Despite facing a heavily favored opponent on the road and starting a true freshman quarterback, the Jackets emerged from Tallahassee with a season-opening win for second-year coach Geoff Collins against Florida State this past Saturday. The ‘Noles were favored by almost two touchdowns, given a 12.5 point spread in their favor and slightly north of a 75% chance to win at kickoff, but in spite several mistakes throughout the game, mostly on special teams, the Jackets managed to pull out a comeback victory in an inspiring beginning to the season.

Tech received the opening kickoff and displayed their new offensive system immediately, completing two passes for twenty yards on the first two plays. Collins has been working to implement the pass more heavily, so being able to do so early while transitioning from former head coach Paul Johnson’s triple option system is a big step.

The team drove well the rest of their first drive, putting together an eleven play drive to get inside FSU’s 40 yard line. However, pressure by the Seminoles flushed freshman quarterback Jeff Sims from the pocket, and an off-balance throw fell short of the target and into the waiting arms of cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. for Sims’ first mistake of the half.

FSU responded with a 52 yard drive that was capped by a touchdown pass by James Blackman, and with a rain delay following the extra point, Tech had to head to the locker room down 7-0. Both coaches worked to keep their players loose during the delay, but after a punt by Tech and an FSU field goal, the Jackets found themselves in a 10-0 hole early.
Tech’s first great chance to get on the board came just minutes later, when a 74-yard drive had them at the five yard line. The first of a series of special teams woes began here though, as freshman

Jude Kelley’s 22-yard chip shot attempt was blocked by a good rush from FSU’s line. Special teams struggled for the Jackets on Saturday, as the kick coverage units allowed multiple long returns and the placekicking unit was out of sync all afternoon.

Another good drive moved Tech to the red zone before a pressured throw by Sims gave Samuel Jr. his second pick of the game. A long return had Florida State in prime starting field position, but Blackman returned the favor by throwing an interception of his own to junior linebacker Quez Jackson. This set up Tech with great field position of their own at the Seminoles’ 22-yard line. Three plays later, however, Kelley had his second field goal attempt blocked, this one a 38 yard try. After a couple more relatively uneventful drives, halftime came with Florida State leading 10-0

Despite the score not reflecting it, the first half was highly competitive. Tech put up 269 yards, nearly 100 more than the Seminoles, and found success both through the air and on the ground. Despite designed runs struggling early, Sims’ legs helped open up opportunities when other options were scarce. With six points left behind from the field goal blocks and a pair of costly turnovers deep in enemy territory, the Jackets were not out of the game but knew they had to clean up their errors, including the 55 yards worth of penalties that slowed down a number of drives.

The Jackets came out of the second half strong, forcing a punt and followed it up with an 80 yard drive, capped off by a 19 yard touchdown run by redshirt junior Jordan Mason. Kelley hit the extra point, and Tech was on the board in a one-score game.

Florida State drove down for a field goal, but another long Tech drive ended with a nice throw by Jeff Sims that was pulled in by junior Malachi Carter for six points. The Seminoles kept up their special teams dominance with their third blocked field goal of the night, and the Jackets were unable to take the lead, leaving the game tied at 13.

On the ensuing drive, a strip sack by redshirt sophomore Curtis Ryans coupled with a recovery and return by redshirt senior David Curry put the ball on the Seminoles’ 11-yard line, putting Tech in an excellent position to take the lead. After three plays went nowhere, Jude Kelley got his chance for redemption. After having three of his first four kicks blocked, the pressure was on, but the freshman rose to the occasion and made the 32 yard field goal to take the lead, 16-13.

With almost nine minutes left on the clock, more work still had to be done to leave Tallahassee with a victory. FSU began to build a drive, working their way to the Tech 38 yard line before finding themselves in a 4th down situation. Blackman could not find an open receiver and began to scramble, but was hit by Curtis Ryans, who forced his second fumble of the day. This one was also recovered by the Jackets, this time by senior defensive lineman Djimon Brooks. Tech ran a couple minutes off the clock but was forced to punt, giving the Seminoles one last chance to win the game. However, after four straight Florida State pass plays ended up gaining only eight total yards, and the Jackets got the ball back for good by forcing a turnover on downs.

