for this group, but on the whole it was sub-par. Youth is showing, as some inexperienced blockers really struggled to get an athletic Notre Dame defense off of its feet. It should also be noted that this group got beat up during the game, with Searcy and Snoddy both leaving the game late with injuries.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: C-</b></i></p>
<h3>Wide Receivers</h3>
<p>This group shared blocking issues with the A-Backs, but was lacking for major plays to make up for it. The group finished with two receptions for 21 yards, and really struggled to get open a lot of the afternoon.</p>
<p>The concern for me is that, the way Notre Dame's defense was lining up and playing, it set up extremely well for a WR reverse to catch them over-pursuing. Problem is, that works best with a particularly quick receiver who can beat people to the edge, and Georgia Tech doesn't have that. That was part of what made <span>DeAndre Smelter</span> so good, was that he was just as fast as he was physical and reliable. Micheal Summers is probably the fastest wide receiver on the roster, but doesn't have the level of speed that would be required to be a real threat on a reverse. True freshman Christian Philpott probably does have that speed, but he's yet to play this year and may just stay with the redshirt. Until then, it's one weapon that's going to stay in <span>Paul Johnson's</span> arsenal.</p>
<p><b><i>Grade: D</i></b></p>
<h3>Offensive Line</h3>
<p>This group had all sorts of issues all day long.They struggled to seal off rushing lanes, they struggled to block linebackers, and they pretty much failed to protect <span>Justin Thomas</span> in the passing game. Paul Johnson was visibly unhappy with <span>Errin Joe</span> on multiple occasions, and eventually pulled him and <span>Freddie Burden</span> in favor of true freshman <span>Will Bryan</span> and true sophomore Andrew Marshall. It felt like Burden had a lot of issues communicating with <span>Justin Thomas</span>, and it looked a lot like the timing on snaps was off.</p>
<p>This unit was a major disappointment to me in this game. Yes, Notre Dame has a big, bad front 7, and you knew it was going to be a challenge to block them. You know who else had a big, bad front 7? georgia. You know who else? Mississippi State. Instead of whipping Notre Dame like they did some of those other defenses, the offensive line struggled to even be competitive.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: D</b></i></p>
<h3>Offense</h3>
<p>This was one of the worst offensive performances in recent memory under Paul Johnson. The unit never got into rhythm, couldn't sustain drives (started 0-for-9 on third downs), and generally couldn't move the ball for the first 55 minutes of the game. A lot of this was probably influenced by the youth at skill positions, when it came to blocking and otherwise. Thomas wasn't good, blocking wasn't good, general ability to stay on feet wasn't good...</p>
<p><span>Ryan Rodwell</span> was forced to punt 7 times, the most punts by a Georgia Tech team since Labor Day 2012 in Blacksburg.</p>
<p>They came into the day as one of four teams nationally that hadn't had a drive go three-and-out this season. The first two drives saw three-and-outs, and they had four on the day.</p>
<p>They didn't convert a third down until the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Let's hope that we look back on this performance at the end of the year as an outlier.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: D</b></i></p>
<h3>Defensive Line</h3>
<p>You know, through all of the bad in this game, this unit actually impressed me quite a bit. They were consistently making plays and getting pressure on Kizer, even if they only finished with one sack. <span>Adam Gotsis</span> played an excellent game, <span>KeShun Freeman</span> consistently remained disciplined and supported the run well, and Jabari Hunt did a nice job up front as well. They took on a strong Notre Dame offensive line, and they performed pretty admirably. This group actually was encouraging for me moving forward.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: A-</b></i></p>
<h3>Linebackers</h3>
<p>There was some good and some bad with this unit, but overall it was fairly successful and non-problematic. <span>P.J. Davis</span> led the team in tackles again with 8 (6 solo) and <span>Tyler Marcordes</span> had 7 of his own to go with a forced fumble. The pair of starters basically played the whole game, with minimal involvement from any backups. Overall, they did a nice job of keeping Procise in check (for the most part) and getting pressure on Kizer, even if they were typically unable to even get a hit on him.</p>
<p>They were good, but not great.</p>
<p><b><i>Grade: B</i></b></p>
<h3>Secondary</h3>
