Super Bowl LVI gave fans a close, back and forth affair on Feb. 13, with the Rams eventually coming away with the win in their own stadium. It is the second year in a row a team played the Super Bowl in their own stadium and won. The Rams overcame two turnovers and a seven-point second half deficit to secure the franchise’s first title since Super Bowl XXXIV, played in Atlanta. 

The game started with a Rams possession that stalled after a sack and tackle for loss. The Bengals opened their first possession with good field position at their own 42-yard line. Their drive stalled as well though, and a failed conversion attempt on fourth down gave the Rams the ball back at midfield. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught a 20 yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford, setting wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for his 17 yard touchdown catch, putting the Rame up 7-0.

LA and Cincinnati traded punts before Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made a diving, one-handed catch to set Cincinnati up in the red zone. Three straight incompletions brought up a field goal attempt, but kicker Evan McPherson nailed the 29 yard attempt to put the Bengals on the board.

Beckham Jr. and LA running back Darrell Henderson racked up 25-plus yard gains at the beginning of the second quarter to get the Rams back in scoring range. Kupp caught his first touchdown of the night from 11 yards out to increase the margin to 13-3, Rams. The extra point attempt ended in disaster though, as a fumbled hold forced holder Johnny Hekker to attempt to throw the ball, resulting in an interception and a failed attempt.

The Bengals responded with a long drive, ending with a trick play touchdown as running back Joe Mixon tossed wide receiver Tee Higgins the touchdown pass. LA mounted another drive with the score now 13-10, moving the ball until a Stafford deep ball was intercepted in the end zone at the two minute warning. Cincinnati could not capitalize off the turnover, and the teams traded punts before heading into halftime with the Rams still leading 13-10.

The halftime show featured an array of artists, with Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige headlining a star-studded performance. 50 Cent and Anderson Paak also made a surprise appearance.

The second half started with immediate action as quarterback Joe Burrow found Tee Higgins for a 75 yard touchdown pass and the first Bengals lead of the game at 17-13. Controversially, no pass interference was called on Higgins who appeared to pull cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s facemask. The next play saw a Stafford pass bobbled and picked off by Cincinnati defensive back Chidobe Awuzie, giving the Bengals the ball at the Rams 31-yard line. A fourth down conversion set Cincinnati up in the red zone, but a third down sack by defensive tackle Aaron Donald forced a 38 yard field goal attempt, which McPherson hit to push the margin to seven.

LA responded with a long drive, stalling after attempted trickery when Kupp’s pass to Stafford fell incomplete. 

Kicker Matt Gay hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 20-16 before seven straight punts set the Rams up with the ball on their own 21-yard line and around six minutes left. They faced a fourth and one right away, making the risky choice to go for it on their own 30-yard line, and Kupp carried the ball for seven yards for a critical first down.

LA punched the ball inside the ten-yard line at the two-minute warning. Needing a touchdown with goal-to-go, Stafford’s first three throws of the series fell incomplete. However, the third throw resulted in a defensive holding call and a fresh set of downs, and a defensive pass interference call on the next play gave the Rams the ball on the one-yard line. Stafford threw a one yard touchdown pass to Kupp on second down, giving LA a 23-20 lead after the extra point and putting the pressure on the Bengals to score with less than a minute and a half left.

Cincinnati converted on a 17 yard Chase catch and run on the first play, but quickly found themselves facing fourth and one near midfield. 

Burrow faced immediate pressure from Donald and was forced into a desperation heave that fell incomplete with 39 seconds left. With only one timeout left, the Bengals could not stop the clock enough times to win, and the LA sideline erupted as they entered victory formation.

Stafford kneeled out the clock and the celebration began for the Rams as players and coaches embraced, covered in smiles, sweat and tears. Kupp secured the Super Bowl MVP award with his 99 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. 

Donald recorded two sacks, helping LA record seven total sacks and overcome their turnover deficit.

Burrow completed two-thirds of his passes for 263 yards and a touchdown, while Mixon led the game in rushing yards with 72. LA linebacker Von Miller recorded a pair of sacks alongside Donald as the Rams front bothered Burrow all night. 

The Rams break a two decade title drought as head coach Sean McVay becomes the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl. The Bengals, who had the worst record in the league two seasons ago, have made massive strides under head coach Zac Taylor and will look to regroup and make another run with their core next season.

Country music gets a bad rap, and it is not hard to see why with a lot of the work that has dominated the mainstream in recent years. 

Those songs can be repetitive and shallow, filled with throwaway lines about beer, trucks and other stereotypically “country” themes. 

While they are still a part of country music, being a genre with many diverse subgenres, many listeners who have only heard and disliked this style have their view of the genre as a whole marred.

However, country music both new and old is full of insightful lyrics and artistic merit and has long been representative of issues facing the rural working class. 

George Strait, Merle Haggard and other artists even before them have lamented the conditions faced by laborers. Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” is a well-known classic that covers this exact theme. 

Moving into more modern artists, the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers and The Steeldrivers have helped bring about a revival of old-school country. Simpson’s style changes with every album he releases, ranging from rock to bluegrass to folk, with all calling to country roots. 

The ability of modern artists to blend genres while operating under the broad umbrella of country shows the versatility of the style and the creators.

