No. 23 Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) at Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 ACC), Saturday, noon ET (ACC Network)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia Tech by 2 1/2.
Series record: Georgia Tech 4-1.
What’s at stake?
This early conference matchup will serve as a huge confidence boost for the winning team. Georgia Tech, ranked for the first time since 2015, is off to an unexpected hot start with an upset over conference foe Florida State in the opener and an easy win over Georgia State. A win over the Yellow Jackets would put Syracuse on a likely path to a 4-0 start with upcoming home games against Stanford and Holy Cross. A win on the road will give the Yellow Jackets ranking even more legitimacy. And even though the season is in its infancy, the winner will have the top spot in the ACC, at least for a little while.
Key matchup
Georgia Tech run game vs. Syracuse defense. The Orange allowed 255 yards on the ground to Ohio and coach Fran Brown said “we better stop the run” when asked about his team’s biggest challenge against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have amassed 415 yards on the ground in their first two games. Syracuse will also be without the heart and soul of its defense, linebacker Marlowe Wax, who is expected to miss six weeks with a leg injury. The Orange will hope QB Kyle McCord and the offense can chew up the clock a bit against what was the league’s worst defense a year ago.
Players to watch
Georgia Tech: RB Jamal Haynes averages 5.7 yards a carry and combined for for three touchdowns and 159 yards in Georgia Tech’s two wins. If he can churn out big yardage and help keep the ball away from the Orange, the Yellow Jackets will be in great shape.
Syracuse: Brown said it will take two to three players to replace Wax at LB. West Virginia transfer James Heard and Anwar Sparrows are those two guys. How they play in Wax’s absence could play a large part in the outcome.
Facts & figures
Georgia Tech is 2-0 for the first time since 2016. … The Yellow Jackets averaged 7.8 yards per play against Georgia State, outgained Georgia State 496-360, and rushed for 225 yards. … Georgia Tech held the Panthers to 3-of-12 on third down and finished with eight tackles for loss. … Georgia Tech is one of the teams the Orange have faced the least since joining the ACC. …Syracuse committed six penalties in the season opener. …Eight Orange players had receptions against Ohio.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