<p>I took issue with this group, but the thing was, my issue wasn't with the players themselves. I took issue with the scheme being used. The secondary kept true to its scheme of positioning corners, where <span>D.J. White</span> plays one side and <span>Chris Milton</span> plays the other, regardless of who's on that side. Well, it turned out that Milton was consistently covering Fuller throughout the game, and it really wasn't working. Milton made some good plays and good tackles throughout the game, but when it came to defending Fuller, it wasn't good. Obviously the coaches know their players better than I do, but my defensive scheme would have involved some variation of telling D.J. White, "Follow the dude wearing #7 around the whole game." Instead, Milton was left on him and continued to struggle all afternoon in that particular respect.</p>
<p>On the whole, the secondary was just okay. They clearly were playing a conservative game plan, which makes sense considering Notre Dame's athleticism and Georgia Tech's linebackers trying to create pressure. There was quite a bit of good open-field tackling in the group, and D.J. White in particular played a really nice game including 4 tackles and an interception. Milton was the team's second-leading tackler with 7, and led the team with all 7 being solo tackles.</p>
<p>Overall, I thought the group was fine. There were the few long plays to Fuller (which were admittedly costly), but otherwise the unit was solid and prevented Notre Dame from doing too much damage in the passing game.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: B</b></i></p>
<h3>Defense</h3>
<p>It feels strange to give a defense that gave up 30 points and a 91-yard touchdown run a decent mark, but they were legitimately solid for much of the game. They created two turnovers in the first half and forced 5 punts on the day, including 3 of Notre Dame's first 4 drives. Even though the Time of Possession numbers won't show it, it felt like the defense was constantly on the field as the offense failed to sustain drives through the first three quarters. Things started to go south in the fourth quarter as they became fatigued, which was partially a cause of Procise's long touchdown run.</p>
<p>For once, it felt like the defense was carrying the team in a game. Yes, they still gave up 30 points and struggled to get pressure, but they held Notre Dame scoreless on 6 of their first 9 drives before giving up 14 points on the final 3 drives.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: B+</b></i></p>
<h3>Special Teams</h3>
<p>The grade for this unit is being buoyed majorly by Jamal Golden's contributions in the return game. He was good once again, but the rest of the unit was a complete fiasco.</p>
<p><span>Harrison Butker</span> missing both field goal attempts was a huge difference in a game that finished at an 8-point margin, and also killed any of Coach Johnson's confidence in him down the stretch (ending in a turnover on downs on 4th and 16 from field-goal range). Ryan Rodwell had several bad punts that didn't really do a ton to "flip the field", although he did have a couple that were really nice. There were some tackling issues in coverage too, and <span>Step Durham</span> made a tackle at one point that may have saved a touchdown after a returner had broken several tackles.</p>
<p>A lack of faith in the field goal kicker would be a major blow for a team trying to be nationally relevant. With the difficulty of the schedule ahead, Georgia Tech is going to be in some close games where having an effective field goal kicker will be paramount to winning. Rodwell needs to maximize his opportunities to help with field position as well.</p>
<p>Again, this rating is being buoyed by Golden's returns. Butker and Rodwell alone probably get a D.</p>
<p><i><b>Grade: C-</b></i></p>
<h3>Overall</h3>
<p>One of Paul Johnson's favorite sayings comes to mind here: "Things are never as good or as bad as they seem."</p>
<p>Here's the thing. Yes, Saturday's loss was bad. It was embarrassing and uninspiring, and it happened on national television. There were a lot more sore spots than highlights in the grand scheme of things, and it was tough to watch for much of the game.</p>
<p>But what you saw on Saturday won't be the norm for this team. It simply had a bad game at an inopportune time, and at a time when most had picked them to win (even in a tough situation on the road). The good news is that the final score is a respectable one, and that the team they lost to is a non-conference opponent who's ranked as a top-10 team.</p>
<p>ACC play begins next week with a trip to Durham, where the Jackets will play what looks to be a very winnable game against a downgraded Duke team. It's imperative that the Jackets immediately put this game behind them and focus on what's ahead of them. All of the team's goals are still very much within reach, and it all starts next week.</p>
