8-0, you are oh so sweet. Last week, we inched closer to Charlotte with a convincing win over a struggling Syracuse team. There is not much time to celebrate, however, because we head back on the road
to play the NC State Wolfpack. Quarterback CJ Bailey gave us trouble last year, as he is a talented but unproven player who can put up numbers against anyone. The Wolfpack have struggled in the back half of their schedule, but we will be getting the best from them on the road this Saturday in a primetime matchup. Here is what I think I know as we travel back to the state owned by the Jackets, otherwise known as North Carolina.
Haynes King is an absolute machine and a legitimate Heisman candidate
Haynes King solidified himself as a Heisman contender this past week, going 25/31 for 395 total yards and five touchdowns. He truly did it all, running up the middle, scrambling, hitting his receivers downfield, and even running for a first down after a bad snap. He was awarded the Maxwell Player of the Week, ACC Quarterback of the Week, Manning Stars of the Week, and was part of the Davy O’Brien Great 8. King is now second in Tech history for total touchdowns with 81, only needing three more to pass the legendary Joe Hamilton. He also broke the Georgia Tech single-game completion percentage record, completing 80.6% of his passes, surpassing George Godsey’s 78.4% in 2000 against Virginia. The media is praising his humility and dedication to helping the team win, which, as Brent Key said, is really the epitome of the Heisman Trophy. If Haynes King keeps producing and winning, he should — and likely will — be in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
This NC State team has had a disappointing year, but their QB/RB duo will be a massive challenge for our defense
The Wolfpack came out swinging, starting the year 3-0 with wins against Wake Forest and Virginia, which we now know are pretty quality wins. This is Virginia’s only loss of the season, and it is considered a non-conference game, which is why Virginia is unbeaten in ACC play. After this great start, the Wolfpack then lost to four-straight Power Four opponents. They have a deadly QB/RB duo with CJ Bailey and Hollywood Smothers, so our defense will be tested. Sophomore Hollywood Smothers has had a breakout year, with 120 carries for 825 yards and six touchdowns. He is currently the leading rusher in the ACC by almost 200 yards, with Isaac Brown and Haynes King trailing behind him. Our defense locked down the rushing game against Duke two weeks ago, then gave up 157 rushing yards to Syracuse. With our run defense struggles, there is no doubt Smothers will put up yards, but will we be able to keep him from scoring points?
We will not be the only ones worried about our defense, however, as NC State has had an abysmal year on that side of the ball. They are allowing 408 yards per game and 35.2 points per game against conference opponents. Last week, they gave up 53 points to Pitt, and a month before that, they gave up 45 to Duke. If we can capitalize, this game will be a fantastic chance for our offense to put up points and put Haynes King even more in the national spotlight.
CJ Bailey has so much talent that NC State can play with anybody when he’s hot.
Standing at 6’6”, 214 pounds, quarterback CJ Bailey is a game-changer. He hasn’t quite reached his ceiling yet, but he has definitely shown us flashes of greatness with his size and talent. Against the Jackets last year, he threw for three interceptions, but also had 83 yards on the ground with three rushing touchdowns. So far this season, he has shown significant improvement, with 2,071 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. It would not surprise me if we saw him poached by a bigger program in the next year or two because of his vast potential. We cannot overlook CJ Bailey; he can and will tear up our defense if we let him.
Our offensive identity is established, and even the passing game is opening up.
Our offense could not get anything going against Duke two weeks ago, and then Buster Faulkner began to let Haynes King sling it. As we all know, once the defense adjusted to this, then the running game opened right back up. We instantly saw success, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter. We kept this trend going against a struggling Syracuse defense, and once again, it worked to perfection. Seven different players saw over 25 yards receiving, and true-freshman Jordan Allen was the leading receiver with 67 yards on six catches. Play calling was great; there was a good mix of pass and run plays, and everyone on offense was able to get involved. If Buster Faulkner can continue calling these plays and everyone executes, we should be able to keep succeeding.
Foot on the gas needs to stay on the gas!
Now is the time of year when teams either fall apart or come together stronger. This team needs to keep believing and keep craving wins, and not much will be able to stop them. These next few weeks are vital, and we will see if this team can stay humble through the hype. When you are good, you get the best version of your opponents. We aren’t used to being at the top, and now is the time to see if we can be on our A-game week in and week out.
This weekend, we have our second primetime road matchup, which is a challenge for any team. It has been a while since we have played in this environment, but we have done it before and succeeded against all odds. Can Tech make another statement this weekend and get to 9-0? I think I know we can.
Go Jackets.
