Three Keys to Victory for Georgia Tech on Saturday vs Mercer

Georgia Tech is hoping to get their first win of the season on Saturday when they face Mercer.

The Yellow Jackets have started 0-2 for the first time since 1989, and they desperately need to get some momentum before they begin ACC play. That begins on Saturday against the Bears.

So what will it take for Georgia Tech to get their first win of the season?

1. Start fast

There might not be another team in the Power Four conferences that needs a dominant win on Saturday more than Georgia Tech. Opening the season against two power four opponents is not easy, especially when you have so much change on the roster and the coaching staff, but now the Yellow Jackets are entering a game in which they should be able to overwhelm the opponent.

But will they?

Georgia Tech needs to be able to score and score quickly against one of the FCS's best defenses. They are 5th in the FCS in PPG allowed through the first couple of weeks in the season and they are going against a Georgia Tech offense that is averaging just 18.5 PPG, good for 120th in the country so far this year.

Earlier this week, head coach Brent Key talked about how a fast start is going to be key this weekend and something that he wants to see his team do:

“Things we've got to improve on. You know, drive starters and first downs on offense. I mean, big time. Big time. You talk about why third down and get back on track, the second down and get back on track plays. Well, you wouldn't have those if you had more production and execution on first down. You know, red area, I mean, two games now, three of seven scored in the red area, two touchdowns, one of them at the end of the game. That's something that is a major, major focus of being able to score touchdowns,” said Key.

2. Stop the run

Georgia Tech has been abysmal at stopping the run so far this season, but the good news is that Mercer is not as good at running the ball as either Colorado or Tennessee. However, they are averaging 220 yards per game so far this season, good for 2nd in the Southern Conference and 13th in the FCS.

If Georgia Tech can't stop the run, then they are going to either have an uncomfortable victory over an FCS opponent or they are going to be in for quite the surprise on Saturday. The linebackers need to play better and the front seven as a whole has to stop the Bears from moving the ball.

3. Win the turnover battle

One of the reasons that Georgia Tech hired Jason Semore as the defensive coordinator was because his units at Southern Miss and Marshall could create turnovers and havoc on opposing offenses.

So far though, the Yellow Jackets have lost the turnover battle in each game so far and have yet to force a turnover. Against an inferior opponent, they have to find a groove and be able to take the ball away and make life easier for the offense.

Add us as a preferred source on Google