College Game Day was held in Austin, Texas today, and the No. 1 University of Texas faced off against the No. 5 University of Georgia, but the players on set always chose the game between Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.
To no one’s surprise, everyone in the set picked Notre Dame to win the game.
This battle will be determined by who can overcome the injury most effectively. Can Pylon replace King and find success against the best defenses in the country? Or will Notre Dame’s defense step up in place of their star player and make things tough for the Pylons?
Pyron started two games for Georgia Tech in 2022, a road win against Virginia Tech and a loss the following week against Miami. Pyron played a lot in the road loss to Florida State, but did not start the game (Zach Gibson started). Pyron was injured late in the third quarter against Miami and was out for the rest of the season. King is certainly a threat in the run game, but Pylon is also a skilled runner. Georgia Tech used him primarily as a short-yardage player this year, but he will be a starter against Virginia Tech in 2022, carrying the ball 17 times for 66 yards. It should be noted that Georgia Tech is a much better team in terms of talent than it was when Pyron was starting and playing in 2022.
Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner will need to start the offense today against Notre Dame. While the running game will be important, the Pylons will have to make the throws against Notre Dame. After replacing King last week, he only threw the ball once, but it looked like the offense had become very conservative. That won’t work against the Fighting Irish.
The good news for the Pylons is that Georgia Tech’s run game is one of the best in the country, and they’ve had two of their best games of the year in the past two weeks. Georgia Tech gained 371 yards against North Carolina last week and 245 yards against Duke the week before that. Leading the way is Jamal Haynes, who is starting to play his best football. Haynes has rushed for 536 yards this season, averaging nearly six yards per carry and scoring seven touchdowns. Chad Alexander has emerged as a back number two this year, forming a great one-two punch with Haynes. Pylons need to be considered in the run game as well.
He will be throwing to two of the best receivers in the ACC. Malik Rutherford (40 yards, 509 yards, 2 TDs) and Eric Singleton Jr. (399 yards, 30 records, 1 TD) can burn defenses deep if they pile up too many passes in the box . Notre Dame has some young players in the secondary and it will be interesting to see if Faulkner adjusts some plays to test them.
Georgia Tech currently has some injuries at the tight end position, but freshman Luke Harpring is emerging and starting to play. He made two catches last week and was able to play a role today.
Georgia Tech’s offensive line is one of the best in the nation. They have allowed just one sack (ranked No. 1 in the nation) and are at the forefront of the ACC’s top rushing attack. Notre Dame’s defensive line has been a little disappointing this year, but they have talented players like Howard Cross and Riley Mills, and up front they have RJ Oben, who transferred from Duke.
Coming into the game, Georgia Tech ranks 59th in the nation in passing offense, 7th in red zone offense and 25th in rushing offense.
But this will be the best defense they’ve faced. Notre Dame ranks 10th in third-down defense, 20th in interceptions, 6th in passing yards allowed, 46th in rushing defense, 8th in scoring defense, 25th in sacks and tackles for loss per game. 87th, 5th in defensive pass efficiency, and 11th. With full defense. This is an elite secondary even without Morrison. Jordan Clark is one of the best nickel players in the country, and Leonard Moore (freshman), Christian Gray (sophomore) and Carson Hobbs (freshman) are young but extremely talented. The young corner also has the benefit of playing alongside the best safety in the country, Xavier Watts.
Additional links:
Top recruits expected to be in attendance for Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame: Game Preview, Matchup Breakdown, Final Score Prediction
Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame: 3 Notre Dame defenders to watch Saturday against the Yellow Jackets
