The Yellow Jackets defended their home turf for the first time this season as they narrowly defeated the Bulls of South Florida 14-10 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. A big reason for Georgia Tech’s victory was their running back Jordan Mason.
The University of South Florida was limited to just a field goal in the first half. A 27-yard field goal by Coby Weiss briefly put the bulls ahead 3-0 in the first quarter. The second quarter was all Georgia Tech.
Just a few minutes into the second quarter, the aforementioned Jordan Mason put the Yellow Jackets on the board with a one-yard touchdown run. With just under a minute left before halftime, fellow running back Tobias Oliver would follow suit with a touchdown run of his own. Georgia Tech went into the half 14-3.
In the fourth quarter, South Florida’s offense moved with a sense of urgency as their window of opportunity was closing. Within a minute, USF quarterback Jordan McCloud fired a 20-yard pass to Johnny Ford for the team’s first touchdown of the day.
That would be the last bit of action from the Bulls as the Yellow Jacket defense held firm to end the match 14-10.
Jordan Mason ended the game with 107 yards on the ground and 15 yards receiving. The only real weak spot on offense is the passing game. Although Georgia Tech is known for its Triple Option, they need to have at least a decent passing game they can rely on in a crunch. Lucas Johnson went 11 of 17 for just 45 yards in the air. Once they can get a hold on that, they should be alright through the season.
The next test for the Yellow Jackets will be against The Citadel next Saturday, Sept. 14 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
-Jon J.
Photo: Hakim Wright
THE PEACH REVIEW® 