Georgia Tech Football: Three biggest takeaways from Louisville game

What are the biggest takeaways from tonight's game vs. Louisville?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Sep 2, 2023 2:45 PM EDT

In this story:

Friday night was a rollercoaster of emotions for Georgia Tech.

After going down 6-0 and committing a turnover on the first drive, the Yellow Jackets got scorching hot on the offensive end, going on a 28-7 run to take a 28-13 lead into the half. It was the best first half that Georgia Tech had played in quite some time and it looked like Brent Key's team was going to get an upset win over Louisville.

The second half was a different story however and a painful one for Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets were outscored 26-6 in the second half and the offense fell flat. The running game stalled out and could not gain any yards and the defense for the Yellow Jackets looked worn down and missed a ton of tackles. The pass rush was non-existent in the game, especially in the second half and the explosive plays ground to a halt.

It was a disappointing finish for Key's team in this game, but there were some positive signs to take from this game, but also plenty that has to be what on going forward for the Yellow Jackets if they hope to make a bowl game.

So what are the biggest takeaways from last night's game?

1. The defense has significant problems in the front seven

Georgia Tech's defense was gashed last night by Louisville
Nathaniel Caudell

Early in the first half, Georgia Tech was solid on defense. They were put in some tough positions, but came through in the red zone and held Louisville to field goal attempts instead of touchdowns, something that looked like it could make a big difference in the game.

The second half was a different story though. Louisville finished the game with 34 carries for 227 yards and averaging nearly seven yards per carry. The missed tackles led to some big gains for the Louisville offense, including a 74-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter.

The most worrisome thing though to me was the pass rush. It was my biggest concern heading into the game and it proved to be a big difference. Georgia Tech could not affect the passer and make Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer uncomfortable in the pocket. That led to him having time to operate the offense and find open receivers.

The coaching staff has talked about how much depth they believe they have on the defensive line, but they made no impact on the game Friday night. They will have to be much improved because there are some high-powered offenses still on the schedule.

2. The offense is improved but still has a lot of work to do

Georgia Tech was a poor offensive team, but they were hoping that with the hire of Buster Faulkner as the offensive coordinator and new skill position players, this offense would see a big leap forward. Haynes King won the starting quarterback job and looked comfortable running the offense last night and showed his talent.

The Yellow Jackets looked unstoppable in the second quarter. Malik Rutherford caught a 55-yard pass, Trey Cooley had two rushing touchdowns, Jamal Haynes and Abdul Janneh made big gains, and King found former Texas A&M teammate Chase Lane for a 48-yard touchdown. The running game was getting what they wanted and the passing game showed the explosiveness that they have lacked for years.

Everything fell apart in the second half.

The running game slowed, players on the perimeter could not get loose like they did in the first half, and the offensive line struggled to protect King, which led to a crucial fumble in the 4th quarter. I thought the interior looked better, but the tackles struggled. There were some injuries to be fair, but there was still some work that needed to be done.

Outside of the touchdown catch by Brett Seither, the tight ends were non-existent in the passing game.

Georgia Tech finished with 488 yards on offense and averaged seven yards per play, though most of that can be attributed to the second-quarter explosion. The run game totaled 175 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry, but could not find anything in the second half. Going 6-13 on third down was a plus as well.

Going forward this group needs to show consistent growth and consistency and that the second quarter was not a fluke. There is a legitimate reason to believe this offense is much better, but getting consistent and not having stretches of the game like the second half is going to be what they need to do going forward.

3. Haynes King had a solid debut

This was set to be the first game under center for Haynes King as the Georgia Tech starting quarterback and while he was not perfect, he showed why the coaches picked him as the starting quarterback.

King finished the game going 19-32 for 313 yards and three touchdowns, while also contributing 63 yards on the ground. King's only interception was a tipped ball on the first drive of the game.

King looked comfortable running the offense and did a good job of distributing the ball in the first half. He was off-target on some throws in the second half, but King looks like he is going to be an upgrade at the quarterback position for Georgia Tech.

It was discouraging to see how the team played in the second half, but there are some things to build upon and how this team fixes the issues showed last night as the season goes on will be the thing to watch.

Georgia Tech returns to action next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against South Carolina State.

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Post-game interview: Jaylon King

Post-game interview: Haynes King and Trey Cooley