Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina State: What to watch for

Georgia Tech is looking for its first win of the 2023 season

Jackson Caudell | Sep 7, 2023

Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina State: What to watch for /

In this story:

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Week two is finally here and it is a great chance for Georgia Tech to get their first win of the season.

The Yellow Jackets came close to pulling an opening-week upset against Louisville last Friday but fell short due to the offense stalling and the defense not being able to get a stop when needed. Georgia Tech has to flush that game from their systems and prepare to face South Carolina State, who they will be heavily favored to beat.

So what will be the things to watch this Saturday at Bobby Dodd?

Offense

Let's start by breaking down each offensive position.

Last week, Haynes King made his debut at quarterback for Georgia Tech and had his ups and downs, but showed promise in his first start. King finished the day 19-32 for 313 yards and three touchdowns and he had 53 yards rushing.

This week, I want to see if he can clean up the mistakes and push the ball down the field. Georgia Tech is significantly better than South Carolina State and the Yellow Jackets should be able to hit explosive plays in the passing game, much like they did in the second quarter against Louisville. I also don't want to see King run as much as he did in the first game. Georgia Tech should be able to win this game handily without King having to run too much and they will need him for bigger games this season.

This should also be a game where Zach Pyron gets some snaps.

At running back, I want to see if Jamal Haynes can improve upon what was a solid debut. Haynes was a threat in the passing game and when he carried the ball he led Georgia Tech in carries. He had a 46-yard catch and run as well. Trey Cooley had two touchdowns last week and he figures to see more time this week as well. If this game gets out of hand, true freshman Evan Dickens should get time in the game and he made his Yellow Jackets debut last week. How the rotation is handled this week should be something to watch.

The wide receiver position saw five receivers catch passes last week and each did something well. Chase Lane and Malik Rutherford made big plays through the air and true freshman Eric Singleton Jr. flashed his potential. I am watching to see Singleton get more and more snaps and he could have a big game on Saturday. Georgia transfer Dominick Blaylock had three targets last week, but no catches. I want to see if he can get more involved in the offense this week.

Can a tight end emerge as a receiving threat? Luke Benson had one catch for seven yards and Brett Seither had one catch for two yards and a touchdown. Georgia Tech needs someone to emerge at this position.

The offensive line is intriguing this week. Left guard Joe Fusile and center Weston Franklin played well last week, but the tackle position was not as good. Brent Key said that true freshman Ethan Mackenny is going to play plenty at left tackle. Mackenny played the majority of the snaps at left tackle last week after replacing Corey Robinson II and he will look to show week-to-week improvement. Here is what Key had to say about him this week:

"You will see him again this week. He is a very talented young man. Ethan is a guy we have had at camp for several years and I have known him a long time, I have known his family for many, many years. He is a super talented guy that has grown into his body, 290 LBS plus guy, I remember the first time having him at camp he was 225 LBS and about 6'5 and I said if that kid can ever grow into his body, then he has a chance and low and behold, he certainly has.

He is going to be a fine football player, he really is. He plays the game the right way when he had an opportunity to get in the game. I thought he might heading into the game but did not know for sure if he would but the opportunity presented itself and he ran with it. The moment was not too big for him at all. He was as dialed in and as locked in as he would have been if he had started 10, 15, 20 games up to that point.

Are there corrections and things he has to get better at, yeah, there definitely is, but for the first time out there, I thought he did a fine job, especially in the run game he did some good things. Behind him in the running game, he plays the game the right way, he is an o-lineman at heart and I say that in a good way so the more experience that he can get, the better that he can become."

As a whole, I just want to see consistency through four quarters. Georgia Tech had one great quarter last week and that nearly allowed them to win the game. They should win by a large margin this week, but playing well and consistently is the biggest thing.

Defense

Georgia Tech lost Sylvain Yondjouen for the rest of the season. / Nathaniel Caudell

This is where I have the most intrigue this Saturday. Defensively, Georgia Tech has a lot to work on at each position, but they will be down one key player on the defensive line. Key announced today that defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen would be out for the season with a torn ACL and a Yellow Jackets pass rush that struggled last week will be without one of its top players.

On the defensive line, I want to see them be able to create havoc against a lesser opponent. Georgia Tech had no sacks and no tackles for loss last week and that was a huge issue. They should overwhelm the South Carolina State offensive line and I want to see them put their offense behind the chains and then get after the quarterback.

At linebacker, I want to see Trenilyas Tatum and Paul Moala tackle better in space. They were two of the highest-graded players on defense last week on PFF (Pro Football Focus), but the tackling left a lot to be desired.

Much like the linebacker group, I want to see this unit tackle better this week, especially at cornerback. This group needs to be more physical and be able to stop ball carries before they turn short receptions into big gains, much like they let happen last week. This is a talented secondary, but they have to be better at tackling. I also want to see no busted coverages this week.

Special Teams

This was a bad unit last week. Two missed field goals (one was a long 54 yard kick) were not a great start to the year for Gavin Stewart, but Key has not lost faith in him and expects him to bounce back:

"The first half kickoffs were sailing through the back of the end zone and hit one short right before the second half and we get down there and have an opportunity to, I think that would have put us up eight but I don't remember, it had a chance to put us in a good position right there and he hit it thin. He has been kicking the ball well and kicking the ball well today with pressure on him and in live field goal situations today so I have confidence in Gavin. I have complete confidence in Gavin to go out there and to do his job.

At the same time, it is no different than the running backs or the offensive line or the defensive line or the DB's or receivers. We are going to play the best guys that give us a chance to go and win. He went back out and he is a competitor. He is going to go out and compete and he did that today and was booming them. I have just as much faith and confidence in him as when I had him with five seconds left in the first half to put that one through."

Shanahan had a solid day punting, but the thing to watch here is the field goal unit.

Overall, this is a game where I want to see Georgia Tech handle business early and then get some young guys some playing time. The Yellow Jackets need to build depth and a good way to do that is by getting younger players playing time.

Kickoff against South Carolina State is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

More Georgia Tech Related Content: