Georgia Tech Football: Three Biggest Takeaways From Win vs Virginia Tech
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None of Georgia Tech's wins this year have been pretty, especially not this one. There was another punt team disaster that led to a special teams touchdown, Zach Pyron had a pass tipped and returned for a touchdown, and the offense would go through stretches where they could not move the ball.
But Georgia Tech still won.
The team is now 4-5 heading into their last home game against Miami and the way the Hurricanes are playing, that is a winnable game for Georgia Tech.
This is the most wins the Yellow Jackets have had in a season since 2018.
So what are the three biggest takeaways from today's win?
3. The defense had a big bounce-back game
Georgia Tech's defense forced four turnovers in the win against Virginia Tech
After last week's performance against Florida State, it was fair to wonder how Georgia Tech's defense would respond. The Seminoles have one of the best offenses in the ACC, but a performance like Georgia Tech had can be hard to bounce back from.
The defense did just that though. Georgia Tech forced four turnovers and held Virginia Tech to 304 yards of offense and under five yards per play. They were able to pressure the quarterback and finished with five sacks, including 2.5 from D'Quan Douse. The pass defense also had a strong performance after getting ripped apart by Florida State.
While Virginia Tech's offense is not very good, it was encouraging to see the defense bounce back.
Another bad offense awaits this defense next week when Miami comes to town.
2. Zach Pyron Once Again Showed Flashes
Zach Pyron continued to show his talent on Saturday against Virginia Tech
Pyron did well filling in at quarterback last week, but this was going to be his first career start. True freshmen starting on the road can be challenging, but Pyron answered the call.
This is not to say that Pyron was perfect. His pick-six in the second half put the team in a further hole and there were some questionable throws, but that is to be expected from a true freshman in his first start.
Pyron finished the game 19-32 for 253 yards and two total touchdowns. His touchdown run showed his competitiveness and toughness and the throws he made in the fourth quarter were fantastic.
There is plenty to work on with Pyron, but plenty to like as well. He showed a lot of heart and growth in that second half.
1. This Team Showed A Lot Of Fight And Heart In This Win
Georgia Tech showed plenty of fight and heart in their win against Virginia Tech
Some may look at this and scoff at the thought of this being a big takeaway, especially against a Virginia Tech team that is now 2-7. After getting beat down last week, there was plenty of reason for Tech to quit after the punt return for a touchdown or after the pick-six to put them down double-digits. They did not though and fought back to make winning plays in the fourth quarter.
From Pyron's touchdown run to the defense creating turnovers in the second half, these guys fought through adversity and showed their will to win. This team did not do this under Geoff Collins and it is a positive sign they are still playing hard this late in the season.
Showing that kind of fight and belief to win is huge for a team. The Yellow Jackets will be going against a Miami team next week that might be on the verge of giving up and that might be the difference in the game.
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