Georgia Tech vs Louisville: Matchup Preview and Final Score Prediction

Can Georgia Tech go on the road and get another win vs a ranked opponent?

Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs after a catch against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is in a familiar spot this weekend when they travel to Louisville to face the No. 19 Cardinals. Brent Key's team is unranked and a double-digit underdog heading into this matchup and this is the type of game where in the past, Key has had his team prepared and in position to pull off the upset. Heading into this matchup, Key is 5-0 against ranked ACC teams with four of those wins coming on the road.

Not only that, but there are some other external factors that can be attributed to this game. As crazy as it sounds, this is going to be Georgia Tech's fifth game of the year and only Louisville's third. The Cardinals opened with Austin Peay and Jacksonville State then had a bye week last week. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech has gone to Dublin to play Florida State, flown to Syracuse to play the Orange, and now is going back on the road. The Yellow Jackets have been more battle-tested to this point, but will that matter? Something else to think about is that Louisville has a big game against Notre Dame on deck next week. Will they overlook the Yellow Jackets this weekend?

Louisville won last year's contest in Mercedes Benz Stadium, but can Georgia Tech get even this year and be 4-1 heading into their bye week? Let's preview the game.

Georgia Tech's Offense vs Louisville's Defense

The Yellow Jackets come into this game with one of the better offenses in the ACC, but this might be the best defense they have faced. While they have only faced Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, Louisville has amassed nine sacks and 19 tackles for loss in those two games. They have playmakers on that side of the ball, such as Ashton Gillotte and Quincy Riley, who can take over this game and make things tough for Georgia Tech's offense.

The advanced stats paint a pretty nice picture of what Georgia Tech has been able to do on offense this season. According to college football insiders, Georgia Tech is 17th in offensive success rate (46.4%), 28th in rushing success rate (44.9%), and 13th in dropback success rate (46.9%), while also being 24th in EPA (expected points added) on offense.

Haynes King is the guy leading the charge for Georgia Tech and he has not only been an effective runner in this offense, but an efficient passer. King had a good season a year ago, but the interceptions were a huge problem. This year, King has thrown just one interception is completing 76% of his passes. He has thrown for 962 yards and six touchdowns this season while also rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. King has been one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC this season and the Yellow Jackets will need a big performance from him if they want to win on Saturday.

Jamal Haynes has not had the performances that he would have liked in his last two games and the Yellow Jackets are going to need him on Saturday vs Louisville. Haynes is still the leading rusher for the Yellow Jackets with 213 yards and four touchdowns. Freshmen Trelain Maddox and Anthony Carrie could also factor into the game tomorrow and Maddox looked good in his first game last week vs VMI.

Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton are a dangerous 1-2 at wide receiver. Rutherford has 22 catches for 285 yards and three touchdowns this season while Singleton has 250 yards and one touchdown on 16 catches. Singleton had a big performance vs VMI last week, totaling over 100 yards in the first half alone. Chase Lane had a big game vs Louisville a year ago and Avery Boyd has become more of a receiving threat in the offense this season. King has plenty of playmakers to throw to.

The offensive line has yet to allow a sack this year, but they are going against a formidable front seven, led by Gillotte, one of the best pass rushers in the country. This is arguably the biggest test of the year for the Georgia Tech offense, but you can say the same thing for Louisville's defense.

Through two games, the Cardinals are 39th in defensive EPA margin, 11th in success rate allowed (30.8%), 7th in rushing success rate allowed (28%), and 34th in dropback success rate allowed (33.8%). The only thing you could really point out in their start on defense is that they have not played strong competition.

Georgia Tech's Defense vs Louisville's Offense

I think Georgia Tech's offense will be able to score, but how much will they have to keep up if the defense has not fixed its mistakes since the Syracuse game? That is one of the biggest questions surrounding this game.

