Georgia Tech Football: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly From Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech went on the road and mounted a big comeback against Virginia Tech on Saturday

When it looked like Georgia Tech was dead in the water on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets mounted a fourth-quarter comeback in Blacksburg and stunned Virginia Tech to win 28-27. 

It was the first career start for true freshman quarterback Zach Pyron and though there were times that he still looked like a freshman, Pyron led the fourth-quarter comeback and showed his toughness in the second half. 

While it was a great comeback for Georgia Tech, it was far from a perfect game. 

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from Georgia Tech's win today. 

The Good

Zach Pyron played a huge part in helping the Yellow Jackets comeback today against Virginia Tech / Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

1. Georgia Tech won. That is always the most important thing and the Yellow Jackets got it done today. 

2. This team showed a ton of heart today. I don't know that Brent Key should get the permanent job as head coach, but the players play hard for him. Being able to bounce back from last week's blowout loss and being down double-digits in the fourth quarter shows how hard this team is fighting and playing for Key. 

3. Zach Pyron had a solid game throwing the football. Pyron was 19-32 for 253 yards and two total touchdowns. Pyron's run to take the lead in the 4th quarter showed the kind of heart and competitiveness that he plays with. 

4. The running game had its best game since the Duke performance. The yards per carry is only 4.7, but the team totaled over 200 yards on 45 carries. Dontae Smith led the way with nine carries for 85 yards and one touchdown. 

5. Nate McCollum had over 100 yards receiving. McCollum is the most consistent receiver from week to week and had some clutch plays in the fourth quarter, including his 56-yard touchdown. 

6. The offense averaged six yards per play

7. The defense forced four turnovers. Virginia Tech was having some success on the ground, but the Hokies could not hang on to the ball. 

8. The pass defense bounced back in a big way after a disastrous performance against Florida State. 

9. Clayton Powell-Lee does not play like a true freshman and had another solid performance today. He intercepted a pass and had six total tackles. 

10. Charlie Thomas had 16 tackles in the game and played like the best player on the defense. 

11. The defense had five sacks, led by D'Quan Douse, who finished the game with 2.5. 

12. The run defense only allowed 3.5 yards per carry. 

13. Gavin Stewart was 3-3 on field goals.

The Bad

Georgia Tech's defense came up with stops when needed.  / Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

1. I was not a fan of either two-point conversion play call. 

2. The execution on the fourth down quarterback sneak in the second half was poor and the decision to go for it so deep in your own territory was not a good one in my opinion. 

3. 5-16 on third down conversions needs to improve. 

4. Pyron did throw a pick-six and that almost gave the game to Virginia Tech. 

The Ugly

Georgia Tech's special teams were an issue against Virginia Tech / Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

1. The punt return for a touchdown. The punt team has had issues all year and the punt coverage all game was not good. Virginia Tech had seven returns for 188 yards and averaged 26 yards per return. 

2. The offensive line allowed three sacks and six quarterback hits. 

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 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:

Georgia Tech's defense forces four turnovers in comeback win over Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech Reveals Uniform Combination vs Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech Baseball reveals 2023 schedule

Georgia Tech Football: Three biggest questions heading into the matchup with Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech Coaching Candidate Profiles: Bronco Mendenhall

Keion White was named one of the top 2023 defensive end prospects for NFL Draft

Malachi Carter is focused on winning, not games played record

Demaryius Thomas chosen for 2022 ACC Honors Class

What do SP+ and ESPN's FPI predict for Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech?