Jackets stung by Hurricanes in frustrating 33-30 loss

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- Georgia Tech lived and died by turnovers in a 33-30 loss to Miami on Saturday in Hard Rock Stadium. The Jackets have lost three straight ACC games and three of four after upsetting North Carolina in Mercedes Benz Stadium in late September. Miami racked up 563 yards of total offense, but three turnovers and a pick-two on a two-point conversion by Juanyeh Thomas kept the Jackets in the game. It was the fifth loss in a game where Tech had a chance to win in the fourth quarter this season as the Jackets fell to 3-6 on the year and Miami continued their surge improving to 5-4.

Ultimately it came down to a final drive with no timeouts left and Tech’s offense failed to convert due to multiple penalties ending with a throwaway by Jeff Sims on fourth and 14 from their own end zone.

The Jackets scored 21 points in the first half and led 21-17 at halftime thanks to a Jaylon King fumble recovery for a touchdown. The Jackets offense only mustered 21 points in the game.

Jackets head coach Geoff Collins fell to 9-22 as the Jackets coach and 7-17 in ACC play.

"I have a tremendous amount of confidence in myself," Collins said. "My last year at Temple we were winning games like this regularly and we found a way to create margin in these games. We are developing this program through culture and recruiting and that has put us in a position to be in these games, now the next learning curve is how to win them."

Juanyeh Thomas had a 100-yard interception return for two points on a failed two-point conversion by Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. That was about the only mistake Van Dyke made as he threw for 389 yards and three scores. He connected with star receiver Charleston Rambo seven times for 210 yards and a touchdown. Jaylon Knighton provided the rest of the Miami offense with 162 yards rushing on 32 carries and a touchdown.

Tech’s defense did keep the Jackets in the game with two key fourth-down stops and a forced punt late in the game that gave the Jackets a chance, but the offense not scoring after the first drive of the third quarter was the killer as had to nurse a 28-24 lead. Miami chipped away with a fourth-quarter field goal to make it a 28-27 lead and Van Dyke’s touchdown pass to Keyshawn Smith made it 33-28, but Thomas had his interception return to give the Jackets’ their lone points in the fourth quarter.

"We had some big plays called back, explosive plays that were called back and we will go through the film and find out the reasons and get that addressed," Collins said.

Sims struggled to throw for 194 yards on 21 of 38 passing with an interception and a touchdown to Jahmyr Gibbs on a 50-yard run after a catch.

Tech’s running game put up 135 yards rushing behind Jordan Mason’s 71-yard touchdown run, he had just four yards on seven other carries and Gibbs had 67 yards rushing on a 29-yard touchdown. Gibbs ended up with 139 offensive yards on 13 touches and a pair of touchdowns.

Defensively the Jackets forced the three turnovers plus the two-point interception, but they only managed one sack in the game, but they did have seven tackles for a loss. Sims was sacked three times in the game.

Jaylon King scored on a 40-yard fumble return on a fumble forced by Juanyeh Thomas. Wesley Walker had a forced fumble and fumble recovery as well for the Jackets. King's play was great timing as the ball bounced up to him in stride and he scored.

"I was coming over to help with the ball carrier in case he didn't go down," King said. "The only question was if I scored and the ref told me the green part by the end zone was inbounds so I knew I scored."

One of the key moments of the game was an injury to Mikey Minihan the Jackets’ starting center. True freshman Weston Franklin stepped in for the rest of the game and he had a key mishap late on the final drive with a bad snap to Sims that led to a key play being reversed that would’ve put the Jackets at midfield with about 40 seconds left.

"True freshman Weston Franklin came in and battled admirably in his first significant snaps when Minihan went down," Collins said.

Collins also questioned the officiating in a careful manner after the game. The Jackets had eight penalties for 77 yards compared to three for Miami for just 35 yards. The Canes picked up a pair of first downs on two of the penalties in the first half that had major implications in the game. Tech's penalties were almost all back breaking.

"That is a good football team we just played all the way until the end, had some chances had some unfortunate things called back again," Collins said referencing the officiating "And we'll evaluate those things and find out how to get better. It is about controlling what we can control. Things we can't control things that are out of our hand and you can't do anything about those."

Collins said there was only one true coverage bust that he saw during the game and overall thought the secondary played better.

"There have been some times where we give up explosives, but today there was only one play like that," he said.

Jahmyr Gibbs took the opening kickoff 38 yards to the GT47. The Jackets picked up a first down with two quick passes but ended up punting.

David Shanahan’s punt pinned the Canes in at their own 7. The Canes picked up a first down via a pass interference call on Tre Swilling. That led to an 11-play 93-yard scoring drive for the Canes to give Miami a 7-0 lead on the Jackets.

Tech started the next drive at their own 25 after a touchback on the kickoff. Sims overthrew two passes and had a run for no yards leading to a three and out. Jaylan Knighton ran for 25-yards on first down to move to the GT33. Van Dyke connected with Charleston Rambo on third and 12 for a 35-yard touchdown. That made it 14-0 Miami.

Georgia Tech was called for a block in the back on the ensuing kickoff to start the drive from their own 7. The Jackets picked up a couple of first downs, on third and short Jordan Mason had a career-long 71-yard touchdown run. He passed TaQuon Marshall and Tevin Washington on the all-time rushing list at Tech to move to 13th all-time on the rushing yardage list.

Miami could not convert on the first three plays of the drive, but the Jackets got called for roughing the passer. Rambo fumbled on the next play and GT recovered. The GT defense forced a fumble on the next play, Wes Walker forced the fumble and Myles Sims recovered it.

