Throughout UNC football coach Mack Brown’s second stint in Chapel Hill, there’s typically something on the line in the Georgia Tech game.
For the past three seasons in which UNC boasted star quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye and was looked at as one of the ACC’s elites, the Tar Heels’ matchup with the Yellow Jackets has been where preseason hype and any chance to revive playoff hopes have unexpectedly — at least for the first time in 2021 — been laid to rest.
Yet, as UNC gets set to host Georgia Tech once again Saturday at noon, there’s different stakes.
For one, the Tar Heels will get a chance to shake two losing streaks, including its three-game skid to the Yellow Jackets and three straight disappointments to JMU, Duke and Pitt.
But on a deeper level, this matchup is no longer the “trap game” it once was, and given that there’s not any grand post season goals to lose, it’s simply an opportunity to improve.
Sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play, Georgia Tech is a much better team than it has been in recent memory.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off an impressive 24-14 home victory over Duke in which they scored 14 unanswered points against a stout defense in the fourth quarter. Redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns, and redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes rushed for 135 yards.
For UNC defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins, containing Haynes in the run game with solid tackling and limiting big plays down the field will be a must.
Georgia Tech runs a balanced offensive attack, and it likes to get the ball to its speedy skill players for explosive plays.
Last week against Pitt, the Tar Heels gave up three plays over 40 yards and totals of 149 yards rushing and 381 yards passing. The longest of those plays was a short pass to running back Desmond Reid who turned it into a 72-yard gain thanks to multiple missed tackles.
It also didn’t help that edge rusher Kaimon Rucker only played for a few third downs last week as he slowly returns from a lower body injury. Rucker participated in practice this week, and a larger role from him Saturday could be the boost that the defense needs as it looks to improve in the sack column.
Opposing quarterbacks have had too much time to find open receivers down field, especially in UNC’s three losses. The Tar Heels have only recorded five sacks in the three-game skid compared to 10 sacks recorded in their first three games.
In a press conference Monday, Brown also harped on the Tar Heels’ need to stop missing opportunities to grab turnovers. UNC has only got its hands on two interceptions all year, which is tied for second-to-last in the ACC.
Sophomore defensive back Kaleb Cost’s 84-yard pick six against Pitt provided a big lift on the scoreboard, which the Tar Heels may need from their defense against a solid Georgia Tech defense that allows just 19.3 points per game.
Offensively, UNC will need to improve its execution on big plays, including third and fourth downs and red zone situations.
The Tar Heels converted just five out 15 third down attempts against Pitt, and on fourth down, they only converted two out of six tries.
This season, opponents have converted just 32% of their third down attempts and 43% of their fourth down attempts against the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech doesn’t allow teams to reach the red zone too often, either, as it has allowed just 13 trips within the 20-yard line.
Last week, UNC didn’t have problems reaching the red zone, but getting across the goal line was more of a struggle than it had hoped for. If it can just clean up the self-inflicted mistakes in those situations, such as dropped touchdown passes and assignment busts, UNC could see a much better outcome Saturday.
Although UNC fans may have little hope that the Tar Heels will bounce back, it’s worth noting that the Yellow Jackets tend to fall behind early on the road.
Georgia Tech is 0-2 in away games this year, losing at then No. 19 Louisville on Sept. 21 and at Syracuse on Sept. 7.
Against Louisville, Georgia Tech trailed 17-7 with just under two minutes remaining in the first half, and against Syracuse, it trailed 21-7 midway through the second quarter.
So, as UNC looks to avoid continuing its two losing streaks, the Tar Heels can return the favor to Georgia Tech with a hot start and a win Saturday.
