Super Bowl LVII saw the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles come to Glendale, Ariz. for the ultimate crown: a national championship. The Eagles, just five years removed from their last Super Bowl win, were riding a huge 14-3 season behind the arm of star quarterback Jalen Hurts and entered the playoffs as the number one seed in the NFC. The Chiefs, coming off a Super Bowl Championship just three years ago, came in having been the NFL’s premier program as of late and entered with a 14-3 record as the number one seed in the AFC. The Super Bowl was set to be a classic as the two heavy weights of the season collided, and it indeed gave viewers what they anticipated. 

The opening kickoff went to the Eagles and Hurts would trot on the field to then easily lead his team 75 yards in 11 plays for an opening touchdown. The Eagles moved the ball fairly easily and it raised a cause for concern among Chiefs fans of whether or not they could stop this high-powered Eagles attack. The key matchup coming into the night however was the Eagles defense versus the Chiefs offense and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

The Chiefs made easy work of the first glimpse of this matchup as Mahomes had two big completions to veteran tight end Travis Kelce on a six play drive that ended in the endzone, knotting the game at 7-7. The Eagles stalled and the Chiefs once again had no problem moving right down the field until the Eagles got bailed out by Mahomes missing an easy pass. Tech alum and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker trotted onto the field for his first attempt of the game which he doinked off the left upright. Philadelphia turned around and took full advantage of the defensive stop, moving the ball 68 yards in five plays for a huge score that came off of a 48-yard bomb to wideout A.J. Brown. The Eagles then forced the Chiefs to go three and out, but on the ensuing possession Hurts coughed up the ball at the 44-yard line where Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton scooped it up and took it all the way home to tie the game at 14. Hurts came back on the field to conduct a masterful 12 play, 75-yard, seven minute drive that resulted in the Eagles retaking the lead 21-14. Philly forced another Kansas City punt and proceeded to cash in a field goal right before the break, putting them up 24-14 as Rihanna prepared to take the stage for halftime. The Eagles’ game plan could not have been going any better as they were significantly dominating the time of possession thus limiting the amount of the Chiefs’ possessions — possessions in which they were forced to punt. The second half told a different story though as the Chiefs would score on every possession they had. Mahomes came out of the locker room and took the Chiefs down the field in 10 plays to pull within three at 24-21 Eagles. The Eagles then tied for the longest drive in Super Bowl history, going 17 plays in just under eight minutes, but they only cashed in a field goal, putting the game at 27-21.

Mahomes took the Chiefs down the field again to put the Chiefs up for the first time all game: 28-27. The Eagles proceeded to stall and receiver Kadarius Toney took the ensuing punt all the way down to the Philadelphia five-yard line on the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. The Chiefs had an easy time from there as Mahomes found receiver Skyy Moore for the 35-27 push ahead. For the Eagles, it was do or die now. 

They got what they needed in large thanks to a 45-yard dime to receiver Devonta Smith that put them down at the goal line. From there Hurts did it himself, rushing in for the score and then doing it all on his own again as he trotted in for the two-point conversion to knot the game at 35 with just over five minutes to go. 

The Chiefs then mounted one of those drives that causes fans everywhere to bite their nails. They slowly and methodically took the ball all the way down to the Philadelphia 15-yard line. With just under two minutes to go and the Eagles with just one timeout remaining, the Chiefs were faced with a 3rd & 8 that would determine if the Eagles would have a chance at another possession. 

Mahomes took the snap and fired to the left where no receiver was; however, a flag came flying in. In a questionable call, the officials gave the Chiefs a new set of downs off of a defensive holding that was not blatant in the slightest. Regardless, the game went on and Kansas City took the clock down to the lowest they could and it was all on Tech grad Butker. 

Butker trotted out and sent the 27-yarder straight down the middle, giving the Chiefs a 38-35 edge with just eight seconds to go. There was no miracle to be had in Glendale and the red, yellow and white confetti shot from the cannons, ringing in the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl in just four seasons. 113 million people tuned in to watch the Chiefs win. 

This game has been considered an all-time classic by viewers, but the win is facing scrutiny due to the questionable defensive holding call that came in the most crucial part of the game. NFL officiating has been long scrutinized, but for it to shine in the big game was disappointing to fans. The FOX broadcast announcers of the game even expressed their frustrations with the call. 

Despite this, Super Bowl LVII belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs, the AFC West and Tech alumnus Harrison Butker who proved to be an incredibly important piece in the world’s most watched game. 

