Georgia Tech returns to action this weekend when they welcome undefeated Duke University to Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Yellow Jackets entered their bye week last Saturday and are looking to improve to 4-2 on the season. They have had a week to digest the loss to Louisville and will be hoping to hit the ground running this Saturday and get back on track.
This game will bring a lot of intrigue. Duke is in its first year under head coach Manny Diaz and could continue the success that previous head coach Mike Elko had during his tenure. Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci also attended Duke University before coming to the Yellow Jackets.
These are two notable stories, but what else are there?
1. How good is Duke?
This is not meant to be disrespectful to the Blue Devils at all, but it’s a fair question to ask about them now considering who they’ve been playing with. Duke’s wins have come against Elon, Northwestern, UConn, MTSU and a 20-point upset over North Carolina. The defense looks strong, but the offense is struggling. Duke is 15th in the ACC in rushing, averaging 120.6 YPG on the ground and 10th in the conference in passing yards per game. It’s safe to say that Georgia Tech is the best team Duke has played this season, and we were able to learn as much about them as we did about Georgia Tech.
2. Can Georgia Tech’s running game get back on track?
Georgia Tech boasted the ACC’s top rushing attack a year ago, returning four starters on the offensive line and 1,000-yard rusher Jamal Haynes. While the Yellow Jackets aren’t at the bottom of the league in rushing, they haven’t been as effective at running the ball as they were a season ago.
In Saturday’s game against the Cardinals, Georgia Tech gained 98 total yards on 37 carries, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Against Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets totaled 112 yards on 24 attempts, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Georgia Tech wants to establish a physical identity on offense, but the running game hasn’t found a way to move forward, so Haynes King and the passing game have to do a lot of the heavy lifting on offense. It means that.
Running backs in particular haven’t had much success this year, as King also led the team in rushing in the past two games against Power 4 teams. Against Louisville and Syracuse, Jamal Haynes gained 60 yards on 23 carries, averaging less than three yards per carry. The other running back hasn’t emerged as a No. 2 option behind Haynes, leaving the offense without much of a rushing identity.
Can they run the ball well? I think so, but it was disappointing to watch it so far.
3. How does the defense work?
Duke doesn’t have an offense like Louisville and doesn’t have the passing weapons like Syracuse, but it does have talent on offense, and Georgia Tech has taken advantage of it this year, especially in losses. Blue Devils quarterback Malik Murphy, a transfer from Texas, was once a highly rated rookie and has performed well this year. Running back Starr Thomas and wide receiver Jordan Moore are also weapons.
Georgia Tech has just five sacks this season, three of which came against VMI. While the secondary faces many issues, the lack of a consistent pass rush is just as detrimental to the defense. The Yellow Jackets only had one sack against Syracuse as they were crushed by quarterback Kyle McCord, but they had zero sacks against Louisville. Ranking 114th in the nation in sacks will cause problems for the defense.
Pass defense and pass rush can honestly go hand in hand. Georgia Tech ranks 90th in the nation in passing yards per game, allowing 229.0 passing yards per game through the air. The Yellow Jackets haven’t intercepted a pass all season and have forced just two turnovers, ranking them 125th in the nation. Georgia Tech’s run defense has improved considerably, but they can’t rush the passer, force turnovers, or guard a good passing game. There is still a lot of work to be done defensively for the Yellow Jackets.
