2020 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

2020 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
2020 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	3–7 (3–6 ACC)
Head coach	Geoff Collins (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Dave Patenaude (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro spread
Defensive coordinator	Andrew Thacker (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Nathan Burton (2nd season)
Base defense	Multiple
Home stadium	Bobby Dodd Stadium
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

The 2020 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by second-year head coach Geoff Collins. They played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium and competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

2020 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 5 Notre Dame y^	9	–	0	10	–	2
No. 3 Clemson y$^	8	–	1	10	–	2
No. 22 Miami (FL)	7	–	2	8	–	3
No. 18 North Carolina	7	–	3	8	–	4
NC State	7	–	3	8	–	4
Boston College	5	–	5	6	–	5
Pittsburgh	5	–	5	6	–	5
Virginia Tech	5	–	5	5	–	6
Virginia	4	–	5	5	–	5
Wake Forest	3	–	4	4	–	5
Georgia Tech	3	–	6	3	–	7
Louisville	3	–	7	4	–	7
Florida State	2	–	6	3	–	6
Duke	1	–	9	2	–	9
Syracuse	1	–	9	1	–	10
Championship: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 10
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll.

After finishing their season with a 3–7 record (3–6 in ACC play), the Yellow Jackets determined that they would not consider a bowl bid (the NCAA waived bowl eligibility requirements for the 2020–21 bowl season).^[1]

Preseason

Death of Bryce Gowdy

On December 30, 2019, Georgia Tech signee Bryce Gowdy, from Deerfield Beach, Florida, committed suicide by walking in front of a freight train.^[2]^[3] He died aged 17 and had received a full scholarship to play football at Georgia Tech, having signed on December 18.^[4]

ACC media poll

Schedule

Spring game

The Yellow Jackets held spring practices until early March, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of all NCAA activities. The Georgia Tech football spring game was scheduled to take place in Atlanta, GA on April 10, 2020, but was also canceled.

Regular schedule

Georgia Tech had games scheduled against Gardner–Webb and Georgia, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]^[6] This became the first season since 1924 that the Yellow Jackets do not play Georgia.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 12	4:00 p.m.	at Florida State	Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL	ABC	W 16–13	17,538
September 19	3:30 p.m.	No. 14 UCF*	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ABC	L 21–49	11,000
September 26	11:00 am	at Syracuse	Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY	ACCRSN	L 20–37	0 (Behind closed doors)
October 9	7:00 p.m.	Louisville	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ESPN	W 46–27	11,000
October 17	12:00 p.m.	No. 1 Clemson	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	ABC	L 7–73	11,000
October 24	4:00 p.m.	at Boston College	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA	ACCN	L 27–48	0 (Behind closed doors)
October 31	3:30 p.m.	No. 4 Notre Dame	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	ABC	L 13–31	11,000
November 28	7:00 p.m.	Duke	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ACCRSN	W 56–33	11,000
December 5	4:00 p.m.	at NC State	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	ACCN	L 13–23	4,032
December 10	7:00 p.m.	Pittsburgh	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	ACCRSN	L 20–34	11,000
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[7]

The ACC released their schedule on July 29, with specific dates selected at a later date.^[5]

Date	Opponent	Site
September 3	at Clemson	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
September 12	Gardner-Webb*	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
September 18	UCF	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
September 26	UNC	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC
October 3	VPISU	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA (rivalry)
October 17	Virginia	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
October 24	Pitt	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA
October 31	Syracuse	Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY
November 7	Duke	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
November 14	Notre Dame	Mecerdes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA
November 21	Miami	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA
November 28	Georgia	Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium Athens, GA
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game

The above is the original schedule planned for 2020 before changes were made due to the coronavirus pandemic. (needs to be completed) ^[8]

Game summaries

At Florida State

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0–0) vs. Florida State Seminoles (0–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgia Tech	0	0	7	9	16
Florida State	10	0	3	0	13

at Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL

Date: Saturday, September 12, 2020
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: partly cloudy • Temperature: 82°F
Game attendance: 17,538
TV: ABC/ESPN2
Pregame line: Florida State −13.0