Tech softball returns to the mound on Friday, Feb. 10, to host the annual Buzz Classic. The Jackets are coming off a stellar 2021-2022 season, posting a 38-18 overall record that included a 24-6 home record and a pair of ranked wins on the season. The team reached benchmarks that no other Tech softball team achieved, such as run ruling No. 16 Georgia in Athens (12-3) for the first time ever. The team bowed out of their best season since 2011 in the NCAA Regionals against third seed Wisconsin, so hopes are high for the Jackets coming into this year. 

Tech returns a decent amount of starters from last season including senior catcher Emma Kauf. Kauf has been receiving a lot of attention in the offseason, posting several top 10 NCAA rankings at her position from multiple media outlets. Last season Kauf earned First Team All-ACC Honors as she led the conference in hits (71) and led the nation in doubles per game, hitting 25 doubles throughout the year. Kauf also knocked down six home runs with 37 RBIs to share, so she is set to have another outstanding year both from behind and on the plate. 

The Jackets fielding is punctuated by an incredibly experienced infield, highlighted by junior Jin Sileo who can make any catch on the field, cashing in a .947 catching percentage last season matched with a .287 batting average: the fifth highest last season. Sileo was unstoppable at the plate, hitting in 23 runs in just 150 at-bats. 

The outfield also showcases great talent with breakout sophomore Auburn Dupree leading the way. Having started 40 of the 49 games she has played in, Dupree posted a .333 batting average in her first season with the Jackets. She batted in 10 runs off of 34 hits in 102 at-bats. She also posted a .983 catching percentage from the outfield, creating a no-fly zone for the Jackets.  

Besides Kauf and Sileo, junior infielder Mallorie Black is the only other returning Jacket to have started every game last year. Black had a tremendous season with 181 at-bats, the second most of anyone else, where she posted 43 hits, three home runs and 30 RBIs, the third most on the team last year. The batting game will rely largely on Black and Kauf’s ability to make contact in key moments as they are statistically the most reliable batters in the RBI category. Batting will look very different this season with the graduation of former first base Tricia Awald, who contributed 43 RBIs and nine home runs on the season. Awald had been the best statistical player from the plate for awhile, so this season will see opportunities for someone new to grab that title.

All but one of the five Tech pitchers are returners this season. This is a talented group that contains a good amount of depth and has the capability to keep them in any game they play this year. If the pitching can stay consistent this season, the Jackets can go far with their schedule. The Jackets will be starting the season on a pair of games against the UConn Huskies which will be the first two of six games on the weekend for the ladies. 

Tech went perfect at the Buzz Classic last year, stringing together four straight wins, and will look to do the same as they welcome UConn, North Texas, Saint Francis and the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) to Atlanta. The rest of the schedule features big home matches such as a pair of games against both Wisconsin and Illinois in the ACC/B1G Challenge, Clean, Old Fashioned Hate against Georgia, a series with Clemson, and a late April showdown with North Carolina. Tech looks to have an even better season than last year, but must take down several ranked teams to get there. With the right momentum and the right offensive fire power, the Jackets can achieve this.

College basketball is slowly approaching its pinnacle moment, and with both of Tech’s teams struggling in conference play, the hope is that they will just finish strong with momentum going into the offseason. This past week saw three games between the men and women’s teams: two for the men and one for the women. 

The men kicked off the week of hoops on Tuesday against Clemson, who stands atop the ACC, for a 9 p.m. matchup. From the second the ball was tipped off, it was clear the Jackets’ minds were not yet on the court, as Clemson nailed three straight three pointers and took a big 12-0 lead in just three minutes of play.

In response, junior guard Deivon Smith put the team on his back and got the night going for the Jackets with five straight points of his own. 

Outside of Smith, the offense and defense were unable to find any sort of rhythm, and Tech proceeded to fall into a double digit deficit at 21-10.

The Jackets managed to turn things around with a big 12-4 run that brought the game within 3 at 25-22, but that was the closest Tech would get on the night, as Clemson went on their own run, stringing together eight straight points to take a 33-22 lead. The Jackets would make a small push into the lead before half and went into the locker room down 37-28. 

Tech did a good job responding to the initial outpouring of Clemson points in the first three minutes, responding to the early 12-0 surge behind Smith’s 11-6-3 first half; however, to comeback, Tech would need a lot more.

Smith was relatively quiet in the second half and two key players, sophomore guards Deebo Coleman and Miles Kelly, just could not find the basket like they normally did. The men had the game slip away fast as Clemson jumped out to a big lead and things never turned around with Tech falling 72-51 to the Tigers.

