Georgia Tech starting quarterback injured ahead of matchup with Florida State
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Florida State is exiting a week off with the team as healthy as it's been since the Seminoles took the field against LSU in week 1. There is hope that defensive tackle Fabien Lovett will return to the lineup for the first time in five games - which would provide a big boost along the defensive line.
READ MORE: Kickoff time announced for Florida State's home game against Georgia Tech
The same cannot be said about FSU's next opponent; the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The team came up short against Virginia on Thursday, the first loss for Georgia Tech under interim head coach Brent Key. More importantly, the Yellow Jackets lost their starting quarterback, Jeff Sims, to an injury.
Sims exited the game prior to the conclusion of the first half with what appeared to be a lower leg or ankle injury. He was unable to return to the contest and Key noted that he was unsure if the Florida native would be able to suit up the following week.
In his absence, Sims was replaced by backup quarterback Zach Gibson, who completed 10/25 passes for 99 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He did lose a fumble in the second half and inexplicably ran out of bounds with no time remaining on the clock to secure Georgia Tech's defeat.
With the remaining uncertainty around Sims, the Yellow Jackets may have to alter their offensive attack if Key is forced to start Gibson moving forward.
"We will be in the weight room tomorrow and back on Sunday practicing and with Zach [Gibson] being the quarterback, we have to go back to the drawing board and find what gives him the best chance to run the offense and give us a chance to win," Key said following the game on Thursday according to All Yellow Jackets. "That's something that's, it is not about me being confident, that is only a small part of that. The rest of the team has to be confident. That is the name of the game. The name of the game is everyone on the field and collectively in all three phases having confidence in each other and that is what has to take place."
Georgia Tech only produced 41 yards of total offense and zero points in the second half against Virginia. The Cavaliers racked up eight total sacks (seven on Gibson) and 11 tackles for loss while taking advantage of a porous Yellow Jackets offensive line.
There will be a clear drop-off in talent if Gibson has to take Sims' place on the road in Tallahassee. Sims has completed 58.5% of his passes for 1,115 yards with five touchdowns to three interceptions this season. He's added 87 carries for 302 yards and another score.
The former Florida State commitment upset the Seminoles during the first start of his college career in 2020. Sims completed 23 of 34 passes for 277 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while rushing for 64 yards to guide the Yellow Jackets to a 16-13 victory.
The Seminoles and Yellow Jackets are set to kick off at 12:00 p.m. on the ACC Network on Saturday, October 29.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.