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	GT	FSU
First downs	24	21
Total yards	438	307
Rushes/yards	161	109
Passing yards	277	198
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	24–35–2	23–45–1
Time of possession	29:28	30:32

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	24–35, 277 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jeff Sims	13 carries, 64 yds
	Receiving	Malachi Carter	6 receptions, 66 yds, 1 TD
Florida State	Passing	James Blackman	23–43, 198 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jordan Travis	6 carries, 39 yds
	Receiving	Jashaun Corbin	8 receptions, 55 yds

vs UCF

#14 UCF Knights (1–0) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#14 UCF	7	21	0	21	49
Georgia Tech	7	7	0	7	21

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
Game time: 2:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: • Temperature:
TV: ABC
Pregame line: UCF −7.5

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	UCF	GT
First downs	31	23
Total yards	660	471
Rushes/yards	243	227
Passing yards	417	244
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	27–41–1	18–37–2
Time of possession	31:52	28:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing	Dillon Gabriel	27/41, 417 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Otis Anderson Jr.	18 carries, 88 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Marlon Williams	10 receptions, 154 yds, 2 TD
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	18/36, 224 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jeff Sims	16 carries, 82 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jahmyr Gibbs	4 receptions, 60 yds, 1 TD

At Syracuse

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1–1) vs. Syracuse Orange (0–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgia Tech	0	13	7	0	20
Syracuse	17	6	7	7	37

at Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2020
Game time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Game weather: indoor
TV: ESPN3
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	GT	SYR
First downs	23	14
Total yards	453	357
Rushes/yards	52/275	41/163
Passing yards	178	194
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	15–32–4	13–24–1
Time of possession	34:08	25:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	13/28, 174 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
	Rushing	Jahmyr Gibbs	18 carries, 105 yds
	Receiving	Malachi Carter	4 receptions, 47 yds
Syracuse	Passing	Tommy DeVito	13/24, 194 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Sean Tucker	24 carries, 112 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Nykeim Johnson	4 receptions, 87 yds, 1 TD

vs Louisville

Louisville Cardinals (1–2) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Louisville	7	14	6	0	27
Georgia Tech	7	7	12	20	46

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Friday, October 9, 2020
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: • Temperature:
TV: ESPN
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	LOU	GT
First downs	24	19
Total yards	471	450
Rushes/yards	48/242	34/192
Passing yards	229	258
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19–33–0	12–22–0
Time of possession	36:38	23:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Louisville	Passing	Malik Cunningham	19/33, 229 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Javian Hawkins	26 carries, 155 yds
	Receiving	Marshon Ford	5 receptions, 89 yds, 1 TD
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	11/21, 249 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jeff Sims	7 carries, 64 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Malachi Carter	3 receptions, 89 yds, 1 TD

vs Clemson

Clemson Tigers (4–0) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Clemson	17	35	7	14	73
Georgia Tech	7	0	0	0	7

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: Calm
Game attendance: 11,000
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (color) and Marty Smith (sideline)
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

(7:55) CLEM TD – Trevor Lawrence 5 yard pass to Cornell Powell, (B. T. Potter PAT)
(6:32) GT TD – Jeff Sims 59 yard pass to Jalen Camp, (Jude Kelly PAT)
(6:14) CLEM TD – Trevor Lawrence 83 yard pass to Amari Rodgers, (B. T. Potter PAT)
(4:03) CLEM FG – B. T. Potter 30 yard field goal

Second Quarter

(12:43) CLEM TD – Trevor Lawrence 34 yard pass to Davis Allen, (B. T. Potter PAT)
(7:05) CLEM TD – Nyles Pinckney 1 yard run, (B. T. Potter PAT)
(3:14) CLEM TD – Trevor Lawrence 8 yard pass to Frank Ladson Jr., (B. T. Potter PAT)
(2:10) CLEM TD – Travis Etienne 3 yard run, (B. T. Potter PAT)
(0:16) CLEM TD – Trevor Lawrence 16 yard pass to Amari Rodgers, (B. T. Potter PAT)

