THE FLATS – Despite 117 total yards and two touchdowns from Justice Haynes and 221 yards through the air from Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech couldn't overcome a disastrous second quarter in a 45-24 loss to No. 18 Tennessee on Saturday evening at sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
On the strength of Aidan Birr's 60th-career field goal and Elgin Sessions' 3-yard touchdown return of a blocked punt by Trae Stevenson, Jr. - Georgia Tech's first blocked punt return for a score in 22 years - the Yellow Jackets led 10-7 after one period.
However, Tennessee rattled off 17-straight points in the first 11 minutes of the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead. The Jackets were poised to make it a one-score game going into halftime but a turnover just outside of the red zone thwarted the scoring opportunity and Tech trailed by 14 going into the break.
The Vols stretched their lead to 21 points on their first possession of the third quarter, but the Yellow Jackets responded to the cut the deficit to 31-17 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza to Haynes. Tech's defense followed with a stop and the Jackets' offense marched all the way to the UT 5 yard line with an opportunity to pull within one score in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Jackets, they turned the ball over on downs and the deficit remained at 14 points. Tennessee added two short-field touchdowns in the final period, sandwiched around a 2-yard touchdown run by Haynes, to account for the final margin.
Georgia Tech, one of only three Power Four conference teams to open this season with consecutive games against power-conference opponents, looks to return to the win column next Saturday when it hosts in-state foe Mercer. Kickoff for the Family Weekend game versus the Bears is set for noon at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.