Birds of a feather: Georgia Tech

To the uninitiated, this game did not look very interesting in the preseason, but the win against then No. 10 FSU has changed the way the Yellow Jackets are talked about. Tech is still alive in the 12-team playoff, but how important is this Louisville game for keeping those hopes alive?

It’s incredibly critical. Dropping the Syracuse game was already a big blow to those plans, but going 1-2 against the ACC opponents they’ve faced thus far would put Tech in a hole that I do not think they can climb out of. They still have to play Duke, UNC, NC State and Miami – none of those games projects to be a cinch for Tech to win.

Brent Key is incredible in big games, especially on the road, but has shown over his tenure that there tend to be some slip ups here and there, as evident against Syracuse this season. Do you think that’s something Tech fans will have to live with or do you feel it’s just a part of the rebuilding process?

I do think it’s part of the rebuilding process to drop some games that you should not, but I felt that the Syracuse loss was particularly difficult to watch. The performance by Tech’s special teams was special (for lack of a better word) and it felt like the defense squandered that chance by not being able to stop the Orange on the last drive. I was also surprised to see how difficult it was for Tech to move the ball on the ground, especially considering how Syracuse gave up 256 rushing yards to Ohio University the week before. I do not think fans should just live with uncharacteristic performances given that Key has held the program to a pretty high standard. At ACC Kickoff, he said that the expectation is to win every game. I understand that’s coachspeak but he has not been shy about what he wants from the team and I think fans should hold the team to that.

Saturday’s matchup will feature some of the best the ACC has to offer in Tech’s offense and Louisville’s defense, with the Card’s defense barely winning that battle last year. However, with the improvement of the opposite sides of the field for both teams, who do you anticipate having a bigger impact on the game: Louisville’s offense or Tech’s defense?

I’d say Tech’s defense needs to prove that last week’s 59-7 throttling of VMI was not just a fluke. I thought the defense swarmed to the football, executed the game plan well and overall, completely stopped the Keydets’ offense in its tracks. You could count the number of first downs they had on one hand. That being said, I think mitigating the Tyler Shough–Ja’Corey Brooks tandem is going to be of the utmost priority for Tech. They struggled to take away Syracuse’s top target in Oronde Gadsden, so they’ll need to show some improvement there. I’m also interested to see how the Jackets’ run defense handles Louisville’s RBs. I’d anticipate any defensive success Tech has as having the bigger impact on the game because the defense needs to generate more scoring opportunities for this offense.