Georgia Tech Football: Miami's Mario Cristobal Heaps Praise on Haynes King and Yellow Jackets Offense

Cristobal talked about facing the Georgia Tech offense today at his press conference

Sep 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts to a play against the South Florida Bulls in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is getting ready for a very challenging game on Saturday against No. 4 Miami. The Hurricanes are going to come to Bobby Dodd Stadium with a 9-0 record, a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback, and the top overall offense in the country. It will be a tough task for the Yellow Jackets, but if quarterback Haynes King is healthy, the Yellow Jackets might be able to keep up with the Hurricanes. Miami's defense has given up some points and explosive plays to various teams this year and when healthy, Georgia Tech has plenty of playmakers to be able to stress Miami's defense.

The question is will Georgia Tech be healthy coming into this game? Quarterback Haynes King and linebacker Kyle Efford have missed the last two games for the Yellow Jackets and they are going to be needed on Saturday if they hope to pull the upset. Keep an eye on King's status this week until he is officially ruled in or out.

Whether he plays or not, King and the entire Georgia Tech offense have the respect of Miami head coach Mario Cristobal.

"Haynes King and that offense are really good. Yards per play, they are up there with some of the tops in the country and they are really good at generating chunk plays, they protect him really well and I think they are either No. 1 or No. 2 in the country at pressures (allowed), they certainly do a great job of also getting him loose, he has a lot of explosive playmakers and watching a guy like that play, you have to understand that making them one dimensional is not necessarily the answer because he can chuck it around all over the place too.

You just have to prepare for a lot and he is surrounded with a great supporting cast, his offensive line is one of the most experienced in the entire country, I believe most of them are seniors or redshirt juniors and the number of starts is... they just play really well together, their line calls are on point and they don't make mistakes and they finish their blocks, they are very mature up front on both sides."

The all-time series between these two programs is tied 14-14 and everyone remembers how last year's game ended. Instead of kneeling the ball, Miami kept trying to run the ball and Don Chaney fumbled it, giving the ball back to Georgia Tech. Haynes King connected with Malik Rutherford to get the ball down the field and then found Christian Leary for the game winning touchdown with one second left. It was one of the most memorable endings in college football history.

The Yellow Jackets defense played a great game vs Virginia Tech, but they will be facing what is the top offense in the country with a Heisman contender at the quarterback position. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is having a phenomenal season and Georgia Tech has struggled the most on defense at defending the pass. The pass rush has been a problem for the Yellow Jackets this season and they are going to have to find a way to rattle Ward next week.

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