N.C. State (5-5, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) at Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia Tech by 8 1/2.
Series record: Georgia Tech leads 20-11.
What’s at stake?
N.C. State needs a win to become bowl eligible and is coming out of an open date, which had followed a loss to Duke in its home finale. Georgia Tech is trying to finish undefeated at Bobby Dodd Stadium for the first time since 1999 and build on momentum from an upset of then-No. 4 Miami. Notre Dame beat the Yellow Jackets at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 19, but Georgia Tech is 4-0 on its campus.
Key matchup
N.C. State’s defensive front vs. QB Haynes King. King was the difference in the upset of Miami even though he was limited as a passer in his return after missing two games with a right shoulder injury. The Wolfpack defense must contain King, who ran for 93 yards and passed for touchdowns against Miami.
Players to watch
N.C. State: QB CJ Bailey. The freshman took over the starting job when Grayson McCall was sidelined by concussion issues that ultimately forced him to retire from the sport. He’s only the fifth true freshman in school history to start at QB, with his 1,794 yards through the air ranking third in program history for a freshman.
Georgia Tech: RB Jamal Haynes leads the team with 681 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Haynes left the Yellow Jackets’ win over Miami with an injury after gaining 83 yards with a touchdown on only three carries. Haynes’ health will be a key, even though King helped Georgia Tech’s ground game continue to flourish against Miami even after Haynes and top backup Chad Alexander were out with injuries.
Facts & figures
The teams didn’t play often during the league’s now-defunct two-division scheduling format. The Wolfpack won the last meeting in 2020 — played with no divisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic — but had lost in 2011, 2014 and 2019 before that win. … This is only the third road game for N.C. State, which lost at Clemson but won at California. …. The Wolfpack’s defense has allowed the past three opponents to convert a combed 5 of 32 third-down tries. … Georgia Tech can clinch a winning record for the second straight season following a 7-6 finish under coach Brent Key last season ended a streak of four consecutive losing records. … The Yellow Jackets have only six turnovers, tied for second-fewest in the nation, after having 21 last season.
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