Georgia Tech vs. Georgia: Game Grades, Analysis for Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets

For just the second time in 14 years, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have defeated the University of Georgia Bulldogs.

Behind a dominant performance along both the offensive and defensive lines, resilience in overcoming mistakes and a little good fortune, Georgia Tech ended (at least for now) Georgia's run of dominance.  In doing so, Georgia Tech picked up its 10th win of the regular season.

Georgia Tech will play Florida State University in next week's ACC Championship Game, while Georgia awaits a bowl assignment.

In the meantime, here are game grades for both teams and analysis for each position group. 

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	C-	D
Rushing Offense	B-	A
Pass Defense	C	C
Rush Defense	C	A-
Special Teams	D	B-
Coaching	B-	B

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Justin Thomas was under duress for most of the first half. As a result, he struggled to find a rhythm in the passing game.  Over the first two quarters, he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes and threw for just 64 yards.  He did, however, toss Georgia Tech's lone touchdown pass.  In the second half, the pass was even less viable, but the ground attack heated up.

Rushing Offense

As expected, Georgia Tech ran the ball well in the first half.  To be sure, the Yellow Jackets' ground attack didn't catch anyone by surprise and failed to break many long runs, but 25 carries for 119 yards was not a bad showing.  In the second half, the Yellow Jackets torched Georgia's defense on the ground, as the Bulldogs looked gassed and struggled mightily.

Pass Defense

Hutson Mason had a field day in the first half, completing 8 of 9 passes for 88 yards.  Several receivers, Malcom Mitchell in particular, shook loose in space.  In the second half, the Yellow Jackets yielded too often through the air to Georgia, but they made a big play in overtime by coming up with an interception to preserve a victory.

Run Defense

Nick Chubb ran all over the Yellow Jackets defense, and Sony Michel wasn't too shabby either in the first half.  Georgia Tech was bailed out by a few fumbles late in drives.  In the second half, Georgia struggled to run the football, and with only seven minutes of possession for the Dawgs, the ground attack was obviously limited.

Special Teams

Georgia Tech had a field-goal attempt blocked and was otherwise unimpressive in special teams in the first half.  In the second half, the Jackets recovered a squib kick but also had an extra point blocked in overtime.  All in all, Tech won despite special teams mishaps.

Coaching

Georgia Tech was completely outplayed in the first half, but the opportunistic style of play kept the Yellow Jackets close.  In the second half, the script flipped and the Yellow Jackets absolutely dominated.  Credit Paul Johnson's team for executing late—and credit him for putting the team in that position.

Position Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Passing Offense	B	C
Rushing Offense	B	D
Pass Defense	B+	B
Rush Defense	B-	D
Special Teams	B	C-
Coaching	B	C

Georgia Bulldogs Grade Analysis

Passing Offense

Hutson Mason was Hutson Mason in the first half.  He completed a high percentage of passes but rarely took shots downfield.  His receivers played well, caught balls and broke tackles.  In the second half, Mason was sharp and aided by some great catches by Mitchell and Chris Conley.  Unfortunately for Mason, his first interception since early October came at the worst possible time—in overtime.

Rushing Offense

Two fumbles left black eyes on an otherwise flawless offensive performance by the Bulldogs. But one shouldn't forget the consistency with which Georgia moved the football on the ground in the first half.  In the second half, Georgia was unable to find running lanes.  Chubb was tied up repeatedly, and Michel wasn't a factor.

Pass Defense

Georgia was able to pressure Thomas more often than not, and the defensive backs did a fantastic job of refraining from overcommitting to stop the run.  As a result, Georgia Tech struggled to get the passing game going in the first half.  The pass defense was equally strong in the second half, but it came at the expense of surrendering too many yards on the ground.

Run Defense

Georgia's defense did a fine job against Georgia Tech on the ground in the first half.  Granted, the Yellow Jackets racked up yardage.  But that's the heart and soul of Tech's offense, and Georgia limited it for the most part.  In the second half, Georgia Tech ran the ball at will, and Georgia's defense looked completely outmatched.  That was the most consistent key to Tech's victory.

Special Teams

A blocked field-goal attempt was one of the highlights of the first half.  Otherwise, Georgia did little in the area of special teams. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.  In the second half, Georgia watched a kickoff bounce in front of its own sideline as the Yellow Jackets recovered.  That play is inexcusable.

Coaching

It's hard to pin fumbles on coaching, so it's important to recognize that Georgia completely manhandled Georgia Tech in the first half.  That credit should go to the coaching staff.  By in large, there were some defensive miscues and some odd play calls in the second half, but most of the mistakes were a result of poor execution.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of NCAA.com.