Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Fall to Clemson 43-24, Lose 4th Straight
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fell flat again this week at Death Valley, falling to the sixth ranked Clemson Tigers by a score of 43-24, in a game that was much worse to watch than the final score would indicate.
The Jackets dug themselves a big hole early and were unable to get back into the game later in the contest once the offense was finally starting to gain some traction. Clemson QB DeShaun Watson went 21-30, passing for 265 yards and 1 interception, while RB Wayne Gallman ran for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries, averaging 8.8 yards per touch.
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The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defense looked completely overmatched against the sixth ranked Tigers on Saturday, unable to contain the offensive power of Clemson. Ted Roof’s squad allowed 537 yards of total offense to Clemson, allowing them free reign all afternoon long.
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On the offensive end, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets continue to struggle. QB Justin Thomas was once again forced into many third an long situations. The running game was almost non-existent, as freshman B-back Marcus Marshall led the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with 45 yards on 11 carries. Patrick Skov, the most consistent contributor on the Tech offense so far this season, did not play much, only running for 4 yards on 2 carries.
Justin Thomas threw for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns on Saturday, and once again was the lone bright spot (if you can call it that) on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ offense. The Clemson defense limited Georgia Tech to only 230 total yards and 71 total rushing yards. In an offense predicated on establish a dominant running game, these numbers simply not sufficient in order to win games.
“After high expectations going into the season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets hope to repeat as ACC Coastal Division Champions is essentially over.”
For the fourth consecutive week, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ opponent has been prepared for Paul Johnson’s triple option attack. Clemson gave no ground during the game, and the Jackets were unable to overcome their defense. The only touchdowns in the game came when the score was out of reach, facing a deficit of 40-10 in the fourth quarter.
This rout at the hands of Clemson is another indictment of the efficacy of the triple-option in today’s college football landscape. After high expectations going into the season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets hope to repeat as ACC Coastal Division Champions is essentially over. Now 2-4 and 0-3 in the ACC, the only way the Yellow Jackets can reclaim some pride is to win out the rest of the season.
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Paul Johnson was not on the hot seat before the season began, and isn’t now, but may begin to feel some heat when it comes to his game planning. Georgia Tech’s porous defense, combined with the ineffectiveness of the triple-option have put the decisions of the Yellow Jackets’ long-time head coach under more scrutiny than ever before. It’s obvious that team’s have prepared better for the triple option than they ever have before on the defensive end, while it seems that Paul Johnson has not made many adjustments to counter his opponent’s defense. It is impossible to win ballgames when your offense can only manage 71 yards like they did today.
I don’t know where the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets go from here. Having lost 3 consecutive games in the ACC, Paul Johnson may be forced to implement drastic changes in the coming weeks in order to galvanize his team to perform. I hate to say the 2015 season is over, but the way it’s shaping up for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the next weeks, it’s not looking good. The Ramblin’ Wreck returns home for the next two weeks to face off against Pittsburgh and Florida State. Whether or not Paul Johnson is able to change the team’s tactics in order to win in the coming weeks is entirely different question.
Next: Georgia Tech Travels to Death Valley to Face #6 Clemson
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