Collins and the team were elated by the win, seen celebrating on the sidelines as Sims knelt to run out the clock. Tech outgained Florida State by 150 yards overall, won the turnover battle, and showed great resolve in persevering through a number of early mistakes.

Tech has a strong first win to build on for the rest of the season. A significant portion of Sims’ mistakes were a result of his youth, and he will only improve as he gains more experience. If the special teams unit can make fewer mistakes and the team as a whole can cut back on penalties, the Jackets will be well-positioned for future success.

Tech hosts the 14th-ranked Central Florida Knights this Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, while FSU heads to Miami for an in-state match-up. Collins’ team will look to build on their week one win against a talented UCF team, and Jeff Sims will hope to continue to perform after a promising debut. Tech received votes in the AP Poll, sitting just outside the top 25 at number 28 for this week, and holds the number 26 spot in the Coaches Poll after Saturday’s win. Kickoff is set for 3:30 at Grant Field.

After a thrilling week one win, Tech football has dropped two straight to 14th-ranked UCF and unranked Syracuse. Quarterback Jeff Sims and the rest of the team look to bounce back Friday night (10/9). Their opponent, Louisville, has fared similarly so far, winning week one against Western Kentucky before losing a pair of ranked matchups to #17 Miami and #21 Pitt. FPI gives Louisville a roughly 72% chance to win and the spread sits at around -4.5 in favor of Louisville.

Louisville beat the Hilltoppers in week one on the back of a solid offensive showing. Another 30-plus point game in week two left them short of a win against Miami, and Pitt’s defense shut them down a week later, holding them to 20 points as the Panthers secured the win. Tech’s opening win at Florida State was followed by turnover-laden losses to UCF and Syracuse, with both opponents scoring 37 or more in the defeats.

A number of interesting matchups and position duels will play out under the lights, most notably the quarterback play. Malik Cunningham has seen action in all three of his seasons at Louisville, and had a solid campaign last year under center. However, he has already matched his interception total from last season in the first three games of 2020 and is averaging a single yard per carry on the ground. Jeff Sims is both the leading rusher and passer for the Jackets, amassing almost 700 yards through the air and another nearly 200 on the ground. Sims sat while Jordan Yates took the field for part of the Syracuse game after his 4th pick of the afternoon, but will likely start again for game four.

Despite the yardage outbursts, the offense has struggled due to a number of costly turnovers, currently near the top of the list with 12 total. Adding in continued kicking woes to the tune of only one made field goal this season, Tech’s offense is only managing 19 points per game despite totaling north of 450 yards on average. Multiple drives in every game so far have ended with a turnover or missed kick while in the red zone, leaving possible points on the table at the end of good drives.

The two teams’ run games also differ distinctly. Louisville’s Javian Hawkins accounts for about two-thirds of their rushing yards, while no Tech player even has a third on his own. Collins’ system spreads touches out between players, so any one of a number of teammates can contribute on a given play, creating a true running back by committee approach.

The kicking battle for the Jackets so far this season has been met with limited success, with neither kicker scoring more than 5 points. Week one starter Jude Kelley has made one of four field goals and two of three extra points, while replacement Gavin Stewart has hit all four extra points but missed his only field goal attempt. In contrast, Louisville kicker James Turner has yet to miss a kick this year, converting all 11 extra points along with his four field goal attempts.

Both Tech and Louisville have coughed up the football an outsize number of times, and the turnover battle may decide the outcome of this game. While Tech ranks near the top of the entire NCAA with their dozen turnovers, the Cardinals are not far behind, sitting in the top five in the country with eight giveaways. Malik Cunningham has thrown five picks and the team has added another three fumbles to rival Sims’ eight picks and Tech’s four fumbles. Tech has forced twice as many turnovers though, and may be able to take advantage of ball security woes to grab some extra possessions or short fields.

Look for the Jackets to continue to use a balanced attack to work a defense that allows 30 points a game, with around a dozen players likely to get a touch at some point on Friday evening. Tech will want to slow Hawkins and pressure Cunningham to try and force turnovers and negative plays. Short fields will limit giveaway chances for the Jackets and give the offense more chances to turn drives into points. Limiting penalties and other avoidable mistakes will be key in this winnable matchup with another team looking to avoid a three game skid.

