Tech falters in the 4th QT falls to BC 38-23

ATLANTA- Georgia Tech needed to win the turnover battle and control the Boston College running game to have a chance to knock off the Eagles, they did neither on Saturday as Boston College pulled away in the fourth quarter erasing a six-point lead to win 38-23 hurting the Jackets’ bowl hopes with a fourth loss on the season.

Yellow Jacket head coach Brent Key who is aiming to turn around the fortunes of the program said his team didn't play the full four quarters once again.

"A disappointing loss. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game and it would be a tight ballgame and a physical game. In stretches, I thought we answered and did some of those things," Key said. "You get to the end of the third quarter, right at the beginning of the fourth and you go up a score then they turn around and go right down the field. That was the disappointing part of the fourth quarter. We have a long way to go building this team the way it can be built and the way it is supposed to be done. You give up 300 yards rushing and 150 of them are in the fourth quarter."

Haynes King carried the Jackets offense early in the season, but he has been a turnover machine the last few games throwing three interceptions on Saturday including another pick-six. King has thrown seven interceptions in the last three games including a pair of home losses in which the Jackets were favored. He was just 14 of 32 passing for 204 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Tech also fumbled the ball twice, but both times the Jackets were able to recover.

“Interceptions aren’t always on the quarterback, ultimately that is what that position is. The guys who play that position know that and are wired the right way and when they are they understand it. There are adjustments on routes and there is a guy in the wrong position or gets out-positioned there,” Key said.

King said that some of his interceptions were just better plays by the defensive back like the pick-six by Amari Jackson who took the ball away from Dominick Blaylock.

“A couple they made a helluva play on, but at the end of the day you can’t have three turnovers,” King said. “It doesn’t matter if it was forced or not. We can’t have three turnovers and it kills momentum and it killed three drives.”

Injuries at receiver certainly played a role as the Jackets pivoted to playing slot receiver Christian Leary at the X position with projected freshman All-American Eric Singleton Jr. missing his first career game. Leary caught just four of his 10 targets for 54 yards. Avery Boyd had the lone touchdown catch of the day on a 19-yard crosser that gave Tech a 23-17 lead at the end of the fourth quarter.

Singleton missed the game with illness and Lane is coming off a lower-body injury that has kept him out since the South Carolina State game.

King did run the ball well and at least one of his interceptions happened when he forced a ball on a play where he could’ve run for a first down. He ended up with a career-high 150 yards on 10 carries including a 71-yard touchdown run that tied the game 17 all in the third quarter.

The Jackets’ ground game had the best performance of the season, but the passing game was ultimately what did them in. Jamal Haynes had 56 yards on the ground with a touchdown on a 16-yard run and Trey Cooley added 31 yards. Dontae Smith ran for 11 yards on his lone carry.

“We have to be more consistent in the run game and we have to play complimentary football and be consistent,” Haynes said.

The Jackets gave up 21 straight points in the fourth quarter to lose the game.

The Eagles rode Thomas Castellanos who had an accurate day throwing for 255 yards on 17/29 passing with one interception, but again was dominant with his legs running for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Kye Robichaux playing for an injured Pat Garwo ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns with a 7.9 yards per carry average.

"We definitely respected him and his game, which went into our defensive calls. I think the majority of the game we did a decent job of containing him, but the results are the results," defensive back K.J. Wallace said.

Tech’s defense gave up 308 yards rushing on 43 carries and 563 yards of offense.

"We knew their backs were hard runners and we didn't do a good job of that today," linebacker Paul Moala said. "There were minor tweaks and mishaps that led us to not be able to get them off the field."

Lewis Bond hauled in five catches for 72 yards to lead the Eagles receivers.

Tech missed a PAT in the game on a bad snap on special teams. Aidan Birr did hit a pair of field goals including a 46-yarder. Liam Conner missed a 47-yard field goal but made a 24-yard field goal early in the game.

Boston College won the toss and deferred. The opening kickoff was a touchback. Haynes King hit Malik Rutherford for 17 yards on first down to the GT42. After miss firing on first down for Dominick Blaylock, Jamal Haynes ran for four yards on second down, but a false start on Jakiah Leftwich put the Jackets behind the sticks at the GT41 with 3rd and 11. The Eagles blitzed forcing King to spin out of a sack and throw it away. David Shanahan’s punt rolled to a stop at the BC9.

