Don’t miss updates from Georgia Tech’s matchup against No. 18 Tennessee

Jaylen Mbakwe pointed to the sky. 

The Georgia Tech cornerback was carted off the field early in the third quarter Saturday night against Tennessee. 

The Alabama transfer remained on the field for minutes following a short run by the Volunteers. He was placed on a stretcher with Tech coach Brent Key by his side. Many of his Yellow Jackets teammates huddled around Mbakwe after he was placed on a stretcher. As he was carted off, Mbakwe shook hands with Key and pointed in the air. 

The nature of his injury has yet to be revealed. 

After enrolling at Tech earlier this year, Mbakwe established his starting spot and prominent role. 

The 6-foot, 200-pound former 5-star recruit from Clay, Alabama, played quarterback, wide receiver, running back and defensive back in high school.

He spent two seasons at Alabama, splitting time between defensive back, wide receiver and special teams. He had three catches for 55 yards last season before transferring to Tech this offseason.

Mbakwe’s outgoing personality also provided the Jackets with a lift. 

“You’re going to see him goofy all the time,” said senior corner Daiquan White. “He just kind of brings a light to the defense, makes everybody play as one and come together.” 

After not being a part of the reason why Georgia Tech lost to Colorado last week, quarterback Alberto Mendoza is part of the problem this week.

Two interceptions and other passes thrown off target.

Through one half, he's 12-for-23 for 89 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions.

It's not helping that he's not getting a lot of time to throw. It appears that Tech is calling a number of quick-hitting pass plays, perhaps because of concerns the protection can hold off Tennessee for longer-to-develop pass plays.

It means Tech receivers have less time to break away from coverage. Of Mendoza's 11 incompletions, five have been broken up.

Tennessee leads at halftime 24-10. 

The first two quarters were full of wild swings. 

Georgia Tech returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the first quarter to take a 10-7 lead. Freshman Trae Stevenson Jr. blocked it, sophomore Elgin Sessions scooped it for the score. 

In the second quarter, Tennessee's Dejuan Lane intercepted Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza near the line-of-scrimmage and raced the other way for a 41-yard touchdown. 

Tennessee started the game with a three-play scoring drive. Volunteers quarterback Faizon Brandon hit Ethan Davis for a 25-yard touchdown. Brandon threw another touchdown, to Braylon Staley in the second quarter. 

Mendoza threw his second interception late in the second quarter with the Jackets in field goal range. 

Brandon finished the half 5-of-15 for 106 yards. Mendoza was 12-of-23 for 89 yards. Tech running back Justice Haynes has 50 yards rushing on eight carries. 

Tech's offense has yet to score a touchdown six quarters into the season.  

In a deep Georgia Tech tight ends group, Kevin Roche Jr. stands out. 

The 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman already has three catches tonight for 41 yards. His 22-yard reception on third down in the first quarter was critical. Without that, Tech would have gone three-and-out on its first two drives. 

Roche Jr. had four catches for 37 yards against Colorado and blocked a field goal. 

The former high school lacrosse star is developing into a significant piece of the Yellow Jackets offense. 

An eventful quarter ends with the Jackets leading 10-7. Another special-teams score, in this case a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, has put Tech in the lead 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.

How about this?

Jackets special teams have produced two touchdowns in the first five quarters of the season and the offense has yet to reach the end zone.

Nearly the entire upper deck of the east stands is orange, including the Volunteers marching band, and the ends of the lower deck and most of the upper north.

Everybody wants five-star quarterback recruits. 

It's not, however, ideal to start one as a true freshman. 

Tennessee's Faizon Brandon was the only true freshman to start last week for a Power 4 team. He lived up to his elite high school ranking, passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns in the Volunteers’ 56-9 win over Furman. He added 68 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 10 carries. 

Now Brandon makes his first appearance on the road. 

Tech's defense shut down Colorado's Julian Lewis for most of the season opener, though Lewis did come alive on the Buffaloes final drive and threw the game-winning touchdown. 

The Jackets allowed 183 yards rushing last week. If Tennessee approaches that, Brandon's job becomes much easier. Tech stuffing the run and forcing the Vols in third-and-not-short will show us how good and how ready Brandon is here in Bobby Dodd Stadium. 

We're about 30 minutes from kickoff in Atlanta. I'm sitting here thinking about what Georgia Tech will show on offense tonight. 

We've heard — and I've written — ad nauseam about Georgia Tech's identity being physical and running the ball. 

Maybe that happens tonight against Tennessee. 

It didn't against Colorado, but the season opener offered a glimpse of a passing attack with real potential.

Tech quarterback Mendoza completed 74% of his passes for 234 yards in his first collegiate start. 

A pair of sophomores provided an encouraging answer at wide receiver. 

Jordan Allen had eight receptions for 113 yards. Dalen Penson had three catches for 73 yards. The duo totaled 15 targets on Mendoza’s 23 attempts. 

Running the ball doesn't often come easy against teams like the Volunteers. Will offensive coordinator George Godsey open it up tonight and will Mendoza execute in those situations? 

The answers to those questions will go a long way in determining the outcome. 

Hello from Bobby Dodd Stadium's press box, where kickoff for Georgia Tech and No. 18 Tennessee is more than two hours away. 

For the Yellow Jackets, the opportunity tonight is as significant as the challenge. They face a ranked opponent from the SEC a week after a letdown against Colorado in the season opener. 

How will Tech respond? 

Brent Key called out just about every aspect of his team's performance in the first game. He also reasserted confidence in a roster he has been publicly bullish on since spring practices. 

Key didn't want to talk scheduling when I asked him Thursday about this matchup and what used to be a fierce rivalry. 

Personally, I'm a sucker for early season nonconference games pitting two teams from bordering states against each other. 

Tech and Tennessee first played in 1902. They were both original members of the SEC, making the games important for decades after World War II. 

Well after Tech moved to the ACC, they discontinued the rivalry in 1987. The Jackets and Vols have met just once since, a Tennessee victory in 2017. 

Tech and Tennessee will play again next season. 

Given what's at stake for Tech tonight, Key understandably passed on talking about history. 

"I don't get into scheduling," he said. "That's for other people to talk about, a conversation for them. We're excited to play the next one on our schedule. We're excited to play a team that's two hours away from us that's had a lot of success in the last three or four years." 

Georgia Tech had a tough opening game, a 14-13 loss at home to Colorado. That included a blocked field goal on the final play of the game, which sent the Buffaloes into a frenzied celebration. 

Tech (0-1) will look to build on the good performance from quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who was 17-of-23 for 237 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his debut.