Facing a number of changes both COVID-related and otherwise, the NFL has resumed team activities, and games start this weekend. Only a month into their off-seasons when widespread shutdowns began, teams are starting to conduct their training camps. Every team resumed practice at their respective camps by the end of July, where they worked to implement their offseason program in a shortened time frame. Teams had an extra four weeks before any sort of game this year as the preseason games have all been canceled.

The regular season will start on time, albeit with limited fans and new sideline and postgame protocols. All teams have introduced limits on their attendance numbers, with around quarter capacity being the uppermost limit announced. Every team’s protocols are either in the process of being reviewed by the NFL or have been cleared for implementation. Any non-team personnel in attendance will have their temperature checked and be required to wear a mask, and any non-player team personnel will be masked at all times on the sideline. Postgame pleasantries are limited to interactions from a six-foot distance, meaning the congregation at midfield following most games will be limited and jersey swaps are outright banned for the season. Beyond COVID-related changes, the offseason’s highlights were found mostly in the NFL Draft and the ratification of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the players and team owners. The draft, in a virtual format this year, happened as scheduled in late April. The flurry of trades that often occurs on Day 1 was limited this year while teams felt out the draft’s remote nature. The new CBA was ratified in March, setting in motion the big changes of a 17 game season and a 14 game playoffs, the latter of which is set to go into effect as early as this season. The new playoff structure would have the four division champions qualify along with the top three wild card teams in each conference. The first seed would be the only team to receive a bye, and wild card weekend would move to six total games, up from four. The Falcons plan to host a limited number of fans; September home games will be played with no fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and as conditions change the capacity will begin to increase.

Rookies and certain veterans reported to the Falcons’ practice facility on July 23, followed by the rest of the team on July 26. Due to the cancellation of the preseason, the Falcons will return to action on September 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.

This past season was a tale of two seasons for the Falcons. After a 1-7 start which included four losses by at least 14 points, things began clicking, leading to a 6-2 record on the back half of the season and a 7-9 record overall. Head coach Dan Quinn went from the hot seat to appearing poised for potential success in 2020.

That success will not come easy though, as the Falcons are tied for the fifth hardest schedule in the league and must now deal with Tom Brady twice.

Across 17 weeks the season will ebb and flow, though the breaks will be hard to come by. The NFL is a competitive league, and with a schedule as hard as the Falcons’ this season it will take strong play every week to remain in contention for any postseason hopes. In the first seven weeks Atlanta will have to face the entire NFC North, a division that yielded a pair of playoff teams last season, and two NFC contenders in the Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.

Before their Week 10 bye, the Falcons must travel to play the Carolina Panthers and host the Denver Broncos, two teams that struggled last year but have each found consistency at the quarterback position heading into 2020.

Following the bye are five games against likely playoff teams: the 2019 Super Bowl champion Chiefs, the revamped Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New Orleans Saints, winners of 13 games last season.

Looking to help the Falcons in 2020 will be their new free agent signings and draft picks. Todd Gurley, after being cut by the Rams early in the offseason, signed with the Falcons on a one-year, $6 million dollar deal.

Atlanta’s rushing offense sat at third-worst in the NFL on a yards per game basis, so Gurley provides a needed upgrade. Gurley was the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and, when healthy, has been among the best backs in the league.

Joining Gurley on the offense will be tight end Hayden Hurst, who the Falcons traded for as a replacement for Pro Bowler Austin Hooper. Hurst was the Ravens’ second option at tight end last season, but he has potential to flourish with a starting role.

A small draft class hopes to complement these free agency signings.
Only selecting six players, Atlanta worked to shore up the defense with four of those picks. Highlighting the class is cornerback AJ Terrell, taken 16th overall from Clemson.

Among the top cornerbacks in a star-studded class, Terrell will look to shore up the back end of Atlanta’s defense as this season gets underway.

Editor’s Note: Over the next few weeks, we will be covering the return of major sports in America, giving a special focus to local sports. Today, we are covering the NBA and the NHL. If there is a team, league, or organization in the Atlanta area that you would like us to give attention to, feel free to reach out to us at sports@nique.net. 

