Georgia Tech heads into Week 3 still searching for something it hasn’t found yet: a win.
The Yellow Jackets are 0-2 after back-to-back losses to Colorado and Tennessee, and the early-season problems have looked awfully familiar. The run defense has been soft, the offensive line has struggled to hold up, and the offense has lacked the kind of pop that can flip a game. Against Tennessee, Georgia Tech was at least able to grab an early 10-7 lead thanks to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but that edge didn’t erase the bigger picture.
Now Brent Key’s team turns to Mercer, an in-state opponent that has built a strong FCS program. Georgia Tech opens as a 41.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 60.5.
For Georgia Tech, this is about more than just getting back in the win column. The Yellow Jackets have not put together a full game through two weeks, and that has to change against the Bears next Saturday.
The defense, in particular, has to show it can slow the run after a rough start. Tennessee piled up nearly 300 rushing yards, and Colorado came close to 200 the week before.
That kind of production has made Georgia Tech’s defensive improvement look more like a talking point than a reality.
The offense hasn’t helped enough, either. Through two games, the Yellow Jackets have only scored two touchdowns, and that’s not nearly enough to survive week after week. Still, there were a few signs of life in the second half against Tennessee, and Key pointed to those after the game.
"Well, I mean. I thought Alberto was in a pretty good rhythm.
Obviously, I know he had the two turnovers, but, you know, he'll grow from those. He'll learn from them.
But I thought the ability just to - we were spreading the ball around on the perimeter, you know, throwing some quick game, throwing some kind of intermediate-type stuff, and then kind of made a couple adjustments in the run game when they - seeing what they were playing.
And some of those worked. I mean, some of those were good things.
And we were able to take advantage of some of the things that we're doing. So just all in all, I mean, an offense is going to be better when you stay on track, when you stay efficient, when you're in manageable D&Ds.
If you're sitting there playing at second and 10, second and 12, the whole game, it's going to be hard to ever have a functioning offense. But we stayed ahead of the chains, I thought, better tonight than we did last week for sure."
Georgia Tech has not lost to an FCS team under Key, and this matchup gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to reset before a long trip to Stanford and then the bye week. At this point, getting to 2-2 by the time the break arrives has to be the target. After that, the season can start to take shape.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Offense Is Running Out Of Time To Find Answers
Georgia Techs latest loss only sharpened the concern around an offense that has not found its footing. The Yellow Jackets fell 45-24 to No. 18 Tennessee, their fifth straight defeat and their worst start since 1989, with quarterback Alberto Mendoza enduring a rough afternoon that included two interceptions and four sacks. The ground game never gave the offense much help, either, as the rushing attack finished under 100 yards for the second game in a row.
What has stood out most during this slide is how often Georgia Tech has beaten itself with execution issues and a lack of cohesion. There is still time to steady things before the next stretch of games, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. If the Yellow Jackets are going to change the tone of this season, the fixes on offense have to come quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Needs More Than A Win Against Mercer Right Now
Georgia Tech heads into its matchup with Mercer still looking for its first win of the season, and the timing of this one matters as much as the opponent. At 0-2, the Yellow Jackets have at least shown some signs of offensive improvement in their last outing, but the record leaves little room for patience as they get ready to host a game they are expected to control.
The broader issue is whether that progress can turn into something more tangible before the schedule gets any harder. Georgia Techs staff has already pointed to the need for cleaner offense and stronger play in the trenches, which makes this more than just a tune-up game. A win would settle the obvious part, but the larger test is whether the Yellow Jackets can finally look like a team starting to solve its early-season problems. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia's Oklahoma Test Could Say A Lot About The Bulldogs Ceiling
Georgias late-September meeting with Oklahoma already carries the feel of a measuring-stick game, even with plenty of football left to play before the Sooners arrive in Athens. The Bulldogs have looked to Gunner Stockton to steady the offense this season, while John Mateer has given Oklahoma a quarterback presence worth tracking, and the matchup adds another layer to a schedule that also includes Georgias immediate focus on Arkansas.
The setting only sharpens the interest, because this is not just another Power 5 nonconference date, it is a chance to see how Georgia stacks up against a familiar name it does not often see in person. The programs have met only once before, in a wild postseason classic, and a lot could be learned about the Bulldogs ceiling by the time this one kicks off on a national stage. [Read more 🡒]