Georgia Tech’s second-half surge falls short in 34-24 loss at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Georgia Tech needed less than three minutes to turn a runaway into a game Saturday. It spent the rest of the afternoon paying for the half that came before it.

The Yellow Jackets scored two quick touchdowns after halftime to slash a 21-point deficit to seven, but Virginia Tech steadied itself and pulled away for a 34-24 victory at Lane Stadium.

Career performances from quarterback Alberto Mendoza, receiver Jordan Allen and running back Trelain Maddox couldn’t overcome Georgia Tech’s early mistakes. Neither could a defense that collected a season-high five sacks and looked considerably different after halftime.

The Yellow Jackets fell to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, suffering their fifth consecutive loss away from Bobby Dodd Stadium. Virginia Tech improved to 5-2 and 2-2.

Georgia Tech finished with a 428-409 advantage in total offense, but its production came too late to erase a first half dominated by Hokies receiver Que’Sean Brown.

Brown caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Grunkemeyer on the game’s opening possession and piled up 180 receiving yards before halftime. He finished with 182, the ninth-highest total ever by a Georgia Tech opponent.

The Yellow Jackets had an immediate opportunity to answer. Mendoza moved them downfield, and Maddox appeared headed for a touchdown before fumbling at the Virginia Tech 3. The ball went into the end zone for a touchback.

Instead of pulling even, Georgia Tech soon found itself down 14-0 when Grunkemeyer scored on a 20-yard run.

Aidan Birr’s 31-yard field goal put the Yellow Jackets on the scoreboard in the second quarter, but Grunkemeyer answered with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Ricous Hairston. A Mendoza interception then helped set up John Love’s 39-yard field goal for a 24-3 halftime lead.

Virginia Tech had outgained Georgia Tech 307-149. The Yellow Jackets needed a dramatic change.

They delivered one immediately.

Mendoza opened the third quarter with completions of 18 and 15 yards to Allen. Maddox burst through the middle for a 42-yard touchdown on the next snap, finishing a 75-yard drive in just 48 seconds.

Georgia Tech’s defense joined the surge. Cayman Spaulding sacked Grunkemeyer on first down, and another sack helped force Virginia Tech to punt from deep in its own territory.

Allen returned the punt 20 yards to the Hokies’ 37. Two plays later, Mendoza found Dalen Penson for a 33-yard touchdown.

With 12:01 still remaining in the third quarter, Georgia Tech had cut the deficit to 24-17.

That was as close as it would get.

Grunkemeyer restored Virginia Tech’s two-touchdown advantage with a 26-yard scoring pass to Jeffrey Overton Jr. Brown then hurt the Yellow Jackets on special teams, returning a punt 63 yards late in the quarter. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the Hokies to the Georgia Tech 8, setting up Love’s 24-yard field goal early in the fourth.

Birr missed a 32-yard attempt on Georgia Tech’s next possession. Mendoza later connected with Jaiven Plummer for a 6-yard touchdown with 5:20 remaining, but the Yellow Jackets never got the ball back.

Overton and Grunkemeyer supplied key runs on Virginia Tech’s final possession, and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. converted fourth-and-1 to help drain the remaining clock.

Mendoza finished 29-for-38 for a career-high 335 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. His 29 completions also established a career best and helped Georgia Tech average a season-high 7.3 yards per play.

Allen caught 10 passes for a career-high 120 yards, becoming the first Yellow Jacket with double-digit receptions in consecutive games. He joined Kelly Campbell and Calvin Johnson as the only Georgia Tech players with multiple double-digit reception games.

Penson added five catches for a career-best 86 yards. Maddox rushed for a career-high 96 yards on 12 carries.

Birr supplied a milestone amid the disappointment. His field goal and three extra points raised his career total to 338 points, surpassing Harrison Butker’s 337 to become Georgia Tech’s all-time leading scorer.

The records underscored what the Yellow Jackets accomplished individually. The scoreboard reflected what they couldn’t overcome together.