Game Preview: GT vs Duke
In what has been one of the stranger rivalry games in the ACC Coastal over the year, Georgia Tech hosts Duke for the final time as members of the Coastal Division on Saturday. The Blue Devils sit in a two-day tie for first place in the division while the Jackets trail in a tie for second place one game back. Not really what anyone expected going into the heart of ACC play thus making this an interesting game for the Coastal race.
Duke (4-1, 1-0 ACC) at Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1 ACC)
Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium
Date and Time: Saturday, 4 p.m.
TV: ACC Regional Sports Network (RSN, Bally Sports South in Georgia)
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan/SiriusXM 109 or 203
Last Week: Georgia Tech won 26-21 at Pittsburgh; Duke won 38-17 at home vs. Virginia
Series History: Georgia Tech leads 53-35-1
Last Meeting: Georgia Tech won 31-27 at Duke on Oct. 9, 2021
GEORGIA TECH Key Offensive Players: Jeff Sims (QB, Soph.), Hassan Hall (RB, Sr.), Jordan Williams (RT, Soph.)
DUKE Key Offensive Players: Riley Leonard (QB, Soph.), Jaylen Coleman (RB, RS-Jr.), Jalon Calhoun (WR, Sr.)
GEORGIA TECH Key Defensive Players: Keion White (DE, RS-Sr.), Charlie Thomas (LB, Sr.), Clayton Powell-Lee (FS, Fr.)
DUKE Key Defensive Players: Ja’Mion Franklin (DT, RS-Sr.), Darius Joiner (S, Gr-Sr.), Shaka Heyward (LB, RS-Sr.)
Game Preview Analysis: Georgia Tech fans finally got to see a Yellow Jackets team that didn’t beat themselves last week, and the result was a gutsy win at a ranked Pittsburgh team. Now the question is can the White and Gold put two consecutive, consistent performances together. For reference, they haven’t won consecutive games since November 2018.
Duke comes to town for Georgia Tech’s Homecoming date, but don’t be fooled by the colors and the emblem on the helmet. This isn’t the bottom-of-the-barrel Duke that they have been over the years. This is a team that has shown solid offense and defense so far in 2022. They haven’t played the toughest schedule you will see, but the opponents in front of them have seen a disciplined, steady Blue Devils team that rarely hurt themselves with penalties or turnovers.
Duke will lean on its running game with multiple backs that can make plays, and quarterback Riley Leonard can hurt defenses with his legs as well. It will be another test for Tech’s defensive line and linebackers as they will be asked upon to hold up at the line of scrimmage. But after their performance last week against another strong rushing team, you have to feel encouraged about how they will do against the Blue Devils’ offensive line. If they force Leonard to beat them with his arm, that will be a good recipe for the Jackets’ defense.
On the other side of the ball, Tech’s offense struggled in the first half last week but kept plugging away and did their job in the second half thanks in large part to a stellar effort in the running game. Those are the kind of games that can give the Jackets’ offensive line group, which has been somewhat suspect early in the season, the confidence they need to improve and be at their best down the stretch.
Jeff Sims made some good throws as well to close out the win at Pitt, but he still left some opportunities on the table for big plays down the field. Duke’s defense is strongest up front so he should have the opportunity to make some plays against their secondary if he is afforded better protection.
If Tech pulls out a win in this one, you can start to really think about mentioning them to be a contender for the Coastal title. Brent Key has surely been on his team this week to make sure they don’t get too high after last week’s win. That should translate to another disciplined effort and a great afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Prediction: Georgia Tech wins, 30-20.