The women’s team took to the court next, tipping off against Clemson as well, but this one was in McCamish on Thursday night. The ladies were coming off of their first conference win with Syracuse and looking to expand on that; however, the team quickly found themselves in a 10-4 hole against the Tigers. The ladies beat back adversity and fought to re-enter the game behind senior guard Cameron Swartz and sophomore forward Kayla Blackshear, who both made big plays to get the game to 15-15 at the end of the first quarter. 

The second quarter told a different story with Tech marching to a lead and making big plays to sustain it. The Jackets went up 28-23 behind Swartz drawing a charge then turning it into points on a drive of her own. Tech continued to capitalize on Clemson mistakes and turn them into points as Swartz found her rhythm from beyond the arch, while freshman guard Tonie Morgan seemed incapable of missing the basket. The Jackets took a 34-29 lead into the locker room. If they could sustain this level of play, a second ACC win was within sight. 

The third quarter showcased an offensive explosion from both teams as Swartz and Blackshear made play after play — forcing turnovers, knocking down layups and getting a hot hand from beyond the arch. Tech pulled up by as much as 13, leading 49-36, but Clemson would not be turned away so easily, making consistent marches that minimized the lead. However, it seemed to be destiny that Tech take this game as senior center Nerea Hermosa stepped up in a big way for the first time this season. She began taking balls to the basket and hitting jumpers from beyond the paint, landing Tech a seven point lead as the band struck up the Budweiser: 57-50. The fourth quarter continued Tech’s defense of their lead as, offensively, the Jackets could not be stopped. Swartz consistently hit points and Hermosa took the ball to the basket more often than not, highlighting what these two players were promised to be at the start of this season. Clemson attempted a late surge, but it was too little, too late as the Tech women claimed their second conference win of the year, 85-74, over Clemson. McCamish was not done for the week though, as the circled game on most Tech fans’ calendars was the men’s team match against Duke at home on Saturday afternoon. The game was all sorts of special as it would be senior guard Kyle Sturdivant’s 100th collegiate game and would pose a chance for Tech to get back in the win column for the first time in six games. 

The Jackets did compete initially, exchanging points steadily with Duke, but the defense from beyond the arch was proving abysmal as Duke was knocking down three pointer after three pointer, going up 19-9 quickly. The Jackets made a run to recover, pulling within seven behind a Smith three pointer that made the game 30-23 in favor of the Blue Devils. The team then collapsed behind a Duke 13-2 lead to cap the half, putting the score at 43-25. It would take a lot for Tech to catch up on an 18 point deficit against a team as skilled as Duke, and the second half showed that it was not in the cards as the Blue Devils quickly silenced Tech fans. 

The game was far out of hand with Duke being up 62-28: a 19-3 start to the half. The Jackets were playing for pride at that point, and did manage to string something together towards the end against the Duke bench. The Jackets fell 86-43 in a game that left many Tech fans frustrated with the program. The Jackets wrapped up very different weeks as the women came out with positive outlooks, looking to win some more conference games and establish some confidence, while the men were shut down by double digits in both games this week. There is place for improvement on both teams, but only if things change now.  

The Tech women’s basketball team has had a rough start to their ACC season as they moved to 0-7 in conference play and 9-9 on the year this past weekend. The team opened the weekend against the Miami Hurricanes, who had been making a lot of noise offensively. The Jackets had been playing well defensively though, and looked to stifle the Hurricanes attack.

Tech started out well, hopping out to a 4-0 lead which they maintained well until an onslaught of baskets from the Hurricanes that put Tech in a 12-4 hole early against a very quick striking offense. The Jackets battled back with a 9-4 run to end the first quarter, sealing the score at 16-13 in favor of Miami. 

Things looked poor tipping off the second quarter as Tech would need to better their defense if they wanted a chance against the Hurricanes. Miami could not seem to miss any baskets, though, as they broke the game open with a 24 point second quarter that sent the game to half 40-23 in favor of the Hurricanes. Tech needed a huge momentum swing in the second half to make up a 17 point deficit on a team that seemed to be scoring at will as well as stifling Tech’s attack. 

The third quarter saw Tech and Miami trade baskets, with Tech managing to cut the lead down to 15 at the end of the quarter. Trailing 55-40, the Jackets would need an incredible offensive fourth quarter with great defense to match, and they started off hot with an 8-0 run in the first two and a half minutes of the quarter. Eventually, Miami found a rhythm and Tech was never able to get closer than seven points on the Hurricanes, falling 69-60. 

Sophomore forward Kayla Blackshear led the way for the Jackets as she played 37 minutes and landed her second straight double-double, scoring 18 points and posting 11 rebounds. This was a heartbreaking loss for the ladies, but they had a shot to rebound in a large way as No. 16 Duke was coming to McCamish on Sunday. 

