Georgia Tech is heading on the road for the first time since they played at Pittsburgh on October 1st and they have quite the challenge in front of them. Florida State is one of the toughest places to play in the country and the Seminoles are trying to snap a three-game losing streak and will be big favorites over Georgia Tech.
Interim head coach Brent Key has started 2-1 since taking over for Geoff Collins and is 2-0 as an underdog against the spread. Tech has already won one game as a 20+ point underdog this season and will be trying to do so again on Saturday.
There are plenty of questions for Georgia Tech heading into tomorrow's game against the Seminoles, but which ones are the biggest?
Let's take a look.
3. Can the Running Game Get Back On Track?
Georgia Tech has had a rough season on offense, but the running game has had bright spots this year. However, a big part of Georgia Tech's running game is being able to have quarterback Jeff Sims on designed runs and he might not be able to play (more on that later) or even if he does play, he won't be the same kind of threat.
The running game for Georgia Tech, including the offensive line and running backs, are going to be asked to do a lot tomorrow. Hassan Hall looked to be on the verge of becoming the lead back against Pittsburgh, carrying the ball 20 times for 157 yards, but in the past two games against Duke and Virginia, Hall has 112 yards on 29 carries.
Dontae Smith saw nine carries against Virginia after having only 10 carries in the previous three games combined. Georgia Tech is going to need a positive ground game tomorrow to have any chance on offense and these guys (and the line) are going to have to put forth a good performance.
2. Is the passing defense for real?
Georgia Tech has seen quite the turnaround in terms of passing defense this year. After being one of the worst in the country in 2021, the Yellow Jackets have a top-50 passing defense in the country (47th overall) and have seemed to improve each week.
The one question that I do have is the quality of passing games that the Yellow Jackets have faced. Virginia, Duke, and Pitt are not the best passing teams, and Florida State will be a step up from them.
Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis has taken a step up this year and if you put a lot of stock into PFF (Pro Football Focus) grades, he is the sixth highest-graded quarterback in the country. Florida State wide receiver Johnny Wilson could cause the Georgia Tech secondary a lot of problems, as can the other receivers. Florida State is an explosive team and Georgia Tech's secondary is going to have to show that the improvement is real in the back of the defense.
1. How Will The Quarterback Situation Play Out?
Earlier this week when talking to the media, Key said that Sims was "day-to-day" and that there was a chance that both backup quarterback Zach Gibson and true freshmen quarterback Zach Pyron would see the field if Sims did not play.
Gibson was sacked seven times last week against Virginia and went 10-25 for 99 yards. Pyron has never played in a college game before. Both quarterbacks are not likely to give anything in the ground game and their passing is very unproven. The offensive line has not done any quarterback for the Yellow Jackets any favors this year and that is something that the coaching staff is going to have to work around.
The key thing for both Gibson and Pyron is not turning the ball over and giving Florida State easy field position. NC State was able to beat the Seminoles without a passing game, but it is going to be difficult to repeat that.
Whichever of the three quarterbacks plays the most, it will be the biggest question for Georgia Tech tomorrow against Florida State.
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