This is where things start getting good. After the worst football season in decades, Paul Johnson’s seat was heating up and he was in desperate need of a good season, and he delivered.
The 2016 season began across the pond in Dublin, Ireland for the Aer Lingus Classic – and the game was definitely a classic. Justin Thomas led a game-winning drive that was capped off by a Dedrick Mills rushing TD with 38 seconds to go for the first win of the season. The win was the first of a 3-0 start, but once the Jackets saw some real competition, they lost three straight. But after the Pittsburgh loss, something clicked – and Georgia Tech won six of their last seven games.
There are many positives to look back at after the 2016 season. First and definitely foremost, the Yellow Jackets won a second straight Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate in Athens. When you whoop Georgia in the cesspool, it’s always a good year – but the team continued to dominate the SEC when they traveled to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer Bowl. The defense set the tone when PJ Davis returned a fumble for a touchdown on Kentucky’s opening drive, and the Jackets never looked back on their way to a 33-18 win.
Georgia Tech finished their 2016 season with a 9-4 record, including three wins over SEC foes.