Tyler Childers is arguably the main catalyst of the revival of country music at its finest. His song “Feathered Indians” is a moving piece with tender lyrics and a blend of string instruments. 

It has over 160 million plays on Spotify, lending mainstream appeal to a song that truly feels country. 

Childers lends his talents to social issues as well, demonstrating the impact of the genre on society. 

In the wake of the protests during the summer of 2020, Childers recorded a mostly instrumental album called “Long Violent History.” 

The title song from the album urges a largely white audience to understand the racial injustice in the country. Childers was vocally in support of Black Lives Matter. 

The album serves both as a public statement and a vehicle for good with Childers pledging all of the net proceeds to his Hickman Holler fund for underserved Appalachian communities.

Country music can be a vessel for a broad array of change. Storytelling is integral to the genre and connects millions to issues that may otherwise be ignored. The themes are varied though, and the stories detail love, pain, happiness and more with grace and intensity. The parts of the vessel, each of the many instruments used in different songs, add their own unique touch to the art.

From fast-paced ditties to mournful laments, the music has a strong ability to evoke the intended emotions. Happy songs have a vibrancy to them that is rarely replicated, and a sad country song is sure to connect the listener to the artist’s pain.

The magic in this comes again from the storytelling, but is also due in large part to the instrumental components of the song.

While country is not defined by a single style, the blend of a few certain instruments can make a song dynamic and moving.

Fiddles and mandolins back many of the genre’s best pieces, while the use of a bass guitar drives the beat as much as the drums in many songs. The distinctive sound of steel guitars is prevalent, and a driving banjo brings bluegrass elements to the best works. 

The varied voices of country music lend their own spin to different songs, from Colter Wall’s deep bass to Childers’ almost haunting wail. 

The twang present in many artists’ sound and the cracks in the voices of some vocalists help country stand out and lend the lyrics different depth. The sum of the musical elements in country done well creates masterpieces worth listening to.

None of this is to say that people should not enjoy mainstream pop country. For the many who find themselves disliking that brand though, there is far more to the genre than some may see. 

Taking a deeper dive into the music and enjoying works on the folk, bluegrass or americana side of things can open the door to country that may have been closed by an incomplete perception of the style.

Tech track and field kicked off 2022 at the Orange and Purple Elite on Jan. 8, competing with Clemson and South Carolina. Four Jacket women earned the top spot in their respective events, and Tech swept the top five spots in the 1000m. Freshman Riley Perlakowski had the top overall time at 2:52.47, while freshman Sarah Copeland, senior Liz Galarza, senior Claire Moritz and freshman Katherine Byrne took spots two through five. 

Senior Olivia Moore finished first in the pole vault with a 3.87m success. Senior Taylor Grimes paced all attached runners in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.50 seconds. Sophomore Sheleah Harris came first in the 60m dash on her 7.60 second time, setting a personal record in the process.

On the men’s side, sophomore Cameron O’Neal leaped to a second place finish in the long jump with a 7.39m mark. Junior Jameson Miller secured a second place finish of his own with a 48.90 time in the 400m.

O’Neal and Harris each won ACC weekly awards for their performances. O’Neal was the ACC Men’s Co-Field Performer of the Week while Harris was tabbed the ACC Women’s Track Performer of the Week.

Tech then traveled to Nashville for the Vanderbilt Commodore Challenge on Jan. 14-15. Day one saw two Tech women break the previous school record in the 1000m. Senior Nicole Fegans set yet another Tech record with her 2:48.51 mark in the event, and Perlakowski finished at 2:50.08, which would have been a record if not for Fegans’ own record-setting run.

Sophomore Shanty Papakosta beat out all other attached athletes in the high jump, clearing 1.80m. Grimes’ 5.89m long jump earned her a second place finish. O’Neal jumped 7.33m for the top men’s long jump spot, and sophomore Alex Thomas and freshman Zack Truitt took the first and second spots respectively in the men’s 1000m.

Tech women dominated the mile, taking four of the top six spots, highlighted by Fegans and Copeland’s first and third place finishes. Jacket women also took four of the top five spots in the 3000m, with Moritz and Galarza’s second and third place finishes leading the way. 

The men’s mile concluded in similar fashion, with junior Zach Jaegar, junior Cole Miller and sophomore Myles Collins finishing first, second and fourth respectively. Tech men swept the 800m event as well, taking the top five spots including Thomas’ second first place finish of the weekend.

Moore and Perlakowski won the pole vault and 800m events respectively. Four more Jackets earned individual podium appearances, and both the men’s and women’s 4×400 teams earned top-three finishes, rounding out a successful weekend. The next action for the Jackets is the Carolina Challenge on Jan. 21 and 22, hosted by South Carolina.

The Tech women’s basketball team from last year’s Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament is largely back together for the 2021-22 season. The Jackets went 17-9 last year, and their 12-6 conference record was third in the ACC. After an overtime win over Stephen F. Austin and a blowout victory over West Virginia, Tech finally lost to South Carolina, who tops this year’s preseason rankings. All five starters were set to return for this year, though Kierra Fletcher plans to redshirt for medical reasons as announced on Wednesday.

