What You Need to Know About The Georgia Tech Offense
After struggling to ever find its footing under the previous regime in Atlanta, the Georgia Tech offense has exploded under first-year Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner and has been the driving force behind the team's run to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018. In one season, Faulkner, who spent the previous three seasons as an offensive quality control analyst within the Georgia program, has engineered a dramatic makeover of the Georgia Tech offense and, in the process, has elevated the unit to averages of 435 yards and 31 points per game, a stark improvement from last season's averages of 325 yards and 17 points per game. The improvement in the Georgia Tech offense has been as comprehensive as it has been immediate, as the Yellow Jackets are more proficient offensively across the board. Under Faulkner, the Georgia Tech offense is a more efficient, explosive, and versatile unit than it has been since well before the days of Paul Johnson roaming the sidelines of Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Georgia Tech offense is improved across the board and can attack opposing defenses in a variety of ways, but it has undeniably leaned on a run game that has developed into one of the most efficient and explosive rushing attacks in the country. The Yellow Jackets rank 20th nationally in rushing offense (196 yards per game), 8th in yards per rush, (5.4 yards per rush), and 9th in runs of 30 or more yards (10 runs of 30 or more yards). Redshirt sophomore Jamal Haynes is the clear feature back in the Georgia Tech offense as he leads the team in rushing with 850 yards, but the Yellow Jackets have a number of weapons at their disposal in the run game. Redshirt senior Dontae Smith has missed two games with an injury but has still rushed for 371 yards as the Yellow Jackets' No.2 back, while Louisville transfer Trey Cooley has contributed 274 yards and 3 touchdowns of his own.
Nov 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) celebrates after a touchdown with running back Jamal Haynes (11) against the Syracuse Orange in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
However, as productive as Georgia Tech's running backs have been, it is the dimension added by dual-threat quarterback Haynes King that has made the Yellow Jacket run game so difficult for opposing defenses to corral. With 624 yards rushing, King, a Texas A&M transfer, is the Yellow Jackets' second-leading rusher and actually leads the team with 6.4 yards per rush. Faulkner has created a diverse quarterback run game menu for King that includes traditional zone reads, quarterback draws, and quarterback counters. His inclusion as a key part of the Georgia Tech run game consistently provides the Yellow Jackets with a numbers advantage inside the box, which requires defenses to consistently win one-on-one matchups to limit their run game. But it is when he is using his improvisational skills on scrambles, that King is perhaps at his most lethal. When defenses get too far up the field rushing the passer, King will take advantage of running lanes and generate explosive plays with his legs.
Yet, while King has been a weapon for Georgia Tech in the run game, he has largely been a liability in the passing game. His 15 interceptions are tied for the most interceptions thrown by any quarterback in the country. The interceptions have been a mixed bag. At times they are the result of inaccurate throws, at other times they are the byproduct of poor decision-making, but whatever the reason for the turnovers, King has consistently put his team in difficult situations. He does, however, possess a strong arm and he has a talented group of receivers to distribute the ball to. His top target has been freshman Eric Singleton Jr. who leads the Yellow Jackets in receptions (43), receiving yards (610 yards), and touchdowns (6). With a verified 10.2 100-meter to his name, Singleton Jr. brings legitimate track speed to the field and is a threat to take the top off of the defense on any given snap. With 442 yards on 41 receptions, redshirt sophomore Malik Rutherford has played more of a possession receiver role in the Georgia Tech offense, while former Georgia receiver Dominick Blaylock provides King with another trusted option on the outside.
The 2023 Georgia Tech offense is a significant upgrade over the units that the Yellow Jackets have featured in recent years, but, in many ways, it has feasted on lesser competition. The three games that the Yellow Jackets posted 500 or more yards of offense came against North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina State. The Tar Heels and Cavaliers rank 92nd and 98th nationally respectively in total defense, while as an FCS team, South Carolina State does not qualify to be ranked. Against, Louisville, Miami, and Clemson - the three top-30 defenses that it has faced - Georgia Tech has averaged only 330 yards per game and 3.9 yards per play. Allowing only 288 yards and 15 points per game, Georgia represents the best defense that the Yellow Jackets will have faced this season.
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