Georgia Tech is gearing up to face Duke in what promises to be a fiery ACC showdown. The best part is that the Yellow Jackets are cruising with a clean slate, and the Blue Devils are standing at 4-2 overall but 3-0 in the ACC. Analysts sincerely give the QB edge to Duke’s Darian Mensah over Haynes King. Mensah has racked up a marvelous 1838 yards with 15 TDs and a mere 2 interceptions. King, on the other hand, is largely falling behind with 971 yards and just 4 passing TDs. But his pass completion rate stands as a solid 72.3 % as compared to Mensah’s 67.6%.

Georgia Tech must lean on its secondary, ranked 53rd nationally. David Pollack and Brent Rollins have thrown a serious warning flag to King and the Yellow Jackets: Duke’s offense isn’t one to sleep on. “They’re playing solid defensively. But I don’t know in terms of how it is that they can hang up against this week,” Rollins said on the See Ball Get Ball podcast. “This week I want to watch them defensively just as much as I want to watch them in any way because Duke presents a challenge this week with Darian Mensah with Nate Sheppard at running back.”

Pollack further added, “Mensah can spin it all over the place. That’s going to be a challenge for them defensively.” The Blue Devils’ offense is making serious waves under offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer. They are averaging a solid 36.5 points per game. That’s good enough to rank them fifth in the conference and 25th in the nation. Their total offensive yards per game sit at an impressive 467, which lands them 20th nationally. The real magic comes from their passing game, ranked 10th in the country, pulling down 310 yards through the air every game.

Receivers Cooper Barkate and Que’Sean Brown are the go-to playmakers, racking up 475 and 400 yards receiving, respectively. The pass-heavy attack has left a lot of expectations for the ground game. However, true freshman Nate Sheppard has brought fresh energy. He is leading the ground game with 447 yards at a stellar eight yards per carry. Duke’s rushing average of 157 yards per game might not top the charts, but it’s enough to help control the clock. On the other side of the ball, the yellow jackets are averaging a robust 36.7 points per game, well above the roughly 21 points they allow defensively.

The Jackets average 7.26 yards per play, which is impressive, showing they’re making consistent, impactful gains each snap. But Georgia Tech has a solid run game with 1,428 rushing yards and scoring 19 rushing touchdowns, with an average of over 6 yards per rush. Plus, their red-zone efficiency stands at a 96% success rate. Plus, their third-down conversion rate sits at a high 47%, helping keep drives alive. But the hopes are stagnant on their defense. “And it goes to [Blake] Gideon,” Pollack said. “And he’s again, I told you a new coordinator almost every year for them. Obviously, the last three years have been with a new coordinator, and it’s just it’s a different scheme.” 

The hope was to sharpen the pass rush and improve pass defense, and Gideon’s impact has been a mixed bag so far. They did a solid job against Clemson and Temple, but last Saturday against Wake Forest, they looked shaky. The unit gave up nearly 450 yards and over six yards per play. However, the run defense still struggles, ranking a shaky 100th nationally. And sacks are few, with just 1.6 per game. Turnover margin is another weak spot at 119th overall. With all that said, the odds reflect this uphill battle clearly: ESPN’s FPI gives Georgia Tech just a 38.2% chance to beat a confident Duke team.

The Yellow Jackets won’t let Brent Key go

Brent Key is getting all kinds of love from other programs. Obviously, when you are cruising with an unbeaten record, programs facing a coaching deficiency will come vying for you. But don’t worry, Georgia Tech has locked down its star coach. “I’m absolutely confident we can keep Coach Key and continue to build a championship-level program,” Georgia AD Ryan Alpert said.

In December 2023, Key signed a six-year extension running through 2029, worth about $4.75 million annually. It makes him one of the top three highest-paid coaches in the ACC. This deal, totaling approximately $28.5 million, underscores the commitment the program has to keeping him long-term. Plus, there are solid reasons for Key to stay. Over the past three seasons, he has led the Jackets to a 14-9 ACC record.

That includes back-to-back 7-6 seasons with bowl appearances. His teams have consistently outperformed preseason expectations, finishing fourth in the ACC in both 2023 and 2024 after being predicted to finish near the bottom. His effort hasn’t really gone unnoticed. He’s on the midseason watch lists for prestigious coach of the year awards like the Bear Bryant and Dodd Trophies. He has also managed to surpass the winning percentages of legendary Tech coaches Bobby Dodd and Paul Johnson.