Three Questions for Georgia Tech Ahead of Game Against No. 1 Georgia
Georgia Tech is fresh off of a win over No. 13 North Carolina and now has a trip to Athens against the No. 1 team in the country to end their regular season. The Yellow Jackets have done well as a big underdog under Brent Key, but this is going to be a massive hill to climb on Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets are going to be a 35.5-point underdog on Saturday and that has become a theme as of late in this rivalry. The Yellow Jackets are hoping to perform better than the previous teams have since their last win in the rivalry in 2016. Georgia has outscored Tech 180-35 since then and at no point in those games did Georgia ever have to sweat.
One thing is for certain, Key and this team play with a ton of heart and no fear, and they will show up with that attitude and physicality on Saturday.
So what are the three biggest questions for the Yellow Jackets against the Bulldogs tomorrow?
3. Can Georgia Tech get pressure on Stetson Bennett?
Georgia Tech got six sacks against North Carolina last week?
Last weekend, Georgia Tech faced one of the nation's best offenses when they went against North Carolina and one of the reasons they had such a good defensive effort was the pressure they put on Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. The Yellow Jackets finished with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. That was against an average offensive line, but that is not what Tech will face on Saturday.
Georgia is No. 2 in the nation in sacks allowed, giving up only seven all year. Georgia Tech ranks amongst the top 40 in the nation in sacks, totaling 28 this season.
Getting pressure on Bennett and forcing him into mistakes is going to be a huge key for this defense. Keion White (three sacks last week), D'Quan Douse, and Makius Scott are playing well right now and are going to be counted on to produce quarterback pressures and hits this Saturday.
2. How Will Georgia Tech's Run Defense Hold Up?
Georgia has one of the best running games in the country
Georgia Tech's biggest weakness this season on defense has been run defense and tackling. Ole Miss, Florida State, and others have had success running against the Yellow Jackets. Last week against Kentucky, Georgia was struggling to throw the ball and leaned on the running game to beat the Wildcats and wear them down.
You can bet that will be Kirby Smart's plan for tomorrow. Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton, Daijuan Edwards, and Branson Robinson make up a very talented backfield for Georgia. Georgia Tech is going to be challenged by the Bulldog's offensive line and running game.
Stopping the run and putting Bennett and the passing game in obvious throwing situations is the best approach for Tech tomorrow. Let's see if they can execute it.
1. What can the Georgia Tech Offense do Against Georgia's Defense?
Georgia Tech's offense will face the best defense in the country tomorrow
Georgia Tech has done just enough on offense in the games that it has won, but this is a team that has not scored more than 30 points in an FBS game this season and that is unlikely to change on Saturday.
Georgia's defense might not be quite the force it was last year, but it is still the best in the country. The Bulldogs are first in the country in scoring defense, third in rushing defense, first in red zone defense, and 20th in passing defense. It is an elite unit with future NFL players at every level.
Zach Gibson is going to get the start at quarterback and he will need to manage the game like he did last week when he went 13-18 for 174 yards. The running game has struggled this year and the passing game lacks weapons outside of top receiver Nate McCollum.
The offensive line has been amongst the worst in the country and will be facing a fantastic Georgia defensive line.
I am interested to see how offensive coordinator Chip Long tries to move the ball on the Bulldogs. I am pessimistic about the offense's chances tomorrow and that is why it is the top question I have for Georgia Tech against the No. 1 team in the country tomorrow.
Georgia Tech vs Georgia will kick off at noon tomorrow in Athens and will be televised on ESPN.
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