Georgia Tech heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday with one clear path to an upset: make the Panthers defend the part of the field where they’ve been vulnerable all season.
Pittsburgh’s pass defense comes in ranked No. 127, and that weakness was on display last week when Malachi Toney posted 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over the Panthers. Georgia Tech doesn’t have a player exactly like Toney, but the Yellow Jackets do have dangerous options in Jordan Allen and Dalen Penson. Both have had strong seasons and could be positioned to stress Pittsburgh where it has struggled most, especially if Georgia Tech can win isolated matchups and generate explosive plays.
That’s the kind of game Brent Key says his team has to be ready to play. He pointed to the openings in Pittsburgh’s coverage, but also stressed that Georgia Tech has to be careful when it takes chances.
“They're an attacking defense in that regard, so. But there's also holes in in in the coverage back there.
A lot of guys being able to to to do things there. Um, let's not look at stats either and and you know, had Malachi Tony last week had, well I think 150, 160 in the first half in the first half.
Yes, so uh, you talk one of the best players in America right there if those stats off a little bit, right? So, um, but no they they are.
We got to be able to calculate it with with when we uh take our shots. Um, we got to be smart with the football.
I mean, hands down number one thing."
There are reasons to be cautious about Georgia Tech’s chances. Pittsburgh may be without its starting quarterback, but the Yellow Jackets still haven’t shown enough on defense to inspire confidence, and they are 0-2 on the road this season. The Panthers also bring a defense that has been among the best in the ACC and a rushing attack that looks more dependable.
Georgia Tech’s own run defense remains a major issue, and it has been that way all season. The return of Vincent Carroll Jackson and Tawfiq Thomas should help after last week’s rough outing, but not enough, in this view, to slow down Damon Ferguson Jr or Ja’Kyrian Turner.
If the Yellow Jackets are going to hang around, they need clean play on first down and a few big gains when the chance appears. That’s a tough formula to bank on, and the pick here is Pittsburgh winning convincingly and sending Georgia Tech to its sixth loss of the season.
In Other News...
Georgia Techs Offense Just Made A Bad Stretch Feel Even Worse
Georgia Techs latest loss had the familiar feel of a team searching for answers on offense while trying to hang around long enough for something to break its way. In the defeat to Pittsburgh, the Yellow Jackets managed just 238 yards and 95 on the ground, a frustrating night in which the offense never found much rhythm and the defense had to keep making plays just to keep the game from slipping further away.
There were still a few bright spots on the other side of the ball, with Jonas Duclona turning in one of the more active defensive showings of the night as Georgia Tech tried to slow Pitts run game and create a takeaway or two. But the bigger issue remains the same one that has shadowed this stretch: when the offense is this inconsistent, every mistake feels magnified, and another loss only makes the margin for error feel smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Atlanta Just Got Pulled Into Georgia Florida's Biggest New Tension
The Georgia-Florida rivalry is headed to Atlanta for the first time, and the buildup already has the kind of edge that makes this game feel bigger than a neutral-site showcase. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit weighed in on the matchup by pointing to Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, whose recent turnover issues have become part of the conversation as the Bulldogs try to steady themselves in a game that always carries extra weight.
Kirby Smart, meanwhile, has been focused on Floridas offense and the challenge it can present if the Gators get their ground game rolling. One of the names he singled out was running back Jadan Baugh, a player Georgia will have to account for if it wants to control the tempo and keep the rivalry tilt from turning into a track meet. With the game landing in Atlanta, the stakes around this edition feel a little different, and the tension is already building around the details both sides think can swing it. [Read more 🡒]