Third Quarter

(8:21) CLEM TD – Chez Mellusi 5 yard run, (B. T. Potter PAT)

Fourth Quarter

(11:38) CLEM TD – Hunter Helms 7 yard pass to Kobe Pace, (Aidan Swanson PAT)
(7:41) CLEM TD – Hunter Helms 35 yard pass to Ajou Ajou, (Aidan Swanson PAT)

Statistics	CLEM	GT
First downs	29	7
Total yards	671	204
Rushes/yards	39/171	44/123
Passing yards	500	81
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	33–49–1	6–14–1
Time of possession	35:53	24:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Clemson	Passing	Trevor Lawrence	24/32, 404 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Travis Etienne	11 carries, 44 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Amari Rodgers	6 receptions, 161 yds, 2 TD
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	6/13, 81 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jahmyr Gibbs	15 carries, 67 yds
	Receiving	Jalen Camp	1 reception, 59 yds, 1 TD

At Boston College

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2–3) vs. Boston College Eagles (3–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgia Tech	0	14	7	6	27
Boston College	14	20	14	0	48

at Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Game time: EDT
Game weather: • Temperature:
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	GT	BC
First downs	19	23
Total yards	362	409
Rushes/yards	33/106	44/264
Passing yards	256	145
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–32–1	13–21–0
Time of possession	26:39	33:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	12/18, 171 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jeff Sims	12 carries, 47 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Ahmarean Brown	4 receptions, 75 yds, 1 TD
Boston College	Passing	Phil Jurkovec	13/21, 145 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Phil Jurkovec	7 carries, 94 yds
	Receiving	C. J. Lewis	4 receptions, 58 yds, 2 TD

vs Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5–0) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2–4)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Notre Dame	7	10	7	7	31
Georgia Tech	0	7	0	6	13

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Saturday, October 31, 2020
Game time: EDT
Game weather: • Temperature:
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	ND	GT
First downs	24	17
Total yards	426	238
Rushes/yards	44/227	33/88
Passing yards	199	150
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–26–0	15–26–0
Time of possession	36:54	23:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Notre Dame	Passing	Ian Book	18/26, 199 yds, 1 TD
	Rushing	Kyren Williams	15 carries, 76 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Javon McKinley	5 receptions, 93 yds
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	15/26, 150 yds
	Rushing	Jahmyr Gibbs	14 carries, 61 yds
	Receiving	Jalen Camp	3 receptions, 64 yds

vs Duke

Duke Blue Devils (2–6) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2–5)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Duke	7	19	7	0	33
Georgia Tech	14	14	14	14	56

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020
Game time: EST
Game weather: • Temperature:
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	DUKE	GT
First downs	23	23
Total yards	382	523
Rushes/yards	40/68	48/377
Passing yards	314	146
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	23–47–1	13–23–1
Time of possession	32:03	27:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Duke	Passing	Chase Brice	19/40, 273 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Deon Jackson	9 carries, 54 yds
	Receiving	Dennis Smith	2 receptions, 57 yds
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	13/23, 146 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jeff Sims	12 carries, 108 yds
	Receiving	Jahmyr Gibbs	4 receptions, 48 yds

At NC State

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3–5) vs. NC State Wolfpack (7–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Georgia Tech	0	7	3	3	13
NC State	3	17	0	3	23

at Carter-Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: 10 mph (16 km/h)
Game attendance: 4,032
Referee: Riley Johnson
TV announcers (ACCN): Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich, Eric Wood
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

(5:19) NCSU FG – Christopher Dunn 42 yard field goal

Second Quarter

(14:52) NCSU TD – Ricky Person Jr. 20 yard run (Christopher Dunn PAT)
(12:20) GT TD – Jeff Sims 34 yard run (Stewart PAT)
(10:12) NCSU TD – Zonovan Knight 5 yard run (Christopher Dunn PAT)
(3:53) NCSU FG – Christopher Dunn 20 yard field goal