Makius Scott pressured Thomas Castellanos on first down, Kye Robichaux picked up four yards on second down and then Myles Sims broke up the third down pass to force a 41-yard punt fielded at the GT46.

Haynes lost one yard on first down. King scrambled for 7 yards on second down to set up third and 4 at the BC48. King bounced a pass to Malik Rutherford instead of running for the first down to force a Shanahan punt that was fair caught at the BC12.

Robichaux picked up 12 yards on first down to the BC24. Castellanos hit Taji Johnson for 19 yards on the next play and then scrambled out of a sack and hit Kye Robichaux for a 45-yard gain to the GT12. After two incompletions, BC had 3rd and 10 at the GT12. Robichaux caught a short pass and that led to a chip shot field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 8:51 left in the first quarter.

Leary had a 28-yard kick return to the GT31. King ran for 14 yards on first down on a QB draw to the GT45. King hit Blaylock a play later for 10 yards to the BC43. Trey Cooley ran for seven yards on the next play to the BC35. Cooley picked up the first down, but fumbled and recovered it at the BC31. Cooley ran for nine on the next play to the BC22. Haynes picked up the first down on third down with a short run to the BC20. King ran for four yards on the next play to the BC16. Haynes scored untouched on a 16-yard run off the right side of the line to give Tech a 7-3 lead (Birr PAT) with 3:49 left in the first quarter.

After a Gavin Stewart touchback, BC took over at their own 25. Alex Broome ran for two yards on first down. K.J. Wallace deflected a second down pass that Myles Sims nearly intercepted and then Wallace got the stop on a Castellanos scramble to force a 45-yard punt that was fair caught at the GT22.

Cooley ran for two yards on first down and dropped a second down pass near the sticks. King’s third down pass for Blaylock was caught but then picked by Amari Jackson and returned for a touchdown to make it 10-7 Boston College with 1:42 left in the first quarter.

After a touchback, Tech took over at their own 25. Haynes ran for eight yards on first down to the GT33. King ran for a first down to the GT41 on the next play. King launched a pass out of bounds on second down to bring up third and 7. King couldn’t connect with Rutherford on a deep shot and GT was forced to punt and the punt rolled inside the pylon for a touchback.

Boston College ran two times for a first down and then picked up another first down on two plays to the BC42. A screen pass for a first down was wiped out by a hold on Christian Mahogany to make it 1st and 12 at the BC40. Rodney Shelley reversed it with a PI on the next play giving the Eagles a first down at the GT45. A failed screen pass and a good tackle by Trenilyas Tatum brought up third and long and Jaylon King sniffed out a reverse to bring up fourth and five and Halfey opted to take the delay of game and punt. Blaylock fair caught the 36-yard punt at the GT10.

King ran for eight yards on first down and a facemask moved the ball to the GT33. Rutherford caught a screen for 11 yards to the GT44. Jamal Haynes ran for 16 yards on the next play to the BC38. Cooley ran for five yards on the next play to the BC29. Cooley picked up the first down on the next play. Cooley ran for a one-yard loss on first down. After back-to-back no calls on pass interferences, Aidan Birr hit a 46-yard field goal to tie the game at 10.

BC took over after a Stewart touchback at their own 25. The first play was a fumbled mesh by Alex Broome for a one-yard loss. Lewis Bond caught a five yard pass and then Castellanos scrambled for a first down with a six yard run just past the sticks. Another run and pass moved the ball to the 50. After a short pass on first down a second down run was wiped out by a hold and facemask on BC, but Castellanos threaded the needle to Jeremiah Franklin for 30 yards to the GT32. Castellanos slid for a one yard loss on first down. He threw his second down pass out of the back of the end zone. After picking up 10 yards on first down, Castellanos ran for a first down and then scrambled into the end zone on the next play on a 12-yard run to make it 17-10 Boston College with 52 seconds left in the half.