NBA

The NBA was the first major American sports league to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, suspending its regular season on March 11. Since then, the commissioner’s office has been working with the player’s union on a plan that would allow the season to be completed in some fashion. The result of those discussions is the “Orlando Playoffs,” which will see the top 13 teams in the Western Conference and the top nine teams in the East resume play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 30. The participating teams will be placed in a “bubble” that includes players, coaches, essential staff members and media. The idea of the bubble is to create a closed environment where cases of the virus can be limited. Limited mobility will allow for better tracking and isolation of participants who test positive or exhibit potential symptoms of the virus. Games will be conducted without fans, but many of them will be televised.

Each team will play eight “regular season” games that will determine seeding for the playoffs, which are set to begin August 17. The top seven teams in each conference at the end of the seeding games will be locked in for the playoffs, but the situation for the eighth seed is different — if the ninth seed team in either conference is within four games of the eighth seed team, a play-in will occur. The lower seed will have to win two consecutive games to earn a spot in the next round, while the higher seed will only have to win one game. Once the final seeds are determined, the playoffs will continue under the standard eight-team format for each conference, culminating in the Eastern Conference champion taking on the Western Conference champion in the NBA Finals, which have a targeted start date of September 30. Overall, the entire tournament will take a little over three months. 

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the eight teams that did not make the cutoff for Orlando, ending any chance of playoff contention. This would seem to indicate that their season is over, although the NBA has been considering creating a second bubble in Chicago for the eight teams not traveling to Orlando. Teams would be required to follow the same protocols as in Orlando, with a target start date of sometime in September. It is expected that teams would be able to conduct training camps and play each other in that space, opening the door for a continuation of the season. Atlanta would stand to benefit from the continued experience this situation would provide for their young players, such as rookies DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish. However, it remains to be seen if this scenario will actually come to pass as the league may decide that the health risk is not worth playing games that have no ultimate significance.

NHL

Meanwhile, the NHL plans to resume play on August 1 in a pair of hub cities. The Western Conference teams will play in Edmonton while their Eastern Conference counterparts will compete in Toronto. 24 teams will compete in an expanded playoff format this year as opposed to the standard 16. The top four teams in each conference will open with round-robin style play, taking on each of the other top teams to determine seeding for the first round. The remaining eight teams will play a best of five play-in series, and the winners will take on the top four seeds. The eight losers will head to the draft lottery, with the added bonus that one of the teams will receive the first overall pick. 

All rounds after the play-in round will be best of seven and teams will be reseeded between rounds, rather than following a bracketed format. Exact start and end dates have not yet been set for the playoffs, but teams will be allowed to start formal training camps on July 10. 

Editor’s Note: Over the next few weeks, we will be covering the return of major sports in America, giving a special focus to local sports. Today, we are covering the NBA and the NHL. If there is a team, league, or organization in the Atlanta area that you would like us to give attention to, feel free to reach out to us at sports@nique.net. 

NBA

The NBA was the first major American sports league to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, suspending its regular season on March 11. Since then, the commissioner’s office has been working with the player’s union on a plan that would allow the season to be completed in some fashion. The result of those discussions is the “Orlando Playoffs,” which will see the top 13 teams in the Western Conference and the top nine teams in the East resume play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 30. The participating teams will be placed in a “bubble” that includes players, coaches, essential staff members and media. The idea of the bubble is to create a closed environment where cases of the virus can be limited. Limited mobility will allow for better tracking and isolation of participants who test positive or exhibit potential symptoms of the virus. Games will be conducted without fans, but many of them will be televised.

Each team will play eight “regular season” games that will determine seeding for the playoffs, which are set to begin August 17. The top seven teams in each conference at the end of the seeding games will be locked in for the playoffs, but the situation for the eighth seed is different — if the ninth seed team in either conference is within four games of the eighth seed team, a play-in will occur. The lower seed will have to win two consecutive games to earn a spot in the next round, while the higher seed will only have to win one game. Once the final seeds are determined, the playoffs will continue under the standard eight-team format for each conference, culminating in the Eastern Conference champion taking on the Western Conference champion in the NBA Finals, which have a targeted start date of September 30. Overall, the entire tournament will take a little over three months. 

