Everything you need to know about Georgia Tech at North Carolina

Here’s what you need to know:

Kickoff: Noon Saturday

Where: Kenan Memorial Stadium (51,000)

TV: The CW

Streaming: The CW app

Weather: 71 degrees at kickoff, 0% chance of rain

Tickets: Plenty of tickets remain available on all levels of Kenan Memorial Stadium starting at $50 each. Tickets on secondary sites are starting at $27.

North Carolina football social media: X | Instagram | Facebook

Georgia Tech football social media: X | Instagram | Facebook

Top storylines ahead of Georgia Tech at North Carolina

Finding an identity: Halfway through the 2024 season, Brent Key has begun to recognize that not only does his team have a defined identity, but now it is embracing that identity.

Georgia Tech’s second-year coach said Thursday that the idea of identity was discussed Thursday morning before the Yellow Jackets (4-2, 2-2 ACC) practiced at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Key stressed that having a team identity doesn’t mean the Jackets are a finished product by any stretch, but it should fuel the reserve of confidence that Tech can reach into during another crucial league contest on the road this weekend.

“I think the team has really bought into that identity,” Key added. “They enjoy being called that and told that, seeing themselves do that. It’s not an identity of, we’re gonna score 50 points every week on offense, or we’re gonna shut people out on defense, or we’re gonna get eight sacks, or we’re gonna have this many passing yards, this many running yards. At the end of the day, it’s an element of toughness and discipline that we wanna create to build a foundation for a long time.”

More from Moore: The growing legend of Harrison Moore started in preseason camp, Key recently chronicled.

Key spotted Moore, during a red-zone drill, frantically searching the ground off to the side of the field. When Key demanded Moore explain why he was coming out of the play, Moore’s response followed, “I’m trying to find my tooth.”

Yellow Jackets facing former coach Geoff Collins: When Tech defensive end Sylvain Yondjouen was a prep recruit, one who had committed to Arizona, he received a call from Geoff Collins. Collins, who previously tried to court Yondjouen to play for Temple, was the newly hired coach at Tech and offered a Yondjouen a chance to play in Atlanta for the Jackets.

Now a senior defensive end for the Jackets, Yondjouen signed with Tech ahead of the 2019 season, Collins’ first with Tech.

There are similar stories like that one up and down Tech’s roster, a roster still littered with key players who came to Atlanta as Collins recruits — guys like safety LaMiles Brooks, defensive linemen Joshua Robinson and Zeek Biggers, tight end Avery Boyd, linebacker Trenilyas Tatum, defensive backs Rodney Shelley and Clayton Powell-Lee, punter David Shanahan, center Weston Franklin, wide receiver Malik Rutherford and running back Jamal Haynes, just to name a few.

Chad Alexander put on scholarship: One of Tech’s key offensive contributors was awarded a scholarship.

Running back Chad Alexander, previously a walk-on, was put on scholarship during the middle of Tuesday’s practice at Rose Bowl Field. Key tricked Alexander by having campus police arrive midway through practice and question Alexander. Key then called the entire team into a huddle and informed the sophomore he now was on scholarship.

Trip to Chapel Hill the second test of a crucial month: Tech passed its first exam of October. Its next test will be no less challenging in a month full of crucial contests.

The Jackets (4-2, 2-2 ACC) prepare to travel this week to Chapel Hill to face rival North Carolina. They aim to win back-to-back games for only the third time under Key and to keep their faint hopes of an ACC title game berth alive with a victory in the first of two league road games over the next three weeks.