<p>It's time to see what this team is made of.</p>
<p><b><i>Grade: C-</i></b></p>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/2015/9/21/9358671/monday-morning-quarterback-jackets-squander-opportunity-in-south-bendJoey Weaver2015-09-19T20:26:15-04:002015-09-19T20:26:15-04:00Offense looks incompetent, Tech falls 30-22
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<figcaption>Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In a game where the Yellow Jackets looked completely overmatched offensively, the final score didn't represent just how bad it was. </p> <p>The general vibes of the Georgia Tech fan base going into the matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday seemed to be hopeful and excited.</p>
<p>For the first time in awhile, there were talks of championship contention surrounding the Yellow Jackets, and this was the game that was going to push Tech into the picture.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this game did the complete opposite for Georgia Tech.</p>
<p>Offensively, the Jackets came into the game on a complete roll dating back to last season, and Paul Johnson's attack was getting as much national recognition as it ever had. On Saturday, Notre Dame put that talk to rest for now with a dominant defensive performance. Tech was held to 216 yards rushing on 47 carries in the game for a 4.6 average.</p>
<p>It seemed even lower than that. Every time the Jackets needed to pick up some much needed yards on crucial plays, the Fighting Irish defense was in the backfield wreaking havoc. This was more than true on third down conversions, which is where Tech typically makes a living. They didn't convert on a third down until the fourth quarter after failing on the first nine tries. In the end, they finished 3-15 in the game, which I would imagine is one of the lowest conversion rates during Johnson's tenure.</p>
<p>Despite the bad day running the ball by Georgia Tech standards, the passing game was even worse. <span>Justin Thomas</span> had no time in the pocket before needing to scramble away, and the wide receivers created very little separation. Thomas finished 8-24 through the air for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers were even worse before he threw both of his touchdowns and a few completions in the final minute as Tech made the final score look respectable.</p>
<p>Unbelievably, Georgia Tech was an onside kick away with 20 seconds left from having the ball with a chance to tie the game. <span>Harrison Butker</span> had a bad day kicking, but his two onside attempts were as perfect as you could ask for - with Tech coming up with the first one.</p>
<p>Notre Dame never trailed in the game. Will Fuller caught a deep touchdown pass with <span>Chris Milton</span> covering to take the early lead. After Patrick Skov rumbled in from five yards out in the second quarter, Fuller once again made a big play on a screen pass as he eluded Milton's tackle and got the Irish in the red zone. <span>C.J. Prosise</span> ran it in from 17 yards out to give Notre Dame a 13-7 lead at halftime.</p>
<p>The Jackets forced two turnovers in the half. The first was an interception by <span>D.J. White</span> in the end zone that was a huge turnaround. Tech took the ball down the field for its only score in the half. The second was a fumble recovered late in the second half that put the Jackets in scoring range. The drive stalled, and Butker missed his second field goal of the half - this one from 43 yards out.</p>
<p>The second half start was as bad as you could ask for and set the table for how bad the half would be. <span>Justin Thomas</span> fumbled as he attempted to dance away from Notre Dame defenders. The Tech defense held the Irish to a field goal to make it 16-7. That was the story for much of the game as the Tech defense held ground for the majority of the game while the offense couldn't gain any momentum and gave Notre Dame good field position often.</p>
<p>Two more Prosise touchdown runs in the fourth quarter basically put the game away even though Tech did make it look close in the end and had a small opportunity to make it interesting. Prosise's second one was the dagger - a 91-yard touchdown run - but Tech fans have a legitimate gripe for an obvious hold on Jabari Hunt that allowed Prosise to run free through the middle.</p>
<p>It wasn't the only gripes from Tech fans toward referees. Holds seemed to go unnoticed for Notre Dame throughout the game, but a phantom hold was called on <span>Errin Joe</span> in the third quarter by a ref who was looking in the opposite direction when the block was made. The flag negated a long touchdown run by <span>Justin Thomas</span> that would've brought Tech within two points. The drive stalled and ended with Johnson electing to go for 4th-and-16 with no success. There were some smaller complaints including pass interferences on both sides of the ball by the Irish, but that was the one that was fairly obvious and really halted any momentum for Tech.</p>