The Atlanta Hawks were one of the eight teams that did not make the cutoff for Orlando, ending any chance of playoff contention. This would seem to indicate that their season is over, although the NBA has been considering creating a second bubble in Chicago for the eight teams not traveling to Orlando. Teams would be required to follow the same protocols as in Orlando, with a target start date of sometime in September. It is expected that teams would be able to conduct training camps and play each other in that space, opening the door for a continuation of the season. Atlanta would stand to benefit from the continued experience this situation would provide for their young players, such as rookies DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish. However, it remains to be seen if this scenario will actually come to pass as the league may decide that the health risk is not worth playing games that have no ultimate significance.

NHL

Meanwhile, the NHL plans to resume play on August 1 in a pair of hub cities. The Western Conference teams will play in Edmonton while their Eastern Conference counterparts will compete in Toronto. 24 teams will compete in an expanded playoff format this year as opposed to the standard 16. The top four teams in each conference will open with round-robin style play, taking on each of the other top teams to determine seeding for the first round. The remaining eight teams will play a best of five play-in series, and the winners will take on the top four seeds. The eight losers will head to the draft lottery, with the added bonus that one of the teams will receive the first overall pick. 

All rounds after the play-in round will be best of seven and teams will be reseeded between rounds, rather than following a bracketed format. Exact start and end dates have not yet been set for the playoffs, but teams will be allowed to start formal training camps on July 10. 

The MLB first-year player draft took place last week, with round one on June 10 and round two through five following on June 11. Although the draft this year was shortened from the usual 40 rounds to five as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Tech baseball continued their remarkable run of draft success as junior outfielders Michael Guldberg and Baron Radcliff were selected in the third and fifth rounds respectively. This marked the fortieth consecutive year that a Jacket had his name called in the draft.

Guldberg, coming off a 2020 season where he hit a blistering .450/.521/.533 with nine RBIs during the shortened 2020 season, went 98th overall to the Oakland Athletics. During his career at Tech, he established himself was a great contact hitter, hitting .350 in all three seasons as a Jacket. Though he was primarily a designated hitter, Guldberg would also play in the outfield when needed, proving himself to be quite reliable as he compiled a fielding percentage of .982 with only two total errors over his three-year career.

Radcliff followed two rounds later, going 146th overall to the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a pure power hitter during his time at Tech, posting a .259/.394/.552 slashline this past season while hitting three home runs and driving in seventeen runs. A consistent fielder himself, Radcliff posted a career fielding percentage of .962 to go with his impressive slugging. Originally drafted in the 40th round by the Braves in 2017, Radcliff chose  instead to pursue college baseball, and the decision has seemingly paid off with a significantly improved draft slot.

Joining Radcliff in the Phillies organization is Jonathan Hughes, who signed with the organization as an undrafted free agent the week after the draft. Posting a 2-1 record and a 4.15 ERA over a team-high 21.2 innings, Hughes would have likely been taken in the draft were it not for this year’s truncated format. During the 2020 season, Hughes only allowed a .221 opponent batting average and put up 20 strikeouts to just six walks. Hughes finished with 15 wins over his five years at Tech. In addition to Hughes, shortstop Luke Waddell and pitchers Andy Archer and Brant Hurter were all highly ranked prospects who were no doubt victimized by the shortened draft. Waddell was a top 150 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB.com and hit .300/.419/.417 with a homer and nine RBIs before the season was cancelled. Archer, a right hander, posted a 4.22 ERA this spring and led the team in saves. A top 400 prospect for the 2020 draft according to Baseball America, Archer will continue to try and improve his stock. Hurter, a lefty, missed the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery in May 2019, which ended a great season where he produced a 2.42 ERA, an opponent batting average under .200 and a WHIP of almost one. Hurter was a top 300 prospect on Baseball America’s list for 2020, and if he returns next season in his 2019 form, he will hopefully be able to build on that ranking. Since all three players went undrafted, they will return to Tech for their senior seasons and will no doubt be a significant boost to the Jackets as they prepare for the 2021 season.