Third Quarter

(8:53) GT FG – Gavin Stewart 26 yard field goal

Fourth Quarter

(11:32) GT FG – Gavin Stewart 22 yard field goal
(3:31) NCSU FG – Christopher Dunn 39 yard field goal

Statistics	GT	NCST
First downs	23	34
Total yards	412	397
Rushes/yards	51/265	32/88
Passing yards	151	309
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	13–27–0	23–36–0
Time of possession	31:53	28:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	13/27, 151 yds
	Rushing	Jordan Mason	21 carries, 99 yds
	Receiving	Adonicas Sanders	7 receptions, 105 yds
NC State	Passing	Bailey Hockman	23/36, 309 yds
	Rushing	Ricky Person Jr.	15 carries, 59 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Emeka Emezie	6 receptions, 91 yds

vs Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Panthers (5–5) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3–6)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	3	13	7	11	34
Georgia Tech	7	0	6	7	20

at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2020
Game time: EST
Game weather: • Temperature:
Pregame line:

Game information

First Quarter

Second Quarter

Third Quarter

Fourth Quarter

Statistics	PITT	GT
First downs	28	21
Total yards	513	348
Rushes/yards	54/317	29/98
Passing yards	196	250
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	17–34–1	19–36–2
Time of possession	37:51	22:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Pittsburgh	Passing	Kenny Pickett	17/34, 196 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Vincent Davis	25 carries, 247 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	D. J. Turner	5 receptions, 82 yds, 1 TD
Georgia Tech	Passing	Jeff Sims	17/31, 238 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jamious Griffin	5 carries, 43 yds
	Receiving	Jalen Camp	5 receptions, 97 yds, 1 TD

At Miami (FL)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3–7) vs. Miami Hurricanes (8–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
~~Georgia Tech~~	0	0	0	0	0
~~Miami~~	0	0	0	0	0

at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL

Date: Saturday, December 19, 2020
Game time: EST
Game weather: • Temperature:
Pregame line:

Coaching staff

Coach	Title	Year at Georgia Tech	Previous job
Geoff Collins	Head Coach	2nd	Temple (HC)
Brent Key	AHC/RGC/OL	2nd	Alabama (OL)
Dave Patenaude	OC/QB	2nd	Temple (OC/QB)
Andrew Thacker	DC/LB	2nd	Temple (DC/LB)
Nathan Burton	Co-DC/S	2nd	Temple (DB)
Tashard Choice	RB	2nd	North Texas (RB)
Marco Coleman	DE/OLB	2nd	Oakland Raiders (DL)
Kerry Dixon	WR	2nd	Toledo (RB)
Larry Knight	DL	2nd	Temple (OLB)
Jeff Popovich	CB/DST	2nd	Boise State (CB)
Chris Wiesehan	TE/OST	2nd	Temple (OL/RGC)

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—		RV	—
Coaches	—		RV	—	—
CFP	Not released															Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
6	209	Jalen Camp	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
7	254	Pressley Harvin III	P	Pittsburgh Steelers

References

^ Sugiura, Ken (December 14, 2020). "Georgia Tech ends season, will not consider bowl bid". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
^ Beachum, Lateshia. "'My baby walked in front of a train.' Georgia Tech football recruit's mom details his final days". Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
^ "Bryce Gowdy, a star Georgia Tech football recruit, dies at 17". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
^ "Bryce Gowdy, Deerfield Beach , Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports". TheACC.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
^ Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ "2020 Georgia Tech Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
^ "2020 Georgia Tech Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 4, 2020.

[1] Sugiura, Ken (December 14, 2020). "Georgia Tech ends season, will not consider bowl bid". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

[2] Beachum, Lateshia. "'My baby walked in front of a train.' Georgia Tech football recruit's mom details his final days". Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2020.

[3] "Bryce Gowdy, a star Georgia Tech football recruit, dies at 17". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 20, 2020.

[4] "Bryce Gowdy, Deerfield Beach , Wide Receiver". 247Sports. Retrieved May 20, 2020.

[aac-5] "ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports". TheACC.com. July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.

[6] Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[7] "2020 Georgia Tech Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.

[8] "2020 Georgia Tech Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 4, 2020.

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