Yellow Jackets still feel disappointment of 2017
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JACKETS,
Several plays contributed to the collapse. Offside penalties, holding calls, dropped passes, poor reads and missed tackles all added up to keep Georgia Tech from a winning record in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the third straight year.
Senior quarterback TaQuon Marshall knows the offense must keep building on leads. The Jackets were up 14-3 last year at Duke before collapsing in a 43-20 loss.
“The small things turn into big things,” Marshall said. “If you eliminate the small things early in the game or even late in the game, that can determine whether it’s a win or a loss.”
Georgia Tech is hoping to get center Kenny Cooper back before the Sept. 1 opener against Alcorn State. He suffered a leg injury in spring practice and won’t be ready IRU WKH ¿UVW ZRUNRXW WRGD\
Jahaziel Lee has taken over at center, but if Cooper returns, the Jackets will be stronger with Lee returning to his natural spot at left tackle and Will Bryan moving from left tackle back to his starting spot at right guard.
The defense is healthy but still adjusting to a new coordinator in Nate Woody and the 3-4 alignment he installed in spring practice.
Georgia Tech hopes the new look will generate more quarterback pressures and tackles for lost yardage. Georgia Tech has ranked no higher than 107th in sacks over the last three years, but 2017 was even worse.
There were six seniors and five juniors among the regular starters as the Jackets ranked 124th in turnovers and 118th in tackles for minus yards. This year’s defense isn’t lacking experience in the front seven, but the secondary has just three upperclassmen — free safety Christian Campbell, cornerback Lamont Simmons and reserve safety Malik Rivera — among the ranks.
“As far as the scheme goes, I think we’ve got the personnel to make it successful,” senior linebacker Brant Mitchell said. “I’m looking forward to it a lot. Everybody’s buying into it.”