Georgia Tech Football: Grades for the Offense vs UCF

How did Georgia Tech's offense perform vs UCF on Saturday afternoon?

Georgia Tech nearly put up 500 yards of offense and Jeff Sims and the passing game looked the best that they did all season, but the Yellow Jackets' offense could only manage to score 10 points and were 0-5 in the red zone. 

Scoring points has been a difficult thing for Georgia Tech to do this season, even against Western Carolina for a bit. The offense showed some flashes in this game against UCF, but not being able to finish drives and get touchdowns were again the thorn in the side against Georgia Tech. 

So how did each unit on the offense grade out? 

Quarterback: B- 

Jeff Sims played a good but not great game on Saturday vs UCF / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Sims had his best game of the season, but it was far from perfect. After looking very pedestrian most of the time this season, Sims looked comfortable throwing the ball and going downfield with the offense.

He finished 21-32 for 314 yards and one touchdown but left some plays on the field. Sims appeared as if he could have fought for more yards on certain scrambles and did not do so. He missed some throws as well and as the quarterback, he has to shoulder some of the blame for the offense going 0-5 in the red zone. 

Overall, a game with some good and some bad for Sims. 

Running Backs: C-

Georgia Tech's running backs were inconsistent vs UCF / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The running backs for Georgia Tech have been disappointing to a degree this season (not all their fault) and did not have a great game on Saturday. 

Hassan Hall had his moments in this game, including three catches for 40 yards and 57 yards on seven carries. Dontae Smith had seven carries for 37 yards but did not do much outside of a 21-yard run in the game. Dylan McDuffie had four carries for seven yards. 

This is a talented group of players, but they haven't been consistent from down to down. 

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: B-

Georgia Tech's wide receivers had their best game of the season vs UCF / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech's wide receiving corps had their best game of the season on Saturday against UCF. 

Nate McCollum had six catches for 51 yards, and Malachi Carter had three catches for 89 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. Malik Rutherford and E.J. Jenkins both made catches and helped move the ball. Even Kalani Norris had a 30-yard catch. There is still work to be done, but this group had their best day on Saturday. 

One group that did not have a great day and continues to be invisible on game days. Dylan Leonard had one catch for 19 yards and Luke Benson was targeted once. That is not good enough for a team that wanted to be able to use the tight ends as much as Georgia Tech did and then not have them produce. 

Offensive Line- F

This group continues to be poor in all phases of the game and could not run block for the backs or protect Sims consistently. UCF finished the game with four sacks and in the past two games alone, Georgia Tech has allowed 11 sacks. They did not get any push on the fourth and short running play in the end zone and just did not hold up well against a solid UCF front four. The offensive line is going to be challenged in a big way against Pitt's defensive line next week as it is one of the best in the ACC. 

Overall, the passing game was a bright spot and Sims made some play in the pocket, but the running game was not great, the team was 0-5 in the red zone, the offensive line gave up four sacks, and the team only scored ten points. There is plenty to work on for the offense in the coming days. 

Follow us on social media for the latest with Georgia Tech Athletics!

Facebook: All Yellow Jackets

Twitter: @AllYellowJacket

Follow Jackson on Twitter: @jacksoncaudell

See all of the latest Georgia Tech News at AllYellowJackets.com

Check out the Georgia Tech Homepage

Listen to the Goal Line Stand Podcast for the best Georgia Tech and national college football coverage!

More Georgia Tech Related Content:

Three Biggest takeaways from loss to UCF

Georgia Tech comes up short in upset attempt vs UCF

Georgia Tech Basketball offers 2024 prospect Dwayne Pierce

Georgia Tech offers 2023 wide receiver Isaiah Spencer

Georgia Tech Football: A look at the history between Georgia Tech and UCF

Charlie Thomas talks about what is driving him to play at such a high level

Georgia Tech Football: How to watch, listen and live stream Georgia Tech vs UCF

Everything from Geoff Collins's press conference before the UCF game

Georgia Tech Football: Official game prediction vs UCF

What do FPI and SP+ think about Georgia Tech's matchup with Georgia Tech?