Key Takeaways From Georgia Tech's 42-28 Loss To Pittsburgh

Georgia Tech dropped its second game of the season after a slow start in the first quarter derailed them, and turnovers plagued a mighty comeback for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech now falls to 9-2 on the year with an ACC title berth likely no longer in reach. Here are some key takeaways from the loss.

1. Georgia Tech's disastrous first quarter

It was ugly at Bobby Dodd Stadium in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets lost their most versatile defender in Jy Gilmore, who left with a leg injury, and the defense simply couldn’t get stops. Pittsburgh QB Mason Heintschel had two passing touchdowns in the first quarter alone, one to Kenny Johnson and the other to Justin Holmes. Pittsburgh had 176 total yards and averaged 8.8 yards per play. Julez Goff added a one-yard rushing touchdown to make it 21-0. While usually one side of the ball struggles, it was both for the Yellow Jackets, who struggled on offense. Georgia Tech has a measly 21 yards and had to punt the ball three times in the first quarter alone. The Yellow Jackets also went 0-5 on third down. From drops to struggles in blocking, Pittsburgh shut down the Yellow Jackets. What could go wrong went wrong in the first quarter for the Yellow Jackets, who found themselves in a deep hole early in the game.

2. Georgia Tech second quarter response

After getting hit early in the game, Georgia Tech showed a pulse and punched back. Their second quarter was much better as they moved the ball and scored points. King went 8-9 for 49 yards and got more involved in the running game. Georgia Tech had 90 yards in the second quarter alone. A changing point in the game was when the Yellow Jackets forwent a field goal attempt and went for it on 4th and 4. Georgia Tech called up a flare screen to Jamal Haynes, who converted the first down and brought some life to the team. On the very next play, Haynes King scored on a five-yard rushing touchdown. The defense would force a stop after forcing more pressure, and the Yellow Jackets converted it into a five-yard touchdown pass from King to Isiah Canion. Georgia Tech would go on to close the second half strong, not allowing any points after a couple of missed kicks from Samuel Carpenter. One of the big keys was the defensive pressure, as the Yellow Jackets had three sacks in the second quarter alone.

3. Georgia Tech offense struggles-

Coming in, Georgia Tech had the best offense in the country, but Pittsburgh was able to slow it down with its consistent pressure and physicality on Saturday night. Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis made life tough for the Yellow Jackets, who were held to yards. Georgia Tech went 3-14 on third down and only averaged five yards per play. The box score will tell a different story with 378 total yards, but that is not how a lot of the game went. They also struggled on fourth down, going 1-4 on the night and failing to convert their chances. Another area they struggled where they usually are goo,d is running the football. Georgia Tech finished with 121 yards rushing and averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Their best rusher was Haynes King, who finished with 20 carries for 76 yards in the defeat. The Pittsbugh defense played a good game and made it tough early on for the Yellow Jackets to get going, which derailed its chances for a win.

4. A rough outing from Haynes King-

Coming into the game, Haynes King was considered a Heisman candidate, but after his performance, it extinguished some of the hype that was coming his way. King struggled mightily in the game against Pittsburgh, and the Yellow Jackets had a good chance of pulling off a comeback despite being down 28-0. They were driving and in the red zone down 14, before King through a 100-yard interception returned for a touchdown. It was a devastating blow as the Yellow Jackets were looking to go down by seven, but instead went down by 21 points, which put Georgia Tech in a tough spot. King finished with 27-41 for 257 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. It was one of his worst performances of the season in a Heisman candidate-worthy year. King never seemed super comfortable in the pocket, and a lot of his throws, especially in the red zone, felt rushed which led to some turnovers.

5. Cayman Spaulding puts together an elite game-

His physicality was on full display throughout the game, and he was one of the better defenders on the field in the game. In the first half alone, he had three tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. He finished with six tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Spaulding has shown throughout his time with the Yellow Jackets that he is a talented linebacker and can come up with big games when Georgia Tech needs it. Spaulding came on a lot of blitzes and wrecked havoc when he did, showing he can play another role for the Yellow Jackets. It is safe to say the Tennessee Tech transfer was a major hit for the Yellow Jackets this past offseason.

6. Defensive Line steps up in a big way and Georgia Tech creates havoc-

Yes, Georgia Tech gave up a 200-yard rusher to a backup running back, but in the passing game, they did a good job. A bright spot was the amount of pressure the Yellow Jackets were able to generate. They struggled in a major way in the last few outings with getting to the quarterback, but on Saturday night, battered and bruised Heintschel. Georgia Tech finished with a season-high six sacks. The Yellow Jackets had six different players finish with a half sack, showing a concerted effort on the defensive side of the ball. Spaulding led the way with two sacks. Jordan Van Den Berg and Brayden Manley each added a sack on the night. It was a good sight to see on Saturday the defensive line come alive and keep the Yellow Jackets in the game despite turnovers and negative plays.