The core of the team starts with star senior forward Lorela Cubaj, who was the 2021 ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. She paced the Jackets in rebounds and blocks and was second on the team in steals. Cubaj shone offensively too, finishing third on the team in points per game and assists. She averaged a double-double on the season with 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds, and her play from last year earned her a spot on the Katrina McClain Award watch list as one of the nation’s top power forwards. While she would’ve been eligible for the WNBA draft, she decided to come back for one more season.

Senior guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen makes up half of the backcourt duo that complements Cubaj inside. Lahtinen averaged 15 points per game, pacing the Jackets, while also leading the team in steals, assists and minutes. Lahtinen earned the ACC’s Most Improved Player award after raising her totals in nearly every statistical category.

Senior guard Kierra Fletcher was the other half of the backcourt duo and was a strong scorer and rebounder. She was second on the team in both points and rebounds per game, averaging 13 and five respectively. She is an efficient shooter from beyond the arc and at the free throw line and led starters in assist to turnover ratio. Fletcher will not be playing this season due to a medical redshirt.

Sophomore guard Loyal Mcqueen and junior center Nerea Hermosa were Tech’s other two starters and rounded out the starting five well. McQueen was the Jackets’ most efficient shooter from deep, helping to stretch the floor and allow Cubaj and Hermosa to work inside. Hermosa was an interior threat, leading the team in shooting percentage and finishing second in blocks and offensive rebounds behind Cubaj.

Senior guard Sarah Bates started 11 games and sophomore guard/forward Eylia Love was one of four players to play all 26 games for Tech, bolstering the Jackets’ lineup beyond last year’s main starters.

New to Tech for this season are freshman guard Elizabete Bulane and forward Camryn Harrison. Bulane was a four-star European prospect and a member of the Latvian U16 National Team. Harrison was a two-time all-state player in Tennessee and a top-100 recruit by multiple sites. Joining the new freshmen is grad transfer forward Digna Strautmane, a four-year starter at Syracuse. Strautmane is a good shooter, scoring at all three levels, and brings consistent rebounding and shot-altering to Tech’s lineup.

Tech opened their season with an exhibition against Clayton State, winning the game 74-53. The first game of the regular season is Tuesday, Nov 9 at Central Michigan before five games in the Southeast. Home tilts against KSU and Belmont are followed by a trip to ETSU. Two more home games against Hofstra and Auburn come before the ACC/Big10 Challenge, when the Jackets will travel to face Purdue in West Lafayette, IN.

Tech travels up to Athens for the yearly rivalry game with Georgia on Dec. 5, then faces perennial championship contender UConn at home on Dec. 9. A home game against Furman precedes the first game of ACC play, at McCamish Pavilion against Wake Forest on Dec. 19. The team takes on Boston University at home two days later before entering strictly conference play.

Tech has home-and-home series with Wake Forest, Florida State, Miami and Clemson. The Jackets will face Pitt, Duke, Syracuse, NC State and Virginia Tech on the road only and Louisville, Virginia, North Carolina, Boston College and Notre Dame at home.

The Jackets will be facing a tough slate, with NC State, Louisville and Florida State all ranked in the top 16 of the preseason AP poll. UConn is ranked narrowly behind South Carolina in the poll as well, and Belmont, Central Michigan and several ACC teams made the tournament last season, contributing to the tough schedule. However, Tech is tied for 17th in the poll and weathered a tough season last year as well. Another year with a similar core could lead to another strong season for Tech.

As images of Biden nodding off at the COP26 show up on my feed, I cannot help but be infuriated about the disdain for the climate crisis.

The crisis is not a future problem. It is quickly passing the point of being a current problem as continued lack of action leads to irreversible damage.

It is a problem that can no longer be ignored, a problem that has long been critical and one that is apparently not worth the attention of the president of the world’s second largest polluter.

Biden’s climate summit nap is the perfect symbolism for his treatment of the issue. The spending bill currently working its way through Congress has been cut in half, with more cuts possibly to come, and devotes barely half a trillion dollars to combating climate change over the next decade.

According to the NOAA, climate events over just the past five years have caused around $640 billion of damage.

Events in 2017 alone caused over $300 billion in damages.

These figures are for the United States alone.

Damages around the world total far higher, and the United States’ role in the problem is outsized, as we produce nearly one-seventh of the world’s emissions.

Can the wealthiest country in the world not put more into solving the problem it helped cause?

Can it not see the value of spending more now to mitigate costs later on, not just for itself but for the rest of the world?

By no metric should the fight against climate change be anything but a top priority.

Scientists are more unified over the dangers than almost every other issue.

Economic analysis of climate policy shows unequivocal benefit before even factoring the human toll of inaction.

Still, many world leaders refuse to give the issue the attention it so desperately needs.

Changes, incremental changes, have been made, which I can admit is a start.

However, current policy puts the world on pace to warm around three degrees Celsius, double the maximum number before potentially irreversible climate effects take place.

All current future pledges and goals for carbon reduction put together still pace the world for a two-degree increase over pre-industrial levels, meaning that all promises made, fulfilled or otherwise, would still not be enough to reach the 1.5 degree threshold.

Despite the shortcomings, leaders, especially in America, refuse to acknowledge the gravity of the issue.

Republicans by and large refuse to even consider climate policy, but their partners on the other side of the aisle often fall well short as well.

Even with Democrats supposedly being a party of progress and science, many prominent ones stall or oppose progress.

