Georgia Tech had everything in front of them. A home night game on senior day with a Heisman-caliber QB to go to the ACC Title game.
Yes, the defense was a liability, but they just needed one adequate performance, and Georgia Tech would be Charlotte.
A dangerous Pittsburgh team stood in the way.
Pitt was not there to be a bystander. They had their own ACC Title hopes, and they went out and made a statement in Atlanta. Relentless on both sides of the ball, Pitt’s offense shredded Georgia Tech’s defense to pieces. The defense harassed and forced Haynes King into mistakes we hadn’t seen all year. It started 28-0, and Pitt never looked back. Yes, there was a moment at 28-14, and Georgia Tech was at the 5 yard line when, just for a moment, it appeared the Jackets might get back in the game.
Pitt erased that threat with a 100-yard INT return for a touchdown.
Should we even count when Georgia Tech closed to 35-28? Not really, when Pitt scored easily on the next possession.
Brent Key has rebuilt Georgia Tech into a competitive program, but the hire of DC Blake Gideon looks like a misfire. Gideon appeared to have coached the entire season like he was learning on the job. At a P4 school, there’s no time for that, and it will catch up with you, and it caught up with Georgia Tech at the end of the season with atrocious defensive performances against NC State, Boston College, and a nightmare first half against Pitt.
QB Haynes King looked mortal for the first time all season, and it resulted in a missed opportunity for Georgia Tech.
Brent Key has to think long and hard if Blake Gideon should return, and if I were Key I’d let him go.
An opportunity for an ACC Title and a playoff spot that historically comes along once every 10 or 15 years is gone.
Georgia is next, and a win there will soften the blow, but with the way Georgia Tech is coming into that game, a victory doesn’t seem realistic or likely. Even if it happens, Georgia will still be in the playoffs, and Georgia Tech won’t be. It’s a byproduct of the playoff, but that’s the way it is.
Pitt now waits and hopes for a slim chance to get into the ACC Title game.
Georgia Tech Brent Key, and their 20+ seniors have to now let it burn because they let a golden opportunity get away.
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