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We've done a home and home Q&A session with another fan site, Josh Brundage from From the Rumble Seat. He answered some questions we provided on what we can expect with Georgia Tech this week:
What part of NC State's team concerns you the most and what do you consider the most advantageous matchup for GT?
I’m most concerned about Tech’s consistent lack of pass rush and giving Bailey time to hit big plays with Joly and Concepcion over the top. Both of those guys have excellent receiving stats, and I would expect that trend to continue to some extent on Thursday night.
I think the best matchup is Georgia Tech’s front 7 against the Wolfpack rushing attack. Despite our linebackers being largely a liability in pass coverage, they have been excellent against the run, especially Kyle Efford. Since the Wolfpack are not an elite rushing team, I would expect them to air it out a little more than the coaching staff would like.
How do Tech fans feel about being a run-first team again, minus the triple option? And do you feel that is an appropriate characterization of GT's offense?
Yes, it is absolutely an appropriate characterization. Brent Key is a former offensive lineman here, as well as O-line coach under Saban for several years. He is not shy about running the dang ball until the defense adjusts to stop it. In channeling his inner Paul Johnson, he will run the ball the length of the field and burn an entire quarter if given the opportunity. You will still see loads of flexbone concepts in our offense. Rather than the traditional triples, though, you’ll see a zone read combined with a pop pass as the third option pretty regularly.
The Yellow Jackets definitely run the ball to set up the over the top, play action pass. The strategy is all too familiar to us longtime Tech fans, and we’re honestly just happy to have an exciting offense that can move the ball again after the Collins years.
It seems like the run game has been the Haynes and Haynes show. Who are some other backs and receivers to keep an eye on? And how many rushing yards will GT have against what is the weakest part of NC State's defense?
In the slot position, Malik Rutherford has been a monster so far in 2024. You’ll see him run the ball on jet sweeps, and he has 54 receptions for 622 yards and 3 TDs this season. He also has excellent vision in the WR screen game.
On the outside, Eric Singleton is our game-breaking X receiver who will probably see a lot of double coverage. He was approached by several of the big SEC schools around is in the offseason but decided to stay a Yellow Jacket. His reception numbers are a little down this year just because he attracts so much attention when he’s on the field, but he still averages over 13 yards per reception.
The sweet spot for the Yellow Jackets’ rushing totals is in the 250-300 yard range…that’s usually the goal. If the Jackets are getting close to 300 yards on the ground on Thursday, it bodes well for the home team.
How are Tech fans feeling about the Brent Key era? It really seems like he has injected a lot of energy and has them going in the right direction after the up and down tenures of Paul Johnson and Geoff Collins.
When he was hired, we mostly saw him as a bridge coach to pull us out of the basement of the Collins tenure. However, if he continues at the current pace and can retain or nail the next coordinator hires, the sky is the limit for him. We’ve seen a big uptick in recruiting, fan engagement, and just consistent toughness from everyone on the team. I don’t think there would be anyone in the fanbase upset if he got an extension after next season… especially if he can beat a slightly down UGA team to end the season.
He's a breath of fresh air and seems to be what this program needed. For several years, Georgia Tech was just a feeder team to the bigger schools around us who poached our best players every off season. I think the most impressive thing about Key’s tenure so far has been his ability to recruit and retain talent, which Collins could not.
From a higher perspective, where do you see Georgia Tech fit in to the new-look ACC moving forward? What's the expectation moving forward in terms of number of wins on average? I ask because NC State fans feel like being a top 4 team in conference isn't unrealistic, so I'm curious what other fans think of their teams.
I think the ceiling for Tech, with our academic restrictions and larger competition in the area, is somewhere around consistent 8 win seasons, with maybe putting it all together and playing for a conference title every 3-4 years. Tech is doing everything they can to keep up in the modern age of NIL, and the athletic department is getting creative in revenue generation, but it’s still pennies compared to some of the big name SEC schools.
I don’t think, in the modern landscape, any ACC school outside of FSU or Clemson have the resources to consistently be in the Playoff conversation at this point.
What do you think has contributed to Tech's up and down season. After their dramatic win against FSU, there's been some highlights and missteps. Has there been any one root cause?
Yes, it’s as simple as injuries. We dropped 2 very winnable games this season due to Haynes King and Kyle Efford both being out for them. Tech is definitely on the upswing as a program, but we don’t have the depth to stay at that high level when our starting QB and star linebacker are both out. If it weren’t for injuries, we may be talking about a very different, and special, season for the Jackets of 2024. At QB, King is still not back to 100% and dealing with a nagging shoulder injury, but we’re hoping the extra time off for this game will help.
And finally, how do you think the game will go? Who will won and what is your score prediction?
I think this game is close at the half but Tech pulls away at the end. I think the GT rushing attack will be too much for the Wolfpack to handle, and the Yellow Jackets pull away at the end for a final score of around 31-21.
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