Breaking down the 2022 football schedule for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:
Game 1, Sept. 5: Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 10
The Jackets had 10 penalties, two blocked punts and several dropped passes in the Labor Day loss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tech trailed 14-10 before allowing 27 unanswered points in the loss, the eighth straight against Clemson.
Game 2, Sept. 10: Georgia Tech 35, Western Carolina 17
Running back Dontae Smith starred for the Jackets, setting career highs for rushing yards (102) and touchdowns (3). Defense stepped up with three interceptions – one each by safety Derrik Allen, cornerback Myles Sims and linebacker Charlie Thomas.
Game 3, Sept. 17: Ole Miss 42, Georgia Tech 0
The Yellow Jackets absorbed their third home shutout of coach Geoff Collins’ 37-game tenure and their fourth overall. It also was their third scoreless defeat in the past five games.
Game 4, Sept. 24: Central Florida 27, Georgia Tech 10
With a 27-10 loss to the Knights, Georgia Tech fell to 1-3 and 10-28 in Geoff Collins’ time as the Jackets’ head coach. A 20.5-point underdog, Tech averaged 7.2 yards per play to UCF’s 4.6, an advantage that made defeat highly unlikely.
Game 5: Oct. 1 at Pitt (8 p.m.)
The Jackets return to Pittsburgh and newly renamed Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) for the first time since 2018 following three consecutive games against the Panthers at Bobby Dodd Stadium (all won by Pitt). The defending ACC champions start the season No. 17 and will be quarterbacked by USC transfer Kedon Slovis. Tech will be reunited with another former Jacket, tight end Dylan Deveney, who left this offseason as a grad transfer.
Game 6: Oct. 8 vs. Duke (TBA)
Duke is the only Coastal Division opponent that Collins has a winning record against (2-1), which in part explains why the school and longtime coach David Cutcliffe had a mutual parting at the end of last season. Now under the direction of coach Mike Elko, the Blue Devils go into the season trying to stop a 13-game losing streak in ACC play. Duke’s top player might be linebacker Shaka Heyward from Mill Creek High.
Game 7: Oct. 20 vs. Virginia (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Jackets will return from their only open date of the season for a Thursday game against the Cavaliers, who have lost their past five games at Bobby Dodd Stadium and 10 of their past 12. New coach Tony Elliott is one of four new ACC coaches that Tech will face, Miami’s Mario Cristobal, Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry and Elko being the other three. Tech will need more answers for Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who last season shredded the Jackets for 396 yards and four touchdowns in the Cavaliers’ 48-40 win in Charlottesville.
Game 8: Oct. 29 at Florida State (TBA)
In Tech’s past two visits to Doak Campbell Stadium (2009 and 2020), the Jackets won thrillers that were interrupted by lengthy lightning delays. Collins undoubtedly would again trade the latter to obtain the former. Like Collins, Florida State coach Mike Norvell starts the season with his job on the line. The Seminoles will be coming off their open date to face Tech.
Game 9: Nov. 5 at Virginia Tech (TBA)
The Jackets-Hokies game, which once defined the Coastal Division, will cease being played annually as the ACC adopts its new one-division format starting next season. It will be Tech’s first visit to Lane Stadium, which has one of the two more formidable home-field advantages in the ACC (the other being Clemson) since 2018. However, the Jackets have won in each of their past three trips to Blacksburg.
Game 10: Nov. 12 vs. Miami (TBA)
Among the Jackets’ final five games, this will be the only one played at home, making it the first time in team history that Tech has played four of its final five regular-season games away from home. It will be the Jackets’ first look at the Hurricanes as led by Cristobal, who has assembled one of the top coaching staffs in the country and brought in a highly rated transfer class in the latest effort to return Miami to the highest echelon.
Game 11: Nov. 19 at North Carolina (TBA)
Tech’s 45-22 win over the Tar Heels (then ranked 21st) last fall is Collins’ only win over a ranked opponent. Coach Mack Brown continues to amass talent in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Tar Heels’ 2022 signing class was ranked 11th nationally, its third consecutive top-15 class. The Tech reunion tour will conclude at North Carolina, with former Tech general manager Patrick Suddes, now an assistant athletic director and general manager at UNC.
Game 12: Nov. 26 at Georgia (TBA)
The Bulldogs expect to be pursuing a second consecutive national championship when the archrivals meet at Sanford Stadium. Where Tech will be at that point is the story of its season. The Bulldogs have outscored the Jackets by a combined 97-7 in their past two meetings.
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