From the moment the game tipped off, Tech looked to be up to the challenge of taking out a ranked opponent as the ladies marched out to a 15-13 lead to end the first quarter. The second quarter saw an equal trading of baskets and Tech went into the half up 28-27 behind Blackshear’s phenomenal play. The second half told a different story and the Jackets fell behind quickly and could not overcome a ferocious 25 point Duke third quarter. The ladies dropped their second game of the week and their seventh straight ACC game 65-47. Blackshear once again led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds and is playing sensational basketball right now. The Jackets are still looking to grab their first ACC win of the year, and the team has proven they have the potential to do better than their record. 

Behind Blackshear’s current play, the team may just find the rhythm they need to win. 

The 2022 college football season came to a conclusion following the National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 9. A season which held the most parity college football has seen in a long time did not disappoint in its culminating games. 

Kicking off with the Bahamas Bowl between the UAB Blazers and the Miami of Ohio Redhawks, UAB jumped out to an early 10-0 lead which crumbled behind a stout Miami defense. The Redhawks offense rallied behind their defense to give them a 20-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, but UAB would not be turned away so easily, as they marched down the field to take the lead 24-17 with 1:33 left in the game. Miami mounted a last ditch effort to win that would end up falling 2 yards short of the endzone and resulting in the UAB Blazers hoisting the trophy in the end after a 24-20 win. This was an electric start to bowl season and foreshadowed some of the intense match-ups to be played later on. All the minor bowls went by as expected with no major upsets, but all were closely contested. 

Dec. 28 opened the thrills of competitive power five matchups. Kansas and Arkansas met in the Liberty Bowl to once and for all decide the right way to pronounce “kansas.” 

Arkansas jumped out to a commanding 31-13 halftime lead behind an electric 24 point first quarter; however, the Hogs were stifled after that, as Kansas would mount a furious 25 point second half comeback, scoring twice in the final minute of the game, to send the game to overtime. 

Both teams would answer the call through two overtimes, landing the game in a third overtime period where Arkansas put the nail in the coffin, finishing off Kansas 55-53 in an amazing game. 

Later that evening, Oregon and North Carolina kicked off in the Holiday Bowl. North Carolina, looking to break a three game losing streak, came out strong and jumped to a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but just could not put the game away. 

Behind poor defensive play and the will of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, the Ducks scored a go-ahead touchdown to put them up 28-27 with just 19 seconds left in the game. 

There was no miracle for North Carolina and they finished with four straight losses, a losing streak that Georgia Tech started, and no trophies. 

The New Year’s Six games were just around the bend and on paper were going to be thrilling matchups. The ACC Champion Clemson Tigers matched up against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Orange Bowl to start the New Year’s Six Bowls. Behind the inspiring performance of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, the Volunteers prevailed 31-14 over the Tigers, despite being outgained by Clemson in every statline. 

The next day brought three of the New Year’s Six games, the first being the Alabama Crimson Tide versus the Big 12 Champion Kansas State Wildcats in the Sugar Bowl. Despite jumping out to a 10-7 lead after the first quarter, Kansas State could not handle all of Alabama’s weapons and quickly let the game slip out of reach as Alabama routed the Wildcats 45-20. The College Football Playoff kicked off with the Fiesta Bowl pinning the Big Ten Champion Michigan Wolverines against the TCU Horned Frogs. In a game that was projected to be a Michigan blowout win, it quickly turned on its head to look like TCU would be the ones blowing out Michigan as the Horned Frogs led 21-6 at halftime. 

The third quarter led to an explosion of offense as Michigan and TCU combined for 44 points, the most ever scored in a quarter of a playoff game, but TCU had built up too much of a lead in the first half for Michigan to fully climb back. TCU punched their ticket to the National Championship game in Los Angeles behind a huge 51-45 upset win. Right after came the Peach Bowl with the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs going head to head with the Ohio State Buckeyes. After a good defensive first quarter ended at 7-7, both offenses found rhythm and combined for 38 points as Ohio State went into the locker room up 28-24. Ohio State then built up their lead to 38-24 at the end of the third quarter. Georgia would not be turned away so easily and marched back to take the lead with a minute to go 42-41. 

Behind an incredible effort by Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud, Ohio State got within field goal range and as the ball dropped to declare the new year, Ohio State’s kicker shanked his chance to send his team to the national title game, and Georgia emerged the victor. 

The Rose Bowl was no classic, as Pac-12 Champion Utah once again floundered in the granddaddy of them all, and the Penn State Nittany Lions took the game 35-21 with little contest. 

