The No. 16-ranked Jackets took their football campaign on the road last Saturday, facing ACC foe Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. Despite the excitement the Brett Key era has brought to Tech football, the program still carries the reputation of struggling with unranked conference opponents. Entering this matchup, they were 8-8 in such matchups. Comparatively, they’re 7-1 against ranked ACC teams. Saturday’s showdown provided the Jackets with an opportunity to work toward shedding that label and being viewed as a true contender.
The first half wasn’t very inspiring, as the Jackets turned in arguably their worst stretch of football so far this season. The offense didn’t execute with missed throws, dropped balls, blown blocks and a general lack of flow. One play encapsulated the whole half: a gutsy fake-punt pass on fourth-and-6, which was completed but underthrown, left the receiver a yard short of the sticks.
The defense played well early, keeping the game close throughout the first quarter. But, as the offense failed to produce, more pressure was put on the defense, and eventually the dam broke, leading to chunk plays and touchdowns that had the Jackets down 17-3 after two quarters. For the first time all season, Tech faithful had a genuine reason for concern at the intermission, as the Demon Deacons had all the momentum and would receive the ball to open the second half. All Tech fans could do was hope that the Jackets woke up before things got really ugly.
Wake opened the half by driving down to the red zone, but the Jackets’ defense made a stand, holding them to a field goal, making the score 20-3, Deacons. Tech’s offense proceeded to finally get in rhythm, with a 13-play drive culminating in a touchdown catch following a backyard football-esque sequence between Haynes King and Eric Rivers. Wake punted on their ensuing drive, and the Jackets embarked on another odyssey, this time finished by a King rushing touchdown, making the score 17-20 entering the fourth quarter.
Tech was building momentum, and after a Deacon three-and-out and a Jackets field goal, the comeback was finally complete, knotting the game up at 20. Wake’s doom spiral continued, as even after they pushed into Tech territory and lined up for a 27-yard field goal, their kicker blasted the kick off the right upright, keeping the score tied at 20. At that moment, Jackets fans breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like the team would escape with a win through a clock-chewing drive and a last-second score. That feeling of security was short-lived, as on the very first play of the next drive, the Jackets fumbled, giving Wake the ball back at Tech’s 23.
The defense again held strong and forced another field goal, which this time was pure, giving Wake a 23-20 lead. Tech’s next drive looked good at the onset, but stalled near the 50, where Tech gave the ball back to Wake, needing a defensive stop to prevent them from running out the clock. The defense was able to pull it off, in large part thanks to a very fortunate missed offside penalty that would’ve ended the game, handing the ball back to the Jackets at their own 30. Tech moved the ball well again, down to the Wake 15, but they couldn’t find the end zone, forcing them to make yet another fire drill field goal, sending the game into overtime tied at 23.
Seeing the GT logo and word “overtime” together on an ESPN scorebug might’ve brought Tech faithful back bad memories of last year’s gut-wrenching loss to u[sic]ga, but thankfully, this story had a different ending. Tech got the ball and scored first, behind King’s second rushing touchdown of the contest. Wake responded in one play, scoring a touchdown of their own. Then came the gamble; Wake Forest Coach Jack Dickert decided to go for two to win the game. Luckily, the play was blanketed, resulting in an interception by defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee and a Jackets victory, 30-29.
The win brought reasons for optimism. Good teams win ugly, especially in the clutch, and the Jackets have proven that they are one of the most clutch teams in college football. The 17-point comeback is tied for second-largest in school history, and, despite the deficit, there was never a moment when team leaders looked dejected. King put together a strong performance, notching 349 total yards and three touchdowns, all while passing 42 times, the most he’s ever thrown for the white and gold. This is also the first time the Jackets have started 5-0 since 2014, and since Tech is due to be favored in every game until their showdown with u[sic]ga in November, they now have a genuine chance to make the ACC championship game and even the College Football Playoff if they continue winning.
There are, however, serious causes for concern. The Jackets’ win against Wake Forest was too close for comfort. Their third-quarter comeback was partially aided by an injury to Deacon QB Robby Ashford, as Wake’s offense stalled with backup Deshawn Purdie in the game. Although Ashford only missed eight snaps, it was significant enough to change the momentum in the Jackets’ favor. Even with the injury, if Wake made their field goal, or if a few calls went the other way, the Jackets may have lost, dashing the hope this season has built so far.
Tech still has holes to patch, as they haven’t played a spotless game all season. The offense often looks out of focus, either through the air, on the ground or, in the rare case on Saturday, both. The defense is usually stout, but it tends to give up momentum-killing chunk plays. Granted, it does give reason for hope, as it seems that the Jackets have not reached their ceiling, but it’s clear that they’ll have a lot of work to do to reach that level as they enter the bye week before hosting Virginia Tech on Oct. 11th.
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