si
Georgia Tech is aiming to bounce back from a disappointing Week 8 showing when it travels to Pittsburgh to take on the 5-3 Panthers this weekend. The Yellow Jackets were soundly defeated by Boston College last week, allowing 399 rushing yards and 500 total yards in a 49-21 loss, during which they were outscored 37-14 in the second half. The performance was one of the worst in head coach Brent Key's tenure and raises questions about the team's ability to recover.
Depth Chart Shakeup at Left Tackle
On Monday, Georgia Tech released its depth chart for the Pittsburgh game, and for the first time this season, there is a change: Josh Petty has been elevated to starting left tackle. Petty, who saw his first significant action of the year against Boston College, played 27 snaps and was the highest-graded player on the team according to Pro Football Focus. His performance was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak outing.
Head coach Brent Key praised Petty's performance and discussed his potential, saying, "He is 100% cleared. The guy played 27 snaps on Saturday. He's played 21 in his career prior. And that was a year ago. And so you're talking a two-year stretch since he's played a lot of football. It's more of a football conditioning. Because, look, this guy is going to do what he has to do on the field, and he's going to sprint 20 yards down the field and pick up the ball carrier and try to get the extra block in front of the inside. He's going to do all those things. you know, from a, from a stamina, cardiovascular, you know, muscle atrophy, strength. That's what we're watching. So we're watching the practice today, but also, like, you know, one guy up, one guy down. So you gotta, you also gotta continue to have some answers and replacements that at least can get in and play serviceable football. But my impressions of Josh. were exactly what I've expected for two years out of Josh. Josh is a tremendous talent. Played a lot on raw emotion on Saturday. But, you know, we got in a position where we weren't able to even call runs as much in the second half. But if you watch, you know, the few runs we did have in the second half, they were pretty efficient runs. If you look at what he was able to do. to make that thing go. You see why I believe he's a special player. He's got a long way to go. 27 snaps in the last two years. So there's a lot of things that'll happen. It'll happen fast. You know, the God-given ability and talent allow him a lot of ground to make up, where if a guy takes an inside move, he just naturally has the ability to get back in front of the guy. to post it out, and cut the guy off. And, you know, as he continues to get more and more technique-savvy with things and continues to get his football shape and condition, really excited to have him back. Really excited."
Petty's promotion is the sole change on the offensive depth chart. Alberto Mendoza remains the starting quarterback, with Grady Adamson as the backup. The running back group features Justice Haynes, Shane Marshall, Malachi Hosley, J.P. Powell, Trelain Maddox, and Chad Alexander. The wide receivers are Jordan Allen, Coi Jean-Noel, Isaiah Fuhrmann, Debron Gatling, Dalen Penson, and Rahkeem Smith. The tight end positions list Chris Corbo or Spencer Mermans, and Gavin Harris or Kevin Roche Jr. The offensive line consists of Josh Petty at left tackle, Kevin Peay Jr at left guard, Jameson Riggs at center, Joseph Ionata at right guard, and Malachi Carney at right tackle, with Jordan Floyd, Courtney Heard, Will Reed, and Courtlin Heard as backups.
Defense Unchanged, But Reinforcements May Be on the Way
Defensively, Georgia Tech's depth chart remains unchanged from last week. The defensive line features a rotation of ends Noah Carter, Taje McCoy, Amontrae Bradford, and Brayden Manley, while Tawfiq Thomas and Christian Garrett anchor the tackle spots, with Amier Clarke and Christian Speakman providing depth. The linebacker corps is led by E.J. Lightsey and Cayman Spaulding, with Melvin Jordan IV, Braylon Outlaw, and CJ Gamble as backups. Kelvin Hill is listed at nickel, with Jonas Duclona behind him. The secondary includes safeties Savion Riley and Tae Harris, and cornerbacks Daiquan White and Jaylen Mbakwe.
However, the Yellow Jackets could get several key players back this week. Tawfiq Thomas, Vincent Carroll-Jackson, Daiquan White, Savion Riley, Landen Marshall, Shymeik Jones, Jordan Walker, and A.J. Hoffler all missed the Boston College game, and some have been sidelined for multiple weeks. Their potential return would provide a significant boost to a defense that struggled mightily against the Eagles.
Georgia Tech will need a much-improved performance on both sides of the ball to compete with Pittsburgh, which sits at 5-3 on the season. The game is set for this weekend, with kickoff time to be announced.