Photo Credit: @capturedby.milan
Atlanta, Georgia – For a moment Saturday night, it appeared Georgia Tech might be ready to make a statement on one of the biggest stages of its young season.
Playing in front of a sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Yellow Jackets grabbed an early lead against No. 18 Tennessee and had the crowd believing an upset could be brewing. But turnovers and Tennessee’s powerful rushing attack eventually changed the direction of the game as the Volunteers pulled away for a 45-24 victory.
Tennessee wasted little time making its presence felt. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon connected with tight end Ethan Davis for a 25-yard touchdown on the Volunteers’ opening possession, putting Georgia Tech in an early 7-0 hole.
Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr connected on a 30-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-3 before Georgia Tech’s special teams delivered one of the biggest plays of the night. Tennessee’s punt was blocked, and Elgin Sessions recovered the football for a touchdown, sending Bobby Dodd Stadium into a frenzy and giving Georgia Tech a 10-7 advantage. At that point, the Yellow Jackets had exactly what they wanted: momentum, an energized home crowd and the lead against a nationally ranked opponent.
Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, that momentum didn’t last. The Volunteers tied the game with a 32-yard Cooper Ranvier field goal before their defense produced one of the defining plays of the night. Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza attempted a screen pass, but Tennessee defensive back Dejuan Lane read the play, intercepted the football and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, Tennessee had regained the lead, 17-10.
Later in the second quarter, Brandon found Braylon Staley for a 20-yard touchdown, extending Tennessee’s advantage to 24-10 entering halftime. The Volunteers ultimately scored 24 unanswered points after Georgia Tech had taken its early 10-7 lead.
For Georgia Tech, the turnovers proved costly. Mendoza finished 26-of-40 for 221 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Tennessee finished the night without committing a turnover.
With Tennessee beginning to take control, Georgia Tech continued to fight. Running back Justice Haynes became one of the bright spots for the Yellow Jackets. He caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza during the third quarter and later scored on a two-yard run in the fourth. Haynes finished with 81 rushing yards on 14 carries while adding six receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown. But Tennessee’s rushing attack proved too much. DeSean Bishop delivered the biggest performance of the night, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. His 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter extended Tennessee’s lead to 31-10, and his 29-yard fourth-quarter touchdown helped put the game away. Tennessee finished with nearly 300 rushing yards and consistently found ways to create explosive plays on the ground.
Georgia Tech still had an opportunity to make things interesting. Trailing 31-17, the Yellow Jackets drove deep into Tennessee territory and reached the five-yard line early in the fourth quarter. A touchdown would have cut the lead to seven and completely changed the atmosphere inside Bobby Dodd Stadium. Instead, Tennessee’s defense kept the Yellow Jackets out of the end zone on fourth down.
There were flashes from Georgia Tech on Saturday night. The special teams unit produced a touchdown. Haynes showed why he can become an important part of the offense. The Yellow Jackets also controlled the football for more than 31 minutes and committed only five penalties compared with Tennessee’s 14.
Georgia Tech will remain at Bobby Dodd Stadium next week when the Yellow Jackets host Mercer. After two difficult games to begin the season, the challenge is clear: eliminate the costly mistakes, build around the positives and find a way to put together a complete four-quarter performance.
