Georgia Tech vs Georgia State: Three Storylines to Watch on Saturday

Can the Yellow Jackets keep their momentum going into Saturday's Matchup with the Panthers?

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King passes the ball against Florida State at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports / Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech was the talk of the country after upsetting No. 10 Florida State, but they have to quickly put that game behind them and get ready for Georgia State. Georgia Tech enters this game as a 21.5 point favorite, but there are some unknowns with Georgia State that could make this matchup more interesting than you think. The Panthers have a first year head coach with former Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee taking over and he has brought in a large number of transfers this offseason, incluidng a few from Georgia Tech.

So what are the key storylines for this game on Saturday?

1. Can Georgia Tech pick up where they left off?

There is no question as to who the better team is on paper this Saturday when these two teams play. The big question I have this week is if Georgia Tech is ready to go from the opening kickoff against the Panthers on Saturday. They are coming back from a long road trip to Ireland and they have to be very confident after beating FSU on Saturday. Will they overlook Georgia State and could that lead to a slow start? I don't think Georgia Tech will lose this game, but I am interested to see how fast they start. If they start fast and show no signs of a hangover from last week's win, it could get ugly in Bobby Dodd Stadium.

2. Can the defense continue to play at a high level?

While I did think the Georgia Tech defense would be better this season, I don't know if I saw the performance on Saturday as possible. There are some unknowns with Georgia State's offense and Georgia Tech's defense should be able to continue their play from last week. One thing the defense did not do last week is force a turnover so that is one thing that I am looking forward to seeing if they can do.

3. The passing game

There is no question about Georgia Tech's identity on the offensive side of the ball. I think they will be able to once again dominate the line of scrimmage on Saturday, but I would like to see if they can test a Georgia State defense that ranked 125th in passing defense last season. Now, they have a new defensive coordinator and some new transfers, but are they actually improved? I would like to see Georgia Tech attack them vertically on Saturday.