Everyone remembers where they were when Miami coach Mario Cristobal decided not to kneel against Georgia Tech, and moments later Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King rolled to his right and allowed Christian Leary to score a touchdown with one second left to seal the win in one of the most unforgettable games in college football history.
So what will these two teams do for an encore?
Georgia Tech and Miami will face off on November 9th. It will be interesting to see where both teams stand at this point in the season. Georgia Tech will have a tough schedule, while Miami has a relatively favorable schedule in the ACC and with their offseason talent acquisitions and favorable schedule, they are expected to compete for the ACC title. Will this be a pivotal game for both teams in the ACC race?
It will be some time before these two teams actually meet on the field, but first let’s take a look at the head-to-head record between these two teams.
Georgia Tech Defense vs Miami Offense
Miami will have some new faces at center this season.
After the inconsistent play of Tyler Van Dyke, Cristobal and the Hurricanes were able to acquire former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward through the transfer portal. Ward is widely considered the top transfer quarterback in the transfer portal and gives the Hurricanes dual-threat capabilities. Ward still has room to grow as a passer, but he has great potential. He has a chance to be one of the quarterbacks in the ACC this season.
Not only did Miami land a top-tier quarterback in the portal, they also landed a top-tier transfer running back. Former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez will be Miami's lead back. He was one of the best running backs in the Pac-12 during his time in Corvallis. If sophomore Mark Fletcher is healthy, Miami will have a dynamic running back duo in the backfield this season.
Miami also has depth at the wide receiver position and should be one of the best in the ACC. Xavier Restrepo returns after gaining over 1,000 yards last season, and Jacolby George (57 catches, 864 yards, 8 touchdowns) form a very good 1-2 punch on the outside for Miami. Houston transfer Sam Brown and top 100 recruits JoJo Trader and Ny Carr add up to a pretty solid group. Miami didn't do much at the tight end position last year, but Elijah Arroyo and Riley Williams are players to watch.
The offensive line was one of the best in the ACC last year and should be again this year. Jalen Rivers, Anez Copper and Francis Mauigoa are all back this season. Former five-star prospect Samson Okunlola will take over at left guard and Indiana transfer Zach Carpenter should take over at center in place of Matt Lee.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is looking to rebuild Georgia Tech's defense this season to help it compete in the ACC. In his one season at Duke (2023), Santucci oversaw the ACC's top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, good for 16th in the nation. The Blue Devils also ranked in the top 50 nationally in rush defense, pass defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red zone defense. Duke allowed just 10 points combined in two wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 (No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 North Carolina State (24-3)) and improved to 8-5 overall with a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
Georgia Tech's defensive line may be their biggest question mark, especially at defensive end. On the interior, Zeke Biggers, Miami/Georgia State transfer Thomas Gore, Penn State transfer Jordan van den Berg and Horace Lockett have potential, but does Georgia Tech have enough power at the edge rusher position? USC transfer Romero Height could help, but Georgia Tech will need production from this unit.
At linebacker, Kyle Efford will look to lead a group that includes veteran starter Tre'Niulious Tatum, Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey, Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton and freshman Taj Butler.
Georgia Tech returns a strong safety duo in LaMyles Brooks and Clayton Powell Lee, and Ahmari Harvey could have a breakout season in 2024. The biggest question in the secondary is who will start at corner opposite Harvey, with Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell likely be the favorite on the outside and Rhode Island transfers Saeed Gibbs and Rodney Shelley potentially at nickel.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Miami Defense
Georgia Tech's offense finished last year as one of the best in the ACC and should maintain that status this year.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of only two players in the country (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns this season, and one of only six ACC players since 2000 to achieve those numbers in a regular season. King led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. King is back for another season at the Flats and could be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to bet on the Yellow Jackets is that they may have the best quarterback on the field against many of their opponents. King has been good, but he has had issues with turnovers and will not cut it against some of the teams on Georgia Tech's schedule, including Miami.
