Georgia Tech plays its first true road game of the season at noon Saturday when it squares off with Syracuse. It’s the ACC opener for the Orange and the second league contest for the unbeaten Yellow Jackets (2-0, 1-0 ACC).
Tech goes into the weekend ranked 23rd in the nation, its first national ranking since 2015. Thus, the challenge for the Jackets is to not only beat Syracuse on Saturday, but prove they are worthy of that ranking and that they should be included among the nation’s top teams.
“You can’t let circumstances control your own destiny, control your future. That won’t happen,” Tech coach Brent Key said Thursday. “All of our goals, as I’ve said before, all of our goals are in front of us. This is another opportunity for us to play the game of football together. These guys have worked their tails off, really, since January. Extremely hard through camp.
“Given 12 opportunities. So this is a one-game season for us. All that matters is this week. All that matters is how we prepare right now, (Friday) while we’re at the hotel and then get up early (Saturday) and get ready to go play a game.”
Here’s what you need to know
Kickoff: Noon Saturday
Where: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York
TV: ACC Network
Weather: N/A
Tickets: Seating in virtually any section of the JMA Wireless Dome was still available as of Friday morning for as low as $25 per ticket.
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Top storylines ahead of No. 23 Georgia Tech-Syracuse
Backup running back still out: Key said Thursday that running back Trey Cooley will miss Saturday’s game.
“We’ll make sure (Cooley) is good,” Key said. “I don’t know the time frame on Trey Cooley. Don’t expect him to be in the game this week. Won’t be in the game this week. We gotta do what’s best for (Cooley) and make sure he gets himself taken care of and gets back to a good place.”
Cooley (5-foot-10, 197 pounds) was injured on the opening kickoff Aug. 24 in Dublin in the game against Florida State. The former Louisville running back totaled 274 yards on 64 carries and scored three touchdowns in 2023.
Tech’s defense faces Kyle McCord: Tech’s defense has had two solid showings through the season’s first two contests. The No. 23-ranked Jackets have yet another tough challenge ahead on the road against Syracuse.
The Orange (1-0) brought in prized transfer recruit Kyle McCord during the offseason to be the focal point of their offense. His debut was impressive Saturday in a 38-22 win over Ohio, as the 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns on 27 completions.
Formerly at Ohio State, McCord joined Syracuse ahead of spring practice earlier this year.
Being ranked is the new normal: It has been a long time since Tech football has been nationally ranked, perhaps too long for a program, which used to be a fixture in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
But the Jackets (2-0, 1-0 ACC) made a triumphant return to the rankings Tuesday when they popped up as the nation’s 23rd-best squad, according to the poll. Tech had not been ranked since September 2015. Following a loss to Duke on Sept. 26, when Tech was ranked No. 20, the program fell out of the Top 25 and hadn’t returned until Tuesday.
“That’s a territory that comes with winning football games. It’s a new territory, but this is the new normal,” Tech coach Brent Key told radio station 680 The Fan on Wednesday. “People can’t be surprised when people start talking about things that are good. Those kids deserve people to talk about them. But at the same time that’s my job to keep them grounded. We just came off the practice (Wednesday) and I don’t think there’s any question that’s taking place right now.”
Kyle Efford leads the nation in tackles: Tech linebacker Kyle Efford was credited with 10 tackles in the season-opening win over Florida State. On Saturday night, in a 35-12 victory over Georgia State at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the sophomore was credited with 13 more. Efford, with 23 total tackles, now leads the nation in that category.
“Really, the tackles just come from pure effort,” Efford said Saturday. “Just flying around.”
Party like it’s 2015: For the first time since 2015, Tech is in the AP Top 25.
The Jackets earned a No. 23 ranking in the Week 2 poll with 161 votes. It’s the first time Tech has been among the nation’s top 25 teams since the end of September in 2015, when the Jackets were ranked No. 20. A loss at Duke knocked Tech out of the poll, and it hasn’t been ranked since.
Tech is off to a 2-0 start, with a 1-0 mark in ACC play, after a win over then-No. 10 Florida State in Dublin on Aug. 24 and victory over Georgia State at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday. It’s the team’s first 2-0 start since 2016.
Jackets have been to Syracuse just once before: A third game, a third city and stadium and a third unique challenge for Tech this week. Can the Jackets handle the next test?
Key’s squad is scheduled to head to New York on Friday ahead of a noon Saturday matchup with Syracuse. After wins over Florida State in Dublin and Georgia State at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Jackets (2-0, 1-0 ACC) now must dip their toe back into ACC play and win a tough road game to start 3-0 for the first time since 2016.
“This, hands down, will be the biggest challenge we have as a football team this week,” Key said Tuesday. “This is going to be a game, and I just told the team, this has nothing to do with plays, calls, runs, passes, coverages, fronts — ain’t none of that. This game’s about our ability to go be the most physically tough football team we can possibly be from 12 until about four o’clock on Saturday.
“Hands down, that is the only thing. How physical we play, how tough we play, how much discipline we play with, how we’ve improved on things that we’ve done in the first two games or haven’t done well in the first two games, that’s what this game’s about.”
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