5 Questions: McCready, Quinlan preview Georgia Tech at No. 17 Ole Miss

Georgia Tech and No. 17 Ole Miss square off Saturday night in Oxford (6:30, SEC Network).

JacketsOnline.com publisher Kelly Quinlan and RebelGrove.com publisher Neal McCready get you ready for the contest by exchanging questions and answers about the teams.

Kelly Quinlan:

1. Defensively what are the changes with Pete Golding at the helm and what has been the key to the fast start on that side of the ball for Ole Miss?

Neal McCready: Ole Miss has switched from the 3-2-6 defense it utilized over the past three seasons to a more traditional 3-4, one that is designed to better stop the run as well as rush the passer. Golding is very clearly an excellent teacher and I think he showed last week against Tulane that he knows how to dial up an effective pass-rush when it’s needed. Ole Miss has holes on defense and has given up touchdowns on the opponent’s opening possession in both games, but all in all, there is reason for guarded optimism regarding the progress of the Rebels’ defense.

Kelly Quinlan:

2. It sounds like Quinshon Judkins is banged up coming out of the Tulane game. What is his status at this point and if he is limited who will be the other options at RB?

Neal McCready: Judkins was seen expressing some pain late in the win over Tulane and was practicing Tuesday in a black (signifying no contact) jersey. I suspect he’s full-go for Georgia Tech, and if anything is really injured, it’s his pride/feelings. The Rebels’ running game has been ineffective thus far this season and it’s a major area of concern as SEC play looms.

Ole Miss has other running backs, including former Georgia Tech running back Jam Griffin, but it’s Judkins’ show, and if the Rebels can’t get him going, it’s difficult to envision the type of season fans are hoping for.

Kelly Quinlan:

3. Ole Miss has quite a collection of random former Georgia Tech players now with four on the roster this season. Has that been a topic this week at all?

Neal McCready: It’s interesting. You’d think that would be a topic. Jared Ivey was asked about it on Monday but basically brushed it off. I think, due to the fact that there are so many transfers on this Ole Miss team, the whole playing-your-former-team angle really just doesn’t resonate very much in Oxford.

Kelly Quinlan:

4. Is there concern coming off the beating last year in Atlanta that the Rebels delivered that they might be overlooking Georgia Tech with Alabama on the horizon?

Neal McCready: I asked Lane Kiffin that on Monday and he admitted that in previous seasons, this game being sandwiched between an emotional game at Tulane and the annual showdown with Alabama would be a concern, especially given the Rebels’ margin of victory in Atlanta last season. However, he said since half the roster wasn’t in the program last September, he didn’t think it would be a factor. He said — and the more I think about it, the more I believe him — he thought “last year” would be less of a factor moving forward in college football. He’s right, but that’s kind of sad. I’ll miss the year-over-year meaning something.

Kelly Quinlan:

5. How do you see this game playing out and a prediction would be great?

Neal McCready: I don’t have a great grasp on this game. Ole Miss is without Tre Harris and the offense has been stagnant without him in the early going. Georgia Tech put up some points on Louisville, so I think they’ll score against the Rebels. I think Ole Miss ends up winning comfortably, maybe in the 17-point range, but I kind of like Georgia Tech’s chances of covering the point spread.

Neal McCready:

1. Last year, when these teams met, Geoff Collins’ security was a major topic. Obviously, with Brent Key in Year 1, how is the mood different around the Georgia Tech program as it prepares to head to Ole Miss?

Kelly Quinlan: I think the fans have embraced the substance-over-style approach that Key has brought back to the Flats. The most successful coaches at Georgia Tech were blue-collar guys like Bobby Ross, Paul Johnson or George O'Leary. Collins tried to make Georgia Tech cool, but that doesn't work unless you are Deion Sanders and have a ton of NIL money and street cred. Collins lacked both and was mostly just a strong recruiter who had been known as a good DC at some SEC schools.

