Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 19th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Notre Dame's head coach Marcus Freeman stressed an important message this week as the No. 12 Fighting Irish geared up to take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Saturday.
According to Freeman, the team must move beyond being good and strive for greatness.
"We need to continue to acknowledge that we have the ability to play even better," Freeman stated. "There are numerous plays on the film that we could execute at a higher level."
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Notre Dame (5-1) and Georgia Tech (5-2) will face off on an NFL field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just a few miles south of the Yellow Jackets' campus.
The Fighting Irish are coming off a dominant 49-7 victory over Stanford last Saturday, marking their fourth consecutive win. This will be their first away game since September 14th, when they crushed Purdue 66-7.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech is aiming for their third straight win. The Yellow Jackets defeated Duke 24-14 two weeks ago and followed it up with a 41-34 victory over North Carolina last Saturday.
However, their latest win came at a cost. Starting quarterback Haynes King left the game in the fourth quarter with an unspecified injury, and his status for this week's game against Notre Dame remains uncertain.
"He's considered day-to-day," said Georgia Tech's head coach Brent Key. "We have a lot of players who are currently dealing with injuries. We played a physical 60-minute game on Saturday. That's just how it goes this time of year...
"If you're still in a position to compete at this point in the season, it's a blessing. That's what we want. But are we banged up? Yes, we are. We have multiple players who will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. We will make a decision closer to game time on whether or not they will play."
If King is unable to play, Zach Pyron will likely take over at quarterback for Georgia Tech. Pyron stepped in for King during the game against North Carolina and completed his only pass attempt for a gain of 7 yards.
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Running back Jamal Haynes was a key contributor to Georgia Tech's offense, rushing for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He currently leads the team with 536 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Notre Dame also boasts a run-heavy offense led by dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard and a dynamic duo at running back consisting of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love has rushed for 426 yards and six touchdowns, while Leonard has 405 rushing yards and eight scores. Price has also contributed 260 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
On the defensive side, Howard Cross III leads Notre Dame with four sacks, while Xavier Watts has two interceptions.
Georgia Tech's defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen has recorded two sacks this season, and Ahmari Harvey has the team's only interception.
Freeman has been preparing his team for an indoor game and the potential challenges that come with playing in a loud stadium.
But above all, Freeman wants his team to focus on achieving greatness.
"For us, that means performing at our full potential," he explained. "Everyone's definition of greatness may differ, but it's a challenge for our program to elevate and take that next step towards reaching our full potential."