Three Key Matchups That Will Determine Georgia Tech vs Tennessee

Game Day on the Flats will be another sellout after Georgia Tech announced that no more tickets were available for the game against Tennessee. Fans have once again shown up and shown out for the Yellow Jackets, which will create an electric atmosphere. Leading up to the game, there will be several key matchups to keep an eye out for. We'll take a deeper look at those.

1. Tennessee WRs vs Georgia Tech secondary

The Yellow Jackets defense will be tested often on Saturday night when they face one of the best wide receiving cores in the nation, led by Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley, Radarious Jackson, TK Keys, and Travis Smith Jr. Matthews had a great season opener, finishing with four catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He is a mismatch in his own right.

Staley is one of the most underrated wide receivers at his position and can beat you anywhere on the field. Together, they are a tough force to stop. The Yellow Jackets' secondary did a great job of limiting the offensive output by Colorado in the passing game last week, only giving up 124 yards through the air. Often, they were in a great position and consistently made plays on the ball against the Colorado receivers. Saturday brings a new challenge and will be a true test of whether they can slow down an elite receiving core.

Watch for guys like Daiquan White and Jaylen Mbakwe to see if they can have success for four quarters against Tennessee. Kelvin Hill will be the other to watch after having a solid game in the slot, but he will likely have to guard tight end Ethan Davis. It will be an intriguing matchup to see who will have the advantage.

2. Georgia Tech Defensive Line vs Tennessee Offensive Line

latest — Georgia Tech EDGE Jordan Walker | Photo Via Najeh Wilkins- Ga Tech On SI

Tennessee's offensive line is massive and is led by David Sanders Jr, Wendell Moe Jr, Sam Pendleton, and Jesse Perry. Together, they are a force and dominate the line of scrimmage. What makes them imposing is their athleticism and ability to get north and south quickly upfield and open major holes in the run game. They produced over 600 yards of total offense vs Furman and will do the same vs Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets will face a real challenge and must be more physical and violent on Saturday. The defensive line will have to make plays and not allow Tennessee to impose its will. Players like Jordan Walker, Tawfiq Thomas, and Noah Carter will be ones to watch to see if they can make plays consistently and not allow this running game to go off.

“Yeah, like you said, they're big athletic. They really can change the direction really well. I think the smallest guy on the line is what, 350? A lot of big guys. So another opportunity to go out there and sell our standard. We're not gonna shy away from anything. We're gonna go out there with the right mindset and play ball for four quarters," said Jordan Walker.

3. Justice Haynes vs Arion Carter

Arion Carter makes his return after serving a one-game suspension last week vs Furman. Carter is one of the best linebackers in the SEC and is a really good run stopper and defender. Last season, he finished with 76 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He makes the Tennessee defense go and is a major game changer when he is on the field.

Carter will be responsible for putting a lid on the Yellow Jackets' rushing attack and their offense on Saturday. Justice Haynes had a solid debut, rushing for 64 yards, but only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. He will b'll look to tune in a bigger game on Saturday and be a bigger factor in the outcomee looking to tune in a bigger game on Saturday and be a bigger factor in the result. This will be an intriguing matchup between the two, and it will have a lot to do with who comes out on top.

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