Georgia Tech vs Florida State: Game Preview, Breakdown, and Score Prediction

Can Georgia Tech defeat Florida State on Saturday?

Nov 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (13) runs against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The time for talk is over and Georgia Tech and Florida State are set to kickoff the 2024 College Football Season in Dublin, Ireland. There has been a lot of talk about this game over the past month, but it is almost time to actually play the game instead of just talking about it.

While Florida State is the favored team, there are a lot of unknowns about them. This is going to be the first chance to see the new look Seminoles after they replaced a ton of NFL talent this offseason. It is also the first chance we get to see if Georgia Tech has actually improved on defense and what this team looks like in Brent Key's second year.

So who wins this game and why? Here is my official preview and prediction.

Georgia Tech Offense vs Florida State Defense

This is best vs best. One of the best offenses in the ACC from a year ago is going to face off against one of the most talented defenses in the country. Georgia Tech took a huge step forward on this side of the ball under coordinator Buster Faulkner, but there is still plenty to improve on.

Haynes King accounted for 3,729 yards of total offense (2,842 passing, 737 rushing) and 37 touchdowns (27 passing, 10 rushing) in his first season as the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback in 2023. He was one of only two Power Five conference players with at least 2,800 passing yards, 700 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and 10 touchdown runs in 2023, joining Heisman Trophy winner and eventual No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Jayden Daniels of LSU, while he became only the fourth Atlantic Coast Conference player since 2000 to reach those plateaus in a single season, joining Clemson’s Deshawn Watson (2015), Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016 and 2017) and Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans (2016).

As good as King was last year, there are some things he has to improve on this season and especially in this game. King led the ACC in turnovers and did struggle against some of the better defenses that he played against last year. King played four top-24 defenses last year and here is how he performed:

1. vs Louisville: 19-32, 313 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

2. vs Miami: 12-25, 151 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions

3. vs Clemson: 13-31, 129 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions

4. vs Georgia: 11-20, 158 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions

He is going to have to make plays on Saturday against a talented Florida State secondary. Whether it is on the ground or through the air, King will have to play one of his best games as a Yellow Jacket if Georgia Tech wants to win.

Jamal Haynes was one of the top storylines for Georgia Tech last year. Converting to a running back after being a receiver, he had a 1,000 yard season and is one of the best all-purpose backs in the country. He will have to have a big game on the ground tomorrow against a formidable Florida State front seven. The concern I have at running back is in the depth. After losing Dontae Smith, there has not been a clear No. 2 running back step up for Georgia Tech yet. Trey Cooley, Anthony Carrie, or Chad Alexander will have to give this offense something on Saturday because Haynes can't play every snap. This will be a storyline to watch tomorrow and through the season.

This is a deep wide receiver room, but they will be challenged by Florida State. Eric Singleton Jr leads the way, but Malik Rutherford, Chase Lane and Christian Leary can make plays too. Can Leo Blackburn find a way to make this wide receiver room better? Expect Faulkner to get Georgia Tech's receivers the ball in their hands in many ways.

With Brett Seither out for the season, Georgia Tech is going to have to dip into its depth at the tight end position. Either Avery Boyd (converted receiver) or Jackson Hawes will start, but Luke Harpring, Ryland Goede, or Josh Beetham may see snaps as well. Georgia Tech ran a lot of two-tight end sets last year and are replacing Dylan Leonard, Luke Benson, and now Seither. This will something to monitor on Saturday.

The offensive line was one of the ACC's best last season and four starters are back. Joe Fusile and Weston Franklin lead the way and are now joined by Keylan Rutledge, who is taking over at right guard. This offensive line made a huge leap last year and is hoping to be even better in 2024.

It is fair to say that this could end up being the best defense that Georgia Tech faces all season. There are some newcomers and a couple of question marks, but this Florida State defense is loaded with talent and it starts with the defensive line in my opinion.

Patrick Payton, Josh Farmer, Darrell Jackson, and Marvin Jones Jr are set to be the starters for the Seminoles and that has the potential to be the best defensive line in the country. Jones is coming over from Georgia and is a first time starter, but the talent is clearly there. Florida State has depth on the edge, but I do think they are not as deep in the interior. The matchup between the Yellow Jackets offensive line and Florida State's defensive line is huge. Whoever wins it could dictate the game.

DJ Lundy is back at linebacker and FSU is going to have either Cam Riley or Blake Nichelson at the other spot. I think this is the weakest spot in Florida State's defense and I am curious as to how Georgia Tech can try and attack them.

The cornerback combo of Fentrell Cypress and Azareye'h Thomas might be the best that Georgia Tech faces all season. They have the ability to bottle up Georgia Tech's receivers, but the Yellow Jackets are talented enough to win that matchup. Either Kevin Knowles or Alabama transfer Earl Little Jr will the nickel for the Seminoles and that is a position to watch. Knowles has struggled in the past, but has reportedly had a good camp, while Little is a talented transfer coming over from Alabama.

I think this matchup of units comes down to the line of scrimmage. If Georgia Tech is able to move the ball on the ground and stay ahead of the chains, that will make life easier on King and put him in more favorable situations. If FSU wins it, that could spell big trouble for Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech defense vs Florida State Offense

The questions for both teams come with these two units, but it is fair to say that Georgia Tech's defense has far more questions about it than Florida State does about their offense. The Yellow Jackets had one of the nation's worst defenses last year, but they are hoping a new coaching staff on that side of the ball and incoming transfers can help fix that problem for them.

