Georgia Tech's Improved Rush Defense Will Face Its Biggest Test This Weekend Against North Carolina

Georgia Tech comes into the game with the No. 1 ranked rushing defense in the ACC

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) scores a touchdown as James Madison Dukes safety Jacob Thomas (7) defends in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It has not gotten much attention nationally, but Georgia Tech has one of the most improved rush defenses in the entire country. The Yellow Jackets have gone from having one of the worst rush defenses in the country to one of the best statistically. Coming into this week's game, Georgia Tech ranks 1st in the ACC and 11th nationally in rush defense, giving up only 87 yards per game on the ground. Defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci and defensive line coach Jess Simpson deserve a lot of credit for the work they have done to help turn this unit around.

Yesterday when speaking with the media after practice, Brent Key talked about the improvements that they have made in that area and he can attribute that too:

"We broke that down on Sunday. Number one, I think the depth on the defensive line has helped a ton. Those guys are playing 25 -30 plays in a game. There were times last year where we had guys play in 60 -65 plays, so they're fresher. The scheme is what we talked about throughthe whole process back when Tooch came on and Jess came on of how we play the game, how we play blocks up front. We're not necessarily a penetrating, gap penetrating disruption type front, and that's going to lead, especially normal downs, first and second down, you're not going to have the pressure back on the quarterback, but you're also not creating those vertical seams in the defense, walling it and allowing the linebackers to be able to run free and make those plays. The defensive line understanding and learning the game. Jess, y 'all heard me say before, Jess is such a great teacher and with Tooch behind with the linebackers, those guys playing together is one unit and then I think they're playing, they're playing hard. I think that's something that we want to be that identity for football teams, how hard we play for four quarters and those guys are doing that."

This weekend though, this run defense is going to be put to the test against North Carolina.

If you wanted to poke holes in Georgia Tech's rush defense, you can point to the opponents that they have faced this season. Louisville is the top ranked rushing offense the Yellow Jackets have faced, but they rank only 61st in the country in rushing offense. Georgia State (106), Duke (112), Syracuse (113), and Florida State (132) all rank outside of the top 100 rushing offenses in the country. North Carolina ranks No. 31 in the country and No.2 in the ACC in rushing offense and they have the nation's third leading rusher.

Omarion Hampton is a future NFL starter at running back and ihas 764 yards in six games this season. He is averaging nearly six yards per carry and has only one game this year in which he did not total 100 yards. Yesterday, Key highlighted Hampton as a great player in this offense, but also thinks there is more to this North Carolina offense than just Hampton:

"Yeah you know they're you hear about about the running back all the time time, and rightfully so. He's a good, good, good football player, a really good player. But when you look at their offense, they're pretty balanced. I think they're 55 -45 somewhere in there as far as run past. So it's not like they're lining up and running 65 -70 % of the time, you can just load the box. I mean they are gonna add in the RPOs and the And then they take their shots down the field, which, you know, their last game, they were trying to get a few more of those shots down the field vertically. So, you know, it's a challenge. We've got to be able to make sure we read our keys, we get aligned with the tempo, reading our keys. That's going to be big, especially at the second and third level, you know, for the run pass. And then we've got to be able to control the front, you know, control the game up front and not to, obviously, D -Lines is the one position that didn't have conflict run pass he played the game, so we've got to be sharp with our keys and our read"

Hampton is having a fantastic season for North Carolina and poses a huge challenge to an improved rush defense. Let's see if the Yellow Jackets can contain one of the best running backs in the country.