Sweet Victory AKA Steroid Gerbil

Well, how about that?  Just when things are just about as frustrating as they can be, we come out and do something like that.  Coach Loeffler echoed the feelings of everyone in the Falcon Nation when he came into the presser and said, "now we want to put two of these together."

We all agree.  After the Minnesota win, we came out the next week and "laid an egg" in Coach's words.  To be who we want to be and are supposed to be, you have to have strong performances week in and week out.  And we have not done that.

But let's not let the moment pass.  What a great afternoon to be a Falcon.  Paid $1.1M and then come home with the victory??  Yes, please.

As long as I watch Falcon sports, it's hard to describe how good it makes me feel when we win, especially in a situation like that.  It's a week-changer, for sure.

It did not start out great.  GT was up 14-0 5 minutes into the game.  It was prime time for BG to fold, on the road against an ACC team and getting smoked last week.

But that didn't happen this time.  BG scored the next 38 points.

Starting on their own 25 and sparked by a 32-yard run by Terion Stewart, BG marched the 75 yards in 10 plays and 5:24.  When they got inside the 20 they switched to Orth who had an 11 yard run and then scored the TD to make it 14-7.

The teams traded punts and then BG got a 3-and-out and started on their own 36 after a 15-yard Embry punt return. BG held the ball for 11 plays, making 2 3rd and 1s and coming off a 2-18 before a holding call put them behind the sticks and they ended up with a 39-yard Anaya FG to make it 14-10.

GT made a first down on the drive and then went 3 and out and then a huge break ensued. They snapped the ball off the shoulder of one of the blockers and BG recovered on the GT 40.

It was looking like the Falcons would not capitalize when a 3rd and 12 morphed to a 4th and 7 on the first series. But BG converted that 4th and 7 and then a 3rd and 9 and scored on a 3rd and 10....on maybe the highlight of the year, as Finn Hogan made a one-handed catch for the ages.  It was talked about on every post-game show on every network.

And BG was up 17-14.  GT was down to the BG when 21 when a sack and a heavy pressure intentional grounding drove the Yellow Jackets back to their 43 and they punted and BG kneeled the half out.

Hard to imagine it going better.  Making key plays.  Eating up the clock...22 minutes of possession.

And we get the ball to start the half.  Bazelak hits Hogan for 50 on the first play?  Really?  Who are these guys?  A couple plays later Bazelak carried into the end zone for a TD to put BG up 24-14.

They went to the fair and were on the BG 14, 3rd and 1.  BG stoned them on the 3rd down play.  GT went for it and the Falcons stuffed the QB sneak. 

Brent Key said:

“It was that far,” Key said, holding his hands to indicate how close the first-down marker was. “If we can’t sneak a football that far, we don’t deserve to win a football game.”

Correct.

The key thing here is that BG went for the kill.  So often has not happened. They went on a 10-play, 86 yards, 5 minute drive that featured converting on 3rd and 12 and 3rd of 16 before Stewart went in from the 6.  BG up 31-17.

But wait. On GT's 2nd play from scrimmage, Deshawn Jones grabbed a pic and ran it 45 yards for a pick 6 with 2:23 left in the 3rd, putting BG in the driver's seat.

And Georgia Tech went on an 8-play drive to get it to 38-20 at the end of the 2nd quarter.  Importantly, they did not get the 2-point, leaving it at 3 scores.

BG went three and out and GT continued to try and rally.  Honestly, I didn't fee like it was over.  They drove to the BG 19 and then BG closed the door. Jordan Oladokan grabbed an INT on the BG 5.  The offense took over, got a break on a face mask from Georgia Tech and proceeded to eat 8 minutes off the clock with 5 first downs before turning the ball over on the GT 35 with 4 minutes left and the game now over.

Tech scored again with 1 minute left to cut the lead to 11 but BG recovered the onside kick and it was sweet victory formation.

Honestly, that's how wins are supposed to look.  Made big plays.  Got turnovers.  Closed the door when the time came.  Incredibly proud of our guys.

BG had the diverse offense we were hoping for, sparked by Terion Stewart.  Coach said after the game that we have to get him the ball more and Falcon fans agree completely.  This 9 carry stuff has to stop.  He was 26 for 138 and a score...plus 1 reception for 27.  He was the difference maker in this one.

Coach called him a "steroid gerbil," a brilliant piece of fractured prose. He also said he is a "pain in the ass" to tackle.  

He certainly was. 

Bazelak had a really good game.  He was 21 of 32 (12.5 per completion).  1 TD, no picks and one great QB draw.  BG used 7 receivers to get there, showing variability at wideout that will make them hard to defend if execution is good.

The line should get their due.  Their pass blocking was the best against FBS opposition, per PFF. Previous best was a 34 grade at Liberty and this was a 60. The run blocking was also the best against FBS opposition, though not as dramatically.  Bazelak was sack twice and pressured 8 times.

Others? 10-17 on 3rd down. 1 of 2 on 4th. 5 scores in 5 red zone attempts, 4 of them TDs.  Time of possession?  42:45.

On defense, BG stuffed the GT run game, yielding 3.3 yards per carry.  That includes sacks.  Jamal Haynes had 5.6 yards per carry.  And Georgia Tech did pass the ball effectively, at 23 of 37 and 348 yards, but 2 INT and 3 sacks. 

A couple notes.  First, significant parts of those numbers came on the first two drives and the garbage time drives.

Second, BG did a lot with pressure and they pressured GT 13 times, which is a lot. Of course, there were the 5 negative plays, INT and sack. GT was 2 of 8 on third down and went scoreless twice in the redzone on  5 trips.

BG's tackle numbers aren't huge because GT ran so few plays.  Sipp had 7 and Huskey 6. Roberts, Davis and Wilson had sacks. Davis and Dontrez Brown had 3 pressures each.  Brown also had 2 pass break ups.  Anders had 2 TFL.  

A great team effort for the defense.

Special teams.  BG switched punters to true freshman Jackson Kleather, who punted only 3 times for 42 yards.  There was a 49-yarder and the net was 35, mostly because of one return.

Anaya made a 40 yard FG and continues to reliably make shorter FGs.  BG gave up a long KO return on the opening kick as well.

So there you go.  BG notches a big one.  Loeffler has won 15 games at BG and 12 against FBS opponents.  4 of those 12 wins have been as 16+ underdogs....Minnesota, Ga Tech and UT two times.  You wonder if our players don't get really up for those games in big venues or a rivalry game...and less so in others.

They will get a chance to answer that question Saturday in Oxford.  So hoping for us to string some success together.