Former Duke defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is running the Yellow Jackets' defense now and he did get a chance to face Florida State last year and FSU put up 420 yards of total offense.

In one season at Duke (2023), Santucci directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, which was good for 16thnationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense, and red-zone defense. Duke allowed a total of just 10 points in a pair of wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 – No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 NC State (24-3) – and finished 8-5 overall after a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.

Not only Santucci, but Jess Simpson (defensive line), Kyle Pope (edge) and Cory Peoples (Defensive Backs) are also now on the staff. Will coaching be enough of a difference for the Yellow Jackets to be able to slow down Florida State? That is the hope.

Head coach Brent Key has talked a lot about the defensive line during fall camp and they are going to be a huge part of this game on Saturday. Sylvain Yondjouen is back from injury and going to be at one of the starting defensive end spots, while Romello Height or Kevin Harris will be at the other. Height has had a really solid camp and could be in for a breakout season. Zeek Biggers and Makius Scott will start on the interior, while Jordan van den Berg, Horace Lockett, and Thomas Gore will provide depth. There is belief that Georiga Tech's defensive line has improved, but they are going to have to show it on Saturday. Young players like Jacob Cruz and Amontrae Bradford are guys to watch as well.

At linebacker, Kyle Efford and Treniyas Tatum are the starters. Efford finished the year strong, but both he and Tatum both struggled in coverage last season. Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell is as good as anyone at exploiting mismatches and the Yellow Jackets linebackers will have to be able to make plays.

Georgia Tech has lost some players in the secondary, but this unit could be better in 2024. Ahmari Harvey had a strong finish to the season a year ago and Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell has had a strong camp, following up a strong spring. LaMiles Brooks and Clayton Powell-Lee are back at safety, but I will admit that the depth at the position does worry me a little. Taye Seymore and Jayden Davis are talented, but unproven players.

The questions for Florida State's offense (and team honestly) revolve around the quarterback and wide receivers. Former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is taking over for the Seminoles and while he has always had talent, there is a lot of inconsistency in his game. He can be inaccurate as a passer and can put the bal in danger quite a bit. He has never taken huge steps as a passer, but it will be interesting to see how an offensive coach like Norvell can use him and get the most out of him. Uiagaeleli is a big step down from Jordan Travis, but how much? That could be a question that defines FSU's season and determines how far they can go.

The wide receivers might be a bigger question than the quarterback play. Malik Benson, Jalen Brown, and Ja'khi Douglas are the starters for Florida State, but there is a massive dropoff from where this group was a year ago. There is a lot of speed with this group and talent, but they have reportedly been up and down throughout camp. Can they do enough in this game to beat Georgia Tech? Other guys to watch include Kentron Poitier and Hykeem Williams.

Let's talk about the good and potentially elite parts of the Florida State offense.

The running back room for the Seminoles is talented and deep. Alabama transfer Roydell Williams and Lawrance Toafili are going to be a handful for the Georgia Tech defense, but Jaylin Lucas is also a guy to know. The running back's are going to be running behind a massive and experienced offensive line. This might be the best O-line in the ACC and for Georgia Tech to win this game, their defensive line is going to have to win some matchups.

How Can Georgia Tech Win?

The Yellow Jackets being able to pull the upset is going to depend heavily on their defense and how their offensive line handles the FSU defensive front. If the defense has not improved enough and the offensive line gets overwhelmed by a talented, this game could get ugly. If the Yellow Jackets can limit the impact of the running game and for Uiagalelei to have to beat the, they have a chance.

Georgia Tech needs to win the turnover battle as well. King has to protect the football. I think winning the early downs on both sides of the ball is going to be critical. Georgia Tech can't get into too many third and longs against this defense and expect to win. The defense likewise has to put Florida State in obvious passing situations and make Uiagalelei beat them with his arm.

Prediction

There is no doubt that I think Florida State is the better team on paper. Even if I don't think they are quite as good as they were last year, this Seminoles are a talented team that should be in the running to win the ACC and get to the College Football Playoff.

Sometimes in college football though, when and where you face a team can make a huge difference and I think a lot of intangible things work in Georgia Tech's favor.

Over the years in college football, the week zero matchups In Ireland have had an element of surprise to them. This is going to be the first time this Florida State team has played a game together and there could be some growing pains early on because of their passing attack. They are facing an explosive Georgia Tech offense that really found itself towards the end of the year and has an identity and knows how to play together. This team is confident they have improved since last year.

Brent Key has shown he can get the most out of his team and pull an upset over a ranked team. Whether it was Miami or North Carolina last year or Pitt and North Carolina the year before, Key has not oly covered as an underdog, but outright won quite a few games.

If these two teams were playing in Tallahassee or playing later in the season, I would pick Florida State. The game is in week zero, in Dublin, and strange things can happen overseas, especially against an opportunistic team like Georgia Tech. I think the Yellow Jackets will pull the upset, but it won't be easy. Jamal Haynes has a big day running the ball and the Yellow Jackets force Uiagalelei to turn the ball over a couple of times in a 27-24 win.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 27, Florida State 24