Georgia Tech, Miami continue up-down roller-coaster rides

ATLANTA -- The Georgia Tech team pretty much has shown what opponents are going to get from it each week. The same can't be said for Miami, the opponent for the Yellow Jackets this week when they play Saturday in south Florida.

Georgia Tech (3-7) has played well enough to win most of its games, but has been too inconsistent most of the time when it mattered most. Whether it has been a special teams breakdown, a costly turnover or the inability by the defense to get a stop, the Yellow Jackets have been agonizingly close in every game except one.

Miami (6-4) has been all over the place, from a 58-0 loss to Clemson that cost head coach Al Golden his job, to a 59-21 thumping the Hurricanes took last week from North Carolina. In between there was a wacky finish to the team's win at Duke and a close victory over Virginia.

So, what Miami team should Georgia Tech be prepared to face this week?

"They're very explosive," Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "They're making big plays on everybody. It's not just one guy. It's a lot of positions. They're spreading it out and throwing it, they're spreading it out and running against you. It's a lot to prepare for."

And while no one would argue that this Miami team is in any way reminiscent of those from the program's glory days, the Hurricanes still have a roster that's loaded with talented players.

"We've got another challenge this week going to a place where historically we have not had a lot of success," Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said. "There's no question that Miami still has very good players and is a talented team. Hopefully, we can go finally put it together on both offense and defense for four quarters."

That sort of inconsistency has prevented the Yellow Jackets from achieving any lasting success this year. Many young players were thrown into the fire because of injuries, and Georgia Tech has been forced to live with the consequences. Five of Georgia Tech's losses have been by one score.

"We've got a lot of really young guys that are playing," Johnson said. "We're playing six freshmen on offense most of the time, and defensively we've had some of our older guys with injuries, so we're starting three of four freshmen over there, as well."

Georgia Tech has played 23 freshmen this season (10 true freshmen, 13 redshirt), the fifth most among the Power 5 conferences. The Yellow Jackets benefit every time the youngsters get a chance to play, which is good for the long-range forecast of the program, despite the short-term frustration.

"Every time you go out there, you learn and compete," Johnson said. "And certainly we haven't had much success in Miami since I've been here, so it's a chance to go down there and try to get that turned around, as well."

Since his arrival in 2008, Johnson has taken three trips to Miami and has yet to come back with a win. Miami's average margin of victory is 16 points.

Georgia Tech broke a five-game losing streak to the Hurricanes last year. Miami turned the ball over two times with interceptions, and the Yellow Jackets never turned it loose, holding the ball for 40 minutes, 45 seconds.

"We got some turnovers that saved us," Johnson said. "They averaged about 8 yards a play. They were moving the ball pretty good, but we were able to turn them over. And they only had the ball three times in the second half."

A key will be how Georgia Tech's running game can recover this week after being shut down by Virginia Tech for the final two quarters of last week's game. The Yellow Jackets average 256.6 yards rushing (seventh best in the nation) and have the potential for success against an average Miami defense that permits 202.7 yards rushing and 215 yards passing.

"At the end of the day, you have to have 11 guys on the same page," Miami defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio said.

But who will they be chasing? Quarterback Justin Thomas and wide receiver Ricky Jeune are the only givens in the Georgia Tech lineup. Thomas has thrown for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for 470 yards and six scores. Jeune has caught 21 passes for a 22.9-yard average and three touchdowns.

The B-back situation remains a mystery. Graduate senior Patrick Skov is the best blocker but has little breakaway ability. Junior Marcus Allen, who started last week, knows the offense best and runs hard but had a costly fumble last week. Freshman Marcus Marshall has the most ability and leads the team with 530 yards rushing, but he also has had issues with ball security.

The A-back situation has been helped by the emergence of redshirt freshman Clinton Lynch as a big-play producer. Lynch has rushed for 318 yards and four touchdowns and caught three touchdown passes. But otherwise, it's a running back by committee approach.

"We're not as good running the ball as I'd like to be, for sure," Johnson said.

Should the Yellow Jackets win their final two games and finish 5-7, they might still receive consideration for a bowl game, since it appears there are not going to be enough bowl-eligible teams to go around. Georgia Tech athletics director Mike Bobinski told an Atlanta radio station recently that the program would be unlikely to pursue or accept a game should that occur.

Of course, such a scenario would require two more wins, and the Yellow Jackets haven't won back-to-back weeks since the first two weeks of the season.

"I'm always going to try to win," Johnson said. "I'm pretty competitive, so anybody who knows me know that I don't take losing very easily."

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Georgia Tech, Miami continue up-down roller-coaster rides ."