The Jackets drove to midfield thanks to an unnecessary roughness call. Sims threw an interception on third and long that Jacolby George returned to the Tech 36. Miami then fumbled on the next play on a strip by Tariq Carpenter and recovery Wesley Walker.

Sims ran for a first down on the second play from scrimmage. Malachi Carter caught first down on third and long to extend the drive and Miami was called for a late hit on the sideline on him to move them to the Miami 37. Sims picked up nine yards on first down and then Jahmyr Gibbs had a 29-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14.

Gavin Stewart hit a touchback on the ensuing kickoff and Tech held Miami to a 3 and out. Azende Rey returned the punt five yards and Tech started the next drive at the Miami 26. The Jackets picked up a few yards on the ground with Dontae Smith on the next drive but Dylan Leonard couldn’t haul in the third-down pass from Sims and the Jackets had to punt.

Jacolby George returned Shanahan’s punt 16 yards to the Miami 45 and Van Dyke hit Charleston Rambo on a deep shot for 44 yards to set up first and goal for the Canes as he beat double coverage by Myles Sims and Juanyeh Thomas. The Jackets stuffed Miami on first down with Tariq Carpenter getting a TFL on first down and the secondary stopped the Canes on the short field on the next two plays to force a short field goal to give Miami a 17-14 lead with 9:48 left in the first half.

The Jackets were held to a three and out on the next series. Shanahan pinned the Canes at their own 25 and on the first play on the next drive, Knighton fumbled on a hit by Juanyeh Thomas and Jaylon King scooped and scored. It was a 40-yard return by King for a touchdown to give Tech a 21-17 lead.

Miami took over at their own 25 and picked up a big first down on a third and long conversion to the tight end Will Mallory for 20 yards. Van Dyke hit Rambo for a first down at the GT 25. Sylvain Yondjouen forced Van Dyke to throw away a third-down pass to force a field goal that hit the upright on an attempt by Andres Borregales.

The Jackets got bottled up on the next drive, but Sims found Jordan Mason for 18-yards on a delay route on third down to move the ball to midfield. Sims hit Adonicas Sanders for the first down on another third and long. Sims got stuffed on first down at midfield and Tech had to punt with 26 seconds left in the half.

After a touchback on the kickoff out of the half, Rambo caught a 60-yard bomb from Van Dyke to set up Miami at the GT 15. Knighton scored on his third straight run to make it 24-21 Miami.

Sims converted on third and medium to Malachi Carter to open the drive to move the ball to the GT40. Sims converted another third down on a delay route again by Mason and on the next play Sims hit Jahmyr Gibbs for a 50-yard touchdown pass on a swing pass where Peje Harris sealed a defender to open space and Gibbs tiptoed down the sideline to give Tech a 28-24 lead with 10:33 left in the third quarter. That play marked the fifth straight game where Gibbs had a play of over 50 yards from the line of scrimmage and only four other players have done that this season and Gibbs was the lone P5 player.

Miami drove to the Miami 45 but the Jackets held Miami on third and short on a Kyle Kennard tackle for a loss and Jared Ivey stuffed Miami on fourth down to force a turnover on downs at the Miami 45. Sims got strip-sacked on the next play, but recovered his own fumble. On second and 27, Jahmyr Gibbs went 22 yards to set up third and four at the Miami 39. Mikey Minihan got hurt on the play and Weston Franklin came in off the bench for his first extended action of the season after only playing in the Duke game one snap on offense. Gibbs caught a ball on fourth and two to covert at the Miami 33. Tech got stuffed on two straight plays and then had a delay of game on third and long to make it 3rd and 20. Brent Cimaglia missed from 50 on fourth down.

Miami took over at their own 33 after the missed field goal. The Canes drove down the field to the GT 14, but couldn’t connect on a pass for Rambo on third down and had to settle for a short field goal, cutting Tech’s lead to 28-27 with 13:20 left in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff Jahmyr Gibbs returned the kick out to the 40 but Bruce Jordan-Swilling got flagged for a blindside block setting them up at the GT13. Tech went three and out and then nearly had the punt blocked on a bad snap, but David Shanahan saved the day outmaneuvering a defender and rugby punting the ball away.

Miami drove down to the Tech 15 on four plays. Keyshawn Smith hauled in a 15-yard touchdown on a play where Tech tackled him into the end zone at the goal line to give the Canes a 33-28 lead. The Canes’ two-point conversion attempt was intercepted by Juanyeh Thomas and returned for two-points. Ken Swilling did it at Duke in 1989. That made it 33-30.

Tech took over at their own 18 after a bad kick return decision. Tech went three and out again and Shanahan’s short punt went out of bounds at the Miami 45. Van Dyke hit Rambo on first down to the Tech 37 and the Canes got stalled at the GT 28 facing fourth and one. Quez Jackson and TK Chimedza stopped the Canes for a turnover on downs.

Tech converted on third down on the next drive as Sims hit Gibbs under heavy pressure for a first down. Dylan Leonard got called for a hold on a key second-down pass to Gibbs that would’ve been a first down. Sims got sacked on third down to bring out the punt team on fourth and 23. Shanahan’s punt was downed at the Miami 13 with 2:47 to go. Knight picked up a first down on second and two to keep the clock going. Tech stopped Miami on third and short at the Canes 38 with 59 seconds left.

Tech fielded the punt and Rey returned it to the GT 17 with 50 seconds left. On a bad snap on first down, Sims managed to get the ball off to Sanders for a 31-yard gain, but Sims knee touched the ground on the play as he fielded the ball. Weston Franklin got called for a hold on a fourth-down conversion with 20 seconds left. Sims was unable to find a receiver and threw the ball away to end the game essentially. Miami had to just take a knee to get the win.