BLACKSBURG, Va. — Georgia Tech’s last gaffe of the day went through tight end Avery Boyd’s hands, a pass by freshman quarterback Aaron Philo that was intercepted by Virginia Tech late in the fourth quarter to effectively end the game.
It was a fitting conclusion to a lost afternoon for coach Brent Key’s team at Lane Stadium.
Needing to give backup quarterback Zach Pyron a lift, Yellow Jackets targets dropped an uncharacteristic number of his passes, as well as those of Philo, who was sent into the game in the third quarter in relief of Pyron.
The Jackets committed penalties that added stress to a laboring offense that couldn’t handle the extra burden.
Pyron himself, subbing for the injured Haynes King, also was off the form he showed as a freshman in 2022, including a rousing win over Virginia Tech in the same stadium.
All told, the Jackets departed Lane Stadium feeling that an opportunity to extract more from the day had been left on the field in the 21-6 defeat. A 10-point underdog, Georgia Tech lost here for the first time since 2012, ending a four-game win streak in this venue over its longtime ACC Coastal Division rival.
“We feel like we had them right where we wanted them,” wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. said. “They weren’t putting up a lot of points, and our defense was getting a lot of stops. We’ve just got to move the ball down the field and execute in the red zone.”
And, in falling short, a similar feeling might apply to the season as a whole, now three-quarters complete. After Key led the Jackets last year to their first bowl since 2018 with a breakthrough seven-win season, anticipation built for an even bigger splash in Key’s second full season. The season-opening quasi-upset of then No. 10-Florida State (now 1-6 entering Saturday night) in Dublin only stirred the fervor.
But the Jackets stand at 5-4, remaining one win shy of bowl eligibility with two consecutive losses. The wins over North Carolina on the road and at home against Duke are significant results, but Georgia Tech also has now squandered chances at Syracuse, Louisville, and Virginia Tech. Worse, Jackets mistakes contributed materially to all three, adding to the sense of unfulfillment.
After a much-needed open week, the Jackets will have to find a win against one of two top-10 teams (No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Miami) or middling N.C. State in order to make a bowl game. A 1-2 finish seems most likely for a 6-6 record, which would qualify Georgia Tech for back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 2013-14 seasons. It would be an achievement, but maybe not what the program and its fans aspired for. It would be open for debate how much of a step forward Tech, with as capable a quarterback as it could hope to have in King, had taken.
On Saturday, the play of Tech’s defense was more than enough to help bring home a win. The Jackets limited Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten, who entered the game seventh in FBS in rushing yards per game (124.4), to 79 yards on 17 carries. He gained 41 of them on one carry.
Similar to last week’s loss to Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Georgia Tech defense repeatedly held off Virginia Tech in the second half as the Jackets offense spun its wheels and the Hokies tried in vain to add to their 21-6 lead (established with 4:50 left in the third quarter) and put the game away for good.
The following is remarkable. Holding a 14-6 halftime lead, Virginia Tech had nine second-half possessions. The Hokies scored the one touchdown, taking advantage of a short field created by an interception to drive 42 yards for the 21-6 lead.
In its other seven possessions (not counting the game-ending kneel-down series), Virginia Tech picked up two first downs, punted six times, had a field-goal attempt blocked and ran 27 plays for a total of (this is not a mistake) 13 yards. The Hokies finished the day with a season-low 233 yards of offense. It was the fewest yards gained against Georgia Tech by an FBS opponent since 2014 (Clemson).
Virginia Tech did effect damage in the first half, exploiting (and perhaps creating) breakdowns on its two touchdown drives. Regardless, particularly given the pressure that Georgia Tech’s defense faced to keep the team in the game and the fact that it was without leading tackler Kyle Efford, that is phenomenal play. Key said that the defense played as well as it has all season. Defensive linemen Romello Height and Sylvain Yondjouen, who combined for four tackles for loss and two sacks, led the effort.
“Playing the run, holding the gaps, stop them from running the ball, and then we saw that happen,” Yondjouen said of the execution of the game plan. “They tried to throw the ball, and we were there on pass rush. So I think everything just helped out on the defense. We just worked together and made it work.”
Even Key’s special teams, which had nose-dived in recent weeks, showed improvement as kicker Aidan Birr knocked in first-half field goals of 34 and 51 yards, the latter a career-long make.
But, with Pyron at the helm, the Jackets offense was but a shadow of its better self. Pyron started off hot, completing eight of his first 10 attempts for 69 yards. He had a tougher time after, completing two of his final 12 passes for seven yards with an interception. Pyron, who was far from full health, was hardly the only one to blame.
But, surely hoping to show what he could do in a temporary starting stint, Pyron fell short of the mark. It was a missed opportunity for Pyron, as well, a disappointing day for a player who demonstrated loyalty by sticking with Tech after King won the job at the start of last season.
“No one wants to be able to go out there and get in the game and win and move the offense more than he does, and no one works as hard as he does to get it done,” Key said of Pyron. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to move the ball productively the early part of the game.”
In his second college appearance and the far longer of the two, Philo finished 11-for-26 passing for 184 yards and an interception, hardly jaw-dropping but not fully representing his playmaking against the Hokies.
All is not quite yet lost. Tech will be far healthier after the open week (possibly including King), and Miami hardly is unbeatable. N.C. State is an opponent that the Jackets will be favored to defeat. We’ll leave the Bulldogs aside for the moment.
Get to seven wins, including a takedown of Miami, and the season picture looks far brighter. But the time to distinguish this season is slipping away quickly.
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