<p>The season is only three games old. While there are some huge red flags after this game including terrible blocking and the lack of playmakers offensively outside of <span>Justin Thomas</span>, it's important to try to step back and relax this early. It was a bad loss. A really ugly, bad, terrible, and deflating loss. But Paul Johnson was able to pull things together last season after two bad losses to opponents much worse than Notre Dame. I'm sure it won't be a fun week in practice, and we'll hope to see a much different looking team take the field next week against Duke.</p>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2015/9/19/9358153/final-score-offense-looks-incompetent-as-georgia-tech-loses-30-22-toTyler Duke2015-09-19T19:17:15-04:002015-09-19T19:17:15-04:00POSTGAME THREAD: Tech Falls 30-22, Come Vent Here
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<figcaption>RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The defense was outstanding in South Bend. Nothing else was even really acceptable.</p> <p>Needless to say, that game didn't go how many people thought it would.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech was the favorite and a popular pick to win a game on the road that would put them on the radar for a possible <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff" class="sbn-auto-link">College Football Playoff</a> bid.</p>
<p>It didn't go well.</p>
<p>On the bright side, the defense was largely impressive, outside of a couple of big plays that may not have even been legal anyways. The offense, for the first time in a while, was another story. The offensive line had all sorts of issues with blocking Notre Dame's defensive front, and the perimeter blocking was sub-par as well. <span>Justin Thomas</span> played his worst game as the starting quarterback for this team. The special teams were generally a fiasco outside of some of Jamal Golden's returns.</p>
<p>They were on the national stage and laid an egg. Hopefully they can recover as they enter ACC play next week.</p>
<p><i><b>What are your reactions, Tech fans? Worried about the trip to Durham next week?</b></i></p>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/2015/9/19/9358101/postgame-thread-georgia-tech-falls-to-notre-dame-30-15-vent-yourJoey Weaver2015-09-19T17:26:00-04:002015-09-19T17:26:00-04:00HALFTIME: Jackets Trail 13-7, It's Frustrating
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<figcaption>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The first half didn't quite go as well as most hoped it would.</p> <p>It's been a frustrating first half in South Bend.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech trails Notre Dame 13-7 at the half after its offense struggled to get in rhythm and its defense largely rose to the challenge. The offense largely looked out of sync for much of the quarter, with some ineffective blocking all around and <span>Justin Thomas</span> not playing his best game. Harrison Butker's two missed field goals turn out to be the difference in score right now. They've also gotten no help from the referees on several calls (and non-calls), to boot.</p>
<p>The bright spot is that the defense has been strong, largely bottling up the Notre Dame offense except for a few big plays. The Jackets have given up a few big plays to Notre Dame WR Will Fuller, but otherwise have been solid and created two turnovers.</p>
<p>All in all, it's not a bad position to be in for the Jackets, but they will need to operate better on offense in the second half. There's no way around it -- the offensive line needs to be better, the A-Backs and receivers need to block a little better, and <span>Justin Thomas</span> needs to settle in and start executing at the level he's capable of.</p>
<p><i><b>How you holding up, Jacket fans?</b></i></p>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/georgia-tech-football/2015/9/19/9357849/halftime-report-georgia-tech-trails-notre-dame-13-7-after-frustratingJoey Weaver2015-09-19T17:02:56-04:002015-09-19T17:02:56-04:00Notre Dame Defender Takes a Cheap Shot at Justin Thomas<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RSKZdaVWb3iJ3LYAb2PfDDle8ik=/800x0/filters:no_upscale%28%29/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4078304/hit.0.gif">Notre Dame Defender Takes a Cheap Shot at Justin&nbsp;Thomas</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>That's real nice, Notre Dame. Good stuff.</p></p></div>
https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2015/9/19/9357847/notre-dame-defender-takes-a-cheap-shot-at-justin-thomasJoey Weaver