Georgia Tech
was blown out again. This time on the road vs. Pittsburgh
at Acrisure Stadium. One of the struggles came from the quarterback position for the Yellow Jackets, as their starter, Alberto Mendoza, couldn't quite find a rhythm. The Yellow Jackets caught a spark from backup Grady Adamson, who led the only touchdown-scoring drive of the game. It raises the question of what should happen next at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets after the past two weeks of struggles from Mendoza.
What does Georgia Tech do at quarterback?
Mendoza and the offense have struggled the past few weeks, and on Saturday against Pittsburgh those struggles were amplified. Mendoza went 16-25 for 81 yards, and finished with a 91.2 passer rating. One of the things he struggled with was holding on to the football. Mendoza fumbled four times, recovered three, and lost one.
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He never looked comfortable on Saturday against Pittsburgh and struggled to get anything going. The offensive line didn't help either, struggling to protect him and keeping the run game from developing. That was evident, and it looked like Mendoza was pressing out there trying to make plays, but often could not.
What could Grady Adamson bring to the table?
Adamson
provided a different element to the table for the Yellow Jackets. He seems like more of a fit for the RPO game the Yellow Jackets want to run. He was efficient running the football and rattled off some big plays in the run game, including a 36-yard run. Adamson finished with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Adamson struggled more through the air, going 6-of-17 for 62 passing yards. It was a struggle there, but with more reps, we could see a better performance. Adamson improvised more, bought time, and found guys downfield, which was a plus. Can he string that together for a whole game? That remains to be seen. However, he did give this offense a spark, and they were able to move the ball down the field.
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What should the Yellow Jackets do?
I think at the very least they should have Adamson take some first-team reps in practice this week. I am not saying he should start, but he should get accustomed to that process. Then maybe you bring him along in some packages going forward, like RPO or QB-designed runs. Let him get more comfortable over time and see what he can do.
You could say to remove Mendoza from the starting quarterback position, but I don't think that would be great for team morale. Allow Mendoza to get one more crack at it, and if the struggles are there again, then allow Adamson to come in and see what he can do. You want him to get reps as well, and you have to see what you have in him moving forward.
When you break it down, Mendoza is the better passer of the two and is more efficient there, but he is not playing at his best and is struggling after his first progression isn't there. But guys have their own unique qualities and things they bring to the table. Why not see what both can do going forward? I would increase reps for Adamson and slowly integrate him more into the offense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/georgiatech as What Should Georgia Tech Do At The Quarterback Position After Recent Struggles?
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