Let’s take a breather
Another week watching Georgia Tech Football, another week I fear I will start getting grey hairs before I turn thirty. This game featured many miscues, including penalties, poor clock management, questionable play calls, and ill-advised decisions. There were so many plays I wish we could take back, but I guess we’ll just count it as lessons learned…hopefully. This week the Jackets get a week off to regroup and recover. Here is what I think I know heading into a vital bye week.
We still haven’t learned how to be consistent
Before I begin, yes I am frustrated. Coach Key wants this team to learn to win consistently and play a full 60 minutes. We are getting there, but this game felt like we beat ourselves. We had so many opportunities to pull away or gain momentum, and we could never capitalize. It all started with Haynes King making a puzzling fumble/pitch/throw (?) straight to Louisville’s Quincy Riley, where the ball ended up in the endzone for a freebie touchdown for the Cardinals. Aidan Birr then missed a 46-yarder on the ensuing drive. Then there was a missed 4th down conversion at the goal line, and the horrendous scoop-and-score off of a field goal to ice the game for Louisville. Something needs to change for the Jackets to play hard for all four quarters and not let so many missed opportunities slip from their grasp. Thankfully Coach Key is aware and wants to see this team reach stability, but we need to see these plans come to fruition, and that starts with him.
With this all being said, we have made strides forward and played a close game on the road against a ranked team. This game was frustrating, but there is nothing to do but move forward and keep supporting this team. The season is far from over, and we have plenty of chances to make it a year to remember.
We need to improve on fourth down, both offensively and defensively
In our two losses, fourth down-conversions were a huge deciding factor in the games. Besides a one-fourth down conversion for a Jamal Haynes touchdown leading into halftime of the Louisville game, fourth downs have plagued the Jackets on both sides of the ball. Yes, we converted that crucial fourth down leading into halftime, but the outcome could have been completely different had we not missed the fourth-and-goal opportunity midway through the fourth quarter. In the Syracuse game, the Cuse had two huge fourth-down pickups that both led to scores. This past weekend, Louisville was 1-1 on fourth downs. These were all game-changing plays that theoretically could have us sitting at 5-0 instead of 3-2.
Geoff Collins has taken his talents to frustrate a whole new fanbase
Since we do have a bye week this week, why not discuss some other college football hot topics? One of my personal favorites is the joy of watching UNC fans suffer under Geoff Collins. For those that may not know or need to be reminded, Collins took over as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator in the offseason. This past weekend UNC took on the Dukes of James Madison, and at halftime, the Dukes already had 53 points. They ended the game with a total of 70 points and 611 yards. Money down!
Roll Tide
Unfortunately, I will not have a stress-free week, as I will be intently watching the dwags take on Alabama, and there is nothing I enjoy more in life than UGA getting beat on a huge national stage. This game will be exciting to watch, and even former president Donald Trump will be in town to watch the game of the year thus far. So, all I have to say is THWg and Roll Tide.
We can’t lose this week
At least I don’t have to stress twice, as we get a week off from watching the Jackets. I think the players and coaches will get some rest that they may need after the trip to Ireland and several hard-fought games that followed. So while we sadly can’t celebrate a Jackets win, everyone (including fans) can rest up and look forward to the Duke game at 8 pm EST at Bobby Dodd next Saturday. Be there, and Go Jackets!