The Yellow Jackets defense has improved in terms of run defense, but their pass rush is still a question mark and it did not look good when they got beaten by Syracuse two weeks ago. While I would argue that Syracuse has a better quarterback and some better receivers, Louisville has a dangerous offense and one of the best head coaches and play callers in the country in Jeff Brohm. Brohm is going to challenge Georgia Tech's defense in a variety of ways and defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci will have to come up with a strong game plan to attack their offense.

Coming into this game, Georgia Tech ranks 88th in defensive success rate allowed, 42nd in rushing success rate allowed, and 112th in dropback success rate allowed. They are 64th in the country in defensive EPA margin.

The pass rush is going to be key. Romello Height, Sylvain Yondjouen, Kevin Harris, and Josh Robinson are going to be tasked with making life tough on Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough, but it is not just the edge players. Interior defenders such as Zeek Biggers, Makius Scott, Jordan van den Berg, and Thomas Gore will play a key role as well.

The linebackers are going to be challenged in this game as well. Brohm is going to try and target these guys in coverage in this game. Kyle Efford and Trenilyas Tatum have been solid run defenders this season and the duo has combined for 47 tackles. Freshman Tah'j Butler and Jackson Hamilton (who transferred from Louisville) could see snaps as well.

The secondary had a tough game vs Syracuse and they are going to be facing another tough passing attack on Saturday. Cornerbacks Warren Burrell and Ahmari Harvey have been a solid duo on the outside and Rodney Shelley will see the majority of snaps at the nickel position. LaMiles Brooks, Clayton Powell-Lee, and Taye Seymore will handle the safety duties.

It is hard to be much better than Louisville has been on offense in the first two games. The Cardinals are 23rd in EPA margin on offense, 5th in offensive success rate, 3rd in rushing success rate, and 19th in dropback success rate. Yes, they have only played Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, but the Cardinals have looked good on that side of the ball.

The guy leading the attack is quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough is a very experienced quarterback, having been the starter at both Oregon and Texas Tech, but has had trouble staying healthy. So far this season, Shough has thrown for 581 yards and six touchdowns in two games this season while completing 68% of his passes.

The running game for Louisville has been fantastic to start the year. Isaac Brown, Duke Watson, and Keyjuan Brown all have over 100 yards and Brown and Watson are both averaging over 12 yards per carry. Maurice Turner is the starter, but has not been asked to do much since the team has been blowing opponents out.

The wide recievers are led by Alabama transfer Ja'Corey Brooks, who leads the team with 13 catches and 172 yards. Jaden Thompson and Chris Bell are other names to know.

X Factor

Pass rush and turnovers. It was the thing the Yellow Jackets could not do against Syracuse and if they cant affect the quarterback and force some turnovers on defense, it is hard to see them winning this game.

How to Watch

TV: ESPN2

• Play-by-Play: Mike Monaco

• Analyst: Kirk Morrison

• Sideline Reporter: Dawn Davenport

• Mobile App: ESPN

• Online: WatchESPN.com

RADIO: Georgia Tech Sports Network

• Play-by-Play: Andy Demetra

• Analyst: Justin Hanover

• Sideline Reporter: Chris Mooneyham

• In Atlanta: Xtra 106.3 FM/1230 Am

• Across Georgia: Visit RamblinWreck.com for station affiliate list

• Satellite: SiriusXM 371

• Mobile Apps: GT Yellow Jackets, Xtra 106.3, SiriusXM, TuneIn

• Online: RamblinWreck.com, Xtra1063.com

Odds

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Louisville is going to be a 10.5-point favorite on Saturday vs Georgia Tech. The total has been set at 57.5.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Final Score Prediction

This is the type of game that Brent Key has won plenty of times while at Georgia Tech and picking against the Yellow Jackets does not feel good when I have seen Key get wins in these kinds of spots before. Still, I try to call it like I see it and I think Louisville is the better team. Teams with strong passing attacks are not good matchups for the Yellow Jackets and Brohm is a great offensive coach and game planner. This game will be close, but I think Louisville wins at home.

Final Score: Louisville 34, Georgia Tech 27