It’s game day at Georgia Tech! The Yellow Jackets will finally return to the field after their bye week and will take on Duke, who is 5-0 and off to their best start since 1994. Munhy Diaz is in his first year at Duke and has already excelled. The Blue Devils are playing well, but will face a tough task tonight against a Georgia Tech team that looks to move past its loss to Louisville and move to 4-2.
Although these programs did not play last season, they are familiar with each other. Who will win in the latest edition of the matchup between former ACC Coastal Rivals? Let’s find out.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Duke Defense
This will be quite a challenge for the Yellow Jackets’ offense tonight, as Duke is one of the most chaotic defenses Georgia Tech has faced this season.
Duke had one of the best defenses in the ACC under Mike Elko, Tyler Santucci and Jess Simpson, and that hasn’t changed with Diaz taking over. Diaz has been one of the best minds in college football for over a decade and has given Duke the defense he wants, and Brent Key certainly noticed that this season.
“They’re either No. 1 or No. 2. I think they’re probably No. 2 in the country right now in TFL. Havok is playing zero to minus one to minus two yards rushing. They’re running 42% of the time right now. It’s all credit to these guys.” The way they play, the physicality of them, the speed of their play, but when you look at who’s creating the negativity, it’s not just the D-linemen. , there are also many DBs. Safety pressure, inside and outside nickel pressure, that’s what Manny is, and the reason they’re able to blitz is because they can do different moves and different things. He’s a great defensive football coach that I’ve played against many times in my career. I respect him not only as a coach, but as a person. I think he’s a good guy and a great soccer coach. We’re so excited to have him here and play here at Bobby Dodd.
Yeah, well, first of all, we have a lot of players returning. They had a good foundation. I’m not just here because Tucci and Jess and those guys are here, but they play hard. they play seriously. You know, they have good players. they are strong Strength coach Zea has been doing a really good job with him. Make no mistake, he has been with them before. So he does a good job with them. But they are disruptive on the field. The defensive line, they’re a penetrating group. If they step diagonally across the gap instead of zone blitzing or fire blitzing, they are away from the ball. They take to the field and cause havoc. So I think whenever you take over a group, you’ve got some experience and they’re used to how you play and play hard, it’s an easy turnaround. , because it’s just different, they might call it an apple, they might call it an orange, but they’re still playing hard. And they’re really strong against the pass. They have experience and an experienced secondary as well. We added a few new guys here and there that really helped solidify our depth. They play with a lot of guys. And the D-Line does a great job of playing within the scheme, wreaking havoc, and letting others do the work for them – or actually creating space for others to make plays. Then it’s back to decision making. ”
Duke ranks fifth in the ACC in scoring defense (16.2 ppg allowed), fourth in yards allowed per game, first in passing yards per game and 11th in rushing defense. Not only that, but they rank 8th in the nation in sacks, 16th in turnovers allowed, 10th in third-down defense, and 2nd in TFLs. Georgia Tech’s offense has yet to allow a sack this season, but they will be challenged tonight. The Yellow Jackets’ offensive line had a bit of a tough game the last time we saw them against Louisville, especially when running the ball. Duke defenders Vincent Anthony Jr., linebacker Alex Howard and defensive back Jaylin Stinson are among the players to watch in this game.
Georgia Tech’s offense is still a good team this season, but they haven’t been running the ball as effectively as they would like, especially at running back. One of Duke’s defensive issues this season has been missed tackles, which could lead to a big day for Haynes.
The Yellow Jackets entered the game ranked 8th in the ACC in PPG, 9th in YPG, 7th in passing yards per game, and 10th in rushing yards per game. Of course, they are led by quarterback Haynes King, who ranks third in the ACC in passing yards and first in completion percentage, with six touchdowns and just one interception. He is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, but Duke could pose some challenges for him.
The wide receiver duo is led by Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr. Rutherford has 29 receptions for 420 yards and three touchdowns this season, while Singleton Jr. has 21 catches for 338 yards and one touchdown. They both rank in the top 10 in the ACC in receiving yards and form one of the best duos in the conference.
The key to the offense is staying in front of the chain, protecting the king, and making the big plays.
Georgia Tech defense vs. Duke offense
The matchup between the Yellow Jackets’ offense and the Blue Devils’ defense will be the focus of this game, but this matchup is also interesting. Georgia Tech’s defense is improved from last year, but there are some glaring holes. Duke’s offense isn’t the team’s strength, but can they find a matchup they like to move the ball?
Let’s start with the positives about Georgia Tech’s defense. They rank third in the ACC in rushing yards allowed per game, and the defensive interior is playing well when it comes to run defense. Jordan van den Bergh, Thomas Gore, and Zeke Biggers have all done well in run defense and will play key roles in tonight’s game.
The bad news is Georgia Tech still couldn’t sack the quarterback and had poor pass defense. The Yellow Jackets rank 6th in the ACC in yards per game allowed, 7th in yards allowed per game and 11th in passing yards allowed. The Blue Devils have struggled against Louisville and Syracuse, but they don’t have as strong an offense as those two teams. Still, they have playmakers at receiver, and Georgia Tech’s coverage will be very important in this game tonight.
Duke enters this game ranked 13th in the ACC in total yards per game, 10th in passing yards per game, 15th in rushing yards per game, and 13th in points per game. Coming. Perhaps the biggest concern for Duke’s offense is that Northwestern is the only top-35 defense they have played this year. Duke has struggled offensively and isn’t playing a killer schedule filled with tough defenses.
Quarterback Malik Murphy ranks fourth in the ACC in passing yards and has thrown 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. The Texas transfer is talented and has a big arm.
Duke’s running game is led by running back Starr Thomas. Starr Thomas ranks fourth in the ACC with 480 rushing yards and has three touchdowns. He had a big performance last week in the come-from-behind win over North Carolina. Jordan Moore (28 catches, 420 yards, 3 TDs), Eli Pancol (18 catches, 231 yards, 4 TDs), tight end Nicky Dalmolin (9 catches, 150 yards, TD) (2 innings, 16.7 yards per catch) Pass catchers you need to know tonight.
How to watch
TV: ACC Network
• Live play: Wed Durham
• Analyst: Tom Luginbill
• Sideline Reporter: Dana Boyle
• Mobile app: ESPN
• Online: WatchESPN.com
Radio: Georgia Tech Sports Network
• Commentary: Andy Demetra
• Analyst: Andrew Gardner
• Sideline Reporter: Chris Mooneyham
• Atlanta: TBA
• Across Georgia: Visit RamblinWreck.com to see a list of station affiliates.
• Satellite: SiriusXM 139 or 193
• Mobile apps: GT Yellow Jackets, SiriusXM, TuneIn
• Online: RamblinWreck.com
Final score prediction
No opponent should be taken lightly, but I don’t think Duke played a strong schedule, and the Yellow Jackets are the best team Duke has played this season. Georgia Tech’s defense has problems, but I’m not sure Duke has a solid enough passing attack to exploit its biggest weaknesses, and Georgia Tech’s offense has a lot of problems with Duke’s defense. will cause. I hope Georgia Tech wins today.
Final score: Georgia Tech 38, Duke 24