After a loss on first down, King hit Christian Leary for a 13-yard pass for a first down and then hit Blaylock for nine yard to the GT 44 where Key burned his second timeout. King hit Haynes for 10 yards to the BC46 and Key burned his final timeout with 5 seconds left. King ran for five yards to end the half.

Stewart’s second half kickoff sailed through the end zone for a touchback. After a short run on first down Robichaux picked up 24 yards to the GT45 on the ground. A play later Ahmari Harvey intercepted Castellanos in the end zone for a touchback on a deep shot.

Haynes ran for three yards on first down and Leary picked up a first down on a short pass on the next play. Leftwich picked up his second false start on the next play to the GT29. King ran 71-yards for the touchdown on the QB keeper on the next play to tie the game at 17.

After a Stewart touchback, BC started at their 25 and picked up 11 yards on first down on a screen pass to Dino Tomlin. Bond spun out of a tackle and picked up 20 yards to the GT46. Castellanos ran for a first down on second down to the GT33. After two plays for six yards, GT stuffed Castellanos on third down by LaMiles Brooks and Wallace. Lian Connor missed the 47-yard field goal attempt.

Tech took over at their own 29 after the missed field goal. King threw a pretty ball that went through Leary’s hands that would’ve been a touchdown had he caught it. Haynes ran for two yards on second down. King’s third down pass was batted down forcing a punt. Shanahan’s 42-yard punt was fair caught at the BC27.

Castellanos picked up 30 yards on first down to the GT43. On the next play, Josh Robinson nearly intercepted a pass he batted down. Andre White stuffed Broome for no gain on the next play. Pressure forced a throw away on third down and a punt that was fair caught at the GT11.

Cooley picked up two yards on first down. King hit Dylan Leonard on a diving catch for 17 yards to the GT30. Cooley picked up one yard on first down and King couldn’t connect with Haynes on a throwback play on second down and a flag for roughing the passer was picked up by the officials leading to 3rd and 9 at the GT31. King hit a wide open Cooley for 37 yards on a swing pass to the BC34. Rutherford picked up 15 yards on the next play to the BC17. After losing two yards on first down, King hit Avery Boyd on a crosser for a 19-yard touchdown, but the PAT was no good making it 23-17.

Stewart’s squib kick was returned 19 yards to the BC28. Castellanos ran for three yards on first down. Castellanos hit Bond for 31 yards to the GT38. Facing third and one at the start of the fourth quarter, Castellanos hit a wide open George Takacs for a first down and nearly a touchdown, Jaylon King saved the touchdown tackling him at the GT2. Robichaux scored on the next play to make it 24-23 with the PAT with 14:24 left in the fourth quarter.

Leary returned the BC kickoff to the GT25. King ran for six yards on first down. King picked up a first down with a 20-yard run to the BC49 on the next play. An illegal man downfield penalty on Connor Scagalione backed the Jackets up to the GT44. King scrambled for six yards to set up fourth and eight and Key burned a timeout after sending the offense out and punted. Jaden Williams returned the 33 yard punt to the BC28 for 14 yards.

Robichaux picked up one yard on first down. Castellanos threw away the second down pass to set up third and nine. Tomlin hauled in a pass on his bottom for 19 yards to the BC48. After two running plays Horace Lockett stuffed Robichaux on third down but Castellanos escaped the Tech defense and scored on a 43-yard touchdown to give BC a 31-23 lead with 8:44 left in the game.

The Jackets fumbled the mesh on first down and Connor Scaglione recovered the ball and then King threw an interception to Elijah Jones on the next play.

Robichaux carried the ball 57 yards on first down to the GT3 and then punched it in the next play to make it 38-23 Boston College with 7:24 left.

King hit Leary on first down and he took a big hit on a one-yard gain. After throwing away his second down pass, BC lined up offsides and moved the ball to 3rd and 4 at the GT31. Leary dropped the third-down pass. King hit Leonard for the first down to the GT36. Leary hauled in a 29-yard pass to the BC35. Dontae Smith ran for 11 yards on first down to the BC24. King threw an interception on the next play his third of the day.

Boston College ran several plays to kill the clock before taking a knee at the GT36 to end the game.