The Basics
Team: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Enrollment: 20,592
Head Coach: Brent Key (22-16)
Record: 4-0
Wins: Colorado, Garnder-Webb, Clemson, Temple
Losses: N/A
Transfer portal rank: 32
Georgia
Tech is off to a hot start this season—the Yellow Jackets are 4-0 for the first time since 2014 and currently sit at #16 in the AP poll. While they have certainly looked like one of the best teams in the ACC so far, it may be too early to say, as none of GT’s wins currently have a winning record. Even their impressive 24-21 win over then 12th ranked Clemson has been slightly devalued as the Tigers have dropped to 1-3 on the season. Let’s take a quick look at how the Deacs stack up against the Yellow Jackets.
Offense
Points per game: 38.8 (31)
Yards per game: 492.3 (18)
Run / pass: 60/40
Rush yards per game: 249.3 (14)
Pass yards per game: 243.0 (60)
Sacks Allowed per game: 0.75 (17)
Turnovers per game: 1.5 (95)
The Georgia Tech offense has been really good so far this season, averaging nearly 40 points and 500 yards per game. From what I can tell, this is definitely a “run-first” offense, as the Yellow Jackets run the ball on over 60% of their plays and are currently 14th in the nation in rushing yards per game. GT has run for over 300 yards twice this season and has only been held under 200 yards rushing in 1 game against Clemson. If you take out the FCS game against Gardner-Webb, the Jackets are averaging 258 yards per game on the ground and just 172 yards per game passing.
One of the reasons for that success running the football is a backfield with 2 elite runners in QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes. King is probably one of the toughest players in all of college football, and he has no problem sacrificing his body to gain a few extra yards.
I think King is probably the perfect representation of Georgia Tech under head coach Brent Key–the Yellow Jackets may not have the flashy, elite skill players like some of the other top teams, but they are going to play harder, tougher, and stronger and just punch their opponent right in the mouth. King’s ability to use his legs on read option style plays and designed QB runs has been a problem for opponents this season—he has already rushed for 274 yards (91 ypg) and 5 touchdowns this season, with 2 100+ rushing games against Clemson and Colorado.
The other threat in the GT rushing attack is RB Jamal Haynes, who leads the Jackets with 290 yards rushing and has 3 rushing touchdowns this season. Despite being undersized at 5-9, Haynes is an explosive runner who is deceptively tough to bring down. As a former wide receiver, he is also a threat in the passing game with 10 receptions for 110 yards so far this season.
The last time we saw Wake play, the Wolfpack were able to completely take over the game in the 2nd half by dominating the line of scrimmage and running the ball right at the Wake Forest defense for over 200 yards on the ground. The Yellow Jackets have run for 300+ yards in half of their games this season. Based on those 2 facts, I have a hard time seeing the Deacs slowing down the Georgia Tech offense in this one.
Defense
Points allowed per game: 19.3 (46)
Yards allowed per game: 335 (56)
Rush yards allowed per game: 155.3 (85)
Pass yards allowed per game: 179.8 (43)
Sacks per game: 2 (70)
Turnovers Forced per game: 0.75 (91)
The other side of the ball is probably even better for the Jackets, as the Georgia Tech defense hasn’t given up more than 24 points all season. While you could make the case that the Yellow Jackets haven’t played a good offensive team yet this season (Total Offense ranks—Colorado: 83, Clemson: 89, Temple: 90), that probably doesn’t matter because Wake Forest is also not a good offensive team—against FBS opponents, the Deacs are averaging just 17 points and 330 yards per game this season.
The secondary for the Jackets has been elite so far, holding their FBS opponents to a 53% completion rate and allowing no more than 209 yards through the air in a game this season.
First year Defensive Coordinator Blake Gideon was a four-year starter at safety, a four-time honorable-mention all-Big 12 selection, a freshman all-American and a two-time team captain in his playing career at Texas, so it is understandable that the DBs would be the strength of the defense. Based on Wake’s struggles throwing the ball to anyone not named Chris Barnes, I don’t imagine the Deacs are going to be the first team to crack the Yellow Jacket secondary.
If the Deacs are going to move the ball against this defense, it will have to be on the ground. Georgia Tech is slightly worse against the run than they are the pass, giving up 168 yards per game on the ground against FBS teams this season. In their past 2 games, the Yellow Jackets have given up 174 and 184 yards on the ground to Clemson and Temple respectively. Georgia Tech may also be without 310-pound redshirt senior DT Jordan Van Den Berg, who exited the Temple game early due to an injury last week. Van Den Berg leads the team with 4 tackles for loss, and running the football could be a lot easier without him clogging up the line of scrimmage. However they do it, the Deacs have to find a way to get Demond Claiborne more involved in the offense. Claiborne is yet to run for over 50 yards against an FBS team this season, and the Wake Forest offense is struggling to score points because of it.
This one is probably going to be tough. The Deacs haven’t proven that they can slow down an ACC caliber rushing attack or consistently move the ball against an ACC caliber defense, and the Yellow Jackets are far better in both aspects than the Wolfpack. The only thing going in Wake’s favor in this one is that they have had over 2 weeks off to prepare since losing to NC State all the way back on September 11th. Hopefully they used that time to fix some of the issues on offense.