From Biden’s confusing endorsement of fracking during the 2020 election to Joe Manchin’s refusal to cooperate to pass a bill with any significant climate package to Nancy Pelosi’s “green dream or whatever they call it” comments in 2019 to Diane Feinstein’s dismissal of youth activists to so many other examples, a bipartisan effort to slow meaningful climate policy stifles my faith in the vast majority of the American political scene.

While the problem is global, it can begin to be addressed at lower-scale levels.

Divestment from fossil fuels is a growing campaign that has moved amounts of money estimated to be up to $40 trillion away from that industry.

College campuses have faced divestment campaigns and cut ties to research and industries that contribute heavily to climate change.

Tech has an active campaign, known as ASI Georgia Tech, that focuses on divestment alongside sustainable investment, a movement that I heartily endorse.

Tech should divest, and the sooner campus leaders embrace ASI, the better the world will be.

One more campus divesting, while good, is only one more small step in the fight.

National and international movements like the Sunrise Movement, Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion and other organizations are good places to get involved.

My anger is shared by many, but until leaders take notice, the issue will continue to worsen.

I do not want to be angry. I do not want to worry about my future and the future of the planet.

I want those with the authority to make change at Tech, in the United States and around the world to take climate change as seriously as it deserves.

I hope for a carbon neutral future and that COP26 is not truly too little, too late.

Tech golf finished its fall slate of team play this weekend, placing no worse than sixth in all four of their tournaments. Following a season in which the team placed 15th nationally after making the NCAA Finals, the Jackets have secured two first-place finishes.

Tech opened the year at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sept. 10–12. The team moved into first on the opening day of play with a combined score of 264, good for 16-under par, and never relinquished the lead. The second day saw the Jackets post a combined score of 262, good for the lowest round of any team for the weekend and a whopping 18-under par day. Tech shot 270 for the final round for a minus-10 day and held off second-place Clemson with a minus-44 total to the Tigers’ minus-43.

Sophomore Christo Lamprecht finished with a minus-16 score across three rounds (65-63-66), good for second overall at the event. Two more Tech golfers finished in the top ten. Redshirt junior Bartley Forrester finished tied for sixth, shooting minus-13 (64-70-63) as an individual, while junior Ross Steelman shot minus-11 (62-67-70) and finished tied for ninth.

Junior Connor Howe and redshirt senior Ben Smith were Tech’s other two scorers, shooting minus-6 and minus-4 respectively. Sophomore Aidan Kramer played as an individual, shooting minus-3, while freshman Benjamin Reuter was Tech’s final team player, though his plus-2 score was not counted as only the top four scores for each team were summed.

The Jackets headed to Illinois for the Windon Memorial Classic on Sept 27–28. They secured another top-five finish, holding the fifth spot with a combined score of minus-5. Their three daily scores were 281, 281 and 285, and Tech held a tie for third after day two.

Howe was Tech’s top scorer, finishing tied for seventh overall after shooting minus-5 (71-69-68). Lamprecht secured another top-ten finish, shooting minus-3 (68-72-70) and securing a tie for tenth. Forrester and Steelman were the Jackets’ other two counted scorers, both shooting plus-6, while junior Andy Mao shot plus-7 as an individual and Smith shot plus-8 as Tech’s fifth.

At Tech’s following tournament in New York for the Hamptons Intercollegiate on Oct. 4–5, they finished tied for first with Virginia and Northwestern with combined scores of minus-4. Tech’s scores of 291 and 293 over the first two rounds saw them in fourth after two days, but a score of 276 on day three vaulted them to first, their second top finish of the season.

Steelman led Tech golfers with a score of minus-6 (70-74-66), good for second overall at the event. Forrester and Howe each picked up their second top-ten overall finish of the season, both shooting plus-1 and finishing in a tie for seventh.

Lamprecht had another strong day, as his three-over-par day earned him a tie for 14th and Tech’s final scoring spot. Smith had the second best day of the tournament among individuals as he shot plus-4. Reuter earned a plus-4 day as well, finishing one stroke off Tech’s top four.

Tech sent two teams, A and B, to the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate on Oct. 22-24, and both teams shot under par. The A team shot minus-14 and finished tied for sixth, while the B team shot minus-4 and finished 12th.

Reuter had his best outing of the year, shooting minus-6 (70-71-69) and finishing tied for 13th. Howe and Lamprecht earned top-25 finishes as well, shooting minus-4 and minus-3 respectively. Steelman and Forrester each shot plus-2 to round out the A team scores.

Kramer led the B team with his minus-6 day (68-71-71), joining Reuter in the tie for 13th. Andy Mao and redshirt junior Luka Karaulic each shot plus-1, while Smith was close behind at plus-3 for the B team’s final counted score. Sophomore Adam Bratton was the final player for the B team, shooting plus-6 for Tech.

With the fall schedule complete, Tech gets a couple months of rest before a packed spring schedule.

Tech sports venues are back to maximum capacity, and with students back in the stands for all sports, their atmospheres are back to normal. While every sport is a fun fan experience, some Tech venues have better atmospheres than others. For those looking for the best Tech athletic experiences, the following list details the atmosphere of each sport’s games.

