[12:00 PM] Georgia Tech @ Georgia

Who will WIN this matchup?

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-4)

@ Georgia Bulldogs (7-4)

 

• The line for this game is Georgia by 4.5 points.

• They call it “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate” whenever Georgia Tech and Georgia meet, and as the 109th installment of the in-state rivalry unfolds Saturday when the Bulldogs host the Yellow Jackets, both teams stand at an interesting crossroad. Both programs have fallen short of expectations in 2016, especially considering the lack of quality in their respective conference divisions, but a victory Saturday goes a long way toward putting a positive spin on the season.

• The return of several players from injury and leading rusher Dedrick Miles from a two-game suspension provides reinforcements to a Yellow Jackets team that has won two games in a row since its midseason stumble. Marcus Marshall took advantage of Mills’ absence to rush for 270 yards combined in the past two games, while quarterback Justin Thomas passed for 122 yards and a touchdown last week after missing the Virginia Tech game with an upper-body injury. The defense has intercepted five passes the past two weeks and has scored 27 points off turnovers during that span.

• The Bulldogs have won three in a row and their running game is a big reason why, as Nick Chubb has rushed for 294 yards and scored two touchdowns during the streak. Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason threw his first interception in four games last week, finishing 13-of-19 for 165 yards and two touchdowns against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Bulldogs have improved defensively, allowing 17.3 points per game during the winning streak, but have not faced a rushing attack like Georgia Tech (ninth nationally at 260.3 yards per game).

• Georgia is second in the SEC and ninth in the country in time of possession (33:40).

• Both teams faced North Carolina and Vanderbilt this season: Georgia rallied past the Tar Heels but lost to the Commodores, while the Yellow Jackets routed Vanderbilt and were blown out by North Carolina.

• Georgia Tech fans will contend this is the 111st game in the series (Georgia does not recognize two Yellow Jackets victories during World War II); in the 108 games both schools agree on counting, Georgia leads 65-38-5.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Georgia Bulldogs

Confidence: 5/10

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