The matchup between N.C. State (5-5, 2-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) and Georgia Tech (6-4, 4-3) is set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EST, televised on ESPN. According to BetMGM, Georgia Tech is favored by 8.5 points. In the historical context, Georgia Tech holds an advantage in their series, leading 20-11.
N.C. State is in urgent need of a victory to achieve bowl eligibility following a recent bye week, after a disappointing loss to Duke in their last home game. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech aims to secure an unbeaten home record at Bobby Dodd Stadium for the first time since 1999, riding high after their surprise victory over then-No. 4 Miami. Although the Yellow Jackets faced a setback against Notre Dame at the neutral site of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 19, they have been successful at home with a perfect 4-0 record.
A critical battle in the game will be between N.C. State’s defensive line and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. King played a pivotal role in the upset against Miami, showcasing his dual-threat capabilities despite limited passing due to a shoulder injury that kept him out of action for two games prior. The Wolfpack’s defense will need to effectively contain King’s dynamic ability, as he amassed 93 rushing yards and threw for two touchdowns in that game.
For N.C. State, keep an eye on freshman quarterback CJ Bailey, who took over the starting role after Grayson McCall’s concussion issues sidetracked his career. Bailey is the fifth true freshman in the school’s history to lead the team at quarterback, and his 1,794 passing yards rank third for a freshman in program history.
On the Georgia Tech side, running back Jamal Haynes is a significant player to watch. He leads the team with 681 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. However, he exited the game against Miami after just three carries for 83 yards and a touchdown due to an injury. His recovery will be crucial, although King demonstrated his capability to maintain strong ground game performance even without his top running backs in the previous match.
Notably, the teams have not faced each other frequently due to the former two-division scheduling format in the league. The last encounter in 2020 — conducted without divisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic — saw the Wolfpack emerge victorious, breaking their previous losing streak against Georgia Tech that included defeats in 2011, 2014, and 2019. This contest will mark only N.C. State’s third road game this season, which saw them lose at Clemson but secure a win at California. Additionally, the Wolfpack defense has shown resilience, limiting their last three opponents to just 5 of 32 on third-down conversions. For Georgia Tech, a win would ensure a winning record for the second consecutive year, following a previous 7-6 campaign under coach Brent Key, which halted a stretch of four losing seasons. The Yellow Jackets have notably improved their ball security, committing only six turnovers this season, which ties them for second-fewest nationally, a significant reduction from last year’s total of 21 turnovers.