The top spot on campus goes to volleyball’s O’Keefe Gymnasium. The gym is a small one, with a capacity of around 1,000. It regularly fills to the brim, especially with the team’s recent success. Coordinated chants seek to rattle the opponents and boost Tech from the opening point. When the opposing team prepares to serve, the crowd shouts “Boing!” in unison whenever the server bounces the ball and “Ouch!” when they hit it in preparation to serve. A coordinated crescendo of a shout, similar to that during a kickoff at football games, leads to the serve.

Following each Tech score comes a call of “Point Tech!” and the band plays during timeouts and other breaks. The Budweiser song plays after the second set and the combination of the band, chants and consistently full house vaults the venue to the top of the totem pole for Jacket athletics.

Second is McCamish Pavilion, a smaller basketball arena for Division I. The compact nature of McCamish lends itself to the atmosphere, as it fills quickly in a similar fashion to O’Keefe. Tech’s Pep Band and a full crowd of around 8,600 turns the stadium into a tightly packed, energetic space for Tech basketball. The student section’s metal benches turn free throws into a nightmare for visiting teams in the second half, when students bang on the seats right behind the opponents’ basket, creating a deafening racket. Despite being at reduced capacity a season ago, McCamish’s ecstatic environment drew attention from coaches around the ACC.

Tech’s Bobby Dodd stadium, home of Jacket football, rounds out our top three. Home of the longest continuously used field in the FBS, the 55,000 seat venue is home to decades of tradition, including one of the best pre-game entrances by the Wreck. Coordinated cheers at kickoffs, the first down whistle and the marching band combine to make Bobby Dodd an unmistakable experience. The factor that holds this stadium back is attendance though, as it is hovered around two-thirds of capacity recently, leaving some to be desired to elevate the atmosphere.

Baseball and softball take the next two spots, respectively. The recently renovated Russ Chandler Stadium, holding over 4,000 fans and boasting new renovations as recently as this year, is a sparkling and clean venue. A large video board behind the outfield adds to the engagement and posts game times of other sports while not in use in-game. While student numbers tend to be respectable, low average overall attendance keeps Chandler Stadium from being higher on the list.

Mewborn Field’s edge comes from the players’ role in the atmosphere. Chants pour from the dugout from the first pitch, and the 1,500 fan stadium was built just over a decade ago in 2009. A new stadium coupled with fans and players both adding to the atmosphere makes Mewborn Field a venue worth visiting.

McAuley Aquatic Center, Tech’s Olympic swim and dive venue, earns its spot due to its history and athletic capacity. The space was the site of the 1996 Olympic water events and still boasts a spectator capacity of nearly 2,000 despite being scaled down after the games. Originally the venue was open air with bleachers on both sides of the pool before being enclosed as part of creating the CRC we know today. The actual Olympic pool and dive area lends novelty to the venue, and its size has led to it being selected as the host site for the 2022 ACC and NCAA championships.

The Griffin Track is Tech’s space for outdoor track and field events. With a few rows of bleachers facing the northern stretch of the track, designated fan capacity is limited, but the fence surrounding the track allows for plain view into home events, allowing casual spectators to enjoy the action. Having the facilities for a complete track meet means spectators can witness a broad range of athletic endeavors from the fenceline and enjoy Tech sports even with limited amenities.

The Ken Byers Tennis Complex has over a dozen courts between its indoor and outdoor spaces, though seating capacity is low. Tech tennis plays home matches and tournaments at the complex, which has a few rows of bleachers overlooking some of the outdoor courts. Despite the quality of the player spaces, the lack of fan space keeps Byers low on the list.

No matter the level of atmosphere or amenities, Tech sports are worth watching. With the different seasons being spread out over the year, a dedicated student can easily check out every venue each year. Students make the atmosphere at any college sporting event and devoted fans always heighten the experience.

Tech cross country is off to a fast start, performing well in their first three meets. Both teams have multiple top-three finishes at regional events and the women’s team has yet to place worse than sixth in any meet. Between two meets in Georgia and a trip to Minnesota for the Roy Griak Invitational, the team has stayed busy. One meet remains, this time in Pennsylvania, before the ACC and NCAA championships, the former being later this month.

The season began in nearby Kennesaw, GA as both teams dominated and earned first place finishes. Tech swept the men’s podium and held seven of the next ten spots as well. Senior James Cragin took the top spot, followed by sophomore John Higinbotham and junior Zach Jaegar for the podium sweep. All five Tech scorers finished their 6k race in under 18:45. Five more Jacket runners finished in the top 13.

The women’s team was similarly strong. Senior Nicole Fegans continued her reign of dominance from last season with a first place finish and a sub-14 minute time for the 4k. The third through fifth place finishers were also Jackets; senior Liz Galarza, freshman Sarah Copeland and senior Claire Moritz rounded out the top five. Sophomore Katy Earwood was Tech’s final scorer. All five scorers finished under 15:02.

While not having quite the same level of dominance as in Kennesaw, the women’s team performed well again in Minnesota. Fegans secured another top-ten finish with a 21:09.1 6k time while Galarza and Moritz finished two-tenths of a second apart for a pair of top-25 scores. Copeland and Earwood again rounded out the top-five as Tech finished sixth out of 21 teams.

