Coming off a captivating college football Week 0, the Jackets will face off against inner-city rivals just 1.7 miles away, the Georgia State Panthers. Despite their close proximity, these two teams have never played against each other, which is sure to make for a fun and exciting matchup.
Georgia Tech is coming off the excitement of a weekend international trip and a dominating conference win. The team is on a roll after being featured on the show “College GameDay” and receiving a ton of media attention. As we head into Week 1 of the 2024 college football season, here’s what I think we know.
This game means a lot.
After Florida State’s win, I noticed two lessons from the college football media.
1. Georgia Tech is a much improved team and will continue to impress and win games.
2. Florida State played a terrible game and the Georgia Tech win was a fluke. This game was their peak and they’ll be lucky to make a bowl game.
Summary: There are contrasting views on Georgia Tech and the Seminoles’ performance.
To me, this game is a benchmark for where we are mentally as a team. How are we going to handle all the national attention we’ve had? How are we going to handle ourselves after coming home from another country? How is the coaching staff going to make sure the team doesn’t get too cocky after last weekend’s upset win?
If you’re a Tech football fan, this game is bound to worry you. This team has been known to win games they shouldn’t and lose games they shouldn’t, getting thrashed by Bowling Green last season before coming back the next weekend to win 17 games.NumberAway against No. 2 ranked Miami. This game is a great opportunity for the team to show their rebounding ability and perform consistently for 60 minutes, regardless of past patterns. But it’s also a potential trap to risk losing a game that shouldn’t be overlooked. I have faith in this team, especially after their great game against the Irish, but we can’t take this matchup lightly. I don’t think this fan base or this team wants the win against FSU to seem like a fluke, and we need to be prepared to play 60 minutes of football this weekend. Coach Key said in his press conference this week that the Georgia State game is “the biggest game of the year. Make no mistake about it, no reservations.” We’ll see on Saturday if this team is ready to face the pressure of this matchup.
The offensive line’s improvements seen last season were no coincidence.
Prior to the 2023 season, our offensive line was perhaps our biggest weakness. In just one year, offensive line coach Jeep Wade and the entire offensive staff have completely turned this position group around, and the offensive line is now one of our greatest assets. The Jackets finished 2023 with 203.8 yards per game, the most in the ACC, and picked up where they left off this season, recording 190 rushing yards on 36 attempts, averaging 5.3 yards per play. The line allowed Jamal Haynes and Haynes King to get creative and disrupt the FSU defense. Even Chad Alexander had some impressive runs, showing potential. To be honest, the Tech offensive line completely overpowered the FSU defensive line, paving the way for a thrilling and dynamic running game. This was a shock to me, and to pretty much anyone who pays even a little attention to college football. The Seminoles were expected by many to have the best defensive line in college football, loaded with a ton of talent. After Jamaal Haynes scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter,Number At the end of the quarter, announcer Jesse Palmer expressed surprise at how our offensive line was dominating our defensive line in the trenches. My favorite reaction from the game was, “I’d heard this defensive line was the best in the country, and Georgia Tech was shoving them around like they were paper.” That was so true, to say the least. I’m confident in saying I’ve been the most impressed with our offensive line since our 11-win season in 2014. The physicality and consistency of this group is incredible and promising.
As Coach Key would say, “Are you kidding me? Run the ball!!”
The run defense seems to have improved dramatically.
Need I say more? Georgia Tech is ranked 128th.Number Last year, Tech had the nation’s top rushing defense, allowing 221.3 yards per game, 5.38 yards per rush, and 28 rushing TDs. It was awful, to say the least. Tech finished the game allowing only 98 total yards on 31 rushing attempts, with 58 of those coming on the first drive, meaning Tech only allowed 40 rushing yards in the entire game.
While the offensive line dominated up front, the defensive line deserves just as much praise. Last season, the Jackets were the best run defense in the ACC, holding rushing attempts to 44.7 percent success rate. After losing two of their best defensive linemen, Kyle Kennard and Da’Quan Dowse, expectations weren’t as high for this game or this season. New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci coached them well, and the line looked like a brick wall that Florida State’s talented running backs couldn’t budge.
We’ve only seen this level of production from our line in one game so I don’t want to get too confident just yet, but from what we’ve seen so far we see true potential.
This matchup is significant for both ATL schools.
The game will feature some very familiar faces on both the sidelines and the field. Former Tech quarterback Zach Gibson is expected to start against the Jackets, with defensive back Kenyatta Watson serving as the backup free safety. Kevin Scherrer will serve as defensive coordinator, former Tech quarterback Ta’Quon Marshall as graduate assistant and Rod “Luke” Trungong as director of player development. Former Georgia Tech legend Bill Curry is known as a pioneer of Georgia State football and this will be a memorable game as his two teams finally meet.
There will be excitement building on Saturday night as Atlanta’s two college teams finally meet. Georgia State will be fired up to play, and the Jackets are fresh off their biggest win in a decade. This should be a great game with a lot at stake.
Good luck with the jacket!
