The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly From Georgia Tech's 34-11 Loss to Pittsburgh

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Georgia Tech suffered another ugly loss, and this time it came on the road to the Pittsburgh Panthers, who have had their number as of late. The offense couldn’t get anything going until they made a quarterback switch, and by then the game was already out of reach. The defense struggled to defend the run and nearly gave up 300 rushing yards on Saturday.
Despite the run-defense struggles, they forced three turnovers, but the Yellow Jackets offense couldn’t take full advantage. We explore in more depth with the good, the bad, and the ugly from the game on Saturday.
Good
-Georgia Tech forces two first-half turnovers to keep the game within two scores
-The Yellow Jackets forced three turnovers (season-high) in the game, its most in a game since 2024 against NC State
-Jonas Duclona recorded 10 tackles (9 solo), 2 pass breakups, 1 FF, and 1 TFL
-Trae Stevenson Jr. records his first career interception
Bad
-The Yellow Jackets offense was held to just 77 yards of offense in the first half
-The Yellow Jackets defense gave up 180 passing yards
-Georgia Tech was just 2-for-9 on third down in the first half
-Alberto Mendoza went 16-of-25 for 81 yards and fumbled four times (lost 1)
-Georgia Tech averaged just 3.1 yards per play
-The Yellow Jackets gave up 461 yards of offense to a struggling Pittsburgh team
-Pittsburgh rushes for 281 yards and three touchdowns
-Georgia Tech averaged just 2.9 yards per rush
-The red zone struggles against for the Yellow Jackets, who went 1-3 in that area
-Head Coach Brent Key falls to 16-4 after winning the turnover battle on Saturday vs. Pittsburgh, but still not being able to take advantage
Ugly
-Damon Ferguson Jr. had 112 rushing yards on 17 carries in the 1st half
-Ferguson finished with 31 carries, 185 yards, and 2 tds
-Pittsburgh put up 140 yards of offense in the 1st quarter
-Pittsburgh ran for 100 yards in the 1st quarter
-Georgia Tech stuffed on 4th and 1 at their own 40-yard line
- The Yellow Jackets turn it over twice on downs in the first half
-Justice Haynes: 16 rushing yards on seven carries
-Dalen Penson registers two targets in the first half
-The Yellow Jackets average just 2.2 yards per play in the first half
-Georgia Tech fumbles five times (lost 2)
-The Yellow Jackets went 3-for-18 on third downs
-Georgia Tech has lost eight of the last 10 vs. Pittsburgh
-Pitt’s average starting field position was its own 40-yard line, while Georgia Tech’s was its own 26.
-Georgia Tech went 1-5 on fourth downs
-Georgia Tech had just three points scored through three quarters on offense
-Despite forcing three turnovers, the Yellow Jackets only scored 11 points off them
-Georgia Tech goes another game without recording a sack
-The Yellow Jackets offensive line gives up five sacks to Pittsburgh

Najeh Wilkins is a sports journalist, broadcaster, and digital content creator covering Georgia Tech and the college football landscape. A graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in journalism, Wilkins has built his career covering college football, recruiting, and high school athletics throughout the Southeast. Wilkins covers Georgia Tech for Georgia Tech On SI, providing news, analysis, game coverage, press conference reporting, and recruiting coverage surrounding the Yellow Jackets. Wilkins has developed a growing digital sports media presence across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X, combining traditional reporting with modern sports content and on-camera analysis. His work includes interviews with coaches, players, recruits, analysts, and media personalities while covering some of the biggest storylines in college and high school football.
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