Jaeger and Cragin were the top two finishers for the Tech men, both crossing with times under 25:30 for the 8k race. Junior Nick Nyman, sophomore Jack Voss and junior Lief Andersen rounded out Tech’s top five as all scorers finished in the top 100. The team could not replicate their success from Kennesaw, though, as they took 13th of 21 teams present.

Returning home, Tech prepared for the Alexander/Asics Invitational in Fairburn, Georgia. The men’s team started things off with a second place finish in the 8k. Senior David Reteneller led the pack with a top-ten finish and a 25:49.65 time. Sophomores Alex Thomas, Charlie Smith, Tristan Autry and senior Harrison Morris scored for Tech as well. All scorers finished under 26:21 and the Jacket men took home a second-place finish. Myles Collins ran as an unattached contestant for Tech as well, finishing eighth overall with a time of 25:38.11.

Asked about his thoughts on the race, Thomas said, “Going into this race we were coming back from a tough race, Roy Griak in Minnesota and we just wanted to capitalize on this one and come back from a race that we didn’t think was a Georgia Tech-style race.”

The women were led by Copeland with a 17:38.14 time. Junior Gillian Filer, sophomore Ashley Sechrest, sophomore Erin Fegans and senior Clay McKnight scored as well for Tech, all finishing with sub-19:23 times.

Tech women took third in the event, adding to a strong season. Both teams have found the podium twice in their first three meets this season.

After the Alexander/Asics Invitational, Sechrest said, “Last race was kind of tough, the course was hard … but after that I just wanted to focus on executing my race, running it right. This course was really nice.”

Copeland, Tech’s top scorer for the race, echoed Sechrest’s sentiments, and when asked about the upcoming race in Pennsylvania said, “[We’re] really excited, obviously as a team we’ve been training really hard and executing some good workouts. I think the team is strong enough to do really well.”

The final meet of the regular season comes to Big Ten country for the Penn State National Open on Oct. 15. Two weeks of rest will follow before the ACC Championships on Oct. 29 in South Bend, Indiana. The NCAA South Regionals will be Friday, Nov. 12 in Huntsville, AL, followed by the NCAA Championships the next weekend in Tallahassee, FL. Tech women hope to return to the NCAA Championships for another consecutive year, while the men hope to make a return.

Julia Balot contributed reporting from Fairburn, GA

For the second week in a row, Tech faced a double-digit spread as an underdog. After a close loss to Clemson on Sept. 18, the Jackets welcomed University of North Carolina (UNC) into Mercedes Benz Stadium for the Mayhem at MBS showdown. The Tarheels came in as roughly two touchdown favorites following strong wins over Georgia State and Virginia, but Tech weathered an early touchdown and dominated Carolina, winning the game by 23.

Tech won the toss and deferred to the second half. UNC quarterback Sam Howell overthrew a likely touchdown pass to an open receiver on the second play from scrimmage, but made up for it with a long run on third down to move the chains. The Tarheel offense stalled as Howell completed one pass for no gain on the first drive, and Tech got its first touches of the game after a punt.

Freshman quarterback Jordan Yates got the start for the third straight game, eliciting cheers from the crowd. However, the Tech offense failed to gain a first down, and the ensuing punt was partially blocked, giving UNC the ball on Tech’s 40-yard line. Four plays later, Howell scampered into the endzone from 23 yards out to give Carolina a 7-0 lead.

After the trading punts, Tech mounts their first long drive of the game. Opening with a 29-yard run by freshman running back Jahmyr Gibbs, the drive got as far as the UNC ten-yard line before a penalty helped bring up a fourth and goal. Senior Brent Cimaglia continued his hot streak, hitting a 34-yard field goal to put Tech on the board.

On Carolina’s next play from scrimmage, Tech’s sophomore defensive end Jordan Domineck forced the first of Howell’s three fumbles. Junior linebacker Quez Jackson scooped up the fumble and returned it to the Tarheel ten-yard line, giving Tech another red-zone possession. For the fifth straight redzone attempt dating back to the Clemson game, Tech failed to find the endzone and instead settled for three more points and a 7-6 deficit as Cimaglia hit his second field goal of the game, this time from 32 yards.

North Carolina began to drive in response, but one of Tech’s five first half sacks helped stop the drive. A 48-yard field goal attempt by senior kicker Grayson Atkins was called back after a false start, and the resulting 53-yard attempt missed wide left.

Tech punted on the next drive, but responded via senior defensive tackle Djimon Brooks forcing a second Howell fumble. Sophomore linebacker Demetrius Knight II scooped up the ball, carrying it all the way to the 17-yard line before stumbling Daniel Jones style inside the redzone. After Tech’s first two redzone attempts resulted in field goals, freshman quarterback Jeff Sims was installed in Yates’ stead. Sims cashed in on an 11-yard run two plays later, giving Tech a 13-7 lead they would take into the half.

Tech punted on their first possession of the second half, giving UNC the ball at their own 32. With a fourth and one from their own 41, UNC elected to go for it in their own territory only down a score. Howell was tackled for a two yard loss, giving Tech great field position to start their drive. Sims provided all 39 yards of offense, runs of 38 and one yard respectively for his second touchdown.

Tech began to gain momentum, forcing a UNC three and out. Sims found his footing in the passing game, completing all four of his passes for 60 total yards as Tech drove 81 yards for another touchdown. Gibbs punched home the score from 4 yards out, and Cimaglia’s extra point was the 27th unanswered point scored by the Jackets.

