UNC Football vs. Georgia Tech: Game preview, info, prediction and more

We take a look at what the UNC Football program needs to do to get back on track against a Georgia Tech team that has struggled

The North Carolina Tar Heels are hoping to end a three-game losing streak and get back to .500 on the season this weekend but they will have to do it on the road. UNC heads to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech in their third Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season.

Both teams enter Week 6 with losing streaks as UNC has dropped three-straight, while the Yellow Jackets have lost two. Not only have the Yellow Jackets struggled this season and are reeling, they are being hit with some big injuries as well.

On Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets announced that they have lost leading receiver Jalen Camp and starting center Kenny Cooper to season-ending injuries. Those are both huge losses for the Yellow Jackets and now they will have to replace two starters on an offense that is already struggling.

For the Tar Heels, they are fresh off a tough loss to Clemson as they had a chance to upset No. 1 late but fell 21-20 after a missed two-point conversion. Prior to that, the Tar Heels lost to Wake Forest on the road and App. State at home. They are in desperate need of a win and taking on a Yellow Jackets team that is 1-3 overall might be the cure.

North Carolina currently sits at 1-1 in conference play but has built some confidence with that performance against Clemson at home.

With the ACC Coastal Division still in reach, this begins a key stretch of four games for the Tar Heels over a five-week span vs. the Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech, Duke and then Coastal leaders Virginia. The Tar Heels must go 3-1 at minimum in these games to have a shot, depending on the result vs. the Cavaliers. Not only is the Coastal in reach but the Tar Heels bowl chances will improve with a win on Saturday.

As for the Yellow Jackets, they are just hoping to build some confidence moving forward as they have really struggled this season. Their lone win came vs. USF, beating the Bulls 14-0. They have losses to Clemson, the Citadel and most recently Temple, as they scored just two points vs. the Owls.

Let’s get into our keys to victory for the Tar Heels:

Key to Victory for the Tar Heels

UNC’s defense will be a big key for the Tar Heels in this one. Last week vs. Clemson, the Tar Heels were aggressive on defense and got pressure on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It will be a totally different offense that UNC will see on Saturday as the Yellow Jackets love running the football, so the Tar Heels need to make sure they are in the correct gaps and run lane, not letting Georgia Tech rush all over them.

In the secondary, the Yellow Jackets don’t pose much of a threat from their receivers but that doesn’t mean UNC can let up. They still need to bring their A game on Saturday and make life difficult on the quarterback. Georgia Tech has used James Graham, Tobias Oliver and Lucas Johnson at quarterback as they still like to rely on the ground game to get it done but have opened up the passing a bit more this season.

If UNC’s defense can have a big day and get pressure on the quarterback, they should come out victorious.

One thing to watch

Will the Tar Heels come out fired up or will they downplay the opponent? Last week vs. No. 1 Clemson, the Tar Heels came out to play. They were fired up in a packed Kenan Memorial Stadium and fed off that energy. This week’s game is on the road but will UNC come out with the same energy?

During the week of preparation leading up to this game, head coach Mack Brown revealed he wasn’t pleased with how his team was prepping. Brown said he didn’t see the same preparation last week as the team was gearing up for No. 1 Clemson:

The Tar Heels cannot afford a let down here. They are the better team going into Saturday’s game and should move to 2-1 in the ACC. But the game still has to be played and UNC can’t look past a struggling Yellow Jackets team.

We will know the energy early on with this UNC team and if they come out sluggish, the Yellow Jackets could pull the upset.

What you need to know

WHAT?  North Carolina Tar Heels 2-2 (1-1 ACC) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1-3 (0-1 ACC)
WHEN?  Saturday,  October 5, 4:00 p.m. EST
WHERE?  Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
TV? ACCN Extra
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
WEATHER? High of 79 degrees with storms possible.
LINE? UNC -10.5
ALL-TIME SERIES? Georgia Tech leads 30-20-3
LAST MEETING? Georgia Tech beat UNC 38-28 in 2018
PREDICTION? UNC 26, Georgia Tech 17