Notre Dame (5-1) travels to Atlanta on Saturday to take on Georgia Tech (5-2) at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Fighting Irish are coming off a dismantling of Stanford while the Yellowjackets got past North Carolina on a last-minute 68-yard touchdown run. This matchup promises to be a physical battle that will be decided in the fourth quarter. ESPN will provide national television coverage beginning at 3:30 PM Eastern time.

Tech alumnus Brent Key took over the head coaching duties midway through the 2022 season. He has shown steady progress with a run-oriented offense and an improved defense. His overall record is 16-12. An opening game victory over Florida State jump-started this season and Key is hungry for more. A win on Saturday would make an even bigger statement.

Earlier this week, Key did not shy away from the significance of playing Notre Dame. “We got a big game this weekend on Saturday, and I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not a big game. I’m not going to give you coach speak and say that it’s just the next game on the schedule and all games are big games. I mean, this is a this is a really big game. This is a really big opportunity for this program.”

The Irish continue to receive devastating news on the injury front. Star cornerback Benjamin Morrison suffered a hip injury that required surgery this week. He is lost for the remainder of the season. Also, the status of defensive tackle Jason Onye is unknown after he missed the Stanford game with personal issues. Today (Thursday) we learned he will not travel this week. On the positive side, Gabe Rubio played well in his return from a broken foot. Notre Dame will also get slot receiver Jordan Faison and kicker Mitch Jeter back on Saturday.

Georgia Tech has few reported injuries but Key has stated that several players are “banged up”. Among them is quarterback Haynes King, who was unable to finish last week’s contest. He appeared to injure his right (throwing) shoulder or upper arm. Whether or not he starts against Notre Dame will be a game time decision. The Jackets had previously lost their top two tight ends for the season. Key is still trying to sort out his depth chart at this position. Three additional Tech tight ends suffered injuries against North Carolina and each is listed as questionable this week.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. GEORGIA TECH’S DEFENSE

The Jackets have several new faces in their 4-2-5 defensive lineup this year and are still a work in progress. Up front, the constants are tackle Makius Scott and massive nose guard Zeek Biggers. Tech has a two-deep rotation of solid players who are very strong against the run. Conversely, they are not proficient at pressuring the passer. Starting rush end Romello Height, who transferred in from the USC Trojans, has yet to record a sack. The Jackets have only nine total sacks in seven games. By comparison, Notre Dame has 16 in six games.

Riley Leonard had his best passing game last week for the Irish and will need to repeat that success. Tech is undersized and vulnerable in the back seven. Faison will be back in the lineup but it would be a good time for tight end Mitchell Evans to return to his 2023 form. He could be a difference maker if he is finally close to 100% healthy.

One matchup to watch is Notre Dame’s offensive line against the deep Yellowjacket front. The latter group allows linebackers Kyle Efford and Trenilyas Tatum to make most of the tackles. If Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price cannot find lanes to run through, it could be a long afternoon.

Cornerback Ahmari Harvey leads the Jacket secondary along with strong safety Clayton Powell-Lee. The Irish have a size and talent advantage here and must convert on third down to keep their defense off the field.

GEORGIA TECH’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Tech’s offense boasts a high number of returning veterans, and it shows in the results they have achieved. The offensive line has four players who are back from 2023, including center Weston Franklin and left guard Joe Fusile.  Transfer right tackle Keylan Rutledge completes a powerful unit. They have paved the way for more than 200 yards rushing per game while allowing only one sack.

King is the engine of the offense. He has started all 20 games since transferring to the program from Texas A&M in January 2023. King has recorded 4,410 passing yards, 35 scoring passes, 1,090 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns at Tech. This season, he has completed 71% of his throws with one interception. King is the team’s second leading rusher behind tailback Jamal Haynes and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Two returning wide receivers provide King with reliable targets. Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton have 70 receptions to date between them. Tight end has been an issue due to the injuries mentioned above. The Jackets like to utilize multiple personnel to support the  ground game but that option will be impacted. Avery Boyd will probably get the start since he is currently the last man standing.

Haynes is a capable runner and receiver whose long scoring run stunned North Carolina last week. He enjoys operating behind an experienced line that tries to maul its opponents. “That’s what this team, that’s what this offense focuses on: physicality,” Haynes said. “That’s controlling the line of scrimmage, that’s running in trenches, that’s making perimeter blocks when we need to. That’s definitely one of the things that we harp on.”

If King cannot answer the bell on Saturday, the Jackets remain in good hands with backup Zach Pyron. Both quarterbacks have similar size and athletic ability. Both are accurate passers who can run well. Notre Dame’s Al Golden will attempt to force Tech into third and long situations. He can then disguise coverages to create confusion and indecision for either quarterback.

That plan won’t work if Tech is gaining five yards or more per rush.  Notre Dame’s Howard Cross and Riley Mills must be stout up front despite not having much depth behind them. One way for Golden to challenge the Jackets is to load up against Tech’s running game and risk man coverage on wideouts Singleton and Rutherford. Morrison’s absence will make this a more difficult proposition as freshmen Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs will be tested.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Burr has made only one of six field goal attempts beyond 29 yards. Punter David Shanahan has a 44-yard average and is very adept at pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line. Nickel back Rodney Shelley does a credible job as the punt returner. Tech has used several players to bring back kickoffs and Singleton has proven to be the most effective so far.

Notre Dame expects to have Jeter back for placekicking duties. We don’t know for certain the severity of the groin strain he experienced last week. Jeter’s health may determine whether the Irish attempt a long field goal or decide to go for it on fourth down when those situations arise. Punter James Rendell continues to frustrate fans with up and down performances. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s punt and kickoff return teams have not gained much traction this season.

SUMMARY

Georgia Tech is a physical and disciplined team that embodies the aggressive nature of its head coach. They have committed only two turnovers all season and suffered one blocked kick. In their 31-19 loss to Louisville, the Cards recovered the only Tech fumble of the year in the end zone. Later, they returned the blocked kick for another touchdown. Those uncharacteristic errors doomed the Jackets, who otherwise dominated the statistics. Louisville is the only common opponent Georgia Tech shares with Notre Dame to date.

On balance, Notre Dame is unlikely to receive many gifts in this contest. They must match Tech’s physicality while limiting their own mistakes and penalties. The Jackets are also outstanding in the red zone with a 96% success rate overall and a 78% touchdown rate. It is critical for Notre Dame to get the lead early and force Tech to play from behind.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Will Notre Dame’s freshmen continue to make winning plays when called upon?

• Can the Irish slow Georgia Tech’s downhill running game?
• Which quarterback will have greater success in the passing game?
• Can Notre Dame’s young offensive line handle the beefy front four?
• Will either team be able to pressure the passer?
• Can the Irish receivers get open against the smallish Tech secondary?
• Will special teams play have a bearing on the outcome?
• Can Notre Dame force turnovers against the stingy Yellowjackets?
• How will the young Irish cornerbacks perform under the spotlight?

PREDICTION

A winning formula for Notre Dame is not a complex matter. Georgia Tech was held to an average of 108 rushing yards in its two losses. They also rushed for 243 yards per game in their five wins. The Irish must stop the run and force the Jackets to rely on the pass, where either quarterback will be far less effective. Each team is likely to have its share of success but neither will dominate. In this case, the game will become a slugfest. While the defense has been primarily responsible for most of Notre Dame’s success this year, the offense will need to deliver the goods this week. Tech’s defense can be had if Leonard and Mike Denbrock are on their games. I expect they will be good enough to win a relatively close, hard-fought brawl.

NOTRE DAME 31  GEORGIA TECH 24