Augusta Free Press editor Chris Graham will be live from Scott Stadium with coverage of today’s ACC football clash between the University of Virginia (2-5, 0-3 ACC) and Georgia Tech (4-3, 3-2 ACC) (hashtag #UVavsGT).
Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.
Chris will be live with scoring updates, commentary, analysis and some fun stuff here and there.
Please join in with questions and observations of your own.
Opening Drive: Is it a drive when you run three plays? More like a blitzkrieg. Georgia Tech gashes the wholly unprepared UVa. defense for 73 yards on the ground on three plays, the TD coming on a 36-yard fullback dive by David Sims.
Memo to the defensive play-callers: Georgia Tech runs an option-based running attack.
Virginia looks to respond, but … Nice opening drive for UVa. comes up empty because of issues on the series that began first and 10 at the GT 30. David Watford fumbled on his read-option run, recovered, gained three yards, but he had a lot more room in front of him had he held onto the ball. That put Virginia behind the chains. Alec Vozenilek missed a 47-yard field goal attempt.
Love the decision, hate the play call: Mike London decides to send the offense back out on the field after a Georgia Tech penalty turned a fourth-and-just-beyond-five to fourth-and-inches. Good call. Then offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild called a pass that was nowhere near complete. Bad call.
First quarter stats: Georgia Tech 160 yards offense (136 rush, 24 pass). Virginia 94 yards offense (30 rush, 64 pass).
David Watford: 8-13, 64 yards, 2 carries, 10 yards
Nice drive results in three: UVa. started at its own 2 after a Georgia Tech punt pinned them deep. Red zone troubles continue for Virginia, who two weeks ago scored two TDs in six trips to the red zone in a one-point loss at Maryland. Virginia has been in the red zone twice in the first half, and has one field goal to show for it.
Georgia Tech answers: A Zach Laskey 7-yard run capped a seven-play, 41-yard drive to put the Jackets up 14-3. Seven plays, all runs. Pretty easy drive. Tech never got to third down on the series.
And … UVa. answers back: A 10-play, 73-yard drive culminating in a 6-yard Kevin Parks TD narrows the lead to 14-10 with 4:24 to go. UVa. is throwing an awful lot – Watford has already attempted 25 passes, completing 17 for 175 yards.
Unfathomable: UVa. drives to the Georgia Tech 2 with 16 seconds left and one timeout. Logically, you throw a couple of passes to try to get the TD, or maybe run on second down, use your timeout if you don’t get in, and kick the field goal to go in down one at the half. Not if you’re Mike London. Two runs, both stuffed at the line, and Virginia stalls at the 1 with no points. That is beyond inexcusable.
Halftime stats: UVa. 279 yards total offense (220 pass, 59 rush), Georgia Tech 275 yards total offense (213 rush, 62 pass)
Georgia Tech: 4 turnovers. UVa.: 0 points off turnovers
Georgia Tech seals momentum seize: The debacle that was the end of the first half for Virginia turned momentum toward Georgia Tech. Another Zach Laskey touchdown at the 4:54 mark of the third quarter solidified the shift. Virginia has just eight yards of total offense to show for its two second-half drives.
Stats through 3: Virginia 349 yards (276 passing, 73 rushing), Georgia Tech 342 yards (280 rushing, 62 passing)
David Watford: 30-42, 276 yards
Georgia Tech: 5 turnovers (UVa. zero points off turnovers)
Impressive drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:09 to get back into the game. David Watford connects with Darius Jennings on a key third-and-seven pass to get a first down at the GT 5. Then on the next play, the two connect again on a wide receiver screen for the TD. Watford was 8-9 for 88 yards on the drive.
Drive extends, then ends the wrong way for UVa.: Facing third-and-nine, and a possible three-and-out that would give Virginia good field postion, Vlad Lee completed a pass to DeAndre Smeller for a first down. On the next play, Robert Godhigh took a pitch from Lee and rambled down the right sideline, cut back around midfield and completed a 65-yard TD run. Ballgame?
Another nice Watford drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, capped with a 12-yard pass from Watford to Jennings and a two-point conversion pass from Watford to Khalek Shepherd at the 3:23 mark. Can the Virginia D get a stop?
The amswer: Um, no Georgia Tech responds with a five-play, 75-yard drive, with a 29-yard David Sims TD run on a third-and-two play at 1:55 sealing the deal. Ballgame, folks.
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