This is the Depth Dossier: the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Week 9.

Georgia Tech's fourth quarter finally told the truth about this quarterback situation, and it took a 34 to 11 loss to Pittsburgh for head coach Brent Key to act on it.

Quarterback Alberto Mendoza fumbled four times, took five sacks, and completed just 16 of 25 passes for 81 yards before Key finally pulled him early in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Grady Adamson came in and immediately ran for 63 yards and a touchdown, then added the two-point conversion himself. Tech's offense had managed just 77 yards in the entire first half and never found any rhythm. The defense actually won the turnover battle three to two, with defensive back Jonas Duclona having a career day, but none of it mattered. Pittsburgh ran for 281 yards and controlled the game from the start. Tech is now 2 and 6, losers of three straight, and at one point its win expectancy dropped to under 2 percent.

Here's what makes this one sting more than the score suggests. Tech actually won the turnover battle and still lost by 23 points, which tells you the problem wasn't bad luck, it was execution. Before Adamson entered the game, the offense had gained 106 yards across 12 different possessions. After he came in, it put up 132 yards on basically one series. His fourth quarter alone nearly matched his quarterback's entire first three quarters combined.

Self-inflicted wounds piled up all night. Eight penalties for 32 yards included a delay of game on fourth and five that forced a punt from deep in Tech's own territory, and Pittsburgh answered with a touchdown on the very next drive. Tech converted just one of five fourth-down tries, and two of those failed attempts ended in sacks.

The defense did create some real moments. Duclona stripped the ball at the Tech two-yard line to erase a Pittsburgh scoring chance. Another forced fumble set up a 49-yard field goal. And an interception return set up Tech's only touchdown of the game. But the run defense allowed 281 yards on 55 carries, way above its season average, with zero sacks and only two tackles for loss.

Now let's talk about what's shifting on the depth chart, because there's a real decision brewing here.

No injuries were reported, so this quarterback change is purely about performance. Mendoza's line, four fumbles, five sacks, and negative rushing yards once you count the sacks, forced Key's hand. Adamson responded with 125 total yards and a touchdown on limited snaps. Nothing is official yet about who starts next week, but the gap between the two players is getting hard to ignore.

Up front, left tackle Josh Petty played with zero career starts, filling in with two other linemen unavailable. Key put it bluntly: "You can't get any knockback." That line allowed five sacks and held star running back Justice Haynes to just 33 yards on 11 carries. That's a spot worth watching as the season winds down.

Duclona's performance, with career highs in tackles and pass breakups plus his first career forced fumble and recovery, was the one real bright spot on a night Key summed up himself: "You're not good enough tonight, all three phases."

With Louisville up next, followed by a trip to Clemson, then Wake Forest, and a regular-season finale at Georgia still to come, Tech has no margin left for another loss. And now Key has a real quarterback decision on his hands heading into it.

This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.