Georgia Tech vs. Ole Miss: Three keys to the game

How can Georgia Tech pull the upset vs. Ole Miss on Saturday night?

Jackson Caudell | Sep 14, 2023

Georgia Tech vs. Ole Miss: Three keys to the game /

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech is coming into their matchup with Ole Miss 1-1 and looking to continue the ACC's new-found success against the SEC. Georgia Tech is a sizeable underdog in this game, but they have performed well in that category under head coach Brent Key.

Ole Miss is 2-0 and is coming off a big win against Tulane, who did not have star quarterback Michael Pratt. The Rebels have been throwing the ball well with Jaxson Dart under center and while the running game has been slow to get going, the Rebels have one of the premier players at the position in Quinshon Judkins.

So what are going to be the keys to this game? Let's break it down.

1. Georgia Tech's rush defense and tackling

This in my mind is one of the top things I am going to be watching on Saturday night. Georgia Tech's run defense has not been good to start the season, as the Yellow Jackets rank 80th in success rate allowed on the ground and 119th in rushing yards allowed per game. The tackling has been poor in games against Louisville and South Carolina State and it will have to see a sizeable jump this week because this is the most talented team that Georgia Tech has played.

Ole Miss had one of the best rushing attacks in the country a season ago, but that has not been the case so far this season. When you take a look at the advanced stats, Ole Miss is 69th in rushing success rate, 71st in total EPA, 70th in rushing EPA per play, and 71st in rushing EPA per game. Judkins has just a little over 100 yards through two games so far, but Key said this week that he knows that Lane Kiffin will try and get his star running back loose:

"I know what I have seen on tape for two games, they are explosive, have a good quarterback who manages the offense and puts the ball where it is supposed to go and they have one of the best running backs in the country. Statistically, you can't just look at statistics on something. No. 4 is one of the best running backs in the country, they are going to get him loose. You can look and say they are not running the ball. Yeah right. You ask about what I know about somebody, that is Lane Kiffin. He is going to run the football, he is going to get No. 4 going.

We have to be balanced on defense to make sure that we are able to cover and to defend the explosive. But with No. 4, you are looking at one of the best running backs in the country, if not the best running back in the country. You can be rest assured that he is going to do everything he can to get that guy going this week."

While Ole Miss has not run the ball well so far, you can bet that they will try and get Judkins going on Saturday and Georgia Tech is going to be challenged to try and contain him.

2. Affecting Jaxson Dart with the pass rush

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart — Jaxson Dart is off to a great start for Ole Miss this season / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech currently does not have a sack this season. Sure, they played a run-heavy FCS team in South Carolina State last week, but the pass rush was a huge weakness against Louisville in the opening weekend loss.

Ole Miss might be struggling to run the ball right now, but they are having a lot of success through the air and the bulk of the success has to go to quarterback Jaxson Dart. Dart has been playing without some of his top weapons on offense and still finding a way to be successful. The Rebels currently rank 7th in passing success rate and 4th in passing EPA per game.

Earlier this week, Key talked about the trouble that will come with defending the Rebels passing attack:

"They get the ball deep a lot of different ways, whether it be the play-action game, the RPO game... they really do a nice job with the play-action game complementing the RPO game and getting guys in space and missed tackles to create their explosive plays in the passing game and everyone is aware of it, it is the ability to go out there and play good sound technique and communicate and be able to slow those guys down.

You know, you're not going to stop every single one. That is the goal, the goal is to go out there and stop every single play and be efficient on every single play, but that is not going to happen in college football, it's not going to happen with these guys, they have a good offense. So, we have to play the next play, whether the last one was good or bad and make the necessary adjustments that we need to make."

This is going to be a huge test for defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker. He has come up with strong game plans against high-powered offenses before (North Carolina last year) and he is going to have to do the same again.

3. Remaining explosive on offense

Georgia Tech currently has one of the top offenses in the ACC and looks much improved from a season ago. However, this is going to be a sturdy test to see how good this offense is. Quarterback Haynes King has experience playing on the road in the SEC and because Pratt did not play last week, I don't think the Ole Miss defense has truly been tested yet.

Georgia Tech will be without one of its top options on the outside this week, with second-leading receiver Chase Lane out this week, but they have been spreading the ball around in its first two games. Malik Rutherford is always dangerous, but the guy to watch this week might be true freshman Eric Singleton Jr. He has two touchdown catches so far this season and could draw the start with Lane out of the lineup. The speedster could play a big role in testing the Ole Miss secondary this week.

Another guy to watch this weekend is running backs Jamal Haynes and Trey Cooley. Haynes is off to a great start to the season, averaging over eight yards per carry so far this season. He and Cooley have been threats to score on the ground and through the air this season and they have emerged as the top two backs so far for Georgia Tech. Getting those guys loose will be pivotal for offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

1. Georgia Tech's rush defense and tackling

2. Affecting Jaxson Dart with the pass rush

3. Remaining explosive on offense

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