What do we think we know heading into the first road game of the season?
As I sat down to write this article, just hours after the release of the AP Poll, I couldn’t help but reflect on the last time I saw the Jackets crack the Top 25. The year was 2015, and I was just an eighth grader. Flash forward to today, and I am now a college graduate working my first job. Needless to say, it’s been quite a while since the Yellow Jackets were ranked among the nation’s best 25 teams. The only two teams that have a longer drought from being ranked are Rutgers, last ranked in 2012, and Vanderbilt last ranked in 2014. Brent Key has this program heading in the right direction and it feels as though things are starting to turn around.
A huge road challenge awaits the Jackets this weekend to prove that they belong where the voters have ranked them. No. 23 Georgia Tech is taking on the Syracuse Orange in hopes of remaining undefeated. The Orange will be a different team than who Tech faced last year, as they now have Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord starting at QB and talented tight end Oronde Gadsden. They also welcomed former UGA assistant coach Fran Brown to take over as their head ball coach. They had a slow start in Week 1 against Ohio but finished strong, pulling away at the end to win 38-22. After observing Florida State’s lackluster performance against Boston College on Monday night, it is safe to say that Syracuse may be our greatest obstacle yet. Here are some Things I Think I Know heading into Week Two.
The defense needs to be at their best to win this game
Kyle McCord is a talented player with much more to offer than the first two QBs we faced. McCord finished the Ohio game with 354 yards and 4 TDs and has the chance to light up our defense if he gets hot. Tyler Santucci has this group headed in the right direction, but this weekend will be a big test to see how the defense responds to an air raid offense and an experienced quarterback. The defensive line has only recorded one sack in their two games, and they need to get some pressure on McCord to disrupt his passing attack. The defensive line and the secondary may be the key to victory in this conference matchup. The secondary will be led by safeties LaMiles Brooks and Clayton Powell, as well as Ahmari Harvey who has had a spectacular start to 2024. This weekend will show us where our defense stands and will let us see just how much improvement this team has made.
The offense has been putting up impressive numbers and should continue to do so on Saturday
The Jackets are having a blast offensively with the Haynes-and-Haynes duo running the ball effectively and Buster Faulkner getting creative with the speed and talent our roster possesses. The good news here is that Syracuse struggled to defend the run against Ohio. Bobcats running back Anthony Tyus III racked up 203 yards with an average of 12.7 yards per carry. This should make our fanbase excited to possibly watch Jamal Haynes have another breakout game. Haynes currently leads the ACC with three rushing touchdowns and is 10th in the nation in rushing yards with 159. The offense is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, as running back Chad Alexander and quarterback Haynes King have also put up significant rushing yards to fuel the attack. The Jackets have also utilized the passing attack, as Haynes King leads the ACC with a 77.8% completion percentage and 421 passing yards. Receiver Malik Rutherford has also racked up 197 yards, and I am awaiting a breakout game from Eric Singleton as well. I expect the offense to have a good day on Saturday and allow for players to establish themselves in the rushing attack. I would love to see Haynes King attempt a few more deep balls and let loose downfield, and this week could be a prime opportunity.
The penalties are a bit of a concern moving forward
The Jackets have racked up 107 total penalty yards in the first two weeks, and the vast majority of those are from holding calls on offense. Sure, maybe there were a few questionable calls against Georgia State last week, (there definitely were), but this team cannot have this many careless penalties in bigger games and expect to win. We need to see if this team can keep the flags in the ref’s pockets against Syracuse and play a sharp and focused game.
The mindset of this team has improved
College Gameday personality Desmond Howard called the Jackets the “darling of college football” last week. After being ranked for the first time in nine seasons, it begs the question: How will we respond to even more national attention this week? I think Coach Key has the players in the correct mindset, and they will be ready and locked in for a conference road game. We will see how things go in New York on Saturday at noon.
Go Jackets!