Georgia Tech vs North Carolina: Official Preview and Prediction
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Georgia Tech is back on the road for its final two games of the season and both games are going to be against tough opponents. The Yellow Jackets head to Chapel Hill to face a North Carolina team that is trying to prove that they belong in the college football playoff.
Let's take a closer look at the matchup of Coastal division rivals.
There is going to be a stark contrast at the quarterback position on Saturday. Georgia Tech is going to be without both Zach Pyron and Jeff Sims and in the depth chart released this week, Zach Gibson was listed as the starter. It would not surprise me to see Clemson transfer Taisun Phommachanh in the game this weekend. The quarterback run game has been important to Georgia Tech this season and Phommachanh is the superior runner when compared with Gibson.
Will Georgia Tech play Taisun Phommachanh this weekend?
Taisun Phommachanh, Georgia Tech. Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
Gibson has not played well in his time on the field. He was sacked seven times against Virginia and in two series against Florida State, he did not pick up a first down. If Gibson starts out slow, Phommahcanh may come into the game. He has not taken a snap this season.
While Georgia Tech's offense has not been good this season, they will be facing one of the worst defenses in the country. North Carolina is last in the ACC in pass defense and 13th in run defense. The Tar Heels are near the bottom of the country in tackles for loss and that is good news for a struggling offense.
The game plan on offense for the Yellow Jackets should be to run the ball and hope they can get some favorable looks in the passing game. Keeping the high-scoring Tar Heels offense off the field is going to be paramount.
The running game was solid against Virginia Tech but did not get going against Miami. Pyron was the biggest run threat against Miami and with him out, the running backs will have to lead the way. On the depth chart, Dontae Smith, Hassan Hall, and Dylan McDuffie were listed as the co-starters. Smith, Hall, and freshman Jamie Felix were the ball carriers last week and I expect a similar rotation this week.
Georgia Tech wide receiver Nate McCollum is looking for another 100 yard game this weekend
Lately, the passing game has been Nate McCollum or bust. McCollum has 100 yards in two straight games and is likely to lead the team in targets again. North Carolina has talented defensive backs like Tony Grimes, Storm Duck, and Cam'Ron Kelly, but they have not been able to stop opposing passing games.
E.J. Jenkins, Malachi Carter, Leo Blackburn, or one of the other receivers is going to have to step up and make life easier on whichever quarterback gets the start.
The offensive line has not been very good this season, but North Carolina does not have an imposing defense. The Tar Heels struggle to get pressure on the quarterback and this is a chance for the line to have a better-than-normal performance.
The Georgia Tech defense is going to have quite the challenge on Saturday. Heisman hopeful Drake Maye leads a North Carolina offense that leads the ACC in scoring and passing offense and this is going to be the most potent offense the Yellow Jackets have faced.
Georgia Tech has struggled when facing top offenses this season
Whether it is the run or the pass, North Carolina has ways to exploit a defense. Maye is the leading rusher on the team, but Omarion Hampton, Elijah Green, and Caleb Hood are good runners.
Josh Downs is the top receiver on North Carolina and he forms one of the top quarterback-receiver duos in the country with Maye. Antoine Green is the deep threat for Carolina and can score from anywhere on the field.
Downs can take over this game if given the opportunity and the Yellow Jackets' secondary is going to have to make sure they know where he is. Downs loves to operate out of the slot and that is where you can expect to see him.
If Georgia Tech wants to try and stop this offense, the defensive line might be the key. Keion White and D'Quan Douse have been causing disruption up front and North Carolina's offensive line is the weak point of the unit.
The only offenses Georgia Tech has faced that are comparable to North Carolina are Ole Miss and Florida State. Ole Miss is a more run-heavy attack, while Florida State did well in both phases of the game. The Seminoles racked up over 600 yards and Ole Miss had 547. That is not a good sign of what could be coming in this game.
If Georgia Tech can't pressure Maye, this is going to be a long game.
How to Watch Georgia Tech at North Carolina
Who: Georgia Tech at North Carolina
When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Betting odds per SI Sportsbook: North Carolina -21; Over/under 62.5; Moneyline: North Carolina -1786, Georgia Tech +800
RADIO: Georgia Tech Sports Network
• Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra
• Analyst: Joe Hamilton
• Sideline Reporter: Brandon Joseph
• In Atlanta: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
• Across Georgia: Visit RamblinWreck.com for the station affiliate list
• Satellite: SiriusXM 387 / SiriusXM app 977
• Mobile Apps: GT Yellow Jackets, 680 The Fan, TuneIn
• Online: RamblinWreck.com, 680TheFan.com
Prediction
Can Georgia Tech knock off North Carolina for a second straight season?
Georgia Tech was able to pull a surprising upset over North Carolina and ruin their season a year ago. That is something that Mack Brown has not forgotten either and talked about it in his press conference this week:
"Georgia Tech dominated us last year, they really ruined our season. We got a bad start at Virginia Tech, we dominated Virginia, we go to Georgia Tech and just get killed and that was when all the fans quit and we all were disappointed, they totally dominated the game. In fact, the score was 45-22, I looked at it this morning and it made me throw up. We had 63 rushing yards, they had 261. We gave up eight sacks for 55 yards. That is enough sacks for a season. We went for fourth down on our own 31 and that will cure you from doing that. We lost two yards and they scored quickly and they had 17 points off of turnovers."
If Georgia Tech wants to win, they are going to have to follow a similar game plan as last year. The Yellow Jackets' defensive line and pass rush dominated the game and made the North Carolina offense a poor unit.
The problem is, Maye is a better quarterback than Sam Howell and this offense is better than it was a year ago. Not only that, but Sims played a huge role in the win a year ago. He had a good game on the ground and through the air and it might have been his best game as a Yellow Jacket. Georgia Tech is not going to have that threat on their offense this year and that is going to hurt them.
The x-factors in this game will be the run game on offense and the ability to force turnovers and create negative plays on defense. Turnovers are always a key to the defensive game plan and defensive tackle Makius Scott talked about that this week:
"Our priority is always trying to get the ball out. The coaching staff really taught us this season just go for the ball and try to create turnovers for the offense and get the offense the ball as many times as possible. Our point of emphasis is always going to be the same just going after the ball through any quarterback and any team we play."
I just don't think Georgia Tech has the playmakers on offense to take advantage of a poor North Carolina defense. North Carolina can score on just about any defense and the way Georgia Tech has performed against top offenses this season, there is not a lot of reason to think they will be successful at stopping the Tar Heels.
I think North Carolina runs away from this one and officially eliminate Georgia Tech from bowl contention.
Final Score: North Carolina 38, Georgia Tech 7
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