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Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: Yellow Jackets @ Cavaliers | Game 9

Live updates and analysis from Game 9 vs. Virginia
Matthew McGavic|
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The final road trip of the 2019 football season is almost here, as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-6, 1-4) are up north in Charlottesville, VA and are set to square off against the Virginia Cavaliers (6-3, 4-2) at Scott Stadium.

Tech is hoping to bounce back from last week's 20-10 loss at home to Pittsburgh, where the Ramblin' Wreck had their lowest offensive output of the season but forced 3 Pitt turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.

Kickoff is set for 12:30pm, and you can catch the game on ACC Network Extra & Fox Sports South.

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PREGAME/PREVIEW

Ahead of today's 12:30 kickoff, be sure to check out our preview & statistical comparison to the Virginia Cavaliers:

What To Watch For Vs. Virginia

Statistical Comparison & SP+ Prediction: Virginia

The Yellow Jackets are going with their Tech Gold pants/White jersey/White helmet uniform combo against the Cavaliers, with a gold-accented facemask on the helmet.

Game Day Captains:

- Juanyeh Thomas (S)

- Jared Southers (OL)

- Zach Qunney (OL)

- Djimon Brooks (DL)

As part of Georgia Tech’s season long tribute to Brandon Adams, defensive lineman Djimon Brooks will wear #90 against Virginia.

Personnel Update:

Tech will be without three defensive starters, as DE Antwan Owens, DT Chris Martin and DB Kaleb Oliver are not dressed.

Also, Wesley Wells will be taking over kicking duties vs. the Cavs.

FIRST QUARTER:

Virginia wins the coin toss and has elected to defer to the second half.

On the first drive of the game, James Graham converts a 3rd down on their first opportunity, then immediately finds Ahmarean Brown for a 59 yard touchdown over the safety.

Georgia Tech 7, Virginia 0.

Early lucky break for the Yellow Jackets. Bryce Perkins responds with a 38 yard touchdown, only to have it taken back from a penalty. Had an ineligible receiver downfield.

Now Tech commits a costly penalty. Bryce Perkins throws an incomplete pass on third down, only to receive a fresh set of downs on a GT holding penalty. Hoos even up the score on a 2 yard W. Taulapapa rushing score immediately afterwards.

Georgia Tech 7, Virginia 7.

Both Graham & Perkins seem focused early, as they are both perfect after one drive each. Combining for 115 yards and are 6-6.

Two costly Virginia penalties assist Tech on their second drive of the game. A holding and facemask penalty as well as a pair of completions from Graham put the Yellow Jackets on the goal line. RB Jordan Mason does the rest, rushing 5 yards to the endzone for his 7th rushing score of the year.

Georgia Tech 14, Virginia 7.

After 3 straight scoring drives in this game, Tech forces UVA to go three-and-out on the Cavs' second drive of the game. Tre Swilling with the crucial pass deflection on 3rd down.

Graham's first incompletion of the game is an interception, was previously 5-5 with 111 yards at that point. UVA returns it to the GT 28. UVA's Bryce Perkins capitalizes on the field position, using a paid of passes and rushing attempt to even up the score.

Georgia Tech 14, Virginia 14.

UVA keeps the momentum going by forcing a three-and-out on the proceeding Tech drive. Two straight negative runs from Jordan Mason and an incomplete Graham pass.

Tech ends the first quarter with 131 total yards of offense, 63 yards away from their total offensive output vs. Pitt.

SECOND QUARTER

Tech's normally stout red zone defense is out of sorts to start the second quarter. Two penalties on the same play get UVA to within 5 yards of pay dirt. But the defense responds with Juanyeh Thomas reading the goal line screen on second down, then David Curry keeping on his man on third down. Allows only a 24 yard field goal instead of a touchdown.

Virginia 17, Georgia Tech 14.

RB Jamious Griffin getting some reps on Tech's first drive of the second quarter. Starts out the game with a pair of rushes for 6 yards. UVA defensive front steps up by sniffing out the option play on second down and forcing Graham to scramble on third. Instead of punting on 4th and 1, Coach Collins elects to go for it. Jordan Mason runs straight up the gut and gets the yard necessary.

Immediately after picking up the first down on 4th, Mason takes it 28 yards on the ground to put GT in the red zone. But an Illegal shift penalty negates a first down, and the GT drive stalls. Jackets attempt the field goal, but Wesley Wells goes wide right on the 30 yard field goal attempt.