Key has spoken openly of his shortcomings and brought in people to help him in those areas. There isn't much ego and it is about doing work and not being afraid of the opponent. There were coaches on Collins' staff and maybe even the head coach who openly thought his team didn't have a chance in certain games. Key is the total opposite and the kids buy into it.

Neal McCready:

2. What challenges does Haynes King represent for the Ole Miss defense?

Kelly Quinlan: King has a strong arm and a lot of confidence right now running this offense. He is able to run well enough to keep defenders on their toes and extend plays. He also has been very good at spreading the ball around and getting calls communicated and his team lined up presnap, especially in tempo situations. He looks very confident running the show compared to his time at TAMU.

The ball can go anywhere in the offense. Eleven different players have caught balls in eight quarters from King, excluding the starting tight end Dylan Leonard who hasn't snagged one yet. The offense overall is a massive improvement through two games over the last four years of fits and mediocrity on that side of the ball much of the time.

Neal McCready:

3. Ole Miss has struggled to run the ball early this season and has been dependent on the passing game, led by Jaxson Dart. Do you anticipate the Yellow Jackets trying to populate the box and taking their chances with the Rebels’ passing game? And along those lines, give me the scouting report on the Georgia Tech secondary.

Kelly Quinlan: The run defense has not been a strong point thus far for the Jackets. Louisville averaged 6.7 yards per carry in the opener with a few explosive runs and they played an option team last week that pretty much exclusively ran the ball with their backup quarterback or option plays on the edge so it is a weird sampler so far. I haven't seen the run defense as a strength.

The secondary hasn't really been tested a lot. Louisville had most of their success on quick passes and then broken one-on-one tackles on the edge and a they hit a few tricks like catching a corner blitz with a safety mismatched on their fastest wide receiver that led to a touchdown. Last year the safeties and the nickel spot were among the best in the ACC, but only nickel K.J. Wallace has looked like the same player through two games. Safeties LaMiles Brooks, Jaylon King and Clayton Powell-Lee haven't quite turned things on yet but they are all capable of making plays and creating turnovers as well in the passing game.

I think the biggest question for me is the cornerback spot where they've been using four guys, Myles Sims who didn't play week one but started last week who was now-Ole Miss corner Zamari Walton's running mate at corner last year, Kenan Johnson who was the third corner last year, Kenyatta Watson II who was a high profile recruit but had injury issues early on and Ahmari Harvey a transfer from Auburn. Sims, Johnson and Harvey have each started and Watson had the best camp of the four. They still need to figure out the cornerback rotation and the tackling on the edges is how Louisville beat the Jackets in the Benz in week one.

Neal McCready:

4. Ole Miss won this game in blowout fashion last year in Atlanta. Is that a motivating factor as Georgia Tech prepares for the trip to Oxford?

Kelly Quinlan: The players haven't talked about it much this time around. That was one of several blowout losses under Collins. The only game that has gone sideways under Key so far was the Florida State game last year in Tallahassee and that was probably the best game Jordan Travis played in 2022 and the start of the Noles second half run through the weaker half of the ACC. I doubt you will see games like Ole Miss last year or the Notre Dame or Georgia games in 2021 that were 40-50 point shutouts happening under Key.

Neal McCready:

5. How do you see this game playing out, including a prediction, if you don’t mind?

Kelly Quinlan: This is a hard one because I think Ole Miss is in better shape right now than Georgia Tech in terms of developing their offense and having that experience and chemistry on that side of the ball plus Kiffin's ability to dial up things. I think the Georgia Tech defense hasn't been as good as it was in the final half of the 2022 season so far so I think it will be a 45-28 type of game maybe 45-17 or 45-24 if the offense struggles for Georgia Tech. I just do not like the matchup right now for the Jackets.

Last year they beat heavily favored (#24) Pitt and (#13) UNC on the road both ranked at the time and gave Georgia the second-hardest game of the year aside from Ohio State in the playoffs so you can't count out a Brent Key team.

I guess the X-factor could be Ole Miss overlooking the Jackets with Bama on the horizon and that beating they gave Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium last year. That is what makes college football fun though. You never know what can happen when they step on the field.