The last New Year’s Six game pinned the USC Trojans against the American Athletic Champion Tulane Green Wave. In an underdog story for the ages, Tulane scored 16 points in 4 minutes to beat the Trojans and become the first group of five team since UCF to win a New Year’s Six bowl. 

A sensational bowl season with comebacks, underdog victories and upsets galore came to an end in the least climatic way possible. 

The National Championship game saw the Playoff Semifinal winners, TCU and Georgia, match up in Los Angeles. 

In a game that quickly got out of hand, Georgia won back-to-back national titles, prevailing over TCU 65-7. Despite the lopsided finish, the entire bowl season was remarkable and truly a college football fan’s dream.

On Tuesday Nov. 29, athletic director J Batt and President Ángel Cabrera officially announced interim head coach Brent Key will be taking over as head coach of the Jackets’ football team for the coming seasons. The decision comes after what Batt told the team was an “exhaustive search” that had many circulating rumors, with there even being a claim on Monday that a coach had been hired. Key will be the 21st head coach to lead the Jackets onto the field and only the fifth Tech alumnus to hold the position. 

Key took over as interim coach for the team after the fourth game of the season, a 27-10 loss at UCF in a game where Tech outgained the Knights by 119 yards, moving Tech to a 1-3 record. Key won the hearts of fans right away, defeating the then No. 24 ranked Pittsburgh in his opening game and delivering an emotional post game interview on how proud he was of the team. He then brought the Jackets home to beat a momentum-filled Duke team in an overtime thriller on Homecoming, making Key only the third Tech head coach in the last 55 years to win his first two games. 

Many fans and players began calling for Key’s promotion after a huge upset victory in Chapel Hill over then No. 13 UNC and the most competitive first half against Georgia — the Jackets only trailed 10-7 — since Tech beat Georgia back in 2016. Key went 4-4 as an interim coach with numerous accolades: beating two ranked opponents on the road for the first time since 2005, producing four ACC victories for the first time since 2018, winning consecutive games for the first time since 2018 and winning on Homecoming for the first time since 2017. Before being named interim coach, Key was in his fourth season as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Jackets and had previously coached the offensive line at Alabama for three years. Under his leadership, the Jackets’ run game only saw improvement, being in the top half of the ACC rushing statistics the past two years. He also has been flagged as an excellent recruiter, having been ranked number one in the country as a recruiter for his 2020 efforts and number two the year prior by 247Sports. 

Key’s ability to produce success and instill a winning culture in just eight games during a season that looked like it was heading for disaster was seen as beyond impressive by experts, and has produced excitement for what he can do next season. It is clear Key has the love of the players as seen in a video shared by Tech football of the announcement of his hire to the team, but his biggest test starts now, as many star players are beginning to enter the transfer portal. Key will need to either retain these players or recruit new stars from the portal to wear the white and gold. This offseason is crucial for Key and much will be expected of him entering the 2023 campaign. 

The 2023 season will be the first year where the ACC plays without divisions, with Tech’s conference opponents being Louisville, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia, Syracuse, UNC, Miami and Boston College. Key will have his first game as the full-time head coach in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

The men’s basketball squad enters a season that holds multiple question marks. Just two years removed from an ACC Championship, the Jackets look a lot different than they have in the past two seasons. Still led by head coach Josh Pastner, Tech seeks to recover from last year’s disappointing campaign, finishing 12-20 after a 5-1 start. 

Losing key talent from last season, the team will need new leaders to step up, such as senior guard Kyle Sturdivant, who is the Jackets’ top returning scorer, having averaged 8.0 points per game last year. Tech returns just two of last season’s starters and only brings in three new players: two transfers and one freshman. 

One of these returning starters is senior center Rodney Howard, who needs to have a big year. Howard is an efficient offensive player, as he shot 63.5% from the floor with 25 starts last season. However, a lot of last year’s struggles, especially defensively, came from the center position. There is pressure for Howard to step up defensively in his senior campaign, as he is the only center on Tech’s roster and will likely see the court a majority of the game. 

A bright spot in returners comes from sophomore guard Deebo Coleman and junior guard Deivon Smith. Coleman comes in as Tech’s fifth leading scorer from last year, shooting 41.3% from behind the arc and often only coming off the bench to provide the spark of momentum a three-point basket brings. Coleman will play a greater role in the offense this year and will most likely become a frequent starter. Smith played his first year for the White and Gold last season and showed several signs of promise as a guard. At just 6-foot-1, Smith has a vertical jump that gives him the ability to dunk, which provided several exciting, jaw-dropping plays last season. Smith served as a backup point guard last year with just five starts, but he will most likely see the court more this season and hopefully bring the offense more momentum shifting moments. 

