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Georgia Tech Football: Five Takeaways From Pitt

By Lee Cagle

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 2: Head coach Geoff Collins of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looks on during the first half of a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 2: Head coach Geoff Collins of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looks on during the first half of a game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Georgia Tech Football fell to the Pittsburgh Panthers 20-10 on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.

Homecoming was not so sweet as the Jackets were held to under 200 yards of offense and failed to capitalize on turnovers by the Pitt offense in the first half. Here are the takeaways from the loss.

1. Not scoring off turnovers.

Two big interceptions by Juanyeh Thomas and Tariq Carpenter put the Yellow Jackets in favorable field position situations in the first half but an anemic offense coupled with a very capable Pitt defense forced the Jackets to punt on both occasions. The Jackets were able to get three points off a third first half turnover by the Panthers but the first two missed opportunities were huge in the loss to Pittsburgh. The Jackets simply need to find ways to take advantage of extra opportunities especially when the defense is doing all they can to put the offense in favorable positions.

2. Jordan Mason was invisible.

Mason carried the ball fifteen times for only 56 yards with most of his carries coming in the second half. Mason had 5 carries for 11 yards in the first half where it seemed that the game plan called for James Graham to run to the inside, which was effective to a point but not as game-changing as Mason has the potential to be. After back-to-back games of 100+ yards, it’s a disappointing performance but also important to remember that Pitt is among the best rush defenses in the country.

3. The defense was bad on Money Downs.

The Pitt offense was 7-16 on third down and gave up most of those yards through the air. The absence of Bruce Jordan Swilling and Charlie Thomas was evident today on the defensive side of the ball. The Jackets usually have been strong on money downs and while they didn’t break often when it came to allowing points, they may have done just a bit too much bending.

4. Ahmarean Brown is a threat for the deep ball.

Freshman wide receiver Ahmarean Brown and James Graham linked up for a 51-yard dime in the second quarter that scored the Jackets’ first points of the game. Brown continues to establish himself as a weapon for the offense and while the Jackets offense with Brown may be a one trick pony, it has continuously worked, giving Brown his third straight game with a touchdown. He’s up to 16 receptions for 302-yards and four touchdowns.

5. Second Half Defense.

Georgia Tech has only allowed 3 points in the second half in its last three games including their performances against Duke and Miami. The defensive second half performance against Pittsburgh certainly gave the Jackets an opportunity for a victory but the offense just can’t seem to make the same type of adjustments in the second half.