UNC responded with a clinical drive, with Howell’s arm accounting for all but five of the Tarheels’ yards as they scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to 13. Tech was not flustered, though, and responded with a 75 yard drive of their own. The drive was capped off by a well-placed throw from Sims to a leaping Malachi Carter, who scratched his toe down in bounds for the 27 yard score.

A successful two point conversion attempt came about via the play commonly known as the Philly Special, with sophomore wide receiver Peje’ Harris taking a pitch before tossing the ball to sophomore tight end Dylan Leonard for the conversion. The conversion gave Tech a 21 point lead and showed more depth of head coach Geoff Collins’ playbook.

Tech forced Carolina into a third and 18 situation on the following drive, but a deep ball from Howell to Carolina receiver Emery Simmons gave them a 63 yard gain and a first down inside the ten. A pass to wide receiver Josh Downs on third and goal followed by a two point conversion attempt caught by tight end Cayden Baker cut the deficit to 13.

Needing to run out the clock against a suddenly hot Tarheel offense, Tech mounted a 12 play, seven minute, 52 yard drive to eat up almost two-thirds of the remaining time. Cimaglia hit his third field goal of the game, this time from 31 yards, and Tech held a 38-22 lead with around four minutes left.

Carolina moved the ball into Tech territory through a series of short passes before a strip sack by freshman defensive end Jared Ivey forced Howell’s third fumble of the game. Junior linebacker Charlie Thomas added to his statline with a fumble recovery for Tech, and the Jackets once again capitalized on a Tarheel mistake when Jeff Sims ran for a winding 50 yard score two plays later.

Carolina began one final drive, but Tech quickly forced a turnover on downs after three incompletions and a sack by Thomas. One kneeldown later, Tech was celebrating their first win over a ranked program in the Collins era and a 23 point win over a heavily favored team.

Tech totaled 261 rushing yards while holding Carolina to 63 and outgained the Tarheels by 25 yards overall. Tech also only committed five penalties and was plus-three in the turnover margin. Sims shined in his first game back, with 112 passing yards, 128 rushing yards and four touchdowns accounted for.

The Jackets totaled eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss, living in the backfield against a good offensive line.

Thomas and Sims both received conference or national recognition for their play. Thomas’ 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and eight tackles earned him an ACC Linebacker of the Week nod, while Sims earned a Davey O’Brien Great 8 spot, making him eligible for the award given to the top quarterback in the country each year.

In his opening remarks during the press conference, Collins called the game a “total team effort” and praised his squad for their play against a “really good team.” Collins lauded the team’s work ethic and ability to respond to and grow from adversity and linked those qualities to Saturday’s win.

Asked about how he felt about the decision to insert Sims, Collins said, “Jeff did have a really good game, and I’m just really proud of him, the way he has battled back from injury to get himself back to 100%, the way he supported Jordan Yates every single snap of every single play.”

“Jordan did the same thing, Jordan was the happiest kid in the world, celebrating with Jeff as we sang the fight song,” Collins said, referring to the mutual support Tech’s freshman quarterbacks have for each other.

When asked about his thoughts about the venue and the crowd, Collins said, “Our guys fed off the crowd, really thankful for the Yellow Jacket fanbase coming out and supporting our guys.

The student body had a full complete sellout of their allotment of tickets and the energy, the juice of being in downtown Atlanta, the place was rocking.”

Jackson spoke about the team’s recent ability to find an identity and “put it together,” contributing to the defense’s success this season. Sims detailed his journey back to the field, crediting his faith in God and his teammates and coaches for making sure he was ready to return to play.

Carter joked about his leaping touchdown grab, comparing his acrobatic toe tap to that of a ballerina, eliciting chuckles from the reporters at the press conference. Brooks talked about the team’s success in getting to the backfield, and all four players seemed tired but happy with the win and echoed sentiments of focusing on the next game.

Tech hosts ACC foe Pitt on Oct. 2 at noon. The Panthers are 3-1, with their marquee win coming against Tennessee. North Carolina dropped from the AP Poll after the loss, and hosts Duke for their annual rivalry game at noon on Oct. 2.

Despite facing a nearly four-touchdown favorite in Death Valley, Tech exited with a narrow loss in a defensive battle against Clemson on Sept. 18. A sellout crowd of almost entirely orange-clad fans watched the slugfest under cloudy skies as the 3:30 p.m. game lasted until around 9 p.m. after a delay. A pregame flyover and some Clemson recruiting videos capped the festivities before kickoff and the game was underway.

A rain shower around half an hour before kickoff was a sign of the delay to come, but the inclement weather cleared up before the teams took the field. Tech won the toss and deferred. Gavin Stewart sent the opening kickoff out for a touchback, and Clemson promptly committed their first of eight penalties, a false start on the first play of the game.

Tech struggled to put pressure on Clemson’s quarterback, sophomore DJ Uiagalelei, early in the game, but the defense managed to force a punt on the Tigers’ opening drive. The Jackets gained possession on their own four, and despite earning a first down on their very first play, ended up punting from their own endzone after a Clemson sack. The play was reviewed for targeting, the first of three such plays in the game, but ultimately the non-call was upheld and a short Tech punt gave Clemson the ball on the Tech 39-yard line.

