Behind Enemy Lines: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Clemson will kick off its 127th football season in school history in grand fashion on Labor Day as the Tigers travel to the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for a prime-time ACC matchup with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Monday, Sept. 5.

GEORGIA TECH THIRD-YEAR HEAD COACH — 

Geoff Collins, an Atlanta area native and one of college football’s most successful and innovative coaches, is in his fourth season as Georgia Tech football’s head coach. He was named the 20th football head coach in Georgia Tech history on Dec. 7, 2018. Born in Decatur, Ga. and raised in Conyers, Ga., Collins took the reins at Georgia Tech after serving as the head coach at Temple University in 2017 and 2018.Despite the challenges associated with overhauling Georgia Tech’s football culture, including installing a pro-style spread offensive attack after 11 years of option football at Tech, as well as the unprecedented and unexpected obstacles presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, Collins’ three-year tenure as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach has been marked by a bevy of accomplishments.

Yellow Jackets on Offense

The continued offensive transformation at Tech received a boost this offseason with the hire of four new assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball, highlighted by offensive coordinator Chip Long. A 16-year Division I coaching veteran, including 14 at the major-conference level, Long has helped lead teams to 13 bowl games over the past 16 seasons. He has five years of experience as offensive coordinator, including ultra-successful stints at Memphis (2016) and Notre Dame (2017-19). Among all currently active offensive coordinators, Long was the sixth-highest-rated OC in the nation during his four-year stint with Memphis and ND, according to analytics produced by SportsSource Analytics/Coaches By The Numbers. Among current offensive coordinators, Long is one of only four OCs to receive a five-star rating from Coaches By The Numbers from 2016-19, joining Oklahoma's Bill Bedenbaugh, Ohio State’s Kevin Wilson and Penn State’s Mike Yurcich. Georgia Tech has totaled at least 400 yards of offense in 11-of-22 games dating back to the beginning of the 2020 season. Prior to the beginning of the 2020 season, the Jackets had gone 16 games without compiling 400 yards of total offense (dating back to Nov. 3, 2018)

Yellow Jackets on Defense

Dubbed the "Minister of Mayhem," Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins has been known for putting together some of college football's top defenses over the past nine seasons — first as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State (2011-14) and Florida (2015-16), then as head coach at Temple (2017-18) and Georgia Tech. Over the past 11 seasons, Collins' defenses have: • ranked in top 20 nationally in total defense three times (twice in top 8) • ranked in top 25 in scoring defense four times (twice in top 12) and ranked in top 30 in passing defense five times (twice in top 13) • ranked in top 45 in pass efficiency defense seven times (four times in top 22) • ranked in top 35 in turnovers gained six times (twice in top 6) • ranked in top 15 in interceptions four times (twice in top 10) • ranked in top 25 in sacks four times (twice in top 15)