I’m a scarred Georgia Tech fan. I’ve seen so many blown leads, so many 2 minute end of the half scores by opposing offenses, and so many sloppy turnovers on offense the last 2 years.
After Virginia Tech’s quick under 2 minute score with their first possession, I tweeted this. I know most Georgia Tech fans though it too.
This might get real ugly in Blacksburg for Georgia Tech.
— Jeff or Jeffrey Fann (@TalkinACCSports) October 25, 2018
Ok that didn’t age well. I own it, and the GT fan in me doesn’t mind misfiring there. The Jackets proved me wrong. Just when you are ready to write Paul Johnson off, he reminds you what his option offense is capable of when they don’t turn the ball over. Tobias Oliver replaced Taquon Marshall at QB tonight. Marshall has been pretty good running the Georgia Tech offense. He may have been healthy enough to play tonight, but Johnson went with Oliver. I think Johnson has to go with Oliver the rest of the season.
Oliver brings a physical toughness to his running that Marshall simply doesn’t have.
Those 2-3 yard gains for Marshall are 4-5 yard gains for Oliver. Over the course of a game that’s a significant difference. He’s stronger with the ball so he is less likely to turn it over.
Georgia Tech just manhandled Virginia Tech upfront, and that brings a bowl game back into the picture. That should be the goal, and at 4-4 it’s in sight again.
That bring us to Virginia Tech. They played poorly and should have lost at UNC. That win should have galvanized the Hokies with a big home game coming up on Thursday night. What it did was mask for a week the lack of toughness and physical play this team has. Old Dominion shredded them. Notre Dame wore them down. UNC should have beat them, and Georgia Tech exposed them completely.
The Hokies are young, inexperienced, and with injuries on that defense. Georgia Tech took them apart.
Justin Fuente and Bud Foster have a tough job ahead, because there are no quick fixes this year. They may need to go to a more ball control offense to keep the defense off the field. There are just too many personal issues on that side of the ball. At 3-1 in the ACC, the Hokies can still be a factor in Coastal Division, but they are trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time of the year.