A drive highlighted by several runs by Clemson’s freshman running back Will Shipley was capped by a three-yard touchdown run from Shipley himself. Clemson took the 7-0 lead following the extra point. The teams traded punts with neither gaining a first down before Clemson faced a fourth and two in the redzone. A shovel pass to Shipley was stuffed, and Tech began to gather its first burst of momentum of the game.

The Jackets finally got their second first down of the game on the ensuing drive, and made it into Clemson territory before punting. After forcing a three-and-out, Tech had the ball on their own 29 with a bit under three minutes left. The second targeting review of the game occurred after Tech’s freshman quarterback Jordan Yates was hit in the head, and this time the play upheld, resulting in Clemson’s Trenton Simpson being ejected. A carry by freshman running back Jahmyr Gibbs set Tech up with a third and short inside the redzone, leading to a Tech timeout with 32 seconds left.

Shortly after the timeout, an announcement was made that lightning was detected in the area and the game would be delayed for at least half an hour. Fans were asked to leave and find cover, and the stadium mostly emptied out as players walked back to their locker rooms and attendees left their seats. The delay would stretch to nearly two hours as coaches and players tried to stay ready for play.

The coaches agreed to have the delay serve as halftime, with the remaining 32 seconds and the entire second half played consecutively without a full halftime break between the second and third quarters.

Tech moved as far as the Clemson five-yard line following the break, but an incomplete pass led to a chip shot field goal by senior Brent Cimaglia and let the Jackets cut the deficit to four at the half.

Tech received the ball right back since they deferred following the coin toss, and immediately moved the ball downfield with a 35-yard strike to senior wideout Kyric McGowan. The drive stalled a few plays later, and Tech was forced to punt. Freshman defensive lineman Zeek Biggers made a big run stuff to help stall Clemson’s next drive as the teams traded punts before Clemson mounted a drive into the redzone. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Uiagalelei ran far enough for a first down before fumbling the ball, which was recovered by Tech for its second redzone stop.

The Jackets failed to gain significant momentum after the turnover, and Clemson once again drove down the field to the redzone. A targeting penalty on Tech’s senior safety Tariq Carpenter saw him ejected and gave the Tigers the ball inside the five-yard line, and a second rushing touchdown by Shipley gave Clemson a 14-3 lead.

The Jackets, needing to respond, moved the ball well following the score before facing a fourth and seven at Clemson’s 35-yard line. A botched snap led to Yates scooping the ball off the ground and firing a prayer toward Dylan Deveney, who hauled in a catch just off the ground for the first down. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney challenged the play, but the ruling was upheld.

Tech once again got as far as the five-yard line, but when faced with fourth down elected to kick another 22-yard field goal and cut the deficit to eight, rendering it a one score game with 1:19 to play. Gavin Stewart’s onside kick bounced over a Clemson returner and right into Tech’s hands on the sideline, answering a prayer and giving the Jackets another chance to score.

A personal foul and a long completion to McGowan quickly move the ball to the redzone for Tech. Two plays later, the Jackets have a fresh set of downs on the Clemson three-yard line as well as two timeouts. Despite the resources and distance, Tech once again failed to punch the ball into the endzone, reaching the one-yard line on fourth down but giving the ball back to the Tigers.

With only 15 seconds left, the game appeared to be over, but a Shipley fumble recovered in the endzone by Clemson gave Tech a safety, decreasing the scoring margin to six points and giving the Jackets the ball. With only seven seconds left and needing to go 75 yards, Tech resorted to the lateral drill. They only gained around 11 yards before an illegal forward pass, and Clemson escaped with a six-point win at home.

The intensity of the game was reflected in the postgame interviews, with players and coach alike visibly fatigued. Collins praised the team’s effort, saying, “I am blessed to coach these young men, what they put into this, how they battle, how they fight.”

On the difference between this game as compared to the last two matchups with Clemson, Collins said, “It’s just … the attitude, the demeanor, the fight, the attention to detail [and] the willingness to compete toe to toe.”

Collins gave the Tigers credit for their play. “That’s one of the best defenses in college football… I don’t think they’ve allowed a touchdown all season,” said Collins. “That offensive line for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets battled… I’m really proud of that group [with] the way they took on one of the top front sevens in college football.”

The players were disappointed with the end result, but echoed similar sentiments of pride in the quality of play. “Definitely not happy not coming out with the win but really proud of the way the defense showed up and played and how we fought on offense,” said McGowan after the game.

When asked about weathering Clemson pounding the ball on the ground in the second half, junior linebacker Quez Jackson said, “I just feel like I fell back on my training, we as a defense did and Coach did a great job with us so, you know, we train for moments like that. We did our best to fight through it.”

The game was a defensive battle from start to finish, and Tech has plenty to take away from it. They had a positive turnover margin, outgained the Tigers and had fewer penalty yards. However, redzone offense and third down defense are glaring areas of improvement, as settling for field goals and allowing Clemson to extend drives on long third downs both contributed to the loss.

Tech faces North Carolina in a home game played at Mercedes Benz stadium next week. The Tarheels are coming off two straight wins. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25. Clemson will travel to Raleigh to face North Carolina State at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 25.