Georgia Tech concludes disappointing season with loss to in-state rival Georgia
Saturday's 13-7 loss to Georgia perfectly exemplified Georgia Tech's season in one game.
Just 10 weeks ago, the Yelllow Jackets were heading into South Bend as the 14th ranked team in the nation for a marquee matchup against Notre Dame.
Nine losses later, in a season with high expectations coming off of an Orange Bowl victory the year before, they will be missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 1996.
The once dominant offense that led advanced metrics in efficiency in 2014 was unable to capitalize on any of the multiple opportunities it received due to turnovers or missed assignments in the loss to the Bulldogs.
The defense held strong the majority of the game but gave up a few explosive plays and couldn't get the quick stop late in the game that it needed.
"I think that game is a microcosm of our season," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson. "We have a hard time valuing the ball. We can't seem to finish plays on offense. I wish I could explain it. I guess it's being young."
If it wasn't for a truly miraculous play at the end of the game against Florida State to block All-American kicker Roberto Aguayo's field goal and return it for a touchdown, Georgia Tech likely would have gone on a 10-game losing streak to end the season with wins against Alcorn State and Tulane.
The question everyone wants to know is, how do you go from 11-3 to 3-9?
"That's a simple question with a loaded answer," said senior cornerback D.J. White. "It's a combination of a lot of things ... it's never just one or two things. We had a lot of young guys in a lot of key positions this year just getting experience. Defensively, we were always trying to push to get better, but maybe we didn't get to where we wanted to either. As a matter of fact, I know we didn't. The ball just sometimes doesn't bounce your way. But one thing I can say is everybody kept playing hard."
Despite bringing back starting quarterback Justin Thomas, most of the offensive line that helped lead the nation in rushing, and most of the defense from 2014, the 2015 Yellow Jackets never had the look of a team that could even contend in the ACC Coastal Division.
Once again, with the exception of the Florida State win, the Yellow Jackets never made the plays in the fourth quarter that they did just a season ago. Other than blowout losses to Clemson and Miami, they had a chance to win every game late in the fourth quarter, yet just one win in those games to show for it. Some have blamed it on injuries; some have blamed it on lack of experience ... senior safety Jamal Golden can't quite put his finger on what it was.
"We always thought we were going to win, no matter who went down," said Golden. "Last year we had injuries too. I know we had injuries this year. You just have to step up and it's next man up. I mean, effort was never a problem. Everybody that came in played hard. Nobody went out there thinking we aren't going to win or anything. It's just, sometimes the ball bounces your way, sometimes it doesn't."
The letdown of going from 11-3 with an ACC Championship Game appearance to a 3-9 season with no bowl game can be especially hard on seniors like Golden and White whose last college game will be remembered as a wildly underwhelming performance by the Yellow Jackets against their in-state rivals.
"It just kind of sucks that it's a bad taste in your mouth that you can't really do anything about now," said Golden. "But, it's going to help me in life. I mean, life is not over just because the season is over. We have to move on. For me and the 21 other seniors that are graduating, we have to move on. Football is a game of life. It's going to teach you about life and it's going to help me further down the road."
White continued on the subject: "Things didn't go the way we wanted to, like you said, but the memories we created these last four years -- they'll last a lifetime. It's been real special. I grew up a Georgia Tech fan, so it was really special for me to come stay in state, go to my favorite school growing up and get a chance to not just play, but make plays on a big stage."
Now with an extended offseason to improve and make changes, the Yellow Jackets will aim to fix the problems in 2016. Coach Johnson hinted at changes in the program coming right away in hopes of never enduring another season like this one.
"It's disappointing," said Johnson. "It's unacceptable. We've got to get better. It's all stuff I think we can fix ... that I can fix. I'm hell-bent to get it fixed. I'm not going through this again."
