Game Preview: Tech host UVA on Thursday night
Thursday night football is back on the Flats with Virginia coming to town with aim of spoiling interim Georgia Tech football coach Brent Key's perfect record.
Virginia (2-4, 0-3 ACC) at Georgia Tech (3-3, 2-1 ACC)
Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium
Date and Time: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN, ESPN Mobile App, WatchESPN.com
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan/SiriusXM 138 or 193
Last Week: Georgia Tech was idle following a 23-20 OT win at home vs. Duke on Oct. 8; Virginia was idle following a 34-17 loss at home vs. Louisville on Oct. 8
Series History: Series tied 21-21-1
Last Meeting: Virginia won 48-40 at home on Oct. 23, 2021
GEORGIA TECH Key Offensive Players: Jeff Sims (QB, Soph.), Nate McCollum (WR, Soph.), Pierce Quick (LG, RS-Soph.)
VIRGINIA Key Offensive Players: Brennan Armstrong (QB, Sr.), Keytaon Thompson (WR, Gr-Sr.), Perris Jones (RB, Sr.)
GEORGIA TECH Key Defensive Players: Kyle Kennard (DE, Soph.), Ayinde Eley (LB, RS-Sr.), LaMiles Brooks (SS, Soph.)
VIRGINIA Key Defensive Players: Nick Jackson (LB, Sr.), Chico Bennett Jr. (Bandit, Sr.), Anthony Johnson (CB, Gr-Sr.)
Game Preview Analysis: A lot has changed in the last month for Georgia Tech Football. Just think about where this team was after the loss to UCF in a game where it looked like once again the Jackets did enough to win, but due mostly to self-inflicted mistakes the final score wasn’t all that close. Fast-forward to now, and they are coming off two gutsy wins over Pittsburgh and Duke, two good teams, in which instead of doing everything they could to lose a game like they did under the now-departed Geoff Collins, they rallied together and made winning plays on both sides of the ball.
Can Brent Key and company keep it going on Thursday night under the lights of Atlanta? Well, they certainly have every opportunity to against a Virginia team that has looked below average at best in Tony Elliot’s first year at the helm in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers limp into Bobby Dodd Stadium winless in the ACC and still have on paper some of their tougher conference games ahead of them.
The bye week came at a great time for Georgia Tech as they were banged up in several areas, including the offensive line. A little rest and recovery should do that unit and the team as a whole a lot of good. It also probably gave Key a better chance to step back and evaluate things that are working and things that weren’t after being thrown into the interim head coaching role just before the Pittsburgh game.
The extra time should help a Tech offense that has looked strong in spurts but hasn’t been able to put a full game together so far earlier in the season or since the head coaching change. The Virginia defense does have some areas that can be exploited, including not being very good against the rushing game as they rank 12th in the ACC in that category.
The Cavaliers’ offense has been very inconsistent so far this season as well with quarterback Brennan Armstrong having more interceptions that touchdown passes after a solid year in 2021. The UVA offense ranks toward the bottom of the conference in both rushing yards and passing yards per game so the Jackets’ talented defensive line and linebacker unit as well as an ever-improving secondary should be licking their chops.
It’s always a fun atmosphere on Thursday nights at Bobby Dodd, and the recent surge in excitement should take it to an even higher level. Can Key and the Jackets match that with an impressive performance on the field? They definitely have a good chance to put together their first three-game win streak since 2018.
Prediction: Georgia Tech wins, 34-17.