Sophomore guard Miles Kelly will also be expected to step up this year from the bench. Kelly played in all but one game last year and started in the ACC Tournament game against Louisville. He came up big late in the season with two double digit games to cap the season off, going six of nine from the three-point line in Tech’s last matchup. Kelly will likely see the court in every game this season and could be the offensive spark this team needs at times. 

In terms of incoming talent, freshman forward Freds Pauls Bagatskis and senior forward Ja’von Franklin look to fill the forward position with former starting forward Jordan Usher graduating last semester. However, the 6-foot-8 freshman and 6-foot-7 senior will likely not see the court too much. Junior forward Jordan Meka is probable to be the starter at the position, having been Usher’s backup. Bagatskis comes in having played for Latvia in two Euro Championships, so he brings skill and international knowledge of the game to Tech. Franklin is a transfer from South Alabama where he was an All-Sun Belt athlete, making 31 starts and averaging 12.2 points per game. 

Sturdivant is expected to be the leader of the team this season. He started 28 games last season and finished as the team’s third top scorer. Sturdivant’s production fluctuated from game to game last year, but with a chance to be the key man this year, Tech fans should expect big things. 

Tech needs to have a hot start with a weaker non-conference schedule prior to ACC play. The team will have some time to find themselves in the first matchup of the year against Clayton State, who Tech beat 103-53 last year, before heading downtown to take on Georgia State. 

It will take broad improvement for this season to be anything special, but Tech fans should still expect strong performances as the players have the skills needed, but have to find ways to win and finish games. Momentum can do a lot for this team if they can find a big win early. 

With a schedule against three of the Elite Eight teams from last year (Miami, UNC and Duke), the Jackets need to find a way to be competitive in the ACC, something they were not last year, going 5-15 in conference play. The Jackets need to start hot or it could be a very rough year, as they are already projected by multiple media outlets to finish last in the conference. 

The Jackets open up the season at McCamish Pavilion on Nov. 7 against Clayton State at 7:30 p.m. where they hope to find a new rhythm.

For the first time in four years, Tech ran onto historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium with back-to-back wins. Winning an overtime thriller over Duke on Homecoming and pulling a big road upset against previously ranked Pittsburgh, the Jackets were sitting in a great position to make a run at an ACC Coastal Division title. 

Coming off the bye week, Tech fans and students built a lot of anticipation for a Thursday night primetime game on ESPN versus Virginia, who sat at the bottom of the coastal division and winless in the ACC. Tech was favored by three points at kickoff and looked to go above .500 for the first time since 2018, spark a possible bowl berth and keep hope alive for a division title. 

Tech received the ball to start the game and went three and out, just moving it four yards before punting it to UVA. The defense picked up right where they left off last game as sophomore linebacker Trenilyas Tatum punched the ball out on just the Cavaliers third play from scrimmage, and sophomore defensive back LaMiles Brooks hopped on the loose ball to give Tech the ball at their own 36-yard line. After two running plays, sophomore quarterback Jeff Sims got the offense moving, linking up with senior wide receiver Malachi Carter for 23 yards to Virginia’s 33-yard line. Redshirt junior running back Dontae Smith then carried the ball down to the eight-yard line on six straight run plays; however, the redzone woes continued for Tech as Sims threw an interception in the end zone on third down, giving the ball back to the Cavaliers. 

The defense refused to be denied points off a turnover as Brooks made another big play. This time, he snagged an interception off a tipped pass and took it to the house for a 37-yard touchdown. The Jackets went up 6-0 after sophomore kicker Gavin Stewart’s extra point sailed no good to the left. 

The defense trotted back on the field after forcing two turnovers in just five plays, but Virginia showed some firepower, driving down the field for a touchdown to put the game at 7-6 in favor of the Cavaliers. The Jackets then took the ball up to their own 39 but sputtered and gave it back to the Cavaliers quickly. UVA proceeded to get a first down off a questionable roughing the passer call, but then slung the ball downfield where junior defensive back Zamari Walton was waiting, giving the Tech defense their third takeaway of the game in just over 15 minutes. An exchange of punts ensued until Virginia mounted a quick three-play touchdown drive, putting the Cavaliers up 13-6 midway through the second quarter as their kicker hooked the extra point to the right. 

The Jackets had to find some rhythm offensively at this point, but to the crowd’s surprise, redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Zach Gibson led the team onto the field. Gibson and the offense would cash in on one first down off senior running back Hassan Hall’s 14-yard catch and run, but the Jackets punted soon after. The defense forced UVA to a field goal attempt, which they missed, giving Tech the ball on their own 22-yard line with enough time to do something before heading to the locker room for halftime. 

