Georgia Tech concludes October with a trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, where the Hokies of Virginia Tech await inside Lane Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-2 ACC) could view Saturday’s contest as a rubber match of sorts: A win over the Hokies would give Tech six wins before November for the first time since 2014 and make Tech 12-1 under coach Brent Key following a loss. A defeat would give Tech its first losing streak since October 2022 and put it in grave danger of falling short of bowl eligibility, with only three games remaining after the weekend.
On paper, Tech has a favorable matchup on offense if it can rediscover its ground game. Virginia Tech has one of the worst rushing defenses in the country at 170.3 yards allowed per game. But the Hokies do have the second-best pass defense in the ACC, and that could be a concern for the Jackets, given that starting quarterback Haynes King likely will miss a second consecutive game with an injury.
Virginia Tech also feature defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who leads the nation in sacks. He’ll match up against Georgia Tech left tackle Corey Robinson, who was named a captain for Saturday’s game.
The Jackets have won four consecutive games at Lane Stadium, where Virginia Tech will be celebrating homecoming.
Things to know about Saturday’s Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game
Kickoff: Noon Saturday
Where: Lane Stadium (61,233)
TV: ACC Network
Streaming: WatchESPN app
Weather: 63 degrees at kickoff, 15% chance of rain
Tickets: Saturday’s game is officially sold out. Tickets are available via secondary sites starting at $33.
Virginia Tech football social media: X | Instagram | Facebook
Georgia Tech football social media: X | Instagram | Facebook
Storylines ahead of Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game
Quarterback Aaron Philo waits in the wings: This time last year, Aaron Philo was helping his teammates prepare for a road trip to Jasper County, the final road game of Prince Avenue Christian’s season and of Philo’s standout high school career.
On Saturday, it’s not beyond possibility that Philo could be on the field in front of more than 66,000 fans at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium in a crucial ACC game for Georgia Tech.
“The game speeds up a little bit, and I’m sure he’s aware of that having been over there for about six months. You just adjust your game,” said Greg Vandagriff, Philo’s high school coach. “It’s like going from middle school to high school; you just adjust your game as the game speeds up. I’m sure he’s done all that. He’ll be a little bit wide-eyed (if he plays) because he’s out there versus watching it. But I think the learning curve will take care of itself, and he’ll do fine.”
Key still ‘hopeful’ King could be available: Tech coach Brent Key said Thursday he’s still not ready to rule out starting quarterback Haynes King ahead of Saturday’s game.
“(King), if we were to play right now, it’d be a no,” Key said of King’s status. “We’re still gonna keep him day-to-day, but it’s a capital ‘H’ hopeful that he would be able to go. Those things do have different timetables. He’s improving every day. If it was something that definitely would be out right now we’d say it. But I’m still holding on hope.”
King missed Saturday’s 31-12 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame, the first game he has missed of 21 in his career at Tech. King left a win at North Carolina on Oct. 12 when he was injured in the fourth quarter and did not play the final 11 minutes of that contest.
Special-teams play has not been special as of late: One of the first things Key said he did when he was named Tech’s interim coach in 2022 was to get to work fixing the Jackets’ special-teams play. It’s an area in which he takes tremendous pride and a unit that had an impressive showing throughout 2023, Key’s first season leading the program, and for the first third of this season.
But things have gone awry lately in Tech’s special-teams play. And that continued to be apparent Saturday in the loss to Notre Dame, when Tech left at least six points on the board because of kicking issues and misplayed two other Notre Dame fake kicks, one of which led directly to a Notre Dame field goal.
Jackets have three ACC games remaining: If there is any sort of silver lining to Tech’s loss to Notre Dame, one in which the Jackets looked anything but themselves, it’s that the setback didn’t derail Tech’s continual efforts in trying to climb up the ACC standings.
The nonconference loss dropped Tech to 5-3 overall, but didn’t change its 3-2 mark in league play. That’s a mark the team can still improve over the next three outings, starting with the trip this weekend to play Virginia Tech.
Pyron’s play not the issue: It may be easy, at first glance, to conclude Georgia Tech had its lunch money taken by Notre Dame on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium because King didn’t play. But that wasn’t exactly the full story.
There was plenty of blame to go around in the Tech locker room after a 31-13 loss. And while Zach Pyron, King’s backup and Tech’s starter Saturday, made his fair share of mistakes, the onus wasn’t squarely on his shoulders for Tech’s brief two-game winning streak coming to an abrupt halt.
