Three things I think, three things I know about Georgia Tech halfway through the 2023 season

Georgia Tech returns from its bye week next Saturday

Jackson Caudell | Oct 12, 2023

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech is in the midst of its bye week and currently, the Yellow Jackets are sitting at 3-3, which is a record that I think most would have expected at this point in the season. How they have gotten here has been a little unconventional (especially the last two weeks), but the record isn't all that surprising.

So through the halfway point of the season, what are the things that we know about this team and what are the things that we think we know about Georgia Tech midway through the 2023 season?

1. I think that Georgia Tech can make a bowl game...

It is not a sure thing, but there is a clear path to a bowl game for the Yellow Jackets, who have not been to one since 2018. The win over Miami flipped that picture entirely because after the loss to Bowling Green, it looked like the Yellow Jackets were not going to have enough winnable games to realistically make a bowl game.

Now, just because a game is winnable for Georgia Tech does not mean that it is a lock. The Yellow Jackets were three-touchdown favorites against the Falcons and lost the game outright. If they can beat Boston College at home, Virginia on the road, and Syracuse at home, Georgia Tech will be heading to a bowl game.

2. I think that the defense can keep improving under Kevin Sherrer...

It was not perfect by any means, but Georgia Tech's defense looked faster and played with a lot more confidence against Miami than they had played all season. The Yellow Jackets confused Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and forced him to throw three interceptions. Not only that, Miami’s 453 yards of total offense were its second-lowest total of the season (season-low: 451 vs. Texas A&M – Sept. 9), Miami’s 20 points were its fewest of the season (prev.: 38 vs. Miami (Ohio) – Sept. 1), and Georgia Tech held Miami to three points in the first half. The Hurricanes came into the game averaging 23.8 first-half points per game.

Now, I still don't think this is going to be a great unit by any means, but they played a bend but don't break style, forced turnovers, and got red zone stops against what had been an elite Miami offense. Sherrer will see two more elite offenses this season (North Carolina and Georgia) and he will have to show that he can do something similar against both of them.

3. I think this offensive line has improved...

Similar to the defense, I am not going to argue that this has been an elite unit or that it has the potential to be the top unit in the ACC, but this offensive line is miles better than it was a year ago.

If you look at the PFF (Pro Football Focus) grades for the offensive line last year and compare them to this year, it is a night and day difference. Last season, PFF had Georgia Tech's pass blocking grading out at 42.8 (which is terrible) and the run blocking at 50.8. This season, Georgia Tech's pass-blocking grade is 67.4 and the run-blocking grade is 63.8. Again, the improvements have not been enough to make the Yellow Jackets an elite line, but it is clearly better.

One example would be that the top player on the Yellow Jackets offense according to PFF is left guard Joe Fusile. Fusile and center Weston Franklin have been much improved and they have both played a huge role in improving Georgia Tech's offense.

1. I know that Eric Singleton Jr and Ethan Mackenny have been studs this season and look like future building blocks for this program

Both of these players have become starters and earlier this week, they were named to On3 Sports Midseason True Freshman All-American Teams.

Singleton leads the Yellow Jackets in receiving with 355 yards on 20 catches and he has five touchdowns this season, averaging nearly 18 yards per catch. He is currently seventh in the ACC in receiving yards and second in touchdowns. He has given this team much-needed speed at the position and looks like a future superstar.

Mackenny took over at left tackle in the first game of the season against Louisville and has not looked back. He has started every game since and while there have been ups and downs, he has performed well for a true freshman offensive lineman.

2. I know that Haynes King has been a huge upgrade at quarterback for Georgia Tech...

Going into the season, there were some who thought King might even be a downgrade from former starting quarterback Jeff Sims and that has been far from the case.

247Sports analyst Clint Brewster wrote about teams that are replacing their starter with a transfer quarterback this season and if the team is better off or worse with the new starter.

Here is what he had to say about Georgia Tech going from King to Sims:

"Georgia Tech brought in King, the former Texas A&M transfer signal-caller, with new head coach Brent Key now at the helm. Last year, the Yellow Jackets started Sims at quarterback. He, at times, showed remarkable talent and upside but couldn't quite put it all together. King was a highly recruited quarterback out of Texas. He ran a verified 4.5-second 40-yard dash.

King struggled as a passer at Texas A&M, and many wondered if he would fit better in a different offense. Texas A&M ended up with two different starters by the end of the season and King decided to leave.

Sims didn't light the world on fire at Georgia Tech and also struggled at times to consistently make throws. Although it was just a spring game, Sims looked outstanding for Nebraska in that game and could have his best year yet."

Verdict: Georgia Tech got worse

Nobody who makes predictions will ever be right all the time, but I think Georgia Tech is more than happy with how King has played this season and how he can continue to improve.

King currently leads the ACC in passing yards with 1, 631 and he leads in passing touchdowns with 16 while being fifth in passer rating. The passing game has arguably been the best part of the team and King has been leading the attack.

3. I know that this team finds a way to win on the road against ranked conference foes under Brent Key...

It is one of the craziest stats about Georgia Tech under Brent Key, but the Yellow Jackets are 3-0 against ranked ACC teams on the road.

Last season as the interim head coach, Brent Key was making a reputation for going on the road as a big underdog against ranked ACC teams and finding a way to win outright. In his first game as the interim, Key took down Pitt on the road and later in the season, beat a 9-1 North Carolina team that was rising in the college football playoff discussion and had a Heisman candidate in quarterback Drake Maye.

Before Key's win over Pitt last season, Georgia Tech had not beaten a ranked team on the road since 2016.

It has been remarkable to see how Key gets his teams ready to play in games like these and the win by the Yellow Jackets yesterday could set them up to be in contention for a bowl game this season.

Could Georgia Tech possibly face another ranked team on the road this season? Their remaining road schedule consists of Virginia and Clemson, so it is possible the Tigers get ranked.

Georgia Tech is off next weekend before returning home to play against Boston College.

Three things I think, three things I know about Georgia Tech halfway through the 2023 season

Jackson Caudell | Oct 12, 2023

1. I think that Georgia Tech can make a bowl game...

2. I think that the defense can keep improving under Kevin Sherrer...

3. I think this offensive line has improved...

1. I know that Eric Singleton Jr and Ethan Mackenny have been studs this season and look like future building blocks for this program

2. I know that Haynes King has been a huge upgrade at quarterback for Georgia Tech...

3. I know that this team finds a way to win on the road against ranked conference foes under Brent Key...

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