Gibson led the offense out again and wasted no time, throwing a 25-yard dart to sophomore receiver Nate McCollum. 

With a series of runs split between Gibson and Hall, Tech moved into the red zone, but on third and one from the eight-yard line, Gibson threw the ball away and the Jackets had to settle for a field goal. Stewart knocked a 25-yard kick through the uprights to put it at 13-9 in favor of Virginia at halftime. 

Virginia started the second half with the ball and began a punt-fest that foreshadowed the rest of the game. On Tech’s second possession of the half, Gibson mishandled a handoff and coughed the ball up on his own nine-yard line. The defense came up big time as they backed Virginia up four yards and forced a field goal, keeping it a one possession game and putting the score at 16-9. 

The offense proceeded to look like they never even came out the tunnel as they failed to pick up a first down in their first six drives. The defense continued to stop the Cavaliers, giving Tech a chance to at least tie the game, but the offense took eight sacks in the game and had seven-straight incompletions over six second half drives. Even after Tech’s special teams blocked a punt with just under ten minutes in the fourth quarter to give the offense some momentum and the ball at Virginia’s 37-yard line, the offensive line broke down, leading to another sack that completely swung all momentum away from the Jackets and forced a punt. 

After the defense rose up again and gave the Jackets the ball with just under five minutes to go at their own seven-yard line, Gibson fell down trying to evade a rusher and Tech was forced to punt. However, a Virginia personal foul on the punt kept the ball with Tech, allowing Gibson to finally complete a pass to Carter for Tech’s first first down of the half. Behind a pair of Hall runs, the Jackets moved into Virginia territory where Gibson fell down trying to evade a rusher again, this time for a loss of nine yards on a third down and two. On fourth and 11, Gibson threw an arching pass to Carter that hit him in the numbers, but it ricocheted off him, falling to the ground incomplete. 

The Tech defense managed to come up with a big stop and get the offense the ball one more time with just 27 seconds to go. In desperation, the Jackets moved the ball to their own 36 for one last play where Gibson surveyed the field while moving to his left before just running out of bounds to conclude the contest with Tech falling short 16-9. 

The outcome of this game was a disappointment for Tech’s season, which was looking up. Not all is lost for the Jackets though, as a bowl berth is possible with five games still remaining on the schedule, but a coastal division title holds small odds. The biggest story of the game is Sims’ injury which took him out of the game, leading to Gibson taking over at quarterback for the night. 

The defense deserves major credit as they forced four turnovers and held UVA to just three points in a second half where the Jackets offense was rarely able to hold the ball for more than three plays. 

As Brent Key looks to recover from his first loss as an interim head coach, the Jackets will travel to Tallahassee to face off against Florida State at noon on Oct. 29. 

Tech cross country opened their season with a pair of meets early this September. The Jackets lined up first at the Berry College Watermelon Run on Sept. 1, competing against five smaller schools. Both the men and women emerged first overall from the course with perfect scores. Senior Nick Nyman led the way in the men’s 8k run, finishing first overall with a time of 24:56. Senior Zach Jaeger followed just behind with a time of 24:57. The men completed their perfect top-five sweep with junior Alex Thomas just edging out an unattached runner at the finish line by three-tenths of a second. Tech entered 16 men in the race, who all came in under 28:30 and in the top 26 of 77 runners. 

Senior Liz Galarza came flying in for the women’s 6k race, finishing first overall at 21:24. The Jackets notched a perfect team score of 15 when junior Katy Earwood, at fifth on the team, put a bow on it, coming in at eighth overall with a time of 22:49. Tech entered 15 women who all finished under 26:16 and in the top 22 of 59 runners. 

Tech had a 15-day pause before stepping to the line again, this time against bigger competition at the North Alabama Showcase. Both teams impressed, finishing at third overall. The men rallied in the 8k, having their first five men in the top 30 in a race with 360 people. Junior John Higinbotham led Tech, coming in tenth place with a personal best time of 24:00. Senior James Cragin followed behind Higinbotham, placing 15th with a time of 24:04. The Jackets finished with a score of 109 after the fourth and fifth men, Nyman and senior Joshua Williams, came in together at 29th and 30th place. The men beat out notable programs like Auburn, Eastern Kentucky, Memphis and Georgia, while only falling short to Alabama and Kentucky. 

Tech’s women made waves in the 5k, having two runners in the top 10 overall with Galarza coming in fourth and graduate senior Helena Lindsay at seventh. Both recorded personal best times with Galarza at 16:38 and Lindsay at 16:49. The Jackets wrapped up their top three team performance with the first five being in the top 42 out of 384 runners, cementing a score of 110. The women also took out notable programs like Auburn, Eastern Kentucky, UCF and Georgia, while also falling short to just Alabama and Kentucky. 

