I found these statistics interesting, especially as they might relate against Georgia Tech in third-and-a-bit-longer situations.
Concerning, particularly with a mobile QB: Va Tech is converting just 46.3% of third-and-short plays, 125th out of 128 FBS teams.— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) November 10, 2016
19 of 41 overall on 3rd & 3 or less.46.7% conv on 30 runs (127th)45.5% on 11 passes (80th) https://t.co/eHnwePsu95— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) November 10, 2016
#GaTech's D is allowing conversions on 41.6% of third-and-5 or longer this year, second-worst rate in the country.— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) November 10, 2016
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Thanks Joe. This is interesting, and something I think we've looked beyond this season. I know several comments pointed to the fact that we were failing to convert on 3rd downs as we get closer to the endzone (Slye's golden toe vs. Pitt), but overlooked this as a whole.
As far as our tendencies go on 3rd and short plays, I wonder if we've hit an unrealized pattern in play selection/calling, and opposing defenses are adjusting accordingly?
this may be the case but I think our general lack of ability to run between the tackles consistently is the real culprit. Most of our success running the ball has gone outside and for whatever reason we don't really try that in 3rd and short. Convention tells you to just punch it up the gut and that's something we really aren't very good at this year
Yea, and seems like Evans has taken more of a role of being one of our more relied upon backs for short yardage situations as well- Or at least we are putting him in a read option situation where he can make the decision what to do with the ball.
Interesting and disconcerting. Methinks this comes down to the O line again.
What are the numbers for 3rd-and-reasonable and 3rd-and-long? From what I've seen, our overall 3rd down conversion numbers are pretty average, so if we're terrible in short situations that must mean we're pretty elite in longer situations (or maybe that we rarely have 3rd and long to begin with, which would mean our bad 3rd-and-short numbers are essentially our total 3rd down numbers).
Third and longer than three conversion rate is 37 of 98 or about 37.8%.
Overall though we are 40.3% which is 60th in the FBS. Still not stellar but does indicate that we convert better in 3rd and Longer situations than almost half of the FBS programs since we are 125th in the third and shorter conversions.