Tigers look to fire on all cylinders in Atlanta
The Clemson Tigers will face off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday, September 13, at 12:00 PM for one of the most important ACC games of the year for both sides. The Yellow Jackets are currently 2-0 on the year, with wins over Colorado and Gardner Webb putting them on the bubble of the AP Top 25.
Georgia Tech Overview
Head Coach Brent Key, an alumnus of Georgia Tech, has been with the program since 2019. Originally, Key was hired as the offensive line coach and assistant head coach under Geoff Collins. But after a bad start to the 2022 season, Collins was fired and replaced by Key on an interim basis. Georgia Tech finished the season 4-4 and Key became the permanent head coach in 2023.
The past two seasons under Key have been successful with the Yellow Jackets reaching a bowl game in both seasons. This season, the expectations are now slightly higher for Key’s squad as they are expected to contend for the ACC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. A win on Saturday against a strong Clemson squad is exactly what the Yellow Jackets need to make that dream come true.
Scouting Report – Who to Watch For
Haynes King: Dual-Threat Leader
Haynes King is the best player on this Georgia Tech squad. Currently a longshot to win the Heisman at +8000 odds, according to DraftKings, King is consistently listed among the top dark horses for College Football’s best player award, showing the strides he’s made over the past few years.
Last season, King threw for 2,114 yards, while posting one of the best TD/INT ratios in the country with 14 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Along with his strong passing stats, King is very well-equipped to run the football. The Longview, Texas native had 587 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns to bring his season total to 25.
Although this season didn’t get off to the best start for King, as he threw an interception against Colorado, he still managed to bounce back with 143 yards through the air and 156 yards on the ground, while scoring three rushing touchdowns. Clemson will have to be on the lookout for King on designed run plays and when he’s scrambling outside the pocket.
Jamal Haynes: Game-Changing Speed
Jamal Haynes is a game changer for this Yellow Jackets squad. In his first two seasons with Georgia Tech, Haynes ran for a combined 2,003 yards and 16 touchdowns, while receiving 317 yards and four touchdowns.
This season, he somewhat struggled to get momentum going against Colorado in their opening game, with only 65 rushing yards on 16 carries for an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Haynes seemed to get back to his level against Gardner Webb with 92 yards on just nine rushes for an average of 10.2 yards per rush and two rushing touchdowns.
Haynes can change a game within the blink of an eye, his elite speed and ability to find the open holes is something that Clemson’s defensive line could have trouble with. But with two projected top-10 picks in the NFL draft, Clemson should be able to stop Haynes and the electric Georgia Tech offense.
Score Prediction
It’s hard to make a score prediction on a highly anticipated game, especially early on in the season, as both teams are still trying to find their footing. But, if Cade Klubnik and Garrett Riley can figure out what they’ve done wrong over the past two games, Clemson should handle business rather easily. I do believe Clemson will eventually right the ship and maybe find a way to win the ACC and potentially even a playoff game, but, I don’t think they make the necessary changes for Saturday afternoon’s game.
I predict a 20-17 Georgia Tech win.
