Georgia Tech lost their third straight game on Saturday, 47-31 to Clemson. It was also the third straight poor performance by the Yellow Jacket defense, allowing at least 42 points in each of their last three games.
The Clemson Tigers defense has bottled up the Georgia Tech offense in the fourth quarter and, via a crucial safety set up by a botched kickoff return, has been able to control possession of the ball.
Clemson currently leads 40-31 with four minutes left to go in the final quarter.
Georgia Tech took the 21-27 halftime lead from Clemson early in the quarter on a 4-yard touchdown rush by Tech quarterback Tevin Washington, his second on the afternoon. Clemson, though, would limit the Tech offense from there on, forcing a Yellow Jacket fumble at one point, which was recovered by Grady Jarrett of the Tigers.
Clemson's Chandler Catanzaro would then make a 21-yard field goal, allowing Clemson to regain the lead over their ACC foe.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech will be driving with the ball at the Clemson 49-yard line.
Setting the pace for the Tigers offense is quarterback Tajh Boyd, who is 16-of-26 for 251 yards and a touchdown so far on the afternoon. Three of his receivers -- DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Ellington, and Charone Peake -- are averaging more than 20 yards per catch through two quarters, with Hopkins leading the way with 77 yards on two catches with a score.
Georgia Tech has relied heavily on their option rushing attack, with the Yellow Jackets averaging a collective 8.2 yards per carry during the first half. Halfback Orwin Smith and quarterback Tevin Washington have combined for 128 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Washington also has 95 yards and a touchdown passing.
Georgia Tech will receive the ball to start the second half.
The Tigers struck first in the contest, as Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd plunged into the end zone from a yard out with just over eight minutes to go in the quarter. That score was set up by an 8-yard pass to Sammy Watkins on 2nd and goal that fell just short of the touchdown.
Georgia Tech would score on their next drive, though, as three big pass plays from Tevin Washington, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Greene, evened up the contest. Washington has completed all four of his pass attempts for 88 yards and a touchdown thus far. He has also rushed for 39 yards on four carries.
Clemson's Chandler Catanzaro would nail 23-yard field goal on the subsequent drive, but that lead would be short-lived as Georgia Tech's option attack drove down the field to close out the quarter with a 13-yard touchdown run by Orwin Smith.
At the end of the quarter, Clemson had possession of the ball on the Georgia Tech 45-yard line.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets enter Saturday's ACC game against the Clemson Tigers as 10.5-point underdogs. At the beginning of the week on OddsShark.com, the line opened with the Yellow Jackets as 10-point underdogs and a total of 71. The total has grown to 73.5 points on 5Dimes and 74 points on Sportsbook.com and TopBet.
In its last 14 games, the Yellow Jackets have gone 4-9-1 against the spread and 1-3-1 on the road against the spread. In their last eight games against the Tigers, the total has gone under in six games and under in four of the last six games played at Clemson. The Yellow Jackets will be hoping to solidify their defense in Saturday's game, having given up over 400 yards per game this season.
The Yellow Jackets will play the Tigers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
At Tuesday's press conference, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson talked about how the offensive line has been inconsistent due to injuries this year.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are looking to rebound after last week's blowout loss to Middle Tennessee State, and now they go on the road to face an even tougher matchup against the No. 15 ranked Clemson Tigers.
The line on this game has Georgia Tech as a 10-point underdog. The over/under is being set at 74 points, which is about touchdown below what both teams combine for on a weekly basis, so if both offenses play up to their ability that number could easily be had.
Georgia Tech will need to have their triple-option offense running on all cylinders to be able to keep up with a Clemson offense that will be able to go score for score with them. The rushing offense for Georgia Tech is really not the issue, as it's third in the nation, but rather their defense is the problem, as they're giving up 27 points per game, which is right in the middle of the NCAA at 69th. Plus, they allow 397 total yards per game, so they will need to tighten up their defense.
Georgia Tech will need to find a way to slow down quarterback Sammy Watkins, running back Andre Ellington and the multitude of receivers that are racking up the yards. If the Clemson offense takes off, then there is little hope of Georgia Tech covering, let alone winning the game.
Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson hasn't dropped the hammer on defensive coordinator Al Groh yet. But the Yellow Jackets defense needs to improve before the season slips away.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets hope that their captains can help lead the team to a turnaround. What are they doing going into Saturday's game against Clemson?
Despite a 1-3 start and an embarrassing home loss, Georgia Tech's head coach isn't allowing his team to dwell on their troubles as the Jackets prepare for Clemson.
After a tough loss to Middle Tennessee State, a battered Yellow Jacket team will look to make it a win in six of their last seven games against Clemson.