Coming off its second bye week of the season, NC State football is set to travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a Thursday night primetime game.
This week’s matchup will be the first time these two programs have faced off since 2020 when the Pack defeated the Jackets by a score of 23-13 in Raleigh. In opposite divisions of the ACC for several years, the two teams have only faced off five times since 2006.
As the Pack travels south to Bobby Dodd Stadium, the situation at hand mirrors a similar scenario as the last time NC State traveled there. Exactly five years ago from this week’s contest, a 4-6 NC State team traveled to Atlanta in desperation mode, needing to win to keep its bowl chances alive. Despite a hard-fought contest, the Wolfpack lost by two points and saw its bowl chances slip through its fingers.
This time around, NC State enters its date with the Jackets at 5-5 and needs a win either this week or next to secure its fifth straight bowl appearance. This lines up to be a tricky task for the Pack as Georgia Tech has found success playing within the confines of its home stadium this season. Playing its best football at home, the Yellow Jackets boast an undefeated record at Bobby Dodd Stadium this season.
One such home game came just two weeks ago when Georgia Tech upset then-No. 4 Miami. Undoubtedly a program-defining win, the Yellow Jackets defeated the playoff-contending Hurricanes, 28-23. Led by the return of injured star quarterback Haynes King, the Jackets tallied an impressive 271 total rushing yards.
With the return of King to the lineup, the Yellow Jackets are a more productive team. In his two-game absence, the passing attack dropped off as two separate signal-callers split time behind center. Dropping both games while he was gone, the Jackets threw four interceptions while King has thrown only one interception all season.
During King’s starting tenure, he has helped guide his team to a 6-2 record. This included a season-opening win over the then-No. 10 Florida State. Despite dropping their two next conference matchups, the Jackets picked up a win over a strong Duke squad at home. The following week, Georgia Tech went on the road and defeated UNC-Chapel Hill in a tightly contested game. Despite King going down with a shoulder injury, the team won on a breakaway 68-yard score in the winding seconds of the contest.
In his second full season at the helm in Atlanta, head coach Brent Key has taken a leading role in helping guide his team in a positive trajectory since taking over halfway through the 2022 season. Currently sitting at 6-4, the team has proven its capability to hang with any team in the conference.
As the attention shifts to NC State, it will look to bounce back following a frustrating home loss to Duke on senior night. In a game marred with offensive inefficiencies, the Pack was subjected to watching what seemed as possibly a winnable game slip through its fingers. After several games in which freshman quarterback CJ Bailey continued to assert himself, he largely struggled to find success against a talented Duke defensive unit.
This week, Bailey and the offense will face off against Georgia Tech who currently allows an average of 226.5 yards per game through the air. The unit is anchored by defensive back Ahmari Harvey who has amassed 51 total tackles on the season with an interception. Despite allowing a 300-yard passing game to Miami, the defense has only allowed three opponents to throw for more than 250 yards in a contest this season.
Struggling to run the ball in its loss to Duke, NC State only managed to amass 84 total rushing yards. Looking to fix this trend, the Pack will look to spread the ball between not only graduate running back Jordan Waters but also with sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael and redshirt freshman Hollywood Smothers. The unit has shown the ability to create opportunities at times this year despite only compiling an average of 121.6 yards on the ground per game.
This week will be another challenge for NC State as it will take on a run defense that ranks fourth in the ACC in terms of fewest rushing yards allowed per game with 108.1 allowed. Headlining this effort is linebacker Kyle Efford who boasts a team-leading 58 total tackles on the season along with 4.5 tackles for a loss. He is complemented by fellow linebacker Trenilyas Tatum who has 47 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss.
In terms of its defense, NC State will be going up against one of the most talented quarterbacks it’s seen this season. Despite being largely limited in what he was allowed to contribute with his arm against Miami, the Pack should certainly expect more from King this week. King is surrounded by talented receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr., who’ve combined for 1,184 yards and five scores.
Finally, NC State will look to build off a strong showing in its last game in which it only allowed 31 total yards on the ground. Largely true to its vintage form, it served as an improvement for a unit that has taken a step back in guarding against the rush this season. It will certainly have its hands full as it faces off against rusher Jamal Haynes who has 681 yards and nine touchdowns. It will also have to account for the dual-threat ability of King who has tacked on 485 yards and seven touchdowns of his own.
In its second Thursday night game of the year, NC State will take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Nov. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
