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Georgia Tech vs Louisville: Five Takeaways from Georgia Tech’s Win Over Louisville

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

Sep 26, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Geoff Collins looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Geoff Collins looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Friday night, the Georgia Tech football program picked up a big win over the Louisville Cardinals, 46-27. Here are five takeaways from the winning effort.

No.1: Jahmyr Gibbs continues to look elite

Man, what a special player Jahmyr Gibbs already is. As someone who lives in Pennsylvania and grew up watching Penn State, let me tell you, the only freshman running back that I’ve seen that looked this good in recent memory was Saquon Barkley. I also see a lot of similarities in their game. That being said, Gibbs against the Cardinals carried the ball 13 times for 61-yards and a touchdown while also picking up 60 receiving yards and a touchdown on two receptions. He continues to put up big numbers. Enjoy every game you can watch of him Tech fans because Gibbs won’t be at Tech for four years.

No.2: Jeff Sims stepped up when needed (plus no turnovers!)

It’s safe to say the biggest knock on Jeff Sims through his first few career starts was his turnovers. Onn Friday night against Lousiville, those turnovers were non-existent. In the game, Sims completed 11-of-21 passing attempts (not great but you’ll take it) 249-yards and two touchdowns, both of those coming late in the game. Add in 64-yards and a touchdown on the ground, and the true freshman out of Jacksonville had a pretty good night all things considered. Sims was especially impressive when he stood in the pocket despite a defensive lineman bearing down on him and delivered a nice pass to Jamhyr Gibbs who took it in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Improvements were made over the bye week and Sims is making strides, he has a bright future.

No.3: Defense still has a lot of work to do.. 

While Georgia Tech did pick up the victory on Friday night, the defensive performance to say the least was…poor. The Jackets allowed a total of 471 yards and an average of 5.81 yards per play. Now, yes, Louisville had a ton of offensive plays but giving up 5.6 yards to a bad Louisville team will equate to a ton more against better teams.

The Jackets pass defense was solid, giving up just 229 yards on 19 completions and 33 attempts but the rush defense struggled. On 48 rushing attempts, the Jackets gave up 242-yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carrying. Certainly, a number that has to improve going forward. A win is a win but if they want to pick up a few more the rest of the season, the defense will need to take a big step forward.

No.4: Offensive Line has come a long way…

Last season, Georgia Tech’s offensive line was pitiful. But on Friday night, they had arguably their best performance of the 2020 season. The offensive line paved the way for 192-yards of offense on the ground on 34 carries, an average of 5.6 per carry. A little bit more impressive, however, is the fact that the offensive line allowed no sacks and only two tackles for a loss.

No.5: Great night for special teams

It was Georgia Tech’s best night special teams wise all season. While they only returned one kick for 15-yards and returned no punts over the course of the evening, Gavin Stewart and Pressley Harvin III were both solid in the kicking and punting game. Stewart was 4-for-4 on extra points which is a bit sad that it’s considered a solid night for the Jackets but that is where the program is when it comes to the kicking game. Harvin III, on the other hand, punted the ball five times for a total of 239-yards, an average of 47.8 yards per punt.