How is this team going to handle the trip to Blacksburg?
Georgia Tech faced their toughest test of the season so far, and they did anything but rise to the occasion. Yes, Notre Dame is an undeniably talented team, and we have had many key players injured. However, there are still plenty of issues we need to address as we prepare for the most challenging stretch of our schedule thus far. We enter Sandman this weekend, playing at a familiar place: Blacksburg, Virginia. Many still reflect (I am many) on what happened the last time we visited the Hokies, as Zach Pyron barreled into the endzone to score the game-winning touchdown in dramatic fashion. Pyron could have a similar opportunity this week if King still has not recovered. He is listed as the starter on the depth chart, but his status is still day-to-day as of right now. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, I am confident they will be ready.
The Tech Bowl is always an exciting matchup, and this year promises to be the same. Make sure to steal a T if you’re going to the game, and yell extra loud for the Jackets. Here is what I think I know heading into week nine of the college football season as we face Virginia Tech.
Game management needs to improve
Yes, this is Brent Key’s first head coaching job, and I think he is doing an excellent one at that. However, it seems as though he struggles to manage the clock during crunch time. Going into halftime against Notre Dame, we had the ball and were driving down the field, only to run out of time and be forced to kick a field goal instead of scoring a touchdown… then the snap was bobbled, and the kick was not even attempted.
To set the scene, this drive began with 1:53 left on the clock, and we started on our 20-yard line. There was no sense of urgency throughout the drive, with long huddles on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and 1, leaving 35 seconds on the clock. We completed a long pass to put us in Notre Dame territory, and all of a sudden the urgency turned on. However, by then, we had to spike the ball with only 27 seconds left, losing a down. This was not the first time the two-minute drill had been handled poorly, and it was not the best look for us knowing what could have been.
Special teams are regressing as the season goes on
Special teams have made some special plays, but they have quickly regressed as the season starts to wind down. Even Coach Key himself said in a press conference that the difference between our first four games and our last four games is night and day… in a bad way. The kicking game is the worst of all. After the 44-yard kick to win the FSU game, Aidan Birr is now ranked 130th in the nation in field goal percentage. He was 0/2 in the Notre Dame game, (one not being his fault), but we cannot have a dependable kicker only 50% of the time. I have seen Aidan Birr be great, and I know the potential is there for him. Our special teams unit as a whole has been subpar, especially after allowing an easy punt-return TD against UNC. The two positives are that David Shanahan has been pretty dependable, and we have blocked quite a few kicks at the beginning of the year.
Here is a breakdown of our special team’s national rankings after Week eight.
Blocked kicks allowed – 107th (net 6)
Punt return defense – 103rd (10.77 yards allowed)
Kick return defense – 121st (24.9 yards allowed)
Punt return – 68th (8 yards)
Kickoff return – 68th (20 yards)
Net punting – 110th (36.75 yards)
Blocked kicks – 2nd (4)
Field goal percentage – 130th (50%)
Virginia Tech is getting better and their offense is heating up
Many predicted Virginia Tech as a playoff team at the beginning of the year, but then they dropped their first game to Vanderbilt. A few games later, they lost to Rutgers. Well, now we know that Vandy is good, Rutgers is not too bad either, and Virginia Tech is sneakily coming back onto the scene. They took Miami down to the wire and beat Boston College and Stanford handily. I am not saying that Virginia Tech is good by any means, but they are certainly not going to be a cakewalk. They will be ready and eager for this game, especially given how the last one ended. They have a very talented running back in Bhaysul Tuten, who has 871 yards, seven yards per carry, and 12 touchdowns this season. He racked up 266 yards against Boston College and has explosive capabilities. Quarterback Kyron Drones is talented, but has definitely made some vital mistakes and is still fresh at the position. He has 1,319 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions on the year. He can run the ball as well, with 318 yards on the season, coming in as Tech’s second-leading rusher. Virginia Tech has put up 34, 31, and 42 points against their last three conference opponents. That is not good news for us, as we still do not know Efford or Shelley’s status… and the fact that tackling last Saturday was abysmal. Things are starting to click for Virginia Tech, and this game could very well be a loss if things don’t start clicking for us. Anything can happen in Blacksburg, so let’s see if Coach Key has this team ready to play.
This could be a must-win for bowl eligibility
Given the demanding final stretch of our schedule and the growing list of injuries, this game could be one of our last opportunities to secure bowl eligibility. We have Virginia Tech, Miami, NC State, and uga left. We are one win away from making a bowl game for the second consecutive year. We win one of the four games left and make it to that sixth win. It is doable, but it is tough as well. Because of injuries and looking unsatisfactory against Notre Dame, we may not be favored in any of our games left. Beating either Virginia Tech or NC State is vital to our season, and winning this game this weekend would be a sweet sigh of relief. Let’s get it done.
Go Jackets!