Georgia Tech has the benefit of a bye weekend coming into this game, and let’s not forget that Miami is 2-3 in the last five meetings of these teams, including the crazy 23-20 loss last season when Mario Cristobal didn’t take a knee at the end. The Yellow Jackets really have no business with the kind of success vs. UM they’ve had, considering the program has suffered six losing seasons in the last nine years (7-6 record last season in Year 1 of Brent Key). As it pertains to this year’s Georgia Tech team? Well, one of the nation’s top offenses returns mainly intact with just three graduation losses, but on defense this was a really bad unit in 2023 and lost four of its top players. So major question marks remain on that side of the ball and there could be some high-scoring games in the future for the Yellow Jackets.
THE PERSONNEL
The only notable offensive losses were No. 2 RB Dontae Smith (504 yards), WR Dominic Blaylock (3 rd on team with 337 yards) and OL Connor Scaglione, and this unit had the nation’s No. 12 rushing offense and No. 34 total offense . So this group could cause some issues for Miami. At quarterback the team returns former Texas A&M transfer Haynes King, who threw for 2,842 yards, ran for 737 and had 37 total TDs (27 passing) with 16 INTs. His two primary targets return – Eric Singleton, Jr. had 48 receptions for 714 yards and six TDs, and Malik Rutherford added 46 catches for 502 yards and four scores. The run game also has back its top threat in Jamal Haynes, who had 1,059 yards with seven TDs, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He also had 20 catches for 151 yards and another score. Yale TE transfer Jackson Hawes also has some receiving skills (371 yards while there). The Georgia Tech line has back four starters and will look to replace Scaglione with Middle Tennessee multi-year starter Keylan Rutledge. So the offense should be very solid.
The other side of the ball is a different story. This was a massive issue for Georgia Tech last year, and a lot of this season’s success or failure will hinge on if improvements can be made. Because the Yellow Jackets ranked a woeful No. 120 in the nation in total defense last year, including 128 th in rushing defense. It’s a reason the entire defensive coaching staff was jettisoned, and the new coordinator is former Duke coordinator Tyler Santucci (note that former Miami DL coach Jess Simpson is now the team’s line coach). It won’t help that four of the D’s best players are gone – DL Kyle Kennard (6 sacks) transferred to South Carolina, and also gone are LB Paul Moala (11 TFL, 4 sacks), safety Jaylon King (60 tackles, 4 INTs) and CB Myles Sims (37 tackles, INT). Up front no linemen returns that had more than one sack with the leader here DT Zeek Biggers (4 TFL, 1 sack). At LB Kyle Efford returns after leading the team with 81 tackles, while fellow linebacker Trenilyas Tatum had 38 tackles and four TFL (Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey and Louisville’s Jackson Hamilton help give some quality depth here). In the secondary CB Ahmari Harvey is back after totaling 31 tackles with three INTs, and he is joined by safeties Clayton Powell-Lee (69 tackles, 1 INT) and LaMiles Brooks (67 tackles, INT). Tennessee CB Warren Burrell could also help out – he has 22 career starts but was a backup this past season.
QUESTION MARK AREAS MIAMI CAN EXPLOIT
In simple terms, all areas of the defense are questionable. The line is unproven and can be taken advantage of after a disastrous 2023 showing, although the DT depth is decent. Really, though, there aren’t a lot of proven playmakers on any levels of the D (LB is probably going to be the strongest area). So while Georgia Tech’s offense is going to put up points, there shouldn’t be much resistance for Miami’s attack. And King has shown he’s prone to throwing interceptions, so pressuring him into quick/bad decisions will be a major key. We can see this one being a high scoring game, so the Canes just need to make a few more stops than the Yellow Jackets.
GAME DIFFICULTY RATING FOR MIAMI
Is Georgia Tech near Miami’s level of talent? No. But the Yellow Jackets have a knack for making these games close, and with an explosive offense a mistake here or there could make this a nailbiter. The key is going to be for Miami’s offense to be on point, since Georgia Tech won’t be able to outscore the Canes if UM gets things going against a not-very-good defense. Our game difficulty rating, with 10 representing Miami’s most difficult game vs. FSU, would be a 6.0. Not the hardest game on the schedule, but not near the easiest, either. Pretty much middle-of-the road tough matchup with this one.
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