Matchup Preview and Final Score Prediction For No. 7 Georgia Tech vs Syracuse

Who will win Saturday's game between Georgia Tech and Syracuse?

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Jy Gilmore (14) celebrates a play with defensive back Omar Daniels (9) during the second half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

No. 7 Georgia Tech is preparing to face Syracuse on Saturday, and the Yellow Jackets are hoping to reach 8-0 Overall, and for the first time ever, reach 5-0 in ACC play.

Syracuse comes into this game 3-4 and losers of three straight. Ever since starting quarterback Steve Angeli went down with a season ending injury and was replaced by quarterback Rickie Collins, who has gone 0-3 as a starter, with all three losses coming by double digits. What will they have in store for Georgia Tech this weekend?

So will Georgia Tech continue its unbeaten season or will Syracuse throw the ACC race into complete chaos?

Georgia Tech's offense vs Syracuse's defense

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) hands off the ball to running back Malachi Hosley (0) during the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

This is a pretty big mismatch on paper, but will Syracuse be able to do anything to slow down the Yellow Jackets offense?

Georgia Tech comes into this game ranking 31st in points per game, 12th in rushing yards per game, 66th in passing yards per game, and 19th in total offense.

They are not going up against one of the better defenses in the ACC though, not as good as the one they faced last week. Syracuse comes into this game ranked 107th in PPG allowed, 79th in rushing yards allowed per game, 126th in passing yards per game allowed, and 115th in total yards per game allowed.

The key for the Yellow Jackets this weekend is to not turn the ball over and give the Syracuse offense a shortfield. This team has played relatively clean over the past few weeks, but one of the keys for any team to pull a big upset as a three score underdog is to create turnovers and create easy scoring opportunities with a short field. I don't expect Syracuse to be getting many stops in this game unless Georgia Tech stops themselves.

The running backs are going to look to bounce back in this game. Haynes King is the leading rusher for Georgia Tech and while he is a dynamic runner, it helps the offense when Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosley are running strong. Last week, Duke limited the duo to 52 yards on 19 carries last week.

If Malik Rutherford is unable to go for Georgia Tech tomorrow, expect Bailey Stockton and true freshman Jordan Allen to get more snaps. Allen has shown explosive potential in his limited snaps this season and could have a big chance tomorrow.

It could be another game for the tight ends to be involved in the passing game. Josh Beetham, Luke Harpring, and J.T. Byrne all had a catch for over 20 yards last week and have been giving King more options in the passing game.

Offensive lineman Harrison Moore is questionable for this game and if he can't go, expect Tana Alo-Tupuola to get the start at center.

This is one of the worst defenses that Georgia Tech has seen all season. If they don't turn the ball over, they should be able to move the ball effectively.

Georgia Tech Defense vs Syracuse Offense

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Rodney Shelley (6) celebrates a blocked touchdown during the first half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Syracuse had one of the best passing offenses in the ACC with quarterback Steve Angeli, but since his season-ending injury, this offense has not been the same.

The Orange come into the game ranked 79th in PPG, 120th in rushing yards per game, 14th in passing yards per game, and 60th in total yards per game. They are going to face a Georgia Tech defense that ranks 42nd in PPG allowed, 84th in rushing yards allowed per game, 57 in passing yards allowed per game, and 73rd in total yards allowed per game.

Georgia Tech is once again going to be without defensive tackle Akelo Stone and cornerback Ahmari Harvey in this game. Not only that, but defensive back Jy Gilmore is questionable for this game. If Georgia Tech is going to be without two of their top defensive backs in this game, Syracuse has the weapons on the outside to make Georgia Tech uncomfortable.

Do they have the quarterback though?

LSU transfer Rickie Collins has taken over for Angeli and the results have not been great. Collins has thrown for 733 yards in his three starts with five touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has thrown three interceptions in back to back games. Wide receivers Johntay Cook (37 catches, 456 yards, and two touchdowns), Darrell Gill (21 catches for 376 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 17.9 YPC), and Justus Ross-Simmons (18 catches for 294 yards and five touchdowns, averaging over 16 yards per catch) could give the Yellow Jackets secondary problems if there are coverage busts.

Tackling is also going to be big key in this game. Duke was able to use their quick game last week and force Georgia Tech to tackle in space. They got better as the game went on, but they allowed Duke to move the ball quickly last week.

Final Score Prediction

Anything can happen in college football as we have seen over the past few weeks, but this feels like quite the mismatch on paper. As long as they don't turn the ball over, Georgia Tech's offense should move the ball at will and the Syracuse offense is too mistake prone and can't run the ball. I think Georgia Tech gets out to an early lead much like Duke and SMU did to Syracuse and the Orange get some late touchdowns to make the score look a little bit better at the end.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 34, Syracuse 20