Jamal Haynes had a great season last year. He made the switch from wide receiver to running back during fall camp, and the move paid off. Haynes earned All-ACC honors as a running back (third team) and was named an honorable mention All-Purpose performer. He led Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and a team-second-best six yards per carry. Those numbers were fifth in the ACC in rushing yards, he was tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns, and his 6.0 yards per carry was third in the league. Haynes had a strong performance in the bowl game against UCF, rushing 18 times for a game-high 128 yards. He also had a strong performance against the Georgia Bulldogs, rushing for 81 yards. Haynes is the second-highest rated player for the Yellow Jackets according to Pro Football Focus, earning a 76.9 grade and looks poised to have another big season in 2024. I think he's going to have a big season, but he's not getting the recognition he should be getting.
This will be one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the ACC, with several newcomers who could bolster this group.
Eric Singleton Jr. is the Yellow Jackets' highest-rated player in the 2023 freshman class, according to 247Sports, and he looked like he had superstar potential last season.
Singleton Jr. ranks fourth among all freshman (true freshman or redshirt) in the nation in 2023 with 59.5 yards receiving per game and is tied for fourth nationally among true freshman with six touchdown receptions. His 714 yards receiving and six touchdown catches both rank in the top 10 in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference, and his six touchdown receptions are the second-most by a freshman in Georgia Tech history. Can he have an even better season in 2024? I think it certainly is possible, and the chemistry between him and King was evident last year.
Singleton isn't the Yellow Jackets' only dangerous receiver.
Malik Rutherford was Georgia Tech's second-leading receiver. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.5 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech's blowout win over North Carolina. Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He was a reliable player who could stretch the field with his speed, and he was also a player who could get the ball in a variety of ways.
Christian Leary was Georgia Tech's fourth-leading receiver this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a kickoff return.
Chase Lane started the year well but injuries cost him time. If he can stay healthy, I think he'll have a really good season in 2024. Abdul-Janneh, a transfer from Duquesne, had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He'll add depth to Georgia Tech next year.
Leo Blackburn is one of Georgia Tech's biggest players at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and if he can stay healthy this season, he could add an entirely new element to the Yellow Jackets' offense.
The offensive line will also be one of the best in the ACC.
In just one season, head coach Brent Key and first-year offensive line coach Jeep Wade have transformed Georgia Tech's offensive line from its biggest weakness to arguably the best unit on the entire team. Georgia Tech has gone from being one of the worst rushing teams in the ACC to leading the league in rushing. For anyone who has looked at the 2022 line, it's been a pretty surprising turnaround. The good news for the Yellow Jackets is that the offensive line returns four of its five starters and added an all-conference transfer in the offseason.
But Miami's defensive line will be a big threat this season.
The Hurricanes made a point of investing in their defensive line this offseason, and that could pay off in a big way. They bring back Reuben Bayne (7.5 sacks last season) and hope Hakeem Mesidor can stay healthy, but they will also rely on a number of rookies and freshmen this season. Five-star defensive tackles Justin Scott and Armond Brandt could see early playing time, as could Marquis Lightfoot. Transfers Marley Cook (MTSU), CJ Clark (NC State), Simeon Barrow (Michigan State), Tyler Barron (Tennessee) and Elijah Alston (Marshall) should all play for the Hurricanes.
The team has two solid starters at linebacker in Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bisante, but depth could be a concern.
The secondary is the weakest part of this entire Miami team in my opinion. Safeties Cam Kinchens and James Williams and Jaidyn Davis have all left for the NFL. But cornerback Darryl Porter Jr. is back, as is young cornerback Damari Brown. Freshman Zakuan Patterson could be a key safety, as will Mishael Powell, a transfer from Washington.
overview
On paper, I think Miami is a better team than Georgia Tech, and many of their position groups are arguably the best in the ACC. But the big question is whether Mario Cristobal can get the most out of this group. He's not known for his game-day leadership (see last year), and his seat will be scorching hot if Miami doesn't compete for the ACC title. How excited will the Hurricanes be to head to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech if they don't live up to expectations?
