Georiga Tech Football: The Good , The Bad and The Ugly From The Loss to Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech went on the road and lost to Virginia Tech 21-6

Oct 26, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Aaron Philo (12) throws a pass against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Caleb Woodson (20) during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech went on the road today to face Virginia Tech and while the Yellow Jackets were shorthanded, they did not do nearly enough to get the victory. They were missing starting quarterback Haynes King and starting middle linebacker Kyle Efford in this game and it showed on offense. Georgia Tech was unable to get anything going on offense, while the defense and special teams were fantastic today.

So what is the good, the bad, and the ugly to come from today's loss?

The Good

• The defense for Georgia Tech was fantastic in this game.

• Georgia Tech outgained Virginia Tech by a 356-233 margin.
• Virginia Tech’s 233 yards were more than 124 below the Hokies’ season average (357.4) and 87 fewer than their previous low output of the year (320 vs. Rutgers – Sept. 21).
• The 233 yards were the fewest that Georgia Tech has allowed against an NCAA Division I FBS opponent since holding Clemson to 190 in a 28-6 win on Nov. 15, 2014.
• The 233 yards were the fewest that Georgia Tech has allowed away from home since it held USC to 205 in the 2012 Sun Bowl (a 21-7 Georgia Tech win on Dec. 31, 2012).
• The 233 yards were the fewest that Georgia Tech has allowed in a true road game since it held Virginia to 198 in a 34-9 win on Oct. 24, 2009.
• Georgia Tech’s 11 tackles for loss were a season-high (prev.: 10 vs. VMI – Sept. 14) and its most since it had 12 at North Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022.

• The Special Teams was much improved in this game. Aidan Birr was 2-2 on field goals today, with one of the field goals being a 50-yard field goal. Zeek Biggers blocked a field goal in the third quarter.

• Georgia Tech’s block of a Virginia Tech field goal attempt in the third quarter was the Yellow Jackets’ fifth blocked kick of the season, which moves them into a tie with Florida State for the most blocked kicks in the nation this season.

• The blocked kick was Georgia Tech’s 12th in 30 games since Key took over as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach in 2022. The Yellow Jackets’ 12 blocked kicks since Oct. 1, 2022 (their first game under Key) are the most in the nation during that span. 
• Georgia Tech has blocked 36 kicks since the beginning of the 2013 season, which is tied with Army West Point for most in the nation during that span.

• Georgia Tech’s defense limited Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten, the nation’s No. 7-leading rusher with 871 yards on the season coming in to Saturday’s game, to just 78 yards on 17 carries, 46 yards below his season average of 124.4 rushing yards per game.

• r. RT Jordan Williams made his 49th-career start, which is the most ever by a Georgia Tech offensive lineman, breaking the previous record of 48, which was held by current Georgia Tech Sports Network radio analyst Andrew Gardner (48 – 2005-08).
• r-Jr. WR Malik Rutherford (six rec., 53 yds.) caught a pass for the 24th-straight game, which moved him to a tie with Jerry Mays (24 – 1986-89) and Dez White (24 – 1997-99) for the seventh-longest streak of consecutive games with a reception in Georgia Tech history. 
• Sr. DL Zeek Biggers’ field goal block in the third quarter was his second blocked kick of the season (prev.: FG at Syracuse – Sept. 7) and fourth of his career (prior to 2024: FG at Ole Miss – Sept. 16, 2023 and FG vs. Virginia – Oct. 20, 2022).
• True Fr. QB Aaron Philo saw the first significant action of his career when he entered the game in the third quarter. In less than a half of play, he threw for 184 yards.
• So. WR Eric Singleton, Jr. caught four passes for 90 yards, his second-highest yardage total of the season (season-high: 102 vs. VMI – Sept. 14) and fourth-highest of his career (career-high: 117 vs. North Carolina – Oct. 28, 2023).

• Freshman quarterback Aaron Philo was a bright spot today. He came in midway through the third quarter and sparked the offense. He finished the game 11-26 for 186 yards and one interception. He was not perfect, but for a true freshman, he played well and it is worth questioning if he should have been brought in earlier or even started.

The Bad

• Saturday’s loss snapped Georgia Tech’s streak of 11-consecutive wins in games following a defeat.
• Georgia Tech fell to 11-2 in games that follow a defeat under head coach Brent Key.
• The loss snapped Georgia Tech’s four-game winning streak at Virginia Tech (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022). The Yellow Jackets remain one of only two visiting teams that have won four-straight games at VT’s Lane Stadium since it opened in 1965 (joining Clemson, who won five in a row at VT from 1977-95).
• Georgia Tech fell to 8-12 all-time against Virginia Tech, including a 4-5 record at VT.

• Georgia Tech’s six points were fewest in a game since a 42-0 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 17, 2022 (which was also the Yellow Jackets’ last game without a touchdown).

The Ugly

• The offense was just really bad all game. The passing game was poor, there were a lot of dropped passes, the running game had another poor showing

• Zach Pyron was 10-22 for 76 yards in the game before he was replaced by Philo. Pyron is a really tough player who plays hard, but he did not play well today.

• Georgia Tech ran for 96 yards on 33 carries.

• The drops. Malik Rutherford had two crucial drops that would have kept drives alive and tight end Avery Boyd had a pass go off his hands at the end of the game that wound up being an interception. Drops have not really been a problem for Georgia Tech, but they were today.

• Georgia Tech was 5-19 on 3rd down.

• Georgia Tech had some untimely penalties in this game.