The Hoos earn a pair of first downs to get them just past midfield, getting UVA to a 4th and 4 situation at the GT 35. Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall tries to use the hurry-up offense to catch GT off guard and get the 1st down, but Quez Jackson steps up to deny Perkins the 4th down conversion.

Taking over on their own 35 with 1:21 left, Tech immediately responds with a 38 yard Tyler Davis reception. Calling a timeout with 53 seconds left, James Graham immediately delivers a strike, finding Malachi Carter as he rolls over his defender for a 25 yard touchdown.

Georgia Tech 21, Virginia 17.

With 44 seconds left in the half, UVA used a 44 yard kickoff return and 43 yard run by Bryce Perkins to get to the red zone immediately. UVA had to burn a pair of timeouts to buy them time, but a 3 yard TD scramble from Perkins saw the Hoos take the lead into halftime instead of the Yellow Jackets.

HALFTIME: Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 21.

First Half Takeaways:

- After a disappointing game vs. Pitt, James Graham is responding like a true leader of the team. He's 10-12 through the air with a pair of touchdowns and 1 interceptions, and a passing efficiency rating 256. 1

- Graham is doing a good job distributing the ball, with his 10 completions spread across 5 receivers. Adonicas Sanders has 4 receptions, Tobias Oliver & Tyler Davis both have 47 yards on 2 receptions, and Ahmarean Brown & Malachi Carter both have 1 TD.

- Defense having trouble at times containing UVA QB Bryce Perkins, as he has 207 total yards of offense and a pair of scores.

- A normally disciplined team, penalties are biting the Yellow Jackets. Two are responsible for a 14 point swing. A holding penalty kept a UVA drive alive and led to a TD, and an illegal shift killed momentum at the goal line and led to a missed field goal.

THIRD QUARTER:

Virginia receives the kickoff and immediately returns it to around midfield. UVA methodically picks up a pair of 3rd down conversions to get on the cusp of the red zone, but sacks from David Curry and JaQuon Griffin force the Hoos out of field goal range. UVA punts away to the 2 yard line.

Tech is unable to dig themselves out the hole they're pinned in, and are forced to go three-and-out. However a great punt from Pressley Harvin III and special teams tackle from Nathan Cottrell has the resulting UVA drive starting at the 37 yard line.

A false start from UVA and great coverage from Tre Swilling and Zamari Walton force the Cavaliers to go three-and-out for only the second time in the game.

Starting on their own 12, a 16 yard run from Jordan Mason and a UVA roughing the passer penalty quickly got the Yellow Jackets to around midfield. But the drive would stall and force GT to punt, pinning the Hoos within their own 20.

Juanyeh Thomas had a near interception off a tip, but a pass interference would move the chains for UVA. On 3rd and 2, Perkins goes over the top for a 35 yard strike to get UVA in field goal range. As the third quarter expired, Perkins scampered yet again to get the Hoos in the red zone.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Starting the 4th with a 1st down, UVA can't continue to move the chains, having to settle for a 34 yard field goal.

Virginia 27, Georgia Tech 21.

UVA gets pressure on the drive, forcing a pair of incompletions from Graham and a short yardage gain from Jordan Mason. Harvin punts away and a return from UVA sets them up at the 50.

A pair of good runs after the catch set up UVA with their 6th red zone drive of the game. The Hoos turned to Taulapapa in the short yard situation like they have all season, and once again he found pay dirt for his 2nd rushing score of the game. An attempt to make it a 14 point game on the two point conversion was unsuccessful as Christian Campbell broke the pass up.

Virginia 33, Georgia Tech 21.

In desperate need of a successful second half drive, Graham finally got things going again. With only 1 second half completion up to this point, Graham connected to his receivers 4 times on the drive for 31 yards. Jordan Mason then proceeded to run three straight time, capping off the drive with an 8 yard touchdown.

Virginia 33, Georgia Tech 28.

UVA took over with 5:30 left, and with Tech still holding two timeouts. After burning both and holding UVA to 3rd and 4th just short of midfield, Bryce Perkins delivered in the clutch for Virginia's 9th 3rd down conversion of the game. From there, the Cavaliers continued to run the clock until the sealed the 5 point win.

Final: Virginia 33, Georgia Tech 28.

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

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