Josh Pate names undefeated program on upset alert on Saturday

Josh Pate placed an undefeated program on upset alert ahead of its road game in Week 10, citing run defense issues.

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets were placed on upset alert by college football analyst Josh Pate ahead of their Week 10 matchup against NC State. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech’s dream season could be tested this weekend in Raleigh. On Thursday’s episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, the college football analyst warned that the undefeated Yellow Jackets might be walking into an upset against NC State.

Georgia Tech sits at 8-0 for the first time since 1966 and remains a front-runner for the ACC title game. Brent Key’s team has thrived behind quarterback Haynes King, whose dual-threat production has powered one of the nation’s most balanced offenses. Yet Pate suggested this matchup carries serious risk given the setting, the opponent, and the calendar.

“This is a classic case of a team that’s about to find out how long the month of November can be,” Pate said. “Georgia Tech’s run defense ranks 87th. NC State has the ACC’s leading rusher in Hollywood Smothers. Do you smell what I smell? I’m putting an eight on this game on the upset alert concern meter. I have moderate to severe concerns for Georgia Tech this weekend.”

Georgia Tech Faces Stiff Road Test at NC State

Pate pointed to King’s central role as both a strength and a vulnerability. “Their results at Georgia Tech are so tied to Haynes King,” he said. “If he doesn’t have a great individual Saturday, they can lose against anyone.” King has thrown for 1,480 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 12 more, but NC State’s front could be his toughest test yet.

Georgia Tech enters Saturday’s game averaging 472.5 yards per contest, including 229.8 on the ground, yet its defense has been inconsistent. The Yellow Jackets rank 88th in rushing defense, allowing 155.3 yards per game. That weakness could prove costly against Smothers, who has totaled 825 yards and six touchdowns.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) has accounted for 19 total touchdowns this season. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

NC State has struggled of late, dropping four of its last five, but coach Dave Doeren’s team still boasts one of the conference’s top rushing attacks. “Nobody’s given up,” Doeren said. “We just got to play better and it starts with me.”

Georgia Tech’s eight-game ACC win streak ties a program record, but Carter-Finley Stadium has not been kind. The Yellow Jackets last won there in 2000, a streak they’ll need to end to keep playoff hopes alive.

The Yellow Jackets will face the Wolfpack on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.