Georgia Tech football had the worst case scenario happen as they begin their season 0-1 after a 14-13 loss to Colorado. Dating back to the Pitt game last season, Tech has won only one game.
After allowing a touchdown with under a minute to go to go down 14-13, Indiana transfer quarterback Alberto Mendoza found Dalen Penson on a 42 yard crosser to put Tech in field goal range and a chance to save the game. Alas, Aidan Birr’s 45 yard field goal was blocked before it had a chance to see the sky as time
expired.
Why was Tech in this situation?
- A line of scrimmage that couldn’t hold it’s own on either side of the ball
- Field goal kicking that was 33% successful
- Mental errors creating penalties (9 for 49 yards, but three on PAT attemps)
- Uninspired playcalling when needing to kill clock in the redzone
Tech’s best moments came on special teams. Tech’s lone touchdown came from a 100 yard kickoff return by Rahkeem Smith to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter after Colorado’s initial score.
Tech for all the hype coming in about the running back room led by Alabama/Michigan transfer Justice Haynes only managed 51 net rushing yards to Colorado’s 183 and averaged 1.7 yards/rush. Tech ran only 54 plays to Colorado’s 76.
At least we have a quarterback.
Alberto Mendoza completed 17 of his 23 passes for 237 yards and looked very poised both in the pocket and when scrambilng. He was sacked three times but none of those were on him.
1st Quarter
Colorado picked up a couple first downs on their initial drive before Tech stuffed them on a couple runs and forced a Julian Lewis incompletion on 3rd down.
On Tech’s first drive with Alberto Mendoza at quarterback, they converted a 3rd & 4 on their first set of downs with a completion to Dalen Penson before Justice Haynes picked up two first downs on the ground. After a short yardage situation was wiped out by a illegal formation penalty and an incompletion, Aidan Birr missed a 30 yard field goal.
Colorado then went three and out, but Tech gave the ball right back on their own 26 from a Jordan Allen fumble on a jet sweep. The Buffs may have had a fumble that was recovered by Tae Harris, but the play was called dead due to forward momentum. On 1st & goal from the 3, the Buffs lost a yard, then lost 7 yards on a bad snap and failed to get in the endzone on 4th & goal from the 3.
2nd Quarter
Tech took over at the 1 and couldn’t get out of their redzone, forcing a punt by Alex Bacchetta that did not go far, giving Colorado short field at Tech’s 35. They converted that short field into a five yard Micah Welch touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Tech for no good reason had two offsides penalties on the PAT, but somehow Colorado opted to still kick despite having the ball inside the one yard line.
Thank god that lead lasted next to no time as Rahkeem Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to the house. Aidan Birr had to take his PAT 5 yards back because of a false start, but Tech tied it 7-7.
Tech forced Colorado’s second punt of the game after a couple set of downs, setting up Tech’s first normal drive in what felt like an hour. The rest paid off as Mendoza found Allen, Kevin Roche Jr, Dalen Penson, and Isaiah Fuhrmann all for first downs. On a 3rd & 12, Mendoza extended a play with a ton of scrambling, eventually finding Allen at the four yard line. Tech wasted the short field with a false start on 1st & goal, ending up in a 22-yard Aidan Birr field goal and a 10-7 Tech lead.
Three and outs both ways ended the half.
3rd Quarter
The second half was putrid for all sides involved. Tech managed one good 30 yard completion to Jordan Allen but punted (and got lucky with a horrible fair catch called at the 5 yard line). Colorado was held just outside of field goal range and punted. Ethan Mackenny then got badly beat on the line to create a third down sack.
4th Quarter
Colorado did a CPJ and took up half the quarter on 2-4 yard runs just killing Tech in the trenches. After 9 minutes and a bad snap that killed Colorado’s momentum, Kevin Roche Jr. saved Tech’s ass blocking Elliott Arnold’s 38 yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game up at 10-10 with 7:35 remaining.
Tech followed with the exact drive they needed, a clock burning/run heavy drive that featured a 21 yard completion to Jordan Allen, a third down conversion by Justice Haynes on a toss sweep, and a 3rd & 3 completion to Kevin Roche Jr. to put Tech in the red zone at the two minute warning. Offensive Coordinator George Godsey called very simple runs that got blown up behind the line of scrimmage, letting Colorado use their timeouts and easily hold Tech to a field goal to go up 13-7.
Colorado once again took advantage of Tech’s leaky defense, driving easily in a minute and three seconds to take a 14-13 lead.
With 35 seconds left, Tech somehow pulled out half a miracle. Mendoza hit Dalen Penson for 42 yards on first down to get Tech into field goal range. After a couple small plays, Birr had a 45 yard field goal blocked to end the game.
