It wasn't the outcome Georgia Tech coaches, players and fans were looking for on Saturday as the Jackets suffered their first loss of the year in a 31-28 defeat at Syracuse to tall to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play.

Here are some turning points and takeaways from the contest:

Turning Points

-Missed field goal before the half following blocked punt: After a first half that didn't go Georgia Tech's ways in a lot of areas, the Jackets made a huge play on special teams to block a Syracuse punt near midfield and set themselves up with great field position for a final drive to cut into a seven-point lead and then get the ball again after halftime.

But it seemed as if the coaching staff played the scenario a little over-conservative and ended up with a 45-yard field goal attempt for Aidan Birr, which he missed just wide as time expired in the half. A TD scored there to tie the game or even a made field goal to cut it to 21-17 at the half could've had an impact on the Orange's mindset going into the locker room after they had been pretty dominant at times over the first two quarters. Instead the missed scoring chance sent Syracuse to halftime with momentum.

-Two straight empty possession to start second half: With the game very much still within reach, Georgia Tech's offense proceeded to start the second half with a three-and-out. Then after Syracuse was held to a field goal in the red zone, the Jackets once again got the ball and wasn't able to do much with it, eventually punting again after one first down. Those were very untimely empty possessions as it seemed like the defense, who had a tough day overall, were attempting to keep the team in the game.

-Jackets' offense stopped on fourth down early in fourth quarter: Down 24-14 and in need of points or at least a bit of a lengthy drive to give the defense a bit of a break after being on the field a ton for the first three quarters, Georgia Tech's offense faced a fourth-and-2 at its own 35 after a somewhat questionable spot on third down. The Jackets hurried to the line and immediately snapped the ball on an aggressive call, but Anthony Carrie was tackled for a loss to end the drive and set up Syracuse with great field position, which they proceeded to use to score a touchdown to go up 31-14 and make the game seem pretty much out of reach.

-Third-down conversion by Syracuse in final two minutes: After Georgia Tech made a bit of a wild comeback to get within three points, the Jackets' defense had a chance to get a stop on 3rd and 10 and get the ball back with probably around a minute and a half left and a two or even three timeouts in their pocket. But Kyle McCord completed a 13-yard pass to tight end Oronde Gadsden, who was a thorn in the Jackets' defense side all day, to convert for the first down. While Georgia Tech still had timeouts to use and a chance to get the ball back, it seemed like that play was a bit of a back-breaker. Syracuse's LeQuint Allen proceeded to get out of a bottled-up backfield and break a long run for another first down a few plays later, allowing the Orange to kneel on it and get out of there with a big ACC victory.

Takeaways

-Lack of QB pressure and lackluster secondary play is concerning: For the third straight game to open the season, Georgia Tech's pass rush was close to non-existent. And paired with what seemed to be busts in the secondary and talented Syracuse skill guys' ability to get open, it was a recipe for a huge day for McCord, who finished with 381 yards through the air and four touchdowns. Both of those areas must be addressed and addressed quickly as there are several more solid quarterbacks ahead on the schedule.

-Offense needs to find a middle ground: As I talked about last week after the Georgia State game, the Jackets' offense is very feast or famine. That continued this week against Syracuse. It's either a long, successful touchdown drive or a short and unsuccessful time on the field followed by a punt. The offense needs to be more consistent. I'm not crazy enough to expect the unit to score on every drive, but it at least needs to be able to possess the ball a little bit to allow the defense a chance to catch its breath.

-The team will always battle to the end: The first two were pretty negative (expectedly after a loss), but this one hits on a bit of a more positive note. Down 31-14, Georgia Tech's players could've easily decided it just wasn't their day and had a mail-in effort the rest of the afternoon. But there was not one ounce of that in them. In fact, the Jackets continued to fight and believe and put themselves in a position to have a very real chance to win the game. It ultimately didn't end up in a win, but that kind of effort has to be applauded by the coaching staff and fans. There is no quit in them, and down the road that could make the difference in a win or loss in another tight or crucial game.

-2-1 isn't all that bad: Obviously after you start the season with a win over Florida State and a relatively strong showing against Georgia State to get to 2-0, all signs pointed to a 3-0 (and eventually 4-0) start going into the Louisville game. But Syracuse showed they are a solid bunch to deal with and took it to Georgia Tech for much of Saturday's game. But if you would've told Georgia Tech fans they would be 2-1 after the first three before the season started, they would've likely took that. Maybe a loss like this early in the season is a good thing in the long run to show the players that despite the fast start, they haven't arrived yet and have to continue having that underdog attitude that served them so well all offseason and in the Florida State game. At 2-1, there is still a lot of potential for a step forward for the program this season. The Jackets can't dwell on this loss, move forward, learn from it and get ready for the next one.