Both the men and women look strong just four meets away from the ACC Championships. With several runners already recording personal records in early meets, the Jackets look to keep improving and climbing places. 

Up next, both the men and women will be traveling to the Lehigh Paul Short Run on Sept. 30, where the men will run an 8k and the women a 6k. The Lehigh race will feature big matchups for Tech as over 40 teams raced last year, including multiple nationally ranked teams.

Tech entered the week ranked fifth in the country staring down a pair of top ten opponents in the Ohio State (OSU) Buckeyes and Brigham Young (BYU) Cougars for their annual Georgia Tech Classic. The action opened on Thursday, Sept. 8, pitting the Jackets against No. 10 BYU. The first set started off sluggish for Tech with BYU lunging out to a 4-1 early lead. The Cougars maintained the lead up until the Jackets made a big 10-2 run which made it 16-12 in favor of Tech. BYU would not fall easily though, as they came back to knot it at 17, but a huge block from junior outside hitter Tamara Otene sparked the fire the Jackets needed to win the set 25-20. The second set provided a similar story as BYU sprung out to an early lead only to be caught by Tech due to fantastic defensive play from graduate senior middle blocker Breland Morrissette and sophomore outside hitter Bianca Bertolino. The Jackets marched out to a 20-15 lead behind a 6-0 run but faltered a little bit before putting a nail on it at 25-21. 

With Tech now up 2-0, victory seemed inevitable and the promise of a sweep against a top ten opponent energized the crowd. Tech stormed into the third set going up 6-0 immediately. With some huge kills from senior outside hitter Julia Bergmann, the Jackets found themselves up 17-4. A demoralized BYU made an attempt at a comeback, but it was too little and too late as Tech took the third set and the match 25-14. 

Tech surpassed expectations in this game. Overcoming some early miscues and serving woes, the Jackets were able to leave no doubt that they were the better team to open the weekend. The question was now whether Tech could do it again but this time against a tougher opponent. This being the first win against a top ten opponent this season and a shutout as well, hopes were set high for Sunday when Tech would face off against No. 8 Ohio State. Come Sunday, it was apparent from the first serve that the Buckeyes came to play and they were fully committed to blocking any attempt at a kill from Bergmann. In the first set, OSU and Tech exchanged points until an early 5-0 run from Ohio State put them up 8-4. From there, a mix of Tech miscues and Ohio State execution led to an eight-point deficit that proved too hard to overcome as the Jackets fell short at 25-19. 

The second set opened the same as the first with an even exchange of points, but this time the Jackets stung the Buckeyes with an explosion of points that fired up the crowd and massively swung momentum to the Tech sideline. Tech led by as much as seven until an Ohio State attempted comeback that was shut down by a Bergmann kill. Tech ran away from there and finished the set off with a 25-21 win. 

With the match knotted at 1-1, the third set promised excitement, but unfortunately it did not come early for Tech. The Jackets fell into a 13-5 deficit quickly as Bergmann was unable to get anything past Ohio State’s front line, who were sometimes even triple teaming to block her spikes. Bertolino and senior middle blocker Erin Moss stepped up big time for the offense though and found points, allowing Tech to mount a fierce comeback that brought it to 15-13, a 10-2 run for the Jackets. The crowd erupted with energy following the comeback and O’Keefe was raucous as the Buckeyes took a time-out to try to stop the huge momentum swing. Unfortunately, some Tech miscues propelled Ohio State up by five late and despite some huge kills from Moss and Bergmann, Ohio State took the third set 25-21 and it looked grim for Tech. 

The fourth set put the Jackets in a new position this season: playing to keep the match alive. Both schools went back and forth until Tech broke off a 5-0 run to go ahead 16-12. The anxiety was high in O’Keefe as the Jackets looked to hold on to the momentum that would hopefully launch the game to a fifth set. However, Ohio State put together an 8-1 run to go up 21-19 and it looked like Tech would be handed their first loss of the year. Tech did not go down easy though and they knotted it at 23-23 before falling 25-23 to the Buckeyes and losing the match 3-1. 

The weekend did not finish how Tech imagined and hoped, but there were definitely some major takeaways from both games. There are some serving issues that need to be addressed as quite a few serves either did not make it over the net or were simply out of play on the back end. However, a lot of the team got to play and it was a showcase of Tech’s talent as it was clear that Tech has the depth to make a run this season. The Jackets look to rebound as they take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark. on Sept. 15. The Jackets take the No. 7 ranking  this week’s matches.